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We know you're familiar with day-to-night styling, but for Valentine's Day, we're looking for the reverse - midnight-to-morning hair. For date night, you want a style that won't take too much time, but still looks sexy enough for him to run his fingers through. Lauren Thompson at Nunzio Saviano Salon worked with us to create the ultimate sexy ponytail. Yes, a ponytail. This is not the style you throw your strands up into on a bad hair day. This look is all about textured waves pulled up into an easy updo, and we've spotted a similar style on sex kittens like Chrissy Teigen and Amber Heard. For your second-day hairstyle (ahem), all you need to pack in your clutch are a few bobby pins. Just swipe the beard comb lying on his bathroom counter, and whip your mane into a messy topknot. Your early-morning Uber escort will be none the wiser . . . Make Waves Give texture to the hair by spritzing strands with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray ($42). Then curl with a medium-size wand, making sure to always point the point of the wand downward. "I like a tapered wand because it gets the ends a little more curled, and that is the first part that tends to drop," said Thompson. To get that messy texture, run your fingers through the waves while the hair is still warm. The Big Tease Tease the front "Mohawk" section, from hairline to crown, using a fine-tooth comb. Up and Away Loosely pull hair back into a midheight ponytail just under the crown. Then tease the middle of the ponytail for extra volume. Finish the style with Oribe Superfine Hairspray ($33). The Sexy Date-Night Ponytail Want our model's bold red lip for your date? Mehron Cosmetics makeup artist Michela Wariebi used three different products to get the ruby shade. First, she applied the L.I.P. Liner Pencil in Brick ($10) for a longer-lasting pout. Then she topped the shade with Mehron L.I.P. Cream in Big Apple ($8) and Glosstone Pro in Red Kiss ($12). Va-Va-Volume Tease the remnants of your textured ponytail from midshaft to base. This will give your topknot volume and height. The Swirl While holding the base of the ponytail, wrap the ends around in a circular pattern. Then secure with multiple bobby pins at the base. The Messy Morning-After Updo Makeup artist Wareibi used an iridescent loose powder, Mehron Celebré Precious Gem Powder in Citrine ($10), on the highest points of the cheeks as a highlighter. If you've got a similar product at home, pour the product into the cap, so your brush doesn't pick up too many particles. Then remember to tap off any excess. | 4 | 5,900 | lifestyle |
Google-subsidiary Nest claims that the results of three studies based on longitudinal data show that its thermostat pays for itself in less than two years from savings from heating and cooling costs. The studies were funded and implemented separately by the Energy Trust of Oregon , Indiana-based utility Vectren , and Nest itself. Averaged together, they claim that the Nest thermostat's automatic temperature management reduces heating costs by 10-12 percent, and cooling costs by 15 percent. Bill Bixby, Nest's General Manager of Energy Services, says that "if you factor the average American's utility bills into the equation, that means savings of $131-145 per year." At $249 for a Nest Thermostat, that means you make up for the initial investment in less than two years. Together, these three studies confirm what has long been a marketing bullet point for Nest: the idea that by cutting off the AC when you leave for work during the summer or turn on the heat while you drive home, it can cut your energy bills while keeping you comfortable. On its site , Nest claims "A correctly programmed thermostat can save about 20% on your heating and cooling bill," which it says translates to $173 in savings. Bixby says there are further opportunities for Nest to reduce people's power usage. For one thing, as the company's thermostats gather more usage data, the algorithms that decide how to adjust settings get better at responding to changes in temperature and anticipating future usage. With MyEnergy , Nest users can also look at the data from their power bills in a more understandable way and challenge friends to use less power. As more companies partner up to make appliances around Nest APIs as part of the Works With Nest program , there will be more data for the company to draw from as each sensor gives the system a better idea of whether you're home and if not, how long it will be until you get back. Just this month, Nest updated its APIs to allow appliance makers to show a product's electricity, water, and gas use in the monthly Nest Energy Report so users can easily get a better idea of how their entire household affects the utility bill. | 5 | 5,901 | news |
The Seattle Seahawks made a questionable call in the final seconds of the Super Bowl that ultimately cost them the game. Did the Patriots win the Super Bowl or did the Seahawks blow it? | 1 | 5,902 | sports |
The number of eligible claims for deaths and injuries linked to the defective General Motors Co (GM.N) ignition switch that led to the recall of 2.6 million older cars should rise, an official responsible for administering the victim compensation fund said on Monday. The number of deaths deemed eligible for compensation under the program established by GM, the No. 1 U.S. automaker, stands at 51 and will "absolutely" rise from there as more of the claims are processed, fund deputy administrator Camille Biros said in an interview. The number of eligible catastrophic injuries and less serious injuries are eight and 69, respectively, she said. After a rush of claims filed ahead of the Jan. 31 deadline, the current number of claims received as of Sunday was 4,180, up from 3,068 on Jan. 23, Biros said. Since the end of last Thursday, about 700 claims had been filed, and January was the heaviest month for claims with more than 1,600 filed, she said. The total number of claims could rise further as any claims not yet received with a time stamp from before the deadline would be accepted, she said. Biros, who works with administrator Kenneth Feinberg, said the program likely will be processing claims through the end of spring. GM has been criticized for waiting 11 years to begin the recall of millions of cars last year with ignition-switch problems that have been linked to fatalities. The switch can slip out of position, stalling the vehicle and disabling air bags. GM hired Feinberg, who ran high-profile victim compensation funds for the Sept. 11 attacks and Deepwater Horizon oil spill, to handle an out-of-court compensation program to pay claims on behalf of people injured or killed because of the switch. The Detroit company gave Feinberg free rein to determine who to compensate and will not challenge his decisions. It set aside $400 million to $600 million to pay for the program. The original deadline had been Dec. 31 for filing claims, and GM had extended it to Jan. 31. Two U.S. senators had called on the automaker to further extend the deadline, but the company declined. | 3 | 5,903 | finance |
BOSTON Jury selection in the trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv) has been postponed as another snowstorm batters the region. About a foot of snowfall was forecast for the Boston area Monday. Proceedings are scheduled to resume Tuesday. More than 100 prospective jurors have already been questioned. Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded near the marathon finish line in April 2013. The 21-year-old Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty. He is charged with 30 federal crimes, including 17 that carry the possibility of the death penalty. Prosecutors say he and his older brother Tamerlan carried out the attack. Tamerlan died after a shootout with police days later. | 5 | 5,904 | news |
Take a stroll down Main Street as you hunt for the best bargains in these charming antiquing towns. Millerton, New York Upstate New York's Millerton (two hours north of New York City), on the border of Connecticut, is a small town that has cultivated its own unique flair with its independent businesses and local commerce. When it comes to quality antiquing in a warm and welcoming environment, all roads lead to the Millerton Antiques Center on Main Street, open seven days a week. With 35 dealers, the Center houses many specialty stalls, including fine European art, pottery, and Oriental rugs. The antiquing continues on Main Street, as hot spots such as the perfectly appointed Hunter Bee and the well-stocked B.W.'s Eagle Eye are Millerton mainstays. Insider Tip: The Irving Farm Coffee House on Main Street (with locations throughout Manhattan as well) features an impressive house blend of fair trade coffee alongside freshly baked pastries. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Hudson Valley Travel Guide Adamstown, Pennsylvania Commonly referred to as Antiques Capital, USA , Adamstown and the surrounding area of Lancaster County is home to around 20 antique and vintage stores. Start your hunt at Stoudts Black Angus Antiques Mall, a large market filled with vendors selling antique furniture, collectibles, and vintage jewelry. Take some time while visiting Stoudts to taste the beers they brew on site, as well as their many fresh breads and cheeses. Continue your day at the Mad Hatter Antique Mall , where over 100 booths showcase a fine selection of vintage goods. Insider Tip: Plan accordingly to visit Adamstown when one of the Extravaganzas (the area's periodic antique sale event) is happening, as many of the dealers at the Mad Hatter Antique Mall bring out exclusive items and offer a 20 percent discount. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Pennsylvania Dutch Country Travel Guide Wiscasset, Maine Prepare to be charmed by Wiscasset's historic grandeur as you experience this picture-perfect Maine village. Overlooking the Sheepscot River with a population of 3,732, Wiscasset's fondness for antiquing is hard to miss. Start with a visit to Water Street Antiques , where a well-cataloged collection of fine Americana antiques, weaponry, books, and folk art are for sale. Next, head across the road to Michael Dunn Antiques , where a pristine display of world-class antiques has led to sales to the the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and many more. The antique hunt continues with fine china sets at Patricia Stauble Antiques and the paintings at Wiscasset Bay Gallery . Insider Tip: Red's Eats is one of Maine's best-known lobster rolls. After indulging in the hearty portions of lobster coated in butter (not mayo), you'll be a convert too. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's The Mid-Coast Region Travel Guide Buchanan, Virginia Virginia's Buchanan , a small town of about 1,178 people, is positioned right at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is the perfect destination for antique dealers seeking premium vintage wares. Known for its Antique Alley, Buchanan's Main Street features six outlets overflowing with specialty items. Start at The Barefoot Peddler , a family owned and operated shop that specializes in painted furniture and wall décor. Stroll down Main Street to Antique Alley's newest addition, Purgatory Emporium , where over 40 vendors sell antiques, collectibles, as well as jams and jellies. And be sure to make a stop in to the kitschy Buchanan Antiques on Main Street, where jukeboxes, vintage gas pumps, and bygone-era advertising call back to the good ol' days. Insider Tip: The Buchanan Theatre is a charming vintage movie house that has been in operation since 1919. The theater shows second-run films on a single screen and is worth a trip, if only to revisit a day when popcorn at the movies was $2 and canned soda was a buck. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Virginia Travel Guide Galena, Illinois Northwestern Illinois' village Galena has made a name for itself in the antique scene for its prime shops. With about 3,429 people, Galena's a favorite spot for Chicagoans looking for a weekend away. Take to the shops on Main Street starting with All That's Vintage for an array of rare toys, cameras, and knick-knacks. Head south on Main Street to Rustic River Finds , where new and repurposed jewelry is crafted on site using unique stones and gems. Further down the road, you'll discover fine jewelry at Gustafson & Grey , well-stocked racks of vintage fashion at Tin-Pan Alley Antique Mall (on Commerce Street), and the many books and collectibles at Peace of the Past. Insider Tip: Make a pit stop along the way to Galena at the Massbach Ridge Winery , where you can enjoy estate-grown wine while taking in the scenic hills of Jo Daviess County. