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LOS ANGELES - The Bulls have become predictable in their unpredictability. One game after snapping the Warriors' 19-game home win streak, the Bulls reverted to troubling trends in a 123-118 double-overtime loss to the Lakers at Staples Center on Thursday. You know the ones - slow starts, sloppy defense and rebounding, taking sub-.500 teams for granted. "We can score so many points now that we think we don't have to guard anybody," Jimmy Butler said. "And that's not the case. It hasn't been working for us. It's not going to work for us. So we need to stop doing that. "We talk about it all the time. But it's enough of the talk. Guys can rah-rah-rah and say we have to start playing defense. We've heard it for 40-some games now. One of these days, we're going to get tired of getting our (butt) kicked and decide to play defense." Butler tied his career-high with 35 points and attempted 18 free throws, the first time since Dec. 29 his free-throw attempts reached double digits. He left in the final minute of the second overtime after taking a blow to his left knee and said he didn't know his status for Friday's back-to-back in Phoenix. Butler typically plays through bumps and bruises. Jordan Hill's 26 points and 12 rebounds led six Lakers in double figures. The Bulls trailed 28-19 after one quarter and allowed 58.7 percent first-half shooting. They never led or pulled even until a ridiculous rally at the end of regulation, which they closed with a 9-0 run in 89 seconds. Butler scored seven points in 37 seconds, five sandwiched around a steal by Aaron Brooks, who was later ejected. Pau Gasol, who posted his eighth straight double-double, gave the Bulls their first tie with a tip-in with 11 seconds left. In the first overtime, the Bulls led 105-100 before starting to settle for jumpers. The Bulls still had a three-point lead with the ball with just over a minute left in the first overtime but committed a turnover. Hill's jumper with 16.2 seconds left tied it and Derrick Rose, who shot 7-for-26, missed a stepback jumper at the buzzer. "If we start the way we've been starting, anybody can beat us," Rose said. "We have to change it pretty soon, to where when people play us, they know it's going to be a tough-ass time. We used to have that. Now, it's not there anymore and you can tell the way people are playing." Indeed, the Lakers bullied their way to an opponent-season-high 68 points in the paint. "The slow start killed us," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We started the game with low energy. We were badly outrebounded. The second shot crushed us. The penetration got us. You just can't win like that." After drawing his second career start at small forward, Nikola Mirotic didn't play after halftime. Mirotic missed two first-half shots and failed to score or grab a rebound in just over 12 minutes. There were encouraging signs. Joakim Noah moved extremely well for the second straight game and finished with nine points, nine assists and 17 rebounds. Gasol, who appreciated Kobe Bryant's gesture of coming to see his first game back against the Lakers despite Bryant undergoing surgery on Wednesday, posted his eighth straight double-double. But in the end, familiar trouble areas prevailed. "We're not guarding anybody right now," Butler said. "That's what you think when you think Chicago--how great we are on defense. We haven't been that team but maybe three, four, five, six times this year tops. We can score so sometimes we can outscore teams. But we haven't been playing any defense lately." [email protected] Twitter @kcjhoop | 1 | 4,900 | sports |
There goes another one. AOL is shutting down The Unofficial Apple Weblog , better known as TUAW , sources familiar with the situation tell The Verge . The company which is also shutting down its gaming site Joystiq is in the midst of a major reorganization, and is cutting back on media properties it deems as underperforming. TUAW's run comes to an end on February 2nd. TUAW comes to an end on February 2nd Founded just over 10 years ago in December 2004, TUAW was acquired by AOL in 2005 when it purchased Weblogs, Inc., alongside other influential sites including Autoblog , Joystiq, and Engadget . TUAW currently has 11 editorial staffers, according to its about page. AOL CEO Tim Armstrong forecasted these changes during an earnings call back in November, stating that the company would "simplify everything that can be simplified." Armstrong said AOL would try to increase growth and value from its content sites by "simplifying the portfolio of brands," while improving its video offerings, which has rapidly become the backbone of just about every new media company's advertising strategy. AOL's most profitable division is led by dial-up internet AOL is also reorganizing its sales organization, according to sources familiar with the situation, and first reported by Recode . Currently, AOL's most profitable division is its Membership Group, which includes its dial-up internet offerings (yes, it still exists) and pulled in $139.2 million in adjusted income in the third quarter. Right now AOL has three flagship content properties in The Huffington Post , TechCrunch , and Engadget. TechCrunch , which originally reported the news of AOL's restructuring, noted that tech and lifestyle sites would most likely be affected by the changes. AOL decided against selling TUAW , leaving open the possibility it could resurrect the site in the future. But for now, a team of writers and editors are out of jobs. | 5 | 4,901 | news |
With Valentine's Day approaching, it's time to get planning the most romantic night of the year. But don't you distress, Romeo or Juliet - we tracked down five apps that will help you put together an unforgettable day, stress-free. BloomNation - Buying flowers online is hit-or-miss. Depending on the flowers the local florist receives that day, the final product could look very different than what you selected online, or worse, they could be delivered in a box . To the rescue is BloomNation, a service that bills itself as the "Etsy for flowers," meaning you visit the one site to shop from over 3,000 florists around the country. You'll only see photos of real arrangements from each seller, and they'll send you a photo of the finished product before it's delivered to ensure the recipient is receiving the exact arrangement you selected. Yummly (free, iOS, Android, and Windows) - Plan that homemade romantic meal without scouring the depths of cookbooks with Yummly, which will become your go-to recipe box. Gorgeous photos and simple interface aside, the app has powerful filters to find just what you're looking to create. Search for a recipe based on meal type, diet restriction, taste, or even cholesterol count. Grocery shopping gets even easier as each recipe can be saved to a shopping list where all ingredients and their necessary portions appear. Winebot ($1, iOS) - Despite those helpful little recommendation signs that stores put next to wines, navigating a wine aisle feels more like blindly grabbing at bottles than making an educated decision in the art of meal pairing. The wine bottle-shaped robot of Winebot is here to help. Start by telling it which color wine you're after: red, white, rose, or anything as long as it's wine. Then select what sort of food the wine will be served with, your taste preference, and your budget. Winebot will then make a blend suggestion and give you the chance to save the selected wine to your "cellar," so the name's easily on hand for the future if it was a perfect match. Sosh (free, iOS and website) - When you can't do yet another restaurant dinner date but are stuck for alternatives, let Sosh do the planning. With activities currently available in five metropolitan areas - Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC - you'll find the best of what your city has to offer. Your typical date night this won't be. Hotel Tonight (free, Android, iOS, and Windows) - Or, if you want to go big this year, shake up the usual candlelight dinner routine and sweep your valentine off to a nearby hotel with the Hotel Tonight app. Open the app on the 14th or up to seven days before your selected date, and scan through the listing of hotels in your city (or a nearby one) with rooms still up for grabs. Choices are categorized as hip, luxe, or basic, so you'll know what you're getting into when booking. | 4 | 4,902 | lifestyle |
NEW YORK ( MainStreet ) Millennial entrepreneur Kevin Pereira, a 26-year-old from Silicon Valley, discovered online lending for his e-commerce site after a national bank turned him down on a business loan. "I had both of my bankers at Wells Fargo be completely astounded that I couldn't get a loan," said Pereira, who co-launched his business Wet Shave Club in Tampa, Fla. last May. "They couldn't believe it themselves, because in December we did over $65,000 in sales, and it all went through my Wells Fargo account." "They wouldn't even give me a $20,000 line of credit," the Wet Shave Club co-founder said. National and regional banks are lending fewer loans to small businesses compared to several years ago, pushing many small business owners like Pereira to find capital through online lending. Read More: Kabbage Expands Small Business Financing The California native secured his first $22,000 line of credit from Kabbage, an Atlanta-based online financing company that lends to small businesses and consumers. Lending to small businesses now stands 17% below the peak reach before the onset of the financial crises in 2008, according to new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. While large business loans have soared to record levels, the volume of loans under $1 million to small businesses has dropped and not recovered to pre-recession levels, says Ann Wiersch, senior policy analyst at the Cleveland Fed. The growth of small dollar lending from traditional banks has barely moved the needle after several years of decline. The modest gains are a concern since microloans, defined as loans of $100,000 and less, represent 90% of small business loans, according to the Fed's Small Business Credit Survey. Loans of $100,000 and under are scarce it's an area where people are having difficulty accessing credit, said Kathryn Petralia, co-founder of Kabbage. "Last year, we put out $400 million, and the year before we did a third of that number," Petralia said. "I think we really saw the jump about two and two-and-half years ago and now you're seeing a bunch new entrance [of online lenders] into the space." Four years ago, Kabbage only lent to eBay sellers and since then has expanded to include more financial products. Around 30% of Kabbage's customers today are small business owners with a brick-and-mortar space. Pereira used the $22,000 line of credit he received from Kabbage to fund the Wet Shave Club's physical space in Tampa with a warehouse to package its products for delivery. "Kabbage is great, but it's only six-month term," Pereira said. "If we were able to get a line of credit that's two or five years, it would lower our monthly payments." Despite the majority of small businesses turning to large national and regional banks, almost 20% of applicants secured credit through an online lender, the Small Business Credit Survey 2014 finds. "Most small businesses owners that we talk to are feeling disenfranchised by banks," said Sam Hodges, co-founder and U.S. managing director at the Funding Circle. Hodges founded San Francisco-based Endurance, a business that merged with a U.K. lending company Funding Circle for its former entry into the U.S. marketplace. "We're doing what banks did 50 years ago for small business owners," he said. "I think that companies like the Funding Circle [are driving] a generational shift in how finance is sought and how money is lent." The emergence of new players and moneylenders in the electronic marketplace is on the rise, according to online lending experts. "We won't say that 2014 was the year of online lender -- I think 2015 and 2016 are going to be much bigger years," Hodges said. The Funding Circle plans to lend up to $250 million this year with loans sized between $25,000 and $500,000 for small medium enterprises. Cris Zukowski, 62, owner of Renaissance Fine Wines and Spirit on New York's Upper West Side applied for his first online loan with the Funding Circle over a year ago. Previously, he used merchant credit card advances. "I can tell you that access to credit from online lenders is a lot faster and simpler, and certainly a lot more receptive than banks these days," said Zukowski who took a $100,000 loan from the Funding Circle to pay off a merchant bank loan and used the remainder on business development. The Upper West Side wine shop owner says he pleased with the developments in the online lending marketplace but prefers the lower interest rates offered at a conventional bank. "At this point, I see a migration of the market to online lenders because they're much more willing lenders in today's financial environment," said Zukowski who says it's tougher today to get a line or credit or a new loans from a bank. "I expect that as more and more companies enter the online [lending] space that the terms will get even better for borrowers like us in the future," he said. --Written by Farran Powell for MainStreet | 3 | 4,903 | finance |
MELBOURNE, Australia With the Australian Open final looming, Amelie Mauresmo is not focusing on Andy Murray's comments made on court here in support of their work together. "On a daily basis, it's not a topic of conversation in our team," Mauresmo told a small group of American outlets, including USA TODAY Sports. Murray made headlines Thursday night in Melbourne when he said in an on-court TV interview that his success here had silenced critics of his hiring of a female coach. "So far this week we have shown that women can be very good coaches as well," Murray said. Mauresmo, 35, is a former world No. 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion. She said she respected the gesture from the Briton. "I really appreciated that last night," she said. "I think he did it a little bit for me which I appreciate, but also for him. He's been asked probably the same question over and over for the last six or seven months. I think he probably meant, 'OK guys, this is it. Let's talk about tennis, let's talk about the game, let's talk about what I'm doing well or not.'" Speaking of tennis, Murray moves into his first Grand Slam final since he won Wimbledon in 2013. He awaits the winner of Friday night's semifinal between world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and defending champion Stan Wawrinka. Mauresmo won this title in 2006 for her maiden Slam before going on to capture Wimbledon that year, as well. Murray has been in the final here three times, most recently in 2013, but has yet to win the title. "I'm happy for him," the Frenchwoman continued. "I'm not yet satisfied; I'm hoping he can go one more, that was the goal from the first moment that we talked. (He's) showing now that he's going to be a contender for those big titles. It's very satisfying for me. We worked quite a lot during the offseason, and he's committed more than 100%. I'm very, very happy for him." Murray had back surgery in the fall of 2013, which he said caused him to play below his highest level for much of 2014. After splitting with coach Ivan Lendl in March of last year, he hired Mauresmo as his coach prior to Wimbledon. Mauresmo said the marriage of Murray's full health and their ability to work together in full during the offseason training block is what is now bringing out his best tennis. "I came in just before Wimbledon (and he was) really busy during the second part of the season," Mauresmo noted. "To work on someone's game, to work on changes and evolutions you want to see is so difficult. He was winning quite a lot and there was no room for big work." Like Murray, Mauresmo cheered on the recent hiring of Lindsay Davenport by American Madison Keys and Martina Navratilova working with Agnieszka Radwanska. "I think they have a lot to give," she said. "They have big experience, huge experience so I think it's great that some top players are thinking about them and saying, 'OK, I think she can bring something to my game with how she was playing or (emotionally).'" Mauresmo acknowledged but downplayed the dramatic nature of Murray's semifinal win against Tomas Berdych, which was full of subplots. Murray's former coach, Dani Vallverdu, is now working with Berdych, and Thursday's first set saw plenty of stare downs and pointed fist pumps inside Rod Laver Arena. "It was a lot of tension at the beginning, yes, which (Andy) admitted after the match," Mauresmo said. "It's almost normal: He and Dani stopped two months ago. I think it was hard for Andy to face Tomas in the semi in the first Grand Slam of the year; it came pretty quickly." Mauresmo hopes that Murray's next major title comes quickly, too; as in Sunday night at Melbourne Park. | 1 | 4,904 | sports |
McDonald's franchisees have a fast order for the fast food giant's new CEO: Get back to basics. In interviews franchisees and advisors to restaurant owners say they hope the new chief will clean up a huge menu to focus on burgers and fries. McDonald's on Wednesday announced that Chief Brand Officer Steve Easterbrook would replace Don Thompson as chief executive after he had held the post just two and a half years. Easterbrook, 48, turned around McDonald's operations in the UK, where he was born, by putting the focus back on its burgers and burnishing consumer perceptions about the company, according to press reports. A cricket enthusiast who earned a reputation in the UK as being funny, fair and a lover of simplicity, Easterbrook will also be a rare McDonald's CEO in that he has experience running other restaurant chains. "I will be very curious to see if this new guy continues on with what Thompson has been doing ... or if he will put some new ideas in. I'm very hopeful," said Kathryn Slater-Carter, who operates one of McDonald's restaurants in Daly City, California. The world's largest fast-food chain, with more than 36,000 restaurants around the globe, is struggling to appeal to younger and more upscale diners who are seeking out fresher, healthier fare. Over the last few years, McDonald's has expanded its menu to broaden its appeal. While that effort initially bolstered sales, franchisees now blame sprawling menus for slowing down service and are calling on the chain to dump menu items ranging from espresso to McWraps. Some skeptics questioned whether Easterbrook, an insider with some two decades at the chain who takes the helm on March 1, is the right person to make the tough decisions needed to fix what ails the company. GLOBAL CHOPS Supporters find hope that fact that from 2011 to 2013, Easterbrook ran PizzaExpress, a British chain that markets itself on quality and freshness, and then became CEO at Wagamama, a Japanese-inspired noodle chain, before returning to McDonald's. Easterbrook's global chops may come in handy as the chain fights to recover from a food scare in China that battered Asian sales and wrestles with economic weakness and political upheaval in Europe, its top revenue market. Its image in the United States is also getting a drubbing from McDonald's burger flippers, who have held frequent protests calling for higher wages. Richard Adams, a former McDonald's franchisee who now consults current ones, said that most U.S. McDonald's owners don't have personal experience with Easterbrook but that they are "cautiously optimistic" about his appointment. Those same franchisees had a rough ride under Thompson. Monthly sales at established U.S. restaurants increased in fewer than half of the 30 months he was in the top job. The company attempted to stem market share losses to smaller and more nimble rivals ranging from Wendy's Co and Burger King to Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc and Chic-fil-A with frequent specials and giveaways. While such discounts helped the parent company, which gets royalties from franchises based on revenues, they squeezed the profits of franchisees. Beyond that, a push to rebuild or remodel most restaurants burdened many franchisees with debt but didn't always deliver a promised pop in sales. 'CHORUS OF NO'S' Adams said morale among U.S. franchisees is at the lowest point since the late 1990s, when overbuilding hurt franchisees. "Made For You", a 90s-era burger customization program that required investments of around $55,000 per outlet, made matters worse by battering service speed and sales. Thompson revived bad memories of that era with a project called "Create Your Taste," which he insisted would succeed where "Made for You" had failed due to improved technology. While Thompson said the plan would allow McDonald's to become more like Chipotle and Subway by letting customers pick the ingredients in their meals, Adams said franchisees aren't buying in. Their reaction to the plan, he said, has been "A chorus of No's." While most franchisees are reluctant to speak to the press, they offered blunt recommendations in a survey published earlier this month by Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski. Change is "moving too slow, let's bite the bullet," one survey respondent said. They suggested dropping McCafe espresso drinks, which critics say don't sell enough to pay for the electricity used by the machines that make them. Thompson spearheaded McDonald's McCafe expansion during his stint as head of the U.S. business. They also want to cut the number of Happy Meal options, to get rid of the hard-to-make McWraps and other poorly performing menu items, and to eliminate redundant items such as the McDouble and Double Cheeseburger. Thompson had made some efforts to trim back menus, but franchisees say they didn't go far enough. "We just have no momentum any more," one franchisee said. | 3 | 4,905 | finance |
MEXICO CITY Inside the maternity hospital on the western edge of Mexico City, concern quickly turned to panic as the sour smell of propane seeped in and a vapor cloud grew at the emergency room's entrance. The crew of a gas tanker truck outside began yelling: "Call the firefighters! And tell people to get out!" A mammoth explosion shattered the morning, collapsing most of the hospital and sending flames and smoke boiling into the sky Thursday morning. Fatimas Parras, 16, was getting ready for school in her nearby home when the blast blew tiles off the roof. With her hair still wet, she ran outside where she encountered a boy of about 13 carrying an infant from the hospital. "The baby was covered in dust and the boy was running. He started to scream 'Help! Help!'" Parras said. Neighbors who rushed to the scene found bleeding mothers carrying newborns out of the wreckage hospital while babies cried in the rubble. The blast killed a weeks-old baby and a 25-year-old nurse at the scene and a second infant died hours later, Mexico City officials said. Eight more children and seven adults were reported in serious condition among the more than 70 people injured. Late Thursday, officials said no one remained beneath the rubble of the Maternity and Children's Hospital of Cuajimalpa. Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said the gas truck driver and two other employees of the Express Nieto company were hospitalized and in custody. He said the company has provided gas to all the city's public hospitals since 2007. Up to 80 percent of Mexicans use propane rather than natural gas delivered by mains, and highly explosive liquified propane is distributed to homes and businesses either by trucks like the one that exploded or in cylinders, said Margarita Palma of Amexgas, a trade association of Mexico's propane distributors. The blast occurred at 7:05 a.m. when the truck was making a routine delivery of gas to the hospital kitchen and gas started to leak. Witnesses said the tanker workers struggled 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." Officials said 110 people were inside the 35-bed hospital when the truck blew up. Anesthesiologist Agustin Herrera saw injured mothers walking out carrying babies. The worst hit parts of the hospital were the neonatology, reception and emergency reception units, he said. Local resident Carlos Soria Rezendiz said homes next to the hospital had broken and cracked windows, and many neighbors ran to help evacuate victims. After the explosion, "some of people ran and began to pull out people. They began to pull up debris and remove people who were screaming and waving only their hands," said Soria's cousin, Ariatna Resendiz. Across town, Miguel Angel Garcia, 22, was driving his city bus route when he heard about the explosion at the hospital where his wife had just given birth to their second daughter on Wednesday. He let off his passengers, dropped off the bus and hurried to 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 Hospital ABC-Santa Fe in a nearby district. As the day wore on, people arrived at the 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. Dr. Moises Zielanowski, the hospital's director of operations, said six babies arrived unaccompanied and without identification. Mancera, the mayor, said some of the injured were already being released from other hospitals, including some mothers who suffered injuries while using their bodies to shield their children. ___ Associated Press writers E. Eduardo Castillo, Katherine Corcoran, Emilio Lugo and Christopher Sherman contributed to this report. | 5 | 4,906 | news |
NEW YORK (AP) -- Carey Price had an early feeling that one goal might be enough to settle the latest matchup between his Montreal Canadiens and longtime Original Six foe, the New York Rangers. Price outdueled counterpart Henrik Lundqvist, and earned a key win on the strength of Max Pacioretty's goal with 4:17 left that lifted Montreal over New York 1-0 on Thursday night. "I actually thought about that in the first intermission," Price said. "Hank was playing really well. Both teams were playing really strong defensive hockey." Pacioretty sent a wrist shot from above the right circle between the legs of Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh that appeared to surprise Lundqvist before squeezing inside the right post for his 22nd goal. "I don't expect him to shoot," Lundqvist said. "When I am about to push to my left, I got stuck in the post. There is no excuse. I have to expect him to shoot, even though it's a tough angle. "I have to stop it. This is on me, and it's a tough feeling." That goal gave Price his 26th win and third shutout of the season in a stellar 24-save effort. Montreal has won four in a row -- three with Price in net. Lundqvist made 25 saves for the Rangers, who have lost two straight following the All-Star break and managed only one goal. They were beaten 4-1 by the Islanders on Tuesday. "An inch there, an inch here, we might have been able to beat their goaltender," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "They got the goal that made the difference." The Canadiens, eliminated by the Rangers in six games in last year's Eastern Conference finals, lead New York by seven points in this season's playoff race. This rematch had a postseason feel to it. "I am just worried about doing my job -- stopping the next shot," Price said. "It's fun to win games 6-5, but if we want to be successful, we're going to have to really bear down on those low-scoring checking games. "Tonight we were the team that got the lucky bounce." The netminders took turns in making spectacular saves. Lundqvist snared a shot by Pacioretty with a lunging reach of his glove in the first period that had him staring skyward. "I've shot on him a lot," Pacioretty said. "He baited me with the glove and I felt pretty dumb, I took the bait. He was waiting for it. I feel like I could've shot anywhere else on the net and I would've scored." Price shined in the third period, first when he denied Rick Nash on a short-handed breakaway, and then when he turned aside Martin St. Louis with a twisting, sprawling save that left him flat on his back. "I just kind of reacted," Price said. "I got a shoulder and an ear on it. I thought it went behind me, so I spun around, and it ended up underneath me." Montreal thought it took the lead with 1:56 left in the first when former Ranger Dale Weise ripped a shot that Lundqvist stopped. A video review ensued, and it appeared Lundqvist's pad was in the net at the time, but there was no conclusive evidence. The opening period was particularly testy, a somewhat unusual scenario considering the teams hadn't met since New York's 5-0 home victory on Nov. 23. The Canadiens won 3-1 in the first game of the season series on Oct. 25. While there was only one fight in the first period -- a bout between former Rangers forward Brandon Prust and Tanner Glass with 1:22 remaining -- there were several other skirmishes and a near-fight between New York's Chris Kreider and physical Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban. The two came together with 6:55 left. Kreider was called for unsportsmanlike conduct, and Subban was whistled for embellishment. They then jawed at each other as they left the box. Kreider dropped his gloves and grabbed Subban, who kept his gloves on. The two returned to the penalty box because of more unsportsmanlike conduct. "I knew it was going to be an intense game," Subban said. "You have two teams that are probably two of the best teams in the conference. We wanted to make sure we came out with our best performance." The first period ended with a rough scrum along the boards in the Rangers end that featured Montreal's Lars Eller throwing punches at Derek Stepan. Both were sent off for roughing, but Eller received an extra 2 minutes that gave New York its first power play. NOTES: Price has allowed two goals or fewer in 14 of his past 15 appearances. ... RW Lee Stempniak and D John Moore rejoined the Rangers lineup after being healthy scratches against the Islanders. They replaced C J.T. Miller and D Matt Hunwick. | 1 | 4,907 | sports |
The United States and coalition partners launched six air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, and 12 more in Iraq as they kept up pressure on the insurgent group, the U.S. military said on Thursday. Among the strikes, which occurred between 8 a.m. local time Wednesday and 8 a.m. on Thursday, were five near Kobani, striking an Islamic State fighting position, three tactical units and a large unit, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. The Pentagon said this week the militants had been driven out of 90 percent of Kobani, a city near the border with Turkey where fighting has raged for four months. The air strikes in Iraq, where Islamic State has captured a swath of territory, hit near Al Asad, Ar Rutbah, Mosul, Sinjar and Tal Afar, hitting targets including Islamic State tactical units, buildings, vehicles and a weapons storage facility, the task force said. (Reporting by Peter Cooney; Editing by Eric Walsh) | 5 | 4,908 | news |
Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to dust off the Club World Cup winner's crest on his shirt after being sent off at Cordoba has been slammed by the latter's coach Miroslav Djukic. Ronaldo was given a two-game suspension on Wednesday for kicking Cordoba defender Edimar during Real Madrid's 2-1 victory in La Liga last week, and as the Portuguese forward left the field, he brushed the crest on his right breast, as if to polish it. MORE: Ronaldo hit with two-game ban | U.S. falls to Chile | Check out Goal.com Real Madrid won the Club World Cup for the first time in their history on Dec. 20 with a 2-0 victory over San Lorenzo in Morocco. Djukic labelled Ronaldo's violent conduct against his players he also appeared to slap Edimar as the defender fell, before fending off Jose Angel Crespo with a forearm to the defender's face as "an act of desperation", while the Serbian coach was unimpressed by the aftermath. "[Ronaldo's] gesture to his badge...was ugly and conceited," Djukic told Marca. "He shouldn't have done that because it is not becoming of the best players in the world, who are him and [Barcelona's Lionel] Messi." Djukic added that Cordoba did well to keep Ronaldo quiet last Saturday, which meant the Portugal international "wasn't feeling good. That's what caused the whole thing, because of the desperation he felt". | 1 | 4,909 | sports |
It was an offensive explosion on Thursday night for the Sharks against Anaheim. San Jose scored five goals in the second period and went on to win 6-3. | 1 | 4,910 | sports |
Check out highlights from Colorado's triple-OT win over the Trojans. | 1 | 4,911 | sports |
