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LOS ANGELES The Boy Scouts of America settled a sex abuse case Thursday involving a 20-year-old California man who was molested by a Scout volunteer in 2007 a decision that will keep years' worth of "perversion" files detailing sex abuse allegations secret from the public. The announcement of the settlement in the Santa Barbara case came after three days of trial. The terms were confidential at the Boy Scouts' request, said Tim Hale, the plaintiff's attorney. "I can't go into details about the number, but it was a great result," Hale said. Hale had won the right to use the "perversion" files to try to show the Boy Scouts were negligent by not properly training, educating and warning parents, Scouts and volunteers about sexual abuse. He told jurors in his opening statement that they would receive a CD with 100,000 pages of internal documents from 1971 to 2007 during their deliberations. Many of the documents have not been seen outside the Scouts. The plaintiff's attorneys had planned to use up to 100 "egregious" files next week while cross-examining witnesses and eliciting testimony from experts, Hale said. Two files were discussed in open court in the first three days of trial, he added. The plaintiff's law firm has the remaining files but they are sealed by a judge's protective order. Past settlements in similar cases in Texas and Minnesota also kept the records secret. In an emailed statement, the Boy Scouts said the Scouts were "safer because those files exist" and said in 2012 the Boy Scouts of America National Council reviewed all the files from 1965 to the present and reported to authorities any files that did not clearly indicate a prior report had been made to police. "The behavior included in these reports runs counter to everything for which the BSA stands," Deron Smith, the Boy Scouts spokesman, said in an emailed statement. "We regret there have been times when the BSA's best efforts to protect children were insufficient, and for that we extend our deepest apologies to victims and their families." The Boy Scouts' decision to settle three days into trial is telling, especially with the files in play, said Jody Armour, a law professor at the University of Southern California who is familiar with the case. "They are looking at an avalanche of unseemly details about this trusted organization being broadcast much more widely than necessary," he said. "The Boy Scouts are going to have to make a calculation going forward," he added. "Which causes more damage? The loss of money in settlements or the loss in goodwill by having our name dragged through the mud in open court?" Files that the Boy Scouts kept between 1960 and 1991 have been made public through other cases. The release of the more recent files from 1991 to 2007 could have revealed how much the Scouts improved their efforts to protect children after several high-profile cases and the implementation of a youth protection policy in the late 1980s. Previous large verdicts against the Scouts focused on cases where alleged abuse occurred before the policy was put in place. In 2012, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the Scouts to make public documents from 1965 to 1985. The records showed that more than one-third of abuse allegations never were reported to police and that even when authorities were told little was done most of the time. Those documents came to light after a jury in 2010 imposed a nearly $20 million penalty against the Scouts in a molestation case in Portland, Oregon, that dated to the early 1980s. The California case alleged that a volunteer named Al Stein, now 37, pulled down the plaintiff's pants when he was 13 and fondled him while the two worked in a Christmas tree lot. Stein pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment in 2009 and was last living in Salinas as a registered sex offender. | 5 | 4,600 | news |
Even Shannen Doherty will stop to watch when she comes across a rerun of the original 90210 on television! But what she's thinking while she watches may surprise you. Shannen can also see herself on TV in Great American Country's Off the Map With Shannen and Holly, which is about a road trip she undertook with real-life best friend and former Charmed costar Holly Marie Combs. The ladies visited us in New York City to chat about their adventures. | 6 | 4,601 | entertainment |
Moms in the know share their recommendations on what baby products work best and are actually worth the splurge Fisher Price Swing "This is the only thing that my baby would actually fall asleep in for the first three months of his life. It keeps him in constant motion, rocking him to sleep, so I can get some shut-eye too. It also has music to play and a mirror and mobile to keep him entertained. This is an absolute must." Juliana M. To buy: Fisher Price My Little Snugabear Swing , $140 Aden + Anais Muslin Blankets "These luxurious swaddle blankets are soft, durable and can be used for so many different things. It can be a swaddle, burp cloth, nursing cover, car seat shade, blanket or a lovey! These are the top-of-the-line in swaddles and totally worth the splurge. Plus, they come in an array of cute patterns for whatever your style may be." Katie R. To buy: Aden + Anais Swaddling Blankets , $50 Medela Double Electric Breast Pump "An electric double pump is great for relief for the breastfeeding mom and easy to use for the pumping mom. A breast pump makes on-the-go feeding easy and convenient. Investing in a quality one that does the work for you is worth every penny!" Carrie F. To buy: Medela Freestyle Breast Pump , $322 Britax B-Ready Stroller "Now this is a stroller! It's great quality, durable and is a comfortable and safe ride for my baby. I bought the bassinet attachment for when he was an infant and I am so glad I did! He loves his stroller, and to this day if he's fussy, I can just take him for a walk around the block and he's content!" Michelle H. To buy: Britax B-Ready Stroller with Bassinet , $585 Video Monitor "A video baby monitor is great for peace of mind in knowing that your baby is safe and sound. It allows me to check on my baby without disturbing him and helps the overprotective parent (guilty!) pause a bit before running to their baby's aid. And peace of mind is absolutely something you cannot put a price on." Melissa C. To buy: Motorola Digital Color Monitor , $240 Baby Carrier "I love babywearing, and am a huge proponent of baby carriers. I love that I can have my baby close to me and still have my hands free to get things done around the house! The Infantino is super comfortable for both me and the baby. She loves the thing and it was cheap as hell." Steph A.Keryn M. adds that a baby carrier is great for "traveling, hiking, flights and train rides!" To buy: Infantino Flip Infant Carrier , $30 Bassinet "Having something to put right beside the bed for those middle of the night changes and feedings is priceless. Just roll over and grab the baby no midnight zombie walking required!" Kimberly B. To buy: Delta Sweet Beginning Bassinet , $47 Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow "Breastfeeding is hard, painful and tiring. You're going to want a pillow to make it just a little bit easier. The Boppy is the perfect breastfeeding pillow that gives your arms a break and gives your baby a comfortable place to lie on. Comfortable breastfeeding for mama and baby is important, and the Boppy offers just that. Plus, you can get a cute cover for it, which is fun. Check Etsy for unique patterns and designs!" Lauren M. To buy: Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow , $44 Sophie the Giraffe Teether "Yes, she is pricey. Yes, she is worth it. My baby is obsessed with Sophie. It tastes good, it's fun for him to chew on, it gives his gums and teeth a break and it even squeaks when squeezed. Plus, it's totally adorable, which I personally love." Lindsay G. To buy: Sophie the Giraffe , $23 Bravado Nursing Bras Finding "a great nursing bra that grows with you is totally worth the money," says mom of two Lyz L. "Also, as a caveat, if you are well-endowed, it is difficult to get one that grows with you." So invest in a good nursing bra and try a few on to get a gauge of their comfort and flexibility. To buy: Bravado , $34 Rock and Play "Babies love motion and some only want to be constantly held, which can make for a whole lot of non-productive days. This is why I love my Rock and Play. It lets me set my baby down for a bit so I can have a break. This thing is a lifesaver! Always." Lyz L. To buy: Fisher Price Rock and Play , $44 Diaper Bag "When I got pregnant, I made it my mission to get myself a diaper bag that is cute, stylish and functional, but that also doesn't scream 'DIAPER BAG!' I love this one, since it allows me to carry around the kitchen sink and still feel and look fashionable. Because I'm a mom, but I'm also still me." Katie R. To buy: Nest North South Diaper Bag , $200 4-in-1 High Chair "A good high chair that will last years is so worth the splurge! I love that it grows with the baby into toddlerhood and beyond! You'll definitely get your money's worth." Lucy N. To buy: Graco 4-in-1 High Chair , $157 Bouncer "I don't know what I would do without my bouncer. My baby loves sitting in it and watching the world around her. The bird mobile on this one keeps her entertained, it plays music and the vibrate mode is great for infants. Plus, when she starts kicking her feet, she can bounce all by herself! It keeps her content and allows me to get some cleaning done, or even take a shower. Shocking, I know. Trust me, you'll want one." Kara S. To buy: Fisher Price My Little Snugapuppy Bouncer , $55 Jogging Stroller "If you're active, a good jogging stroller is a must. It allows you to get back in shape with your baby in tow! When I had my baby, I couldn't wait to get back out and running, and since I am a stay-at-home mom, a jogging stroller is a must! My baby loves going on jogs with me and I love not being confined to my house all day! Everybody wins!" Kate N. To buy: Jeep Adventure Jogging Stroller , $187 White Noise Machine "A white noise machine or an app or CD helps your baby drift off into dreamland without any distracting outside noises. It also mimics the sounds in the womb, which is great for when Baby is in the fourth trimester! I love my white noise machine because it's got a lot of soothing sleep sounds to choose from. And I'm so used to the white noise now, I can't sleep without it!" Andrea R. To buy: Homedics Sound Machine , $20 | 4 | 4,602 | lifestyle |
Marshawn Lynch has been in the NFL for eight years, but is his career coming to a close? Eric Edholm discusses the possibility of Beast Mode's final game being on Sunday. | 1 | 4,603 | sports |
In a typical doctor's visit, you wait around for a while, get your vitals checked, and spend a few minutes alone in a room with a physician. It's private and short. Some doctors, frustrated by a relentless schedule of 15- minute, one-on-one visits, are experimenting with appointments that are neither. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, around 10 percent of family doctors already offer shared medical appointments, sessions that bring together a dozen or more patients with similar medical conditions to meet with a doctor for 90 minutes. With pressure from the government and insurers to bring down the cost of care while treating the increasing number of people with health insurance, patients can expect group visits to become more common. "It's efficient. It's economical. It's high-quality care when it's done right," says Edward Noffsinger, a California psychologist who created the model in the 1990s at Kaiser Permanente, the state's largest health maintenance organization (HMO). In a group visit, exams and tests are still conducted privately, but patients discuss their ailments in front of the group. The theory is that each patient can learn from the others' experience, and doctors get to have a longer, more relaxed discussion instead of hopscotching to three or four exam rooms in an hour. "You have one appointment with 10 observers," says Marianne Sumego, an internist at the Cleveland Clinic. "Patients are really getting the equivalent of 10 visits." Sumego started doing shared visits 15 years ago and has led the health system's expansion of the practice in the past four years. She says Cleveland Clinic has conducted more than 10,000 group visits in recent years. The approach is particularly useful for patients who are managing such chronic conditions as diabetes, asthma, or osteoporosis, she says. Sumego also conducts regular group checkups for women. "This model is really attractive in being able to let me spend more time with my patients," she says. As for the effectiveness of group medical visits, there haven't been extensive studies. An analysis of existing research published by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2012 found that the approach helped diabetics control blood sugar and blood pressure, but what the impact is on hospital admissions or total health-care costs was less conclusive. There's some evidence that group pain treatment may help manage such conditions as back pain or arthritis, according to a review by the Cochrane Collaboration, which synthesizes medical evidence. Another Cochrane review, covering just two studies, found similar outcomes for pregnant women in group visits compared with those who got one-on-one prenatal care. Here's what is clear: Seeing several patients at once can be good for harried doctors' finances. In 90 minutes, a physician might be able to complete five or six one-on-one visits. A group visit could allow doctors to see double that number or more in the same time, and medical assistants or nurses can take care routine aspects of care checking patients in, taking vital signs, writing refills of medication. Often it takes a fair amount of promotion by doctors to get patients interested in exploring group appointments, which require them to sign privacy agreements. "Patients have a lifetime of expecting a one-on-one visit," says Noffsinger. "We're asking them to do something entirely different." Noffsinger had spent years counseling seriously ill patients at Kaiser before he got sick himself in 1988, with a life-threatening pulmonary disease that kept him laid up for four years. While he was sick, Noffsinger realized he wanted to see his doctors without waiting for an appointment for weeks. He also wanted to spend more time with them and to connect with other patients who understood what he was going through. He realized that turning one-on-one visits into shared appointments could create enough breathing space in doctors' schedules to do all three. After he recovered, Noffsinger started doing shared visits at Kaiser in 1996. He has since consulted around the world with doctors who want to try the idea, including at the Cleveland Clinic, hospitals on U.S. military bases, and the Veteran's Health Administration. He went to Boston for a few years, starting in 2007, after health-care reform under then-governor Mitt Romney expanded the number of insured patients in a market that already had some of the longest wait times in the country. "The demand for care had suddenly far exceeded the supply of care available," he says. With insurance coverage expanding across the U.S., group visits may follow. To contact the author on this story: John Tozzi at [email protected] To contact the editor on this story: Janet Paskin at [email protected] | 3 | 4,604 | finance |
Over the course of two generations, the percentage of workers in the U.S. who are required to hold a license to do their job has gone from 5 percent to about 30 percent. Some of that increase is due, no doubt, to the increasing technological sophistication of modern society the set of skills an auto mechanic needed in 1950 would never suffice in 2015, for example. Some of the licensing is clearly safety driven and some of it just makes good sense. But consider this: In 21 states, you must have a license to be a travel guide. In Nevada, a travel guide must train for 733 days before being able to earn a license, which costs $1,500 . Florists, hair braiders, upholsterers, manicurists and many others also need licenses in some states to legally perform their work, and many if not all licensed professionals must regularly renew those licenses, also for a fee. The system also leads to some absurd disparities in licensing requirements for various jobs. In Michigan, someone who wants to be an athletic trainer must undergo 1,460 days of training while in the same state, an emergency medical technician can be on the job after just 26 days of training. In Iowa, it takes 490 days of training to become a cosmetologist, while in New York and Massachusetts it requires only a (still arguably ridiculous) 233 days. In a new paper commissioned by the Brookings Institution , economist and University of Minnesota professor Morris M. Kleiner raises troubling questions about the system of occupational licensing in the U.S. Specifically, does it make sense to require make-up artists and auctioneers to undergo costly and time-consuming certification processes? Should the person who shampoos hair in a beauty salon be required to hold a license? Who's actually benefitting from the certification and what's really going on? WHY THIS MATTERS The issue of overly strict rules about job licensing, far from a trivial matter, could be costing the U.S. economy as many as 2.85 million jobs and adding $203 billion a year to the costs Americans pay for professional services. Kleiner, a nationally recognized expert on the subject, marshals the evidence from numerous economic studies, including his own, to show that, with the exception of professions where the demonstration of technical skill and knowledge is critical to protecting people and property from serious harm think electricians, doctors, school bus drivers the main effects of occupational licensing requirements are to reduce employment and keep the price of services artificially high. "[E]conomic studies have demonstrated far more cases where occupational licensing has reduced employment and increased prices and wages of licensed workers than where it has improved the quality and safety of services," he writes. For example: "More stringent licensing of mortgage brokers has no influence on the number of foreclosures, but does lead to higher prices of mortgages, again likely due to fewer providers of the service." It's an issue the White House is taking seriously. The president's budget request for the next fiscal year is expected to include funding for states to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of their occupational licensing programs. Kleiner also points out that in many states, the licensing requirements are set by boards of individuals already working in the field in question. Sometimes elected by their peers, these people have a clear interest in curbing competition. Kleiner lays out suggested fixes. First, no new licensing requirements should be imposed without an honest assessment of costs and benefits. "The burden should be on the government together with the associations representing the occupation to demonstrate that the social benefits of these requirements exceed the economic costs." Second, the federal government should create a working group to develop voluntary standards and best practices that could guide the states in rewriting rules. Third, he argues for state reciprocity rules. Right now many workers licensed in one state can't work in other states because of different licensing requirements. In essence it's a form of job lock: The decision of one spouse to take a better job in a different state could be colored by the fact that the second spouse would be unable to find comparable work after a move without completing another expensive and time-consuming training program. Finally, Kleiner argues that there should be a reclassification of many currently licensed professions (dog groomer, ballroom dance instructor), in which even a poor practitioner would be unlikely to cause serious harm. Rather than requiring a license, the lower bar of "certification," requiring a smaller time commitment and less expense, might be appropriate. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Obama's About-Face on 529 Plans Could Save the Middle Class a Bundle Economic Freedom in U.S. on the Rise: Study Taxing the Wealthy Promotes Economic Growth | 3 | 4,605 | finance |
Seniors who refuse to let aging get in their way Totally Stoked Wait 'til you see him kickturn. Hardcore Gamers And it all started with Pac-Man. Surfin' Bird Akaw!!! Slip-Slidin' Away The banister beats the stairs any day. Remember Marilyn? Of course you do. Don't Try This at Home It's important to stretch before that daily run. Fright Night You got any licorice? Let's Dance In a sauté kind of way. A Place at the Table Watch that sidespin. Flex Time Scary but impressive. I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles Love that beautiful moment before one pops. Hoop Dreamer She's still got game. Doing the Dishes They say doing chores together is good for a relationship. Happiness Is a Warm Gun She knows where you sleep. Show Me a Smile You should see her other arm. Bar Hopping Our hero. YOLO Already planning for her next birthday. | 4 | 4,606 | lifestyle |
The Beatles were certainly known for adding layers of experimental and uncommon noises to their recordings. But to find the most in depth Easter eggs hidden within the Beatles music, The Huffington Post sought out super fan Mike Brown, who has maintained arguably the most in depth list of Beatles anomalies since the '90s. Brown's website What Goes On , which has had a web presence since around 1997 as Brown recalls, has detailed recording notes on just about every Beatles song. Over the years, about 400 people have helped contribute to the database. This list of anomalies even precedes Brown, as he inherited everything from a Beatles fan named Michael Weiss, who first publicly distributed it in 1992 on USENET, before the "world wide web" was prevalent. Asking how he has continued to find all these Beatles anomalies over the years, Brown explained: Most now come from submissions -- things I hadn't noticed or considered to be that odd until highlighted. But for those that I spotted -- just listening to the stereo vinyl/CDs in detail. In recent years, the availability of Dolby 5.1 Surround remixes for some tracks has opened up the ability for people to really hear stuff in detail that I was listing years before. Jan. 30 is the anniversary of the Beatles last public performance -- a 45-minute gig on the roof of their Apple Records headquarters in London in 1969 -- here are some fairly deep-cut and often funny Beatles Easter eggs. A few of their classic songs may have been way dirtier than you remembered ... 1. The Beatles purposely pronounce "Sie Liebt Dich," the German version of "She Loves You," incorrectly. This essentially makes the song "She Loves Dick." The Beatles recorded German versions of both "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" in 1964 . For "Sie Liebt Dich" the band completely mispronounced "dich" as "dick," a mistake that seems suspicious since The Beatles spent years in Hamburg. On Mike Brown's "She Love You" entry, he explains, "I'm sure Paul and John knew that "Dich" is not pronounced as "Dick" but the boys are clearly singing 'Sie Leibt Dick. Ja! Ja! Ja!'" Brown further told HuffPost: Brown: Is that an intentional little joke? I think they probably knew, and just tried to slide it past the establishment. They spent long enough in Germany to have picked up the correct pronunciation. The American version might have a dirty element to it as well. Brown writes that The Beatles actually might be singing something other than the official lyrics: "Sounds like 'She loves you, She'd love to, She loves you,' as opposed to the official lyrics! If these are the lyrics being sung, it's just their naughty little joke. 'She'd love to, and you know that can't be bad, wink, wink ...'" 2. When Paul McCartney sings about laughing over dinner in "Lovely Rita," a subtle pop is made to signify a cork. The popping is pretty subtle, but Mike Brown believes it to be on purpose, writing in his "Lovely Rita" entry, "The pop after 'over dinner' -- this is very much intentional, and represents the cork popping over dinner." The book Sgt. Pepper and the Beatles: It Was Forty Years Ago Today also references the cork popping: "In addition to these straight vocals, some comical devices were added ... There is imitation of a champagne cork popping (on the phrase 'over dinner' at 1'27") using cheek finger popping." 3. "For You Blue" begins with John Lennon very softly saying, "Queen says 'No' to pot smoking FBI members." The line is very quiet compared to the rest of the song, but by cranking the volume a bit, John Lennon's voice come through clearly. As Mike Brown explains in his "For You Blue" entry, the song is "introduced with John saying "Queen says 'No' to pot smoking FBI members." It is curious, in that this was edited in here deliberately." Brown explained further to HuffPost: Brown: I think that was just Phil Spector adding character to things. I don't know why that line is of such significance. 'Let It Be' was supposed to be a "live" back-to-basics album. It ended up more heavily "produced" than the original concept, so adding bits of banter like that may have been part of de-studioing it. 4. George Harrison and Paul McCartney harmonizing "tit tit tit tit" in the background of "Girl" was a dirty joke. You'd think it'd be obvious that a "tit tit tit tit" harmonizing on a song called "Girl" was a dirty joke, but this usually goes unnoticed. The Beatles Bible points out that Paul McCartney is quoted in the book, Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now , talking about the origin of the joke: It was always amusing to see if we could get a naughty word on the record: 'fish and finger pie', 'prick teaser', 'tit tit tit tit.' The Beach Boys had a song out where they'd done 'la la la la' and we loved the innocence of that and wanted to copy it, but not use the same phrase. So we were looking around for another phrase, so it was 'dit dit dit dit,' which we decided to change in our waggishness to 'tit tit tit tit,' which is virtually indistinguishable from 'dit dit dit dit.' And it gave us a laugh.It was to get some light relief in the middle of this real big career that we were forging. If we could put in something that was a little bit subversive then we would. George Martin might say, 'Was that "dit dit" or "tit tit" you were singing?' 'Oh, "dit dit," George, but it does sound a bit like that, doesn't it?' Then we'd get in the car and break down laughing. That "fish and finger pie," McCartney mentions is from "Penny Lane." Mike Brown talked to HuffPost about the "four of fish and finger pie" line and explained McCartney has been pretty open about the dirtiness of that line saying, "Paul acknowledged [the line] as 'a bit of smut, for the lads' if I recall correctly!" 5. Near the end of "I'm Only Sleeping," someone almost inaudibly commands "Yawn, Paul." Then McCartney yawns. Beatles Music History! believes this muddied command is made by John Lennon and explains further: "Paul's 'yawn' was added just before the last bridge, preceded by John's instruction 'yawn, Paul' which can quietly be heard in the finished recording." Mike Brown's entry for "I'm Only Sleeping" also points out the moment, stating that a "voice says "Yawn, Paul," and at 2:01, he does!" BONUS: There is supposedly an accidental "undeleted expletive" in "Hey Jude" that doesn't get censored out. Mike Brown told HuffPost that he first noticed this expletive "after seeing the cryptic reference to it in Mark Lewisohn's Recording Sessions book." Brown further said: Brown: I think one of the funniest has to be the "undeleted expletive" in "Hey Jude." Mainly because it's probably the most played record in the history of the planet (I may have made that up), but radio stations seem to be oblivious to John swearing away in the background as he fumbled the acoustic guitar part ... Some people think it's Paul, fumbling on the piano. But I'm not convinced on that. I'd love to hear a clearer version of that backing. It's a bit hard to hear (which explains why radio stations play the song uncensored), but it does sound like someone says "wrong chord" and then shortly after shouts "fucking hell" in the background. All images Getty unless otherwise noted. | 6 | 4,607 | entertainment |
Italian lawmakers failed to elect a state president in the first round of voting on Thursday, with no candidate coming close to the required threshold of two thirds of those eligible to vote. Before the first round of voting closed, more than one third of the 1,009 parliamentarians and regional officials had cast a blank ballot. Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has called for his Democratic Party to support constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella, but not until the fourth round of voting when only a simple majority is required. The fourth round is likely to take place on Saturday. Although historically a largely ceremonial figure, the Italian head of state has important powers at times of political instability - a frequent occurrence in Italy. The president can dissolve parliament, call elections, and pick prime ministers. (Reporting by Isla Binnie; editing by Alessandra Galloni) | 5 | 4,608 | news |
Michael Keaton is currently basking in the glory of all the praise and accolades he is receiving for his role in Birdman . His role as Riggan Thompson is not only a portrayal of his life's events but also of his acting abilities over the course of his career where he effortlessly segue from comedy to drama. Here is a look at Michael Keaton's career. Not many are aware that Michael Keaton's original name is Michael Douglas. The actor decided to change his last name to avoid confusion with well-known actor Michael Douglas and opted for 'Keaton' because of an affinity for physical comedy of Buster Keaton. (Pictured) Michael Keaton during the monologue on October 30, 1982. Keaton started his career with the small screen and appeared for the 1975 television series Mister Roger's Neighborhood . Keaton kept on fiddling backstage with on-screen projects before moving his base to Los Angeles from Pittsburgh. (Pictured) Promotional studio portrait of Keaton for the television series Working Stiffs ( 1979). Keaton bagged his first role in a feature film after working on small screen for close to seven years. In 1982, Keaton's comedic talent helped him fetch a co-starring role in Night Shift, directed by Ron Howard. Night Shift is also the film for which Keaton won his first award the Best Supporting Actor award at the Kansas City Film Critics awards. (Pictured) Michael Keaton (L) and Henry Winkler in the film Night Shift . Following the success of Night Shift , Keaton scored leads in subsequent comedies: Mr. Mom (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984), and Gung Ho (1986). (Pictured) Keaton in a scene from the film Gung Ho . In 1988, Keaton diversified his performance by playing a role of a mischievous demon in Beetlejuice (1988), directed by Tim Burton. He then went on to prove his talent by playing the role of a real estate agent with substance abuse problem in Clean and Sober (1988). The two diverse projects helped Keaton bag Best Actor Awards from National Society of Film Critics in 1989. (Pictured) A scene from Beetlejuice . Keaton acquired enormous fame in 1989 when he played the lead role in the movie Batman , which was based on the world's most famous comic character. (Pictured) Michael Keaton on the set of Batman . The 1989 blockbuster was followed by Batman Returns in 1992 . Keaton brought a new dimension to the role, revealing a darker, emotionally wounded and moody image of the superhero. (Pictured) Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito and Michelle Pfeiffer at the world premiere of Batman Returns at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California, on June 16, 1992. Keaton was married to Caroline McWilliams from 1982 to 1990, and they have one son together, Sean Maxwell. (Pictured) Keaton and his then wife McWilliams attending the premiere of Batman on June 19, 1989 at Mann Bruin Theater in Westwood, California. For the next couple of decades, Keaton was not able to match the success of Batman . He kept on fiddling between various genres like comedy, drama, action and animated movies. He even did a television series. (Pictured) Michael Keaton stars in Desperate Measures, a Mandalay Entertainment Film. In 1994, he starred opposite Geena Davis in a romantic comedy Speechless , followed by a role in Harold Ramis' comedy Multiplicity . (Pictured) Keaton and Davis in a scene from the film Speechless . In 1997, Keaton joined hands with another famous director Quentin Tarantino and played a supporting role of an ATF agent in Jackie Brown . (Pictured) Keaton and actress Pam Grier in a scene from the movie Jackie Brown . Keaton returned to his television roots in 2002 with a television film Live from Baghdad . The film, which was based on CNN's coverage of the Persian Gulf War, led to Keaton's Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor Miniseries or Television Film. (Pictured) Keaton during the NY premiere of Live From Baghdad at City Cinema. The television series revived Keaton's film career and helped him bag four projects: First Daughter (2004), Game 6 (2005), White Noise (2005) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). (Pictured) Actress Lindsay Lohan (second from L) poses with co-stars Michael Keaton (L), Matt Dillon (second from right) and Justin Long (R) at the world premiere of Disney Pictures' Herbie: Fully Loaded at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, June 19, 2005. In 2008, Keaton experimented with his directional skills and directed a small-budget independent drama The Merry Gentleman . (Pictured) Keaton arrives at a news conference for his film on April 20, 2009, in New York. The actor did not have any major release since Post Grad (2009), which saw him in a supporting role. After almost two decades of not-so-great films, Keaton was back into prominence in 2014 with his role in Birdman . (Pictured) Keaton and Edward Norton (R) in a still from the film Birdman . Keaton's portrayal of Riggan Thompson in Birdman has not only showered him with critical acclaim, but has also won him a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in Motion Picture Comedy or Musical and a nomination at the upcoming Oscars. (Pictured) Keaton poses with his Golden Globe on January 11, 2015. | 6 | 4,609 | entertainment |