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Side Trips from Chicago Travel Guide Stillwater, Minnesota Just a quick 30-minute drive east of Minneapolis, the old-world Stillwater (population about 18,674) welcomes visitors to its many scenic vistas along the St. Croix River. A town filled with bed and breakfasts and historic inns, antiques play a large role in the community's commerce and culture. Start on Main Street at American Gothic Antiques , where two floors of independent dealers showcase their goods with a special focus on Civil War era memorabilia. Head across the street to the Midtown Antique Mall , where historic furniture and rare collectibles are on display before continuing on to Let There Be Light Antiques , where over 500 rare and vintage light fixtures are certain to brighten your hunt. Insider Tip: For the best view of the St. Croix Valley and River, opt for Aamodts Hot Air Balloon Rrdes , making for the perfect opportunity to wear that new scarf or stole purchased from a day of shopping downtown. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Stillwater Travel Guide Walnut, Iowa The hamlet of Walnut, Iowa (population about 776) goes nuts (pardon the pun) for antiques, as nearly a dozen shops, markets, and malls line the streets of this country town. Known as Iowa's Antique City, the community celebrates its destination status with an annual town-wide antique show that attracts 300 dealers from across the country each June. Start your day at The Barn Mall , an actual barn featuring 34 vendor booths on two floors with a third floor dedicated to an assortment of vintage chairs. Continue on to the Vintage Bulldog , where classic cameras, long-forgotten radios, and retro fans are among the highlights. Insider Tip: The Walnut Mural Project re-introduced the town in 2001 to colorful wall paintings of the bygone-era of the 1900's. While in Walnut, seek out the murals and look for the letter on each one spelling Walnut. (There's a map and a key to each mural in the visitor's center.) Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Iowa Travel Guide Hazel, Kentucky With only about 410 people, Hazel is a small but mighty antiquing town, as it boasts a remarkable 12 independent antique stops. Almost all of these shops line the town's Main Street allowing for an easy day-long stroll through American history. Trace through decades of country fashion at the State Line Ranch & Home , where hats, jeans, boots, and rodeo gear fly off the shelves. Then walk on over to Blue Moon Antiques , where definitive furniture pieces such as over-sized armoires are so remarkable, they demand attention. Insider Tip: As one of only two restaurants in Hazel, The Blue and White Grill serves up an impressive stuffed pork tenderloin as well as a 10 oz. ribeye that hits the spot after a day of treasure hunting. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Kentucky Travel Guide Clinton, Tennessee Dedicate at least a day to the wonders to be found on the Clinton Antique Trail , Tennessee's antique hub that hugs the Clinch River. With a population of almost 10,000, Clinton offers visitors small-town, southern charm with an emphasis on antiques. Featuring nearly everything from American and European to Primitive period furnishings, start your picking with handcrafted furniture and fun home décor items at Burrville Antiques , the area's oldest antique shop. The next stop on the trail is The Antique Market , where a 1900s era building houses antiques, primitives, and quality collectibles. The trail continues on to another 12 antique shops with seemingly endless piles of treasure. Insider Tip: Though there is no relation to the famed television series, a visit to Golden Girls Restaurant is a must while visiting Clinton, as their breakfasts speak to the country appetite (fresh biscuits and grits) and are as affordable as they are delicious. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Tennessee Travel Guide Charleston, South Carolina Charleston's lively pulse can be felt throughout storied streets of the coastal town's commerce district. This city of rivers, creeks, and canals, is an antiquing destination for its outstanding King Street Antique District . Antiques from practically every period of American history, as well as international artifacts and rare finds, can be found at the dozens of vendors on and around King Street. Start at the top of King Street at Golden & Associates Antiques , where high-end antiques include ornate chandeliers, fireplaces, and awe-inspiring bed frames. Jacques' Antiques' inviting storefront has an impressive inventory of high-end vintage furniture, as well as a large collection of ornate mirrors that are sure to add a distinguished touch to any room. Insider Tip: Enjoy an almond chocolate coconut cupcake or a ginger molasses cookie, two favorites from the many varieties of freshly baked sweets at Charleston's own Sugar Bakeshop in celebration of your day's haul. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Charleston Travel Guide | 2 | 5,905 | travel |
Apple selling the Apple Watch will be a big change for the iPhone-maker, and it is reportedly switching up its retail game to accommodate the new wearable. Last week on our weekly AppleCast , we discussed how retail strategy might shift with the Apple Watch, and now 9to5Mac reports on a number of concrete changes that will be coming to Apple's physical retail locations to help securely sell even the highest-priced Apple Watch, and to make sure potential customers get plenty of in-store exposure to the device and its many options. The Apple Watch will be stored in custom-made safes overnight, and while waiting for sale, complete with built-in MagSafe chargers (the new disc-shaped version introduced specifically for Apple Watch compatibility), and new display tables will be installed to allow users to get a close look at the wearable. Additional sales practices will be introduced to let store visitors try on various Apple Watch models, material and color options, and to wear them around the store to get a better idea of what it might be like to wear one full-time. Another change will be the introduction of scales to retail locations, 9to5Mac claims. Said scales will be used to ensure that Apple Watch Edition versions of the Apple Watch (which will be made of high-quality materials, including 24k gold) are returned with as much gold onboard as they had when they left. Substituting out high-quality fakes, or subtly removing small amounts of the material prior to bringing it back in for a refund could result in significant upside for enterprising criminals, after all. These rumors back up earlier suggestions that Apple will offer a range of price points on its debut wearable that could extend into the thousands of dollars range. Safes and scales are jeweller staples, and that means we might see very different in-store approaches to selling the Apple Watch to consumer. | 5 | 5,906 | news |
Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff tells CNNMoney's Laurie Segall that searching through home listings is a lot like using dating apps. | 3 | 5,907 | finance |
In 1999, a woodcutter named James B. Grinder confessed to a 15-year-old murder, the death of a 25-year-old woman named Julie Helton. A short time later, he recanted, contradicting himself over and over. His blood had been taken and compared against the crime scene samples but with such an old crime, local police were worried the case might fall apart, so the sheriff called in a doctor he had seen on the news. The doctor's name was Lawrence Farwell, and he was promoting a next-generation tool called brain fingerprinting. It was an advanced lie detector that claimed to look into a suspect's brain to see if they were familiar with the details of the crime. This was the first time the technique had been used in an active criminal case, although Farwell had tested the technique with scientists at the FBI. So far, he said, the accuracy rate was 100 percent. The local police were thrilled to try it out, so Farwell set up his computer at the prison where Grinder was being held, along with the bundle of wires and electrodes used to take EEG readings of brain activity. Grinder sat in front of a screen in his orange jumpsuit, with a blue strap over his forehead to secure the device. Behind him, Farwell asked questions and monitored the results on a screen, grilling the convict about specific details of his crime. By the time the test was over, Farwell was convinced. Faced with overwhelming evidence, Grinder pled guilty and was sentenced to life without parole. "There is no question that J. B. Grinder raped and murdered Julie Helton," Farwell told a local paper after the plea. "The significant details of the crime are stored in his brain." Grinder's case was the first time Farwell's technique was used in an investigation, but it wasn't the last. Farwell tested the device on two other convicted murderers in the following years, Terry Harrington in Iowa and Jimmy Ray Slaughter in Oklahoma, before moving the technique to a bigger stage. Farwell founded a company, Brainwave Sciences, to build ready-made brain-reading rigs that could be deployed on a mass scale. Naturally charismatic, Farwell was a hit with the media, feted by major outlets from 60 Minutes to Time . In 2013 , Brainwave Sciences made its first sale to Singapore's police force. Since then, the technique has also popped up in Indian courts , used with Farwell's blessing. In August , the Florida State Police bought another batch of the devices for everyday use. Krishna Ika, Brainwave's CEO, describes the product as "a revolutionary scientific technology to detect whether specific information is in a person's brain or not." Based on the company's testing, Ika says he's seen an accuracy rate of "close to 100 percent." But as the technique has spread, it's also struggled to shake accusations of shoddy testing, inflated claims, or even outright pseudoscience. Farwell has conducted extensive testing, but it's all been behind closed doors, whether it's with government agencies or prospective clients. He maintains that his test is based on solid neuroscience and that it's never produced a false result, but academic neuroscientists complain that his methods are effectively secret and have never been subject to public review. As Farwell's technique arrives in police stations and courtrooms, it raises a serious question: when Farwell looked into J. B. Grinder's mind, how much could he really see? Attach two pieces of conductive material to a person's scalp, forming a circuit, and you can begin to pick up on what's happening inside. Monitor the circuit, and you'll get a wave-like reading, a constant ebb and flow of electrical activity. Once you're accustomed to the rhythms, you can pick out disturbances, which often lead back to specific events in the brain. The test is called an electroencephalogram or EEG, and it's one of the most common ways to check patients for seizures or abnormal brain activity. In 1965, a group of scientists discovered a distinctive surge of electrical activity in the EEG wave when a person saw something familiar, usually arriving 300 milliseconds after the object was revealed. They called it the P300 response, and while the neurological origins of the surge are still unclear, the behavior has been replicated over and over in the decades since. A scientist might trigger it with an unexpected low note after a series of high notes, or showing a subject his best friend's face mixed in with pictures of strangers. When the P300 is used in interrogations, the questions are more pointed. Was the victim killed with a knife? Was the victim shot? Was the victim strangled? It's called the Concealed Information Test, or CIT. There might be a dozen such questions, all covering a single concrete aspect of the crime, but only one of them describes what really happened. If the suspect knows the victim was shot, he'll show a P300 response when that specific question is asked. A conventional polygraph relies on flashes of sweat from the autonomous nervous response, a physiological panic brought on by lying, but the P300 is entirely confined to the brain, making it significantly