T.J. Oshie discusses Martin Brodeur's new role with the team and the Blues' win over the Predators. | 1 | 4,912 | sports |
Louis van Gaal was at a complete loss. "How is it possible", he wondered, that Manchester United could lose 5-3 to Leicester City after leading 3-1? "We had complete control," he pointed out. "How is it possible that you give this game away? You have to kill the game, you have to keep possession, but we could not do that." The Dutchman said his side's biggest mistake was its failure to keep the ball. He would strive, from that moment on, to dominate games, to kill them off. In the six to eight weeks following that spectacular collapse, Van Gaal espoused the need for "balance". Before and after every game, win, lose or draw, it was about the balance. He became obsessed with it. The stodgy football of the past few weeks can be traced back to his quest for this balance. Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao may have been running riot in their first few matches together, but it would not last long. Van Gaal set out to eliminate risks. He persisted with the same shape (Falcao and Van Persie up front, Di Maria on the left of a diamond and Rooney, before his ban, as a No.10) and United bounced back with wins against West Ham and Everton, but it was not enough: "We could have done better because I don't think that we are in balance now. I am sorry to say that but it is the truth. We are moving forward in training sessions, though, and evaluating those sessions. I hope that we shall improve." Not willing to be so open in the first away game since that day, Van Gaal changed formation and trialled what was essentially a 4-5-1 at West Brom. He stuck with it for the next three games; two draws against Chelsea and Manchester City and an unconvincing home win against Crystal Palace. The defense was meaner, and the team was creating chances (52 across the four games). Was this the balance? "If you don't count the five goals at Leicester, we have better than Chelsea I believe. [The defense] is not the problem, the balance is. That is why I have remodelled the structure of my team." Three of United's top five performances in terms of creating chances came when using a 4-5-1 A trip to Arsenal heralded a switch back to 3-5-2, due to injuries, and resulted in the club's first away win since April. The system has remained to this day, and United has lost just once in 12 league matches. Van Gaal finally has his balance. The victories totted up and the defense has been tightened: just seven goals have been conceded since the switch to 3-5-2. But the number of chances created has dropped off. In first 11 games of the season, including fixtures against Chelsea and City, United created 123 chances. In the 11 matches from the Arsenal game onwards, the figure drops to 90. It has not gone unnoticed. During the recent away game at Queens Park Rangers the travelling fans called for the 4-4-2 diamond and attacking football. Many have wondered why exactly United's attacking talent are creating so little. Van Gaal gave them an answer a week later: "I have twitched my ass on the bench because we were out of balance. We won against West Ham playing 4-4-2 for instance but all the time it was twitching your ass and I don't like it." Van Gaal, keen to keep his backside unclenched, has been cautious. The 3-5-2 is a safe, almost defensive option. Di Maria is one of several victims. The Argentine picked up an injury just three matches into the winning run, when he received the ball deep in his own half against Hull City and sprinted towards the Tigers' defense, which strained his hamstring. He departed doing what he does best: making things happen from a deep position. Upon his return to the line-up, as a second-half substitute against Aston Villa on December 20 when his team created 15 chances (the most by far of their second 11 games of the season), he created nothing from a central role in the 3-5-2. After another setback, he started against Southampton but was fielded as a striker. He had just 37 touches (the second lowest of United's starters after Van Persie), and created one chance. Against QPR a week later it was a similar story: he created two chances, but only after Van Gaal moved away from 3-5-2 after halftime. Di Maria heat maps v Leicester (4 chances created), Chelsea (5), and Southampton (1) Even though his form dipped when Van Gaal moved away from a midfield diamond in October, he was creating a chance every half an hour before his injury. Now, in the 3-5-2, he is creating a chance every 68 minutes. There is nothing that points to a lack of effort, either. In fact, at Loftus Road he made 83 sprints, more than any United player in any match this season, and covered more ground (10.91km) than when he was at his free-wheeling best against QPR at Old Trafford and Leicester at the King Power. If anything, it appears there is a lot more effort going into a diminished end product. Another question to come out of the past few weeks concerns why Rooney is playing in midfield. With Di Maria huffing and puffing up front and Van Persie and Falcao out of sorts, the England man has been kept well away from goal. It is extra surprising when you consider he has had four clear-cut chances this season and scored them all. Van Persie has had 14 clear-cut chances this season, scoring six and missing eight (as many as he missed in the whole of last season). His shot conversion rate is just 17 percent, which is the 50th best in the Premier League of players to have mustered at least 10 efforts on goal. Falcao's is 15 percent, the 64th highest, and he has missed seven of his nine clear-cut chances. Van Persie knows his contribution at the moment is not enough: "How many chances do strikers get in games one or two? So you have to take them. It is a very thin line between winning a game 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 or drawing or losing because it is just based on those little chances." Rooney's shot conversion rate (31 percent) is good enough for 10th in the league. Both he and Van Persie have eight goals each, but they come far more easily for the England man. Van Gaal insists the system is not to blame, highlighting that against Tottenham in December his men created a number of chances which were not taken. But by persisting with Van Persie, who's missed four of his eight big chances in his last six matches, and rotating between James Wilson, Falcao and Di Maria up front, all the while keeping his deadliest striker in midfield, his protestations only serve to confuse. Rooney's continued deployment in midfield looks even stranger considering United have a perfectly serviceable £28m man ready to step in. Ander Herrera is arguably the biggest victim of Van Gaal's quest for balance, having broken a rib in the win against West Ham and found himself on the outside looking in as the Dutchman settled back into 3-5-2. It appears that Rooney is the only midfielder he trusts for that role. Should Kevin Strootman arrive in the summer, the club's attacking talent may be let off the leash. For the rest of this season, though, there is a decision to be made. The manager's current thinking is at odds with the fans, and for such a obdurate man it would seem a switch back to 4-4-2, a riskier outlook he has clearly decided is not right for the club, is unlikely. Van Gaal needs his strikers to find their groove if he is to continue down the current path, because it's not exactly happening for Di Maria or Rooney. // | 1 | 4,913 | sports |
Ex-Beatle Ringo Starr is set for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but first he plans a new album and tour of the United States and Latin America. The drummer for the Fab Four announced on Thursday the release of his 18th studio album, "Postcards from Paradise," on March 31. The release comes just before Starr, who is already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Beatles, is inducted in his own right at an April 18 ceremony in Cleveland. Starr plans a one-month tour starting on February 13 in the southern US state of Louisiana, with about half the concerts taking place in Latin America. Starr will play two dates each in Brazil and Mexico, as well as one show each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The 74-year-old songwriter said he enjoyed past performances in Latin America. "The audiences were just great and so loving, we can't wait to go back," he said. Starr will be joined by his "All Starr Band" of other prominent musicians including Richard Page, who fronted the 1980s pop band Mr. Mister, former Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Gregg Bissonette, a drummer for heavy metal guitarists Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. Starr's new album comes as the other surviving Beatle, Paul McCartney, is also productive, releasing surprise collaborations in recent weeks with rapper Kanye West and pop singer Rihanna. | 6 | 4,914 | entertainment |
David Beckham, Lady Gaga and Usain Bolt were all wanted to appear in 'Kingsman: The Secret Service'. Samuel L. Jackson, who stars as Richmond Valentine in the spy action film, has revealed the famous trio were originally lined up to star in the movie by director Matthew Vaughn. Asked whether the Beckham speculation was accurate, Jackson said: ''I think so, yes. In the original script, there was him, Lady Gaga and Usain Bolt. Matthew had grand ideas about all these people. I actually ran into Beckham in the street one day and asked him if he was going to do the movie and he was like, 'I don't know, I'm not an actor.' I said: 'Dude, they want you to play you!''' Jackson also spoke in glowing terms of his 'Kingsman' co-star Colin Firth. The 66-year-old actor told the Metro newspaper: ''He's a really well-rounded person with a great sense of humour who can laugh at himself. We had dinner together one night and we were having a great conversation about that bottle of Lafite Rothschild wine that sold for $30,000. I said: 'Who the f*** would pay $30,000 for a bottle of wine?' And Matthew was like, 'I do. I have several bottles.' ''Colin said somebody gave him a bottle when he won the Academy Award. He doesn't drink but he said there was no way he wasn't going to drink that wine. Heavenly? For 30 grand, better taste more than heavenly!'' This article was from BANG Movies and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 6 | 4,915 | entertainment |
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe took over the post of African Union chairman on Friday, replacing Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. Mugabe, Africa's oldest president aged 90, shook hands with Abel Aziz in front of fellow leaders to applause at the AU summit in the Ethiopian capital. "By electing me to preside over this august body, with full knowledge of the onerous responsibility that lies ahead, I humbly accept your collective decision," Mugabe said, as he thanked leaders for granting him the position. Mugabe, a former liberation war hero who is Africa's third-longest serving leader, is viewed with deep respect by many on the continent. But he is also subject to travel bans from both the United States and European Union in protest at political violence and intimidation. Mugabe, a former guerrilla leader who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, is accused of crushing opponents to ensure his ZANU-PF party won every election for more than three decades. Mugabe described his memories of attending the AU's forerunner in 1963, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), also in Addis Ababa. "Africa has come a long way since then," he said. Last year Mugabe boycotted an EU-Africa Summit in Brussels after he was given a rare invitation -- but his wife was still denied a visa. | 5 | 4,916 | news |
When the final whistle blew on another disappointing result for the U.S. national team Wednesday in Chile, it would have been easy to come way from the match feeling like Jurgen Klinsmann wasted an opportunity to start 2015 on a good note. Klinsmann did miss a chance to lead his team to its first win since September, but the trip to South American yielded plenty of information for the U.S. coach to chew on heading into the rest of a busy year. For starters, Klinsmann had to see enough to tell him the 3-5-2 experiment is one worth continuing to pursue, and given the relative success the U.S. had with the formation in the first half of Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Chile, it is a safe bet we will be seeing quite a bit of it going forward. What else did we learn from Wednesday's friendly? Here are some other developments to consider: SHEA AND YEDLIN COULD BE WINGBACKS, BUT MAYBE NOT FULLBACKS The quest to make the 3-5-2 formation work long-term will center around being able to lock in some key positions. The central defender spot is one, but the wingback positions are two others. Brek Shea and DeAndre Yedlin both showed signs of being able to contribute as wingbacks. This isn't to say they are necessarily the frontrunners for the spots when the team is at full strength (Fabian Johnson and Alejandro Bedoya should carry those labels for now), but Shea and Yedlin could see their fair share of time at those spots, and are likely to start there again on Feb. 8 against Panama. BIRNBAUM AND ZARDES LOOK THE PART A surprise starter in his U.S. debut, D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum looked very comfortable playing as the right marking back in the 3-5-2 in the first half, and was serviceable as a central defender in the second half in a 4-4-2. You wouldn't have guessed that just one year ago he still hadn't made his professional debut. Birnbaum certainly played well enough to merit future looks from Klinsmann, and his impressive debut has given him a jump on some other defensive newcomers, like Matt Hedges and Shane O'Neill. Zardes didn't have as much time to impress, but he showed well enough in his cameo to suggest he can handle more opportunities. With Bobby Wood largely invisible as a starter, don't be surprised to see Zardes get the nod against Panama, in a game played at the place he calls home, the StubHub Center. JONES AND BRADLEY MAKE MISTAKES, BUT ARE STILL KEY BUILDING BLOCKS Jermaine Jones could have put together a lowlight reel of bad plays on Wednesday, but what went overlooked amid the handful of mistakes is just how much work he put in all over the field as the defensive general in the first half and freelancing midfielder in the second half. Did Jones look out of place at times in the first half as he tried to be the general of the 3-5-2's defense? Yes, but a learning curve had to be expected for a player familiarizing himself with a new position. He obviously needs to cut out the kind of mistakes he made against Chile, but the reality is there isn't another player in the pool ready to seriously challenge for that particular role. Bradley continues to face an undue amount of criticism for a perceived penchant for committing turnovers. The reality is he does commit more turnovers now than he used to say three or four years ago, but that doesn't mean he still isn't one of the best players on the team. It also can't be stressed enough that Bradley handles more of the ball than any of his teammates, and with that increased responsibility comes more opportunities to slip up and give the ball away. There can be an argument made for the idea that Bradley isn't as sharp these days as he used to be, but any suggestions that he isn't still a lock starter are misguided. THE WOOD EXPERIMENT NEEDS TO END FOR NOW Jurgen Klinsmann has been giving forward Bobby Wood opportunities since the fall, and while the youngsters has put himself in good spots at times, he has consistently failed to take advantage of the opportunities. Against Chile he was completely ineffective and nearly cost the team with some blown defensive responsibilities on set pieces. It is clear he needs a change of scenery in the form of a new club team, but Klinsmann can't afford to keep giving him looks when players like Zardes are waiting for their chances. TIME TO GIVE NGUYEN A START Lee Nguyen was one of the best players in Major League Soccer in 2014, and is clearly one of the most skilled players in the U.S. midfield pool, but he is still waiting for his first chance to start for the U.S. under Klinsmann. Some thought that change might come against Chile, but Klinsmann chose to give Clint Dempsey the nod in the playmaker role. Dempsey's presence on the team could keep Nguyen from having his chance to shine given Dempsey's preference for playing behind the forwards rather than starting up top. As important as Dempsey is to the team, Klinsmann needs to give Nguyen a chance to start in a role it can be argued he is the best natural fit for in the U.S. player pool. | 1 | 4,917 | sports |
In its first ever transparency report, the social content aggregator Reddit has revealed that it rejected 42 percent of government and civil requests for user data in 2014. The website said it received a total of 55 requests for information about its users which included account registration data, log data, and content uploaded -- according to a report it published late Thursday . It confirmed that it produced information for 58 percent of government and civil requests and 64 percent of U.S. state and federal government requests. Some 30 percent of the civil and U.S. federal or state government requests received included a court order prohibiting Reddit from notifying users. The company also said it successfully fought back against two civil subpoenas that sought to unmask more than a dozen anonymous users. "When we receive a request, we make sure it is legitimate and not overbroad, and we provide advance notice to affected users unless prohibited by a court order or where we decide delayed notice is appropriate based on clear criteria described in our privacy policy," Reddit said in its report. Reddit is fast becoming the Internet's favorite place to share links and has some high-profile fans including the U.S. President. Barack Obama took to the social networking back in 2012 for a "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) session. Microsoft Founder Bill Gates has taken part in three AMAs; this week he revealed that he believes artificial intelligence is a big threat and shared his thoughts on the digital currency bitcoin (BTC=) . Reddit also revealed that it had shunned all 5 of the international requests for content to be removed that it received in 2014, saying that it would not turn over user information in response to a request by a foreign government unless a U.S. court requires it. With the Paris terrorist attacks earlier this month still fresh in people's minds, the subject of government access to user information was one of many key topics discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. Marissa Mayer, President and CEO of Yahoo (YHOO) , spoke of a "pendulum swing" at the event , suggesting a change in sentiment is on the horizon. "I see a pendulum swinging back and forth in public sentiment, where you saw (U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden) swing that pendulum very heavily towards privacy. Now, with some of the recent issues that have arisen, that pendulum has swung back towards security," she said during a seminar at the event. Yahoo has said that it received 6,791 data requests from the U.S. government in the first six months of 2014 and just 20 percent of these -- 1,396 -- led to content being disclosed. Meanwhile, Michael Fries, president, CEO and vice chairman of Liberty Global, said that internet privacy today resembled a "train wreck." He said that government access was not optional or voluntary, but obligatory. "We do have lawful intercept relationships with the governments in every (country) in which we operate," he said, but added that Liberty Global had an obligation to give a sense of proportionality to the data requests. The U.K. government has implied that intelligence agencies should be given greater powers to break encrypted communications to nullify the threat of terrorism. On Wednesday, the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported that the European Commission were looking at counter-terror plans to collect and store all passenger flight details. | 3 | 4,918 | finance |
Three French tourists have been arrested by Cambodian authorities for taking nude photos of each other inside the country's famed Angkor temple complex, officials said Friday. The male tourists were discovered inside the Banteay Kdei temple at the world heritage site on Thursday, Chau Sun Kerya, spokeswoman for the Apsara Authority -- the government agency managing the Angkor complex -- told AFP. "The temple is a worship site and their behaviour is inappropriate. They were nude," she said. Keat Bunthan, a senior heritage police official in northwestern Siem Reap province, confirmed the nationalities of the arrested and said many Cambodians would be offended by the tourists' actions. "Their activities affect our culture. Nobody should take nude pictures at ancient temples," he told AFP. The Apsara Authority said in a statement that the three tourists have "admitted they really made a mistake by taking nude pictures". The agency added Cambodian police were building a case against them. The tourists were caught just days after a series of photos of Asian women posing nude at ancient Cambodian temples went viral online and outraged officials. The Angkor Archaeological Park, a world heritage site, contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, dating from the 9th to the 15th century and is Cambodia's most popular tourist destination. | 5 | 4,919 | news |
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and it's many benefits were a hot topic in 2014. The killer workout helped athletes increase their VO 2 max and endurance while other fit folks found that HIIT helped quickly shed fat. But the biggest benefit of all? HIIT workouts could be done in about half the time of standard workouts, while offering the same benefits if not better. Many in the fitness loop happily adopted it into their routines, while those who suffered health issues dismissed the workout for fear it would be harmful to their health. After several studies, though, it seems that HIIT may well be a good fit for those people too. A recent article in The New York Times explains research that outlines the benefits of HIIT for chronically ill people. Studies have suggested that HIIT can be more beneficial than standard moderate exercise for people with heart disease, diabetes, stroke, pulmonary disease, arthritis and Parkinson's Disease. Since HIIT has been shown to improve cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic and mechanical functions, it makes sense that the regimen would help those with chronic issues but the stress it puts on the body is still a main concern. A recent report published in American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal suggests that only low risk individuals should start the fitness regimen on their own. Those they deem moderate risk should consult a doctor beforehand and high-risk individuals should only do HIIT under "direct medical supervision." Though the safe bet is consulting a doctor prior to trying a new fitness plan, this recent research is encouraging. | 7 | 4,920 | health |
Top-scorers Australia will try to unlock the Asian Cup's stingiest defence on Saturday when they meet South Korea in a blockbuster final between two of the region's heavyweights. The Socceroos are desperate to win a first Asian title on home soil, but to do so they will have to find a way through a Korean rearguard which has not conceded all tournament. It could be a case of who blinks first as Australia look to be crowned kings of Asia, after defecting from Oceania in 2006, and South Korea try to end a hoodoo stretching back a staggering 55 years. Runners-up to Japan in 2011, Australia have hit 12 goals in five games and they will start as slight favourites, despite losing 1-0 to South Korea in the group phase. Coach Ange Postecoglou opted to rest talisman Tim Cahill for that game in Brisbane and he was robbed of captain Mile Jedinak through injury, but he insisted the result would count for little with the stakes now so high. "Previous records go out the window," he told reporters on Friday. "It will be the team able to deal with whatever may happen who wins, because finals never run to script." Cahill has netted three times so far, including a venomous overhead kick in the quarter-final win over China, and is likely to be central to the plot in one of the biggest games in Australia's history. "It just takes one second for someone to switch off," said the former Everton forward. "Hopefully I can be on point to make it count." Both teams possess players capable of delivering a knockout blow, with South Korea hoping golden boy Son Heung-Min can weave his magic as they seek to win a first Asian Cup since 1960 having already defied the odds by reaching the final. - Curious anomaly - Their title drought is a curious anomaly for a nation who stormed to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, but they have reached the final -- their first in 27 years -- despite an injury crisis and a flu bug which swept through the squad, forcing medical staff to work overtime. "It's been too long for Korea to be champions," said captain Ki Sung-yueng, who has been a calming influence on South Korea after losing the dynamic pairing of Lee Chung-Yong and Koo Ja-Cheol in the group stages. "We don't have anything to lose in this game, maybe Australia have more pressure than us. I told the players it's a great opportunity, maybe once in a lifetime, to become Asian Cup champions so everyone is ready for tomorrow." South Korea are the first team to reach the final without conceding a goal since Iran in 1976, but their resilience will be severely tested by Australia's firepower in front of a sell-out crowd of nearly 80,000 in Sydney and an estimated global audience of 80 million. The players were pelted with toffee -- a traditional insult in South Korea -- on their return from last year's World Cup, but German coach Uli Stielike has performed wonders since taking over as they look to emulate the under-23 side's Asian Games gold medal in October. As many as 30,000 Korean "Red Devils" fans are expected to add spice to the atmosphere but Stielike confessed his young team could freeze. "I don't know what their reaction will be," shrugged the German. "If we can control our nerves we have every possibility to win." | 1 | 4,921 | sports |
Top seed Serena Williams' coach has dismissed the American's decade-long, 15-0 winning streak against Maria Sharapova as irrelevant ahead of the arch-rivals' blockbuster Australian Open final on Saturday. The final will pit the world's two best players, both in sizzling form, against one another in a dream Grand Slam decider, although the second seeded Sharapova faces questions over her staggering inability to notch a win over Williams since 2004. The Russian's overall losing record against Williams is 16-2, including a crushing straight sets win in the 2007 Australian final, and her last 15 meetings with the 18-time Grand Slam champion have ended in defeat. In addition, Williams has won five titles in five final appearances at Melbourne Park, emerging victorious every time she has reached the decider. But Williams' coach, Frenchman Patrick Mouratoglou, said such statistics would mean nothing when the adversaries face each other in the Rod Laver Arena, describing Sharapova as a champion in her own right with five majors to her name. "Every sequence has to end, just ask Nadal," he told AFP, referring to Czech Tomas Berdych's quarter-final victory over Rafael Nadal this week to end a record-equalling 17-match losing streak against the Spanish great. "Maria Sharapova is changing all the time. This is someone who works hard. She develops her game, she evolves. This is the strength of a champion. Nadal did it all the time, Serena too." - 'Time of my life' - Neither player will lack motivation in the final. Sharapova, 27, can finally end a decade of pain at Williams' hands in the ninth Grand Slam final of her career. Williams, who at 33 is the oldest woman to contest an Open-era final in Australia, is contesting her 23rd Slam final. A win would take her overall tally to 19, surpassing Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as she chases Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22. Both survived scares early in the tournament to hit top form going into the final, with Williams battling a cold and Sharapova staying alive after fending off two match points in the second round. Williams admitted that facing Sharapova honed her competitive edge, saying she was relishing the chance to renew their rivalry in the only Australian final in a decade to feature the tournament's top two seeds. "I love playing her, I think it's fun, I love her intensity," she said. "For whatever reason, I just have the time of my time." Sharapova admitted her record against Williams was "terrible" and said she would be aiming to play it cool and tone down her aggression. "She's great at making players hit that shot that you don't necessarily have to go for -- maybe going for a little too much, going on the line," she said. Mouratoglou said Williams thrived on the intensity of a Grand Slam final and had the ability to improve her game as her stress levels increased. "The great champions know to be the best in the most important moments of their careers," he said. "She knows how to raise her game when necessary, to be effective on the important points. Stress makes her better." Williams cut short a training session after just five minutes on Friday, suffering from a hacking cough, but later returned for a hit-out. Sharapova said she did not expect her rival's condition to have any bearing on the final, saying she overcame similar snuffles when she won the tite at Roland Garros last year. "I came into the French Open last year being quite sick. Once you're out there, I don't think you think about anything but what's in front of you," she said. | 1 | 4,922 | sports |
CNN's Jomana Karasheh reports on what is being called a tense standoff inside Kirkuk in Iraq. | 8 | 4,923 | video |
The Islamic State group militant glares at Baghdad residents with bulging eyes and bared teeth, but neither kidnapping nor death are imminent, because this jihadist is made from a shoe. A black, treaded sole with the toe broken off serves as his face and nose, while old shoelaces evoke both black headscarf and long hair. For teeth, zippers dangle into a mouth formed by the space between the heel and toe, and round metal pieces stand in for bulging eyes. The jihadist is the creation of Iraqi artist Akeel Khreef, who takes worn-out shoes and transforms them into faces representing the "ugliness" of the Islamic State (IS) group, which has committed a slew of atrocities in his country. "I wanted to portray the extent of the criminality and ugliness and ugly acts of the organisation's members," says Khreef, a 35-year-old architectural engineering professor who is working on a mural of two dozen shoe faces. IS has done much to provoke the anger of Iraqis, leading a June offensive that swept down from the city of Mosul and overran large parts of the country's Sunni Arab heartland, sowing fear and displacing hundreds of thousands of people. It has killed thousands of people in areas it controls in Iraq and neighbouring Syria, targeted religious and ethnic minorities, sold women and children as sex slaves and destroyed historical sites. With the faces, Khreef says he wants to portray "the ugly condition" that has prevailed in Iraq since June, and fashioning them from old shoes does so with a calculated insult of an especially Iraqi persuasion. In Iraq it is considered extremely rude to call someone "waja al-kundara" -- literally "face of the shoe". "This is what I want to say," Khreef explains. In Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, it is deemed offensive to even have the bottom of one's shoes facing another person. Iraq also has a history of protest by footwear, with a journalist famously hurling his shoes at then US president George W. Bush during a press conference in 2008. When "you look at the works, you see they are made from remains of waste and worn-out shoes, but they appear sick in their mentalities, and bloodthirsty," Khreef says. Embarrass the jihadists "I will not get them out of my country with this work, but... I am certain they would be embarrassed by it," he says. American officials frequently refer to breaking the "image" or "myth" of IS invincibility, but this can come to pass through art and humour in addition to military force. To obtain supplies for this and other projects, Khreef collects bits and pieces from rubbish bins and buys old shoes from small shops. "The most important person in my life is the cobbler -- he provides me the remains of the worn-out shoes," he says. Khreef is sometimes mocked for searching through trash, but wants to convey the idea that "rubbish is not harmful, and can be used for useful things". "I work in the street," he says. "I want the people to know this art." Khreef says the project is especially for people displaced by IS. "I am trying to show (IS) in the ugliest form to comfort the people who left their homes and to tell them: 'It is not just the soldier who is with you.'" The mural Khreef is making is inspired by the organisation IS -- which he refers to as "Daesh," an Arabic acronym the group rejects -- but he wants it to reflect other meanings as well. "The mural represents the Dawaesh (IS members) who live among us, and not just the terrorists," he says. For Khreef, a "Daeshi" is "every man who does not love his country and does not love goodness, and believes in death, and rejects the other, and is ready to kill you when you disagree with him." IS has a history of greeting even symbolic opposition with kidnapping or brutal violence, and has executed hundreds of people who opposed it in Iraq and Syria. Artists have fled areas under IS control or have been lying low. Khreef says he is nonetheless determined to go forward with his project. "Death is everywhere, and I am not more important than someone who defends his country and carries a weapon and goes to confront the enemy face to face," he says. And if the worst happens, "at least I would die believing in a true cause". | 5 | 4,924 | news |