With Teryl Austin interviewing for several NFL head coaching jobs this month, it looked like the Detroit Lions might be in the market for a new defensive coordinator this offseason. After an impressive first year as the Lions' defensive coordinator, Austin became a pretty popular coaching candidate, but it looks like he's going to be back next season. Now, it looks like the Lions could be in the market for a new special teams coordinator, as John Bonamego has reportedly interviewed for Central Michigan's head coaching job. Spartan Nation has learned CMU interviewed this Detroit Lion coach over the weekend about their open head coach job http://t.co/nVt9osilQ6 Hondo Carpenter (@HondoCarpenter) January 25, 2015 Bonamego hasn't coached in the college ranks since the late 1990s, but he did play football at Central Michigan. It's unclear what his chances of landing the CMU job are at this point, and it's also unclear just how quickly the school is planning to fill the position. Dan Enos unexpectedly left the job last week to become Arkansas' offensive coordinator, and with National Signing Day for recruits now less than a week away, CMU is in a tough spot. As we found out earlier this week, Bobby Johnson, the Lions' assistant offensive line coach, has left for a job with the Oakland Raiders . Johnson is currently the only member of the 2014 coaching staff to depart this offseason, but there could be more turnover if Bonamego is offered the CMU job. | 1 | 4,610 | sports |
GREAT FALLS, Mont. A 14-year-old Great Falls boy believed to have attacked a teacher at North Middle School faces a Youth Court charge of attempted kidnapping. The boy made an initial court appearance Wednesday, and his bail was set at $50,000, the Great Falls Tribune reported. Prosecutors allege the boy put on a hooded sweat shirt and a ski mask after school on Tuesday and grabbed the teacher from behind while holding a tissue across her face. She was able to break free from the boy's grip and he fled. The teacher was not seriously injured. Officers found the boy's backpack in a trash can. It contained belts, a necktie, strips of fabric and photographs of females being tied up and forcibly restrained, court records said. School resource officer, Detective Aaron Frick, said surveillance video helped identify the boy and locate his backpack. The boy was taken into custody in an after-school study group for students who are behind on their work. The boy, who was interviewed in the presence of one of his parents, eventually admitted to investigators that he planned and executed the attack on the teacher, court records said. "I don't think this was a prank by any stretch of the imagination," said Frick, who added that the student had not been on his radar for previous bad behavior. ___ Information from: Great Falls Tribune, http://www.greatfallstribune.com | 5 | 4,611 | news |
New car designs are playing a prominent role in reducing traffic deaths, but the odds of getting killed in a car accident still dramatically vary depending on the make and model of your car.New car designs are playing a prominent role in reducing traffic deaths, but the odds of getting killed in a car accident still dramatically vary depending on the make and model of your car. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued findings Thursday from a study that examined the death rates for vehicles from the 2011 model year. Overall, they determined that new cars are offering significant new protections for motorists. In a three-year span, the average death rate fell from 48 fatalities per million vehicles registered in 2008 vehicles to 28 fatalities per million registrations in 2011 vehicles, a decrease of more than 41 percent. "This is a huge improvement in just three years, even considering the economy's influence," said David Zuby, the executive vice president and chief research officer at IIHS. "We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash-test performance has been getting steadily better. These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving too." Safest, Most Dangerous Models If there's a caveat to that, it's that improvements aren't benefiting all drivers. The 2011 Kia Rio had the highest rate of death, with 149 fatalities expected per million registrations. The Nissan Versa sedan had 130 fatalities per million registered and the Hyundai Accent had 120 fatalities per million registered. They were the deadliest cars in the study. On the safest end of the spectrum, nine models had a death rate of zero: the Audi A4 4WD, the Honda Odyssey, the Kia Sorento 2WD, Lexus RX 350 4WD, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class 4WD, Subaru Legacy 4WD, Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD, Toyota Sequoia 4WD, and Volvo XC90 4WD. When the IIHS researchers conducted the same study eight years ago, there were no vehicles that had a death rate of zero. Improvements are coming from both an external push from safety advocates to eradicate traffic deaths and from technology advances in the vehicles themselves. "The complete elimination of traffic deaths is still many decades away, and along with vehicle improvements, getting there will require changes in road design and public policy that can help protect all road users," Zuby said. "Still, the rise in the number of vehicles with zero driver deaths shows what's possible." In 2012, 33,561 Americans were killed in car accidents. In 2013, that number dipped to 32,719. Technology Drives Improvement IIHS tabulated its results by examining fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and registration data from R.L. Polk & Co. Researchers examined 2011 model-year vehicle data through the end of the 2012 calendar year. The results examine drivers only, not all vehicle occupants. A related IIHS study shows that technology improvements are the main reason for the decline in deaths. Improved structures and the addition of safety features saved approximately 7,700 lives in 2012 alone compared to the number that would have died had there been no technology changes since 1985. While safety-conscious car shoppers should no doubt check the full results for make-and-model information , there are some general trends in the data that are not surprising. Cars are still susceptible to physics: Bigger cars proved safer than smaller ones. Vehicles that fall into the IIHS' "mini" four-door category, for example, averaged 115 deaths per million registrations. As the cars get bigger, they generally get safer. "Small" four-door cars averaged 51 deaths per million registrations; "midsize" had a rate of 29 fatalities per million registrations; "large" four-door cars 34 deaths per million registration and "very large" 24 deaths per million registrations. Four-wheel drive also seemed to be a difference maker. Thirteen of the 19 safest models in the study contained this feature, while only one of the 19 most dangerous cars the '11 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew had four-wheel drive. | 9 | 4,612 | autos |
Chelsea has agreed to sign Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina with Mohamed Salah moving in the opposite direction on an 18-month loan deal, Goal Italy can confirm. The Premier League leader will pay 33 million euros for the Colombia international, who starred at the 2014 World Cup and had attracted strong interest from Manchester United last summer. Chelsea had previously been told that the player would not be allowed to move for less than his €35m release clause but was able to reach a compromise by including Salah as part of the deal. The Egypt international, who joined the Blues last January from Basel, already had a similar agreement in place with Roma but Chelsea called a halt to that move once it learned of Fiorentina's interest in the player. Despite Chelsea's confidence that a deal for Cuadrado could be struck, the Premier League leader had sounded out alternative targets - including Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko - after seeing bids for the Colombian and Shakhtar Donetsk star Douglas Costa rejected. But an agreement has now been reached, with Salah, who has been unable to usurp Willian on the right flank and made just eight appearances in all competitions this season, heading to Florence. Fellow out-of-favor winger Andre Schurrle has also been heavily linked with a Stamford Bridge exit in January, though manager Jose Mourinho insists the German remains a part of his plans. | 1 | 4,613 | sports |
Blues legend Martin Brodeur, a four-time Vezina Trophy winner and three-time Stanley Cup champion, retired on Thursday. He also played for the New Jersey Devils. "I'm leaving the game with a big smile on my face and I don't think, if I would have done that last year, that would've been the case," he said. MORE: No tanking for Scrivens | All-Star game in photos Yes, Thursday's news conference Brodeur in front of a Blues backdrop, specifically was weird. He signed with St. Louis in December and will spend the rest of the season as an assistant to GM Doug Armstrong. After that, presumably, he'll return to the Devils organization and continue his transition into a front-office guy, but Thursday, for whatever reason, was about the Blues. "They really took me into their family, and for me that meant a lot," Brodeur said. "I didn't know what to expect when I came here. I see this organization going a long way," Brodeur said, adding that he and Devils president Lou Lamoriello were on the same page but there wasn't a job open for him at the moment. Fair enough. Let's take a quick opportunity to commemorate the Brodeur Era in St. Louis. Here are his seven best games ranked. 7. Dec. 18, 2014 What he did: The Kings, back in L.A. after a 1-3-1 road trip, came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat St. Louis 6-4. Brodeur stopped 31 of 37 shots. ''It was good and bad to get that lead,'' Brodeur said. ''I think when you come in from a long road trip like the Kings did, they took their medicine. But then they really picked up their game, played physical and created a lot of offense.'' What he didn't do: Force the NHL, yet again, to change its rules. The trapezoid, instituted largely because of Brodeur's puck-handling ability, lives on. 6. Dec. 23, 2014 What he did: He came in for mop-up duty during a 5-0 loss to Colorado and stopped all 10 shots he faced. Nothing to see here. What he didn't do: Help his team get back in the game by scoring a goal. Brodeur did that three other times, including once in the playoffs. 5. Dec. 4, 2014 What he did: Brodeur's first game with St. Louis was memorable. It also wasn't particularly good. He stopped 20 of 24 shots in the Predators' 4-3 win. ''It was a different feeling for me today,'' he said. ''I haven't played in a long time. Coming into the organization, different players, different team, coaching staff, so not sure what to expect. I did it for so long with the same people over and over. What he didn't do: Lead the Blues to a Stanley Cup. He did that three times with New Jersey. 4. Jan. 2, 2015 What he did: What turned out to be Brodeur's last NHL game was a loss 4-3 to Anaheim but he was fine, making 29 saves, including a pad-stacking save that him joking afterward about looking like "the old Marty." "I thought we had a great effort and we scored three goals, but I think on the defensive side of the puck, we made a few mistakes that they capitalized on," Brodeur added. "They're a good hockey team. You just can't give up anything for free, and we did today." What he didn't do: Play another regular-season game. Brodeur holds that record for goalies (1,266). And the regular-season wins record (691). And the regular-season losses record (691). And the playoff wins record (113). And the shutout record (125). And a bunch more. Dude holds some records. 3. Dec. 6, 2014 What he did: Down 3-0 against the Islanders, he relieved Jake Allen at the start of the second and stopped 14 of 15 shots. St. Louis won 6-4, giving Brodeur his first as a Blue. "It changed momentum to put me in there. It worked out well," Brodeur said. "When it was 3-3, I said `Here we go. It's my game now." "I felt pretty good. I'm not a guy that is used to come from the bench. I've got to get used to it, I think," Brodeur added. (He did not have to get used to it.) What he didn't do: Win 11 more. Counting two more Ws as a Blue, Brodeur is retiring with 691 career victories. Nobody in NHL history has more but 700 would've been cool. 2. Dec. 29, 2014 What he did: Brodeur stopped all 16 shots he faced against Colorado for a 3-0 win and his first shutout as a Blue. "A shutout is a shutout, and you have to make some saves, but I thought maybe it was one of his easiest ones," Avs coach (and former rival) Patrick Roy said afterward. What he didn't do: Shut out the Avs 124 more times. That'd equal his total with the Devils. His overall total of 125 is 22 more than anyone else in NHL history (Terry Sawchuk has 103). 1. Dec. 8, 2014 What he did: His first game in front of Blues fans might've been his best. He made 32 saves in a 4-2 win over the Panthers. "I didn't know what to expect coming in, and it's all about winning. When you win I think the fans are able to be a little more cheerful," he said. "I think it was great. They acknowledged before the game with a little video. I didn't expect that. A lot of good things. I'm really happy to be here, once again, and I think for the first visit in front of these fans, we didn't disappoint. We played well and I did my part." What he didn't do: Actually, let's drop it. Thursday was weird, and the last year or so has been, too, but Martin Brodeur has done a lot of stuff and most of it was great. | 1 | 4,614 | sports |
While things have gotten a little ... hot for Tom DeLonge when it comes to his position in Blink-182 , DeLonge's other musical venture, Angels & Airwaves, recently released a fifth album, "The Dream Walker." On Wednesday, A&A released the video for the song "Tunnels," combining shots of the band playing with clips from "Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker," an animated film that is brain child of DeLonge: In an interview with Rolling Stone , DeLonge discussed how "Tunnels" was originally written about doubting religion, but took on a whole new meaning after an extraordinary experience surrounding the death of his father: It was the first song that we wrote, and I wrote the whole song up until the chorus, lyrically, about doubting religion. So, flash forward a year-and-a-half later and about two or three months ago, my dad passed away. The night that he passed away, I woke up from my sleep with an extraordinarily massive amount of energy, and I can only describe it as though someone injected me with a gallon of methamphetamines and Ecstasy with electricity. My heart is going 1,000 miles per minute, and something is in the room and I can't figure out what this is. I reach for my phone, and there's nothing on my phone. Mind you, I just left my dad at hospice a couple of hours before that.I lay back down, and for 30 minutes I'm trying to fall back asleep, but I can't because I'm literally high. Then my phone buzzes and it's the hospice nurse and she said, "Please call me." I called her, and she said, "Your dad passed away 30 minutes ago." It was the most insane feeling ever. It was so supernatural that it literally changed my life, because it was so strong. Then I went back and I wrote the chorus for this song doubting the existence of God. It's a juxtaposition within the song itself. That song, "Tunnels," it sounds a little Motown or it sounds folky but anthemic. It's so different than any song I've ever done. This is probably of the top two songs I've ever been a part of in my entire career. "The Dream Walker" was written by DeLonge and Ilan Rubin, and ties into a larger project that combines music, film and comics, all centered around the character Poet Anderson. The film "Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker" recently won the Best Animated Film at the Toronto International Short Film Festival, and DeLonge has described the story as a " new version of Peter Pan ." | 6 | 4,615 | entertainment |
(Bloomberg) -- Bill Gross, the former manager of the world's largest bond fund, said the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year to end distortions that six years of near-zero borrowing costs have brought to financial markets. Any increase by the Fed will be slow to avoid startling markets that have gotten used to cheap money, and caution will prevail for a long time, Gross wrote in an investment outlook for Janus Capital Group Inc., where he runs the $1.4 billion Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund. The former chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., who left that firm in September to join Janus, likened financial markets to the board game Monopoly, in which a bank, much like the Fed, supplies money to players who invest it in properties. Gross said the Fed realizes that for the game to function, players need incentives to invest. "Capitalism depends on hope - rational hope that an investor gets his or her money back with an attractive return," he wrote. "Without it, capitalism morphs and breaks down at the margin. The global economy in January of 2015 is at just that point with its zero percent interest rates." Downplaying Inflation Gross, 70, has previously said that falling oil prices and a strong dollar constrain the Fed from raising rates until late this year, "if at all." A decline in oil prices will boost economic growth in the first two quarters of 2015 as American consumers have more money for discretionary spending, Gross said in a telephone interview on Thursday. The U.S. will grow 3 percent in each of the first and second quarters, Gross said, on an annualized quarter-on- quarter basis. In the second half of the year, low energy prices will become a drag as companies cut back spending and the strengthening dollar makes U.S. exports less competitive, Gross said. Gross domestic product will probably slow to 2 percent in the third quarter and to 1 percent in the final period this year, according to Gross. Gross earned his reputation by building Pimco into a $2 trillion money manager at its peak with some of the industry's highest returns. He left the firm he co-founded in 1971 to join Denver-based Janus after losing a power struggle with management and some of his deputies. The Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund, run by Gross since Oct. 6, has lost 0.02 percent since then, beating 66 percent of comparable funds, according to data from Chicago- based research firm Morningstar Inc. Gross, in an interview on Bloomberg Television, said the Fed may move by "25 basis points in July or August." He said in his outlook that the Fed "will move up the Monopoly board's interest rates in late 2015." 'Heyday Over' The Fed "will be very slow. The curve suggests in February 2019, they will finally reach 2 percent in terms of the Fed funds rate," Gross said in the interview with Erik Schatzker and Stephanie Ruhle. "And I think that's about right, but it will take up to three or four years to get there." Even as the Fed boosted its assessment of the U.S. economy and downplayed low inflation, tumbling oil prices and concerns that Greece could exit the euro have sent American equities lower this year. In his previous outlook, Gross forecast negative returns for many assets this year as record-low rates fail to restore economic growth. Investors should hold high-quality assets with stable cash flows, such as Treasuries, high-grade corporate bonds, and stocks of companies with little debt and attractive dividends, he wrote. While domestic and global stocks will be supported as rates rise, "their heyday is over," he wrote today. Game Change Instead of getting invested in projects, cash has accumulated on corporate balance sheets or was used in share repurchases, "like the endgame in Monopoly where cash becomes king at the game's conclusion," and "those without cash and the ability to get it go bankrupt," according to Gross. With an aging population and high debt ratios, he wrote, "hope is challenged." The "final destination" for all games is being put away, he wrote, and players will start a new game. "Some of the tokens and some of the hotels have already gone back in the box, but the board's still on the family room coffee table and tokens are still moving around the board," he said in the telephone interview. "If it fails to generate real growth, then the game again will probably change. I don't know how it will change, but it means that probably the board will go back in the box." To contact the reporter on this story: Mary Childs in New York at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Christian Baumgaertel at [email protected] Sree Vidya Bhaktavatsalam, Josh Friedman | 5 | 4,616 | news |
Just in time for the Super Bowl, the FAA is out with a warning about drone use. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) gives us all the details about "Leave Your Drone at Home." | 8 | 4,617 | video |
The leader of France's far-right National Front party came out on top in a new poll on potential 2017 presidential candidates. The survey, published in Marianne on Thursday, pitted Marine Le Pen against French President Francois Hollande, former President Nicolas Sarkozy and other potential candidates. "If the first ballot would take place today," the magazine wrote , " she would gather between 29 and 31 percent of the votes, depending on the adversaries." According to the poll, former President Nicolas Sarkozy would come in second if the elections took place today. French President Francois Hollande, who has battled low approval rates throughout his first term, would not make it to the second round. The poll comes weeks after the deadly terror attacks on the office of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket in Paris by three radicalized Muslims. While Marianne details that it's unclear what effects the attacks had on the results of the poll, Le Pen and the National Front, known for their proposals to reduce the number of immigrants in France and their criticism of Islam, have used the assaults to draw attention to their program. "I have been warning of the danger of Muslim fundamentalism in our country for years," Le Pen said in the wake of the attacks. Le Pen is the daughter of National Front founder and controversial French politician Jean-Marie Le Pen. Since she took over the National Front's leadership, the party has surged to the top of the polls. The latest survey by polling firm BVA puts the party's popularity at 28 percent, just two percentage points shy of President Hollande's Socialist Party. Marine Le Pen ran for president unsuccessfully in 2012. | 5 | 4,618 | news |
We may claim we could never live without our favorite black bag or patent-leather work pumps, but in reality, it's our glasses that win the Most Crucial Accessory award. Think about it these are what the nearsighted and farsighted among us wear from the minute we get up to the minute we go to bed. If you're one of us (those with less-than-perfect vision) you undoubtedly have a solid pair of rims already. What better way to bust out of a winter fashion rut than by switching up your specs? We're not just talking about prescription pairs your sunglasses deserve an upgrade, too. To show you what eyewear we're digging the most right now, we asked three sets of fashionable twins to highlight the best (boldest, quirkiest, and most graphic) eyewear of the season and each pair's shady counterpart. Click through to find your new go-tos. It's easy to see why these fresh frames stand out from the rest. Why do full rims when a half rim (on both glasses and sunnies) can be just as cool? Left: Jenni Kayne dress. Right: Marie Hell dress, Layla Racy coat. Cut25 by Yigal Azrouel Washed Crepe de Chine Top, $105, available at Yigal Azrouël ; DKNY Mohair Drop Shoulder Coat, $446.99, available at DKNY ; Dita Grandreserve Two, $650, available at Dita ; Boutique Silk Swing Slip, $160, available at Topshop ; Coco And Breezy Amazonian White Sunglasses, $260, available at Coco And Breezy . Look into the light in sweet, oversized specs. Left: Rebecca Taylor top, Tanya Taylor top, Rachel Zoe dress. Mykita Aretha Glasses, $560, available at Mykita ; Topshop Checked Bodycon Tunic Dress, $60, available at Topshop ; Coco And Breezy Atsu - Black Mirror Sunglasses, $150, available at Coco And Breezy . If you really want to make a statement, these are for you. Or for your crazy Aunt Sharon who's secretly more fashion-forward than anyone else in your family. Left: Orla Kiely dress, No. 21 blouse, Mercura NYC glasses. Right: Mercura NYC sunglasses. Nomia Linen Vest, $490, available at NET-A-PORTER ; Topshop Cocoon Sweater, $58, available at Topshop ; Nomia Twill Maxi Dress, $510, available at NET-A-PORTER . Seeing red or seeing cats? Whatever floats your boat. Khaleda Rajab + Fahad Almarzouq Cat Eye Mask, $389, available at Linda Farrow ; Jennifer Chun Tulle Back Crystal Floral Patch Cotton Shirt, $225, available at Jennifer Chun; Topshop Space Dye Print Overlay Dress, $58, available at Topshop ; Enza Costa Cuffed Turtleneck, $138.60, available at Shopbop ; Topshop Checked Tunic, $60, available at Topshop ; Dita Rebella Glasses, $600, available at Dita . Sweeten your entire look with pretty, pastel frames. Left: Elle Sasson blouse, Pamella Roland jacket. Right: Off-White T-shirt. Retrosuperfuture Gals Caos, $203.09, available at Retrosuperfuture ; Clover Canyon Painted Garden Mesh Tie Waist Dress, $550, available at Clover Canyon ; Matthew Williamson 119 - Key Hole Optical Glasses, $362, available at Linda Farrow . Don't worry; you can see just as clearly through these wild sunglasses as you can through their more classic counterparts on the left. Left: Elle Sasson vest. Right: Jennifer Chun dress, Mercura NYC sunglasses. Topshop Silk Shirt, $125, available at Topshop ; Topshop Digital Print Knitted Jumper, $85, available at Topshop ; Dita Rebella Glasses, $600, available at Dita . | 4 | 4,619 | lifestyle |
Ah, the joys and pains of curly hair. Sure, it comes into fashion every now and then, and suddenly everyone loves it, but those of us with natural curls have to learn how to deal with it every day. (Pro tip: If you're ever feeling down, watch Sense and Sensibility , and let Kate Winslet's hair-and-bonnet stylings fix everything). And, though we proudly soldier on, sometimes, it feels like those with straight strands just don't seem to understand our realities. Learning to deal with the ill-informed masses is part of our membership in this exclusive club. Ahead, eight annoying things that we all experience go ahead and roll your eyes along with the rest of us. Those embarrassing middle school photos. Yes, everyone has them, but for curly-haired people, they're usually much more upsetting. Particularly for those who grew up in the age of Xtina and Britney, straight hair was the only way to go, and almost all of us succumbed to the pressures at one point. Chances are you straightened (with a flat iron at home or chemically at the salon), and chances are you didn't know what you were doing. Even if you regularly wear your hair straight as an adult, there was something about either the techniques of the time or your own inability to properly style your mop that, back then, made it look like you hastily glued some dry, crusty, old hay to your scalp and then, for some reason, decided to crimp certain sections in the back. Sooo cute! Being told what's right for your hair by people who have no idea about anything, ever. This is something anyone of any hair type can suffer from, but it's particularly egregious for the curly among us because people tend to lump "curly hair" into one large group when in reality there are about a billion kinds of curl patterns, and they all react differently to various routines, products, and weather situations. Suggesting that curly-haired women all need to do X thing, or use X miracle product, is just as ridiculous as suggesting that Solange Knowles and Elle Fanning should be following the exact same set of beauty rules. The assumption that frizz is a disgusting sin that must be atoned for. Has it ever occurred to you that frizz might be exactly what I'm going for ? Have you ever seen this amazing model's beautiful radiance? Regular, tearful battles with your hair brush. First of all, actual and aspiring hairstylists of the world, stop having a conniption over the fact that some curly-haired people use hair brushes (and please refer to the second entry on this list). It's happening, and you need to deal with it and move on. Now, to the point: Having curly hair but not desiring dreadlocks means you're gonna have to get some kind of detangling utensil through there from time to time, and it's going to hurt, and you're going to cry and break things. Studies (read: imaginary research that I just conducted in my head based on personal experience) say that you absorb more brush bristles into your scalp every morning than spiders you ingest nightly. Having to try that much harder to look "put-together." Most unfortunately, people tend to associate super-shiny (and, often, super-straight or perfectly curled with an iron) hair with glamour and getting dolled up. Never mind the fact that a lot of curly-haired folk can air-dry their way to an incredible, envy-inducing mane; mothers in particular have a tendency to exclaim that your natural hair looks messy or unkempt, even when you've spent plenty of time arranging it into a carefully crafted look. Celebrities jumping on the curly-hair bandwagon when they clearly shouldn't. Look, I don't know what Taylor Swift's actual, natural, no-blow hair looks like. Probably, soft, amazing, and great. But, let's be clear on one thing: This is not "curly hair." This is hair that, however it started out, has been curled and sprayed, extensively. There are some early photos of her that I can get behind, but most of the time, I just can't identify, and thus I get even more upset when the woman handing out samples at Costco tells me that I "look exactly like Taylor Swift, except with less money and talent." Oh, and don't even get me started on Monica's "humidity hair" on Friends . That doesn't happen to people whose hair normally looks like Courteney Cox's. That's ridiculous. Also, really, really don't get me started on Emma Watson's beautiful, but completely inaccurate attempt at Hermione hair. People acting like it is some kind of tragedy when you straighten your hair. Why is it that nobody sees it as a repression of the true self when straight-haired people pull out a curling wand, but for some reason, a curly-haired person showing up with straight hair is met with sad looks and piteous utterances like "Oh, but your natural hair is so pretty!" Yes, we've all felt a fair amount of pressure to adhere to the straight-haired standard, but that doesn't mean we can't grow out of it and straighten our hair because we feel like it , without it being some sad statement on how the devastating oppression has forced us to conform against our will. Unintentional '80s look. You're decked out in an awesome outfit, your makeup is on-point, and your hair is voluminous and powerful and ready to turn heads. Then, all of a sudden, the question enters your mind: "Wait, do I look like a member of the band Whitesnake?" It's all downhill from there. | 4 | 4,620 | lifestyle |
Home values rise when a Starbucks (SBUX) location hits the neighborhood, according to Quartz . The coffee giant sends the value of nearby homes soaring, reported the news site, according to data provided by Zillow (Z) . The online real estate database compared home values before and after a Starbucks was built in a neighborhood. Data from Zillow show American homes located near an outlet of the coffee chain, on average, have appreciated 96 percent between 1997 and 2014, from an average $137,000 to $269,000. Homes in neighborhoods without a Starbucks have appreciated 65 percent in the same time, from $102,000 to $168,000, Quartz reported. The $15 billion company has expanded to more than 19,000 locations in over 60 countries, according to Quartz, and the coffee roaster's growth does not show any signs of slowing down this year. Read the full report from Quartz | 3 | 4,621 | finance |
From swanky parties to film premieres, Main Street in Park City, Utah is one of the most happening places during Sundance, and when it comes to fashion, festival goers know how to bring it. Krystin Goodwin (@Krystingoodwin) hit the scene to check out the latest fashions at Sundance Film Festival. | 8 | 4,622 | video |