harder to beat. Suspects can still ignore the questions entirely or try to trigger recognition through other means, but questioning protocols can be arranged to catch them in the act. The usual polygraph tricks won't work, and the system is much more resistant to adversaries. But while Farwell has often used the science behind the P300 to justify his techniques, many scientists aren't happy about it. In 2012, a group of researchers struck back against Farwell's work, writing in Cognitive Neurodynamics that his research "is misleading and misrepresents the scientific status of brain fingerprinting technology." While the P300 can be triggered by any event that violates a subject's expectations, Farwell usually describes it as a direct view onto a suspect's memory. Farwell had boasted about 10 different field studies, but only two of the studies were peer-reviewed, totaling 30 participants in sum. The process still maintains a nominal 100 percent success rate, but it ends up duplicating some participants and excluding others to get there. "The review violates some of the cherished canons of science," the piece concludes, "and if Dr. Farwell is, as he claims to be, a ''brain fingerprinting scientist'' he should feel obligated to retract the article." Even for those who believe in the science behind the P300, there are real questions about how it will stand up in an actual investigation. A recent study compared P300 with the skin conductance response, used in the common polygraph lie detector, and came away with mixed results. When innocent participants were included, the P300 far outpaced the traditional polygraph, resulting in far fewer false-positives. But when the participants had to work through an actual crime scenario, stealing a purse and then being confronted with details, the P300 was often less reliable than the polygraph. The questioners were forced to guess at what actually happened, introducing new uncertainty and driving up error rates. Many guilty suspects ended up passing the test simply because they hadn't paid attention to the objects in the test. Another concern is that the real benefits are coming from the method of questioning rather than the brain measurements themselves. Traditional lie-detection protocols look for deception; if you say you didn't kill your wife and the machine spikes, that counts as evidence that you did. But the Concealed Information Test takes a different approach, looking to prove that a suspect knows things that only a guilty person would know. That means collecting specific information and keeping it out of the public eye until the information can be used in a test. It's a lot more work than the average polygraph, but in exchange, cops get a less error-prone test, and one that's particularly resistant to false positives that might put an innocent person in jail. The only real change here is the interrogation strategy. CIT appears to be more reliable, even used with traditional polygraph equipment, and it's already popular with Japanese law enforcement and the FBI . But if the benefit of the test comes from asking different questions, why bother with brain measurements at all? What's left is a mix of proven techniques and dangerously exaggerated benefits, which has many observers worried about the effect it could have on the legal system. "It's not ready for the courtroom yet," says Jane Moriarty, a chaired professor at Duquesne's School of Law. "There's not enough testing behind it to say, yes, we should use this as evidence to convict people." In particular, Moriarty is concerned that laboratory testing can't reliably replicate the brain activity of a suspect being interrogated for an actual crime. It's easy for Rosenfeld, Farwell, and others to interrogate student volunteers, but when it's an actual suspect being questioned about an actual murder, the neurological reactions may be significantly different. How does the test hold up on neurologically atypical suspects, like psychopaths or the mentally ill? It's not clear how scientists can control for those factors, and they could leave a dangerous loophole if the method is more widely adopted. So far, brain fingerprinting has only been admitted into court evidence once: in Harrington v. State (2003), in which the court mentioned the finding but did not rely on it. But in the years since, courts have ruled against admitting fMRI lie detection evidence for the same concerns voiced by Moriarty, suggesting lab testing wasn't yet applicable to a real-life case. There's been no ruling on Farwell's method specifically, leaving it in a kind of legal limbo within the US. At the same time, the technique is already gaining adherents in Australia and India , playing off its early successes in American courts. Still, the more judges let brain fingerprinting into court across the world, the more precedent it will have as evidence, and the harder it will be to dismiss. That vicious cycle has kept bad science in courtrooms before, whether it's bite-mark tests or handwriting analysis . In the Cameron Todd Willingham case , overly confident arson investigators turned an accidental fire into a triple murder, sending an innocent man to his death. Once a local analyst is seen as an expert in a given technique, it's often very hard to wean judges off the technique, even when the science has been largely discredited. "A lot of these kinds of forensic science bite marks, arson experts, handwriting analysis they testify as experts and they have for decades," Moriarty says. "One of my concerns is, if we let it in, will we ever be able to get it out again?" But while researchers worry, Brainwave Sciences is busy spreading its wares. Ika says the company is in negotiations with six other countries, who are intrigued by the device's possible applications in counter-terrorism screening. "It's still close to 100 percent reliable, with no false positives or false negatives," he says. "We're very eager to see if someone can prove that wrong." | 5 | 5,908 | news |
Queen Elizabeth fears that Britain will be shocked by the different style of monarchy Prince Charles is planning, according to a new biography of her heir apparent. 'Charles: The Heart of a King' claims that the 66-year-old prince's passion for embracing sometimes unusual causes has prompted disquiet at Buckingham Palace, where Elizabeth, 88, is set to overtake Queen Victoria in September as Britain's longest reigning monarch. When his turn finally comes to ascend the throne, Charles plans a new model of kingship that would create a smaller monarchy and open up royal residences to the public, according to the biography. "In the corridors and back rooms and private apartments of Buckingham Palace there is mounting anxiety as the Queen's reign enters what an insider calls 'its inevitable twilight'," according to Catherine Mayer, the author of the biography, which has been serialized in the Times newspaper. "In defining his role as heir apparent, the prince has signaled a redefinition of the monarchy. Some courtiers and the sovereign herself fear that neither the Crown nor its subjects will tolerate the shock of the new." Charles's father, the Duke of Edinburgh, is among his harshest critics, the book claims, and believes the prince to be guilty of "selfish behavior" in putting his "cerebral passions" before his royal duties. Charles himself is quoted by the author as saying: "I only take on the most difficult challenges... I want to raise aspirations and re-create hope from hopelessness and health from deprivation." A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the book, but a spokeswoman for the Prince of Wales released a detailed statement, saying Mayer had not been given exclusive access to the prince and emphasizing that her book was not an official biography. In a rare comment on the kind of king Charles would be, the spokeswoman said: "He is often described as being ahead of his time. The evidence for this has been well documented and includes leading the work on corporate social responsibility, from as early as the 1980's, demonstrating the benefits of organic farming, as well as finding ways to help young people who are not in employment." "Speculation about The Prince of Wales's future role as King has been around for decades but it is not something we have commented on and nor will we do so now," she said. The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth and groomed from birth to one day be king, Charles has taken on the responsibilities of public life but found himself for years eclipsed by Princess Diana, his first wife who died in a Paris car crash in 1997. In 2005 Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles, who will one day sit alongside him as queen according to the current assumption in Buckingham Palace, Mayer wrote. (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Sophie Walker) | 6 | 5,909 | entertainment |
JEREZ, Spain (AP) Nico Rosberg is studying how he breathes as he looks to overhaul Formula One world champion and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg missed out on the title in dramatic fashion last year and wants to find improvements. The German driver has tried perfecting new breathing techniques in order to find the ''one or two percent'' that could make all the difference this season. Rosberg did better than Hamilton in qualifying last year, securing 11 pole positions compared to seven, but Hamilton dominated him - 11 wins to five - on race day. That has been bugging Rosberg, who is determined to find the small margins that will work in his favor. ''I learned some things in the winter. For example, my breathing was something I could work on, my breathing in the race car,'' Rosberg explained. ''Because when we go through fast corners we hold the breath, because we have so much g-force. Of course I want to give you some insights, but not compromise my secrets.'' He's also stepped up his training regime. ''To be that little bit more fit at the end of races, a little bit more on it,'' the 29-year-old Rosberg said. ''That one or two percent that makes the difference in the end.'' Hamilton beat Rosberg by 67 points - but the margin was exaggerated by the double points on offer in the last race. Rosberg could have clinched the title, for example, if he had won and Hamilton placed third. But Hamilton won and Rosberg, blighted by technical problems, ended up 14th and out of the points. He insists it did not take him long to get over it. ''Life went back to normal for me very quickly, one or two days,'' he said. ''I'm always motivated, but (this time) I have an extra little bit. To have this memory from last year. I know how awesome it feels to win races and how great it feels when I beat Lewis.'' Feelings were heightened last year due to the tension between the drivers. It led to several feuds, with Hamilton accusing his teammate of deliberately crashing into him at the Belgian GP in August. Tensions were eased after Rosberg warmly congratulated Hamilton - his friend since their teenage years racking karts against each other - but Mercedes Head of Motorsport Toto Wolff does not rule out a repeat scenario. ''I have no illusions that 2015 will be an easier year,'' Wolff said. ''At this stage in their lives, they are teammates and competitors. This is how it is. It makes no sense to hope for harmony when no harmony can be expected.'' Mercedes could have defused the situation after the Spa incident by imposing team orders, but, despite the animosity it generated, let them continue racing against each other providing they did not create further controversy. ''That is when a team is getting pushed forward. The downside - the intense competition - we will live with,'' Wolff said. ''We have learned from last season. We have matured as a team, including the drivers.'' | 1 | 5,910 | sports |