Los Angeles police say rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight is a "person of interest" in a hit-and-run that left one man dead and another person in the hospital. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Trina Schrader said Knight was a "person of interest" in the case but gave no other details. The co-founder of Death Row Records ran over two bystanders as he tried to flee a fight on a film set in the city of Compton in southern Los Angeles, Knight's attorney James Blatt told Entertainment Weekly. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Rouzan told AFP there was a fatal traffic collision at 2:55 pm (2255 GMT), leaving one man dead and another person in the hospital. Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective's unit said authorities were treating the case as a homicide, the Los Angeles Times reported. Celebrity news website TMZ reported that witnesses said Knight was involved in a film shoot featuring rappers Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. Ice Cube posted a picture on his Instagram account earlier Thursday saying that he was filming a commercial in Compton. A fight broke out between Knight and two men, TMZ said, and Knight was trying to drive away as the incident occurred. Knight co-founded Death Row Records along with hip-hop music king Dr. Dre in the early 1990s. The label helped launch stars such as Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur before it collapsed in 1996 when Knight was jailed for parole violations. Knight was jailed after he violated a 1992 probation order by beating up a gang rival in the desert gambling city of Las Vegas. He landed up in jail again, this time for 10 months, in 2003 after allegedly getting into a fight outside a Hollywood nightclub. Knight was last year shot six times at a music awards party. | 6 | 4,925 | entertainment |
THE UK's youngest competitive bodybuilder has revealed the secret to his impeccable physique - sibling rivalry. While most teenagers are glued to their Playstations, 15-year-old Cosmo Taylor, from Inverness, Scotland, is more likely to be found honing his abs, quads and biceps. The mini muscles is joined in the gym by sister Bronwyn, 19, a prize-winning powerlifter, and dad Andrew, 47, who is a bodybuilder. Cosmo started training informally at the age of 11 and competed in his first show, the Silver City Classic in Aberdeen, in November 2014. And while there are some who claim the Scot is too young to place such strains on his body, the bronzed-torsoed teen has no intention of pausing in his quest to achieve the perfect body. Videographer / Director: Bobby Nelson Producer: Tom Midlane Editor: Kyle Waters | 8 | 4,926 | video |
Fried Tarantulas and Other Jaw-Dropping Bug Dishes Around the World Fried Tarantulas and Other Jaw-Dropping Bug Dishes Around the World The Daily Meal goes Down Under and back to check out some of the most exotic bug dishes around the world. Ant Snacks (Brazil) From chocolate-covered ants to live ones sprinkled in salad, it seems that ants are the most popular and least nauseating bugs to eat. In Brazil, queen ants are a popular snack that come fried or dipped in chocolate. And celebrated chef Alex Atala of D.O.M. in São Paulo, the #2 restaurant in our 101 Best Restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean this year, serves giant Amazonian ants atop squares of sweet pineapple. What was once a treat for the poorer class is now a Brazilian tradition celebrated and enjoyed throughout the country. Cockroach Dishes (China) It is no secret that Asia is a leader when it comes to entomophagy, the act of eating bugs. In China, fried cockroaches are a common snack . The cockroaches are said to taste like French fries with a powerful aftertaste that sticks around long after the cockroach is swallowed. Fried Scorpions (China) At one of Beijing's popular markets, the Donghuamen Night Market, everything from fried scorpions to lamb kebabs is served to hungry customers. Fried scorpions are not for the faint of heart, but evidently they are a delicious treat that is said to taste like buttery popcorn. For those wondering about the pesky poisonous tails of this lethal animal, rest assured that when scorpions are fried, their poison is neutralized. Vendors sell both adult and baby scorpions fried, often seasoned with a hint of chili powder. Fried Spiders (Cambodia) The idea of just seeing a spider is enough to make this writer jump out of her seat, so the thought of sitting down to eat one is simply ludicrous; yet in Cambodia, fried spiders are a delicacy, especially in the town of Skuon. The spiders are marinated in sugar and salt before being pan-fried in garlic. The spider is much meatier than many of its insect counterparts (and, yes, we know it's not an insect strictly speaking), and it is brace yourself here the abdomen, full of eggs and innards, that is thought to be the most delicious part. Flying Termites (Uganda) Flying termites go by many names, including white ants or easels. In Uganda, these small bugs are a delicacy known as enswa that is often roasted or crushed into a paste. Termites are an excellent source of protein and alternative to cholesterol-raising red meat. Locusts (Asia) From Japan to Thailand, locusts are an integral part to the region's diet, appreciated for their high fiber content. Hailed as a healthier and more environmentally conscious alternative to meat http://travel.cnn.com/shanghai/life/5-extreme-foods-at-beijing-night-market-294439 , locusts are often served deep-fried and are said to taste a bit like fried chicken. Stink Bugs (Africa) Remember stinkbugs ? These little insects release a fowl smell as a defense mechanism, but when boiled, they are said to taste like crunchy apples. Considered one of the more popular insects to eat, stink bugs, which can be used to flavor sauces and stews, are a good source of iodine. Wasp Crackers (Japan) Picture a chocolate chip cookie. Nothing queasy about that, right? Now replace those chocolate chips with wasps, and you have yourself a traditional Japanese wasp cracker . While this may seem like a snack worthy of a Fear Factor episode, these wasps are boiled, dried, and then added to the biscuit to be sold in local markets and stores. The case for insects being a high source of protein is a common thread in all bug dishes, but these stinging insects have a higher percentage of protein than most, if not all, of their six-legged comrades. Witchetty Grub (Australia) There is a scene in The Lion King where Timon and Pumba try to entice Simba with their unique taste in grubs. The animated movie goes on to show the three unlikely comrades slurping up gargantuan worms before launching into song. In Australia, grub is considered part of the bush meat family and is often enjoyed raw or lightly crispy. The skin is said to get crunchy like a roast chicken while the innards will take on the consistency of a scrambled egg. If you're taking a page from Andrew Zimmern and trying the grub raw, the worm is said to taste of almonds. | 0 | 4,927 | foodanddrink |
The bitter rivalry between Australian Open finalists Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova took root on the hallowed Wimbledon turf in 2004 and is still thriving more than a decade later. Sharapova was a 17-year-old unknown when she stunned the tennis world by winning at the All England club in 2004. The problem was that the fairytale victory came at the expense of Serena Williams a result the American has never forgotten. Williams, who has a 16-2 overall record against the Russian and has won 15-straight since 2005, could not resist a dig when asked this week about her last loss to Sharapova 11 years ago. "She was 17, super young and I think I was basically serving under hand," Williams said. | 1 | 4,928 | sports |
Things would be a lot easier for roboticists if their creations can learn from any instructional video they watch without further programming. While we're still far from teaching robots complicated skills using just a playlist of YouTube clips, a University of Maryland research team is in the very early stages of making that happen. The team's research is funded by DARPA's Mathematics of Sensing, Exploitation and Execution (MSEE) program, which aims to teach machines not only how to collect data, but also how to act on it. For this particular study, the researchers have developed a system that allowed their test robots to learn from a series of "how-to" cooking videos on YouTube. During testing, the robots were able to perform the tasks shown in the videos using the right utensils and with zero human input. In addition, the system gives robots the ability to store whatever they've learned from the videos and to build on the knowledge to become better at handing certain tools or performing certain tasks. DARPA believes the robots could eventually learn a lot faster at a fraction of what it currently costs due to this research, especially since it could also allow them to share their knowledge with other machines. We just hope they don't end up becoming sentient and colluding against us . Want to know more? If you don't mind sifting through a document filled with scientific lingo, feel free to pore over University of Maryland's paper for more info. DARPA , University of Maryland (PDF) | 3 | 4,929 | finance |
Covering immigration issues can prove challenging for photographers and not because access can be, at times, tough to obtain. Instead, image-makers such as Emanuele Satolli have to find new ways to depict immigrants' hardship in a saturated visual landscape. In 2007, when the Italian photographer lived in Guatemala, he realized that immigration affected the large majority of people he encountered. "Some are saving money to go North, others are enjoying their new houses after spending a few years in the U.S., while many women have to take care of their families after their husbands left for the U.S.," he says. "I was impressed to see that immigration had such a strong [impact] on life there. And that's why I wanted to dig deeper into this topic." Yet, he didn't want to produce yet another series that depicted immigrants "crossing rivers or jumping on trains in their attempt to reach the American dream," he says. "I had to try to find a new way to talk about this." And that new take came after reading a recent TIME LightBox article . "I was really inspired by [TIME's International Photo Editor] Alice Gabriner's post where she talked about how photo editors and photographers should work together to overcome visual challenges. In that post, she explained how [photographer] Alexandra Boulat tried to find a new way to talk about the Palestinian tragedy." That was in 2006, when Boulat, who had documented wars since the 1990s, had grown frustrated of "photographing endless scenes of violence in the same way she had for years, fearing that these pictures had lost their impact," Gabriner wrote. "As a result, she began taking different kinds of pictures, focusing on the ordinary and details of normal life." The ordinary and the details can be found in Satolli's images of Central American immigrants. "I was interested in the few things these immigrants bring with them on this perilous and long journey," he says. One man carried with him a small Virgin Mary statue, hair gel and toilet paper, among other objects. Another brought an extra pair of shoes, a bible, toilet paper and a cell phone, while another traveled with only one pair of glasses so "he'd look like a local," says Satolli. The 35-year-old photographer met most of his subjects at La Casa del Migrante, a refuge run by Scalabrinian missionaries in the border town of Tecún Umán in Guatemala where immigrants can get help and rest for two or three days. Now, Satolli, who continues his work on immigration, hopes that his simple, yet powerful images will help humanize undocumented immigrants. It's an especially important goal he says, at a time when we're inundated by images that are just the opposite "in which [dramatic scenes] become ordinary" and when immigration is likely to take a central role in U.S. politics this year and in 2016. Emanuele Satolli is an Italian photojournalist based in Rome. TIME LightBox previously published his photo essay The World's Deadliest Drug: Inside a Krokodil Cookhouse in 2013. Mikko Takkunen , who edited this photo essay, is an Associate Photo Editor at TIME. Follow him on Twitter @photojournalism . Olivier Laurent is the editor of TIME LightBox. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @olivierclaurent | 5 | 4,930 | news |
Party Snacks Are Ruining Your Diet Avoid These Snacks Want to know which other foods to stay away from? Here is a look at 11 snacks that could wreck your diet. Cheese Who doesn't love a good cheese plate? Your personal trainer, that's who. One little cube of Cheddar cheese holds 120 calories. Sure, protein is good for you, but, considering one little square eats up more than half the recommended calorie intake for an entire snack serving, is that one miniature bite worth it? Chicken Wings There is no way you will get through the day without chowing down on a few wings. Chicken wings are a rite of passage on Super Bowl Sunday. Just keep in mind that each wing has about 135 calories and 2.5 grams of saturated fat. French Fries No, these won't count as part of your vegetable intake for the day. A medium order of fries weighs in at around 365 calories and around 17 grams of fat. If you're counting carbs, count all the way to 40 grams. Since these are generally eaten as a side and not an on-its-own snack, you can expect to be tipping the scales on the heavy side for the day. Guacamole According to the Hass Avocado Board, over Super Bowl weekend, approximately 100 million pounds of guacamole will be eaten. This is a great snack option if you stop at the recommended 2-tablespoon serving size for 50 calories. Since you probably won't, you can expect to take in around 155 calories and 17 grams of fat in a ½ cup of the stuff not counting the 146 calories in the 10 tortilla chips you'll likely be using to shovel it all in. Hummus Hummus is definitely one of the healthier snack options out there, but beware of the packaged varieties, which can contain double the calories of a homemade hummus 60 percent of them coming from fat. And since most Super Bowl party hosts are using Hummus their blenders for other things, chances are the hummus offering will be the store-bought variety. Pigs in a Blanket A party ain't a party without pigs in a blanket! It'll be harder than cheering for the Jets was this past season, but you must walk away from these cute little bite-sized snacks. Do so and you'll be saving yourself almost 300 calories and 20 grams of fat per pig. Potato Chips Bet you can't eat just one. Chances are, you won't. A serving size of Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream (11 chips) contains 10 grams of fat, 160 calories, and 180 milligrams of sodium. Since 11 chips really isn't that much, you can count on still being hungry after this mindless munch. Pretzels You might opt for pretzels over potato chips because they are baked contain less fat and are lower in calories, but pretzels are a gateway snack to packing on the pounds. Pretzels are made with enriched white flour that will convert to sugar in your bloodstream. So too many of them will do just as much damage as a fried chip will. Also, one cup contains 171 calories and a whole lot of salt that will just lead to more drinking (probably calorie-heavy beer) and eating. Snack Mixes These mixes look harmless enough. A bunch of cereal and a few cheese doodles thrown in for good measure can't be that bad, right? Think again. The American Heart Association says that you should consume less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day, and considering just one serving size of Chex Mix Bold Party Blend (one cup) contains almost a third of that value, you'll want to stay away from this stuff. Spinach and Artichoke Dip Spinach and artichoke dip is basically a bowl of fat that met some vegetables along the way and invited them in for a swim. With over 1,500 calories and 100 grams of fat, an order of this stuff is almost a full day's worth of your entire recommended caloric intake. Vegetables and Ranch Dressing You may think you're doing yourself a favor by choosing to park it at the platter of vegetables and dip. Consider this, though: there are around 73 calories and a hefty 7.7 grams of fat in a tablespoon of ranch dressing. You could reach that number easily with two dips of a carrot. That means five carrots plus five celery sticks dressed in dip and you might as well have had a Big Mac. | 7 | 4,931 | health |
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Serena Williams cut short a practice on the eve of the Australian Open final against Maria Sharapova due to a cold she's been battling for the past week. The No. 1-ranked American was shown in footage on Australia's Channel 7 network coughing into a towel and blowing her nose before she abandoned the practice session on Friday. She later said in a statement released by the WTA: ''I had a false start (this morning). I wasn't feeling really well. I've been sick with a cold all week, and I got better, then I got worse the morning.'' She was feeling well enough to return to the practice court in the afternoon. Williams will be aiming for her 19th Grand Slam singles title when she takes on Sharapova on Saturday. | 1 | 4,932 | sports |
Ali Mabkhout put one hand on the Asian Cup top-scorer award on Friday as the United Arab Emirates came from behind to beat 10-man Iraq 3-2 in a rollercoaster third-place playoff. The Al Jazira marksman took his tally for the competition to five with a nerveless second-half penalty in Newcastle, putting him a goal ahead of partner Ahmed Khalil, who grabbed a brace. "Before the match Ali was top scorer and I said if we get a penalty he would take it -- but by then Ahmed had scored two and also had the chance for the golden boot," UAE coach Mahdi Ali told reporters. "It was a difficult decision but in the end the players stuck with my instructions." Khalil opened the scoring on 16 minutes, sliding the ball past goalkeeper Mohammed Hameed to complete a blistering counter-attack sparked by midfield wizard Omar Abdulrahman. It was the stand-in captain's first goal since his double against Qatar in their opening group match, and the Emiratis were on top in the early stages with Abdulrahman again pulling the strings. But on 28 minutes the momentum swung towards Iraq when Waleed Salim's deflected shot from inside the box looped over goalkeeper Khalid Eisa and into the back of the net. The Iraqis then took the lead three minutes before half-time, winger Amjed Kalaf slotting in a rebound from close range after Eisa parried Ahmed Yaseen's powerful shot. Younis Mahmoud, the hero of Iraq's 2007 Asian Cup win, spurned a golden opportunity to extend the lead when he blazed wide when through on goal just after the restart. Iraq would rue that miss six minutes after the break when Abdulrahman chipped a trademark ball over the defence to Khalil, who finished with aplomb to make it 2-2. UAE soon went 3-2 ahead when Mabkhout rolled in his penalty on 57 minutes after being bundled over in the box by Ahmed Ibrahim, who was consequently sent off. Iraq's 10 men worked tirelessly for the equaliser in the remaining half-hour but UAE held firm to finish the tournament on a high in front of a healthy crowd of 12,000. "The players did their best and we controlled the majority of the match," said Iraq boss Radhi Shenaishil. "But there were a few individual mistakes and along with the red card that was the difference. However, finishing fourth is still a huge privilege." Mabkhout now has a strong chance of being crowned top scorer in the tournament, although Australia's Tim Cahill will go into Saturday's final on three goals. "I hope he doesn't overtake Mabkhout tomorrow," exclaimed Ali. "I want my player to be top scorer." Khalil, later named man of the match, also backed Mabkhout. "He deserves it," the forward smiled, adding that he had no problem stepping aside for his strike partner to take the penalty. | 1 | 4,933 | sports |
U.S. stocks fell, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 Index to its biggest monthly decline in a year, as weaker-than-forecast economic growth overshadowed a rally in energy shares sparked by a surge in the price of crude. The S&P 500 slid 1.3 percent to 1,995.33 at 4 p.m. in New York, extending its monthly loss to 3.1 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 245.77 points, or 1.4 percent, to 17,171.08. Energy shares gained 0.7 percent as U.S. oil surged more than 8 percent. Amazon.com Inc. and Biogen Idec Inc. soared at least 10 percent after reporting earnings. Equities tumbled amid concern over economies in Europe and Russia as data showed slower growth in America. The U.S. economy expanded at a slower pace than forecast in the fourth quarter as cooling business investment, a slump in government outlays and a widening trade gap took some of the luster off the biggest gain in consumer spending in almost nine years. "All this data does is further cloud the entire investment picture," Michael James, a Los Angeles-based managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities Inc., said in a phone interview. "It confirms that there's going to be continued uncertainty and continued significant volatility." Gross domestic product grew at a 2.6 percent annualized rate after a 5 percent gain in the third quarter that was the fastest since 2003, Commerce Department figures showed Thursday in Washington. The median forecast of 85 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 3 percent advance. Consumer spending, which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy, climbed 4.3 percent, more than projected. A separate report showed American consumer confidence reached an 11-year high in January as a strengthening labor market and plunging gas prices kept households looking on the bright side. Fed Debate Federal Reserve officials are confronting divergent economic forces as they weigh the timing of the first interest- rate increase since 2006. Surprisingly strong job gains argue for tightening sooner, while inflation held down by a plunge in oil prices and a cooling global economy provides grounds for delay. "In the background of all of these reports is the Fed," Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, said by phone. Paulsen helps manage $351 billion in assets. "It's the big elephant in the room in terms of how fast they might raise rates." The central bank boosted its assessment of the economy in a statement this week and downplayed low inflation readings, while repeating a pledge to remain "patient" on raising interest rates. It acknowledged global risks, saying it will take into account readings on "international developments" as it decides how long to keep rates low. Zero Rates "Zero interest rates are not the right interest rates for this economy," James Bullard, president of the Fed Bank of St. Louis, said in a Bloomberg Television interview with Betty Liu and Michael McKee. "Inflation is low, but not low enough to rationalize zero interest rates. There's a lot of underlying momentum in the U.S. economy." Equity futures fell earlier as Russia's central bank unexpectedly cut its benchmark interest rate by two percentage points, letting the ruble slide as the economy sinks toward recession. Data showed consumer prices in the euro area fell more than economists forecast in January, underscoring the challenges facing European Central Bank President Mario Draghi. The ECB last week unveiled a 1.14 trillion-euro ($1.3 trillion) quantitative-easing program to combat deflation. | 3 | 4,934 | finance |
De Kock (pictured above left), who had been sentenced to two life terms plus 212 years in prison, was being paroled "in the interest of nation-building and reconciliation," South African Justice Minister Michael Masutha told a news conference on Friday. Masutha added that De Kock had also expressed remorse at his crimes and had aided authorities in finding the remains of some of his victims. De Kock was convicted in 1996 on 89 charges, including six counts of murder, relating to his activities as head of the so-called "Vlakplaas" police death squad, which abducted, tortured and murdered a number of black South African anti-apartheid activists in the 1980s and early 1990s. In his 1997-1998 testimony before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, set up after the abolition of apartheid to consider amnesty for those who confessed to crimes committed under the system of racial segregation, De Kock admitted to more than 100 acts of murder, torture and fraud. A scapegoat? De Kock himself has claimed he was a scapegoat for crimes committed by the National Party in its bid to maintain the apartheid system, introduced to South Africa in 1948. "Not one of the previous generals or ministers who were in Cabinet up to 1990 have been prosecuted at all," he wrote in a court appeal after being denied parole last year. De Kock had been eligible for parole consideration for more than seven years. During his time in prison, he has written letters to victims' relatives begging forgiveness and cooperated with officials in recovering the bodies of those killed. | 5 | 4,935 | news |
"Game of Thrones" exploded in IMAX on Thursday night, and beyond experiencing the last two episodes of Season 4 on the giant screen, HuffPost Entertainment got to see the world premiere of the Season 5 trailer. The trailer doesn't yet have an official release date. (You can see it at the " Game of Thrones" The IMAX Experience until Thursday, Feb. 5, or on YouTube where it's already leaked.) But here's what it revealed: (Serious spoilers follow for the show and books!) Sand Snakes! Without context, you can't necessarily confirm their presence, but it appears we have a Sand Snake sighting. One uses a whip to knock a barrel off a buried man's head. (Obara, is that you?) Arya is at the doors of the House of Black and White. As predicted , Arya has finally arrived in Braavos, where in the books she goes on to join a certain legendary guild. The trailer also shows a shot of her holding her sword questioningly. Is this the end of Needle ? It looks like a certain dark dragon is back, and he's big! Tyrion and Varys have escaped safely to a new location. Varys tells Tyrion that he has "a part to play in the war to come," encouraging him to help someone else win the Iron Throne. But then Varys says, "The Seven Kingdoms needs a ruler loved by millions with a powerful army and the right family name." When Tyrion says, "Good luck finding him," Varys replies, "Who said anything about him?" OH SNAP! Littlefinger tells Sansa: "There's no justice in this world, not unless we make it. Avenge them." Tommen and Margaery's wedding. The Night's Watch appears to burn a body on a giant funeral pyre. Cersei calls Tyrion a "little monster" and seems very angry that he escaped. A not-so-happy looking Reek. (What's new?) Olenna Tyrell telling someone, "They'll never even find what's left of you." Sansa looks like she's lying down in a dark room. Maybe on a bed? Could this be her "super traumatic" scene ? Daenerys saying, "I'm not going to stop the wheel. I'm going to break the wheel." Jorah about to fight a man in what is likely Daznak's Pit , which reopens in honor of a special day for Daenerys. The golden harpy statue atop Yunkai falls and crashes to the ground. Daenerys sent Hizdahr zo Loraq to negotiate with the masters of Yunkai last season after they re-enslaved the freed men, but it looks like things aren't going too well in the next season. Oh, and the trailer is set to "Heroes," a song made famous by David Bowie. Because why not? Maybe that will be this year's tagline. Season 5 of "Game of Thrones" premieres Sunday, April 12, on HBO. | 6 | 4,936 | entertainment |
Tiger Woods is putting his poor opening round at the Phoenix Open down to getting used to his new technique | 1 | 4,937 | sports |
What would you suppose was the safer car, a Mini Cooper or a Chevrolet Suburban? Turns out it's the Cooper. That's one of the more surprising findings in a new Driver Death Rate report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This IIHS study calculated driver death rates specifically for 2011 models, using government crash-fatality data for the 2009 through 2012 calendar years. Also included were substantially identical models to the 2011s, where they existed, from prior model years. The average for the whole fleet came out at 28 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. (A registered vehicle year is one car driven for one year.) Here are some key findings: While most of what the IIHS calls mini cars did very badly, the Mini Cooper was an exception. Its death rate of 21 was way better than the rear-wheel-drive version of the Chevrolet Suburban, which had 60 deaths. Thankfully, the four-wheel-drive Suburban had a more acceptable 17. SUVs, which in general used to have a worrisome propensity to roll over, with fatal results, are now the safest vehicle type. Their overall death rate of 18 is better than that of the perennially safe minivan (23) and substantially better than midsized sedans (29). The advent of electronic stability control seems to have made a dramatic difference for many vehicles but especially for sport-utilities. The worst car was the tiny four-door Kia Rio, with a death rate of 149. Not all Kias did badly. The front-wheel drive Sorento SUV was one of nine vehicles tied for safest in the survey, racking up zero deaths in the study period. Others with a perfect record were the Audi A4 and Subaru Legacy sedans; the Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Toyota Sequoia, and Volvo XC90 SUVs; and the Honda Odyssey minivan. Besides the ill-fated Kia Rio, two other cars had a death rate over 100: the Hyundai Accent four-door and the Nissan Versa sedan. One of the worst records went to the two-door version of the wildly popular Honda Civic, with a death rate of 76. The IIHS has conducted similar death-rate studies a half dozen times since the late 1980s, but the 2015 study's overall findings are by far the most encouraging yet. The chances of dying in a crash in a late-model car have fallen by more than a third in the past three years. Eight years ago, when the IIHS looked at death rates in 2001-2004 models during calendar years 2002 through 2005, the overall death rate was 79 and no vehicles had zero deaths. If vehicles had not improved in structure and safety gear since 1985, the year 2012 alone would have seen 7,700 more driver deaths than it did, the IIHS reckons. See our complete guide to car safety. The researchers adjusted the data to minimize, so far as possible, such demographic factors as the age and sex of the driver. While all such confounding factors couldn't be isolated, the large model-to-model differences seem to have more to do with the vehicles' design and equipment than on who was driving them. (See our guide to the models with advanced safety features.) While focusing on 2011 models means that the findings aren't necessarily relevant to most 2015 models on sale now, the long-term trend of ever-improving safety technology and structural design bodes well for the newest cars. And used-car buyers may do well to take this death-rate history into account when shopping for their next set of wheels. Gordon Hard More from Consumer Reports: Worst cars of 2014 in Consumer Reports' tests 5 best used cars for teen drivers Best & worst car values Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S. | 9 | 4,938 | autos |