Companies that rely on exports to Europe face disappointing sales, profits The main theme in disappointing earnings reports this week for large U.S. companies is damage from the decline of the euro. Election results in Greece are heaping additional pressure on the common currency. Three weeks ago, we published a list of 15 European companies benefiting from a weak euro , helped by high levels of exports to the U.S. The weakening of the euro EURUSD, +0.20% and strengthening of the dollar reflect the much stronger U.S. economy, as well as the epic drop in crude oil CLH5, -0.27% prices. That is a perfect recipe for European companies that export goods to U.S. customers, but is also painful for U.S. companies that sell their wares in Europe. Even a small disappointment in quarterly earnings results or guidance can lead to a strong reaction among investors. Shares of Microsoft Inc. MSFT, +0.63% for example, fell 9% Tuesday, following several downgrades to the stock by sell-side analysts. The software company's quarterly earnings met analysts' expectations , even though commercial licensing revenue declined . Investors were dismayed with the company's sales outlook, and the effect of the rising dollar on international customers was partly responsible. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said she expected "FX [foreign exchange] headwinds" to be "in place for the reminder of our fiscal year," which ends June 30. Hood also said that in the company's Devices and Consumer division, "revenue guidance includes approximately 4 [percentage] points of drag from FX." Caterpillar Inc. CAT, -1.09% saw its stock slide as 7%, after the construction- and mining-equipment maker said fourth-quarter sales slip 1% from a year earlier, and that the drop was "primarily due to currency impacts from the weakening of the euro and Japanese yen." The company also revealed an outlook for 2015, with sales expected to total roughly $50 billion, far short of the $54.8 billion consensus estimate among analysts polled by FactSet. United Technologies Corp. UT, +1.49% said on Tuesday that it expected earnings per share for 2015 to range from $6.85 to $7.05 on revenue ranging from $65 billion to $66 billion. Those figures were lowered from the company's previous 2015 EPS outlook of $7 to $7.20, and previous revenue outlook of $66 billion to $67 billion. The company cited "the continuing strengthening of the U.S. dollar, as well as [an] additional pension discount-rate headwind." We thought it would be useful to identify which U.S. companies might be facing the worst pain this year from the rising dollar and declining euro. One of the difficulties in putting this data together is that companies do not report their geographic revenue numbers uniformly. Among the 472 U.S. companies included in the S&P 500 Index SPX, +0.23% only about a third report segment sales data for Europe, or for Europe combined with Africa and/or the Middle East. So we have prepared this list, using the most recently available sales data available from FactSet. For most of the companies, the numbers reflect 2013 sales, because full-year results for 2014 aren't yet available. Click ahead for the 15 S&P 500 companies based in the U.S. that derive more than 35% of their revenue from Europe. Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. Ticker: CCE Industry: Beverages, Non-alcoholic Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -2% Total return - 2014: 2% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 100% Philip Morris International Inc. Ticker: PM, +0.94% Industry: Tobacco Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: 2% Total return - 2014: -2% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 56% Molson Coors Brewing Co. Class B Ticker: TAP Industry: Beverages, Alcoholic Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: 5% Total return - 2014: 36% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 51% Harman International Business Industries Inc. Ticker: HAR Industry: Electronics and Appliances Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -4% Total return - 2014: 32% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 50% Flowserve Corp. Ticker: FLS Industry: Industrial Machinery Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -7% Total return - 2014: -23% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 42% Brown-Forman Corp. Class B Ticker: BF.B Industry: Beverages: Alcoholic Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: 5% Total return - 2014: 18% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 42% McDonald's Corp. Ticker: MCD Industry: Restaurants Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -3% Total return - 2014: 0% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 41% Owens-Illinois Inc. Ticker: OI Industry: Containers/Packaging Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -13% Total return - 2014: -25% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 40% Mondelez International Inc. Class A Ticker: MDLZ Industry: Food: Major Diversified Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: 1% Total return - 2014: 5% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 40% BorgWarner Inc. Ticker: BWA Industry: Auto Parts, OEM Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: 0% Total return - 2014: -1% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 39% Invesco Ltd. Ticker: IVZ Industry: Investment Managers Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -5% Total return - 2014: 11% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 39% Estee Lauder Co. Class A Ticker: EL Industry: Household/Personal Care Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -4% Total return - 2014:2% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 38% V.F. Corp. Ticker: VFC Industry: Apparel, Footwear Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -5% Total return - 2014: 22% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 38% Autodesk Inc. Ticker: ADSK Industry: Packaged Software Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -3% Total return - 2014: 19% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 37% Xylem Inc. Ticker: XYL Industry: Industrial Machinery Total return - YTD through Jan. 26: -8% Total return - 2014: 12% % annual sales from Europe or Europe, the Middle East and Africa: 36% | 3 | 4,623 | finance |
Bruce Pearl is coaching in Knoxville again for the first time since 2011 as his Auburn Tigers are set to take on Tennessee on Saturday. Our Vols' Insider Bob Kesling joins Campus Insiders' Shae Peppler to break down the expected fan reaction, the perception of first-year head coach Donnie Tyndall, and what must be done to send the Tigers home with a loss. | 1 | 4,624 | sports |
Big Oil is supposed to provide a fortress amid turmoil in the energy market. But the first set of fourth-quarter results from the supermajors, Royal Dutch Shell's on Thursday, clearly didn't reassure: The stock dropped almost 5%. Shell's published sensitivities imply that if Brent were to average $60 a barrel this year actually higher than what futures currently imply it would chop roughly $13 billion off operating cash flow, all else being equal. That still implies about $32 billion in 2015. Yet analysts still forecast closer to $37 billion, according to FactSet. And Shell's capital expenditure, even under new guidance, will likely still be north of $30 billion, so it will have to borrow to also cover its $12 billion annual dividend bill. This isn't an acute problem: Shell has a lot of borrowing capacity. But there are further risks to cash flow, including the lagged effects of oil-price moves on natural-gas contracts and a weaker tailwind from moves in working capital, which accounted for 60% of the fourth quarter's cash flow from operations as oil prices declined sharply. Shell's borrowing may rise faster than investors think. Tudor, Pickering, Holt forecasts cash flow of just $26 billion this year, implying Shell's net debt to capital would hit 20% by the end of the year, up from 12% at the end of 2014. That still makes Shell likely the most defensive Big Oil stock, at least in Europe. But this doesn't bode well for the group as a whole given what has happened in the stock market. Energy investors have, at least in relative terms, sought refuge in scale. Stocks including Shell, Exxon Mobil and even BP are down by just midteen percentages over the past six months rather than the 40%-plus drubbing seen in exploration-and-production stocks. Big Oil shares now have multiples of forward earnings in the high teens or low 20s as forecasts have fallen more rapidly than prices. To justify such premiums, they must demonstrate they can use their scale to their advantage. Yet the record is decidedly mixed here in terms of project delivery, weak return on invested capital and, as Shell's dismal reserve replacement numbers attest, exploration. At these multiples, the majors have won the defensive trade already. To maintain such faith, they must now show they can also thrive, whether it be trimming costs to boost return on capital or picking up assets elsewhere that have fallen to the trading room floor. Shell's results don't advance Big Oil's case. Write to Liam Denning at [email protected] | 3 | 4,625 | finance |
Exploding Kittens was just an idea for a card game trying to get funded on Kickstarter. Now it is the most backed Kickstarter of all time. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) tells us about the game, and why it is awesome. | 3 | 4,626 | finance |
Former OMB director David Stockman has some harsh words for Fed Chair Janet Yellen and the rest of the FOMC. With CNBC's Jackie DeAngelis and the Futures Now Traders. | 3 | 4,627 | finance |
Jordan has demanded proof from the Islamic State that a captured Jordanian pilot is still alive, as a deadline set by the militant group for the kingdom to release a convicted terrorist passed without word on the fate of both sides' prisoners or any sign of an imminent exchange. "We want to see a proof of life, and then we can talk about an exchange," Jordanian Information Minister Mohammad al-Momani told a news conference ahead of the deadline of sunset Thursday that was purportedly set by the militants. He reaffirmed that Jordan is willing to free Sajida al-Rishawi, 44, a would-be suicide bomber sentenced to death for her part in a string of 2005 hotel bombings in Amman, in exchange for the release of Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, a 26-year-old Jordanian air force pilot who was captured by Islamic State fighters last month when his F-16 went down in Syria. "The ultimatum has passed," Momani said later in an interview. "What we have said is that we demand a proof of life, and we have not received that, which increases the level of suspicion from our side. . . . We would like the proof of life; then we could go ahead with the exchange of Rishawi and the Jordanian pilot." He said the government is monitoring social media and checking through its security channels for word from the Islamic State. But an audio recording that cited the Islamic State deadline gave no indication that the militants were willing to free Kaseasbeh. It spoke instead of an exchange of Rishawi for a Japanese journalist held by the Islamic State and warned that the pilot would be killed if a deadline for that swap was not met. The message was read in English by a man the Japanese government said was likely Kenji Goto Jogo, 47, a Japanese freelance journalist who was seized in Syria by the Islamic State in late October. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the recording was distributed late Wednesday through Twitter accounts linked to the Islamic State. "I'm Kenji Goto Jogo. This is a voice message I've been told to send to you," said the man in the recording. If Rishawi "is not ready for exchange for my life" at the Turkish border Thursday by sunset Mosul, Iraq, time (9:30 a.m. Eastern time), Kaseasbeh "will be killed immediately." Jordan's sensational offer to free Rishawi, an Iraqi whose suicide belt failed to explode, illustrates the tremendous pressure that Jordan's King Abdullah II and his government have faced over the pilot's capture in Syria last month. An exchange of prisoners would be a first for the Islamic State, which has beheaded a number of captives, including U.S. and other Western journalists and aid workers. Previously, the group had reportedly released European captives in exchange for ransom. The offer could undermine the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State by encouraging more hostage-taking. The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has seized large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. Momani, the Jordanian information minister, said earlier Wednesday that his government was ready to release Rishawi if the pilot was freed unharmed. Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser S. Judeh tweeted later: "We asked for evidence about the health and safety of our hero, but it did not come." Judeh told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that the negotiations were going on "perhaps through indirect channels." According to a Jordanian National Police official, authorities had transferred Rishawi on Wednesday from her cell in the Juweideh prison in southern Amman to an "undisclosed location" pending her potential release. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to give statements to news organizations. Jordan is part of the U.S.-led coalition seeking to turn back the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Jordanian public, however, has been outraged over the capture of the pilot. They have criticized Jordan's participation in the war against the militants. The U.S. government has vigorously opposed paying ransom for kidnap victims held by the Islamic State. Asked about the Jordan case, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that "we don't make concessions to terrorists." But she added that "every country has the ability and the right to make decisions" within the bounds of international law. The announcement that Jordan was ready for a deal came after the Islamic State issued an initial 24-hour ultimatum on Tuesday, threatening to execute Kaseasbeh and the Japanese hostage. Jordan has long rejected negotiating with militant groups. Rishawi is on death row for her involvement in suicide bombings against three Amman hotels in 2005. More than 60 people were killed in the attacks. Rishawi was captured after a suicide belt she wore failed to detonate during an attack with her husband on the Radisson Hotel in Amman. Her husband was killed in the blast, which occurred in the midst of a wedding in the hotel. She was sentenced to death in September 2006. The attacks were masterminded by the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, whose group, al-Qaeda in Iraq, was the ideological and organizational precursor to the Islamic State. Rishawi is the sister of a former close aide to Zarqawi, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. "Time and time again, the Islamic State has made clear its desire to see the release of Rishawi," said Mohammed Shalbi, known as Abu Sayyef, head of an ultraconservative Jordanian Muslim movement. His group maintains ties to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. "This may be the one and only demand that can lead to Muath's release," he said. The Jordanian government has come under growing popular pressure to obtain the pilot's safe return. The protests have been led by Kaseasbeh's family, members of an influential tribe from the southern city of Karak. "To this date, we have not seen a real effort by any official to secure Muath's safe return or to keep our sons out of harm's way," Joudat Kaseasbeh, the pilot's brother, told The Washington Post. In Karak on Wednesday, about 200 of Kaseasbeh's relatives rallied at the governor's office, blocking roads with burning tires. In the capital, supporters of Kaseasbeh demonstrated in front of the prime minister's office and the country's royal court late Tuesday. Muath's father, Safi Kaseasbeh, and other tribal leaders issued a statement late Tuesday calling for Jordan's immediate withdrawal from the U.S.-led coalition. The hostage crisis has given birth to an antiwar movement calling for Amman to pull out of the coalition and detailing the growing number of civilians caught in the bombings. Judeh, the foreign minister, told CNN that his government had worked around the clock to free the pilot. Even if the swap takes place, the crisis has clearly weakened a key U.S. ally. Because of Jordan's proximity to neighboring Iraq and Syria, its air bases have been used to launch strikes by coalition warplanes. Kaseasbeh was captured after his warplane crashed while participating in coalition airstrikes against the Islamic State. The militants claimed to have shot down his F-16, but the U.S. Central Command said the incident "was an aircraft crash and not the result of enemy action." The pilot ejected from the plane and was seized by militants near the north-central Syrian city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold. Kaseasbeh was the first known military member of the coalition to be captured by the Islamic State since the airstrikes began last summer. | 5 | 4,628 | news |
IBM, Wal-Mart and More At Stockpickr, we track the top holdings of a variety of high-profile investors, such as George Soros and Carl Icahn. It should come as no surprise that the most popular of these portfolios is that of renowned investor Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the richest people in the world. Today we're taking a closer look at 11 stocks that Buffett bought in the most recently reported quarter, based on Berkshire Hathaway's most recent quarterly 13F filing with the SEC, which reflects holdings as of Sept. 30, 2014. They are ordered by position size. (He also initiated positions comprising less than 0.1% of his portfolio in Liberty Broadband and Express Scripts. Read More: Warren Buffett's Top 10 Dividend Stocks 11. MasterCard MasterCard comprises 0.3% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. Buffett increased his stake in the stock by 16.4% to 4.7 million shares in the most recently reported quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates MasterCard as a buy with a ratings score of A+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate MasterCard (MA) a buy. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks that we rate. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, impressive record of earnings per share growth, increase in net income and expanding profit margins. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company is trading at a premium valuation based on our review of its current price compared to such things as earnings and book value." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- The revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 20.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 12.8%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share. -- MA's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.23 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. To add to this, MA has a quick ratio of 1.56, which demonstrates the ability of the company to cover short-term liquidity needs. -- MasterCard has improved earnings per share by 19.7% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, MasterCard increased its bottom line by earning $2.57 versus $2.19 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($3.08 versus $2.57). -- The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500 and greatly outperformed compared to the IT Services industry average. The net income increased by 15.5% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $879.00 million to $1,015.00 million. -- The gross profit margin for MasterCard is rather high; currently it is at 60.05%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 40.55% significantly outperformed against the industry average. You can view the full analysis from the report here: MA Ratings Report . 10. Visa Visa comprises 0.4% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 2.2 million-share position is a 19.3% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Visa as a buy with a ratings score of A. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Visa (V) a buy. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks that we rate. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, expanding profit margins, notable return on equity and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 20.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 8.6%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share. -- V has no debt to speak of therefore resulting in a debt-to-equity ratio of zero, which we consider to be a relatively favorable sign. Along with the favorable debt-to-equity ratio, the company maintains an adequate quick ratio of 1.35, which illustrates the ability to avoid short-term cash problems. -- The gross profit margin for Visa is rather high; currently it is at 65.56%. It has increased from the same quarter the previous year. Along with this, the net profit margin of 33.23% is above that of the industry average. -- The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the IT Services industry and the overall market on the basis of return on equity, Visa has underperformed in comparison with the industry average, but has exceeded that of the S&P 500. -- Visa's earnings per share declined by 7.0% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, Visa increased its bottom line by earning $8.61 versus $7.58 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($10.40 versus $8.61). You can view the full analysis from the report here: V Ratings Report 9. Liberty Global Liberty Global comprises 0.4% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 10.4 million-share position is a 5.4% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Liberty Global as a hold with a ratings score of C+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Liberty Global (LBTYA) a hold. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed ? some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its compelling growth in net income, revenue growth and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that the company has favored debt over equity in the management of its balance sheet." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Media industry. The net income increased by 118.9% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from -$830.10 million to $157.10 million. -- Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 8.4%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 5.2%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share. -- Net operating cash flow has slightly increased to $1,153.40 million or 3.00% when compared to the same quarter last year. Despite an increase in cash flow, Liberty Global's cash flow growth rate is still lower than the industry average growth rate of 17.49%. -- The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Media industry and the overall market, Liberty Global's return on equity significantly trails that of both the industry average and the S&P 500. -- Although LBTYA's debt-to-equity ratio of 3.76 is very high, it is currently less than that of the industry average. Along with this, the company manages to maintain a quick ratio of 0.27, which clearly demonstrates the inability to cover short-term cash needs. You can view the full analysis from the report here: LBTYA Ratings Report 8. Precision Castparts Precision Castparts comprises 0.5% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 2.1 million-share position was an 11% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Precision Castparts as a buy with a ratings score of B+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Precision Castparts (PCP) a buy. This is driven by multiple strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, growth in earnings per share, notable return on equity and increase in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- PCP's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 1.9%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 5.2%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share. -- The current debt-to-equity ratio, 0.35, is low and is below the industry average, implying that there has been successful management of debt levels. -- Precision Castparts has improved earnings per share by 5.1% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. During the past fiscal year, Precision Castparts increased its bottom line by earning $11.95 versus $9.75 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($13.22 versus $11.95). -- The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. Compared to other companies in the Aerospace & Defense industry and the overall market on the basis of return on equity, Precision Castparts has underperformed in comparison with the industry average, but has exceeded that of the S&P 500. -- The company, on the basis of net income growth from the same quarter one year ago, has underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Aerospace & Defense industry average. The net income increased by 2.8% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from $433.00 million to $445.00 million. You can view the full analysis from the report here: PCP Ratings Report 7. Suncor Energy Suncor Energy comprises 0.6% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 18.5 million-share position was a 12.3% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Suncor Energy as a buy with a ratings score of B-. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Suncor Energy (SU) a buy. This is driven by several positive factors, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, reasonable valuation levels, good cash flow from operations and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- SU's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.28 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Along with the favorable debt-to-equity ratio, the company maintains an adequate quick ratio of 1.05, which illustrates the ability to avoid short-term cash problems. -- Net operating cash flow has increased to $2,905.00 million or 15.27% when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of -2.42%. -- Regardless of the drop in revenue, the company managed to outperform against the industry average of 6.7%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 1.1%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share. -- Suncor Energy's earnings per share declined by 45.1% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has not demonstrated a clear trend in earnings over the past 2 years, making it difficult to accurately predict earnings for the coming year. During the past fiscal year, Suncor Energy increased its bottom line by earning $2.59 versus $1.74 in the prior year. You can view the full analysis from the report here: SU Ratings Report 6. Viacom Viacom comprises 0.6% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 7.7 million-share position was 1.3% increase over the previous quarter. There is no TheStreet Ratings data on this stock. 5. Charter Communications Charter Communications comprises 0.7% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. Buffett increased his position in the stock by 114.4% to 4.95 million shares in the most recently reported quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Charter Communications as a hold with a ratings score of C. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Charter Communications (CHTR) a hold. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed ? some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, impressive record of earnings per share growth and revenue growth. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including generally higher debt management risk, poor profit margins and weak operating cash flow." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- Looking at where the stock is today compared to one year ago, we find that it is not only higher, but it has also clearly outperformed the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period. Although other factors naturally played a role, the company's strong earnings growth was key. Despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year, there is currently no conclusive evidence that warrants the purchase or sale of this stock. -- Charter Communications has improved earnings per share by 27.9% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. We feel that this trend should continue. This trend suggests that the performance of the business is improving. During the past fiscal year, Charter CommunicationsC continued to lose money by earning -$1.71 versus -$3.07 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings (-$1.29 versus -$1.71). -- The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the S&P 500, but is less than that of the Media industry average. The net income increased by 24.3% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, going from -$70.00 million to -$53.00 million. -- Net operating cash flow has declined marginally to $520.00 million or 3.34% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, when comparing the cash generation rate to the industry average, the firm's growth is significantly lower. -- The debt-to-equity ratio is very high at 181.39 and currently higher than the industry average, implying increased risk associated with the management of debt levels within the company. Along with this, the company manages to maintain a quick ratio of 0.18, which clearly demonstrates the inability to cover short-term cash needs. You can view the full analysis from the report here: CHTR Ratings Report 4. General Motors General Motors comprises 1.2% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 40 million-share position is a 21.4% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates General Motors as a buy with a ratings score of B+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate General Motors (GM) a buy. This is driven by a number of strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and growth in earnings per share. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- The revenue growth came in higher than the industry average of 17.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 0.7%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share. -- The debt-to-equity ratio is somewhat low, currently at 0.96, and is less than that of the industry average, implying that there has been a relatively successful effort in the management of debt levels. Although the company had a strong debt-to-equity ratio, its quick ratio of 0.83 is somewhat weak and could be cause for future problems. -- General Motors reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, General Motors reported lower earnings of $2.35 versus $2.93 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($2.63 versus $2.35). -- The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed against the S&P 500 and did not exceed that of the Automobiles industry. The net income has decreased by 14.3% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, dropping from $1,717.00 million to $1,471.00 million. -- GM has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 12.84% from its price level of one year ago. Despite the decline in its share price over the last year, this stock is still more expensive (when compared to its current earnings) than most other companies in its industry. We feel, however, that other strengths this company displays compensate for this. You can view the full analysis from the report here: GM Ratings Report 3. DirecTV DirecTV comprises 2.4% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 30 million-share position is a 27.8% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates DirecTV as a Hold with a ratings score of C+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate DirecTV (DTV) a hold. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed -- some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations and expanding profit margins. However, as a counter to these strengths, we find that net income has been generally deteriorating over time." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- Despite its growing revenue, the company underperformed as compared with the industry average of 8.4%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 6.3%. This growth in revenue does not appear to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, displayed by a decline in earnings per share. -- Net operating cash flow has increased to $1,662.00 million or 23.56% when compared to the same quarter last year. In addition, DirecTV has also modestly surpassed the industry average cash flow growth rate of 17.49%. -- Looking at where the stock is today compared to one year ago, we find that it is not only higher, but it has also clearly outperformed the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period, despite the company's weak earnings results. Despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year, there is currently no conclusive evidence that warrants the purchase or sale of this stock. -- DirecTV's earnings per share declined by 5.5% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, DirecTV increased its bottom line by earning $5.19 versus $4.61 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($5.94 versus $5.19). -- The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Media industry. The net income has decreased by 12.6% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, dropping from $699.00 million to $611.00 million. You can view the full analysis from the report here: DTV Ratings Report 2. Wal-Mart Wal-Mart comprises 4.3% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio and is Buffett's fifth-largest holding. The 60.4 million-share position is a 2.7% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates Wal-Mart Stores as a buy with a ratings score of A-. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate Wal-Mart (WMT) a buy. This is based on the convergence of positive investment measures, which should help this stock outperform the majority of stocks that we rate. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, solid stock price performance, good cash flow from operations, growth in earnings per share and reasonable valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- WMT's revenue growth has slightly outpaced the industry average of 1.2%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly increased by 2.9%. This growth in revenue appears to have trickled down to the company's bottom line, improving the earnings per share. -- The stock has not only risen over the past year, it has done so at a faster pace than the S&P 500, reflecting the earnings growth and other positive factors similar to those we have cited here. Turning our attention to the future direction of the stock, it goes without saying that even the best stocks can fall in an overall down market. However, in any other environment, this stock still has good upside potential despite the fact that it has already risen in the past year. -- Net operating cash flow has significantly increased by 72.54% to $3,570.00 million when compared to the same quarter last year. The firm also exceeded the industry average cash flow growth rate of 54.48%. -- Wal-Mart reported flat earnings per share in the most recent quarter. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, Wal-Mart reported lower earnings of $4.86 versus $5.01 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($5.00 versus $4.86). You can view the full analysis from the report here: WMT Ratings Report 1. IBM International Business Machines comprises 12.4% of Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio. The 70.5 million-share position is a 0.4% increase over the previous quarter. TheStreet Ratings team rates International Business Machines as a hold with a ratings score of C+. TheStreet Ratings team has this to say about its recommendation: "We rate IBM (IBM) a hold. The primary factors that have impacted our rating are mixed -- some indicating strength, some showing weaknesses, with little evidence to justify the expectation of either a positive or negative performance for this stock relative to most other stocks. Among the primary strengths of the company is its respectable return on equity which we feel is likely to continue. At the same time, however, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income and generally higher debt management risk." Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows: -- The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the IT Services industry and the overall market, IBM's return on equity significantly exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500. -- IBM's earnings per share from the most recent quarter came in slightly below the year earlier quarter. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, IBM increased its bottom line by earning $15.68 versus $15.34 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($16.00 versus $15.68). -- Regardless of the drop in revenue, the company managed to outperform against the industry average of 20.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues fell by 12.9%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share. -- The change in net income from the same quarter one year ago has exceeded that of the IT Services industry average, but is less than that of the S&P 500. The net income has decreased by 11.3% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, dropping from $6,184.00 million to $5,484.00 million. -- Reflecting the weaknesses we have cited, including the decline in the company's earnings per share, IBM has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 14.74% from its price level of one year ago. The fact that the stock is now selling for less than others in its industry in relation to its current earnings is not reason enough to justify a buy rating at this time. You can view the full analysis from the report here: IBM Ratings Report For Warren Buffett's top 30 holdings, visit the Warren Buffett portfolio at Stockpickr . | 3 | 4,629 | finance |