Spot, the new mobile parking app from Boston-based Spot Park , began in 2013 when Braden Golub saw 10 unused parking spots in his apartment's garage. Golub, who'd gotten back from feeding a meter to cover his fiancee's parking near his place in Boston. A former employee at RentalBeast , a Boston real estate startup, Golub knew there had to be a better way to make use of that space. After doing some research, Golub determined that there were 50,000 private parking spots in Boston and 30,000 that are easily accessible. At many of those spots, people like Golub are paying $300 month for space that mostly goes unused. So Spot was born, a way to connect unused private parking spaces with folks who want to rent it out. Think of it as Airbnb.com for your parking space, driveway, or even local business parking lot. "We did a launch of the beta in June 2014," Golub says. "Within five months we had 6,000 people enroll just in the our beta program. Since then we've increased that and we're right around the 10,000 user mark." The service is now based solely in Boston, but has plans to expand into seven other east coast markets in 2015, Unlike other companies in the market, that go after parking garages, the Spot Park service allows users who download the app to book inventory in private parking spots. To fulfill its vision, Spot has raised just under $1 million from undisclosed angel investors from Boston, New York, and the midwest. The app requires people who are posting parking inventory to verify their address with a piece of mail or a utility bill. "People have no trouble sending us a picture of their mail or utility bill knowing that they're going to be making money off of something they hadn't made money off of before." Users who want to find a place to park simply download the app and click on a "find my spot" option. The app provides navigation to the nearest private parking space that's available and users then pay a set rate based on whether they want to book the spot on a hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis. | 5 | 5,911 | news |
You know when you walk into your favorite department store and are immediately inundated by hundreds of beauty products ? It's ... overwhelming.Thankfully, Rank & Style simplifies shopping by giving us daily lists of the top 10 products in basically every category. And the lists aren't based on opinion: They're created scientifically, from data culled from magazines, blogs, department stores, and social media, all of which help to rank products by popularity, quality, and buzz. Today, we're sharing the best dry shampoos because if you're like us, there are many days you simply don't have the time (or energy) to wash and dry your hair. Plus, don't the experts say it looks better when it's dirty? 5. Rene Furterer Naturia Dry Shampoo, $27; beauty.com The biggest complaint from dry-shampoo users? The chalky smell. The best part about Rene Furterer's dry shampoo? Its amazing scent, which some fans say could double as a subtle perfume. 4. Bumble and bumble Prêt-à-Powder, $27; sephora.com Beauty editors swear by Bumble and bumble products. They just work. This beloved product is a triple threat: It cleanses, adds volume, and gives your blowout a longer life. 3. Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo With Oat Milk, $9; net-a-porter.com At under $10, you can't beat the price of this cult-favorite beauty must-have. It's chock-full of vitamin-rich oat milk, which leaves your hair cleaner and healthier. 2. Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo, $22; sephora.com Leave it to Drybar to come up with one of the most buzzed-about dry shampoos, which promises to extend (you guessed it) your blowout. Its micro-powder spray blends in easily with your hair to leave it fresh, not powdery. 1. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo, $21; sephora.com It's no surprise that hair guru Oscar Blandi's product lands at number one. His Pronto Dry Shampoo has been a favorite among beauty editors for years for its promise to fix dirty hair fast without using any parabens, sulfates, or synthetic dyes.This list isn't complete! To see more of the top dry shampoos out there, visit Rank & Style. Related Rank & Style Top 10 Links The 10 Best Curling Wands Hair Dryers to Buy Under $100 10 Hair Masks to Try at Your Next At-Home Spa Night Related Links 16 Best Dry Shampoos to Extend Your Blowout | 4 | 5,912 | lifestyle |
Budweiser's Super Bowl commercial reuniting a lost puppy with its best friend, a member of the company's iconic Clydesdale horse squad, might have melted hearts Sunday night, but the company's other ad choice lit a fire under fans of craft beer. The ad -- entitled " Brewed the Hard Way " -- seemingly mocked not only craft beer, but also the people who enjoy it, a move that proved to be both tone deaf and embarrassing for the company. The ad, which began by noting that Budweiser "is not brewed to be fussed over" ended with the tagline: "Let them sip their pumpkin peach ale. We'll be brewing us some golden suds." Except, whoops! Just over a week ago, Budweiser's parent company bought well-known Seattle craft brewery Elysian . Among the beers that brewery made last year? The Gourdgia on my Mind Pecan Peach Pumpkin Amber. "Elysian's brands are an important addition to our high-end beer portfolio, and we look forward to working together," said Andy Goeler, CEO of Craft at Anheuser-Busch at the time. In fact, Budweiser's parent company has quietly been buying craft breweries and launching its own craft-style brands for the past few years. Shock Top is a Belgian-style wheat ale produced by the company (which, it's worth noting, also has a pumpkin seasonal). Organic craft brewery Green Valley Brewing Company doesn't fly the Anheuser-Busch flag, but it's owned by the company. So is Goose Island, which was purchased in 2011. And it owns stakes in Seattle's Red Hook Brewing and Portland's Widmer Brothers Brewery. The apparent attack on craft beer comes as the King of Beers has seen its crown become more tarnished. Young drinkers have been turning away from the brand for more than 25 years. In 2013, the company shipped 16 million barrels of Budweiser, while overall craft beer shipments came in at 16.1 million barrels . On social media, craft beer lovers, not surprisingly, took aim at Budweiser noting the defensive nature of the ad. Not thanks @Budweiser I'll stick to craft beer. Erik Eggers (@erikeggers) February 2, 2015 Perhaps Budweiser should spend more $$$ making their "beers" better instead of on lame commercials mocking craft beer/craft beer drinkers. Smitty Smith (@FLRightWinger) February 2, 2015 Seriously, you're just being jerks @Budweiser John Laffler (@jalaffler) February 2, 2015 Budweiser, perhaps sensing the tempest in a beer mug it created with the ad, took a slight step back from its mocking messaging in replies on its own Twitter feed: @slob_marley We respect craft brewing. Beer is for all people. Budweiser (@Budweiser) February 2, 2015 @mssmo11y We're not anti-craft. Just pro-Bud. Budweiser (@Budweiser) February 2, 2015 That hasn't done much to stop the anti-Bud backlash on social media -- and while that likely won't directly impact Budweiser sales, there is a larger cause for concern, which was likely the true motivation behind the ad. Beer Marketer's Insights notes that Budweiser's market share has fallen from 8.4% in 2011 to 7.6% in 2013. (Bud Light remains the country's most consumed beer, with an 18% market share.) The only "craft" beer to make the top 20 is Blue Moon -- a MillerCoors product. But craft breweries are opening at an astonishing pace around the country. Between 2010 and 2013, The Brewers Association estimates 836 new microbreweries opened their doors. All totaled, there are more than 2,800 in operation today. "New breweries consistently find ways to produce innovative, differentiated products," said Brewers Association chief economist Bart Watson . "The American beer lover increasingly is demanding fuller-flavored offerings from small, independent, local producers." | 3 | 5,913 | finance |
Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel endured a rocky rookie season, so hopefully he gets his life together this offseason. Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has entered a rehab facility to begin treatment for what's believed to be alcohol problems, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer . The exact nature of Manziel's treatment hasn't been revealed yet, but he's had a history of alcohol problems that's affected his NFL career after just one season. Manziel has developed a reputation for his partying lifestyle since winning the Heisman Trophy following his freshman season at Texas A&M in 2012. His first year in the NFL was marred by several reported incident of Manziel out partying when he should have been preparing to be Cleveland's starting QB. Here is some of the statement: "Brad Beckworth, friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday. Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate and he thought the off-season was the right time to take this step. On behalf of Johnny and his family, we're asking for privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland" Manziel was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but finished his rookie season without a touchdown pass and two interceptions. Hopefully, he gets his life together this offseason. | 1 | 5,914 | sports |
Contestant in Brazil won't win miss congeniality | 5 | 5,915 | news |
DUBLIN (AP) Fresh off his first tournament win of the year, Rory McIlroy will switch his focus from the course to a courtroom on Tuesday for the start of his multi-million dollar case against his former management company. The four-time major winner initiated the case against Dublin-based Horizon Sports Management and its leading agent at the end of 2013, claiming he was misled into signing a contract with the company. McIlroy has said in court papers that he signed the contract at Horizon's Christmas party ''in circumstances of great informality'' and without having seen a draft of the agreement before it was given to him to sign. Horizon is counter-suing, claiming McIlroy owes it millions of dollars in commission. McIlroy, who left Horizon to form his own management company in 2013, is expected to testify in court this week. He is coming off a victory at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday. Speaking before the tournament, McIlroy said he hopes the court case ''won't take that long, and we can get on with our lives.'' ''It's not something you want hanging over your head and it's not something I'd want anyone to go through, it's not a nice process,'' McIlroy said. ''It's a shame it's gone this far and that two sides see things completely differently. The only way to sort it out is to get a judge to come in and tell us what to do.'' The case could last up to eight weeks. McIlroy said last week that he isn't expecting to practice much over the next two weeks, and will spend the week before the Honda Classic, which starts Feb. 26, hitting with his coach Michael Bannon in Florida. The Northern Irishman has started the year well, finishing second at the Abu Dhabi Championship in his first event of 2015 before winning in Dubai by three shots. | 1 | 5,916 | sports |
Shares of Shake Shack exploded on their first day of trading. Kate Rogers tells us what's next for the fast-casual chain. | 3 | 5,917 | finance |