NASA has pushed back the launch of a satellite to study soil moisture to Saturday, so that it can perform "minor repairs" to the launch rocket. "The launch of NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) observatory, which will produce the highest-resolution maps of soil moisture ever obtained from space, has been delayed to a targeted launch date of January 31," the US space agency said on its website. NASA said that repairs to minor "de-bonds" in the rocket's booster insulation are needed before a launch, which had been set for early Friday. The new target launch time is Saturday at 9:20 am (1420 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. An earlier launch planned for Thursday was scuttled because of windy weather. The high-resolution maps that SMAP returns to scientists should help prepare for the future in which severe weather like droughts and storms are expected to become more frequent, by giving experts better tools to forecast how crops and forests will change as the planet warms. | 5 | 4,939 | news |
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Remember October? Remember when the Seattle Seahawks were standing at 3-3 and lots of fans and media were writing them off as yet another Super Bowl winner that wouldn't sustain its success? The New England Patriots went through something similar in September. The Patriots started their season with a loss at Miami and stood at 2-2 after their first month. Naturally, New England shook not only with speculation that the team - and quarterback Tom Brady - had slipped over the hill. You don't hear that much these days, as the Patriots prepare for the Seattle Seahawks and Super Bowl 49 - their sixth under the combination of Brady and coach Bill Belichick. "After we lost to Kansas City, I don't think there were many people that believed in Tom as a quarterback," defensive back Devin McCourty said. "It sounds crazy for me to say that right now, and during that week it sounded crazy for us to hear it." A lot of Patriots say they didn't hear it. "We can't really pay attention to the media, and I guarantee Seattle didn't pay attention to the media," linebacker Akeem Ayers said. "You can't worry about things you can't control, you can't worry about things people say. You just have to try to ignore the distractions off the field and be with your teammates, and just go out there and play." The Patriots did that, running off seven straight wins after the 41-14 Monday night loss at Kansas City that evened their record a month into the season. "We went to work and really concentrated on the things that were going to make us better," running back Shane Vereen said. "We didn't feel like before Week 5 that we had been playing our best football. We knew we could play a lot better. From Week 5 on, that's what we focused on and that's why were able to accomplish so much. " The Patriots ended the regular season 12-4, swept past Baltimore and Indianapolis in the playoffs, and on Sunday will play for their fourth Lombardi Trophy. SEAU TRIBUTES The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce its 2015 inductees Saturday, and one first-year finalist is linebacker Junior Seau, who ended his 20-year career as a Patriot from 2006-2009. "It's obviously got to happen," coach Bill Belichick said. "I can't imagine having a Professional Football Hall of Fame without Junior Seau in it. ... I loved coaching him, and he always expressed how much he enjoyed playing on the New England Patriots, and that meant a lot to me." Seau died in 2012 of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. "He's missed by all of his family and friends, and certainly by me and the guys that had a chance to be around him," quarterback Tom Brady said. "He was a special person. I have no doubt he'll be elected. If he can't make it, nobody can. He's truly one of a kind. It was a privilege playing with him." EXTRA POINTS Before heading out to practice, Brady said his cold symptoms are milder although not yet fully gone. "I feel pretty good," he said. "It felt good to run around." Receiver Danny Amendola also said he felt under the weather. "Whatever is going around, they need to move my locker away from Tom and away from D.A. so I won't be the next guy sick," receiver Brandon LaFell said. ... The Patriots practice report for Thursday showed limited participation by LB Dont'a Hightower (shoulder), DT Chris Jones (elbow), DL Sealver Siliga (foot), Bryan Stork (knee) and LB Akeem Ayers (knee). ... There was another report of fire alarms going off in the Patriots hotel about 4 p.m. Thursday, although that was news to a handful of interviewed players who said they must have slept through it. Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808 | 1 | 4,940 | sports |
U.S. consumer sentiment rose in January to its highest level in 11 years on better job and wage prospects, a survey released on Friday showed. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final January reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment came in at 98.1, its best showing on a final basis since January 2004 and the latest in a string of increases since August. The reading was up from 93.6 the month before but slightly under the preliminary reading of 98.2, which was also the median forecast of among economists polled by Reuters. "Consumers judged prospects for the national economy as the best in a decade, with half of all consumers expecting the economic expansion will continue for another five years," said Richard Curtin, the survey's director. "While renewed strength in consumer spending will boost the pace of economic growth in 2015, most consumers are counting only on modest income gains during the years ahead. Without sufficient wage gains, consumers will be forced to demand large price discounts to complete their purchases, adding to disinflationary pressures." The survey's barometer of current economic conditions rose to 109.3 from 104.8 in December, versus a forecast of 108 and a preliminary read of 108.3. The survey's gauge of consumer expectations climbed to 91 from December's reading of 86.4, though it was below the preliminary January of 91.6. Analysts were looking for a reading of 91.5. The survey's one-year inflation expectation was 2.5 percent, compared with 2.8 percent in December. | 3 | 4,941 | finance |
NEW YORK Wall Street went wild for burgers Friday. Shares of Shake Shack, a burger chain that started as a New York City hot dog cart, more than doubled in their first day of trading. The company raised $105 million in its initial public offering Thursday, selling 5 million shares at $21 per share. It had initially forecast that its shares would fetch $14 to $16 per share from investors, and raised that prediction to $17 to $19 per share on Wednesday as demand grew. Shake Shack is known for its burgers, milkshakes and crinkle-cut fries. Its journey from a hot dog cart in Manhattan's Madison Square Park to Wall Street started in 2001. Three years later, Union Square Hospitality Group, a company owned by restaurateur Danny Meyer, opened a kiosk in the same park. Restaurants throughout New York City followed, and in 2010, it ventured out of its hometown for the first time with a Miami restaurant. It now has 63 locations, mostly on the East Coast, with plans for more. Shares of Shake Shack Inc. rose $24.90, or 119 percent, to close at $45.90 Friday, valuing the small chain at more than $1.6 billion. Here's what you need to know about the burger joint's sizzling debut: WHY DID THE STOCK POP? Shake Shack feeds into investors' growing appetite for restaurants that are quick but also serve food consumers think is healthier or fresher than what a fast-food chain offers. Americans' tastes have been changing. They are trading fast-food joints, such as McDonald's, for ones that tout their fresh ingredients, such as burrito chain Chipotle. Shake Shack's IPO comes on the same week McDonald's Corp. announced it is replacing CEO Don Thompson with its chief brand officer, Steve Easterbrook. The world's largest burger chain has been struggling with falling sales as it faces completion from smaller rivals, such as Shake Shack and Five Guys. Shake Shack cooks its burgers to order and promotes its use of natural ingredients, including hormone- and antibiotic-free beef. Long lines are common, and guests are given vibrating pagers that signal when an order is ready. Investors view these types of restaurants, known as "fast-casual" chains, as a fast-growing sector. Many tend to be regional chains that plan to expand around the country. Another likely reason for the huge demand: Shake Shack's New York roots. "There isn't anyone on Wall Street who hasn't tried their burgers and shakes," said Kathleen Smith, principal at Renaissance Capital, an exchange-traded fund manager that focuses on IPOs. "It's a local favorite." IN GOOD COMPANY Other restaurant chains that went public over the past year also had huge first-day gains. Burger chain The Habit Restaurants Inc. soared 120 percent in its November debut. Chicken chain El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. jumped 60 percent in July and Mediterranean-style restaurant chain Zoe's Kitchen Inc. popped 65 percent in its April debut. SMALL CHAIN, BIG FOLLOWING Shake Shack's locations are mostly along the East Coast, but its brand has grown beyond that, thanks to social media, TV appearances and some well-known fans. President Barack Obama has dropped by a Shake Shack near the White House. "Saturday Night Live," ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," and other TV shows have featured the burgers. And Shake Shack's fans on social media have swelled. It has 148,000 followers on photo- and video-sharing app Instagram, about 2,000 more than Chipotle. CEO Randy Garutti said being based in New York helped turn Shake Shack into a global brand. There are now Shake Shacks in London, Istanbul and Moscow. WHAT'S NEXT The company wants to use money from the IPO to open more stores. The plan is to eventually have about 450 locations, according to the company's filling with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ten locations will open this year, Garutti said, including its first in Austin, Texas. Others are coming to Orlando, Florida and Baltimore, he said. | 3 | 4,942 | finance |
Adam Parker, chief U.S. equity strategist, Morgan Stanley, discusses earning so far, and says they're about what he expected. He sees 6 percent earnings as a base case for the year. | 3 | 4,943 | finance |
A new 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Teaser is released giving a behind the scenes glance at more steamy action. As John Basedow (@JohnBasedow) reports, Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) has Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) eating right out of her hand and director Sam Taylor-Johnson talks about the making of the kinky businessman's palatial apartment. | 8 | 4,944 | video |
A 2014 season which began for Stan Wawrinka with an Australian Open triumph and ended with Davis Cup glory finally caught up with the Swiss at Melbourne Park on Friday as he was left "mentally completely dead". The fourth seed's title defence fizzled out in a low quality 7-6(1) 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-0 semi-final loss to world number one Novak Djokovic and Wawrinka admitted he was simply running on empty. "I told my coach before the match and yesterday that I was mentally completely dead and no battery," he told reporters. "Tough to focus on what I want to do. Tough to focus on my game. And that's what happened." The 29-year-old Wawrinka had entered the match after a clinical destruction of Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals, but both he and the Serb appeared flat on Rod Laver Arena on Friday, with neither anywhere near the level expected for a semi-final. The pair had played two epic five set encounters over the last two Australian Open tournaments, with the winner eventually going on to clinch the title. Wawrinka, however, said his maiden grand slam win 12 months ago, which was the springboard for a season best three titles and a first Davis Cup triumph with Switzerland, may have contributed to the insipid end to his Melbourne Park title defence. "It was mentally that I'm paying the price to finish off the season with Davis Cup, not having a bigger off-season," Wawrinka said. Given how he was feeling, Wawrinka did not expect the match to go the full distance. "I'm surprised we went five sets again, even if the last one was 10 minutes," he said with a wry grin in reference to the 6-0 scoreline, even though the set lasted 36 minutes. "For sure we had some great battles here last two years (but) today was strange match. "We didn't play our best tennis, that's for sure (and) there was as a lot of up and down, a lot of mistakes and everything. "But, again, it's like that. He was there. He was stronger tonight ... he was playing good enough to win and he deserved to win and play the final." (Editing by Pritha Sarkar) | 1 | 4,945 | sports |
US rap star Jay Z will make a $56-million foray into the music streaming business by taking over the Norwegian service Wimp, its shareholders confirmed Friday. The platinum-selling artist and record producer Jay Z used his controlling stake in Project Panther Bidco to launch the 464-million-kronor ($56-million, 49-million-euro) bid for Aspiro, the Swedish-listed company behind Wimp. "I think they will be a better owner to lift Aspiro and its advanced music streaming service to a new level," said Trond Berger, the financial director of Norwegian media group Shibsted, currently Aspiro's majority owner. He said in a statement that Jay Z's company "has adequate financial resources and a high level of competence in the music industry". At the end of the third quarter 2014, Wimp said it had 512,000 paying users in Germany, Poland and the Nordic countries. That is a far cry from the its Nordic rival Spotify, a pioneer in the streaming music business. The unlisted company boasted 15 million paying subscribers in mid-January and is available in more than 60 countries. Spotify has hired US bank Goldman Sachs to raise around $500 million (440 million euros) in a new round of funding, the Financial Times reported Friday, pushing back a stock-exchange listing for the Swedish startup that analysts have long said is around the corner. Spotify declined to comment on the report. In addition to producing records Jay Z has branched out into fashion and last year bought the champagne brand Armand de Brignac that boasts an ace of spades on its label. | 3 | 4,946 | finance |
What's good for the U.S. economy right now is not necessarily good for stocks, market watcher Bob Doll told CNBC on Friday the last trading session in a very volatile January. Lower oil prices and a stronger dollar are historically perceived as positives for the economy. But both trends are hurting corporate earnings in the latest quarter and therefore the stock market, Nuveen Asset Management's chief equity strategist said in a " Squawk Box " interview. "The hit to energy and related earnings from declining oil prices is nearly immediate," he said. "The benefit to everybody else, consumers in particular, is stretched out over time." That's what is so confusing to investors, he added. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) and S&P 500 (.SPX) each would have to gain about 2 percent on Friday for the indexes to make it back to breakeven for the month, which investors watch closely because of the old adage "as January goes, so goes the year." Coming into 2015, Doll said he had thought expectations for 8 percent to 10 percent earnings growth for the year was a tall order. "The numbers have come down a little bit in the wake of the further decline in oil prices and the rise in the dollar," he said. "They are headwinds." But he thinks the Federal Reserve should still increase interest rates this year. "I think it's this year in part because they're starting at zero." "We got to zero [rates] because of an emergency. The emergency, in my judgment, is long passed," he said. "They need to get rates where they belong relative to the economy, which is low but not zero." | 3 | 4,947 | finance |
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has revealed that the Old Trafford outfit will not look to bring in any more new signings in the January transfer window. The Red Devils completed the signing of Victor Valdes earlier in the month on an 18-month contract and have been heavily linked with a number of players including Mats Hummels and Aymeric Laporte. However, the former Barcelona and Netherlands coach has admitted that he is now only looking to sell players, while he also believes the window only helps the richer clubs as they look to improve their squads mid season. "I don't think it's favorable for the league because it's a little bit unfair," he told reporters. "You start a league and then you change your team the richer clubs can do that and it's not fair for others. But that's the rule and you can take benefit of it. "I read every day that I or United are interested in other players. We only have under contract now Victor Valdes. We gave him a chance. We are only selling players, not buying them." Anderson and Adnan Januzaj have both been mooted as possible departures from the club before the deadline on Feb. 2 while Van Gaal revealed Darren Fletcher is in talks with West Ham over a possible move. | 1 | 4,948 | sports |
As the 2016 GOP presidential primaries get closer, many conservatives have been growing increasingly hopeful that this will be finally the year they determine their party's nominee. It's a tall order. The Tea Party has shown it can push GOP politicians to the right and win one-off Senate primaries. But taking on the establishment in an expensive, months-long slog of primaries and caucuses across the country is a more difficult proposition. Even when Mitt Romney looked weak in 2012, the Tea Party didn't manage to coalesce around a viable alternative. This time, things feel different candidates like Scott Walker and Marco Rubio, who could appeal to Tea Partiers but also potentially win the general election, are considering bids. The establishment could have difficulty anointing one favored candidate if they're split among Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and Mitt Romney. And in a recent post at the Mischiefs of Faction blog , political scientist Jason McDaniel of San Francisco State University posits that the Tea Party conservatives will eventually unite around one candidate: Walker. But while this is an intriguing scenario, there are still reasons to be skeptical. The large field makes coordination difficult and may contain several candidates that appeal to distinctive factions of the right but turn off others. And there's that big question of which candidates are more likely to beat Hillary Clinton. Here are five obstacles that could, yet again, prevent the Tea Party from getting its way. 1) Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum could win Christian right support Tea Party conservatives which I'm defining broadly here, to include various conservative groups and voters who are frequently critical of the GOP establishment and aren't predominantly motivated by religious issues are most successful in elections when they agree with the Christian right. When they differ on which candidate is best, the vote of the right is split and strange things can happen like the plurality victory of Todd Akin in the 2012 Missouri Senate primary, a Christian right candidate who actually wasn't supported by Tea Party groups . So the likely presence of both Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum in the race is a problem for the Tea Party. Both are proven vote-getters among the Christian right that the Tea Party and business wings of the GOP and, likely, general election voters have little love for. (Huckabee is despised by anti-tax groups like the Club for Growth, while Santorum wants to play up family values issues more than economics .) And in their previous runs for president, both stayed in the race for quite a while after most pundits wrote them off and won several states. The upshot of this is that, if Huckabee or Santorum proves popular among strongly religious conservatives again, any "anti-establishment" vote could be split among a Christian right candidate and a Tea Party candidate. And if either of these past Iowa caucus winners manages another early state win, he'll likely remain in the race for quite a while helping prevent the rise of a Tea Party-backed challenger like Walker. 2) Rand Paul is an odd fit When Rand Paul first took on the establishment in his 2010 run for Senate, he was frequently referred to as a Tea Party challenger. But by 2014, it had become "clearer and clearer that this [Tea Party] label doesn't really fit," Aaron Blake wrote last year . For the most part, Paul seemed uninterested in serving up red meat to the base instead challenging favorite talking points (" amnesty is a word that's trapped us ," he said last year), and emphasizing how the party has "to reach out to more people." And while Paul's votes remain quite conservative on most issues, he's frequently crossed party lines to work with Democrats. During the 2012 primaries, Rand's father Ron Paul had a dedicated core of supporters he won 21 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses and 22 percent in New Hampshire. The more mainstream Rand could build on those totals and win a plurality victory in an early caucus or primary. But what would happen next? It doesn't seem impossible that the Tea Party could coalesce behind Rand Paul. But his personal style and occasional ideological deviations ( especially on foreign policy ) make him an odd fit. My view is that a strong showing by Paul would most likely lead to a split the anti-establishment vote (as with Huckabee and Santorum) and make the ultimate victory of an establishment candidate more likely. 3) The vast number of candidates will make coordination difficult Basically every Republican seems to be running for president. The people preparing to run include establishment favorites, rising stars, self-promoters, and has-beens RNC Chairman Reince Priebus currently has a list of 24 potential candidates, as Dan Balz and Phil Rucker reported . Many of these candidates may opt against a run and others might drop out before the Iowa caucuses due to lack of support but the more candidates there are, the more difficult it will be for the Tea Party to coordinate around one. Possible candidates who will court the support of this wing of the party include Scott Walker, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry, and Mike Pence. The question of when candidates drop out will be crucial to determining the Tea Party's success. Dave Weigel has written that the Tea Party could succeed by "minimizing possible spoilers and locating a white knight. It might take until South Carolina or Florida, but if only one candidate is left by then a Ted Cruz, a Rand Paul, a Scott Walker he'd be in a stronger position than any insurgent since Ronald Reagan in 1976." Yet when there are so many candidates running, some may not be so amenable to dropping out quickly especially those with anti-establishment dispositions. And if a Tea Partier misses the chance to make a splash by winning Iowa or New Hampshire, it may be too late. (Bill Clinton is the only modern presidential nominee who didn't win either of those states, but the Iowa caucuses were basically meaningless in 1992 because home state senator Tom Harkin was running.) 4) Immigration is a fraught issue Unauthorized immigration is an issue that hugely matters to Tea Party voters. When Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williamson interviewed Tea Party activists across the nation, they found that "immigration was always a central, and sometimes the central, concern" they expressed. It's the biggest hot-button topic that divides the GOP's elites from its base, and it was a factor in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's primary defeat last year. Yet many potential Tea Party favorite candidates have avoided or downright contradicted the Tea Party on this issue. These include establishment favorites like Jeb Bush . But also, Marco Rubio, once a Tea Party favorite who successfully challenged establishment favorite Charlie Crist, ended up co-authoring the Senate immigration reform bill and losing the trust of the Tea Party right. Scott Walker, too frequently posited as an electable figure the Tea Party could rally around has flirted with support for legalizing the status of unauthorized immigrants. And Rand Paul worked with a pro-immigration reform group last year to try to pass a Republican bill though he voted against the Senate's bipartisan compromise. The one well-known candidate who's been most consistent and outspoken in his opposition to immigration reform is Ted Cruz. "Immigration is a highly salient issue on which Cruz can cut down virtually the entire field," Mickey Kaus of the Daily Caller writes. "If Cruz gets all the GOP's anti-amnesty voters while the other 27 candidates split the GOP's gotta-please-Latinos vote, he will win by a large margin." 5) Tea Party conservatives may not agree on who is electable Yet the flip side of purity on immigration may be electability. After two terms of a Democratic president, many conservatives including Tea Partiers will surely be eager to find a candidate who can actually win the general election. A position on immigration that alienates Hispanics could complicate the GOP's electoral math in swing states like Florida. And candidates with other hard-right positions could alienate moderates more generally. So if many Tea Party conservatives conclude that a certain candidate is unelectable, they might instead support one whose positions on the issues aren't quite what they'd like. Accordingly, enthusiasm for Cruz seen as a far-right bomb-thrower has been muted even among ideologically conservative elites. For instance, Jim Geraghty of National Review wrote this week that Cruz "will easily get elected President of Conservative America," but lists him as a second-tier candidate due to his lack of appeal to moderates. But the establishment may face some difficulty arguing that their candidates are more electable. Of the current two favorites, one is the brother of an unpopular former president, and the other is a widely mocked general election loser. Plus, as several candidates will surely bring up, party elites called Ronald Reagan too conservative to win as late as March 1980 and Reagan, of course, proved them quite wrong. So it's too early to say what conclusions Tea Party conservatives will draw about electability or whether they'll be willing to take a risk on a very conservative candidate. But the issue is yet another thorny problem that will confront the Tea Partiers as they struggle to get the presidential candidate of their dreams. We'll see how they manage to resolve it. | 5 | 4,949 | news |
Shake Shack's debut on the New York Stock Exchange was greeted with a feeding frenzy, as shares rocketed 130% higher Friday morning. Shares opened at $47, a 124% pop, climbed above $52 in opening trading before dipping back to $48.77 for a 132% advance. The New York-based burger chain raised $105 million in its initial public offering Thursday evening, selling 5 million shares at $21 apiece. That price easily topped the most-recently planned $17-$19 range, itself an increase from the $14-$16 range in the company's initial filing, but given the opening double it's clear the restaurant chain could have been even more aggressive on pricing. With underwriters holding an option to buy another 750,000 shares, the total deal proceeds are likely to rise above $120 million. At its IPO price, Shake Shack carried a $745 million valuation. Friday morning's impressive debut boosted the fortune of founder and Chairman Danny Meyer. The restaurateur, who owns 21% of the company, or about 7.4 million shares, saw his stake, worth $156 million at the offering price, swell to $350 million. Other shareholders reaping the benefits Friday: private equity firm Leonard Green, Select Equity Group, Alliance Consumer Growth, Jeff Flug a Shake Shack board member who serves as president of Union Square Hospitality Group, the parent company of Meyer's other restaurant ventures and CEO Randy Garutti. Shake Shack's offering is the latest from a small, fast-growing restaurant chain aiming to grab market share in a crowded industry, and its opening surge should come as little surprise. According to data provider Ipreo, each of the 11 restaurant operators to come public since the start of 2012 has ended its first day in positive territory. In fact, only one of those chains Ignite Restaurant Group, which operates Joe's Crab Shack and Romano's Macaroni Grill currently trades below its offer price. The rest of the group has had varying degrees of success. Potbelly is up less than 2% from its offer price, but IPO buyers had their chance to exit with profits after the stock popped 120% on its first day of trading. Better long-term bets thus far have included Outback Steakhouse parent Bloomin' Brands (up 131% from its offer price), Zoe's Kitchen (up 111%), Dave & Buster's Entertainment (79%) and El Pollo Loco Holdings (79%). Perhaps most relevant to Shake Shack has been the strong after-market performance of fellow burger chain The Habit Restaurants. Habit raised a similar amount of money ($103.5 million) in November 2014 and doubled on day one. But even since retreating from that level the stock has held onto the bulk of its initial gains, posting an 83% after-market return over the last two and a half months. There a number of reasons why fast-casual restaurant chains have been popular with investors. Tepid economic growth and the high unemployment rate of recent years have households strapped for cash to spend on more elaborate dining, while at the same time consumers are seeking healthier options than the old standbys like McDonald's, Wendy's or Yum! Brands' KFC. But the bigger from the investment perspective encompasses all of those, and really amounts to "the chase for the next Chipotle." Chipotle Mexican Grill has made investors a mint since it was spun out of former parent McDonald's in a 2006 IPO. The traders, fund managers and average investors clamoring for Shake Shack shares Friday no doubt have something like the same in mind. | 3 | 4,950 | finance |