Glassdoor ranked the top 25 jobs in America based on earnings potential, opportunities rating and the number of job openings. Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) shows us the top 10. | 8 | 4,630 | video |
As the NFL continues its goal to make the league safer than it's ever been, a new study has been released detailing the number of players who suffered concussions this past year. The study said that rate of concussions among NFL players fell 25% this past season. The findings, which were provided to The Associated Press, shows there were 111 concussions in games during the 2014 regular season, down from 148 in 2013, and 173 in 2012. That's a 36% drop over that three-year span, which is a good sign that players safety is improving while helmet-to-helmet hits are also being reduced. The study included preseason games and preseason/regular-season practices, which recorded 202 concussions altogether this season. That's a decline of 12% from 2013 and 23% from 2012. "Players are changing the way they're tackling," NFL Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Policy Jeff Miller said. "They're changing the way they play the game. You have to play more than two games to get a concussion in the NFL, by those numbers." A total of 59 concussions were caused by helmet-to-helmet or shoulder-to-helmet hits this season, the league's data says, almost exactly half as many as two years ago. "With all the technological innovations that we've had over the past few years, I'm surprised the numbers keep going down," St. Louis Rams team doctor Matthew Matava said. "Because you'd think, with more vigilance, you'd see more of any sort of condition." Despite the good news on concussions, players are still being injured at an alarming rate. There were 265 players placed on injured reserve during the regular season in 2014, a 17% jump from the 226 the year before. The league's main goal of preventing concussions, which lead to more long-term health concerns, seems to be getting accomplished. However, we still are a long ways away from making the game safer overall while keeping it mostly the same, which might be impossible to do. | 1 | 4,631 | sports |
Jennifer Lawrence "screamed" when she met Kim Kardashian West. The Hunger Games actress was reportedly thrilled to bump into the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star in New York City recently and confessed her love for the reality show. According to the Independent.ie, Kim, 34, recalled to The Sun newspaper : "I was in NYC and I ran into Jennifer Lawrence. We said, 'Hi' and walked into the elevator and as the doors were closing. "She screamed across the lobby, 'I love your show!' We were laughing so hard." Meanwhile, Jennifer has previously compared Kim's divorce from Kris Humphries as similar to the books on which the Hunger Games films are based. She said: "I was watching the Kardashian girl getting divorced, and that's a tragedy for anyone. "But they're using it for entertainment, and we're watching it. The books hold up a terrible kind of mirror: This is what our society could be like if we became desensitized to trauma and to each other's pain." The 24-year-old actress also previously referred to her apartment in Los Angeles as a "reality TV show cave". She shared: "It's like a reality TV show cave. "I just learned how to work TiVO. That changed my life." | 6 | 4,632 | entertainment |
Rescue workers are desperately searching for anyone who may be trapped after an explosion at a Mexican maternity hospital. Isha Sesay has the details. | 8 | 4,633 | video |
CHARLOTTE Kyle Larson's fantastic first Sprint Cup Series season turned out to have another benefit aside from just winning Rookie of the Year. People have stopped confusing him for another young driver. "More people recognize me for Kyle Larson than they did last year," he said. "Last year, I was Ryan Truex." Wait, really? Yes, there are some similarities: Both drivers are somewhat small in stature with short, dark hair and people were apparently mixed up. But still... "I'd be in an airport or something and I'd be getting ready to go race a dirt race, so I'd have my helmet bag," Larson said. "They'd be like, 'Oh, I know you!' I'm like, 'I'm not Ryan Truex.' And they're like, 'Aww. Huh. Alright.'" Larson said if he's going to be recognized, he prefers to be known for being the person he actually is. "Now it's kind of flip-flopped where Ryan Truex (gets mistaken for) Kyle Larson, and that's better for me," he said. That isn't the only way Larson's life has changed since he sat in a director's chair at last year's Chip Ganassi Racing stop on the annual preseason media tour. The 22-year-old Larson bought his first house and girlfriend Katelyn Sweet gave birth to the couple's first son, Owen. That's a big change for Larson, who is known to enjoy his sleep. "We wake up about every three hours to feed him and change him and put him back to sleep," Larson said. "Once he wakes up, we're up for another 45 minutes to an hour at a time." Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck | 1 | 4,634 | sports |
CHARLOTTE Jamie McMurray was indulging in "Donuts with Dads" at his daughter's pre-school on Thursday when the fathers of two classmates ambled over. McMurray's win with Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Kyle Larson in the Rolex 24 last weekend had distracted them from their sweet breakfast confections. "It just so happens that Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle, their kids are in the same class, and the first thing those guys did was walk in and shake my hand and say 'Lemme see your watch'," McMurray related. "That will happen throughout the entire garage when we get to Daytona. Everybody's going to want that and that makes you feel so good and it's such a confidence builder, just mentally knowing that everyone watches that race and you've already won once this year." McMurray, just a seven-time Sprint Cup race-winner since 2002, burnished his legacy as master of racing's elite contests by adding the Rolex win to his collections of majors comprised of the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 (2010) and NASCAR All-Star race (2014). In the process he joined legends A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 and 24-hour race. McMurray hopes eventually to display the laurels from those accomplishments in a home. Arranging them by priority will be difficult. So they'll likely be ordered by memory. "I really enjoy the trophies because of the memories that go with them," he said. "My goal one day is not have every trophy but literally have all those really big wins laid out maybe in a game room or something, as much for me to look at as to have a conversation piece if friends come over." Or perhaps he'll pinch a design from one of his daughter's classmates. "Matt Kenseth just built a new house and he did what I thought was the coolest thing I've seen in a house where he had a wallpaper made of a lot of his wins, his good wins, his first race, like old pictures and it was fun to sit there with him and have him tell me the stories," McMurray said. "I know about the NASCAR wins, but stuff that happened in his Late Model days when he was a kid racing with his dad. It was really cool. I want to do something similar to that and have those big win trophies and sit and talk about it." There will be much to discuss. Follow James on Twitter @brantjames | 1 | 4,635 | sports |
The Kia Soul EV could soon get all-wheel drive capability. Kia hinted as much today stating that it will reveal an electric all-wheel-drive concept at next month's Chicago auto show. Kia also released a teaser photo of the concept's front fender and it's pretty clear that it's based on the Soul EV. The automaker says its design team in California created the concept, and it appears their source of inspiration came from other pseudo-rugged soft-roaders like the Audi Allroad and the Volvo V60 Cross Country that sport contrast body cladding along the wheel wells and lower edges of the bumpers and rocker panels. Related link: Research the Kia Soul The addition of all-wheel drive capability would certainly give the Soul EV an edge among competitors like the Ford Focus EV and Nissan Leaf. For now, those wanting an all-electric all-wheel-drive car have to pay a pretty penny for the dual-motored Tesla Model S. The current 2015 Kia Soul EV features a 27-kW-hr battery and a 109-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. It runs from 0 to 60 mph in around 9 seconds and has an EPA-estimated range of 93 miles. The reveal is still a few weeks away so there's a chance Kia will drop more details about this concept before then. Source: Kia | 9 | 4,636 | autos |
3-D printing helps another two-legged dog run around with his four-legged friends. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) has the adorable video. | 8 | 4,637 | video |
If you're going to try and get Selena Gomez to go to prom, you have to go big, right? | 8 | 4,638 | video |
Do the Chicago Bulls have problems, as Derrick Rose sees it? Yes. Is coach Tom Thibodeau the root of all that ails them? Not even close. Rose hasn't been able to get a good pulse on their group for quite some time, with all the reasons for their inconsistent play remaining as elusive as the point guard himself. One game they're falling to the LeBron James-less Miami Heat team that is struggling to stay close to .500, and the next they're downing the league-leading Golden State Warriors without the help of All-Star-worthy guard Jimmy Butler. They've lost 12 of their past 17 games in all, falling to fourth place in the Eastern Conference while James' Cavaliers keep closing in (currently three games behind them for fifth place). But with so much of the recent focus on Thibodeau and his hard-driving ways, and with speculation growing that there may be a disconnect between him and his players, the former MVP came to the defense of the coach with whom he has worked with since 2010. "There's no truth to it at all," Rose told USA TODAY Sports this week when asked if Thibodeau had lost his locker room. "Thibs, he's been doing a great job of preparing us every game, every practice, every shoot-around. He's been preparing us great. As far as us coming out and losing games, it has to do with the team, the players, coming out and not playing with enough effort and not competing while we're on the floor. That's been some of the biggest reasons why we were in those tough positions and losing those games, but it doesn't have anything to do with the coach or the coaching staff." It comes as no surprise that Rose has Thibodeau's back. Not only have the two of them been like-minded partners for nearly five years, but Thibodeau has supported Rose at every turn as he fought his way back from debilitating injuries these past two seasons. Their connection was on full display last summer in Spain, when Thibodeau was an assistant coach for Team USA and Rose made his long-awaited return to the floor in the FIBA World Cup. As for Thibodeau and the Bulls' front office? That's another matter entirely. The frequent friction between them has been the worst-kept secret in the league for years. And now, the league-wide rumblings that Thibodeau and the Bulls could part ways this summer are loud enough that as USA TODAY Sports recently reported some rival teams are monitoring the situation with the hopes that he might be able to come their way. ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy went to bat for his longtime friend recently, accusing Bulls management of undermining Thibodeau through the media and sparking a terse response from executive vice president John Paxson. Not only did Paxson call the accusation "pretty pathetic" in an interview with the Chicago Tribune , but he also said Van Gundy should apologize to Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Thibodeau isn't about to change for the sake of office politics, telling USA TODAY Sports after the victory against the Warriors, "I didn't just come into the league yesterday. I've been around a long time. I've been around championship-caliber teams for a long time. I know what goes into it." Not long after, as Thibodeau returned to his office inside the visitors locker room at Oracle Arena, one of the many subplots that has played a part in this perceived disconnect between him and the team's management was on full display. He visited with Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams, the former Bulls assistant who widely was hailed as a key factor in their elite defense these past few years but who was fired by Bulls general manager Gar Forman during the 2013 offseason. Adams joined Steve Kerr's staff this summer, and now the Warriors are the ones with the league's top-ranked defense and the Bulls who have only had their starting lineup together for 15 games because of injuries have slipped to 12th in defensive rating after never finishing lower than fifth in each of Thibodeau's first four seasons (including first twice and second once). Oh, what a tangled web they all have woven ... For Rose's part, he was adamant that Thibodeau's tactics aren't the problem. And that, all things considered, should certainly be taken into account. "I wouldn't say so," he told USA TODAY Sports when asked if Thibodeau was pushing too hard when it came to managing minutes and the team's practice routines. "That has nothing to do with coming out on the court and being down 20 in the first quarter. That's straight effort, and your will to go out there and win the game. Just like the other night, we came out we beat San Antonio, beat Dallas, then lost to Miami at home. It has nothing to do with (Thibodeau). It's just with the players. We've just got to catch onto it, and just try to get better and just try to learn from our mistakes." If not Thibodeau, then what? "People always ask me that," Rose said with a smile. "I swear I wish I could (figure it out), but I don' t have any answer for that. It's frustrating at some times, but I think that we're going to get back on the right track pretty soon." | 1 | 4,639 | sports |
Rocker Tom Petty says he never threatened to sue Sam Smith over his smash hit "Stay With Me" and agreed that similarities to his own "I Won't Back Down" were coincidence. Smith, the 22-year-old British singer who is tied for the most nominations at the February 8 Grammys thanks to the success of "Stay With Me," recently added Petty to the list of songwriters. Petty concurred with Smith's account that the two sides reached a quick agreement after the American rocker contacted the younger star. "Let me say I have never had any hard feelings toward Sam," Petty said in a statement Thursday. "All my years of songwriting have shown me these things can happen. Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by," he said. "The word lawsuit was never even said and was never my intention," he said, wishing Smith "all the best for his ongoing career." The comment was the first on the matter by Petty, who indicated that he had not wanted the issue to get into the press. The two sides were silent on whether Petty and his collaborator Jeff Lynne of the Electric Light Orchestra, who was also added to the songwriting credits, would now enjoy proceeds from "Stay With Me." "Stay With Me," a soulful ballad about a one-night stand, has sent Smith's career soaring since its release in April. The vocal melody in "Stay With Me" is highly similar to that in "I Won't Back Down," which appeared on Petty's 1989 album "Full Moon Fever," his first without his backup band The Heartbreakers. "I Won't Back Down" -- with its theme of defiance -- found a resurgence in popularity in the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks and has been a favorite song for political candidates, although Petty stopped then presidential candidate George W. Bush from playing it in his 2000 campaign. Smith was born in 1992 and his representatives said he had not been familiar with the song. | 6 | 4,640 | entertainment |
Broadcom Corp (BRCM.O) posted fourth-quarter results on Thursday that exceeded Wall Street's expectations as the Apple supplier increased its focus on Wi-Fi and broadband chips, sending its shares higher. The chipmaker's results appeared to be supported by strong sales at key customer Apple Inc (AAPL.O), which this week said it sold 74.5 million iPhones in its fiscal first quarter, trampling expectations. "They're probably benefiting from the upside of the iPhone 6, but probably offset by Samsung smartphones not selling so well and some weakness in the Chinese handset market," said Kevin Cassidy, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus. Shares of Synaptics Inc (SYNA.O), which makes display drivers for smartphones, surged in extended trade after it posted fiscal second-quarter results above expectations. Broadcom shares have soared 28 percent since the company said in June it was deciding how to get out of baseband technology after falling behind in the development of 4G technology increasingly used by carriers. Exiting that business frees up resources to focus on the company's better-performing networking and broadband businesses and the company in December returned some of its freed up cash to shareholders with an increased dividend. Broadcom, a leader in connectivity chips with features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $2.14 billion, up 3.8 percent from the year-ago period. It also said revenue in the first quarter would be $2.0 billion, plus or minus $75 million. Analysts on average had expected fourth-quarter revenue of $2.11 billion and expect first-quarter revenue of $2.01 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. In the fourth quarter, Broadcom posted a net profit of $390 million, or 64 cents a share, compared with a net profit of $168 million, or 29 cents a share, last year. Non-GAAP earnings per share totaled 76 cents in the fourth quarter, including stock-based compensation. Not including stock-based compensation, Broadcom said its EPS was 90 cents compared to 87 cents expected by analysts. Shares of Synaptics rose 9.65 percent in extended trade after closing regular trade up 1.91 percent at $68.31. Broadcom's stock rose 1.67 percent in extended trading after ending up 0.82 percent at $41.31 on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Noel Randewich; editing by Meredith Mazzilli and G Crosse) | 3 | 4,641 | finance |
New Hampshire man falls to death out window | 8 | 4,642 | video |
What does your favorite celebrity couple say about you? Daniella Monet from Nickelodeon's Victorious turns to the stars to help find your ideal date-night inspiration! | 4 | 4,643 | lifestyle |
A Georgia high school student with autism scored his 1,000th half-court shot and fans stormed the court. | 8 | 4,644 | video |
A wheelchair-bound woman rises out of her chair when she thinks no one is watching so she can shoplift from a British grocery store. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) explains why the crime is being compared to characters from a popular British television show. | 8 | 4,645 | video |
A Texas lawmaker is calling on Muslim constituents attending the "Texas Muslim Capitol Day" event to "publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws." The event, held when the Texas legislature is in session, is an opportunity for the state's Islamic community to speak with their representatives. It is organized by the local chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations. But Freshman state Rep. Molly White (R) said in a message on her Facebook page that she wouldn't be in her Capitol office because the legislature was on break."I did leave an Israeli flag on the reception desk in my office with instructions to staff to ask representatives from the Muslim community to renounce Islamic terrorist groups and publicly announce allegiance to America and our laws," she wrote. She also posted a message to her page suggesting that a group of Muslims in Dallas was running a court based on Sharia law and deceiving others about their practices. The event was also met with protests, according to reporters present. Group singing the National Anthem on #txlege steps while protestors yell "Islam is a lie" pic.twitter.com/2pdOXTqWMq Alexa Ura (@alexazura) January 29, 2015 As group of Muslims gather for Texas Muslim Capitol Day at #txlege , these protestors are nearby pic.twitter.com/Vs5DnmhBEf Alexa Ura (@alexazura) January 29, 2015 Anti-Islam protesters at Texas Muslim Capitol Day screaming "go home!" and "Mohammad is dead!" #txlege pic.twitter.com/SqF27tK1O1 Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) January 29, 2015 "Islam will never dominate the United States," yelled one protester who was able to take the microphone away from the event participants. "And by the grace of God, it will not dominate Texas!" | 5 | 4,646 | news |
Traveling is exciting, but if you're an overpacker, there are a few tricks to help you minimize on the go. Krystin Goodwin (@Krystingoodwin) has the best tips and tricks to help you travel lighter! | 2 | 4,647 | travel |
Mongomo, Equatorial Guinea A Mali supporter painted in the colors of the country's national flag cheers as the team arrives to warm up before their 2015 African Cup of Nations Group D soccer match against Guinea on January 28, 2015. New York Pedestrians have a snowball fight in Times Square following a mandatory shutdown of the streets at 11 p.m. on January 26, 2015. Jilin, China Smog arrives at the banks of Songhua River due to the lowest temperature rises to minus 14 degrees Celsius on January 22, 2015. London, England Replica polar bear spotted on the Millennium Bridge to mark the launch of Sky Atlantic's Fortitude series on January 27. Melbourne, Australia Maria Sharapova of Russia signs autographs after defeating Eugenie Bouchard of Canada in their women's singles quarter-final match at the Australian Open 2015 on January 27. Shandong Province, China Sheep fighting during Laba Festival at Dushan village of Liangshan County on January 27. Berlin, Germany Flowers lie on a concrete slab of the Holocaust Memorial to mark the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp on January 27. Xinzo de Limia, Spain A man throws flour during the 'Domingo Fareleiro' (floury Sunday in Galician language) festival on January 25. Kobane, Syria A Kurdish fighter walks with his child in the center of the Syrian border town of Kobane, known as Ain al-Arab, on January 28, 2015. Belfast, Northern Ireland People stand around after a fish spill on the Ravenhill road on January 24, 2015. Gaza City, Palestinian Territories A Palestinian child climbs a wall on Jan. 21, 2015. Dresden, Germany Visitors stand on a viewing platform in the center of a giant 360 degree panorama display that depicts the city of Dresden in the aftermath of the Allied firebombing during the opening day on January 24, 2015. New Delhi, India U.S. President Barack Obama inspects a Guard of Honor during a ceremonial reception at the Indian Presidential Palace. Shtulim, Isreal Sahar, the girlfriend of Israeli soldier Dor Nini mourns during his funeral in a cemetery on January 29, 2015. New York A person crosses a snow-covered street in the Upper West Side on January 26. London, England Patrick Helly, managing director of New Pro Foundry, is seen through an eye of a bronze British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) mask as he poses with a partially finished mask on January 27. Phoenix New England Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski has his photo taken with NBC Sports' Karim Mendiburu Contreras during media day for NFL Super Bowl XLIX football game Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. Kabul, Afghanistan Afghan horse riders compete for the goat during a friendly buzkashi match on Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015. Nanjing, China Paramilitary policemen wearing opera makeup, look at themselves in a mirror during an opera learning activity ahead of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year on January 24, 2015. Ayr, Scotland Holocaust survivor Ela Weissberger, aged 84, looks at one of only 70 special candles, and the first in Scotland, commissioned to mark 70 years since the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Mourners gather around the grave of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah at the Al-Oud cemetery on January 23, 2015 following his death in the early hours of the morning. Mt. Vernon, Iowa A barn with the mural of the "American Gothic" painting is seen on January 25, 2015. Artist Mark Benesh recreated the original, which was done by Grant Wood. Pangkalan Bun, Indonesia A baby is seen suspended in a cloth hammock at a food stall at Sungai Arut market on January 28. Melbourne, Australia Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his third round match against Dudi Sela of Israel during day five of the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2015. Zubieta, Spain A man wears a pumpkin on his head during carnival celebrations on January 27. Damascus, Syria An injured girl waits for treatment in a field hospital after what activists said was an airstrike by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad on January 28, 2015. New Delhi, India India's Border Security Force soldiers ride their camels as they rehearse for the "Beating Retreat" ceremony on January 27, 2015. Gaza City, Palestine A man draped in a Palestinian flag stands next to burning tyres during a protest against the decision by the main UN aid agency to suspend payments to tens of thousands of Palestinians for repairs to their homes damaged in last summer's war, outside the headquarters of the United Nations Special Coordinator on January 28. Cambridge, Massachusetts Students lay out in their bathing suits on the Quad, on the campus of Harvard University on January 27, 2015. | 5 | 4,648 | news |
With its hot-selling large-screen iPhones released last year, Apple has roared back to the top of the pack with South Korea's Samsung in the smartphone market. Surveys released Thursday showed the popular iPhone 6 and 6 Plus helped Apple pull to a virtual tie in the fourth quarter with Samsung, which has been the leader for the past three years. The research firm Strategy Analytics said Apple and Samsung shipped 74.5 million smartphones each in the last three months of 2014 for a market share of just under 20 percent. A separate survey by IDC analysts said Samsung had a tiny edge over Apple with 75.1 million units sold. Apple "beat everyone's expectations," said Ryan Reith at IDC. Even more surprising is that Apple managed to increase the average selling price of its phones at a time when many consumers around the world are looking to low-cost handsets. Another surprise was growth of iPhone sales in the US, "which is considered a saturated market," according to Reith, and in China, where competition is intense. "Sustaining this growth and higher (selling prices) a year from now could prove challenging, but right now there is no question that Apple is leading the way," Reith said in a statement. Samsung, which belatedly entered the market pioneered by Apple, had dethroned the US firm as the world's top smartphone vendor in the third quarter of 2011. The South Korean electronics giant then went on to replace Nokia as the global leader in overall mobile phone sales in the first quarter of 2012. But Strategy Analytics said Samsung now faces "intense competition from Apple at the higher-end of the smartphone market, from Huawei in the middle-tiers and from Xiaomi and others at the entry-level." "Samsung may soon have to consider taking over rivals, such as Blackberry, in order to revitalize growth this year," it added. Even Apple has been surprised by its growth. Chief executive Tim Cook said during an earnings call this week that iPhone demand "has been staggering, shattering our high expectation." IDC's Ramon Llamas told AFP that Apple is still seeing strong demand in early 2015 but that "it's going to be difficult to maintain that breakneck pace." He added that "the fact that they attracted a number of Android users gives them growth prospects for 2015." Analysts said the smartphone market appears to be diverging with Apple dominating the high end and other manufacturers scrambling at the low end. "There's been so much skepticism for so many years about Apple's ability to continue to make its unique business model work over the long term, and Apple continues to prove them wrong," said Jan Dawson at Jackdaw Research in a blog post. - Rise in China - IDC said overall global smartphone sales hit a new record for the quarter and for the year: 375.2 million units shipped during the fourth quarter, a 28 percent increase from a year earlier, bringing the annual total to 1.3 billion, a gain of 27.6 percent. Strategy Analytics said more than a billion Android-powered phones were sold last year, representing 81 percent of all handsets. Chinese firms made headway in the smartphone market, led by Lenovo, which completed its acquisition of the Motorola brand last year. IDC said Lenovo sold 24.7 million units for a 6.6 percent market share, edging out Huawei which delivered 23.5 million for a 6.2 percent share, according to IDC. The rising Chinese star Xiaomi captured the number five spot, selling 16.6 million units with a 4.4 percent market share. Xiaomi's growth from a year ago was 178 percent, IDC said. But "Xiaomi's grip on the number five spot is tenuous at best, with (South Korea's) LG and (China's) ZTE following close behind," the IDC report said. | 3 | 4,649 | finance |
TORONTO (AP) Former Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou has signed with Major League Soccer and joined Toronto FC. The 33-year-old Cheyrou could pair with American midfielder Michael Bradley in center of the midfield. He helped Marseille win the French league title in 2010 and consecutive French League Cups in 2010, 2011, and 2012. His agreement was announced Thursday. | 1 | 4,650 | sports |
(Bloomberg) -- Parents who've been waiting for their grown children to move out may finally be in luck. The number of renter-occupied residences grew by 2 million last year, according to a report Thursday from the U.S. Census Bureau in Washington. Vacancy rates for rentals fell to 7 percent in the fourth quarter, the lowest since 1993, the data show. A resurgent job market is enabling more members of the millennial generation to leave the nest. Along with its benefit to parents, the trend is good for apartment and single-family home landlords, who may be able to raise rents as demand increases faster than the supply of properties for lease. There's a "pent-up demand for housing that's built up as young people waited longer to enter the housing market," Jed Kolko, chief economist for San Francisco-based real estate researcher Trulia Inc., said in an interview. "All of the reported household formation is new renter households." The number of owner-occupied households fell by 354,000 from a year earlier as the U.S. homeownership rate dropped to its lowest level since 1994, according to Census data. The ownership rate for people under age 35 fell to 35.3 percent, down 1.5 percentage points from a year earlier and the lowest level in Census data going back to 1982. Largest Increase The increase in total households -- 1.66 million -- is the largest since 2005, according to Kolko, who said that quarterly data on housing vacancies and ownership rates is less reliable than Census reports that take longer to release. The vacancy rate for owner-occupied properties declined 0.2 percentage points to 1.9 percent. Demand for apartments will grow as "1 million households still could begin to unbundle," AvalonBay Communities Inc. Chief Executive Officer Timothy Naughton said on a conference call Thursday. His Arlington, Virginia-based company is the biggest publicly traded apartment landlord after Equity Residential. "We expect fundamentals in the apartment space to remain very strong," he said. U.S. renters paid $441 billion for apartments and houses in 2014, a $20.6 billion increase, as fewer Americans owned their homes and landlords with tight inventories charged more, according to data provider Zillow Inc. Moving Out Margaret Mooney, 27, this month moved out of her parents' house to three-bedroom Washington apartment she shares with a roommate. They're looking for another tenant. Her share of the rent is $1,375, not including $85 for a parking space and about $100 for utilities. "I finished my graduate degree and got a promotion," said Mooney, a director at Collingwood Group LLC, a housing-finance consulting firm. In October, she received a master of business administration degree from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. "I got a pretty significant wage increase, so I was able to move out." Doing so let Mooney shave an hour from her round-trip commute each day. Having moved out, she's learning to cook, and her parents are adjusting to life as empty-nesters. "I was surprised how sad they were," she said. "They were giving me a hard time about living with them for the last two years." --With assistance from Oshrat Carmiel in New York. To contact the reporters on this story: John Gittelsohn in Los Angeles at [email protected]; Prashant Gopal in Boston at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kara Wetzel at [email protected] Daniel Taub | 3 | 4,651 | finance |