Sure, going out to your favorite dinner spot or trying out the new, critically acclaimed restaurant has its place, but sometimes staying in for the night is the perfect fit. Mix and match these 27 tasty menu options for an unforgettable date night at home. Make Memorable Meals Together The following slides offer up ideas for you to put your date night meal plan together. We've thought of everything from the opening cocktail to kick off the night to the closing bite of dessert or sip of Port. We even included a few out-of-the-ordinary popcorn picks in case you choose to cap off your night curled up on the sofa watching a movie. So go on and claim some time together on the calendar and let these menu ideas help you unwind and get reconnected. The night is yours. COCKTAIL HOUR: Sparkling Rosé Nothing gets a romantic meal started better than a lovely glass of pink bubbles. Get a dry sparkling rosé. It's a remarkably food-friendly wine for appetizers and whatever you might be snacking on while the main dish is cooking. Learn more about sparkling wines with an eye on value and quality COCKTAIL HOUR: Raspberry Rose Spritzer It's always good to have a go-to drink, especially if you are strapped for time and spent most of it cooking an elaborate meal and forgot all about the drinks. Here's a sweet sprtizer that not only looks pretty and bubbly, but needs only one liquor: champagne. Added bonus: You can even make it with sparkling grape juice, if your partner is a teetotaler. Get the recipe COCKTAIL HOUR: Chocolate Martini You can never go wrong with chocolates on Valentine's Day! Make this martini that tastes like liquid dessert yet is boozy enough to give you a buzz. Get the recipe COCKTAIL HOUR: Champagne Cocktail Raise a glass and savor the moments spent together. Get the recipe APPETIZER: Baby Baked Potatoes With Sour Cream and Caviar Get the recipe APPETIZER: Lobster Cocktail Get the recipe Watch: How to Remove Meat From a Lobster (1:18) APPETIZER: Oysters Rockefeller Get the recipe Watch: How to Open an Oyster (00:45) SALAD: Caprese Salad Insalata Caprese Get the recipe Watch: How to Slice Round Ingredients (4:20) SALAD: Thai-Inspired Asparagus Salad With Fried Meyer Lemon Get the recipe Watch: What are Meyer Lemons? (00:27) SALAD: Fresh Herb Salad With Shallot & Truffle Vinaigrette Get the recipe Watch: How to Make a Basic Vinaigrette (1:30) MAIN COURSE: Red Wine If you're looking for a more elegant red to match your main dish, go for a Pinot Noir. Prefer your wine with more power, richness? Pick up a Cabernet Sauvignon. Bonus points for getting a bottle from a place the two of you may have visited together: a winery, region, or country. Going out to eat? Find out how to order wine like a pro at a restaurant MAIN COURSE: Beet Risotto Get the recipe Watch: Starting the Risotto Method (4:39) MAIN COURSE: Soy-Scallion Flank Steak Get the recipe Watch: Cooking & Determining Steak Doneness (1:47) MAIN COURSE: Lemon and Basil Scallops Get the recipe Watch: How to Open a Scallop (00:53) SIDE: Sauteed Kale and Garlicky Bread Crumbs Get the recipe Watch: Cooking Food by Sautéing (4:05) SIDE: Fennels Soup Get the recipe SIDE: Lemon Green Beans With Walnuts Get the recipe Watch: How to Steam Vegetables (2:32) BREAD: Traditional Catalan Flatbread with Caramelized Onions, Roasted Peppers, Anchovies and Manchego Cheese Get the recipe BREAD: Herb Loaf Get the recipe Watch: Basic Bread Making Tools (3:31) BREAD: Cream Biscuits Get the recipe DESSERT: Port One of the all-time classic food and wine pairings is chocolate with Port. But when it comes to quality, don't skimp on either. Try a bottle of Warre's Otima 10 Year Old Tawny Port . It comes in an elegant bottle, and a small glass will warm you up if the meal and company hasn't already. Can't choose between wine and dessert? Have both: wine ice cream DESSERT: Basil Gelato Get the recipe Watch: How to Prepare Herbs for Cooking (3:18) DESSERT: Tiny Heart Shortcakes With Strawberries Get the recipe DESSERT: Cherry Cheesecake Get the recipe FOR THE FLICK: Chocolate-Toffee Popcorn Get the recipe FOR THE FLICK: Garam Masala Popcorn Get the recipe FOR THE FLICK: Truffle and Parmesan Popcorn Get the recipe | 0 | 5,918 | foodanddrink |
Pakistan on Monday test-fired a cruise missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, just over a week after its arch-rival India reached a new civilian nuclear accord with the United States. The military described the domestically-developed Ra'ad as a "low-flying, terrain-hugging missile" which can deliver nuclear or conventional warheads to targets up to 350 kilometres (220 miles) away with "pinpoint accuracy". The agreement reached during President Barack Obama's visit to New Delhi broke a deadlock that stalled a civilian atomic power agreement for years. But it drew condemnation from Pakistan, which said the deal could destabilise South Asian security. The US and India in 2008 signed a landmark deal giving India access to civilian nuclear technology. But it had been held up since then by US concerns over India's strict laws on liability in the event of a nuclear accident. India and Pakistan are both nuclear-armed in addition to operating civilian atomic plants. They have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. | 5 | 5,919 | news |
Front porches and back patios are our favorite spots to relax in the warmer months. Make yours your favorite escape, too, with these outdoor decorating ideas. A Sunny Spot The porch of this Northern California farmhouse is occupied by an old bench and edged with Japanese skimmia. 'Blushing Bride' hydrangeas bloom in a galvanized tub. Mission Style A vine-wrapped pergola and boxy gray wicker seating offers contrasting shape, color, and texture in this backyard of this California bungalow . Glazed pots filled with low-maintenance succulents create a layered look that mimics the home's interior. Low Cost Luxe The fireplace in this Georgia log cabin was covered in inexpensive porcelain tile. The brass chandelier finishes the space with a little sparkle. Down By The Lake Simple enamel buckets make for cachepots with laid-back charm, while the exposed canoe paddles and firewood add to the rustic atmosphere of this lake home in Massachusetts . A Ray Of Sunshine To make natural shades of the lake and lawn of this Minnesota lake cottage pop even more, the owner outfitted the porch in complementary hues of orange and yellow. She covered the futon cushion with an iconic Marimekko print, which inspired the orange-and-yellow paint treatment on the lawn chairs. South Carolina Retreat "We eat every meal out here," say the owners of the screened-in side porch in this rustic South Carolina getaway . They found the bee skep in an Atlanta garden store. Light and Airy String lights from Target twinkle over the front porch of this Ohio lake house , and Pottery Barn wicker furniture surrounds an antique folding table, where the family plays cards. Rustic Farm Patio Lobelia, daylilies, nasturtium, and garlic chives surround L.L. Bean Adirondack chairs on the patio, located between this New Hampshire house and the main red barn. Garden Estate Porch Pots of Marguerite daisies, lavender, and alliums brighten the porch off the library of this New York garden home . A Place to Gather Wicker chairs from Target pull up to an antique pine table under a wisteria-covered pergola in this California farmhouse . Olive trees border either side of the gravel patio. Down-Home Arkansas Porch The wicker patio set was a hand-me-down from a friend of the owner of this Arkansas home . Another pal sewed the love seat's cushion and pillow from fabric the owner scored at Jo-Ann. Screened Side-Porch A wicker set by Summer Classics provides seating on the screened side-porch in this Tennessee home . Cast-off columns were repurposed as floor lamps. Mountain Retreat Red Adirondack chairs by Cost Plus World Market look out on the Lemhi and Lost River mountains from this Idaho cabin 's back porch. California Hangout The combination of California weather and a fireplace makes this outdoor living area a year-round hangout in this California home . Wicker chairs from a local shop surround the coffee table, fashioned out of a reclaimed wine barrel. The walls are painted Collonade Gray by Sherwin-Williams, while the fireplace is painted China White by Benjamin Moore. Austin Back Patio On this Texas ranch , metal folding chairs (from Barton Springs Nursery in Austin) offer colorful contrast to a table built out of Texas limestone. Vintage Decor The gliders on this California ranch 's front porch date to the 1930s. Cottage Porch On this Maine cottage 's porch, dogs Minnie (left) and Nash get cozy on an iron-and-brass daybed, sporting a vintage seersucker coverlet. The Moroccan rug is from Canvas. Garden View On the back patio of this Martha's Vineyard home , a marble-topped table from Napa Home, built from old railroad ties, is paired with African chairs that repurpose oil drums. The iron pendant light is by Laura Lee. Gathering Place John Danzer, founder of the garden furniture company Munder-Skiles, designed the steel-framed sectional and the cedar coffee table on the screened-in porch of this cozy Connecticut home . Outdoor Dining Mismatched woven chairs and a teak table set the scene for meals in the outdoor entertaining area of this California cottage . Cozy Cabin Porch The homeowners of this Tennessee cabin entertain their son and daughter on the screened porch, outfitted with a Frontgate wicker sofa, a pair of antique beach chairs, and a woven trunk turned coffee table. The rug is from Pottery Barn. Rustic Log Porch The owners of this Michigan cabin used sturdy chains and hooks to turn a bench into a swing; it joins similarly rustic chair and love seat, both by Old Hickory on the front porch. Room with a View The front porch of fashion designer Cynthia Steffe's home , furnished with a vintage metal glider, offers a dreamy view of the Catskill Mountains. Tudor House Patio Clematis and confederate jasmine climb a brick wall adjoining this Alabama house 's back patio. Garden Shed This backyard garden shed offers extra outdoor living space, courtesy of a porch strung with a Pawleys Island hammock. The lanterns and cushions are by Pottery Barn. Cottage Deck Homeowner Linda and her daughter Lily and their Scottish terriers Mack (left) and Maisie eat breakfast on their Nantucket cottage 's deck. Oceanfront Patio Colorful Adirondack chairs from Charleston Gardens brighten this beach house 's terrace. Garden Patio This outdoor entertaining space sits alongside the vegetable garden on a Rhode Island property . The open-air kitchen and enclosed living room are both outfitted with electricity and water. A patio of bluestone pavers links the two cedar structures. Front Porch This California home 's front porch is decked out with gliders from Grandin Road. Garden Workstation This circa-1900 oak woodworker's table was drafted into service as a potting station, then hung vintage pails and watering cans on this cottage 's exterior wall. Boathouse Deck Adirondack chairs and midcentury bentwood seating, as well as a coffee table crafted by a local artisan, furnish this summer cabin 's deck. The blue-and-white pillows are from Restoration Hardware. Rustic Enclosed Porch Smith & Hawken seating, accessorized with Best Slipcover pillows, furnishes the enclosed porch of this Vermont home . Gravel Patio Cushions covered in an outdoor gingham fabric from Scalamandré brighten up the vintage wrought-iron seating on the patio of this Rhode Island retreat . Reading Porch Porches were added to the first and second stories of this Pennsylvania home . This one off the living room has chairs for reading and enjoying the view. Thrifty Patio Furniture Two Pier 1 tables $100 each were combined on this patio , which the homeowners built themselves. Metal chairs were picked up at antiques markets and then repainted. Screened-In Porch A wrought-iron light fixture and an ebony gateleg table transform this screened-in back porch into a real dining room. Beach House Porch This wicker chairs on this beach house 's porch nabbed at a rummage sale for $10 each got a quick update from Kmart cushions. Sleeping Porch This summer cabin 's sleeping porch has a custom swinging daybed. The daybed also offers overnight guests a place to sleep. Farmhouse Porch The iron daybed on the front porch of this New York farmhouse makes the space comfortable and the family's preferred hangout. Family Front Porch The large front porch of this Washington, D.C., home is a family gathering space. Simple Porch The homeowners of this lakeside Vermont bungalow hired regional contractors and cabinetmakers, and relied on natural materials sourced nearby to renovate their home. Garden Courtyard Framed by wisteria, a Grecian- style planter holds a tangle of geraniums and sweet-potato vines on the patio of this Rhode Island home . Back Porch on a Budget On this budget-friendly beach house 's back porch, $15 chairs from Ikea surround a table bought for $50 at a Brooklyn, New York, stoop sale. Cottage Front Porch A basswood moose head was stationed on the front porch of this Maine cottage , where wood is stored in an Ikea basket. Walls of Windows This North Carolina home 's screened-in back porch was furnished with a $30 thrift-shop rattan set. Henry, the mutt, seems to enjoy it. Log Cabin Porch The rocking chairs on this Vermont log cabin 's porch were found at an antiques show, and are the choice spot for cozying up with blankets and mugs of hot chocolate. Enclosed Porch With Fireplace This summer cabin , off Georgia's Lake Burton, boasts an enclosed porch with a large stone fireplace, perfect for gathering around on chilly early summer evenings. More decorating ideas: 40 Amazing Before-and-After Home Makeovers » The Ultimate Guide to Kitchen Decorating » 21 Creative Window Treatments » | 4 | 5,920 | lifestyle |
These aren't your traditional game day hot wings. Watch as Emeril makes lemon-lime glazed chicken wings with a thyme, onion, and garlic paste. | 0 | 5,921 | foodanddrink |