Every year, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight or get healthier. Historically, it's the most popular New Year's resolution , ranking above financial or other personal goals. This year is no different. In a Nielsen poll, 37 percent of respondents resolved to "stay fit and healthy" in 2015, and 32 percent resolved to lose weight this year. And if you think nobody makes resolutions anymore, think again only 16 percent of respondents said they wouldn't be doing so. So if you're someone with weight loss or a healthy lifestyle in mind for 2015, make sure you do it right. That means eating right and getting exercise, of course, but it also means making smart choices for the new, healthier you. Here are some things you'll want to avoid to stay healthy and on track toward your goals. Tainted Pills The Food and Drug Administration recently posted a warning to consumers about weight-loss products, most notably diet pills. The warning says many weight-loss products are marketed as simple dietary supplements but are actually tainted with unlisted prescription medications. These ingredients might assist in weight loss for a time, but if you don't know what's going in your body and something goes wrong, your doctor will have a much harder time treating the problem. Drugs that have been found in these products include seizure medications, blood pressure medications and antidepressants, according to Jason Humbert, a senior regulatory manager at the FDA. FDA tests have found traces of fluoxetine, the active ingredient in Prozac, as well as sibutramine, the main ingredient in prescription weight-loss aid Meridia. Having a prescription weight-loss drug in your diet pill might not seem like a problem, but in this case it is. Meridia lost its FDA approval and was pulled from the market in 2010 amid concerns that it could contribute to heart problems and strokes. Some weight-loss products also contained unlisted triamterene, a diuretic that can have serious side effects. The FDA keeps a running list of all tainted weight-loss products on the agency's website. Products Promoted as "Natural" By putting the label "natural" on a product, marketers are trying to give it credibility. Shoppers typically think that if something is natural, it's safe. But as with tainted diet pills, the risk with natural supplements is that they're unregulated. "It is the company's responsibility to make sure its products are safe and that any claims made about such products are true," the FDA says. Not all things found in nature are safe, and neither are all natural diet aids. The FDA has received "numerous reports of harm associated with the use of weight-loss products, including increased blood pressure, heart palpitations (a pounding or racing heart), stroke, seizure and death." Only when it gets such complaints will the FDA investigate and, if necessary, take steps to remove these products from the market. The most natural way to lose weight is to take in fewer calories than you burn, but that's easier said than done. If you're bent on using pills to help lose weight, talk to your doctor first. For those who are obese or overweight and have a weight-related medical condition, there are FDA-approved prescription medications available that may be safer. Misleading Presumptions So maybe you're not looking for a pill, and you want to achieve your goals on your own. In every corner of the Internet, you can find information on diet and fitness from self-proclaimed experts who may or may not have your best interests at heart. Further, even those who really do want to help often get their facts wrong or overstate research with conflicting findings. For example, we're often told to set realistic goals and to avoid losing weight quickly to achieve the best results. To test those common beliefs and 17 others, researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted an exhaustive review of weight-loss studies in 2014. It took 24 researchers to look at hundreds of studies, and some of their findings, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , were surprising. The researchers found that losing weight quickly at the start of a diet had a motivational effect, not a detrimental one. And when it comes to goals, some studies showed that unrealistically high goals were actually associated with more weight loss, while others showed no correlation. They also found that weighing yourself daily is associated with better results than weighing yourself less frequently, even though many weight-loss gurus advise against daily weigh-ins. The researchers also found mixed evidence for other common beliefs, and called for more research to support or refute them. Among them: that eating breakfast protects against obesity , that eating close to bedtime contributes to weight gain and that "yo-yo" dieting increases mortality risk. So far, these claims have yet to be proved definitively. Promises of Miracles Whether it's a pill, a book, a new diet or a new exercise program, it's probably not a miracle. So even though it can be tempting to believe your next solution will be your last, think critically before purchasing especially if the price is high. Any time you're asked to shell out a lot of money upfront for a product that promises quick or amazing results, consider the probability that it's just not true. Some phrases and terminology should raise a red flag. Among them: "Quick and effective!" "Scientific breakthrough" "Lose weight without exercising!" "Totally safe" "Lose 10 pounds in 10 days!" "Keep eating all your favorite foods!" "Blocks fat absorption in the body" "Miracles" in weight loss are, at best, rare. The truth is there's no magic bullet , and some products claiming to be one may actually be dangerous to unknowing consumers. Don't let yourself be one of them. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 7 | 4,951 | health |
It's no secret around these parts that the Rays have certain pitching philosophies, and that those philosophies tend to proliferate through the staff. The changeup is the classic example, thrown to either-handed batter and to either side of the plate by Rays pitchers. The staff favors the knuckle curve and often eschews the slider. When James Shields roamed these parts, the pick-off move was a weapon, and his motion was duplicated by several other pitchers. The most recent trend, however, is rising fastballs located high in the zone. In fact, in our discussion on what makes a " True Ray " pitcher, rising fastballs were part of that moniker. As the Rays adjust to the game, they value aspects of pitching that might be undervalued by the market. The deepening strike zone has led many teams to value players who can attack the bottom of the zone (Yankees and Red Sox have each latched onto this concept). Therefore, the Rays have gone in the opposite direction, prioritizing pitches that "rise" -- which is to say, don't fall as much as batters are used to seeing -- and locating them to maximum effect at the upper edge of the zone. These trends come in phases, and eventually the national media takes notice. In this case, it's Jeff Sullivan over at FanGraphs who zeroed in on the topic with the Rays' minor league signing of Everett Teaford. You can be forgiven for asking, "Who?" It wasn't a heralded signing. I'm not sure we covered it on this site anywhere outside the comment section. The former Royals reliever has pitched a mere 106 innings at the MLB level since 2011, and then traveled to Korea for the 2014 season where he was about league average. But when you pull up the data on his pitch movement, you see a typical Rays thing: a vertical fastball movement that tops ten inches on gun. Sullivan did a lot of leg work running with this observation, and there's a few things I'd like to call your attention to. First of all, as Sullivan notes, there are 17 names on the Rays' pitching depth chart, and only three of them don't have fastball movement that tops ten inches (league average is just below nine): Kirby Yates, whose fastball can touch 95 but settled in at league average vertical movement last season, prospect C.J. Riefenhauser whom we only have late season data for, and the recently acquired Burch Smith, who relies on deception in his throwing motion. We have limited data on Smith, but it's worth noting his three most recent performances at the Arizona Fall League featured a fastball that stayed high . You can watch that fastball at work here . Smith is still sporting his Padres jersey, as this performance was prior to the Wil Myers trade, but he uses that fastball on three occasions to stay above the swinging bat of Yankees prospect Dante Bichette Jr., resulting in a strikeout. If Smith is able to do that to major league hitters, he might earn the fifth starter's job out of Spring Training and banish Alex Colome to the 'pen earlier than expected. All of that is to say, the three Rays on the depth chart below 10" vertical movement might be working to change that rather soon. And as Sullivan notes, the Rays have been jettisoning the players who didn't adjust. He explains by using the league average of 48% high fastballs as a dividing line for the staff: 16 of 23 Rays topped the league average [in 2014]. Cesar Ramos didn't, and he's gone. Jeremy Hellickson didn't, and he's gone. Juan Carlos Oviedo didn't, and he's gone. Brandon Gomes didn't, and he was designated for assignment. Of the 16 Rays who topped the average, 15 topped it by a fairly broad margin. Jake Odorizzi led the way, at 71% high fastballs. Even Alex Cobb and Chris Archer elevated heat, even though they primarily feature sinkers. Even a running fastball can work as an elevated fastball, according to the Rays' apparent belief. The exception here would be the recently traded Joel Peralta, whose fastball was rising. His replacement in depth, Jose Dominguez, has a lot of heat but hasn't exhibited that same movement just yet, but he probably will be working on it shortly. Sullivan has much and more to say on the topic, quoting Jim Hickey on high fastball use, showing differences in high fastball rates for pitchers before and after Rays careers (Drew Smyly increased his high fastball use from 50% to 66% after his acquisition), and noting flyball rates based on standard diviations of vertical movement. It's a good read, and you should check it out. The main take away is that the Rays love the elevated fastball right now, and that's intentional given the pitchers' park they play in. Look for more of the same in 2015. | 1 | 4,952 | sports |
PHILADELPHIA Professional wrestling star Mick Foley was ejected from the Wing Bowl eating contest Friday after stuffing uneaten chicken wings into a fanny pack. People following the event on social media dubbed Foley's attempt at boosting his wing total "inflate gate," a play on the Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots' deflated football controversy. Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti won with a Wing Bowl record 444 wings in 26 minutes. He edged out 2014 champion Molly Schuyler, of Bellevue, Nebraska, who eclipsed her record 363-wing mark with 440 wings. The fan-favorite Foley, who's known in the ring as Mankind, said after his ouster that he didn't want to overstuff himself and get sick, like other competitors. "I didn't want that to be my legacy," said Foley. "So I stretched the rules. I thought people would appreciate that, right here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania!" Wing Bowl started in 1993 as a way for Philadelphia's long-suffering sports fans to blow off steam before the Super Bowl. About 20,000 people gathered at the Wells Fargo Arena home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers to drink beer and watch scantily clad women serve competitors wings. | 5 | 4,953 | news |
With the first month of the new year coming to a close, it's clear that 2015 is shaping up to be quite different from the smooth, easy climb investors enjoyed in 2013 and 2014. As recently as late December, the market optimism seemed indefatigable as stocks powered to new record highs on hopes for new stimulus from the European Central Bank, solid U.S. economic data and a strengthening tailwind to consumer spending from the collapse of energy prices. Now, four weeks later, the sky has darkened. Stocks have returned to their mid-December lows, with a retest of the October lows which represented the most severe selloff since 2011 looking likely. Why? First, investors are losing faith with the lynchpin of this bull market: The belief in the omnipotence of the world's central bankers. Plus, Greece is riling up the global financial establishment once again. Corporate profits and outlooks have included some serious disappointments as oil keeps falling to fresh lows and currency market volatility depresses the value of repatriated foreign earnings. Government bond yields are collapsing into negative territory in some areas as part of a flight to safe havens, suggesting bond traders are bracing for a deflation scare later this year. On top of all that, a weaker-than-expected U.S. durable goods report suggested that the slowdowns in Europe and Asia might be having an effect here at home. Orders dropped 3.4 percent in December, marking the fourth consecutive contraction and the worst reading since August. In 2012 and 2013, the market uptrend rose out of the ashes of the fiscal cliff scare and relief over the results of the last Greek election, with plenty of help from global central bankers who locked arms and unleashed a wave of stimulus. ECB chief Mario Draghi made his "whatever it takes" promise in July 2012. The Federal Reserve unveiled its "QE3" bond-buying program that September. And "Abenomics" kicked in after Japan's December 2012 election, with the Bank of Japan unleashing the most aggressive use of cheap money stimulus so far, including the purchases of both stocks and bonds. Related: The Bond Market Is Warning of Huge Trouble Ahead Now consider where we are today. The Syriza party in Greece is demanding debt restructuring and rallying against Europe's creditor bloc, led by Germany. For their part, the "troika" of the European Union, the ECB and the International Monetary Fund believes Athens will blink first. A showdown is coming as the Greek crisis that first appeared five years ago enters its final act. Global central banks are looking less intimidating after a series of apparent missteps. The Federal Reserve this week recommitted to its mid-2015 window for hiking rates for the first time since 2006, largely dismissing global turmoil to focus on the ongoing tightening of the U.S. job market. Investors feel left out in the cold by Fed Chair Janet Yellen's emphasizing economic fundamentals over market sentiment, as she well should. The European Central Bank's eagerly anticipated "Euro-QE" announcement was a dud, with both the size and amount of risk sharing between countries less than overhwleming. The Bank of Japan's yen-destruction strategy still isn't bearing fruit. And, in response to currency volatility, smaller central banks in places like Switzerland, Denmark and Canada have all made surprise moves in recent weeks. Also weighing on sentiment has been the ongoing disappointment with the fourth-quarter earnings season. With just over 16 percent of S&P 500 companies on the books as of Friday, the overall earnings growth rate stands at 0.2 percent vs. 1.7 percent at the end of the quarter according to FactSet data. Drags include the impact of the stronger dollar on foreign profits, overseas weakness and the drop in energy prices. Although these factors were known heading into the reporting season, the actual impact on results has been more severe than expected, shattering expectations formed by years of seemingly unstoppable corporate profitability that results would always and forever surprise to the upside. According to FactSet, S&P 500 earnings per share growth expectations for 2015 stand at 4.9 percent, down from 8.6 percent earlier this month. Moreover, expected revenue growth has been cut in half to 1.5 percent. Technically, stocks are looking vulnerable here, too, as the S&P 500 falls through the 2,000 level to settle at the low end of its two-month trading range. Yet breadth, or the number of stocks in uptrends, has dropped back to early November lows. That suggests that while the overall market is trying to hang onto recent levels, a further breakdown looks likely. You can already see the fragility of the situation in the dramatic, gapped declines in major blue-chip stocks over the past week including moves by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT), Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), and Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO). In response, I've recommended clients embrace a more defensive posture including long bets on volatility. For the more conservative, consider simply raising the cash allocation in your portfolios. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Shake Shack IPO: Everything You Need to Know Super Bowl XLIX Is Already Setting Records How Plunging Oil Prices Could Create Economic Upheaval | 3 | 4,954 | finance |
We're admiring a luxe line of 84 exterior paint colors from London-based Marston-Langinger, a manufacturer of bespoke conservatories, greenhouses, and (should you need something a bit more specialized) orangeries. Formulated to look their best outdoors, the Exterior Eggshell colors have been mixed to reflect sunlight without glare. "Exterior Eggshell possesses such remarkable chroma (color intensity) that it appears to radiate color, and the range of tones you will see in different lights is positively beguiling," Marston-Langinger promises. Which of the 84 colors would you like for your front door? Above: Marston-Langinger's 84 colors of Exterior Eggshell paints are available in three sizes 1-liter, 2.5-liter, and 5-liter cans at prices that range from £25 to £89.50 (£71.60 exclusive of VAT). Above: A facade and door painted in Charlbury with window trim painted in Parchment. Sample pots are £5 apiece from Marston-Langinger. Above: A facade and window trim painted in Granite; £5 for a sample pot from Marston-Langinger. Above: Marston-Langinger's line of 84 paint colors also is available in two interior finishes, Interior Eggshell and Chalky Interior Matt (shown). | 4 | 4,955 | lifestyle |
South Korea made headlines in the beginning of January when it announced a five-year plan to enact a ban on animal testing of cosmetic products. That announcement follows similar bans by India and Europe, which puts a lot of pressure on the U.S. to follow suit. While most people agree that testing cosmetics on animals seems unnecessarily cruel, it's going to be complicated to get a ban here, thanks to a combination of science, economics and politics. Contrary to some of the propaganda you see out there, most beauty companies really do want to be able to move away from animal testing. Pretty much every expert I spoke to on both sides of the issue agreed on this point. Animal testing is expensive, it can be imprecise, and to take a cynical view, it can also be a PR nightmare for a company. Brands like Caudalie and Urban Decay discovered this a few years ago when they announced plans to sell in China, a country which has a mandatory animal testing law for cosmetics. The public backlash was brutal. The U.S. has many resources committed to researching alternatives to animal testing. The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins is at the forefront of the science, and it receives funding from private cosmetics companies, philanthropy and grants from governmental agencies like the NIH. Thanks to the CAAT's research, there are a number of tests that can substitute for animal testing now. "We have progress on eye irritation, skin irritation, skin erosion, and phototoxicity. Skin sensitization is coming soon," Dr. Thomas Hartung, the director of the CAAT, says. But there are limitations. According to Perry Romanowski, a cosmetic chemist and a co-founder of The Beauty Brains , there are no laboratory tests yet that can replicate the results of what happens when a chemical is inhaled (although Dr. Hartung says there has been promising research on artificial lungs coming out of Harvard) or to predict whether a substance will cause cancer, for example. So how are Europe and other countries able to get around all this? It's all about grandfathered chemicals. According to Dr. Hartung, there is a list of about 11,000 ingredients in Europe on the so-called "safe list." These are chemicals whose safety has been verified already, so there's a general consensus that they're safe to use in new formulations. But there's still a legacy of animal testing there. "When you see a brand that says they're cruelty free and they never test on animals, that could be true, but they're using ingredients that were tested on animals years ago," Romanowski explains. There are also a few loopholes. Most beauty companies buy chemicals from manufacturers, some of which definitely test on animals. Chemicals that come from industries other than the beauty industry are also fair game. "While [animal testing] has been banned for cosmetics in Europe, it hasn't been banned for pharmaceuticals or manufacturing or other chemical industries," says Romanowski. "A lot of new anti-aging skin care actives are things that were taken from the pharmaceutical realm and they've been used in cosmetics." Kim Paschen, a representative at Leaping Bunny , a not-for-profit that has a rigorous system for certifying brands as cruelty-free, says they also have a stipulation for this and will certify companies if they meet the other requirements. But obviously the limitations in non-animal testing could affect the use of new chemicals. In the beauty industry, buzzwords like "innovative" are used constantly, and consumers always want the hot new miracle product. With an animal testing ban, innovation could be stalled. "All [companies will] do is take current formulas and change the fragrance and coloring and packaging and call them new, but they won't be new," Romanowski says. Francine Lamoriello, the executive vice president of the Council's Global Affairs at the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC) , an industry trade group, agrees. "If there was something innovative where the safety could not be completely verified by alternatives, then yes, an [animal testing] ban worldwide would prevent that innovation from being produced on the market," she says. Obviously it's an issue for companies, because if you don't innovate, you won't sell product. This fast pace of innovation has scientists racing to keep up, with various levels of success. "There's an economic force to do something different. It's an industry of permanent turnover," the CAAT's Dr. Hartung says. "You don't want tests that take a couple of years." Lamoriello is also quick to point out that safety is a priority for the cosmetics industry. "I'm hopeful the endpoints will be developed at a similar pace to new innovations, but clearly the first priority has to be the safety of the ingredients and the products," she says. John Hurson, the executive vice president of government affairs at the PCPC, suggests that the FDA is partially to blame for the roadblock in verifying the accuracy of non-animal alternatives. " The FDA hasn't approved many alternative testing methods that would satisfy their requirements on the safety of certain ingredients," he says. The FDA declined to provide a representative to speak to this issue, and instead pointed me to its statement on animal and cosmetics testing . The FDA doesn't require animal testing, but it does require that safety be demonstrated satisfactorily, though it's hard to find a stated definition of what that exactly means. ( Here's a list of FDA-sanctioned animal-testing alternatives if you're interested.) While innovation versus the pace of research is one obstacle to a ban on animal testing, China is another one. Every brand wants a piece of China because it has huge sales potential, but the country has a strict animal testing law. It requires that companies pay for end-product animal testing in China. The country recently softened this law a bit and is allowing local companies to prove the safety of certain "ordinary" cosmetics by alternative means, but that doesn't apply to foreign companies that want to export products there. The PCPC's Lamoriello says her organization has been working closely with the Chinese government on the issue of animal testing and she is hopeful that it will become more flexible about non-animal testing alternatives. "If you look at it globally, what little animal testing is done is largely done to sell in a Chinese market," she says. "If we could eliminate that, that would be tremendous progress." Several companies that have otherwise committed to cruelty-free products leave their options open. For example, L'Oreal and Avon both have statements on their websites declaring that they do not test on animals, yet they might have to occasionally. Avon states: "Some products may be required by law in a few countries to undergo additional safety testing, including animal testing. In these instances, Avon will first attempt to persuade the requesting authority to accept non-animal test data." For all the reasons discussed here, Hurson from the PCPC doesn't think that a ban will happen here in the U.S. in the next five years, although Paschen from Leaping Bunny is cautiously optimistic. The Humane Cosmetics Act , introduced by former Congressman Jim Moran, has a new champion in Congressman Don Beyer, who has pledged to bring it before Congress, where he may face opposition from the newly Republican-controlled House. But between the limitations of non-animal alternatives, all the other priorities of the government and the fact that a pretty small percentage of animal testing in the U.S. is actually done by the cosmetics industry -- the majority is in biomedical and pharmaceutical research -- the chances of something passing anytime soon are pretty slim. This article was written by Cheryl Wischhover from Fashionista and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 4 | 4,956 | lifestyle |
ORLANDO, Fla. An aggravated assault case against George Zimmerman that was opened when his ex-girlfriend said he threw a wine bottle at her has been dropped because she recanted her story and stopped cooperating with investigators, according to a prosecutor. State Attorney Phil Archer said Friday that he wouldn't file a formal charge against Zimmerman, 31, the former neighborhood watch leader who was acquitted of killing Trayvon Martin. The killing of the unarmed black teen touched off protests across the country. The ex-girlfriend had made it clear she didn't want to cooperate with Lake Mary Police officers, and there were no other eyewitnesses, Archer said. "While it is clear that the officers had probable cause to arrest Mr. Zimmerman ... the subsequent recantation by the victim of her initial statement ... precludes my office from proceeding further," Archer said in a statement. Zimmerman was arrested three weeks ago. Three days later, in a sworn statement, 28-year-old Brittany Brunelle asked that no charges be filed against Zimmerman. She said she was under no pressure and had been offered no money to make the statement. It was released Friday by the State Attorney's Office. Previously, officials hadn't identified her. Brunelle didn't return a call to her cellphone Friday. "The statements issued by the Lake Mary Police Department are not accurate," Brunelle said in a handwritten note that accompanied her sworn statement. "I do not want to be contacted by the Lake Mary Police Department or the State Attorney's Office." Zimmerman had denied throwing the bottle and disputed her claim that he destroyed her cellphone. A person who answered Zimmerman's cellphone Friday morning said he wasn't George Zimmerman and wouldn't comment on the case. Zimmerman's attorney, Don West, called the case "more complicated than it initially appeared" and said he was disappointed Zimmerman had been arrested in the first place given the doubts surrounding the case. "Certainly their decision not to file charges, we're pleased by that," West said. "It's not particularly surprising. Early on in the case, she didn't want to participate. ... It's evident she recanted." Officers patrolling the neighborhood where Zimmerman lives three weeks ago heard the sound of glass shattering, and then saw Brunelle drive out of the driveway. They pulled her over for a traffic stop a few streets over because she didn't have her lights on. She explained that Zimmerman became angry after she told him she didn't want to take the relationship further, and said they also argued over a painting she had that he wanted returned. Zimmerman made threats and threw the wine bottle, which didn't hit her, she said at the time. Officers described her as crying and upset. Since his acquittal in the Martin case, Zimmerman has had several brushes with the law: __ He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief after his then-girlfriend said he pointed a gun at her face during an argument, smashed her coffee table and pushed her out of the house they shared. Samantha Scheibe decided not to cooperate with detectives and prosecutors didn't pursue the case. __ Zimmerman was accused by his estranged wife of smashing an iPad during an argument at the home they had shared. Shellie Zimmerman initially told a dispatcher her husband had a gun, though she later said he was unarmed. No charges were filed because of a lack of evidence. The dispute occurred days after Shellie Zimmerman filed divorce papers. Last September, a driver said Zimmerman threatened to kill him, asking 'Do you know who I am?' during a road confrontation in their vehicles. The driver decided not to pursue charges, and police officers were unable to move forward without a car tag identified or witnesses. __ Zimmerman also has been pulled over three times for traffic violations since his acquittal. | 5 | 4,957 | news |
New babies don't leave a whole lot of time for sprucing yourself up. Here are five quick and easy ways to instantly take your look from around-the-house to out-and-about. | 4 | 4,958 | lifestyle |
The Pistons will not be represented in the NBA All-Star game for the sixth straight year. The curse of Allen Iverson lives on, as the Detroit Pistons will not be represented in the 2015 NBA All-Star Game . The rest of the rosters were announced on Jan. 29. Andre Drummond and Brandon Jennings (pre-injury) got most of the marketing attention before the voting ended, but Greg Monroe deserved a look, too. In fact, he drew consideration from Zach Lowe at Grantland and he was a notable "Not On Team" name in SB Nation's breakdown of the All-Star weekend rosters . See below: All-Star Starters WEST Guard: Stephen Curry Guard: Kobe Bryant (injured, will be replaced) Forward: Anthony Davis Forward: Blake Griffin Forward: Marc Gasol EAST Guard: John Wall Guard: Kyle Lowry Forward: Pau Gasol Forward: LeBron James Forward: Carmelo Anthony All-Star Reserves WEST Guard: James Harden Guard: Russell Westbrook Forward: Kevin Durant Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge Forward: Tim Duncan Wild Card: Klay Thompson Wild Card: Chris Paul NOT ON TEAM: Damian Lillard , DeMarcus Cousins , Dwight Howard , Mike Conley , Monta Ellis , Dirk Nowitzki . EAST Guard: Jimmy Butler Guard: Jeff Teague Forward: Paul Millsap Forward: Al Horford Forward: Chris Bosh Wild Card: Kyrie Irving Wild Card: Dwyane Wade (injured, may be replaced) NOT ON TEAM: Kyle Korver , Brandon Knight, Derrick Rose, Nikola Vucevic, Greg Monroe. Here's what Lowe had to say about Monroe: Monroe is playing the best all-around ball of his career and deserves stronger All-Star consideration than he appears to have received. He has outplayed Drummond for the balance of the season, and he's working harder than ever on defense - at both big-man positions. When Detroit took off without Josh Smith , we all (justifiably) focused on the power of positioning three shooters around a pick-and-roll - something Stan Van Gundy can do only when he sits one of the Drummond-Monroe combination. Detroit A.S. (After Smoove) has actually been at its best with both Drummond and Monroe on the floor, per NBA.com. Monroe is beasting in the post, dishing snappy interior passes, and making smart reads on defense. He'll never be a rim protector, but opposing ball handlers are shooting just 38.5 percent on pick-and-rolls in which Monroe's man is the screener - a strong number, per Synergy. The roster weirdness that undid the Smith-era Pistons hurts Monroe's All-Star case just enough to open up a spot for someone else. Like years past, the Pistons were not completely shut out from the NBA All-Star weekend festivities -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will play for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge. Now your All-Star thoughts. | 1 | 4,959 | sports |
African leaders have appointed Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe as the new chairman of the 54-nation African Union. The 90-year-old Mugabe, who has ruled his country since 1980, succeeds Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. The announcement was made during the African Union's two-day heads of state summit at the organization's headquarters in Ethiopia's capital on Friday. "During my tenure as chair, I will deliberately provoke your thoughts to pay special attention to issues of infrastructure, value addition, agriculture and climate change," Mugabe told African leaders. Mugabe's new position has drawn criticism. "Frankly I don't believe the elevation (Mugabe's appointment) is anything than symbolic," said Piers Pigou, Southern Africa project director for the International Crisis Group. "His elevation sends a negative signal of African solidarity with leaders who've misruled their countries." Traditionally, the AU chairmanship is given to the leader of the country hosting the next summit, but exceptions have been made as in 2005 when it was the turn of Sudan's Omar al-Bashir but African leaders bowed to international pressures in the uproar over killings in Darfur. They passed over al-Bashir and instead kept Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo for a second year. Zimbabwe, a once-prosperous nation of 13 million people in southern Africa, has struggled since Mugabe's government began seizing white-owned farms in 2000. Mugabe is accused of using widespread violence to win several disputed elections, according to human rights groups. The country suffered hyperinflation until it abandoned its currency for the US dollar in 2009. Mugabe defeated rival Morgan Tsvangirai in a 2013 vote marked by allegations of irregularities. Mugabe's victory ended an uneasy power-sharing deal with the opposition, but foreign investors have been deterred by concerns about corruption and government policies to force foreign-owned and white-owned businesses to cede 51 percent of their shares to black Zimbabweans. Hundreds of manufacturing companies have closed in the recent past. Critics accuse Mugabe of being an independence hero turned dictator who has clung to power like many African leaders of his generation. | 5 | 4,960 | news |