The Senate on Thursday voted 62-36 to build the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline, delivering Republicans the first legislative victory of their new majority. Nine Democrats joined with Republicans in voting to approve the $8 billion project, five votes short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to override a promised veto from President Obama. The nine Democrats who voted to approve Keystone were Sens. Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey Jr. (Pa.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.). Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is traveling, missed the vote, as did Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who is recovering from eye surgery. The bill now heads to the House, where Republicans are determined to act quickly to force Obama into taking what they believe will be a politically unpopular stand against a project that would carry oil sands from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took a victory lap ahead of the vote, boasting the upper chamber was about to pass "an extraordinarily important jobs bill for our country." The Senate, he declared, is ready to "work hard for the middle class, even in the teeth of opposition from powerful special interests." Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) chimed in with praise from the other side of the Capitol. "I'd like to congratulate Sen. McConnell for passing this bill in an open, inclusive and bipartisan way," Boehner said in a statement. "After dropping his scheme to tax middle-class college savings, we hope President Obama will now drop his threat to veto this common-sense bill." But while the Senate was the biggest hurdle for the Keystone bill, the legislation still has a ways to go before reaching Obama's desk. While the House voted to build the pipeline earlier this year, the Senate added several amendments to the legislation during three weeks of work, the byproduct of McConnell's promise to give individual members more input on the floor. Aides said House Republicans have not decided whether to pass the Senate bill as is or seek a conference committee, where a final version would be negotiated between the chambers. Obama has repeatedly warned Congress not to short-circuit the federal review of the pipeline and seems poised to issue the third veto of his presidency when the legislation hits his desk. "If, in fact, the legislation that passed the House also passes the Senate, then the president won't sign it," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday. The earliest the Keystone bill could reach Obama would be next week just as the State Department receives final comments on the proposal to build the pipeline. Agencies are required to send their recommendations about the pipeline to the State Department on Feb. 2, bringing the six-yearlong review of the Canada-to-Texas project one step closer to completion. It's possible that the Keystone bill and Secretary of State John Kerry's recommendation on whether the project is in the national interest could reach Obama simultaneously, potentially helping the president avoid a veto that would anger some centrist Democrats and labor unions. For Republicans, who have fought for years to get the cross-border pipeline approved, Thursday's Senate vote served as the opening salvo in what they say will be a dedicated effort to pass job-creating legislation that grows the economy. "We are hoping the president, upon reflection, will sign agree to sign onto a bill that his State Department says could creates 42,000 jobs," McConnell said. Senators from both parties appeared relieved to reach the end of the nearly monthlong debate over Keystone, which began within hours of the 114th Congress gaveling to session on Jan. 5. Except for "one horrible Thursday" session, which ran into the midnight hour, "it was a good process," said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). During that late-night scrap, Democrats railed against Republicans after a series of 18 amendment votes ended with McConnell tabling five and moving to end debate, which they considered premature. Republican Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) called the midnight session a "hiccup" in the Senate's return to "regular order." The fight over amendments to the Keystone bill generated some dramatic moments on the floor. During the second week of debate, the Senate voted 98-1 that "climate change is real and not a hoax," after Democrats pushed to get Republicans on record about the politically charged topic ahead of the 2016 elections. Fifteen Republicans voted for another amendment, which failed, that stated humans contribute to climate change. Republicans, meanwhile, used the amendment process to assail Obama's greenhouse gas emissions deal with China and his move to protect 1.5 million acres of Alaska wilderness from oil and gas development. In all, out of 43 amendment votes more, Republicans touted, than were held all of last year under the Democratic majority only six were approved and attached to the underlying bill. Two of the adopted amendments promote energy efficiency and energy retrofitting at schools, while another deals with an oil spill trust fund. "There is a feeling we should entertain a lot of different ideas. That is what the majority leader promised, and I hope we stand by it," Durbin said. Updated at 4:23 p.m. | 5 | 4,652 | news |
Whether you're in a new city or your hometown, it doesn't matter if you're out and about and have to pee, you're often in a loo-scouting quandary. Is there a library around? A department store? Maybe you just hustle into the nearest cafe and pretend you're meeting someone. Goodness knows the odds of a bonafide public restroom being nearby let alone one you'd remotely want to step into are long. It's for these knee-knocking moments that two New Orleans-based developers offer Airpnp , which is exactly what it sounds like: a peer-to-peer, pay-to-pee mobile and web service like Airbnb, but just for a bathroom stay. Got a shotgun-style house close to Bourbon Street (or anywhere in the world), they ask? Rent, if you dare, your bathroom, at whatever price you want, and under whatever conditions. Need to tinkle/go #2/change a tampon/avoid a regional vomiting fine ? Airpnp wants to ease your anxious potty search. Launched in beta in March and since revamped, Airpnp has loos listed in places all over the globe. Some listings are really reaching, asking more than $,1000 a whizz. Many are a more reasonable $1 or $3, with smiley-faced notes such as "three minute maximum, please." Lots are $10, $20, or $100, likely designed to lure users during sea-of-humanity-type events like Mardi Gras or a marathon. I can see the merits of Airpnp, especially in that last scenario. There have been certain, desperate times, amid crowds or endless lines, that I'd have happily forked over $15 to use someone's clean, safe, quiet john. The simple law of supply and demand would have justified my choice. There have been times, amid crowds or endless lines, that I'd have happily forked over $15 to use someone's clean, safe, quiet john. But while San Francisco, Portland, Austin, and New Orleans all boast multiple pay-to-pee options on the app, Washington, D.C. (where I live) has only one: " Do Your Business at a Full Service Creative Agency," for $100. While the ADA-equipped, Metro-adjacent facility comes with a luxurious 20-minute maximum, I don't think I'll be ponying up that much cash on any old day especially when there are no-cost museums all around me. Indeed, Airpnp should make a point to list free public toilets somewhere on its app rather than relying on the handful of good Samaritans who've posted the odd city park bathroom or Barnes and Noble. Doesn't it seem so American, capitalizing on private restrooms? Compared to places like Japan, where good public facilities are widely available, Airpnp's existence does say something sad about the lack of municipal restrooms in most Western cities. Public johns don't need to be universally free, but they should definitely be far more available than they are as well as clean, safe, and accessible to all. Most American cities (and many major American subways ) fail to meet this standard, citing cost or safety reasons. Portland , notably, has managed to design a free public toilet that minimizes splash, time use, and unlawful activity. They need more of them, but they're a great start that, happily, other cities are looking to re-create. But until all cities do better on this front, toilet advocates are thrilled about Airpnp. " It offers hope, happiness and relief to those who are desperate for a restroom," says Kathryn Anthony , Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois and an active member of the American Restroom Association. "It helps make our cities more family friendly. With appropriate quality control on both ends, from restroom host to restroom guest, it can be a win-win situation for all." Thanks also to John Oldfield of WASH Advocates . | 5 | 4,653 | news |
Nobody ever jumps for joy after going through a breakup - we're not going to pretend that you should in any way be celebrating the end of your relationship with Champagne and toasts. Even when everyone around you says that you made the right choice, it can still be hard to let go. I'm speaking from legitimate experience when I say that I get it. When you're still reeling from the breakup , and after you put so much into the relationship, it's easy to begin to question why you're letting it go and moving on. These are the 22 signs that you did in fact make the right choice to end things - read 'em and rest a little bit easier, then start making moves to move on ! You always feared that they would leave you. You had more admiration for other couples than you did yourself and your SO. When you think back on what the relationship was like, the bad memories come up first. Jealousy was a major dynamic between the two of you. They made you feel bad for the things you're interested in. You didn't feel like they supported your career goals. You lost friends because of the relationship. There was a constant struggle for superiority; the two of you were never equals. Either of you would divulge that they missed the "old version" of the other. You didn't feel comfortable around their family, or vice versa. You felt like you had to hide an aspect of who you are to maintain their approval. Either of you had to vie for affection. You or they were constantly worried about what the other was doing when you were apart. Even small conflicts turned into tumultuous arguments. There were double standards - things that one of you could do that the other couldn't. Either of you were continually threatening to end the relationship. The relationship more often felt draining than it did uplifting. Your friends and family think the two of you are better off apart. You depended more on others for emotional support than you did your significant other. You often found yourself lashing out at your partner, sometimes without really knowing why. Your lives never fully (or easily) melded together. You were more often worried about your future together than you were excited for it. | 4 | 4,654 | lifestyle |
PARK CITY, Utah Director Andrew Bujalski delivers his most mainstream film to date with "Results," a heartfelt will-they-or-won't-they romantic comedy about two very different personal trainers (Cobie Smulders and Guy Pearce) working together in Texas. The setup is simple enough: Trevor (Pearce), an earnest and wholly sincere gym owner is looking to expand his business, while his volatile employee and one-time fling Kat (Smulders) is at a crossroads of sorts, dismayed by a dwindling or uninspired client base and lashing out, sometimes violently. Things kick into gear when Danny (Kevin Corrigan), a rich, slightly out of shape loner (and stoner) moves to town and hires Kat as his personal trainer. He eventually gets involved in financing the gym's expansion while the audience is left wondering how two personalities as dissimilar as Kat and Trevor could ever make it work. "It's a hard life and I think it breeds a wacky personality and I think it breeds a lot of frustration," said Smulders. "I know that was my character's battle, dealing with people she didn't like and she was just over it." "Results" also brilliantly plays on the fact that Hollywood actors, like personal trainers, are in better shape than the general public. "That was certainly part of the calculation: What do I do with gorgeous people?" said Bujalski. "He's a fine actor, but whenever I see George Clooney play a schlub, I certainly cannot suspend disbelief." On set Smulders joked that it was actually a little difficult to work alongside the incredibly fit Pearce because of his unwavering commitment to fitness. "I'd be like, 'Are you going to the gym?' And he'd be like, 'I've been to the gym twice today,'" she said. Bujalski, one of the original mumblecore directors known for his "Funny Ha Ha" and "Computer Chess" still retains his idiosyncratic flair in this inventive send up of a conventional romantic comedy. "I can't go into anything without trying to make it weird. It was like a puzzle to solve how can I do something that I care about that will be fun and worthwhile for me where maybe I'll stand a chance at earning more than four figures for three years of work," said Bujakski. The film premiered Tuesday at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Magnolia later this year. --- Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr | 6 | 4,655 | entertainment |
When Ernie Banks played baseball, the Chicago Cubs hadn't yet installed lights at Wrigley Field, so it was part of the daily ritual to walk through the dank tunnel from the clubhouse to the dugout, then up the steps to the dewy field in an empty ballpark. As an infrequent visitor, I couldn't help but pause and gasp every time at that scene. I still do. They're remodeling the ancient stadium this year, but there's no replacing that surreal sense of solitude in the midst of a bustling city until an elevated train squeals to a halt at the station a block away. Banks made that walk countless thousands of times was paid to do it for 19 seasons by the Cubs and, right up until his death at age 83 last week, you got the feeling he was as genuinely thrilled as I am every time, as any fan would be just to have that opportunity once. That was the persona that made Banks, whose funeral will be held Saturday, Mr. Cub, not just for that one-team Hall of Fame career, but for another 40-plus years as the dominant personality for the team's cult-like diehard supporters. Hundreds of players have come and gone since Banks' career ended in 1971, and a few reached hero status. And you couldn't help but notice larger-than-life Harry Caray, who could dominate the scene from his broadcast booth, for much of that time. But being in Wrigley meant you looked for Ernie, as much a constant as the ivy on the outfield wall. Maybe it was his background in the Negro Leagues before breaking the Cubs' color barrier in 1953, playing for the Kansas City Monarchs and being exposed to Buck O'Neil, a man of similar effervescence and appreciation just for being in a big league ballpark. Somewhere along the way Banks must have vowed to never, ever forget getting here from growing up one of 12 children in Dallas and playing on a church softball team. It's not just his "Let's Play Two" that became synonymous with Banks. As the years went on, he said it because everyone expected him to, demanded he did. But you were certain he meant it every time you heard it, such was the sincerity that always emanated from him. Like when he'd clasp your hands and ask how you were doing and you knew deep down he couldn't possibly remember who you were from a similar meeting months, maybe years ago. But he sure made you feel like he remembered. The Cubs and their fans never forgot. His retired No. 14 billows on a flag attached to a Wrigley Field foul pole. He was the National League Most Valuable Player twice despite spending his first 14 seasons on teams with losing records. He hit 512 home runs, most by a Cub. His 2,528 games also are a team record and the most by any major league player who never got into a postseason game. How Cubbie of him. And somehow he smiled through it all. His presence reminded you to appreciate the good fortune of having a job that allowed you to be around a ballpark, to interact with people like Ernie Banks. The next time I walk onto the Wrigley Field grass, I'll survey the scene and soak it in like always. And I'm sure I'll simply expect to see Mr. Cub. White has covered baseball for USA TODAY since 1988 | 1 | 4,656 | sports |
Mashable, a news website focused on technology and entertainment, said Thursday it raised $17 million in capital led by Time Warner Investments, to help fuel expansion plans. The move will allow Mashable to add some 100 employees and is the latest in a series of investments in the growing digital media sector. The funding will be used for "investing heavily in strategic growth areas such as video production across all formats" and to "bolster the breadth and depth of its editorial talent." New York-based Mashable, founded in 2005, claims some 40 million unique visitors and 20 million social media follows. It has been adding sales and editorial staff in London and Los Angeles, and reporters in Australia and Ukraine as it expanded coverage areas. "When I first started Mashable almost a decade ago, I set out to explore how the Internet would change the world; over the last year, digital media has aggressively accelerated that change and Mashable is at the center of it," said Pete Cashmore, founder and chief executive. "As consumer consumption habits only continue to change, we are building a company for the long-term that will serve the Mashable community across formats." Mashable has a propriety technology called Velocity to predict and track the viral life cycle of digital content, and has licensed that to media agencies. Time Warner Investments is an arm of the Time Warner media conglomerate, which operates CNN and HBO, among others, and which recently spun off its magazine division Time Inc. Last year, Vox Media, publisher of online news sites including The Verge and SB Nation, said it raised fresh capital, giving it a reported $380 million value. Social news group BuzzFeed last August unveiled a major new expansion plan, using a fresh infusion of $50 million in venture capital. Vice Media, the Brooklyn-based online news operation which has a strong following among 18- to 34-year-olds, meanwhile secured $500 million in funding last year at a reported valuation of $2.5 billion. | 3 | 4,657 | finance |
It seems like every year, tax preparation companies try to find new ways to separate you from your money. | 3 | 4,658 | finance |
MELBOURNE, Australia Andy Murray sounded off against his critics in regards to his coaching relationship with Amelie Mauresmo on Thursday after reaching the Australian Open final. Murray, the world No. 6 and into his first Grand Slam final since winning Wimbledon in 2013, spoke out on court in an interview with Jim Courier on Australia's Channel 7. "A lot of people criticized me working with her," Murray said of Mauresmo, whom he appointed as coach in June of last year. "And I think so far this week we have shown that women can be very good coaches as well." Many applauded Murray's coaching relationship with Ivan Lendl when the former No. 1 came on board in early 2012 and Murray won his first two Grand Slams and an Olympic gold medal under Lendl's tutelage. The pair split in March of 2014. Some members of the British press and many inside the sport of tennis then openly criticized Murray's choice of Mauresmo a few months later, including current player Marinko Matosevic of Australia and former great Virginia Wade, Murray's countrywoman. But Murray, after his win, said the hard work was paying off and his coach regardless of gender had done a good job. "I'm very thankful for Amelie for doing that," Murray said of their partnership. "I think that was a brave choice from her to do it and hopefully I can re-pay her in a few days." Murray's struggle with healing from a back injury in 2014 was connected by some in the media with his lack of success with Mauresmo. As defending champion, he lost in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and was also knocked out in the same stage at the U.S. Open. "Hopefully, one day people won't look at gender when they hire a coach," said Martina Navratilova, who is now working with Agnieszka Radwanska. She spoke to a small group of media outlets on Wednesday, including USA Today Sports. "It made such big news when Andy picked Amelie, but to me it was like, 'Really? I just don't understand that line of thinking,'" Navratilova said. "A coach sometimes gets so much praise when their player does well and sometimes gets criticism when they don't do well," said U.S. Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez, speaking on ESPN2's Australian Open coverage. Murray lost decisively 6-0, 6-1 to Roger Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals in November, causing further criticism of his work with Mauresmo. "A lot of people were criticizing her at the end of last year saying it was her fault," Murray told reporters after the match in a press conference. "You can't change things during tournaments. There's no reason for her to be criticized for anything. I was very happy for her that I won the match tonight." Murray also acknowledged American Madison Keys' recent hiring of Lindsay Davenport, the 19-year-old making her first Grand Slam semifinal here. "I see no reason why that can't keep moving forward like that in the future," Murray continued. The crowd inside Rod Laver Arena applauded his comments. "I think it's great," former doubles standout Rennae Stubbs, an Australian TV commentator, wrote in an email to USA Today Sports about Murray's words. "I love the way he is standing behind his decision to work with her." Fernandez continued on ESPN2: "I think (Mauresmo is) getting him to be more aggressive. She was a player who loved to come forward that's how she won her two majors. It's taken a little bit longer with Andy and Mauresmo, but the personalities mesh well. And she's making an impact; she's getting through to him." Stubbs pointed out that Murray's mother has been a constant force in his life. Judy Murray is a respected tennis coach in Britain, and is the current Fed Cup captain there. "His mother's influence is so obvious," she wrote. "He is such a champion of women." "It's completely irrelevant what gender you are," Navratilova said. "It totally depends on your personality, how you play, what you see and how you mesh with that player and how you can make that player." | 1 | 4,659 | sports |
The Most Romantic Exotic Island Hideaways It's getting to be that time of year, when we want to get away from snow, cold and gray skies. And we want to get away from all the people who have been made cranky by winter. The fantasies of escaping to a tropical (or even temperate) island that feels like the end of the earth become especially acute in February. (Especially when we have a Valentine we'd like to whisk away with us.) But there's remote and then there's roughing it. And many of us who are connoisseurs of the former aren't so fond of the latter. These ten islands are exotic, tiny and off-the-beaten-path but developed just enough to have one indulgent place to stay. (Disclosure: I've stayed at several of these hotels as their guest.) Fernando de Noronha, Brazil, done Blue Parallel style The biggest in this archipelago of 21 islands 215 miles from the northeast coast of mainland Brazil is just over seven square miles, and it's home (along with the waters around it) to an astounding number of wildlife species, three beaches that were voted among Brazil's most beautiful (and 14 other beaches), and only about 3,000 people, who drive around in Dukes of Hazzard style buggies and hardly ever seem to wear shoes. There are several perfectly lovely places to stay, but Noronha isn't about hotels. To get access to the best guides, marine researchers and dive masters and to get beach picnics complete with Veuve Cliquot book with bespoke South American luxury-adventure outfitter Blue Parallel. Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand A 45-minute speedboat ride from Phuket and surrounded by the dramatic limestone cliffs of the islets dotting Phang Nga Bay, Yao Noi feels slightly detached from reality. The accommodations are all freestanding villas with private pools, indoor and outdoor living areas, and the simple style that defines Six Senses' particular brand of sustainable barefoot luxury. And the food at the restaurants is clean and delicious, with the catch from local fishermen, produce from the resort's own organic garden, and organic eggs from a new flock of free-range chickens. Book an island-hopping excursion on a traditional longboat. Tikehau, French Polynesia Many of the 36 bungalows at this tiny island's only luxury resort, part of Polynesia's very good Pearl Beach group, are over the impossibly turquoise water that has beguiled visitors since long before the days of Paul Gauguin. There's not much to do here: Stroll on a pink sand beach, swim in the sea, have a massage in the spa, dive, snorkel or simply swim in the sea, playing castaway in what is considered one of the most beautiful atolls in the South Pacific. Casa Harb, on San Andrés Island, Colombia Although the island is a bit too developed, with the main town full of high-rise hotels and duty-free stores (and true exotic-island-philes head to nearby Providencia), Casa Harb is a quiet oasis a good distance from the bustle. The owner, a Colombian of Lebanese descent, channeled Southeast Asia when he turned his father's quietly grand home into a five-suite hotel, inspired by the hotels he'd loved in Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. The main draw of the San Andrés Archipelago, some 140 miles off the east coast of Nicaragua, is diving in UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If that's not your thing, head to the sleepy south of the island and have a beer at a simple Rastafarian-owned bar, or hire a catamaran to one of the surrounding cays. Petit St. Vincent, the Grenadines This dreamy private island resort has just 22 stone cottages on 115 acres, most of them with their own secluded stretches of sand (and a seriously cool beach restaurant). It's devoid of distractions: no TVs, no clocks, Wi-Fi only in one corner of the main house. And although the current owners put one-way phones in the cottages a couple years ago, they kept the beloved flag system: Guests raise a yellow one outside their cottage to, say, order room service, and a red one to request privacy and the red is highly encouraged. Rubondo Island Camp, Lake Victoria, Tanzania It's just this luxury lodge and a few park rangers on this speck of land in massive Lake Victoria, the largest island national park in Africa. Operated by the high-end safari outfitter Asilia Africa, the "camp" consists of eight luxurious cottages, where the only alarm clocks are the glint of sunshine reflected on the lake or the calls of fish eagles. Hippos sometimes wonder up onto the beach at dusk. It's an excellent base for bird watching, fishing for Nile perch, or simply relaxing in the open-air lounge area or spacious rooms. A new tree house a circular platform with a bed under a canopy and a copper bathtub out behind opened a few months ago for the full-on nature experience. Yemaya Island Hideaway, on Little Corn Island, Nicaragua There's something irresistible about a hotel where no one dresses up for dinner but everyone kicks off their shoes in the dining pavilion. The eco-chic Yemaya is that kind of place. The 16-cabana resort is laid-back but quietly luxurious, flash-free but impeccably executed, and the first stylish place to stay on the Little Corn Island, a tiny speck about 43 miles from Nicaragua's east coast. The island is just about as undeveloped as it gets, with no roads and just one small town. Yemaya is even more remote: Getting there requires a wet landing from a water taxi and wading up onto the pristine beach, and going to town for activities the island is known for diving or sundowners entails a 30-minute jungle hike. Laucala Island, Fiji With just 25 Fijian-style luxury villas spread over about five square miles of dramatic rain forests, coconut plantations, deserted beaches and volcanic mountains, Laucala is the kind of refuge where it's easy to see no one for days (except maybe the discreet staff bringing room service). The private island resort is as sustainable as it is stylish, with its floral arrangements harvested from wild orchids in the gardens, and the meals prepared with organic produce and meat raised on island farms. Lesic Dimitri Palace, on Korcula, Croatia Korcula is where the Silk Road began, home to Marco Polo. The explorer inspired the Asian-Croatian team of designers who conceived this luxury bolt-hole in the heart of the old town. They filled the five suites in this restored 18th-century palace with the kinds of sumptuous articles Polo would have traded. Terraces overlook the Adriatic Sea, and service, food and wine are up to Relais & Châteaux standards. One&Only Hayman Island, in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia This super-luxury private island resort was designed to combine natural beauty, restorative peace, adventure and, especially, indulgence. Massages can be received under the rain forest canopy, or on a treatment table that seems to float in the ocean. Some of the rooms have direct swim-out access into the pool while others go one better, with their own private pools. (And there's the beach, of course.) A half dozen restaurants serve everything from Mod Oz to Italian to Thai, and there's a range of private dining-under-the-stars options available for people who want the feeling of having paradise to themselves. | 2 | 4,660 | travel |