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel entered treatment on Wednesday with the goal of being a "better family member, friend and teammate," according to his publicist who released a statement via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer . The nature of Manziel's treatment hasn't been specified, although the decision to enter treatment was not related to the quarterback's life on the football field. The full statement from Manziel's publicist, Denise Michaels, was tweeted by Cabot on Monday morning : "Brad Beckworth, friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday. Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate and he thought the off-season was the right time to take this step. On behalf of Johnny and his family, we're asking for privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland." Browns general manager Ray Farmer also released a statement promising support for Manziel, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN: "We respect Johnny's initiative in this decision and will fully support him throughout this process. Our players' health and well-being will always be of the utmost importance to the Cleveland Browns. We continually strive to create a supportive environment and provide the appropriate resources, with our foremost focus being on the individual and not just the football player. Johnny's privacy will be respected by us during this very important period and we hope that others will do the same." Manziel, 22, has developed a reputation for his partying lifestyle since winning the Heisman Trophy following his freshman season at Texas A&M in 2012. He was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but finished his rookie season without a touchdown pass and two interceptions. In December, ESPN analyst Skip Bayless earned criticism for calling Manziel an alcoholic and a liar , while the rookie admitted that he has to "stop acting like a jackass." | 1 | 5,922 | sports |
News flash: there's no need to get spendy to refresh your wardrobe this Spring. In fact, getting creative with your tried-and-true pieces is the best way to highlight your personal style. Whether you're dying to try the twist and tuck or you are ready to revamp the way you layer, there's a lot to be learned from the Spring '15 runways. So before you decide to totally swap out what you already own, get your style juices flowing with these fresh style hacks. Do the Wrap and Tuck If you haven't tried the wrap and tuck, get ready - this fresh way of wearing your button-down is going to be huge this season. Transform Your Vest Make a vest the centerpiece instead of an accessory. Skip a shirt, and use a vest as your top, and then use a belt or string to cinch it tight across your waist, and voilà! Make Your Cocktail Dress Daytime-Friendly Sometimes your favorite cocktail dress feels too fancy for a daytime function. But when you add a fashionable button-down underneath, a dress that was once too skimpy suddenly feels just right. Add a Scarf For Spring We've all donned a scarf to bundle up for Winter, but come Spring, wool and even cashmere don't feel quite so nice. Refresh your look by wrapping a lightweight scarf tight around the neck. The look has retro flair (hello, Audrey Hepburn) while still feeling modern. Put a Skirt on It Sometimes we have days when we're torn between two outfits - well, why not unite them? Start with your go-to frock, and top it with a skirt that adds an element of depth or texture. Just make sure the skirt you pick allows the dress to peek out from the bottom. Borrow His Board Shorts Menswear-inspired clothing is nothing new, but this season, embrace warm weather by making use of your significant other's swimwear. Fun patterns and bold colors help make these lightweight shorts great for layering. Collar on Collar This isn't your frat boy's popped collar. This season, take your favorite collared tops, and layer them together, but no polo shirts, please. Sport the New Crop Top This season's cropped style is all about pairing. Wear a sports bra or tank, and layer it with a teeny-tiny crop top (or maybe a bra that deserves some attention). The final look is a little cheeky without revealing too much skin. Fancify Your Button-Down Dresses are expected evening wear. Go for the surprise, and make a crisp button-down acceptable nighttime attire. A full skirt and fancy flats help the look to feel dressed up without being stuffy. Revamp Your T-Shirt For a fresh way to wear your t-shirt come warmer weather, consider tucking it into a bikini top, bra, or sports bra that you don't mind showing off. Wear Your Purse Backward Sick of your purse sliding off your shoulder? This season's trick will be your savior. Tighten up the strap, and throw your favorite minibag on, satchel style. Pair a Patterned Dress With Patterned Tights When you've already worn your favorite dress a few too many times, give it a remix by pairing it with patterned tights. It may feel busy at first, but the unexpected mix will turn heads, no matter the occasion. Try a Sash Instead of finishing your look off with a leather belt, mix it up with a sash that you wrap around your waist and tie to one side. The sash will add movement to your style, giving your finished look a softer feel than a typical stiff belt might. | 4 | 5,923 | lifestyle |
Don't expect your mom, your guy friends, or your significant others to "get" your love for overalls or #ootd selfies. There are some things only your fashion friends will understand. Since we spend a lot of time discussing exactly these kinds of things, we've put together something of a list to celebrate the fashion-girl things we all do. They may seem strange to other people, but to us, they're totally normal. So, if you've got a style-obsessed friend, or if you are that friend, this one's for you. Source: Getty / Kirstin Sinclair 1. You own six pairs of trainers, and none are the kind you'd work out in. 2. You were wearing crop tops in 2011, despite your disapproving friends. Now, you can barely resist saying "I told you so" (we don't blame you). 3. Your significant other is also your blog photographer. 4. You surprise your friends all the time with your superchic, totally on-trend pieces that are actually just Zara. 5. There's always a party on your arm. 6. You take pride in the fact that you can identify pieces celebrities are wearing. 7. To you, the "ugly shoe trend" is just downright chic. 8. You're totally into the mom-jeans trend, your boyfriend's opinion be damned. 9. You're the girl all your friends come to when a new trend pops up: "dungarees, yay or nay?" (yay, duh!). 10. You have no qualms about wearing a playsuit or jumpsuit, even if it means you have to completely undress to use the loo. 11. You've left work for a "doctor's appointment" as an excuse to get to a sample sale. 12. You think, who needs to bake when the oven doubles as extra wardrobe space? 13. The space under your desk is littered with alternate shoes to change into. 14. You'll happily suffer in five-inch heels for the sake of a great outfit. Hey, "no pain, no gain." 15. You can't get out of bed to go the gym in the morning, but you'll happily set a 3 a.m. alarm for the latest H&M collaboration. 16. You use your bookshelves to display your shoes and bags, but your coffee table is stacked with glossy fashion books. 17. You firmly believe that no outfit is complete without the right sunglasses. 18. The credit card company calls you about fraudulent charges when you actually use it at the supermarket. 19.Your go-to halloween costumes include: Grace, Jenna, and Iris (#justlikeIris). 20.You have no problem with pyjama dressing outside the house. 21. You're not above asking perfect strangers "where did you get that?" to track down an item you want. 22. Likewise, perfect strangers often stop you to ask you where you got that top (bag, those shoes, jeans, etc). | 4 | 5,924 | lifestyle |
1. You can convince yourself that boys clothes are definitely as cute, until you see a little girl in a dress with smocking and strawberries. 2. The poop joke phase starts astoundingly young and only "ends" in the sense that your child sometimes remembers to make the jokes out of your earshot by the time he's 13. 3. He will eventually be toilet-trained (never mind that the girls in his class have beaten him by a year). 4. Beyond a certain age, it's a bad idea to mention the stuffed animals. 5. Daredevil playground moves are nothing compared to the hazards of normal walking around. 6. There's nothing more adorable than a brainy, geeky little boy bursting with facts he has to tell you...all the time. 7. If daddy ever tells him that "boys can pee anywhere," he will remember that... In aisle 3. 8. How to eradicate a stain from just about anything. 9. Hitting the bullseye is a skill that may take years of honing. #ToiletTargetPractice 10. That LEGO could teach IKEA a thing or two about wordless instructions. | 4 | 5,925 | lifestyle |
Secretary of State John Kerry isn't getting into specifics on when he might send his recommendation on the Keystone XL pipeline over to the president. As the new Republican-controlled Congress prepares to send legislation that would green light the project -- one of their first items -- to Obama, the administration is remaining steadfast on its veto threat. During a press conference with Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird and Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade on this weekend, Kerry said the "process needs to be honored, not circumvented." He said that all federal agencies will report back to the State Department on Monday, handing over their thoughts on whether the $8 billion oil sands pipeline is in the nation's best interest. "And at that point, it's in our hands for me to make a recommendation to send to the president, the president to make a decision at some point in the future," Kerry said. Kerry said the State Department will "analyze and address" the information submitted by agencies as appropriate, but gave no indication on a timeline for his decision or the president's. While the finish line is in sight for the six-year review of the pipeline, the White House has not backed down on its veto threat of legislation to approve the project that pass the Senate last week. The House has yet to say whether it will go to conference on the Senate's bill or vote to pass it outright. | 5 | 5,926 | news |
Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive weapons system in history, nearly crash-landed a few years ago under the weight of repeated delays and cost overruns. Despite its history, the troubled program is getting a boost in the just-released defense budget. The Pentagon plans to spend about $10.6 billion on the F-35 in the fiscal year ending Oct. 1, a 23 percent increase over the previous year. The money will buy 57 aircraft versus 38 from the prior spending plan. The procurement figure is also higher than the 55 the Pentagon had previously said it was planning to buy this year. Of course, the $561 billion Pentagon spending plan contains plenty of questions and caveats, like its call for the end of the automatic spending cuts known as sequestration. The administration is seeking to spend $37 billion more than current restrictions allow in both the defense and non-defense budgets. Nonetheless, the proposed spending indicates that the F-35 program, which will cost well over $1 trillion over the next 50 years, is on solid ground both at the Department of Defense and the U.S. Congress, even as critics continue to argue that the plane is too expensive and hasn't been able to address its numerous flaws. Everything about the F-35 program is big, even by the standards of the Pentagon from its ambition to its budget to its problems. To make the plane, Lockheed uses more than 2,000 subcontractors around the world, ranging from international conglomerate United Technologies, which makes the engine, to Denmark's Terma, which makes components such as radar electronics. Workers in 45 states are involved in producing aircraft, including 40,000 in Texas, where Lockheed's production line is based. That assures the program will enjoy solid support in the U.S. Congress, so much so that Bloomberg News two years ago declared that the aircraft is "too big to kill" despite its costly delays due to repeated design and software issues. Proponents of the plane, such as Dov Zakheim, former Under Secretary of Defense in the administration of President George W. Bush, counter that none of the F-35's remaining problems are of critical significance. "None of them are deal-breakers," Zakheim said in an interview. "You are trying to do an awful lot at the same time. It shouldn't be terribly surprising that there are going to be some technical issues.