These Valentine's Day dresses are all pretty, romantic and under $50. Get Dressed Up Whether your Valentines Day plans include a fancy dinner for two, a night out with the girls or a casual family meal, theres no better way to get into the spirit of the holiday than with a pretty new dress. These 14 fetching frocks are sure to flatter all shapes and sizesand best of all, they fit every budget. 1. Pretty in Pink There's nothing more classic than a wrap dress, and this one's bright magenta color is just the number for February 14. The elastic waist slims your middle while the buttoned cuffs add a touch of sophistication. Not a fan of the hue? This darling dress is also available in blue, yellow and teal green. That's a Wrap Long Sleeve Dress, $49; LuLus.com RELATED: 10 Valentine's Day Cakes and Cupcakes That Really Prove Your Love 2. Lovely in Lace Whether you're heading to a romantic dinner or a night on the town with pals, this dress is your best bet. Sexy meets subtle, this look will become one of your favorites to wear long after Valentine's Day. Alyx Cap-Sleeve Two-Tone Belted Dress, $39.99; JCPenney.com 3. Shine On If only there were a dress that doesn't only keep you warm but also makes you feel more stylish than ever. That's where this sweater dress comes in. This metallic frock shows a hint of skin with slits in the shoulders. Keep cozy by pairing it with tights. Metallic Cut-Out Sweater Dress, $39.99; Express.com 4. Cue the Color Although a classic red dress never fails, switch it up this Valentine's Day with this colorful pick. The white, salmon, navy and light-blue color combo works with anyone's style. Paired with black booties, this dress will also come in handy for work functions, all for under $30. A-line Scuba Dress Multicolored Dress, $27.99; Target.com RELATED: 10 Fun Valentine's Day Facts 5. Figure Flatterer This look may appear as two pieces, but it's actually one super-stylish dress! The loose top hides imperfections, and the flirty skirt adds some glitz to your night. Your date won't be able to take his eyes off you. Sequin Blouson Bodycon Dress, $39.99; Target.com 6. Go Bold Get a little edgy this Valentine's Day with a curve-hugging dress that'll make him do a double-take. The faux leather panel lengthens your body, making you look slimmer, and the plunging neckline shows off just enough skin. Add a pop of color to this look with stand-out shoes and a cute clutch. Faux Leather Ponte Dress, $49.99; Target.com 7. Pretty in Print This eye-catching fit-and-flare plays with the classic color combo of black and white. The cap sleeves and loose-fitting skirt take a modest approach, while skinny mesh inserts play up your daring side. Mesh Insert Dress, $24.99; Target.com 8. Laced Up The lace detailing on this red number adds a sweet, vintage feel to a feminine cut. The body-hugging silhouette also plays peek-a-boo with mesh cutouts at the neckline. Lace Sheath Dress, $39.97; Piperlime.com 9. Wild Thing Tempt him in this leopard print sweater dress that's sure to turn heads. The sexy pattern is subdued by darker colors, giving you just enough balance and coverage to feel comfortable at dinner. Leopard Print Sweater Dress, $22.99; Walmart.com 10. Lady In Red This playful dress does all the work for you. A wide-cut scallop neckline draws attention to one of your most kissable areas, while a flirty skater skirt shows off your legs. Tip the Scallops Red Dress, $49; Lulus.com 11. Wrapped Up This black-and-white body-con dress works double duty, appearing both as sophisticated and sexy. Add a pop of color with your accessories for an elegant-yet-flirty look. Wrap Ivory Dress, $39; LuLus.com 12. Tea For Two This tea-length dress allows for bare skin in all the right places. Fluttering, cap sleeves are girly touches, while the powerful navy hue keeps things grown-up. Royal Blue Midi Dress, $45; LuLus.com 13. Stylish Stunner All eyes will be on you with this fierce find. With princess seams, colorblock pattern and flared skirt, this dress has a high-end designer look without the designer price tag. Attention Women's Fit & Flare Dress - Colorblock, $26.99; Kmart.com 14. Flirty In Floral If you're looking for something playful and bright, the large floral pattern on this dress makes the perfect statement. Short sleeves and a long skirt provide ample coverage, while a scoop neck reveals just the right amount of skin. Talk of the Terrace Grey Print Floral Dress, $43; LuLus.com | 4 | 4,961 | lifestyle |
Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney says that he won't run in the 2016 election. | 8 | 4,962 | video |
Illustrated by Ly Ngo. As the premier of House of Cards quickly approaches, we're gearing up for what's sure to be a satisfying binge-watching sesh. However, new research suggests there may be a link between bingeing on our favorite shows and feelings of loneliness and depression. Bummer. In the research, which will be presented at this year's Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, researchers surveyed 316 people between the ages of 18 and 29. Participants were asked about their TV-watching habits, including how many hours they watched, what kinds of shows they were into, and what platforms they used. The volunteers were also asked about their emotional well-being focusing on three specific dimensions: loneliness, depression, and how well they regulate their need to binge-watch. The results showed that the more TV people watched per day, the more likely they were to experience loneliness and feelings of depression (such as sadness or a sense that everything is an effort). Specifically, participants who admitted to binge-watching generously defined as watching at least two episodes of the same show in one sitting were the most likely to report these negative emotions. And, as those negative feelings increased, so did the number of episodes they binge-watched. However, this is just a correlation; we don't know if binge-watching makes people feel more lonely or if these emotional states send them down a binge-watch spiral. Previous research suggests that watching TV, especially regularly watching the same shows, can make us feel like we have more control in our lives and are less lonely , possibly because the experience recreates the feeling of being with friends. Along those lines, the researchers here suggest that those who feel lonely may be using their Netflix binges to make themselves feel better or to keep their negative emotions at bay. But, without self-control, excessive TV time could become a self-perpetuating cycle of ever-increasing loneliness. That said, we totally get it why go out at all when you can immerse yourself in drama that doesn't actually affect you? Maybe just invite someone over to join in on the marathon once in a while. | 7 | 4,963 | health |
United Arab Emirates sharpshooter Ali Mabkhout on Friday said he would ask his club about a move to Europe after he finished the Asian Cup with a tournament-leading five goals. The prolific striker stroked home a nerveless penalty in the second half to seal a 3-2 win over Iraq and third place at the tournament for the attractive UAE side. Mabkhout, who plays for Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, said he now wanted to make the leap to Europe and revealed that a club from Germany's Bundesliga had made tentative enquiries. "I want to play for a club in Europe," the 24-year-old said after Friday's win in Newcastle. "When I get back to my club I will speak to them about going to Europe because teams there are better than in my country," he added. The striker said he had received an indirect approach from a German club who were now talking to his representatives, but he wouldn't reveal which team. Mabkhout top-scored in Asian Cup qualifying with five and he bagged another five to be the leading marksman at November's Gulf Cup. And his eye for goal didn't waver in Australia as he netted another five -- including the tournament's fastest ever score, after just 14 seconds against Bahrain. His match-winning spot-kick against Iraq to secure the bronze medal for UAE gives him a strong chance of winning the Asian Cup's golden boot. Australia's Tim Cahill goes into Saturday's final against South Korea, who are yet to concede a goal, two behind Mabkhout with three so far in the tournament. "I wanted to take home the top scorer award," said Mabkhout. "It is very good for me to achieve this. But I will not stop there. I will continue to get better and score goals." Mabkhout's team-mate Ahmed Khalil scored twice on Friday to reach four goals, but the stand-in captain selflessly allowed his strike partner to take the decisive penalty. "He is my friend," Mabkhout said of Khalil, 23. "If he had scored a hat-trick and taken top scorer I would have been happy for him." He added: "I told him I wanted to take it (the penalty) and he said 'no problem you can shoot'." Mabkhout duly slotted the spot-kick past goalkeeper Mohammed Hameed to reach 10 goals in his last 10 games for UAE and put one hand on the Asian Cup top-scorer's award. | 1 | 4,964 | sports |
As they grow up, kids change their mind about their favorite color about as often as they change their socks. So how is a parent to choose what to paint the bedroom? While a soft blue might be your idea of the perfect backdrop for a crib, by the time your child has any input, he may well deem it too "babyish." Save yourself the time and trouble of repeatedly repainting the kids' rooms by choosing one of these 7 favorite picks in the first place they're sure to stay in style. Citron Yellow What could be more cheery than waking up in a room soaked in sunshine? When choosing this color for a child's space, look for pure yellows or tones freshened with a bit of green, and steer clear of brown-gold shades. Pair with other warm colors and white to create a vibrant, energetic mood . Related: 10 Color Picks to Set Any Mood in Your Bedroom Bold Red Red isn't an easy paint color for every room in the house, but it can be really fun in a kid's space. Paint an accent wall in a stimulating fire-engine shade to enliven a reading nook or homework area; it looks especially warm and inviting with white or wood floors and furniture. Related: Awesome Accents 17 Ways to Make Any Space Pop with Color Cobalt Blue Blue is a perennial choice for boys' rooms, of course, and it's growing in popularity for girls too. Instead of a pale blue or turquoise, though, consider something darker, like cobalt or navy. These brave blues lend a crisp, classic look and provide a striking contrast to bold tones think oranges or magenta and neutrals alike. Another plus: The walls will never show smudgy fingerprints! Electric Green Lime or leaf greens are wonderful multitaskers. As long as the shade doesn't skew too neon, green can be both soothing and upbeat, and works well for any age or gender. Look for a bright tone rather than a dark forest green, which can read as somber. Related: Trending Now Emerald Green Cool Gray A decade ago, most parents would have considered gray too dreary for a child's room, but the current craze suggests otherwise. This cool hue has spread from living rooms and kitchens to kids' spaces. Here, a well-chosen gray sets the perfect stage for colorful toys and artwork. Related: Winning Combinations 9 "Can't Miss" Color Schemes Hot Pink So your child wants to think pink when it comes to her room? A pastel version is sweet and classic, but for more pop and lasting power, try a fuchsia a vivid pink with a tinge of blue. Pair with black, gray, or white for a hangout that's both super fun and sophisticated. Related: In Living Color 7 Tips for Brightening Your Home's Palette Bright Purple Letting your kids choose their own bedroom color is a great way to increase their sense of ownership. Unfortunately, not all favorite shades translate easily to decor and purple is a tricky one. Periwinkle can be pretty but can also read as dingy if too gray. Go brighter and bolder, and mix in white and silver accessories for contrast. | 4 | 4,965 | lifestyle |
World number one Rory McIlroy made three birdies in his last three holes in the second round of the Dubai Desert Classic to take sole possession of the lead on Friday. The Northern Irishman calmly rolled in a 20ft birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole on the Majlis course to finish a sensational bogey-free round of eight-under par 64 as he moved to 14-under par 130 for the tournament. That gave him the breathing space of one shot over Scotland's in-form Marc Warren, who made nine birdies and two bogies in a round of seven-under par 65. But McIlroy will have to keep his foot on the gas as two players are tied for third a further shot behind, which include his compatriot Graeme McDowell (65) and five players bunched on fifth place on 133, including defending champion Stephen Gallacher (67), the current leader of the Race to Dubai, Danny Willett (66) and England's Lee Westwood (68). McIlroy has already made 15 birdies in the first two rounds, and he was under no illusion that he needed more of the same over the weekend if he wanted to stay ahead of the chasing pack. "It's a very bunched leaderboard. I know I'm going to have to go out there and make a bunch of birdies over the weekend like I have the first two days," said McIlroy, who is leading the tournament for the fifth time in eight appearances. "This course suits my game style: aggressive and go at the pins. The greens, even though it got a little bit crusty out there, it's still quite receptive. "You can fire at pins and get aggressive, and with the high ball flight that I have, it sort of plays into my hands." The Ulsterman hit 17 out of 18 greens in regulation and was delighted with his overall play. "I felt like I played very nicely today. Couldn't ask for much more, bogey‑free, made birdies and set myself up for a good run over the next couple days," added McIlroy. "I felt like I played okay yesterday. I didn't play my best but I definitely improved from tee to‑green out there and was able to make some putts." The 33-year-old Warren, who moved up to 56th in the world rankings after his runners-up finish in last week's Qatar Masters, could secure his first Masters invitation if he has another good finish over the weekend. The Scotsman started the day with a birdie on the 10th hole, and caught fire after his first bogey on the 12th. He then made five birdies over his next six holes, and on the much tougher front nine of the course, he made three more birdies and a bogey. Warren appeared before the media with his two-year-old son Archie, whom he credited for most of his recent success. "Since the wee man has come along the last few years have been pretty strong for me and takes a bit of pressure off you I suppose in a way that no matter how your day's went, he's generally quite happy to see me," said Warren, who has already qualified for the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. "He helps me totally forget about golf, as opposed to kind of thinking about it at nighttime or anything like that." Three-time Desert Classic champion Ernie Els dodged a bullet and three late birdies helped him make it to the weekend at two-under par 142, which was the cut-line. However, world number six Sergio Garcia will make an early exit after rounds of 75 and 71 meant he missed the cut. | 1 | 4,966 | sports |
FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) -- The 18 New England residents sitting on the jury in the murder trial of former Patriots star Aaron Hernandez will be allowed to watch the home team play in Sunday's Super Bowl, but the judge overseeing the case says they must leave the room if his name is mentioned. Hernandez caught quarterback Tom Brady's last Super Bowl touchdown pass in the Patriots' 2012 loss to the New York Giants. Now he is on trial for murder, charged with the June 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd, who was dating his fiancee's sister. The trial is playing out just as Hernandez's old team is preparing to take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL championship game. Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh closed the second day of testimony Friday by telling jurors they may watch the game if it is important to them, but they must be vigilant for mention of the case or Hernandez. "You hear that word, you've got to walk out of the room," Garsh said. "Distance yourself." The judge has previously told jurors that they are not allowed to discuss the case with anyone, even to tell their families or employers that they are sitting on the jury for Hernandez. During jury selection, jurors were asked if they were Patriots fans, but that did not mean they were automatically disqualified from being selected. Hernandez had a $40 million contract with the Patriots when he was arrested. Earlier Friday, Lloyd's mother, Ursula Ward, was overcome with emotion and had to leave the courtroom as a prosecutor showed graphic photos of her son's body at the industrial park where he was found. The 27-year-old Lloyd was shown lying on his back with his left fist curled in a ball over the gunshot wounds to his chest. It was the second straight day she left the courtroom in tears. Lloyd's body was found riddled with bullets in an industrial park near Hernandez's North Attleborough home, not far from Gillette Stadium. On Friday, two men who worked at a business in the industrial park described a teenage jogger coming to their office early on the evening of June 17, 2013, then leading them down to an empty lot. One of the men, David Swithers, said he stopped about 20 feet away and saw a man on his back. The judge had cautioned jurors that the images would be graphic and that they shouldn't let their emotions sway them in the case. "He was stiff and motionless. There were flies flying in and out of his nostrils," he said. "I called 911." Also testifying Friday was Shaneah Jenkins, 23, who was dating Lloyd. Her sister, Shayanna, 25, is Hernandez's fiancee and the mother of his 2-year-old child. The sisters sit on opposite sides of the courtroom, Shaneah with Lloyd's mother and Shayanna with Hernandez's family. Shayanna Jenkins was not in court Friday. Shaneah Jenkins testified Friday that she introduced Lloyd to Hernandez and that although they had a cordial relationship, they were not close. She said the two men would hang out in the basement or smoke marijuana together when they came to visit, but that, apart from the weekend Lloyd was killed, the two men did not spend time together without her there. Hernandez's lawyer, Michael Fee, told jurors in his opening statement that Hernandez and Lloyd were friends and that Hernandez had no reason to kill him. He said they could have some day been brothers-in-law. Shaneah Jenkins is expected to resume testimony the next day court is in session. That could be Monday, though the judge told jurors a snowstorm forecast for Monday could delay that. In a separate murder case that has yet to come to trial, Hernandez was charged last year in Boston with killing two men in 2012 after someone spilled a drink on him at a nightclub. The judge has ruled that prosecutors in the Lloyd case cannot tell the jury about those slayings. | 1 | 4,967 | sports |
Kids call out for a strong hand, in this Super Bowl ad for Dove Men. | 3 | 4,968 | finance |
Xavi has insisted that the row behind the scenes at Barcelona between Luis Enrique and Lionel Messi will have "zero importance" for the remainder of 2014-15. Reports surfaced that the pair's relationship was beyond repair earlier this month, with the coach rumored to be on the verge of the sack as Barca pleaded with Messi to stay, although recent good results have lessened the air of negativity around Camp Nou. Defender Jeremy Mathieu broke the silence from within the Catalan club by confirming on Thursday that there was an incident in training which saw Messi and Luis Enrique engage in a heated argument. However, veteran midfielder Xavi has insisted that there is nothing abnormal about a coach and a player falling out temporarily and suggested such moments of tension between colleagues can happen hundreds of times over the course of a season. "[The row Mathieu spoke about] was a normal situation in a season and it often happens when people work together," he told reporters on Friday. "People want to complain, but we should not give it more importance, it happened in the heat of the moment. The row subject is closed, Barca are together - everybody is motivated and, honestly, we are together. Jeremy's words are not affecting us, we found a solution to that incident and moved on. "The importance attributed to the row is zero. This is not the first time such a thing has happened, it happens with a lot of teammates, it's just what occurs when people work together. We all want to win, there are sometimes stressful situations that happen during the training sessions - that happened and will happen 200 times." Xavi also discussed the impact Neymar is having at Barca, as the Brazilian's impressive second season continues in Spain, with the attacker having scored 21 goals in 25 appearances under Luis Enrique. "Neymar is an extraordinary player that is making the difference for us," he said, following Neymar's double as Barca knocked Atletico Madrid out of the Copa del Rey in midweek. "He will always be affected they the rough play of the others, but he is used to it and he's happy. The critics on Neymar are overplaying what he said. Due to his style of play, and his understanding of football, it is hard to change his persona. You need to know how to lose and to win, but this is not Neymar's situation. "Just a few people can make a difference at a club like Barcelona at the age of 22. If he keeps on his current trajectory, he will soon be considered among the list of the best players of the world, if he's not already one. Neymar's future is immense and extraordinary." | 1 | 4,969 | sports |
WASHINGTON There's a good reason the U.S. economy is impressing the world right now despite a slowdown in the final three months of 2014: In a word, steadiness. Companies have been hiring at healthy rates for the past year. Layoffs hover near historic lows. Auto sales are strong. Gas prices have sunk. Congressional budget fights have faded. Americans are increasingly confident. All that fed a surge of consumer spending last quarter, offsetting weaker business spending caused in part by a pullback by oil drillers and a frail global economy. The U.S. economy as a whole expanded at a 2.6 percent annual rate, the government said Friday, down from a sizzling 5 percent gain the previous quarter. Yet consumers signaled their optimism by spending at the fastest rate in nearly nine years. "This hasn't changed my picture on the strength and resilience of the U.S. economy," said Scott Anderson, chief economist at the Bank of the West. "Almost all the drivers of consumer spending are pointing in the right direction." Nearly six years into the recovery from the Great Recession, the economy has finally gone from straining just to grow to posting consistently solid gains. The gains have come even though many households continue to struggle without much of a financial cushion. Nearly half say they spend all their income, go into debt or use savings to meet their expenses, a new analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts has found. In addition, a surging dollar is denting the earnings of U.S. companies that operate overseas. And energy firms have been hurt by plummeting oil prices, and as a result companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 index are expected to report weak profit growth. But collectively, consumers and investors are showing renewed faith in the economy. On Friday, the University of Michigan said its sentiment index found that U.S. consumers are more confident than they've been since 2004. Also Friday, the government said wages and benefits are ticking up, a sign that steady job gains may be compelling employers to pay a bit more. Most indicators suggest that the economy has surpassed a psychological threshold that has made businesses more comfortable with hiring and infused consumers with more enthusiasm. "Psychology has been a big contributor to the improved level of performance in the United States," said Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at the bank Northern Trust. At a time when Europe, Asia and South America face deep anxieties, the U.S. economy's greatest strength might be its remarkable sturdiness. The consensus expectation is that the U.S. economy will expand a solid 3 percent this year, well above the recovery's 2.2 percent annual average. This has made U.S. stocks and Treasurys comparably attractive havens from the risks from Europe's prolonged slump, collapsing oil prices, China's slowdown and Japan's struggles to stave off recession. Yet the U.S. economy still has additional room to continue expanding. In current dollars, the median household income of $54,417 remains about $1,800 below its late 2007 levels, according to Sentier Research. More than 5 million households owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth, according to the real estate data firm CoreLogic. Because the U.S. economy is rebuilding its core without relying heavily on mortgages, credit cards and other debt, it has avoided the sharp swings and shocks that can tip an economy into recession. "You're getting solid consistent growth," said John Canally, chief economic strategist at LPL Financial. "If you have a slow recovery, you don't build up the excesses that ultimately cause a recession." The gourmet hamburger chain BurgerFi plans to nearly double in size from its more than 60 restaurants this year. More consumers are upgrading from fast food, and the chain can choose from towns and cities "where the economic train has been rolling along at a pretty rapid pace," said Corey Winograd, CEO of the Florida-based chain. If all goes as planned, BurgerFi will account for 2,000 new jobs this year. Investors are still trying to adjust for this newfound steadiness. The rush of foreign money into U.S. Treasurys has cut the yield on 10-year note to about 1.67 percent from 2.9 percent a year ago. A result is that it's now cheaper for companies and homebuyers to borrow in ways that nurture growth. During 2014, employers added an average of 246,000 jobs a month. That figure has remained above 200,000 for the past 11 months and has helped whittle the unemployment rate to 5.6 percent from 6.7 percent 12 months earlier. Given that applications for unemployment benefits have stayed consistently below a weekly average of 300,000, most economists think hiring should grow at a pace similar to the 2014 levels. Wages have yet to grow significantly. But all those new jobs mean that the U.S. economy entered 2015 with an extra $126 billion in combined annual paychecks. That money has trickled into restaurant dinners, new cars and other goods and services. Sales of new vehicles climbed 6 percent to 16.5 million last year, according to Autodata Corp. Car buying is poised to eclipse 17 million for the first time in a decade. Spending at restaurants and bars improved 5.8 percent last year, the government says. Cheaper energy has been a gift for consumers, who account for nearly 70 percent of all U.S. economic activity. The Energy Information Administration projects that an average U.S. household will save about $750 this year on gasoline. At the same time, Tannenbaum of Northern Trust cautions against becoming too complacent if consumers begin to fear that the economic woes abroad threaten the U.S. job market or financial markets. "Psychology could also be the avenue through which some of the world's uncertainties drag us back to growth that's a bit less desirable," he said. AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger contributed to this report. | 3 | 4,970 | finance |
With the offseason fully in swing we've got our first Heisman odds of the preseason, via Bovada . Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Offensive MVP of January's national title game, is the favorite after ending his sophomore season with three consecutive 200-yard games. A pair of SEC players follow Elliott, as 2014 contender Dak Prescott and former five-star prospect Leonard Fournette are tied for second. Four of the top ten players come from SEC schools, while the first 29 (of 31 players listed) are either quarterbacks or running backs. The other two? Ole Miss wide receiver Laquon Treadwell and Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III, each coming in at 66/1. Elliott isn't the only Buckeyes player to make the list -- just like there's a logjam on the depth chart for Ohio State at quarterback, there's a logjam on the Heisman odds of Ohio State quarterbacks. Cardale Jones, J.T. Barrett and Braxton Miller come in at No. 10, No. 11 and No. 12 respectively. Full list: Player -- Odds Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State RB -- 6/1 Dak Prescott, Mississippi State QB -- 7/1 Leonard Fournette, LSU RB -- 7/1 Trevone Boykin, TCU QB -- 15/2 Cody Kessler, USC QB -- 12/1 Nick Chubb, Georgia RB -- 12/1 Paul Perkins, UCLA RB -- 12/1 Derrick Henry, Alabama RB -- 14/1 Samaje Perine, Oklahoma RB -- 14/1 Cardale Jones, Ohio State QB -- 14/1 J.T. Barrett, Ohio State QB -- 16/1 Braxton Miller, Ohio State QB -- 18/1 Connor Cook, Michigan State QB -- 20/1 Josh Robinson, Mississippi State RB -- 22/1 Corey Clement, Wisconsin RB -- 25/1 D.J. Foster, Arizona State RB -- 25/1 Royce Freeman, Oregon RB -- 25/1 Brad Kaaya, Miami QB -- 33/1 Dalvin Cook, Florida State RB -- 33/1 Deshaun Watson, Clemson QB -- 33/1 James Connor, Pittsburgh RB -- 33/1 Justin Thomas, Georgia Tech QB -- 33/1 Nick Wilson, Arizona RB -- 33/1 Seth Russell, Baylor QB -- 33/1 Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State QB -- 40/1 Jacoby Brissett, North Carolina State QB -- 50/1 Jalen Hurd, Tennessee RB -- 50/1 Jared Goff, California QB -- 50/1 Marquise Williams, North Carolina QB -- 50/1 Laquon Treadwell, Misssissippi WR -- 66/1 Scooby Wright III, Arizona LB -- 66/1 | 1 | 4,971 | sports |
Ice climber Will Gadd made the first ascent of frozen Niagara Falls on Jan. 27, 2015. The 140-foot climb scaled the 30-foot-wide spray ice that has formed to the left of Horeshoe Falls. Gadd's climbing route ran almost exactly on the United States and Canadian border line. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls on Jan. 27, 2015. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015 at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. Ice climber Will Gadd pictured on Jan. 27, 2015, at Niagara Falls. | 5 | 4,972 | news |