When admitting to assaults, slurs and foul-mouthed outbursts, you need to say sorry at the very least. Here's a selection of high-profile apologies, made public, by celebrities. Chris Pratt In an interview to Men's Fitness for its April 2017 issue, the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star spoke about how the "voice of the average, blue-collar American isn't necessarily represented in Hollywood." Later, he posted an apology on his twitter account saying, "That was actually a pretty stupid thing to say. I'll own that. There's a ton of movies about blue collar America." Pierce Brosnan The "James Bond" series actor caused quite a stir in 2016 by endorsing Indian brand Pan Bahar, a concoction made of spices and areca nut, and often had with chewing tobacco. However, on learning that the product might contain properties which could lead to cancer, Brosnan released a statement to People magazine apologizing for his untoward action on Oct. 20, 2016. It read: "As a man who has spent decades championing women s healthcare and environmental protection, I was distressed to learn of Pan Bahar s unauthorized and deceptive use of my image to endorse their range of pan masala products. I would never have entered into an agreement to promote a product in India that is dangerous to one s health... I shall endeavor to rectify this matter. In the meantime, please accept my sincerest and heartfelt apologies to all whom I have offended." He demanded the removal of his images from all forms of advertisement for the product line. Kristen Stewart For three years, Stewart kept her romance with "Twilight" leading man Robert Pattinson quiet. But when the actress was caught on camera in the arms of "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders, she immediately offered a very public and impassioned plea of forgiveness in September 2016. "I'm deeply sorry for the hurt and embarrassment I've caused to those close to me and everyone this has affected," she said. "This momentary indiscretion has jeopardized the most important thing in my life, the person I love and respect the most, Rob. I love him, I love him, I'm so sorry." Benedict Cumberbatch After he called black people 'coloured' on Tavis Smiley s show in January 2015, Cumberbatch later apologized. "I'm devastated to have caused offence by using this outmoded terminology. I offer my sincere apologies. I make no excuse for my being an idiot and know the damage is done. I can only hope this incident will highlight the need for correct usage of terminology that is accurate and inoffensive. The most shaming aspect of this for me is that I was talking about racial inequality in the performing arts in the UK and the need for rapid improvements in our industry when I used the term. I feel the complete fool I am and while I am sorry to have offended people and to learn from my mistakes in such a public manner please be assured I have." Steve Harvey Harvey, the 2015 Miss Universe host, mistakenly announced Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez as the winner of the pageant, instead of the actual winner Miss Philippines Pia Wurtzbach. A press conference was held immediately after the incident, where Harvey apologized for the error. He explained, "Now, when the mistake was made, when I said the wrong woman's name, I can only give information I had. No one knows, and that information is not in the teleprompter because you've got two women standing there. I read what was on the teleprompter, then I read what was on the card. The results card shown above has the name of the winner on the right side of the card in bold and those of the first and second runners-up on the left. "Colombia" is written above the first runner-up slot. Harvey apologized to Miss Columbia through his tweet saying, "I'd like to apologize wholeheartedly to Miss Colombia and Miss Philippines for my huge mistake. I feel terrible." Jonah Hill In 2014, the Wolf of Wall Street actor hurled an anti-gay slur at a photographer after he commented on the actor s outfit. Hill apologized for his sudden outrage when he appeared on the Howard Stern Show in the same year. The 30-year-old actor said, "This is a heartbreaking situation for me… in that moment I said a disgusting word that does not at all reflect how I feel about any group of people." Justin Bieber A five-year-old video of the Canadian singer uttering the N-word during the making of his "Never Say Never" documentary surfaced in 2014. Bieber apologized by saying, As a kid, I didn't understand the power of certain words and how they can hurt. I thought it was okay to repeat hurtful words and jokes, but didn't realize at the time that it wasn't funny and that in fact my actions were continuing the ignorance. Thanks to friends and family I learned from my mistakes and grew up and apologized for those wrongs. Reese Witherspoon In April 2013, Witherspoon was arrested in Atlanta for disorderly conduct after her husband, Jim Toth, was pulled over for suspicion of DUI. The actress was captured on video telling the arresting officer, "Do you know my name? … You're about to find out who I am." She later apologized "Out of respect for the ongoing legal situation, I cannot comment on everything that is being reported right now. But I do want to say, I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said. It was definitely a scary situation, and I was frightened for my husband, but that is no excuse. I was disrespectful to the officer who was just doing his job. The words I used that night definitely do not reflect who I am. I have nothing but respect for the police, and I'm very sorry for my behavior." Paula Deen "Yes, of course." And with those three words, Deen's food empire started to crumble. That was the answer she gave during a deposition in 2013, when asked if she'd ever used the N-word. Her seemingly cavalier attitude toward racism sparked an immediate backlash and prompted her to issue a videotaped apology. "I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I've done," said a tearful Deen. "I want to learn and grow from this. Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I've made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I've made." Shia LaBeouf The short film HowardCantour.com (2012) directed by the actor was almost a blatant adaption of a graphic novel Ghost World fame by Daniel Clowes. The movie premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival but it was not until December 2013 that viewers started observing the similarities and accused him of plagiarism. He tweeted saying, Copying isn't particularly creative work. Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work. Surprisingly, this apology was also reported to be plagiarized from a previously published Yahoo answer! Alec Baldwin In 2013, the 30 Rock star was fired from his MSNBC hosting gig after using a homophobic slur against a photographer. After the show went off air, the 58-year-old actor apologized through his tweet saying, Anti-gay slurs are wrong. They not only offend, but threaten hard fought tolerance of LGBT rights. The apology came in the wake of criticism expressed by GLAAD over Baldwin's comment on social networking site Twitter. Lance Armstrong The disgraced American road racing cyclist apologized in an interview with talk-show host Oprah Winfrey in 2013, after he admitted doping to win seven Tour de France titles. He said, I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times," he said. "I made those decisions, they were my mistakes and I'm here to say sorry." He was stripped of all his Tour wins and also resigned as the chairman of the Livestrong Foundation. Ashton Kutcher "My sincere apologies to anyone who I have offended. It was a mistake that will not happen again." Kutcher, after he tweeted his reaction to the firing of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno in November 2011 without actually checking to see why he'd been sacked. An investigation had found Paterno concealed facts regarding fellow coach Jerry Sandusky's alleged sexual abuse of children. "How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste," he wrote. Kutcher's damage control was swift and severe. The celebrity Twitter pioneer handed over his account to his managers. Hilary Swank "I deeply regret attending this event. If I had a full understanding of what this event was apparently intended to be, I would never have gone." Swank, attempting to explain why she reportedly accepted a huge payday to appear at an Oct. 5, 2011 birthday celebration for Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov - accused of human rights abuses. The Oscar-winner, whose onstage appearance (left) personally wishing Kadyrov a happy birthday made the YouTube rounds, pleaded ignorance about his reputation despite the fact a human rights group had warned her team about him weeks before the visit. Tracy Morgan "I'm not a hateful person and don't condone any kind of violence against others." Morgan, after a June 3, 2011 stand-up show in Nashville took a hateful turn. Among his observations: If his son were gay, he'd "pull out a knife and stab" him. Morgan's mea culpa tour didn't stop with just a statement. He also met with homeless gay and lesbian youths in New York, U.S., issued a personal apology to offended audience members from his Nashville show, said he was sorry to the gay and lesbian community and agreed to take part in a GLAAD (U.S.-based LGBT-rights activist organization) anti-bullying campaign. Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator star and former governor of California, U.S., apologized to his wife Maria Shriver and his family after the news of his love child Joseph Beana emerged in 2011. Schwarzenegger has four children with Shriver with whom he had been married for 25 years. The actor confessed to his wife after leaving the governor s office. He apologized in 2011 saying, "There are no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt I have caused. I have apologized to Maria, my children and my family. I am truly sorry." The couple had announced their separation in 2011 though they are still officially not divorced. Tiger Woods "I know I have severely disappointed all of you. I have made you question who I am and how I have done the things I did. I am embarrassed that I have put you in this position. For all that I have done, I am so sorry. I have a lot to atone for... I had affairs. I cheated. What I did is not acceptable. And I am the only person to blame. I stopped living by the core values that I was taught to believe in." Woods after emerging from sex rehab in February 2010, issued a carefully orchestrated 15-minute apology to the women confessed to having affairs with. These occured during his marriage to Elin Nordegren, the mother of his two children. Jesse James After it was revealed that James had cheated on then-wife Sandra Bullock, he told People magazine in March 2010, "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me. It's because of my poor judgment that I deserve everything bad that is coming my way ... I am truly very sorry for the grief I have caused them [my wife and kids]. I hope one day they can find it in their hearts to forgive me." David Letterman "I'm terribly sorry ... [My wife] has been horribly hurt by my behavior, and when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. At that point, there's only two things that can happen: Either you're going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me." Letterman in October 2009, apologizing on "The Late Show with David Letterman," to wife Regina Lasko for cheating on her with female staffers, an admission he made following an extortion attempt. Kanye West "I'm sooooo sorry to Taylor Swift and her fans and her mom ... I'm in the wrong for going on stage and taking away from her moment! ... Beyonce's video was the best of this decade!!!" West, writing on his blog in the immediate aftermath of his microphone-swiping moment at the MTV VMAs in September 2009. He interrupted Swift's acceptance speech for the Best Female Video award to let the world know that Beyoncé should have won for "Single Ladies." He later deleted the post and replaced it with something a touch more contrite: "I feel like Ben Stiller in 'Meet the Parents,' when he messed up everything and Robert De Niro asked him to leave … That was Taylor's moment and I had no right in any way to take it from her. I am truly sorry." West's mea culpa tour continued with an appearance on The Late Show with Jay Leno. "My entire life, I've only wanted to give and do something that I felt was right," the singer explained. "And I immediately knew in the situation that it was wrong, and it wasn't a spectacle or just you know, it's actually someone's emotions, you know, that I stepped on. And it was very it was just it was rude, period." Chris Brown "I felt it was time you hear directly from me that I am sorry. I cannot go into what happened, and most importantly am not going to sit here and make any excuses ... I take great pride in me being able to exercise self-control, and what I did was inexcusable. I am very saddened and very ashamed of what I have done. My mother and my spiritual teachers have taught me way better than that. I have told Rihanna countless times, and I am telling you today, that I am truly, truly sorry and that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better ... Nobody is more disappointed in me than I am." Brown, attempting to repair his badly tarnished image for beating then-girlfriend Rihanna in February 2009. His statement, a two-minute video was released in July 2009. Christian Bale "It's been a miserable week for me. Listen, I know I have a potty mouth; everybody knows that now. The thing that I really want to stress is, I have no confusion whatsoever. I was out of order beyond belief. I was way out of order. I acted like a punk. I regret that. There is nobody that has heard that tape that is hit harder by it than me. I make no excuses for it, it is inexcusable and I hope that is absolutely clear." Bale, calling into a Los Angeles radio station in February 2009 after an audio tape surfaced of him having a four-letter-word outburst on the set of "Terminator Salvation." The language, aimed at director of photography Shane Hurlbut, quickly went viral with the actor's classic threat, "Seriously, you and me man, we're [bleeping] done professionally," inspiring T-shirts and internet mash-ups. Tom Cruise "It's not what I had intended, in looking at myself, I thought, 'That came across as arrogant.' ... That's one of those things you go, 'OK, I could have absolutely handled that better ... I thought I didn't communicate it the way that I wanted to communicate it. And that's also that's not who I am. ... That's not the person that I am ... I learned a really good lesson." Cruise, speaking extra-calmly to Matt Lauer in December 2008, three years after his career-damaging tirade against psychiatry on the "Today" show. "Psychiatry is a pseudoscience," the Scientology devotee said, while staring intensely at Lauer. "You don't know the history of psychiatry. I do. ... Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt, you don't even you're glib. You don't even know what Ritalin is." Sharon Stone "I would like to set the record straight about what I feel in my heart and end all of the misunderstandings. Yes, I misspoke. I could not be more regretful of that mistake. It was unintentional. I apologize. Those words were never meant to be hurtful to anyone. They were an accident of my distraction and a product of news sensationalism. I am deeply saddened by the pain that this whole situation has caused the victims of the devastating earthquake in China." Stone in June 2008, backpedaling in high gear, after she suggested an earthquake in the Sichuan region which killed tens of thousands was caused by "karma" over China's treatment of Tibet and her "good friend," the Dalai Lama. Mel Gibson "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said. Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health." said Gibson in a statement released shortly after his July 2006 arrest for a DUI. During which time, according to the Los Angeles Times, he said: "The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world". Jude Law "Following the reports in today's papers, I just want to say I am deeply ashamed and upset that I've hurt Sienna and the people most close to us. I want to publicly apologize to Sienna and our respective families for the pain that I have caused. There is no defense for my actions, which I sincerely regret and I ask that you respect our privacy at this very difficult time." Law in July 2005 after it came to light he'd cheated on then-fiancée Sienna Miller with his kids' nanny. It turned out she kept a detailed diary, which the tabloids just happened to get hold of. Her breathless recollections included a description about how the actor made her "whole body tingle." Russell Crowe "This is possibly the most shameful situation I've ever gotten myself in in my life, and I've done some pretty dumb things in my life. So to actually make a new No. 1 is spectacularly stupid. I'm extremely sorry for this whole incident and I regret everything that took place." Crowe speaking on The Late Show with David Letterman in June 2005. It happended days after he was arrested for throwing a mobile phone at the head of a New York hotel concierge, when he was unable to get a call through to his wife in Australia. The Oscar-winner avoided jail by pleading guilty to third-degree assault and admitting his telecommunication tantrum. He reportedly paid the concierge a six-figure settlement. Justin Timberlake "I am sorry if anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance at the Super Bowl. It was not intentional and is regrettable." Timberlake in February 2004, extending an impersonal "Oops, my bad" after NFL fans were scandalized by the brief on-screen appearance of Janet Jackson's right breast. Hugh Grant "I think you know in life pretty much what's a good thing to do and what's a bad thing, and I did a bad thing, and there you have it ... In the end, you have to come clean it was disloyal, shabby and goatish." Grant to Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" in July 1995, weeks after he was arrested for lewd behavior with a woman named Divine Brown. Mixing forthright penitence with bumbling charm and self-deprecation raised the bar on how to express public remorse. It saved Hugh's career and (temporarily) saved his relationship with longtime love Elizabeth Hurley. | 6 | 4,661 | entertainment |
Few things are sadder than tossing out a stale half-loaf of beautiful artisanal (or homemade) bread. The problem: said beautiful bread lacks the stabilizers present in commercial presliced loaves, and so it goes from rocking your world to rock-hard ridiculously fast. The solution: eat more bread a simple trick involving your freezer. Here's what you should do: Within 24 hours (maximum) of cutting into a loaf, slice up the remaining bread. (Don't wait until it's already turned the corner; at that point, your best bet is giving leftovers a second life as croutons, breadcrumbs, or bread pudding .) Don't just stick the bread in the freezer unsliced. Unless your kitchen is equipped with a buzz saw, there's no chance you're going to be able to slice it without thawing the entire loaf first (trust us, we've tried). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper, arrange the slices in one layer on top of that, and put it in the freezer, uncovered, until frozen solid. (The parchment will prevent the gorgeous, moist crumb of the bread from sticking to the pan, and the single layer will prevent the slices from freezing stuck to each other.) Once the bread slices are frozen, transfer them to a resealable freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as possible. When a bread craving hits, take out just as many slices of bread as you'll eat then, and either let them thaw at room temperature, or put them directly in the toaster (they'll take about one extra minute to toast). The texture of the bread will be about 95 percent as good as fresh bread and far better than second-day, already-starting-to-go-stale bread. Stored frozen (in a resealable freezer bag), sliced bread will stay fresh and delicious for at least six months, if not longer. | 0 | 4,662 | foodanddrink |
Was I having a mental margarita? Looking at my credit card statement, I noticed $640 worth of charges posted earlier in the week from Sears and a Safeway more than 300 miles away. I don't always trust my memory, and a small part of me wondered for all of five seconds, "Wait, did I take a trip to Santa Cruz this week? Did I get a new dishwasher? YAY I HAVE A NEW DISHWASHER!" Then reality set in I realized my credit card number had been compromised. Unfortunately, the same nasty dishwasher that I've fixed so many times that I know it like a Marine knows her M16 was still in my kitchen, mocking me in its supernatural ability to add food particles and secure stains during the cleaning cycle. Fortunately, when I called the bank that issued the card, Wells Fargo, the problem with the mysterious charges were handled immediately. I'm pretty vigilant on my accounts, and I get that sometimes a store clerk might sneak a peek at a credit card number and "borrow" it for a while, or that if I might leave my card behind after an exhilarating evening at karaoke. But this particular card lives in my desk drawer, and is only used for a small recurring expense. I didn't understand how someone could really "steal" it, even virtually. Enter Brian Krebs, a cyber-security expert. In a recent blog post , he recounts the ways credit card numbers can be compromised . I'm ruling out anything that would have involved physical contact with the card, like an ATM or gas-pump skimmer or dishonorable restaurant employee. So, according to Krebs, the possible leaks of my information could have come from: A processor breach, somewhere in between the credit card company and the merchant's bank A hack on the vendor or e-commerce system Malware on my computer Physical record theft Wells Fargo's Natalie Brown, vice president, Consumer Lending Communications, said that keeping those card numbers secure are a joint effort between the consumer and the bank . Good habits for the card holder-include: Keeping the card safe and treating it as you would cash or checks Not sending the number through email or giving out the number on the phone, unless you initiated the call Making sure online transactions are secured with encryption to protect your account information (look for secure transaction symbols such as a lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of your web browser, or "https://…" in the address bar of the website. The "s" indicates "secured" and means the web page uses encryption), and logging off from any website after a purchase transaction is made with your credit or debit card. Securely keeping or shredding transaction receipts Brown says the bank is trying to stay a step ahead. "As the fraud landscape evolves, we adapt our approach to fighting fraud and counteract new threats by using innovative tools and technology to help keep customer information safe." One of those tools that most major credit card issuers are "chip-enabled" cards (which come with their own set of drawbacks ). But the best thing you can do, she says, is use old-fashioned vigilance. "I think the most important thing for people to do is check their accounts regularly monthly statements is a good way to do that, but using online banking is even better because accounts can be checked more frequently." Now if only Wells Fargo could crack the mystery of why my plates and glasses come out of the dishwasher dirtier than when they went in, I'd be completely satisfied. | 3 | 4,663 | finance |
Belarus said that a new round of Ukrainian peace negotiations involving the warring sides and overseen by European and Russian envoys would be held on Friday in Minsk. "The Contact Group on Ukraine has informed the Belarussian side of its intention to hold its next meeting in Minsk on January 30," the Belarussian foreign ministry said in a statement. The announcement came moments after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for urgent truce talks with pro-Russian rebels to end a bloody surge in fighting in the separatist east. Poroshenko said a new Minsk meeting should lead to "an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact" established in a repeatedly broken September truce. Two earlier sets of Minsk agreements called for the creation of a 30-kilometre (18-mile) buffer zone between the warring sides' armies and allowed international monitors to oversee the deal's implementation. The talks were overseen by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and also involved Moscow's ambassador to Kiev -- the same group due to meet on Friday in Minsk. Separatist leaders last week had formally pulled out of peace negotiations and announced the launch of a new offensive aimed at expanding their area of control. The last Minsk meeting on December 24 failed to achieve any progress and was soon followed by new fighting. Kiev was irritated on that occasion by the decision of the self-declared leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk rebel regions to send lower-level officials to the talks. Donetsk co-leader Andrei Purgin told AFP that his separatist region would be sending a lower-level negotiator named Denis Pushilin to Friday's talks as well. "If tomorrow's meeting in Minsk does go ahead, then of course we will take part. But I would not bet on it because such meetings failed to materialise in the past," Purgin said by telephone. Poroshenko said the negotiations should also establish a reinforced OSCE presence along the Russian-Ukrainian border to make sure no weapons or reinforcements reach the rebels from the east. Russia denies backing the nine-month revolt. But eastern European nations accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of trying to stamp his countrol over countries that answered to Moscow in the Soviet era or were part of the tsarist empire. Poland's defence minister said he believed the chances of a breakthrough in Minsk were slim because the Kremlin main goal was to undermine the talks. "Russia's obvious goal is to block Ukraine's path toward Europe," Tomasz Siemoniak told reporters in Warsaw. | 5 | 4,664 | news |
MEXICO CITY (AP) Injured and bleeding, mothers grasping infants in their arms fled from a maternity hospital shattered by a powerful gas explosion Thursday, and rescuers began smashing sledgehammers through fallen concrete hunting for others who might be trapped. A nurse and a baby died in the blast and a second infant died Thursday night, Mexico City authorities said. More than 70 people were injured in the blast that collapsed about three-fourths of the hospital, but by late in the day rescuers determined no one was left trapped in the rubble. Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said some of the injured were about to be released from area hospitals, including some mothers who suffered injuries while using their bodies to shield their children. A 25-year-old nurse and a newborn between 2 and 3 weeks old died at the scene and another infant died several hours later at another pediatric hospital, said Armando Ahued, the city's health secretary. He had said earlier that 21 babies in all had been injured, and nine of those and seven adults were in serious condition after being rushed to other hospitals. Thirty-five-year-old Felicitas Hernandez wept as she frantically questioned people outside the wrecked building, hoping for word of her month-old baby, who had been hospitalized since birth with respiratory problems. "They wouldn't let me sleep with him," said Hernandez, who had come to the city-run Maternity and Children's Hospital of Cuajimalpa because she had no money. Later, authorities told her to check at another hospital where she reported finding her baby uninjured. The explosion occurred at 7:05 a.m. when a tanker truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and gas started to leak. Witnesses said the tanker workers struggled frantically for 15 or 20 minutes to repair the leak while a large cloud of gas formed. "The hose broke. The two gas workers tried to stop it, but they were very nervous. They yelled for people to get out," said Laura Diaz Pacheco, a laboratory technician. "Everyone's initial reaction was to go inside, away from the gas," she added. "Maybe as many as 10 of us were able to get out ... The rest stayed inside." Workers on the truck yelled: "Call the firefighters, call the firefighters!" said anesthesiologist Agustin Herrera. People started to evacuate the hospital, and then came a devastating explosion that sent up an enormous fireball and plumes of dust and smoke. Herrera saw injured mothers walking out carrying babies. Officials said 110 people were inside the 35-bed hospital when the truck blew up. "We avoided a much bigger tragedy because the oxygen tanks right beside (the area) didn't explode," Herrera said. The worst hit parts of the hospital were the neonatology, reception and emergency reception units, he said. Margarita Palma of Amexgas, a trade association of Mexico's propane distributors, said 80 percent of Mexicans use propane rather than natural gas delivered by mains. Liquified propane, which is highly explosive, is distributed to homes and businesses either by trucks like the one that exploded or in cylinders, she said. Homes next to the hospital had broken and cracked windows and fallen shingles from the blast, and many neighbors ran to help evacuate victims from the debris, local resident Carlos Soria Rezendiz said. Miguel Angel Garcia smoked a cigarette outside Hospital ABC-Santa Fe, trying to calm his nerves while he waited to see his wife and new baby daughter, who had been moved there. Garcia, 22, had been driving a transit bus when he heard about the explosion at the hospital where his wife had given birth to their second child just the day before. He dropped off his passengers, then his bus and took off for the hospital. "When I arrived and saw it in pieces, I thought the worst," Garcia said. He waited for an hour before authorities told him his wife and daughter had been taken to the other hospital in the nearby neighborhood of Santa Fe. A nurse there told him both were fine, but he hadn't been allowed to see them yet. As the day wore on, people arrived at Hospital ABC offering diapers and baby formula. There was an hour-long wait to donate blood. It was the closest hospital to the explosion and received 31 patients, including 17 children. There were seven babies with serious injuries in intensive care, said Dr. Moises Zielanowski, the hospital's director of operations, as well as four adults in serious condition. Injuries included burns, fractures and bruises. He said the hospital was working to identify six of the babies who arrived unaccompanied and without identification. The gas truck driver and two other employees of the Express Nieto company were hospitalized but were in custody, Mancera said. He said the company has provided gas to all the city's public hospitals since 2007. The incident prompted tweets from President Enrique Pena Nieto to Pope Francis, who wrote, "We are praying for the victims of the explosion in Cuajimalpa, Mexico." ___ Associated Press writers E. Eduardo Castillo, Katherine Corcoran, Emilio Lugo and Christopher Sherman contributed to this report. | 5 | 4,665 | news |
On-demand shipping startup Shyp just made its service available to a much wider audience with the launch of its app on Android via the Google Play Store . We figured that was a good opportunity to demonstrate what it's like to use Shyp to send out a package. In the video above, we shipped a copy of Call of Duty to a TC GameCast listener. With our payment details and pickup location already entered, we only had to snap a photo and enter the final destination for the package. We could track our delivery person, which Shyp calls a "Hero," but he was only two blocks away from our office in San Francisco. Once the Hero showed up at the office, I just had to hand off the game. He put it in a Shyp-labeled cloth bag, scanned a QR code on it with his phone, and in moments I received confirmation that Shyp had it. After we wrapped up our demo, Shyp CEO Kevin Gibbon stopped by to explain what happens after Shyp gets a package. Bike-based Heroes (and those in cars to get bigger objects) gather as many packages as they can fit in their bags. Once they're full, Heroes meet up with vans that bring packages back to central locations. There, the startup weighs the packages and gets them out via the cheapest courier available. Payment doesn't happen until Shyp confirms a package is on the way to its final destination. Before you get too excited, Shyp is still only in San Francisco, Miami, and New York City. It's expanding pretty rapidly at this point, however, with a launch in Los Angeles in the near future. | 3 | 4,666 | finance |
Actor Mehcad Brooks has been cast as Jimmy Olsen in the upcoming CBS drama "Supergirl." Olsen will serve as a love interest for the titular character, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In the network's version of the story, Olsen works as a photographer at Catco., where Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, is also employed. Mehcad's previous credits include "Necessary Roughness" and "Desperate Housewives," but the actor is perhaps best known for his role as Eggs on HBO hit "True Blood." News of the casting comes on the heels of the announcement that "Glee" star Melissa Benoist will play the leading role, a young woman from Krypton who, at the age of 24, is first beginning to embrace her powers. | 6 | 4,667 | entertainment |
Dozens of injuries have been reported following a fuel truck explosion at a maternity hospital in Mexico City. | 8 | 4,668 | video |
Gwyneth Paltrow steams her vagina. The 42-year-old actress has admitted she undergoes regular Mugworth V-Steam treatments at the at the Tikkun Spa, in Santa Monica, which "cleanses" her private parts and uterus and provides an "energetic release". The Oscar-winning star is advising all women to have the procedure to their genitals. In a post on her lifestyle website Goop, Gwyneth - who split from husband Chris Martin last year - revealed: "Tikkun is the next level when it comes to Korean spas, combining high-tech far infrared heat with traditional Korean sauna therapies. So, if you want to lay down in a Himalayan salt brick tiled sauna, or sit in a Hwangto clay room, you get the added benefit of far infrared heat. And, in addition to the sauna rooms, there's a long menu of massages and kick-ass body scrubs to complement the sauna time. "We're burying the lede though, because the real golden ticket here is the Mugwort V-Steam. You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne, and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et al. It is an energetic release - not just a steam douche - that balances female hormone levels. If you're in LA, you have to do it. (sic)" On the website for Tikkun Holistic Spa five different V-steams are available - the signature, the slimming, the infertility, the post-partum and even a signature V-steam for men. | 6 | 4,669 | entertainment |
PHOENIX - The term "situational football" has been floated all season by the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks . Both talk big about it. Both are here in Super Bowl 49, in part, because both teams are best in the league at it. On offense, on defense and on special teams, football is myriad of specific and detailed situations. Situational football is players knowing what to do and executing in the red zone, the two-minute drill, goal line play, short-yardage, backed up near their own goal line, or when there is a sudden change of possession - and so much more. "There are thousands of different situations that can occur within a game with different variations in those situations," Patriots safety Duron Harmon said. "It's all about recognition and awareness." Patriots safety Patrick Chung explained: "When opportunity comes, it is too late to prepare. Preparation makes you ready for opportunity." Dissecting games into specific situations is an art built in emphasis and in teaching. The head coaches of these Super Bowl teams - New England's Bill Belichick and Seattle's Pete Carroll - have made this method a cornerstone of how their coaches coach and how their players practice. They do not simply run plays in practices. They focus on situations. "It's the difference in the game," Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson said. "It's the difference in winning and losing. It's what helps define your team. Knowing exactly what the situation is and what to do in that situation in a football game is how you build consistency. Coach Carroll preaches it from day 1." Nobody hammers it home more than Belichick. "Coach Belichick is very detailed in situational football," Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "He gets us to understand each situation. He talks about it all of the time. You can't play this game at a high level unless you have a clear education of what to do in particular game situations. I have played for four NFL head coaches, including Eric Mangini, Rex Ryan and Greg Schiano, before coming here. Coach Belichick is the best I have ever had at coaching situational football." (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Seattle practices usually last an hour and a half. They call Wednesday's their "competition" day. Offensively on Wednesdays, they focus on first- and second-down situations. On Thursdays, they review and practice third-down offense. Fridays are reserved more for the passing game emphasis. "The worst thing you can hear from a player during a game is, `I wasn't expecting that to happen,' or `I was not prepared for that,"' Seahawks quarterbacks coach Carl Smith said. "I spend time with Russell before practice, during practice and sometimes late into the night after practice. We talk all of the time about all kinds of situations. Coach Carroll has a plan that he has implemented starting way back in mini-camps and training camp. Every day is accounted for and every practice is focused on situational football." It is one thing to have a plan, Seahawks linebacker Ken Norton said. It is another to have the players to execute it. "You have to understand the situation in order to win the moment," Norton said. "The game has become so detailed now with designated pass rushers and designated run stoppers and the like. We run 10 scripted plays of first-and-10 for our defense. Then the same for third-down defense. Third-and-2 is different from third-and-10. You account for that. How much time you spend on a situation depends sometimes on what your stats say. If you look at the stats and you are weakest in them, say, in red zone defense, you spend more time on that situation in practice. So, the stats can kind of help provide a pecking order. "Teams have to be smart. Players have to know situations more than ever in the game today. But you have to have good players beyond just the situational knowledge. And as much as that, you have to have hard-working players who are interested in the details of the game and motivated to be great in that." Both the Seahawks and the Patriots have excelled at building rosters from top to bottom full of such players. The Patriots' practices usually last two hours. They arrive early for practice and stay late. "I was with the Miami Dolphins and the Baltimore Ravens before coming here," Patriots running back Jonas Gray said. "We didn't practice situational football there like we do here. We talk about the importance of situational football pre practice and post practice. We practice with wet balls. Balls that have grease on them. We have drills where a partner is constantly trying to strip you of the ball to try to re-create those situations that happen in games. It's that kind of detail that makes a difference in close games." The Patriots examine first-down offense on Wednesdays. Third-down offense on Thursdays. Red zone offense on Fridays. "It's focused and it's deep," Patriots receiver Brian Tyms said. "It is so game-like that the actual games are very natural. It is very hard to get 53 guys to understand the same thing and work in concert with each other. But the coaches do it here with the detail. We don't move off something until we have it right. But at any time in practice, coach Belichick might call for a sudden change. A turnover where the offense or the defense has to respond to a sudden change. And that is how things like that also happen in a game." Last season's Super Bowl MVP, Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith , expects an extreme chess match in all situations with the Patriots in this Super Bowl. "We're different but we're similar in how we prepare in detail and how we make the game just a bunch of critical situations," Smith said. "In a game like this, anything that helps a player understand how to make the right play in those times is really welcomed." | 1 | 4,670 | sports |