… Once planes get over their initial teething period, they turn out pretty damn good." The fighter was designed in principle to save taxpayers money over the long run by replacing nine different types of aircraft, including the Lockheed Martin F-16, which has been in service for decades, and the Lockheed Martin F-22, production of which ended in 2011. Lockheed has so far made 120 F-35s and has another 100 in various stages of production. According to the company, each plane costs about $108 million, a 57 percent decline from eight years ago. Lockheed expects the price to fall to $85 million by 2019 as production gets more efficient. And Lockheed is trying to wring out even more efficiencies. The costs aren't being born by the U.S. alone. The U.S. has nine partner countries that have agreed to contribute to the plane's funding Canada, Norway, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Turkey. Japan, Israel and Korea have also agreed to buy the F-35 through separate sales. By Zakheim's reasoning, the F-35 is the best way for the U.S. to upgrade its aging fleet and to maintain its technical superiority over its adversaries. "There really isn't any other choice in my view," Zakheim said. The Defense Department itself wasn't always so enthused about the F-35. In 2010, then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates fired the Pentagon's manager of the program and withheld $614 million in fees as a penalty. Frank Kendall, a top Pentagon official, memorably declared , years before the fighter' first test flight, that the program was "acquisition malpractice" by the Defense Department. As a result, the Pentagon overhauled the program in 2010, seeking to strengthen its oversight. "There were some aggressive timelines and cost estimates associated with the program," said Jack Crisler, one of the Lockheed managers overseeing the F-35, noting that since the program was revamped, "we haven't had to go back to Congress for more money." The Pentagon concurs with Crisler. Program executive officer Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan has said that the program has made "steady progress." That progress was called into question again, though, by recent media reports that raised questions about the effectiveness of the F-35's weapons systems and the customized helmet needed for the plane. For example, The Daily Beast reported last month that incomplete software means F-35 fighters won't be able to fire their 25mm cannons until 2019 at the earliest, years after the jet goes into operation. Even once the gun is able to fire, the jet isn't designed to carry much ammunition, making the cannon of limited use. The Pentagon disputed the severity of the reported problems. Late last year, the F-35 passed a critical test when Navy pilots were able to successfully land the "C" variant of the plane on the deck of the aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Nimitz. The Marine Corps is expected to complete its initial certification process or the "B" version of the F-35 this summer, while the U.S. Air Force is proceeding with its plans to buy more than 1,000 of the "A" version of the F-35. (The F-35 variants are designed to meet the specific needs of each service, with the "A" version, to be used by the Air Force, designed to operate from conventional runways while the "C" version to be used by the Navy, can land on aircraft carriers.) Even so, and even with the proposed 2015 budget boost, many defense analysts argue that the Pentagon won't be able to afford all 2,443 F-35s that it's planning to purchase over the long run. "There is a very low chance that we will buy all the F-35s we are planning," said Todd Harrison, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, citing budgetary constraints. As the F-35 program ramps up in the coming years, it will have to compete for dollars with other military aircraft. The Air Force, for example, is in the midst of a multi-billion upgrade of its fleet with a new bomber, tanker and training aircraft. "The question is when we start to scale back" on the F-35, Harrison said. Pentagon officials dispute this notion, but other branches of the military will unquestionably face procurement choices, too. Now that the C variant of the F-35 passed that key technical milestone, it raises questions about whether the Navy will keep buying other military jets such as Boeing's F/A-18 Hornet as well. "There are all kinds of good reasons why you don't want to rely on just one airplane," Zakheim said. "If you have a good quarterback, you need a back-up quarterback too." The Pentagon insists that darkest of the clouds for the F-35 are behind it, but it's still hard to argue that there's nothing but blue skies ahead. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: Unintended Consequences of Obama's Tax Cuts Trouble with Our Armed Drones in Yemen 10 Outrageous Examples of Government Waste | 3 | 5,927 | finance |
CLEVELAND Johnny Manziel has sought help to change his off-field lifestyle. Following a rough rookie season in the NFL, Manziel has entered a treatment program for unspecified reasons, an adviser for the Browns quarterback said in a statement released by the team on Monday. "Johnny knows there are areas he needs to improve on to help him be a better family member, friend and teammate, so he decided to take this step in his life during the offseason," Manziel adviser Brad Beckworth said. Beckworth said the former Heisman Trophy winner entered the unnamed facility last week. He said Manziel's family is asking for privacy until he rejoins the team. Beckworth's statement did not indicate reasons for Manziel needing treatment. However, the 22-year-old QB's penchant for partying followed him from college into the pros and Manziel's nightlife has been well-chronicled by both social and mainstream media. The location of the facility where Manziel is staying is not immediately known. Browns general manager Ray Farmer said in a statement that the team fully supports Manziel and respects his initiative in entering treatment. The team will respect Manziel's privacy during treatment, he said. "Our players' health and well-being will always be of the utmost importance to the Cleveland Browns," Farmer said. "We continually strive to create a supportive environment and provide the appropriate resources, with our foremost focus being on the individual and not just the football player." Citing privacy laws, a Browns spokesman declined to provide any further information about Manziel's situation. Browns wide receiver Andrew Hawkins offered his support to Manziel on Twitter. "Much love and support to my brother Johnny," Hawkins wrote. "Proud of him, big step. Football is secondary. God Bless!" NBA superstar LeBron James, who is both a friend and business partner of Manziel's, also expressed his support for the young QB. "I haven't talked to him," James said after the Cavaliers won their 11th straight game. "As a friend I support him. I want him to get better. As friends and family we all believe in him and this is a good step if this is the route he's going to take." Manziel, who won the Heisman as a freshman at Texas A&M where his playmaking skills earned him his "Johnny Football" nickname, has faced questions for several years about his active nightlife. After he was drafted in May by the Browns in the first round, Manziel was repeatedly photographed drinking alcohol during weekend trips to Las Vegas. A photograph of Manziel floating on an inflatable swan raft swigging a bottle of champagne went viral. The Browns became increasingly concerned about Manziel when a photo surfaced of Manziel holding a rolled bill in a bathroom. Manziel often dismissed criticism about his behavior, insisting he wasn't going to let others dictate to him how to live his life. However, following the season, Manziel seemed embarrassed by some of his choices and vowed to change his ways. "It's about actions," he somberly told reporters on Dec. 29. "It's about being accountable and doing what I'm going to say. ... I'm either going to learn or I'm going to be finding something else to do." Manziel's alma mater released a statement offering its support, stating "Johnny will always be an Aggie, and we wish him well in another step in his journey." Manziel spent the majority of last season as starter Brian Hoyer's backup before coach Mike Pettine switched their roles with the team still in the playoff hunt. Manziel made his first start on Dec. 14 against Cincinnati, but failed miserably. He appeared unprepared and overmatched as the Bengals defense harassed him into two interceptions and the Browns were throttled 30-0. Manziel completed 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards, was sacked twice and looked nothing like a player capable of ending Cleveland's long search to find a franchise quarterback. The next week at Carolina, Manziel injured his hamstring on a running play before halftime and was replaced by Hoyer. Manziel was then fined by the Browns for missing a medical treatment before the season finale at Baltimore. Manziel promised he would change following the season, apologizing to Cleveland's fans and his teammates for being a distraction. But hours after apologizing, he was photographed in Miami Beach and over the next few days there were photos of him on Instagram in a Houston nightclub and in Aspen, Colorado. The Browns have made it clear to Manziel that they expect more from him if he wants to be their leader. "Johnny has to show on and off the field he can be a professional," owner Jimmy Haslam said on Jan. 22. "He knows that. Everybody in the organization has told him that. He knows what we expect of him on and off the field and it's up to him to prove he can do that." Manziel's uncertain future could influence the Browns' plans at quarterback. Hoyer is scheduled to become a free agent, but the Cleveland native may be willing to re-sign with Cleveland, especially if Manziel is not in the picture. The Browns also have two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 19) in this year's draft and may be willing to use them to land a quarterback. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL | 1 | 5,928 | sports |
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel entered into treatment for unspecified reasons on Wednesday. The Browns released a statement shortly after a story appeared on Cleveland.com concerning Manziel entering a treatment facility. A friend and advisor to Manziel and his family, has confirmed that Johnny entered treatment on Wednesday. "Johnny knows there are areas he needs to improve on to help him be a better family member, friend and teammate, so he decided to take this step in his life during the offseason," Brad Beckworth said in the statement released by the team. "On behalf of Johnny and his family, we're asking for privacy until he rejoins the team in Cleveland." General manager Ray Farmer, who was supportive of Manziel at an end of the season press conference also made a statement. "We respect Johnny's initiative in this decision and will fully support him throughout this process," Farmer said. "Our players' health and well-being will always be of the utmost importance to the Cleveland Browns. "We continually strive to create a supportive environment and provide the appropriate resources, with our foremost focus being on the individual and not just the football player," he said. "Johnny's privacy will be respected by us during this very important period and we hope that others will do the same." Manziel's activities during the offseason and through the season have been chronicled regularly on social media. | 1 | 5,929 | sports |