MELBOURNE, Australia Back inside Rod Laver Arena, on the court where he's won more Grand Slam titles than any other place in the world, Novak Djokovic suddenly looks beatable on the eve of the men's final. He looks human. Perhaps that's just the way he wants it. "My form is nothing that will worry me," he told reporters after a five-set struggle over defending champion Stan Wawrinka Friday night. It was a match in which the world No. 1 hit 49 unforced errors, two times as many as any of the five prior matches he played during this fortnight. Sunday night here (Sunday 3:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2) Djokovic, a four-time Australian Open champion, will meet world No. 6 Andy Murray in the final for the third time (2011, 2013), a match that features two players in vastly different states of play. "Andy's looking fantastic," says tennis great Martina Navratilova, now a coach and commentator. "It's the best I've seen him look." Murray bulldozed his way into his first major final in 18 months over Tomas Berdych a night earlier. And while Djokovic owns a cozy 15-8 head-to-head advantage, it's suddenly a toss up on who walks away the winner in Melbourne. Andy, renewed The weight of the British tennis world was on his shoulders for much of his career but Murray lifted that when he won Wimbledon in 2013, becoming the first British man to do so since Fred Perry in 1936. But that effort (and others, of course) left him with a bad back, forcing the Briton to undergo surgery in the closing months of the 2013 season. He spent 2014 on tour, but seemingly playing a level below the one in which he won two majors and an Olympic gold in the span of 15 months. This Australian Open, it appears, he's back. "He feels more comfortable on the court, he moves much better," says Murray's coach, former world No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo. "His back surgery is something that is now well behind him. I think that was also the main focus and really the most important thing for him to feel strong physically going out there on the court so that he can at least defend his chances the best way he can." Murray and Djokovic are both defensive players that play transition ball better than anyone. (Except one another.) They're a full-court press that suddenly turns into a three-on-one fast break: Give them a short ball and you're finished. "These are the two best movers on a hard court," said Patrick McEnroe on ESPN2's Australian Open coverage. "Very subtle differences will decide this final. I think it's about who can be more aggressive." Murray, buoyed by a fitness block in the sweltering heat of Miami last month, has looked tireless through six matches. Djokovic, on the other hand, huffed and puffed for much of his match against Wawrinka. "Andy is clearly making his way back into the thick of things by the way that he's playing," McEnroe continued. "Andy looks as good as he did when he won Wimbledon," notes Australian doubles great Todd Woodbridge. No Djoke But Djokovic is unfazed by his form against Wawrinka and that 15-8 head-to-head mark includes a 7-1 advantage since the fall of 2012. The narrative of their rivalry in those matches has been a never-say-miss Djokovic doing just that: Refusing to miss. "He's probably the best baseliner at the moment," said Gilles Muller, the world No. 42 after a three-set loss to Djokovic in the fourth round here. Djokovic won this tournament three times in a row from 2011 to 2013, and feels as though he's back to claim what is his. Should he win Sunday he'll become the first five-time champion here in the Open Era. "He's gotten used to being underappreciated; he doesn't mind anymore," his coach Boris Becker said in an ATP World Tour video interview. "You ask anyone in the locker room who they don't want to play and they say Novak." While Murray plays with a bit more punch and pop on his shots, Djokovic sends his strokes whizzing through the air. He's Gumby with a slingshot. "The ball is staying low and moving through the court quickly, which adds a little extra zip on all of Novak's shots," explains Justin Gimelstob, a commentator and coach. "He's also serving so well right now." Net approach Born just a week apart in May of 1987, this pair of 27-year-olds has known each other since they were both 12, meeting at international junior events and maintaining a friendship over 15 years. "It's nice to see that we're playing another Grand Slam final," Djokovic says. "We have a very good relationship, my team and his team, so we always joke around." Djokovic will chase a seventh major title and Murray a third. Murray's lone win over the Serbian in their last meetings came in that Wimbledon final, a three-set display of top notch tennis from Murray and flat-footed passiveness from Djokovic, much akin to their forms in the semifinals the past two days. "You know, you have days when things don't go your way," Djokovic observes. "I think I have much more positive things to reflect on in my game and then all the matches that I played so far in the tournament than the negative. I'm in the finals. In the end of the day, that's why I'm here. Getting to the finals in any way possible is a great achievement. I'm going to try to use that for build up of the confidence for finals." It's confidence made versus confidence earned, but Sunday the slate will mostly be wiped clean from this tournament and from their many matches before. Or will it? "I'm very happy with the way that I played the match," Murray said after his win Thursday. "I'll try my best on Sunday. I'll go in with best tactics possible, prepare well. All I can do is give my best. If it's enough, great. If not, I literally couldn't have done anything more to put myself in a better position come Sunday." | 1 | 4,973 | sports |
The message some Russia watchers are getting from Friday's surprise interest-rate cut is this: Start listening more to what President Vladimir Putin's aides say about monetary policy and less to central bankers. Here's the key evidence. In comments made just nine days ago, the country's central bank chief indicated she saw no chance of a rate cut any time soon after inflation soared to a five-year high. A week earlier, though, one of Putin's most vocal economic aides urged the exact opposite, saying a reduction was needed to bolster the ailing economy. So when the Bank of Russia shocked traders and analysts alike by announcing it was lowering the benchmark rate from an 11-year high, the words spoken by that aide, Andrey Belousov, left many to speculate that the Kremlin is exerting more pressure on central bank policy makers. The rate cut -- to 15 percent from 17 percent -- triggered a wave of ruble selling that drove the currency down as much as 4 percent, adding to a year-long selloff that's left it down 50 percent percent against the dollar. The rate cut "was useless -- it will only put more pressure on credibility," said Vladimir Miklashevsky, a strategist at Danske Bank A/S. "They change their mind so fast but the environment is not really changing. This move is pure giving in to pressure from society, pressure from the government." Kremlin Denial Putin's spokeman, Dmitry Peskov, denied that government officials sought to influence the central bank's decision. "No, it's not true," Peskov said in a telephone interview hours after the meeting. Still, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov had nothing but praise for the rate move, telling reporters that the the currency market was under control. Only one of the 32 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had anticipated a rate cut. All the rest expected no change in rates following six increases last year, including a 6.5-point move in December that sought to defend the ruble and curb inflation in an economy sputtering under the weight of international sanctions and plunging prices for its oil exports. "The central bank is under increasing pressure and the further the economy falls into recession, the greater the pressure to lower the cost of lending," said Vladimir Tikhomirov, chief economist at BCS Financial Group in Moscow. "But in the end, this will create greater financial risks, risks to macro-stability. I don't think it's the best option." Tulin's Arrival Central bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina issued a statement after the meeting supporting the rate cut, saying policy makers were balancing the goals of curbing inflation and reviving economic growth. It marks a stark reversal for a policy maker who had said on Jan. 21 that rates could only be cut when there was a "sustainable trend toward a slowing of inflation." The central bank's press office didn't immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment late Friday night about whether the board is coming under political pressure. Belousov, the Putin aide, had made his comments about the need for lower rates earlier this month hours after Dmitry Tulin took over as Bank of Russia's deputy governor for monetary policy. Tulin was appointed in a leadership shakeup that followed Putin's criticism of policy makers' handling of the currency crisis. Business leaders and the country's top bankers followed Belousov's lead, arguing that the economy, and the country's struggling lenders, needed a helping hand. The economy may shrink 3.2 percent in the first half of this year after growing just 0.6 percent in 2014, the central bank said in its statement accompanying the rate reduction. Inflation soared to 13.1 percent as of Jan. 26, according to the central bank. That's the fastest pace since April 2009. Policy makers are "increasingly caught between a rock and a hard place as it seems the priority is shifting toward relieving the economy," said Vladas Zaborovskis, fund manager at SEB's Eastern European Bond Fund. "The rate cut puts a dent in the central bank's hard-gained credibility." --With assistance from Andre Tartar and Agnes Lovasz in London and Ksenia Galouchko and Stepan Kravchenko in Moscow. To contact the reporters on this story: Anna Andrianova in Moscow at [email protected]; Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at [email protected]; Milda Seputyte in Vilnius at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at [email protected]; David Papadopoulos at [email protected] Paul Abelsky, Scott Rose | 3 | 4,974 | finance |
The flogging of Raif Badawi has been postponed for the third time. On Friday, the public learned that the blogger would not receive the next 50 lashes of his cruel 1,000-lash punishment. That doesn't change the fact that he is in bad physical shape. His wife Ensaf Haidar told journalists in Ottawa, Canada, that her husband suffered from hypertension and another round of beating could weaken him significantly. "I am very concerned about him," Haidar said. The whole world has followed Badawi's case over the last few weeks. Public protest has picked up steam since he was first publicly flogged on January 9 in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, after being found guilty of insulting Islam and breaking Saudi technology laws with his website "Free Saudi Liberals." He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes, 10 years in prison and fined 1 million riyals ($266,000) in May 2014. But Badawi's struggle has been going on for much longer. Daring online activism Badawi was born in Al Khobar in eastern Saudi Arabia on January 13, 1984. He and his older sister, Samar, were educated to seventh-grade level. Activism in the face of the strict Islamic regime seems to run in the family: Samar has campaigned for women's suffrage and women's right to drive in Saudi Arabia. In 2012, she was awarded the US State Department's International Women of Courage Award. With the "Free Saudi Liberals" website, Raif Badawi took his criticism of the regime online. He created the website in 2008 as a forum for liberals to discuss Saudi Arabia's strict Wahhabi leadership. His wife Ensaf Haidar, whom he married in 2002, told Pen Canada, a group that promotes freedom of expression, that Badawi believed in liberalism as an "intellectual project" that aspired to "represent Saudi liberals on the ground, and fight injustice wherever it exists." Badawi didn't hold back his views about how unjust the system that ruled his country really was. In addition to writing about Valentine's Day, the celebration of which is prohibited in Saudi Arabia, he wrote and published sarcastic articles about the Commission on the Promotion of Virtue, criticized senior political figures and said that the Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University in Riyadh had become "a den for terrorists." Charged with abandoning Islam It didn't take long for Saudi officials to intervene. In March 2008, authorities arrested Badawi and questioned him about his website. Two months later, in May, he was charged with "setting up an electronic site that insults Islam." According to Human Rights Watch, he then left the country. Later in 2008, prosecutors, however, dropped the charges against him and Badawi returned to Saudi Arabia. He was banned from leaving the country in 2009 and had his bank accounts frozen by the government. He was then arrested June 17, 2012 and appeared before a court in December 2012 on charges of ridiculing Islamic religious figures on his website. He was also referred to a higher court for the charge of apostasy, a crime punishable by death in Saudi Arabia. One "proof" for Badawi's apostasy seems to have been that he liked a Facebook page for Arabic Christians. According to Human Rights Watch, a Saudi cleric also accused him of saying "that Muslims, Jews, Christians, and atheists are all equal," which was also seen as a sign of apostasy. International support The apostasy charges were eventually dropped, but medical experts say the 1,000 lashes Badawi now has to endure are basically a death sentence dragged out over 20 weeks. The case has also affected Badawi's family. His wife fled Saudi Arabia in 2013 after receiving death threats. She said she feared for her safety and that of their children, Terad, Najwa and Miriam. They obtained political asylum in Quebec, Canada. Badawi's lawyer was arrested after setting up a Saudi human rights organization. Charges against him included "breaking allegiance with the ruler" and in 2014 he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a subsequent 15-year-ban on traveling. With Badawi's health deteriorating, protesters all over the world are demanding the blogger be released and exonerated. Campaigns on social media and petitions by organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters without Borders are helping him to keep up hope, his wife said. But the final decision on his fate lies with the Saudi regime, whose flaws Raif Badawi never hesitated to point out. Author: Carla Bleiker Editor: Sean Sinico | 5 | 4,975 | news |
This wasn't how we were told things would play out. Generally speaking, every year, there's a predictable arc to Super Bowl ticket prices on the secondary market. The market rate for Super Bowl tickets tends to be high (perhaps three times face value) in the days before the AFC and NFC Championship games , and then once it's clear who will play in the Super Bowl, there's usually a price spike as fans clamber for the chance to see their team win the title. After this initial wave of purchases subsides, prices tend to drop as Super Bowl Sunday nears and sellers don't want to get stuck with seats at the last minute. Understandably, the trajectory and peak for pricing is a little different every year, depending on which teams are squaring off and where the game is being played. Projections for the 2015 Super Bowl's ticket prices called for seats to be less expensive than usual , supposedly because of "fatigue" among fans of the two teams in the game, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, who have both played and won it all over the past decade. Yet the price drop almost everyone expected over the past couple of weeks never took place. Soon after the AFC and NFC Championship games ending, asking prices were relatively cheap , with the average ticket selling for around $2,900 and the cheapest tickets available for roughly $1,900. At the start of this week, the average list price was up to $6,500 and the "cheap" seats were at least $4,200. By Thursday afternoon, $7,100 was the least expensive ticket posted for sale on secondary market sites such as TiqIQ , while StubHub alerted the media that the "current average list price for the Super Bowl is $9,484.37, which is up 282.43% since last year at this time ($2,480.06)." That's at the sites that actually had access to tickets. As of midday on Friday, popular secondary ticket exchanges like Vivid Seats and Razor Gator had posted messages to the effect of "Sorry, but we currently have no tickets available for this event." StubHub listed fewer than 300 seats available for purchase, with asking prices ranging from roughly $7,500 to $40,000. The NFL's official Ticket Exchange by Ticketmaster site listed 109 tickets for sale, with individual seats starting at $6,500. Anyone interested in a pair of seats together would have to pay at least $7,800 per ticket. Face value for Super Bowl tickets ranges from $800 to $1,900. What caused the ticket supply to shrink and prices to go totally bonkers? In its Thursday release about skyrocketing prices, StubHub accused a handful of unnamed large ticket sellers in control of most of the Super Bowl ticket inventory of colluding with each other and manipulating the marketplace. "A consolidation of supply has allowed sellers to manipulate the marketplace and made it near impossible for any last minute fans to attend the game," StubHub global head of communications Glenn Lehrman said in the release. At the start of this week, the explanation for the unexpected rise in prices was that many brokers had been "short-selling" tickets, based on the assumption that the previously established pattern would hold true and prices would fall as Super Bowl Sunday neared. To short-sell tickets, "a broker typically lists tickets in a generic section of the stadium and doesn't disclose exactly where the seats are until the Wednesday before the game," as a post by ESPN's Darren Rovell explained. "The idea for the brokers is to take money from ticket buyers when the tickets are at a higher price after the conference title games, then actually buy the tickets days later as the prices start to come down." Apparently, tons of brokers hopped on board this scheme of selling tickets on "spec" only when the time came to buy actual seats later on as promised, the going prices in the marketplace were far higher than brokers had anticipated. In the investing world, they call that a " short squeeze ." StubHub says that the collusion of a few large ticket sellers has limited supply to "essentially short-squeeze brokers and make the marketplaces" such as StubHub, VividSeats, and TiqIQ "buy up the supply at upwards of 4x market value." One clear end result is that unless you're rich or the Mayor of Glendale, Ariz., the host town for this year's Super Bowl, you're basically out of luck in terms of getting tickets to the game. Everyday fans are the big losers in all of this. On the other hand, the ticket sellers being accused of rigging the game the ones who allegedly held back supply and pushed prices skyward have been cashing in over the past few days. As for marketplaces like StubHub and TiqIQ, as well as the smaller brokers whose sales take place on these sites, the results are somewhat muddled. "At the end of the day, many brokers took a big hit from this, while very few made a profit," TiqIQ's Chris Matcovitch said in an email. In some cases, the secondary market sites have felt forced to pay far above market rates in order to save face and not have brokers breaking the promise of tickets sold on spec. According to TiqIQ, overall ticket prices on its site have been average as far as Super Bowls go, though the volume of sales is down "significantly." | 3 | 4,976 | finance |
Super Bowl Sunday is a blast! Friends, football and fun, but if you're planning on a big night of drinking, there are a few things to keep in mind. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has the best tips to avoid that post game day hangover! | 8 | 4,977 | video |
WICHITA, Kan. A Wichita man has been sentenced to nearly three years in state prison after his 10-month-old foster daughter died after he left her in a hot car while he and his partner smoked marijuana. Seth Jackson pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in November. The 29-year-old Jackson was sentenced Friday to 32 months in prison. Prosecutors say Kadillak Poe-Jones died in July after she was left in the car when the temperature was about 90 degrees. Jackson was originally charged with felony first-degree murder after investigators found he was smoking marijuana with his partner at their home while the child was outside. The men say they had believed the girl was playing with other children inside the house. They realized she was outside when they heard an infant crying on television. | 5 | 4,978 | news |
Google Now has probably been one of the best features the company brought to Android over the last few years, and today it's getting a big update. The company just announced that it will now allow third-party apps to generate cards in Google Now, which means the service has the potential to be a more comprehensive home what's happening in your life than ever before. A whole list of the 40 different apps that Google Now currently supports can be found here , but some of the most noteworthy inclusions are Airbnb, Pandora, The Guardian, Lyft, Ebay, Waze, and Ford. You'll only see information from these third-party services if you have the app installed, and for now this third-party app integration will only work on Android. Developing... | 5 | 4,979 | news |
If the Lexus LF-LC concept never makes it to production, at least it will sort of live on in the virtual world. Coming soon to the Gran Turismo 6 video game is the Lexus LF-LC GT Vision Gran Turismo, which the automaker has teased in the following photos. Lexus is the latest automaker to join the Vision Gran Turismo bandwagon. And based on the photos, the LF-LC GT Vision Gran Turismo appears to be a variation on the LF-LC concept that was first unveiled a few years ago. Lexus will announce a release date soon, but there are plenty of other Vision Gran Turismo creations already available for download. The most recent addition comes from Renault-Alpine and its ride inspired by various models from the sports car marque's past. Chevrolet designed the wild Chaparral 2X VGT, while Infiniti's creation sports scissor doors and styling cues from the Q80 Inspiration concept. News on the Lexus LF-LC concept has been nonexistent for almost a year. Last summer, rumors swirled that Lexus approved the LF-LC for production with power coming from a 600-hp twin-turbo 5.0-liter V-8 based on the RC F and GS F. Rumors also suggested it would wear SC badges and share its chassis with the next-generation LS. That the LF-LC is headed to GT6 provides a little hope that Lexus is still considering making the sexy coupe a reality. Source: Gran Turismo | 9 | 4,980 | autos |
Half-century maker James Taylor reacts to his 82 and 125-run stand with Jos Buttler which helped England to a three-wicket Tri-Series win over India and book a spot in Sunday's WACA final against Australia | 8 | 4,981 | video |
HOOKSETT, N.H. New Hampshire's new scratch-and-sniff lottery ticket is off to a sizzling start. The $1 bacon-scented tickets with a top prize of $1,000 hit the market in early January. Lottery officials went with a conservative print run just in case they were a bust but now expect the tickets to sell out within three months. Sales are far outpacing other $1 scratch tickets, some of which have been for sale for as long as eight months. New Hampshire isn't the first state to have a bacon-themed lottery ticket, or the first to have a scratch-and-sniff ticket. But it's apparently the first to combine the two. Kelley-Jaye Rosberg, games manager for the New Hampshire Lottery, said officials first settled on the idea of an "I Heart Bacon" ticket, and only later decided to add the scent. Virginia also sells an "I Heart Bacon" ticket, but it costs $2 and is unscented. Colorado lottery officials say their scratch-and-sniff offerings coffee, chocolate and bouquet from a few years ago were among their worst sellers, but Rosberg says bacon's pop culture cachet sets it apart. "You can't get better than bacon. There's gingerbread, there's peppermint, chocolate, coffee different states have played with different scents but nobody had played with bacon yet," she said. "Everybody likes bacon, and people who don't like bacon are almost afraid to admit it." The state is promoting the new tickets by bringing The Bacon Truck, a Boston-based food truck, to various locations around the state to hand out free lottery tickets and actual strips of bacon. Those who tried both at a highway rest area Friday came away pleased, whether or not their tickets were winners. "What's better than free bacon?" said Dale Mottram, 54 of Bedford. He didn't win anything, but said he would buy more tickets in the future. "It smells very close to the bacon that's in my hand," he said. "It's fun." Lauralee Lamontagne and Joan Farr, two friends from Manchester, made a special trip to Hooksett for the promotion, though both had purchased the tickets in recent weeks. Lamontagne, 48, said she has been sending them to friends. Farr, 63, said she was skeptical of the scent before she tried it but is now a fan. "It really smells like bacon," she said. "It was pretty surprising." | 5 | 4,982 | news |
Australia, which has led a nearly year-long hunt for a missing Malaysian airliner, wants the United Nations' aviation agency to issue clear guidelines on who should be responsible for such searches once rescue efforts are called off. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, with 239 mostly Chinese people on board, was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing last March when it went missing in the world's greatest aviation mystery. More than two dozen countries have been involved in the air, sea and underwater search for the Boeing 777. The current phase is focused on the sea floor about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth. "The potential for difficulties to arise is likely to exist (when an) aircraft is believed to have gone missing in a search and rescue zone that is not the responsibility of the State with the onus to conduct the investigation," Australia said in documents released ahead of a major U.N International Civil Aviation Organization conference on airline safety in Montreal on Feb 2-5. "In the case of MH370, the aircraft was believed to have gone missing in Australia's search and rescue zone but Malaysia had responsibility for the accident investigation (under ICAO rules). "In the event that a similar tragedy happens in the future...without ICAO guidance, there may be uncertainty on how to proceed." The Australia-based Joint Agency Coordination Center (JACC) is running the search operations which involve Australian, Chinese and Malaysian search equipment. Australia had set aside A$80-A$90 million last year for the search, already the most expensive ever undertaken. Malaysia has said it would split the costs. Malaysia declared the flight's disappearance an accident on Thursday, clearing the way for airlines to pay compensation to victims' families. Malaysia said it, China and Australia remained committed to the search. [ID:nL4N0V87IQ] (Reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Amran Abocar and Chizu Nomiyama) | 5 | 4,983 | news |
Greece's new government dramatically escalated its battle with the country's international creditors Friday, refusing to meet EU and IMF officials and rejecting fresh loans offered for February. Athens had been promised another 7.2 billion euros in funds from the European Union, the IMF and and the European Central Bank if it completed reforms required by its lenders by February 28. But hardline Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said that despite warnings Greece would shortly run out of money, his government preferred to do without the instant fresh cash, and instead renegotiate the entire bailout package. "This government was elected on the basis of analytically questioning the very logic of the programme now being applied," he said, referring to the reforms and budget cuts demanded by Athens' international creditors. "Our first act as government will not be to reject the logic of questioning this programme by requesting to extend it," he added. The leftist minister spoke after talks with Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the first between the anti-austerity government and the creditors behind Greece's huge bailout. At a strained press conference with Dijsselbloem, Varoufakis also said Athens was willing to negotiate with its lenders but not with the so-called "troika" of EU, IMF and ECB auditors who he said were merely a "committee built on rotten foundations". Dijsselbloem warned: "Taking unilateral steps or ignoring previous arrangements is not the way forward." He said before arriving in the Greek capital that the new government, led by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras's hard-left Syriza party, has been raising expectations it cannot meet. Tsipras was elected on Sunday on a platform of ending austerity and cutting Greece's debt in half. "If you add up all the promises (made in the election campaign), then the Greek budget will very quickly run totally off course," Dijsselbloem said ahead of his talks. Tsipras will next week travel to fellow eurozone members Italy and France as he starts the process of trying to renegotiate the deeply unpopular bailout, which was granted to avoid a financial meltdown in 2010. Varoufakis will also begin a tour of European capitals next week, meeting his British, French and Italian counterparts. - 'Debt reduction not on radar' - Before Friday's talks, debt rating agency Fitch said Greece was still likely to reach a deal with its creditors but only after protracted talks damaging to the economy. "There is a high risk that protracted and difficult negotiations will sap confidence and liquidity from the Greek economy," it said in a note. Greek stocks lost another 1.59 percent on Friday, a day after plunging on concerns about the first moves of Tsipras's radical new administration to roll back several reforms underpinning the bailout. European Parliament chief Martin Schulz, the first visiting foreign dignitary to meet Tsipras' government, on Thursday said the prime minister had assured him that Greece would seek "common ground" with its EU peers. But in a later interview, Schulz said Tsipras' coalition alliance with the Independent Greeks, a hardline nationalist party, was "not something good for the country." "This government will enter into confrontation with the European Union at a time when dialogue is needed," he told SKAI TV. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said a reduction of Greece's 315-billion-euro debt linked to the bailout "is not on the radar". "I don't think there's a majority in the Eurogroup... for a reduction of the debt," he told Germany's ARD television, referring to the eurozone's finance ministers. Sigmar Gabriel, Germany's vice-chancellor and also its economy minister, said he expected Greece to "stick to its commitments" for fiscal and economic reform made in exchange for the bailout. He was critical of a decision by the new government to scrap the privatisation of the two main ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki, and the biggest Greek power company, decisions which have also drawn a rebuke from China that has a major investment in Piraeus. The Greek central bank said 4.0 billion euros in private deposits had been withdrawn from banks in December. But Daniele Nouy, head of the European Central Bank's Supervisory Board, said despite the post-election turbulence, Greek lenders were "pretty strong". | 5 | 4,984 | news |
Sam Burgess says he is trying to block out the expectations placed on him ahead of his England Saxons debut against Ireland. | 8 | 4,985 | video |
It's tight, but there's still time for cash buyers and those willing to waive contingencies to score a pair of Super Bowl XLIX tickets free when they buy this home in Phoenix. For a flat real estate market, the home has gotten "a ton" of attention, according to listing agent Kelly Cook of Kelly Cook Real Estate Group, part of Keller Williams . "We're getting three to four showings a day," says Cook, who figures Phoenix listings around the same price $359,900 are doing well if they have three or four showings a week. The remodeled 2,114-square-foot home between Scottsdale and Glendale has 4 bedrooms and 3 baths. The master suite includes a walk-in closet and a large bathroom with double sinks and an oversized shower. And how about those tickets? "They're upper level not club or anything," Cook says. Still, with entry-level tickets starting above $9,000 , they're quite a perk. One bidder tried to negotiate a lower price on the house without the tickets clearly not a football fan. Neither Cook nor the home's owner plans to attend the game if the right offer doesn't materialize by Sunday. "I don't think we'll have trouble selling them," he says. Photos courtesy of Kelly Cook Real Estate Group | 3 | 4,986 | finance |