William "Bill" George, Fmr. Medtronic Chairman & CEO, Harvard Business School Professor, discusses the c-suite change at McDonald's and what the company needs to do to get its customers back. | 3 | 4,671 | finance |
Microsoft on Thursday launched an Outlook app for rival handsets running on Apple's iOS and Google's Android, ramping up its software services efforts. The move will allow users of iPhones, iPads and Android-powered smartphones and tablets to more easily access the email service popular with many businesses. "The new Outlook app brings together the core tools you need to get things done -- your email, calendar, contacts and files -- helping you get more done even on the smallest screen," Microsoft said on its Outlook blog. Microsoft under new chief executive Satya Nadella has been making moves to adapt to the new mobile landscape, with fewer customers using traditional PCs. But with the Windows platform lagging in mobile, Microsoft has begun offering its software for rival operating systems. In November, it said it was making its Office software suite available free for iOS and Android. The new Outlook app offers new features for mobile users, including a way to sort and filter important emails. It offers a "focused inbox" which learns "about you and gets even more tailored to your priorities," the blog said. The move comes a day after US online giant Amazon announced plans to offer a cloud-based email and calendar service to directly compete with Microsoft Outlook and others. The service dubbed Amazon WorkMail "enables users to send and receive email, manage contacts, share calendars and book resources using the same email applications they use today" including Outlook and services like Google Apps. | 5 | 4,672 | news |
Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu has revealed that Lionel Messi and head coach Luis Enrique did have a training-ground argument earlier this month. The prolific attacker has endured a difficult relationship with his coach ever since the latter's return to Camp Nou ahead of the 2014-15 campaign, but both have so far refused to discuss the matter publicly, with club president Josep Bartomeu repeatedly insisting there is no problem between the two. However, Mathieu has revealed than an incident took place shortly after Messi had returned from his Christmas break, after which Luis Enrique benched the Argentine, for the 1-0 loss versus Real Sociedad. "It happened when we got back from our holidays. Suddenly, Leo lost his temper after a foul that was not given in training," Mathieu told RMC. "Things got tense and they exchanged some angry words. "Luis Enrique then approached him in the dressing room afterwards to talk to him and that was the end of it." Nevertheless, Mathieu was quick to stress that there has been no fallout and added that such incidents happen at every club. "These kinds of things happen everywhere, but it's made out to be a major thing because we are Barcelona," the center half stated. "Things get blown out of proportion and that's the problem." Irrespective of the ongoing speculation about his future at Barcelona, Messi has been a key figure for the Camp Nou side in 2014-15, scoring 31 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions. | 1 | 4,673 | sports |
Denver is suffering from the same housing malady as much of the nation: Too few listings. Sales of single-family homes and condominiums in the city improved last year, but just barely up 1 percent from 2013. The market did see an unexpected sales ramp-up toward the end of the year, but that could translate to problems for the spring market. "We have seen an extremely competitive market even in the winter months. It's very rare in Denver at the end of the year not to see an increase in inventory because there are usually fewer sales," said Larry Hotz, a Denver area real estate agent with the Kentwood Company. "This does not bode well for the spring in terms of the inventory, because increasing demand in the spring will need to be offset by a dramatic increase in listings." The median sale price of a Denver home in 2014, $274,900, was 8.2 percent higher than in 2013. The year ended with just over 5,300 active listings, the lowest inventory in more than a decade. The decline in inventory is exacerbated by ever-growing demand, as Denver becomes a hot spot for corporate regional headquarters. The metropolitan area is among the top 10 fastest-growing metros in the nation, according to a new ranking this month by Forbes . Charles Schwab just built a regional campus in the Denver area, moving in 4,000 jobs from out of state. Keurig and Trulia are among others recently announcing major moves to the area. "More folks move in than move out, and they can't build homes fast enough. Most of them are too far from town," Hotz said, referring to area home builders. | 3 | 4,674 | finance |
Representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition figures have agreed to hold another round of talks in Moscow, moderator Vitaly Naumkin said on Thursday, but the date had not yet been set. "It would have been naive to expect that the sides would solve all problems during their very first consultations," he said. The talks between elements of the Syrian opposition, but not including the Western-backed National Coalition, and government representatives began as a Russian initiative to revive stalled peace efforts in the four-year conflict. Naumkin said the majority of participants agreed to a series of points known as the Moscow principles which include maintaining the sovereignty and unity of Syria, the rejection of foreign interference and combating terrorism. The main Syrian political opposition, the Western-backed National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, has shunned the meeting in Moscow, saying it would only take part in talks that lead to Assad leaving power. More than 30 representatives of the Syrian opposition held talks in Moscow on Monday and Tuesday and came up with a list of issues to raise when Damascus envoys joined them on Wednesday. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Writing by Thomas Grove) | 5 | 4,675 | news |
@McDonalds im disgusted w you. After all those cheeseburgers I used to buy #FastFoodAntLoyal pic.twitter.com/EOkitrn6Wm Elijah Thomas (@edotcash) January 28, 2015 Elijah Thomas is a 6'8 power forward from the Dallas area headed to Texas A&M as part of a huge recruiting class for Billy Kennedy. He's ranked the No. 29 player in the country by ESPN, but that wasn't good enough to get him an invite to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game , which only takes 24 players. At least he has a sense of humor about it. | 1 | 4,676 | sports |
WASHINGTON Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates rose slightly this week after four straight weeks of declines, while remaining near historically low levels. Mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday the nationwide average for a 30-year mortgage edged up to 3.66 percent from 3.63 percent last week. The new average rate is still at its lowest level since May 2013. The rate for the 15-year loan, a popular choice for people who are refinancing, increased to 2.98 percent from 2.93 percent last week. A year ago, the average 30-year mortgage stood at 4.32 percent and the 15-year mortgage at 3.40 percent. Mortgage rates have remained low even though the Federal Reserve in October ended its monthly bond purchases, which were meant to hold down long-term rates. The Fed sent a message Wednesday, after its latest policy meeting, that it will be "patient" in raising interest rates from record lows despite the steadily brightening outlook for the economy. The central bank indicated that no rate hike is likely soon because inflation remains well below its target rate. On Tuesday, the Commerce Department reported that sales of new U.S. homes accelerated strongly in December, a sign that home-buying may improve this year after a lackluster 2014. The growth last month pointed to rising sales in 2015, buoyed by the combination of sharply lower mortgage rates and strong hiring by businesses in recent months. Home prices are rising at a slower pace, improving affordability for would-be buyers. To calculate average mortgage rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country at the beginning of each week. The average doesn't include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for a 30-year mortgage was 0.6 point, down from 0.7 point last week. The fee for a 15-year mortgage fell to 0.5 point from 0.6 point. The average rate on a five-year adjustable-rate mortgage increased to 2.86 percent from 2.83 percent. The fee was unchanged at 0.4 point. For a one-year ARM, the average rate ticked up to 2.38 percent from 2.37 percent. The fee remained at 0.4 point. | 3 | 4,677 | finance |
COLUMBUS, Ohio One of the last times anyone ever saw Tommy Thompson, he was walking on the pool deck of a Florida mansion wearing nothing but eye glasses, leather shoes, black socks and underwear, his brown hair growing wild. It was a far cry from the conquering hero who, almost two decades before, docked a ship in Norfolk, Virginia, loaded with what's been described as the greatest lost treasure in American history thousands of pounds of gold that sat on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean for 131 years after the ship carrying it sank during a hurricane. On that day in 1989, Thompson couldn't contain a gap-toothed grin as a marching band played "My Way" and hundreds cheered his achievement. It was, indeed, monumental: the result of years of preparation, innovation, dogged single-mindedness and a belief that Thompson could not only find the gold, but also use the experience to track down other sunken treasure. "We hope to be rich," he said then. But his victory was short-lived. Also in Norfolk that day were insurers laying claim to Thompson's gold. He would eventually win the legal nightmare that ensued, but those closest to him believe it was the beginning of the end. Soon another court fight began with investors who funded his dream but never saw a penny back, and Thompson grew increasingly private, transforming into a Howard Hughes-like recluse. Still, what came next was a surprise to all. Tommy Thompson disappeared. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: Tommy Thompson, a treasure hunter accused of cheating his investors out of their share of one of the richest hauls in U.S. history, was captured Tuesday in Florida after more than two years on the lam. The AP is re-issuing this in-depth look at Thompson's case, originally published in September. ___ These days, off the South Carolina coast, a new expedition is underway to recover more treasure from the "Ship of Gold," the sunken SS Central America. Inside the mess hall of the barge making the voyage hangs a "Wanted" poster of the man who first found the ship. The U.S. Marshals Service wanted the poster of Thompson displayed so the crew would recognize him in case he shows up, lured out of the shadows by the galling idea that someone else is collecting the gold he unearthed. "They've awakened the sleeping beast," Marshals agent Mark Stroh says of the wave of publicity that has introduced the tale of the treasure and its fugitive discoverer to a new generation. Stroh and fellow agent Brad Fleming remain captivated by the man they've pursued these last two years, since Thompson skipped a court date to explain what's become of the riches. They've done meticulous research on Thompson to better understand their target, splashed his face on electronic billboards and run down hundreds of tips from the public from the guy who thought he might have shared an elevator with Thompson at a Florida casino to a report that the name "Tommy" was signed on a memorial website for a dead friend of the treasure hunter. Nothing has panned out. "I think he had calculated it, whatever you want to call it, an escape plan, a contingency plan to be gone," says Fleming. "I think he's had that for a long time." As the agents share Thompson's story, their mix of bewilderment and something akin to admiration for the treasure hunter is clear. Stroh likens Thompson to some of the greatest men in history. Christopher Columbus. Thomas Edison. "He set out to find the Central America in the middle of a whole vast expanse of nothing and found it, and did it with relative ease," Stroh says, "like he was trying to find a set of car keys he misplaced in his house, but the house is hundreds of miles of ocean." A person like that, the agent says, is not going to be pulled over for running a stop sign. ___ As a child in his small hometown of Defiance, Ohio, Thompson displayed an intelligence that was as remarkable as his sometimes maddening refusal to do anything the normal way. His mother, Phyllis, describes how her son took things apart and put them back together, just to understand how they worked. When he was 8, Thompson almost got his parents in trouble with the phone company for having two lines without paying for both. Turns out, the boy had split the wire, connected it to a jewelry box and built himself a telephone, according to author Gary Kinder's "Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea." Kinder says his book isn't really about a hunt for a shipwreck and its riches. "It's about a guy's brain and how it works," he says of Thompson. "There's something special about people like Tommy. It's someone ... who will not be put off by people telling him, 'This cannot be done.' ... It requires a lot of faith in oneself, a lot of confidence, and slowly bringing people to share their vision." That talent is part of the reason Ohio businessmen got on board when Thompson set his sights on finding the Central America around 1983. In one of the worst shipping disasters in American history, the boat sank about 200 miles off the South Carolina coast in September 1857; 425 people drowned and thousands of pounds of California gold were lost, contributing to an economic panic. When Thompson, then 31, began approaching potential investors, he was an oceanic engineer at Battelle Memorial Institute, an international technology development group. In Columbus, where it's headquartered, Battelle's name is as synonymous with innovation and genius as MIT or Google. Thompson also had the backing of the dean of the mechanical engineering school at his alma mater, Ohio State University. "He's a very bright guy with lots of ideas, very creative and wild thinking, and just full of energy," says the dean, Don Glower, now 87 and retired. Glower and the school's head of fundraising arranged for Thompson to meet a group of wealthy Columbus-area businessmen who could finance Thompson's plans, with convincing. "Tom was a pretty good salesman," says Glower, who was at that first meeting. "He had me excited, but I didn't have any money. ... I thought it was probably a pie-in-the-sky type of thing. But I said, 'I think he's a very bright guy, and if anybody could find it, it's him.'" And find it he did. It took an initial $12.7 million from investors, a team of experts, competition from other treasure hunters, and the development of technology that allowed items to be retrieved unscathed from the deep ocean. Thompson described the moment, on Oct. 1, 1988, when he first gazed upon the gold. "None of us ever thought that it would be so otherworldly in its splendor," he wrote in "America's Lost Treasure," a companion to Kinder's book. "Part of our American heritage, this was history in the form of a national treasure. And we had found it." His joy faded fast. Thirty-nine insurance companies sued Thompson, claiming they had insured the gold in 1857. The treasure, they argued, belonged to them. ___ For years, the court battle raged. In 1996, Thompson's company was awarded 92 percent of the treasure, and the rest was divided among some of the insurers. Investors thought they'd finally see returns, too, but Thompson held them off, saying the gold had to be marketed just so. Finally in 2000, Thompson's company sold 532 gold bars and thousands of coins to the California Gold Marketing Group for about $50 million. But by 2005, Thompson's 161 investors still hadn't been paid. Two sued a now-deceased investment firm president who put in some $250,000 and the Dispatch Printing Company, which publishes The Columbus Dispatch newspaper and had invested about $1 million. The following year, nine members of Thompson's crew also sued him, saying they also had been promised some proceeds. A new legal mess had begun. Thompson's personal life had suffered, as well. His father died months after he found the gold. And his obsession with the treasure contributed to his divorce in 1991, friends and family say. In 2006, Thompson went into seclusion, moving into a mansion called Gracewood in Vero Beach, Florida. He grew increasingly reclusive, and his behavior turned bizarre. Thompson refused to use his real name on his utility bills, telling Realtor Vance Brinkerhoff that his life had been threatened and asking him, "How would you like to live like that?" Brinkerhoff recounted the exchange in a court deposition in the crew members' lawsuit. Brinkerhoff said Thompson paid his $3,000 monthly rent in moldy $100 bills. Because he didn't want Brinkerhoff coming to the house, Thompson insisted on meeting elsewhere. Once, when Brinkerhoff did go to the property, he found Thompson apparently living in a van outside. "He shared with me that he contracted some kind of skin disease on some kind of a safari trip ... and he was very sensitive to different kinds of materials," Brinkerhoff said in court documents. In another deposition, maintenance worker James Kennedy recounted once going to the house to ask Thompson about rent and seeing him on the pool deck wearing only socks, shoes and dirty underwear. "His hair was all crazy," Kennedy said. "After that, me and (a friend) referred to him as the crazy professor because it just fit." All the while, the legal battles slogged on. Gil Kirk, who heads a Columbus real estate firm and is a former director of one of Thompson's companies, says he put $1.8 million into the treasure hunt. He hasn't gotten any of that back, but he remains a supporter of Thompson and insists he never bilked anyone. Kirk said proceeds from the 2000 sale all went to legal fees and bank loans. "He was a genius, and they've stolen his life," Kirk says of those who sued. Steven Tigges, attorney for the Dispatch company and the other investor-plaintiff, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a number of the investors. The crew members' lawyer, Mike Szolosi, asserts that he's seen records indicating Thompson took 500 gold restrike coins worth $2 million and took potentially millions from his own company on top of his approved compensation. "Presumably all of that is still somewhere with Tommy," Szolosi says. Attorney Rick Robol defended Thompson's company from the 1980s until he withdrew from the case last month. He maintains there is no proof that Thompson stole any money or gold. "If he did take money," Roble says, "where is the evidence of that?" It's not clear exactly when Thompson disappeared. On Aug. 13, 2012, he failed to appear at a court hearing, and a federal judge found him in contempt and issued an arrest warrant. At the hearing, Thompson attorney Shawn Organ told the judge that his client was "at sea" and didn't know he was supposed to be in court. An arrest warrant also was soon issued for Thompson's assistant, Alison Antekeier, who also failed to appear in court and whom the Marshals agents believe is with Thompson. Not long after Thompson vanished, Kennedy returned to the Florida mansion and found it in a shambles cabinets falling off walls, rats running around. Pre-paid disposable cellphones and bank wraps for $10,000 were scattered about, along with a bank statement in the name of Harvey Thompson showing a $1 million balance, Kennedy said in court records. Harvey, according to friends, was Thompson's nickname in college. Also found was a book called "How to Live Your Life Invisible." One marked page was titled: "Live your life on a cash-only basis." Then Kennedy spotted a copy of Kinder's "Ship of Gold" and looked Thompson up on the Internet, discovering that he was a fugitive. He called the Marshals Service. ___ As the hunt for Thompson and the court fights go on, so does the new expedition to the Central America. Since April, Florida-based Odyssey Marine Exploration has brought up millions of dollars in gold and silver bars and coins from the shipwreck. That work will continue indefinitely, an Odyssey spokeswoman says. The operation is being directed by Ira Kane, a court-appointed receiver over two of Thompson's companies. Kane will get more than 50 percent of the recovered treasure, to be disbursed in part to Thompson's investors. "Remember, only 5 percent of this ship was excavated," Kane told The Associated Press in March. As to where Thompson, now 62, and his assistant might be, theories abound. Szolosi, the crew members' attorney, suspects he's holed up in a safe house somewhere. Kinder, the author, says nothing in his time with Thompson gives him any insight. "I don't know what it would entail to hide like that. Get your teeth fixed? Buy a blond wig? Do you fake a passport and go to Bolivia or something? I have no idea." Agent Fleming believes Thompson is likely still stateside, but because of his sailing experience, "We definitely never rule out the fact that he may be abroad or at sea." If caught, Thompson would be asked to account for the missing coins and explain where proceeds from the treasure's sale and other deals have gone. If he refuses, he could be jailed and face hefty fines. Thompson's family he has three grown children, three siblings and a 93-year-old mother just hope he is enjoying being free, says Milt Butterworth, his brother-in-law. "The sadness for me is that I don't have him and the family doesn't have him, but the happiness for me is that he doesn't have to worry about this anymore." As for Kirk, Thompson's friend, the treasure hunter remains an American hero, "like the Wright brothers," he says. "There's no telling what he would have done by now." The tragedy, as he sees it, is that Thompson's dream became his doom. "Tommy used the word, what's the word?" Kirk says. "Plague of the gold." __ Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP | 5 | 4,678 | news |
Piotr Adamowicz / Shutterstock The smartphone market showed healthy growth for both the fourth quarter and the full year, with Samsung the only top brand to post a year-over-year decline. Overall, smartphone makers shipped 375.2 million units during the fourth quarter of 2014, according to IDC, up 28 percent from a year earlier and nearly 12 percent from the third quarter. As we noted Wednesday, Samsung and Apple shipped roughly the same number of smartphones last quarter. (IDC estimates Samsung narrowly edged out Apple, 75.1 million to 74.5 million.) While Apple's gains and Samsung's dip were well publicized, the rise of China was the underrepresented story. Lenovo, Huawei and Xiaomi all posted year-over-year gains in excess of 40 percent. Xiaomi's growth was the highest on a percentage basis, but it actually fell from third to fifth for the quarter as both Huawei and Lenovo grew their already strong base during the quarter. For the full year, IDC estimates 1.3 billion smartphones were shipped, up 27 percent from 2013. | 5 | 4,679 | news |
Kim Kardashian West is going to cook a meal for Kanye West on Valentine's Day (02.14.15). The 34-year-old beauty doesn't think she and her husband will get a chance to go out to celebrate the romantic date because they'll be travelling back and forth from New York City to Los Angeles that week. So instead, Kim is going to cook her man a delicious dinner as she'd rather do something "low-key" at home with the rapper. Speaking to Ryan Seacrest on Heat Radio, she revealed: "We haven't (made any plans), it's going to be a weird time. We're flying to New York and then we're flying back the day after (Valentine's). I'm just hoping that we stay home and maybe I'll cook and we'll just be low-key." During the interview, Kim - who married Kanye in May 2014 in Florence, Italy - also spoke about she avoids battery anxiety with her smart phone. Rather than relying on portable charging kits, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star - who has 19-month-old daughter North West with Kanye - makes sure she is always online by taking three handsets with her wherever she goes. She said: "I've never used a carry charger, that's because I have three phones." This article was from BANG Showbiz and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 6 | 4,680 | entertainment |
U.S. President Barack Obama would veto a bill crafted by U.S. Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Bob Corker that would require the administration to receive congressional approval for any deal it strikes with Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday. The bill would set a "harmful precedent" that would "negatively impact" negotiations with Iran, Earnest said at a news briefing. (Reporting By Amanda Becker; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) Photos | 5 | 4,681 | news |
Growth-hungry investors are lining up for shares of burger chain Shake Shack (SHAK.N), which plans to price its initial public offering after the U.S. stock market closes on Thursday. The IPO market lately has been particularly fruitful for so-called fast-casual chains such as Shake Shack rival Habit Restaurants Inc (HABT.O) and others that hope to replicate the red-hot growth of burrito chain Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N). Preliminary demand on Wednesday prompted Shake Shack to raise its expected IPO price to a range of $17 to $19 per share from between $14 and $16. Shake Shack, which traces its beginnings to a hot dog cart in a public park in New York City, has 63 restaurants, with more than half outside the United States. Customers in Manhattan and Chicago often wait in long lines to get a taste of its rich milkshakes and hormone- and antibiotic-free burgers. "It's a cult," said Bob Goldin, an executive vice president at consulting firm Technomic. The chain attracts a relatively affluent clientele, which spends roughly $30 for a meal for two. That is significantly more than what diners spend at struggling fast-food giant McDonald's Corp (MCD.N), whose shares have languished as its business has struggled. Shake Shack's challenge, Goldin and other experts said, is not to expand too quickly. Ubiquity, they said, often works against cult chains. Shake Shack, founded by New York restaurateur Daniel Meyer in 2001, waited five years to open its second restaurant. In filings, it said it planned to open 10 U.S., company-operated restaurants each year and that it could eventually grow to at least 450 locations. When Chipotle went public in 2006, it had almost 500 U.S. restaurants. The chain is known for its simple, customizable food made from antibiotic-free meats and fresh produce. Investors love Chipotle's rapid growth. The company had roughly 1,700 U.S. restaurants at last count and is known for cranking out ever-higher unit sales without increasing costs. While Shake Shack has been slower to add restaurants, its domestic average annual sales of $5 million per location for 2013 were about double Chipotle's current level of more than $2.4 million. Shake Shack's Manhattan shops brought in an average of $7.4 million, while those outside the city generated about $3.8 million. Since the vast majority of future Shacks will be outside Manhattan, the company forecast average unit revenue in the $2.8 to $3.2 million range. | 3 | 4,682 | finance |
The Seminoles head into 2015 looking for a 4th-straight ACC Championship. Now that the schedule has been released, ACC Digital Network host, Jeff Fischel, takes a deeper look at the path Florida State will have to take to an ACC 4-peat and which games could trip up the reigning ACC champs. | 1 | 4,683 | sports |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Andy Murray's four-set win over Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open on Thursday will be remembered more for the tension between the players than the shot-making on the court. There were the usual expletives from Murray, but this time his fiancee, Kim Sears, appeared to mouth several from the player's box, too. There were also complaints from Berdych about the balls - the umpire checked them, no problem. And then there was an attempt by Berdych at some mild-mannered trash talking as the players swapped ends after he captured the first set. Berdych muttered something as the two men crossed, causing an annoyed Murray to complain loudly to the umpire, Pascal Maria. When Maria asked Berdych what he said, he responded, ''Good play, Tomas. That's all I said.'' That was pretty much the end of the good play from Berdych in the match. The Czech player went on to lose his fourth Grand Slam semifinal - and second in a row at the Australian Open - 6-7 (6), 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. Murray will be playing in his fourth final at Melbourne Park against either Novak Djokovic or Stan Wawrinka, who play their semifinal on Friday. He's still looking for his first title here. Tensions were high before the match because Murray's former coach, Dani Vallverdu, is now in Berdych's camp performing the same duties. Murray acknowledged the acrimony on the court, but blamed the media for making a bigger deal of Vallverdu's move from Murray to Berdych in November. ''You wanted there to be tension,'' he said after the match. ''A lot was made of Dani, my ex-coach, working with him. I felt was a little unfair and unnecessary. This is sport, there's more to life than sport. It was a little unfair and created extra tension.'' Murray had trained with Vallverdu for five years before parting ways with the Venezuelan to work more closely with new coach Amelie Mauresmo. Soon after, Berdych hired Vallverdu to be his coach. The No. 7-ranked Berdych, widely considered one of the best players never to have won a Grand Slam title, had previously tried to hire Murray's other former coach, Ivan Lendl, but the eight-time major winner turned him down. After the match, Murray gave special acknowledgment to Mauresmo, telling the crowd at Rod Laver Arena, ''I think so far this week we've showed women can be very good coaches, as well.'' He said he felt Mauresmo had been unfairly slighted after he split with Vallverdu. ''A lot of people were also criticizing her at the end of last year, like the way I was playing was her fault,'' he said. As for Berdych's comment on the changeover, he was surprised more than anything. ''He said something literally as we were walking right past each other change of ends,'' Murray said. ''The thing is because there's cameras and microphones everywhere players don't say stuff to the opponents.'' Berdych, subdued after yet another Grand Slam letdown, said he was just trying to pump himself up as he walked to his chair. ''I think I'm allowed to do that when I win a set,'' he said. ''What, I have to be worried about every word that I'm going to say?'' | 1 | 4,684 | sports |
The "DJI Inspire 1" is a drone that shoots Ultra High Definition video - and comes with an attention-grabbing pricetag of $3,000. But more recently it's been grabbing attention for the wrong reasons: this is the drone that crashed on the White House lawn last week. | 5 | 4,685 | news |
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) Syracuse has a week off to recuperate after a six-game stretch in 15 days. That's good timing for a team in a slump with the gauntlet of the final six weeks of its Atlantic Coast Conference season looming. Time to shore up the perimeter, and a little extra rest certainly can't hurt. Before season's end, the Orange (14-7, 5-3 ACC) have five games against four teams currently ranked in the top 10: Louisville and Virginia at home, Notre Dame on the road, and a home-and-home with Duke. And three of them shoot lights-out from long range. Notre Dame leads the conference in 3-point shooting at 40 percent, Virginia (39.5) is second and Duke fourth (37.4). Attacking Jim Boeheim's signature zone defense from outside has worked well for several foes this season. The Orange (14-7, 5-3 ACC) was leading the conference in early league action in 3-point percentage defense (28.9 percent), but has since dropped to sixth (30.2) after allowing its past four opponents to make 37 of 94 shots from long range. That's an accuracy rate of just under 40 percent, and Syracuse lost three of those games. North Carolina went 9 of 16 from behind the arc on Monday night, pulling away at the end against the fatigued Orange to score 93 points, the most Syracuse has allowed in a regulation game in nearly six years. ''It's not something we like,'' Boeheim said after watching Marcus Paige and Nate Britt hit four 3s apiece. ''You can't let people shoot over 50 percent from the 3-point line against you.'' Overall, Syracuse has allowed eight or more 3-pointers in a game nine times this season and has lost six of those - to California (8 of 19) at Madison Square Garden, at Michigan (11 of 33), home against St. John's (9 of 16), at Clemson (8 of 20), home to Miami (10 of 29), and against the Tar Heels. ''It's tough,'' junior swingman Michael Gbinije said. ''They (UNC) just played better. Down the stretch they hit more 3s and got the lead. I thought we were very active (defensively). In the second half, we were still active, but not as much. We gave up 3s to Paige. That was the game plan coming in, limit his 3s, and we didn't.'' UNC's 93 points were the most allowed by Syracuse since Connecticut scored 117 in six overtimes in March 2009. It was the highest total allowed by the Orange in regulation since Villanova scored 102 in February that same year. In last year's meeting in the Carrier Dome, North Carolina scored just 45 points, going 2 of 12 from behind the arc. The Orange shot a season-low 35 percent and still won by 12. On Monday night, UNC had 58 in the second half alone. ''The 3-pointers were killing us,'' Orange center Rakeem Christmas said. ''When you don't stop 3s, you can lose games.'' In the other three games the Orange perimeter defense faltered, Syracuse defeated Virginia Tech (10 of 25) by a basket on the road and Wake Forest (9 of 25) by three at home - in overtime. Boston College matched Miami's total, but Syracuse withstood a late rally and beat the Eagles 69-61. Villanova is the only team to shoot poorly from behind the arc against the Orange (4 of 16) and win. The Orange self-destructed with turnovers, allowing a game-tying five points in the final 11 seconds of regulation, and lost in overtime. --- Follow Kekis on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Greek1947 | 1 | 4,686 | sports |
Jim Parsons will play God in the comedy "An Act of God," as the Emmy winner returns to Broadway after appearing in the 2012 revival of "Harvey." But don't put Parsons in the race for a Tony nomination this season the production, directed by Joe Mantello ("Wicked," "I'll Eat You Last"), will open after the 2014-15 season's eligibility cutoff of April 23, bowing in May at Studio 54. He'll be eligible for a nomination as part of the 2015-16 season. " An Act of God " is based on the book "The Last Testament: A Memoir by God," penned by David Javerbaum , an Emmy winner for his work as head writer and exec producer of "The Daily Show." Javerbaum, who will write the stage adaptation of his book, also co-wrote the score to 2008 musical "Cry-Baby" and has written songs for Neil Patrick Harris when he hosted the Tony Awards. The production promises to provide God's answers to the mysteries of the Bible and of existence. Two more actors, who'll play angels, remain to be cast, and the design team has yet to be set. Produced by Jeffrey Finn ("Seminar," "Scandalous") and exec produced by 101 Prods., "Act of God" begins previews May 5 ahead of a May 28 opening at Studio 54. The current tenant at Studio 54, the Roundabout Theater revival of "Cabaret," will end its run March 29. | 6 | 4,687 | entertainment |
Dozens of people, many of them children, have been injured in a gas explosion outside a maternity hospital in Mexico City, the city's mayor has said. | 8 | 4,688 | video |
WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain has kicked protesters out of a budget hearing, calling them "low-life scum." The upheaval came Thursday on Capitol Hill after members of an anti-war group calling itself Code Pink approached a witness table where former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and George P. Shultz were testifying. The protesters carried signs calling the 91-year-old Kissinger a war criminal. McCain blurted out, "Get out of here, you low-life scum." Capitol Police removed the protesters from the room. The hearing was the third in a series in which the Arizona Republican has called luminaries from the foreign policy world to share their experiences with lawmakers on the panel. | 5 | 4,689 | news |
What 200 calories of every food looks like The Calorific app, developed by Nic Mulvaney and Tim Diacon of London, shows what 200 calories of any food or drink look like, through photos shot in high definition. Take a look. Blueberries Photo : calorificapp.com Blueberry Muffin Photo : calorificapp.com Cheddar Photo : calorificapp.com Cherry tomatoes Photo : calorificapp.com Eggs Photo: calorificapp.com Kiwis Photo : calorificapp.com Peaches Photo : calorificapp.com Lager Photo : calorificapp.com Chocolate donut Photo : calorificapp.com Oranges Photo : calorificapp.com Peanut butter Photo : calorificapp.com Strawberries Photo : calorificapp.com | 7 | 4,690 | health |
Admit It, Mama: You've Googled It Too Does anyone else wonder how moms got through their days before Google? I mean, honestly. I'm pretty sure I use the Internet to search something related to one of my children every single day. Usually there is an element of embarrassment involved as well - thankfully Google doesn't seem to care that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing when it comes to parenting. And it all starts in pregnancy. So let's walk through the average search process of a new parent, because while the questions can be downright ridiculous, we've all been there, right? "Do dollar-store pregnancy tests really work?" Pregnancy is just the beginning of a mama's doctorate in googling things. From signs of pregnancy to easing morning sickness, the searching starts long before you even hear the heartbeat. And then it gets real . . . Do babies poop in the womb? How do babies breath in utero? Can pregnant women eat sushi? Ways to figure out the sex of your baby at home. How to induce labor. Should I save my placenta? How many minutes apart should contractions be before going to the hospital? "When do babies sleep through the night?" Once the baby comes, so does the exhaustion, and it's full steam ahead with the searches on sleep. You littlest bundle's refusal to snooze is one of the biggest mysteries to new moms - and when you're at a loss for what to do, Google seems to know all the right answers. How little sleep can a person actually survive on? How early can I start sleep training? Why won't my baby sleep in her crib? Is it OK if my baby only sleeps in her swing? What time should babies sleep until? How can I get my baby to sleep longer? "What does newborn poop look like?" Aside from sleep, I'd say that new moms are second most concerned about the state of their babe's bowel movements. If you're dealing with your first child, then your baby's poop situation is one that will no doubt confuse you. Raise your hand if you've looked up any of the following: How often should my baby poop? How can you tell if there is blood in your baby's poop? Why is my baby's poop gritty? Why is my baby's poop yellow? When does baby poop start to smell? When does baby poop look like regular poop? "Why won't my baby stop crying?" And then there is the crying. Especially in the beginning, when you are not exactly sure how to decipher what your babe's shrieks mean. Especially in the middle of the night, when you have no idea how to get your baby to calm down and you've got your little one in one hand and your iPhone in the other. Perhaps you'd like to know: Is my baby colicky? How long can I let my newborn cry? Why won't my baby let me put her down? How can I tell if my baby has acid reflux? Do babies cry when they are mad? Why don't babies have tears? "Why don't babies have bad breath?" Maybe you read all the books, but the real-time ticker of life throws curveballs of confusions daily. OK, hourly. Babies are mysterious minibeings, so you turn to the Internet to answer your burning questions: Do babies have bad dreams? Is it normal for the umbilical cord stump to smell? Can babies get teeth at 1 month? Is it normal for babies to grunt/sweat? Can my baby see me? Is my baby afraid of my husband? "What are the signs of a concussion?" Health woes are big on a new mama's search mission. From bumps and bruises to aches and pains, thanks to the Internet, we're practically doctors when it comes to our kiddos. We're looking up several things: What is considered a high fever in a baby? Images of baby rashes Can my baby get the flu? How to treat a stuffy nose in a baby? Tylenol (Benedryl, Advil, etc.) dosage for children How can I tell if something needs stitches? Signs of food allergies in babies Does my child have an ear infection? "When will my hair stop falling out?" Postpartum concerns aren't limited to the baby; new moms have a slough of questions regarding themselves. How long does it take to lose the baby weight? How do you relieve mastitis? When does the Linea Nigra go away? How often do I need to do Kegels? Do men have maternal instincts? Can your uterus fall out postpartum? "Is my breast pump saying something to me?" Admit it: you felt like your breast pump repeated the same word over and over again - you're not alone, either. Don't believe me? Google it. A wealth of information on breast-feeding and bottle-feeding is at the tip of your fingers, no thanks to the nonjudgmental World Wide Web. Can my baby choke on my nipple? Can my newborn be allergic to my milk? How much breast milk should I be producing? Can I pump in a public restroom? What happens when my baby gets teeth? What bottle is best for breast-feeding babies? What is the best formula? "What's the earliest age I can send my child to preschool?" The buck doesn't stop with older children, either - the topics may venture away from newborn poop, but the searches stay consistent. How to get a picky eater to eat Toddler sleep regression Which is worse: twos or threes? What's the fastest way to potty-train? Does time-out mentally harm a child? Is my child gifted? Can you tell if someone is going to be a criminal when he is a toddler? And don't even get me started on what the parents of teens are googling . . . | 4 | 4,691 | lifestyle |
I recently read the book I Love Your Style: How to Define and Refine Your Personal Style (Harper Collins, 2009) by Amanda Brooks and was so inspired! And not just to head to my usual shopping spots. She wrote a lot about mixing pieces and sources to create a style all your own-and owning it! It's a great read for anyone into fashion. And as an avid fan of thrift, vintage, and resale shopping, I got the bug to get out there and hunt for more gems. This got me thinking...there are so many places to find great style, and not just high-end designer stores, which we all know Kate is a fan of. They are definitely not the only places for great finds. Plus, most of us don't have the budget Kate does (if only!) so it's always great to have new places to search for repliKates and Kate-inspired style. With that in mind, would Kate... 1. Thrift shop? Well, I'm not expecting to see the Duchess of Cambridge at a local Goodwill anytime soon. But places like Goodwill and other thrift stores can be great places to find repliKates and other great pieces for your home and wardrobe. Depending on the neighborhood and the inventory, if you look closely and have some luck, you might just find a great, discarded high-end piece. The best part about thrift shopping is that sometimes the store doesn't know what they have, which means you get an amazing bargain (my $5 Goodwill Frye boots are proof!). 2. Resale shop? I definitely think Kate would resale shop! In fact, it's been reported that a gray Jesire dress (a label that is now defunct) that Kate wore was picked up by an assistant for her at a store called The Stock Exchange, a resale shop in Berkshire near the Middleton's home. Kate loves a good bargain on a great piece, and this shows she can also think outside the box in terms of where to find hidden designer gems. And, from high-end to bargain brands, that is exactly the thing to look for at resale and consignment stores. 3. Vintage shop? Kate hangs onto new items for a while and rewears older purchases, but we haven't spied her vintage shopping yet. Celebrities will pull out a great vintage designer dress for special occasions like the Academy Awards and I think Kate would look great doing the same. Vintage stores are another great place to find really unique classic styles and sometimes even a designer piece, too. I hope to see Kate wearing vintage in the future! 4. Discount designer shop? This one is easy-absolutely! Kate is a regular at an outlet mall in Oxfordshire and was seen discount shopping for Prince George this past summer. And the beautiful, blue M Missoni dress sported below? Bought from a Missoni outlet store. Even a Duchess knows there's nothing better than a great deal. You can steal her secrets, too. Outlets and discount retailers like Nordstrom Rack , T.J. Maxx , and Marshalls are great spots to buy high-end discount items, cheaper basics, and trendy items you don't want to invest a lot in. And don't forget that you can always mix and match! Vintage, thrift, designer, and bargain finds can all work together in the same outfit if you love the pieces and know how to mix them. If Kate shops resale and discount stores, so can (and should) you! Happy shopping! To see more from What Would Kate Do, click here . | 4 | 4,692 | lifestyle |
Moving and romantic quotes from some of the most devoted husbands around Tom Hanks Hollywood's best-liked couple has faced adversity in recent weeks as Rita Wilson battles breast cancer. Fortunately, she expects a full recovery. Here's Hanks what said some time ago about Wilson, his wife since 1988: "When I met Rita, I thought, 'Oh, this is what it's supposed to be like when you are married to someone.' It's supposed to be this carefree and easy and, you know, oddly enough, weighty." Quiz: When Did You Last Show Your Partner You Care? Michael J. Fox Tracy Pollen played his girlfriend on "Family Ties," and they got married in 1988. Much later a decade after he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease Fox told O Magazine he had "two feelings" about his wife: "One is that she becomes more beautiful every second; and more important, I look at her and say to myself, 'Damn, you're smart. Boy, did you make the right choice.'" Can Your Midlife Marriage Be Saved? Hugh Jackman "When I met Deb … I knew, 100 percent," he said of his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, in an interview with Katie Couric. That first meeting happened in 1995 on the set of an Australian TV series, and since then much has been made of their age difference (he's 45; she's 58). Not that this ever gave Jackman pause: "I've never known anything as confidently or sure in my life. ... Truly, she's the greatest woman I have ever met." Quiz: When Did You Last Show Your Partner You Care? Tom Waits Here's what the singer-songwriter thinks about his wife, Kathleen Brennan: "She's like a heavy equipment operator and a clairvoyant it's rare when you get that together. … She can fix a truck. Expert on African violets and all that. She's out of this world. I don't know what to say. I'm a lucky man." Waits' "Jersey Girl" has worn his ring since 1980. Can Your Midlife Marriage Be Saved? Kevin Bacon Bacon recently told Esquire that he and Kyra Sedgwick were "very upset and angry" when they learned, not long after their 20th wedding anniversary, that they'd lost the bulk of their savings to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. "But then Kyra and I looked at each other and said: 'We're in love. We have healthy children. We've worked hard to put this all together. We'll just keep working hard to put it all back. It's just money.'" Quiz: When Did You Last Show Your Partner You Care? Jeff Bridges The Dude met Susan Geston in Montana in 1974. A waitress working her way through college, she had black eyes and a broken nose from a recent car accident it was love at first sight. Married 37 years, Bridges said a while back, "My wife holds the kite strings that let me go 'weeeeeee,' then she reels me back in." Can Your Midlife Marriage Be Saved? Barack Obama OK, it was a political speech, but he clearly didn't have to fake the sentiment. After winning his reelection in 2012, President Obama said, "I wouldn't be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. … Michelle, I have never loved you more. I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you, too." Quiz: When Did You Last Show Your Partner You Care? Robert Downey Jr. These days he's known as Iron Man, but for years Robert Downey Jr. was more like the sick puppy he played at age five in "Pound," a 1970 film directed by his father, who turned him on to dope a year later. The actor's recovery from decades of addiction took hold in 2003, the year he met Susan Levin. "I could be bussing tables at the Daily Grill right now if not for her," he says. Their second child, a baby girl, was born in November. Can Your Midlife Marriage Be Saved? Bono U2's frontman and his wife, Ali Hewson, met as students in Dublin back in the '70s and tied the knot in 1982. "I'm a bit of a stray dog," Bono wrote in the 2005 book "U2 by U2." "I would not have been in the queue to get married, had I not met someone as extraordinary as Ali. I always felt more myself with her than with anybody." Quiz: When Did You Last Show Your Partner You Care? Brad Pitt Granted, they're newlyweds. But his devotion to Angelina Jolie, in good times and in bad, was evident well before they got married this summer in the South of France. In the run-up to the wedding, Pitt said: "We're getting a lot of pressure from the kids. We didn't realize how much it meant to them and then, in getting engaged, how much it also means to us." Can Your Midlife Marriage Be Saved? | 4 | 4,693 | lifestyle |
You run a small business with an ace website. But more and more consumers are accessing the web on mobile devices, so it's critical that your company have an app, as well. The cheapest way to get one: DIY app development. Just as Squarespace and GoDaddy have made it easy to build your own website, there are app builders that don't require you to have a computer science degree or know how to code. And you'll save a bundle, although there are usually monthly fees and ads within the cheapest apps. Cheapism.com has identified five DIY app development sites for building an app quickly and easily at very little cost. We made our selections based on price and user-friendliness for the layperson. First, you must decide what you want your app to do. It may be as basic as optimizing your website for mobile devices -- the least costly way to go. Generally speaking, the type of business determines the app's components. A caterer, for example, needs monetization and possibly integration with a site such as GrubHub; a DJ might require live streaming; a masseuse surely needs an appointment scheduler; and a merchant must have a shopping cart and the ability to accept credit card payments. This may all sound complicated, and to a large extent it is, which is why many people hire developers. But developers cost money -- often thousands of dollars. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Appy Pie ( iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Windows 8, BlackBerry ). Appy Pie uses a simple drag-and-drop process. Among the business types you can choose are restaurant, merchant, and veterinarian. Features include social-profile integration, blog and website integration, GPS tracking, photo-gallery integration, appointment schedulers, event listings, shopping cart, menu builder, and live streaming. The cost depends on the desired functions: a simple HTML5 or Android app containing ads is free; $25 a month eliminates the ads and provides support for the Apple platform, real-time revisions and updates, use of most of the features, push notifications, and more; $40 a month additionally integrates with Amazon, Windows, and BlackBerry and removes Appy Pie branding in favor of your own. Apptive ( iOS and Android ). This DIY app maker is aimed exclusively at mobile commerce, drawing on businesses' websites to offer users a catalog of products. You can upload your logo, backgrounds, and other branding elements to make the app consistent with your site. The splash screen and any content can be customized. As with other app builders, a drag-and-drop interface creates the features you want, although Apptive is less feature-rich. Three pricing plans differ primarily in the quantity of products shown in your catalog. The basic plan costs $29 a month for 1,000 items; the standard plan goes for $69 a month with 10,000 items; and the pro version, at $149 a month, allows up to 30,000 items, optimizes the app for iPad, and enables automatic syncing with your website. Bizness Apps ( iOS, Android, and HTML5 ). A user-friendly content management system is the highlight of this feature-rich app maker. It's suitable for a variety of businesses, including nonprofits, law offices, real estate agents, and bands. Features include GPS , social media integration, reservations, podcasts and other music players, video, photos, newsfeeds, event listings, images, and so on. DIY types can choose between two packages: $29 a month buys a mobile website with maps, click-to-call, and multimedia content; $59 a month offers native apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android and the ability to use food ordering, shopping cart, loyalty program, and push notification features. If the thought of building your own app is too scary, Bizness Apps will take charge for $2,000. Como ( Android, iOS, Amazon ). This DIY app maker starts with existing content from your website or blog and lets you customize with a wide variety of backgrounds and styles. There are set themes for restaurants, music, photography events, and nonprofits or you can create a theme of your own choosing based on a website or Facebook page. Other features include monetization, content sharing, business promotion, and analytics. Photo and music sharing, as well as video, are also supported. Como is free for basic app creation, with up to 50 site visits a month. Pay $33 a month for three push notifications each week from Como's marketing department. Spend $83 a month and you also get assistance when submitting the app to Google Play or the Apple App Store. Dwnld ( iOS ). Dwnld offers the fewest features among the app makers we researched. Essentially, you import content from your blog or website (or YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, SoundCloud, or several other sources), choose a theme (currently there are nine), customize to your heart's content, and publish. That's it. Created by the developer of Pinterest, this unique app maker creates an iOS app with your own branding that covers unlimited hosting, submission to app stores, and software updates. The only available package is a basic one that creates native content for iOS phones and tablets; the site states that Android capability is on the way. Use of this app maker will set you back $15 a month. (Note: All compatible platforms are specified, but you may have to choose a costlier package to get onto the ones preferred.) | 3 | 4,694 | finance |
This cute little girl has a pretty bad case of static cling today! | 8 | 4,695 | video |
Standard Chartered's (STAN.L) board will discuss succession planning at a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said, following speculation it was seeking a new chief executive. The meeting is a regularly scheduled board gathering, the Asian-focused bank said, declining to discuss further details, or the agenda. However, it was inevitable issues around the succession of Chief Executive Peter Sands would come up, two people familiar with the matter said. Pressure has built on Sands in recent weeks after a string of problems. Three of the bank's top 30 investors told Reuters in December that Sands should be replaced, probably in 2015, and scrutiny of his position has intensified this week. British bookmaker Ladbrokes said it had suspended betting on whether Sands would be ousted or leave this year after taking a small number of bets. Such a suspension is usually a sign that something is regarded as a virtual certainty. Headhunting firm Egon Zehnder is among the firms assessing potential CEOs, sources have said. Former McKinsey consultant Sands, 53, steered Standard Chartered through the financial crisis, helping it to 10 years of record earnings, but is now in danger of being ousted after two bad years. He has been CEO for eight years. Shareholders said there have been strategic, governance and operational mistakes, and Sands was too slow to address problems and had not gone far enough in cutting costs. The bank's shares have slumped 35 percent since the start of 2013 to their lowest level for almost six years. They were down 2.1 percent at 886 pence by 10:00 a.m. ET, and have lost 6 percent this week. Profits for 2014 are expected to fall for a second successive year and losses from bad loans could continue to rise this year as some of its $61 billion of commodities loans sour. Analysts said that could leave the bank needing to raise cash or shrink its lending to improve its capital strength. "There's no silver bullet here, the company has to adjust its strategy and it's also heading into choppier waters on the macroeconomic front," said Joseph Dickerson, analyst at Jefferies. He estimated impairment losses will rise to $2.7 billion this year, up 68 percent from $1.6 billion in 2013. Standard Chartered has also faced a string of legal issues in the United States, including having to pay $667 million over sanctions violations involving Iran and other countries. The bank said this week's meeting, which began on Wednesday, had long been scheduled for Washington, D.C. It holds most of its board meetings in London, but holds a couple each year overseas, which often incorporate bigger strategic reviews. In 2013, it held nine board meetings, including one in Hong Kong and one in Ghana. In 2012, its nine board meetings included trips to Shanghai, New York and Dubai. (Editing by David Clarke and Keith Weir) | 3 | 4,696 | finance |
WINDSOR, Va., Jan 29 (Reuters) - For years, Jimmy White woke up worrying about road-kill. An official with the Virginia highway system, White's responsibilities included ensuring that thousands of deer and other animals hit by cars were collected, a process that cost the state some $4.1 million per year. But roadside burial is increasingly not an option because of underground cables, pipes and other infrastructure near highways, while landfills charge fees and a decline in the U.S. rendering industry has removed another disposal outlet. Dragging the carcasses into nearby bushes or dropping them into pits can pollute groundwater, said Jean Bonhotal, director of the Waste Management Institute at New York's Cornell University. Today, White rests easier thanks to a new facility in the southeastern Virginia town of Windsor that takes some of the 10,000 to 15,000 animals, mostly whitetail deer, killed by cars each year, piles them under sawdust and turns the remains into landscaping material for roadsides. "We're on the leading edge for this kind of composting," White, project manager for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said in an interview at the state's newest mass composting site, 45 miles (72 km) west of the tourist town of Virginia Beach. Standing amid the four concrete bins and piles of sawdust at a highway yard that will be the last stop for thousands of Virginia deer, White described the composting process as "really clean and pretty much a natural thing to do." Virginia, the No. 5 U.S. state for deer-vehicle collisions, is among the few states where composting is a new tool for highway officials faced with cleaning up after deer-vehicle collisions while also reducing the load on landfills. Particularly in the eastern United States, highway officials have faced a growing problem in managing road-kill in recent decades. Populations of whitetail deer have rebounded from a low of a few hundred thousand little more than a century ago to about 15 million today, according to the National Wildlife Federation figures. State Farm, the biggest U.S. auto insurer, says there were 1.2 million deer-related crashes in the 12 months ending in mid-2013, with the average property damage $3,414. COSTLY CARCASSES Virginia had been spending some $4.1 million a year to dispose of road-kill carcasses, with much of the cost going for landfill fees, according to the state Transportation Department. Its new $140,000 system began operating at the highway yard in southeastern Virginia at the start of December. The program was developed by North Carolina's Advanced Composting Technologies for farm carcasses and tailored for Virginia. The system calls for laying carcasses on a bed of sawdust inside a bin. Workers cover the deer with another layer of sawdust, and they generate heat as microbes break them down, sped by a forced-air system. Microbe-rich liquid is drained off and funneled into a tank, to be sprayed onto the pile twice weekly. That helps raise its internal temperature to more than 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 Celsius). Within two months, nothing remains of the deer but some bones scattered in a rich brown compost, White said. WHIFF OF AMMONIA The weeks of heat kill almost all the pathogens, or disease-causing agents. Even with about 120 deer rapidly decaying at the site, there was no odor beyond that of humus and a whiff of ammonia. "Environmentally, it's the best way to dispose of the animals," said Cornell's Bonhotal. She said only a few states were composting road-kill, including New Jersey and New York along its state-run Thruway. Western states have avoided composting out of fear of spreading chronic wasting disease, the deer equivalent of mad cow disease and most commonly found in western mountains, Bonhotal said. A survey of 23 states by the American Association of State Highway and Traffic Officials found that four compost road-kill, though mostly in scattered sites. Composting is also encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With composting, "a 1,200-pound (540-kg) cow will disappear in three months, except for bones," Bonhotal said. | 5 | 4,697 | news |
Guinea qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in bizarre fashion on Thursday after a drawing of lots was required to separate them and Mali. They will go through to a quarter-final on Sunday in Equatorial Guinea's capital Malabo against Group C winners Ghana while unfortunate Mali go home. The surreal event took place during a meeting of the tournament Organising Committee at a hotel in Malabo and was attended by AFP. A representative of each team was sent to take part -- each picked out a green ball with the winning one containing a piece of paper marked with the number two inside. Amara Dabo, the financial director of Guinea's sports ministry, picked out the winning ball, with national football federation president Boubacar Baba Diarra representing Mali. "It is the worst kind of cruelty to force a team to do this," Diarra said after. "We would have preferred to lose on sporting criteria, which is why the CAF (Confederation of African Football) must look again at their rules. "We'd prefer to lose on the pitch. They should have counted the number of corners or free-kicks, or take into account fair-play. But not lose like that. "We have built our team patiently. Mali has not had a team like that for 20 years, so to lose like that in a drawing of lots is the worst kind of cruelty. There is no worse way to lose at this stage with the team we have." Just before the draw, CAF president Issa Hayatou said: "I'm not happy that we have to do this but we have no choice." - 'Must respect the rules' - However, CAF general secretary Hicham El Amrani pointed out that the unlucky losers could have few grounds for complaints about a regulation which was approved before the competition began. "We are obviously not happy to have to have a drawing of lots to decide the winner between two football teams, but we must respect the rules which are clear," he told AFP. "The two teams had identical scores in their three matches. It is a situation which only happens every 20 or 30 years. "The rules were accepted by all the teams before the competition even began. These things can happen. "It is unfortunate for the supporters and difficult for them to accept. We are sorry for them but we had to find a way to separate the teams. "We could not organise a match between the teams because there is no space in the calendar, so that is why the regulations are laid out as there," added El Amrani, who insisted that the image of the competition was not tarnished by having to resort to such a method. Guinea and Mali were left to draw lots after they finished deadlocked on three points each behind winners the Ivory Coast in Group D. Both had identical records after drawing 1-1 in all three of their group games, including against each other in Mongomo on Wednesday evening. There are precedents at the Cup of Nations for such a curious drama, with a drawing of lots needed in 1988 to take Algeria through to the knockout stage at the expense of the Ivory Coast in Morocco. Before that, in 1965, Tunisia qualified for the final from a three-team group ahead of Senegal via the toss of a coin. More recently, a drawing of lots was required at the 1990 World Cup in Italy after the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland finished tied for second place in their group. Both teams were guaranteed a place in the knockout phase but a draw was needed to determine who played who in the next round. Guinea have not appeared in the quarter-finals of the Cup of Nations since 2008, while Mali will not be able to match their third-place finishes in 2012 and 2013. | 1 | 4,698 | sports |
2 Chainz wants to run for mayor. The rapper - who has collaborated with artists including Jessie J and Kanye West - revealed he is hoping to embark on a political career because he feels so strongly about the legalisation or marijuana and was riled up by a recent debate on the issue with television personality Nancy Grace. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper: ''I am looking forward to running at the end of this year or next year.'' The 37-year-old musician suggested he was considering the role earlier this week when he confessed his fans had been urging for him to run for the position in his hometown of College Park in Georgia in the next mayoral election on 3 November. Although the 'Birthday Song' hitmaker - whose real name is Tauheed Epps - acknowledged he isn't a politician, he said he is hoping to gain the relevant training in order to successfully undertake the role for the good of his community. He told XXL magazine: ''I'm a musician, not a politician. ''I'm supposed to be running for mayor in College Park. I got everybody wishing. I'm really gonna do this little mayor thing in College Park. I'm just trying to make sure I have the right qualifications.'' Despite his determination, 2 Chainz will face tough competition for the position as he would be challenging Jack Longino, who has been the area's mayor since 1996. | 6 | 4,699 | entertainment |
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