Sacramento Kings fans can cool their jets, while Portland Trail Blazers fans get roaring. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver selected Kings center DeMarcus Cousins as an All-Star injury replacement for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the league announced Friday. Cousins had been passed over last year by the commissioner and widely was viewed as one of two possibilities for this selection, along with Blazers guard Damian Lillard. Cousins, a first-time All-Star, averages 23.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks a game. But the Kings are 16-28, and Cousins has missed 12 of their games. Still, his numbers were impossible to overlook, as his 25.2 Player Efficiency Rating is sixth in the NBA. Many were surprised the coaches passed him over for Kevin Durant and Tim Duncan in the original reserves selection. Last season, Cousins was passed over as an injury replacement (again for Bryant) in favor of New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis. Cousins seemed to have better traditional statistics, but the Pelicans were hosting the event, and Davis' defensive prowess and efficiency drew praise. Lillard was an All-Star reserve last season, when he participated in all five primary events of the weekend. Now he may be on the outside looking in, despite having a better season. The third-year point guard is averaging 21.8 points, 6.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds a game for the 32-14 Blazers. There still is a chance Lillard could make it if another player pulls out from the Western Conference team, and the most likely candidate may be his teammate. Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has put off surgery on a torn thumb ligament, but he could use the injury as a reason to sit out of the game and allow Lillard to make his second All-Star appearance. | 1 | 4,987 | sports |
An African Golden Cat, the rarest large cat on the planet was recently caught on camera by scientists trying to study monkeys. The cat comes out of nowhere to attack those monkeys. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) has the rest. | 8 | 4,988 | video |
If proof was ever needed for the average club hacker that even the very best players can struggle in golf, then look no further than at putting maestro Brandt Snedeker. Widely viewed as one of the game's leading putters over the past eight years, the fast-talking American has recently been struggling on the greens after clouding his mind with too much focus on technique. A six-times winner on the PGA Tour, Snedeker has not triumphed on the U.S. circuit since the 2013 RBC Canadian Open and he fell short of his customary high standards last season when he made 20 of 25 cuts but posted only three top-10s. "Obviously my game hasn't been anywhere near where it needs to be," the fast-talking American told Reuters at the Waste Management Phoenix Open where he is playing his fifth event of the 2014-15 season. "But I feel like after making a change last year to (swing coach) Butch Harmon that my game is a lot better now than it has been for the last year-and-a-half. The thing that has been holding me back is my putting, I haven't been putting any good. "I kind of made some changes that are really, really starting to come through and I feel like I'm on the right path. I just need to see some (putts) go in. You see some go in and everything changes." Snedeker is not only renowned for his extraordinary putting touch but also for his old-style 'pop' stroke which is made with minimum of fuss in relatively fast fashion. FIXATION WITH PERFECT TECHNIQUE However, having long been an ever-present at the top of the PGA Tour's putting charts, Snedeker has dropped well down the pecking order over the past year mainly due to a fixation with perfect technique. "I've kind of gotten away from what I do and trying to put a perfect stroke on every putt is not the way I putt," said the 34-year-old from Nashville, who carded a one-under-par 70 in the opening round at the TPC Scottsdale. "I kind of got too much into that, making sure my stroke is on plane and path and everything is good instead of getting back into reading putts and just hitting them. "So I'm getting more back into that and seeing some good results and seeing what I want to see out there. I just need to see a couple go in, see a couple go in and it comes right back so I'm not too worried about it." Snedeker, who clinched the PGA Tour's FedExCup title in 2012, led the Tour's 'strokes gained over the field' putting statistic that year and was placed fourth in that area in 2013. However last year, he dropped to 27th in strokes gained while this season he is surprisingly languishing in 110th spot. "The putts outside 10 feet will come," Snedeker said. "Inside 10 feet, I've been struggling with those five, six, seven‑footers, which you need obviously to make to shoot a good number." | 1 | 4,989 | sports |
PITTSBURGH A dented chocolate football created by a Pennsylvania candy maker to poke fun at the New England Patriots' "Deflategate" scandal has ended up raising $20,000 for charity. The ball created by Sarris Candies of Canonsburg was auctioned off Friday on KDKA radio to benefit the Dollar Energy Fund, which provides utility assistance for poor residents. A local car dealer bid $5,000 for the chocolate ball, and that price was matched by candy maker Bill Sarris, whose business is about 15 miles south of Pittsburgh. The utilities that help support the Dollar Energy Fund then matched that $10,000. "What started out as an internal little joke ended up picking up momentum and excitement," Sarris said Friday. "It's going to a good cause, so that's the best thing." The chocolate football was molded with a dent to make it appear deflated. Sarris posted it on Facebook as a joke and initially didn't intend to sell it. Instead, Sarris named the ball the Bradie ball a reference to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady but with a different spelling to avoid legal issues. A caption on the Facebook photo was a tongue-in-cheek reference to allegations that New England cheated by using underinflated footballs in winning the AFC Championship game, which put the team in Sunday's Super Bowl. The picture's caption read, "Net weight 13 lbs ... Oops! We meant 11.2 lbs." Actually, the chocolate ball weighed about 2.5 pounds, and Sarris sweetened the deal by including two more regular shaped chocolate footballs and two chocolate helmets to make the Deflategate auction package worth about $500. Richard Bazzy, who owns Shults Ford, spent 10 times that much to win the package and was more than happy to call more attention to a scandal involving one of the Pittsburgh Steelers' rivals. "It doesn't get any better when you can poke fun at an AFC rival while knowing that you are also helping families in need," Bazzy said. "We expect to display the football in one of our dealerships with pride." | 5 | 4,990 | news |
One shipping analyst calls the congestion at ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach the "worst-ever on record." For months, both shippers and longshoremen have accused each other of intentionally slowing operations to gain leverage in contract negotiations that began last May. Congestion was already building due to more ships, larger ships and a lack of maintained truck trailers to move cargo off the docks. However, gridlock intensified in November. The Pacific Maritime Assocation, which represents employers, claimed longshoremen began holding back crews after Halloween in order to pressure employers, while the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, representing dockworkers, claimed the opposite, saying that employers are asking for only half the normal work crews. CNBC visited a dispatch hall where jobs come in from employers and dispatchers hand them out to union members to try to determine who is right. Dispatchers are union members who work with management. The visit raised more questions than answers. "I haven't really seen anything change," said Ray Pearson, records clerk at the dispatch hall. When pressed on whether he had seen any reduction either in jobs posted or the number of union members willing and able to fill those jobs, he replied, "I am not aware of any slowdown on anybody's part." CNBC looked at dispatch summaries for Thursday's first shift and compared them to records from Jan. 29, 2014. They were relatively similar: All the jobs were filled. Anecdotally, that would indicate that Pearson is correct, and there's been no intentional slowdown. The only big difference is that there were twice as many ships in port this year. However, the maritime association said the logs are misleading. "Those final dispatch summaries ... do not accurately reflect employers' initial requests," said spokesman Steve Getzug. He said that, for example, one employer ordered 14 yard-crane operators Thursday but was told by the dispatch hall that only one operator would be made available. Getzug said the employer then went back and changed the order from 14 to 1. CNBC asked the union for comment on this allegation and will update this story as that information becomes available. The union has admitted that it has been holding back lesser-trained yard-crane operators due to a handful of accidents, claiming that employers are intentionally hiring more capable "steadies." However, the union could not clarify to CNBC where in the daily hiring process lesser-trained operators are being told to stand down. One possible bright spot in the talks is that the maritime association is reporting progress in negotiations on who should maintain and fix the truck trailers that move cargo out of the port. If that issue is resolved, perhaps it will have a domino effect on the rest of negotiations. But for Pearson, who also insists he's seen no intentional slowdown, the bigger issue is preparing for an increasing number of ships, and ships which are much larger than any he's ever seen. "We're getting a lot more ships, a lot more cargo," he said, "and it's hard to take off the docks." | 3 | 4,991 | finance |
#2 UVA and #4 Duke face off Saturday night in an ACC matchup you won't want to miss! Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett talks Duke freshman phenom Jahlil Okafor and how his team's experience could be the key to continuing its perfect record. | 1 | 4,992 | sports |
15 Vehicles That Won't Break Your Budget 15 Vehicles That Won't Break Your Budget If money were no object, roads would be dominated with rides like the Ferrari FF and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class . Unfortunately, your wallet almost always dictates an automotive purchase. With that in mind, the following list proves that there are plenty of bargains to be had in almost every segment, whether you're looking for an affordable electric vehicle or a family hauler that'll seat seven. Jeep Renegade Packed with thoughtful engineering, off-road chops, and style, the new Jeep Renegade has a surprisingly low base price to go along with its small dimensions. Related link: Research the Jeep Renegade Jeep Renegade The Renegade starts at just $18,990 and comes standard with a 160-hp, 1.4-liter turbo-four and a six-speed manual transmission. Related link: Research the Jeep Renegade Scion FR-S The 2015 Scion FR-S (and its twinsie, the Subaru BRZ ) is still a favorite when it comes to a no-frills, fun-to-drive, rear-drive sports car. Related link: Research the Scion FR-S Scion FR-S The FR-S is popular in the aftermarket world, and options are endless (and expensive). In stock form, however, the FR-S is plenty fun and special and well worth its $25,670 base price. Related link: Research the Scion FR-S Mitsubishi Mirage With a base price of $13,805, the Mirage is extremely affordable. Its cheapness, however, comes with many sacrifices. Related link: Research the Mitsubishi Mirage Mitsubishi Mirage The Mirage has room for five(ish) passengers, but those in the cramped rear seats will be crying "Are we there yet?" before the buzzy 1.2-liter I-3 has had a chance to warm up. That engine produces a meager 74 hp and is fairly fuel efficient, but it's far from quick the Mirage needs around 12 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. Related link: Research the Mitsubishi Mirage Ford Mustang America's ponycars have never been better, and the all-new 2015 Ford Mustang is proof. The Mustang V-6 is the thriftiest way into Ford's ponycar, with a starting price of $24,625. Related link: Research the Ford Mustang Ford Mustang The eager 3.7-liter V-6 makes 300 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, and the interior is a nice place to be thanks to supportive seats and a decent amount of standard features. Related link: Research a Ford Mustang Toyota Prius C Toyota's hybrid hatchback is high-tech but not high-priced. For just around $20,000, the Prius C is among the cheapest hybrids available and returns an impressive EPA-rated 53/46 mpg city/highway. Related link: Research the Toyota Prius C Toyota Prius C However, those seeking a bit more performance, comfort, and cargo space will have to move up to the slightly more expensive members of the Prius family. Related link: Research the Toyota Prius C Mazda CX-5 The compact crossover segment is crowded with strong players, but the Mazda CX-5 stands out for a number of reasons. Related link: Research the Mazda CX-5 Mazda CX-5 It's one of the few crossovers available with a manual gearbox, and it handles almost as admirably as an MX-5 Miat a . Also helping its case is a budget-friendly base price of just $22,375. Related link: Research a Mazda CX-5 Nissan Frontier If your booming landscaping business is in need of a new fleet of work trucks, the Nissan Frontier is the cheapest solution. Related link: Research the Nissan Frontier Nissan Frontier A 2015 Frontier King Cab starts at just $18,875, and its 152-hp, 2.5-liter I-4 should be strong enough to haul those lawnmowers and Weedwackers. Related link: Research the Nissan Frontier Chevrolet Spark EV Chevy's tiny, all-electric Spark is fitted with a spunky motor that churns out 140 hp and a whopping 400 lb-ft of torque. It makes for a relatively entertaining experience behind the wheel, and its EPA-estimated 82-mile range is more than enough for city commuters. Related link: Research the Chevrolet Spark Chevrolet Spark EV The 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV carries a base MSRP of $27,645, but tax credits can knock off around $10,000 from that price, depending on the state. Related link: Research the Chevrolet Spark Volkswagen Jetta TDI The 2015 Volkswagen Jetta TDI S is one of the cheapest diesels available and is perfect for the budget-minded road warrior with a long commute and an unrelenting itch for road trips. Related link: Research the Volkswagen Jetta Volkswagen Jetta TDI Priced at $22,460, the Jetta TDI S combines a 2.0-liter turbodiesel and a 14.5-gallon fuel tank that's capable of travelling more than 600 miles between fill-ups. Related link: Research the Volkswagen Jetta Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat If a 700-hp sedan happens to be on your bucket list, then 2015 just might be the year to check off that box. Related link: Research the Dodge Charger Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is stuffed with a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 churning out 707 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. Better yet, no other sedan making more than 700 hp can touch the Charger SRT Hellcat's price of $63,290. Related link: Research the Dodge Charger Ford Transit Connect Wagon The Ford Transit Connect XL Wagon is new to the U.S. and provides an interesting alternative to long-running minivans such as the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey . Related link: Research the Ford Transit Connect Ford Transit Connect Wagon For starters, the Transit Connect XL Wagon is cheaper, with a base MSRP of $26,180. That price nets a pretty basic and standard interior, but at least parents won't have to worry about ruined leather or wood trim. Related link: Research the Ford Transit Connect Toyota Avalon Buying a large luxury sedan doesn't require a six-figure price tag. The Toyota Avalon, for example, offers tons of space, sharp styling, and Lexus-like luxury all for a starting price of just $33,110. Related link: Research the Toyota Avalon Toyota Avalon Its 3.5-liter V-6 is plenty strong, and there's even a hybrid option (pictured) for buyers who want to save gas and the environment. Related link: Research the Toyota Avalon Mazda6 No other segment combines value, space, and performance better than the midsize sedan segment. Related link: Research the Mazda6 Mazda6 The 2015 Mazda6 isn't the segment's sales king, but it's a solid choice that's fun to drive and looks relatively handsome. It's affordable, too, with a starting price of $22,310. Related link: Research the Mazda6 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible A four-seater convertible can be fun and relatively cheap thanks to the Volkswagen Beetle Convertible. The base engine is VW's new 170-hp, 1.8-liter turbo-four that's strong, responsive, and efficient, returning 32 mpg on the highway. Related link: Research the Volkswagen Beetle Volkswagen Beetle Convertible Fans of the original drop-top Beetle will appreciate the new version's retro touches and its base price of $26,415. Related link: Research the Volkswagen Beetle Kia Forte Packed with lots of standard features and decent powertrains, the Kia Forte has put up a good fight against compact segment champs such as the Toyota Corolla and Ford Focus . Related link: Research the Kia Forte Kia Forte The Forte's price also makes it desirable, with a base MSRP of just $16,715. Unlike many of its rivals, the Forte can be had in three body styles -- sedan, coupe, and hatchback. Related link: Research the Kia Forte | 9 | 4,993 | autos |
Downtown Phoenix has transformed to welcome football fans from all across the country. Super Bowl Central is the place to be for food, drinks and family fun. But the massive venue wasn't built in just one day. Check out the time lapse video above to see the building of Super Bowl Central, from the empty lot to the finishing set of iconic Roman Numerals. | 8 | 4,994 | video |
What crazy heights has Super Bowl advertising money risen to? AdWeek says that a single 30-second TV commercial less than the NFL play clock will cost an "unprecedented $4.5 million." Car companies have traditionally been a mainstay of Super Bowl TV commercials. Time.com reports that "automakers have dropped $514.6 million on Super Bowl commercials, nearly 25% of the grand total" in the past 10 years. But for Super Bowl XLIX, there won't be as many car commercials as in the past, according to Time.com. The Detroit News notes that 11 automakers aired commercials during Super Bowl XLVIII, but not nearly as many will run ads during for this year's game between the Patriots and Seahawks. Among the big spenders sitting this one out are Ford, GM, and Honda. Here's a look at some of the Super Bowl XLIX car ads aimed at winning you over. Mike Quincy Mercedes-Benz AMG GT For a princely sum of $129,000, this slick beauty can be yours. Powered by a fire-breathing 4.0-liter, 503-hp, twin-turbo V8, and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and driving the rear wheels, the hot AMG GT winds up winning the race against a rascally rabbit. Slow and steady wins the race? Not with this much firepower. Kia Sorento There are plenty of ads this Super Bowl Sunday of ex-athletes reliving their past glory. Actors, it seems, do the same thing. Hence, Pierce Brosnan reflects on his action hero movie career, perhaps longing for the days when he was 007 in "GoldenEye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "The World is not Enough," and "Die Another Day." The Sorento isn't a bad SUV, but it's no Aston Martin DB5. BMW i3 High-tech can be daunting, especially the first time you sample the interwebs. At least Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel have the guts to poke fun at themselves in this 90's-flashback of them learning all about the WWW. The back story of this ad, though, is Couric admitting that she actually drives an Audi. We've spent lots of time behind the wheel of BMW's electric i3 perhaps even more than Couric and Gumbel and feel extremely comfortable with its technology. Lexus NX Certainly, the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will get locker-room pep talks geared to getting them totally caffeinated and ready to bring their A game. Unfortunately, only the second day driving our new NX showed that Lexus didn't bring even their B game. Why did our $43,000 test car fizzle so fast? A dead head unit/radio is the culprit. With a blank center control screen, there's no pairing phones and no navigation. And even though this Super Bowl ad says the new NX is going to "make some noise," we heard not a peep out of the car's sound system. In fact, the silence was deafening. More from Consumer Reports: Worst cars of 2014 in Consumer Reports' tests 5 best used cars for teen drivers Best & worst car values Consumer Reports has no relationship with any advertisers on this website. Copyright © 2006-2015 Consumers Union of U.S. | 9 | 4,995 | autos |
Polish transsexual lawmaker Anna Grodzka said Friday she would run for president in May elections, breaking new ground in the staunchly Catholic country. "Yes, I'll be a presidential candidate," the 60-year-old former filmmaker and publisher told the Wirtualna Polska web site, saying she had the backing of the Green Party. Born a man, Grodzka was elected Poland's first transsexual lawmaker in 2011. Her candidacy was not expected to significantly change the state of play, four months ahead of the vote. Incumbent President Bronislaw Komorowski, a centre-right independent who has been in the job since 2010, enjoys a comfortable lead in opinion polls. Some surveys show the 62-year-old, who is close to the Civic Platform (PO) governing party, winning reelection at the first round. The conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has chosen 42-year-old lawyer Andrzej Duda as its presidential candidate, while the former communist Social Democrats have tapped 35-year-old Magdalena Ogorek, a political unknown with model good looks and a doctorate in history. Flamboyant tycoon-turned-politician Janusz Palikot from the centre-left Your Movement party has also thrown his hat in the ring. The parliament is to announce the exact date of the election next week. | 5 | 4,996 | news |
After being accepted to Regis University, Kate S. was excited to begin her college career. Kate says she chose Regis to cut down on costs by staying close to home and commuting from Lafayette, Colorado, a city just north of Denver, but it wasn't enough. Just months before starting her freshman year, she was informed she didn't receive enough financial aid to cover the entire bill, and her family wasn't in a position to pay the remaining $12,000. "It was overwhelming," says Kate, who asked that her last name not be used. "I'm stubborn and driven, so I thought, 'I'll make it work. I'll sell something. I'll work all summer to make it happen.'" Around the time she graduated in the spring of 2014, though, her high school told her she'd be receiving a scholarship to cover the rest of her college expenses. Peak to Peak, a charter school in Colorado, was piloting a scholarship program to ensure students with financial need are able to not just get into but also finish college with a four-year scholarship. "I feel so secure going to college because my tuition is paid for and my books are paid for and it's a huge burden lifted from my parents that we don't have to worry about," Kate says. "It's such a relief." Kate spent the fall semester at Regis and is currently attending community college before transferring to another university in the area, where her scholarship will follow if she still has unmet financial need. With a $1 million donation, Peak to Peak was able to create an endowment to permanently install the scholarship. In total, six students from the graduating class of 2014 received scholarships from the pilot program. The school won't receive a return on the endowment until December 2015 which it estimates will be about $40,000 and is attempting to raise funds to provide scholarships for students graduating this spring. The donor of the endowment promised a match if the school can raise an additional $50,000. Typically, endowments are more common at elite private and college preparatory high schools, and when public schools do establish endowment funds on their own, the returns are more likely to fund field trips, extracurricular activities, school maintenance or other uses directed at the K-12 level. Over the last decade, however, more outside foundations have been partnering with cities and school districts to get into the scholarship game, says Carrie Warick, director of partnerships and policy for the National College Access Network. "I do see an expansion happening at the local level," Warick says. "I think you will see it through these collective impact initiatives or other collaborations of local, business and nonprofit entities, where the school district will be very involved. But I don't see many districts wanting to manage the money themselves." Local education foundations established as 501(c)(3) organizations manage the endowment funds. And since 2005, a trend of place-based scholarships has taken off as more cities establish "Promise Programs." One of the first was the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan, which provides college scholarships to any high school graduate of a Kalamazoo high school as long as they attend a college or university in the state. More than 60 cities across the country now have Promise programs. "What makes us different from just a scholarship program is we really try to focus on education that fuels economic development in a certain region," says Patricia Melton, executive director of the New Haven Promise and co-founder of the group Cities of Promise. But the Peak to Peak endowment could be the first of its kind at the individual school level. "What we're realizing is we are a public school and the heartbreaking reality is we have some students who simply can't afford to go to college, even though they have worked for years," says Robyn Fugett-Steuer, major gifts officer of the Peak to Peak endowment. The charter school's endowment functions slightly differently than a promise scholarship in that there are no restrictions on the college the recipient can attend. It's also a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it covers any remaining expenses such as books or room and board left unpaid after other financial aid is taken into account. Although the eligibility details are still being sorted out, school officials said scholarship recipients will have to meet certain requirements to demonstrate financial need, and maintain a certain level of academic standing while in college. The struggle to make college affordable for all students has garnered the attention of schools, communities and politicians nationwide. The White House has twice hosted summits with college leaders to brainstorm ways to improve access, affordability and quality, while sharing best practices. President Barack Obama has also tasked the Department of Education with developing a system to rate colleges based on those measures, and before his State of the Union address announced a proposal to make community college free for some students. While some analysts criticize plans that subsidize the cost of college rather than getting to the root problem of the business model of higher education that has caused costs to skyrocket it's clear communities "feel they cannot wait" for change to come from somewhere else, Melton says. "Communities are making a really big bold statement and in fact leveraging what we can do being very entrepreneurial," Melton says. "From a grass-roots level, that has influenced bolder thinking at the policy level, which tends to take more time." But for Peak to Peak, school leaders say they felt a personal responsibility to support students. "Our big motto at this school is 'Fit plus financing equals finishing,'" says Kimberly Gannett, a counselor at Peak to Peak. "What we found is the greatest challenge is the finance part. We can work with kids from really young ages about finding their passions ... but ultimately if they can't afford it, they can't go. In our vision, we're only meeting half our mission if they're doing all of that and still not being able to go at all because families have heartbreaking situations." Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 3 | 4,997 | finance |
New England head coach Bill Belichick is not known for heaping compliments on his own team, but when it comes to Sunday's Super Bowl opponents the Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots coach has not been shy in expressing his admiration. A joint news conference with his opposite number Pete Carroll by its nature encouraged polite words, but Belichick was unusually fullsome in his praise. "They compete relentlessly as well as any team or any organization I've ever observed," said Belichick. "The thing that impresses me the most and the thing that I guess I would like to do a better job of is just the way that his teams play for 60 minutes. They play from the opening kickoff to the final whistle or the final gun. "They play extremely hard down after down after down, week after week, year after year," he said. The Seahawks illustrated that point perfectly in their remarkable comeback win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game, which they won in overtime after trailing 16-0 at the half. "They're just never going to let up in any phase of the game: offense, defense, special teams, the receivers, the defensive backs, the linemen, the quarterback," Belichick said. "Everybody just competes at such a high level for every single second that they're out there, and I think that's a great credit and attribute to Pete and his staff. The players they brought in there, they're just relentless in the way that they play. Belichick said the Seahawks have become the standard to follow for other teams in that area. "I think that any coach wants his team to play that way and I think that Seattle and Pete really are the model for that. They do a better job than anybody. And I'm not saying that there aren't other teams that are in that category or very close to them, but I put them at the top." (Editing by Gene Cherry) | 1 | 4,998 | sports |
Chevron slashed $5 billion from its investment budget and shut down its share buyback program Friday as the crude price plunge continued to savage budgets of oil industry powerhouses. Chevron said it would spend $35 billion on exploration and production projects, 13 percent less than last year, in response to the nearly 60 percent fall of the oil price since the middle of 2014 due to a global glut. In addition, after spending $5 billion on share repurchases in 2014 -- a program that shores up the company's share price, benefiting stockholders -- chief financial officer Patricia Yarrington said the program would be frozen this year. "Given the change in market conditions, we are suspending our share repurchase program for 2015," she announced as the company presented its fourth-quarter earnings. The company turned in its poorest quarter, profits-wise, since 2009, "largely due to the sharp decline in crude oil prices," said chairman and chief executive John Watson. Revenues for the three months dropped 17.9 percent from a year earlier to $42.1 billion, and net income sank 30.0 percent, to $3.5 billion. The company produced the same amount of oil as it did a year ago -- an average of 2.58 million barrels a day in the quarter -- but the average sales price was $66 a barrel, compared with $90 a year ago. Watson said earnings were helped by gains in refining operations. "Improved downstream results and higher gains on asset sales related to our divestment program partially offset the effect of lower crude prices," he said in a statement. "We enter 2015 with the financial strength to meet the challenges of a volatile crude price environment and with significant efforts underway to manage to a lower cost structure and capital spend rate." Chevron shares took a small hit from the news, falling 0.8 percent in afternoon trade to $102.16. On Thursday another US oil leader, ConocoPhillips, announced the second sharp reduction in exploration spending in two months as oil prices showed no sign of rebounding. And Anglo-Dutch giant Royal Dutch Shell unveiled plans to slash spending by more than $15 billion over the next three years after posting lower annual profits on tumbling oil prices. | 3 | 4,999 | finance |
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