Tablet sales cooled dramatically in 2014 from the red-hot growth pace a year earlier, surveys showed Monday. Research firm IDC said global tablet sales for the full year rose just 4.4 percent for the year to 229.6 million units, after a jump of more than 50 percent in 2013. After the euphoria around tablets in 2013, the market has slowed because consumers are keeping their devices longer and turning in some cases to large "phablet" smartphones or new "ultramobile" PCs. The fourth quarter saw the first year-over-year decline in sales since the first iPads were released in 2010, according to IDC. Overall sales dipped 3.2 percent in the key holiday quarter compared to a year earlier to 76.1 million units. A separate survey by Strategy Analytics said quarterly tablet sales hit 78.3 million, a slim gain of one percent. "The iPhone 6 products are putting pressure on the iPad Mini and the continued success of the Mac could be inhibiting some iPad Air 2 growth," said Eric Smith, analyst at Strategy Analytics. But IDC said the market could pick up again this year. "Despite an apparent slowdown of the market, we maintain our forecast about tablet growth in 2015," said Jean Philippe Bouchard, an IDC analyst. "Microsoft's new OS, a general shift toward larger screen form factor and productivity focused solutions, and technology innovations such as gesture interface that could be introduced in tablets will help the market maintain positive growth in 2015." Apple remained the top seller in the quarter with a market share of 28.1 percent, according to IDC, and 27 percent according to Strategy Analytics, even though iPad sales were down 18 percent. Samsung was the number two seller with a 14.5 percent share, IDC said. The IDC report said China's Lenovo was third with a 4.8 percent share and Taiwan's Asus fourth with 4.0 percent. According to IDC, Amazon -- which does not release precise tablet sales figures -- was in fifth place with a 2.3 percent share, but sales of its Kindle Fire tablets slid 70 percent from a year earlier in the past quarter to 1.7 million units. | 3 | 5,930 | finance |
Kliff Kingsbury's celebrity doppelganger is Ryan Gosling, and it's common knowledge that Omar Epps could play Mike Tomlin in a movie, but what will fans see when some of this year's top recruits hit the field? Scout.com's Allen Trieu joins Campus Insiders' Shae Peppler to name some of the class of 2015's NFL doppelgangers. | 1 | 5,931 | sports |
See how this Labrador Retriever is settling in at home since starring in Puppy Bowl XI. | 8 | 5,932 | video |
Due to the newest vehicle designs, your chances of dying in a car accident have fallen by more than a third over the past three years, the latest statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reveal. According to IIHS calculations, 7,700 fewer driver deaths occurred in 2012 alone (the latest statistical year) than if vehicles had remained the same since 1985. The chart below tells the story: Driver deaths per millions Insurance Institute for Highway Safety After estimating which factors might have impacted declining death rates between 1985 and 2012, Institute researchers suggest vehicle changes were the main source of declining risk from 1993 through 2006. These changes include improved structural designs, the addition of safety features, and an evolving mix of vehicle types. In fact, nine 2011 models showed driver death rates of zero. However, IIHS warns, the gap between the safest and riskiest models remains wide, as you can see from the two charts below: Safest vehicles Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Unsafest vehicles Insurance Institute for Highway Safety A Few Stats to Consider What are the facts about dying in a car crash? Let's begin with sex differences: More men than women die in motor vehicle crashes, with males between the ages of 20 and 24 and 85 and older having the highest crash deaths rates . Typically, men put in more time behind the wheel while also taking more risks than women. A total of 33,561 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2012: 65 percent were passenger vehicle occupants, 14 percent were pedestrians, 14 percent were motorcyclists, two percent were bicyclists, and two percent were occupants of large trucks. In 2012, the month of February had the lowest number of crash deaths, while half of all crash deaths occurred on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. The percentage of deaths involving speeding during 2012 was slightly higher on minor roads (38 percent) than on interstates and freeways (30 percent) or on other major roads (27 percent). Other Safety Measures While experts continue to look for the next big thing in vehicle safety, some non-experts continue to press for institution or, in some cases re-enforcement of tried and true safety measures , which are known to slash rates of vehicular deaths. First on most lists is using safety belts. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says this is the single most effective way to reduce deaths and injuries in crashes, estimating safety belts saved 12,713 lives in 2009 alone. In 2012, more than half of drivers and passengers (13 or older) who died in a car crash were not belted. Second on the list is lowering the speed limit. In 1995, Congress repealed the national maximum speed limit of 55 mph, despite its proven success in decreasing highway deaths. One study appearing in the American Journal of Public Health estimated that 12,545 deaths were attributed to increases in speed limits across the U.S. between 1995 and 2005. Additionally, the authors of the study found a three percent increase in road fatalities attributable to higher speed limits on all roads, with the highest increase on rural interstates (nine percent). Third, NHTSA suggests helmet laws for all riders on motorcycles be instituted and enforced. Helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle drivers and 41 percent effective for motorcycle passengers. Finally, sobriety checkpoints and cameras for automated enforcement also curb traffic law violations and so reduce accidents. In 2009 alone, running a red light killed an estimated 676 people and injured 130,000 more. | 7 | 5,933 | health |
A few weeks ago, one of my dearest friends lost her 21-month-old daughter forever when the sweet baby girl died unexpectedly and suddenly. My friend and I live on opposite sides of the country, so I took a trip to visit her for this past weekend. Admittedly, I was a nervous wreck about what I was going to say to her and her husband. How was I going to find the words to comfort them? How would I avoid saying the wrong things? I wanted to find perfect words, and, as I am a writer, words happen to be one of the few ways I truly know how to express myself. Except I was at a complete loss over her loss. Having two healthy children at home, I felt couldn't truly relate to her pain, so how on earth was I going to be able to comfort her during a situation that I have very little experience in? Armed with a pocket full of bible verses and a slough of rehearsed things to say, I walked into her home and could have never in a million years have foreseen the life-altering and powerful words that would be spoken between us during our time together. Except the words came from her, to me. From her. To me. That's right. My friend, who at this point is proving to be one of the strongest people I know, said something during her time of grief that will forever hold a spot in my heart. It was a phrase so simple, yet it has hit a cord deep inside of me. As she was describing the events leading up to the death of her daughter, she tried to express to me her complete heartbreak as she held her sweet child in the hospital during the minutes and hours after she died. Describing the time only as her worst nightmare, she said to me with tears rolling down her face, "You're a mom, you know." You're a mom, you know. This phrase took my breath away - as well as any composure that I had managed to keep together up until then. Because it was at that point, with that phrase, that I was able to start to understand the magnitude of her sorrow. Sure, I was completely heartbroken for her before, as death is difficult for anyone. But I'll admit that I didn't fully understand my role as her friend or as a fellow mom. See, all this time I had been looking in the wrong places for the perfect thing to say to her while I should have just looked at our simplest bond: motherhood. And while I have not experienced the pain that comes along with losing a child, I do understand the joy that she once experienced from holding her child. And to lose that? There are no words Except maybe "I'm a mom, I know." Losing a child is every mom's worst fear - no matter who you are or what kind of mom choose to be. In the days since, I've been keeping this simple thought in mind when relating myself to other mommies. Sure, we all have our different ways of mothering and raising our families, but we do have one thing in common: our hearts are directly connected to our children. It makes the whole mommy wars thing seem, well, totally ridiculous. You're a mom, you know. So as I went with my own mom, who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, to her radiation treatment, I glanced over at the young mother of a small boy in the waiting room. He was maybe 3 years old (though it's hard to tell because he was so tiny). He sported a colorful Superman cape and a bland hospital mask as he sat cradled in his mom's arms. She said something quietly to him. My heart stopped. This mom ached for that mom. And the tears started to fall from my eyes despite me not knowing her one bit. Despite me only sitting in the waiting room for maybe 30 seconds. Despite my own mom sitting next to about to have her own radiation treatment. This is crazy, I thought. I don't even know this woman. But what I do know is that I'm a mom. And later I was getting dinner at a takeout restaurant, and one of the employees was on the phone in the restroom. She was struggling to find a babysitter for her child while she finished her late shift. She was frantic. She was upset. She was mad. My heart skipped another beat, and the tears welled up in my eyes once again. I know, I'm a mom. As I went back to my mom's house, heartbroken over my friend's loss, my mother was trying to comfort me. Asking if I was OK. Me! She was the one going through radiation, I should be comforting her. And then it dawned on me as to why she was so worried about how I was doing. She knows, she's a mom. And on the plane on the ride home there was a new mom standing with her infant son nearly the whole four-and-a-half-hour flight because if she attempted to sit down, he wailed. She looked exhausted and frustrated. She checked her watch frequently, but she also kept on task all while kissing on his little bald head. I know, I'm a mom. See, it's a thread that unites us all. Helicopter moms. Free-range moms. Breast-feeding moms. Formula-feeding moms. Rich moms. Poor moms. Moms of sick kids. Moms of healthy kids. Moms. The crazy, heart-stopping love that we feel for our children runs deep through each and every one of us as moms. And this knowledge is painful at times. It's why every sappy commercial brings us to tears. It's why we can't watch the news. It's why we get in the car and cry after we drop our kids off to their first day of school. It's why food allergies are terrifying. It's why our hearts ache when we hear about miscarriage or fertility problems. It's why we are up at night worrying about our teens. It's why the thought of our children eventually leaving the nest makes us weep into our coffee. It's why the death of another mother's child is so utterly heartbreaking . . . It's also why we should always provide a blanket of support to all fellow moms. Not only to those who are suffering through the unimaginable pain of losing a child, but also to those mamas going through plain ol' rough times . . . and even those moms who are just having one of those days. Hug her and if you are struggling to find the right words, all you may really need to say is, "I know, I'm a mom." But you probably already know this. After all, you're a mom. | 4 | 5,934 | lifestyle |
A spokesman for Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel says the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner has entered treatment. | 8 | 5,935 | video |
Fifty million monthly active Internet users count on Adblock Plus software to block annoying online advertisements--and that doesn't sit well with Internet giants Google (GOOGL) , Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) . The three online heavyweights have paid the German start-up behind the ad-blocking tool, Eyeo, to bypass the software and to stop blocking advertisements on their popular websites, according to the Financial Times . The three companies have made deals with Eyeo to get on its "whitelist," which allows sites to run unblocked ads only if they fit certain criteria from the start-up, the FT reported. Companies must pay Eyeo to get on its list. Ad-blocking software has exploded in popularity in recent years. Eyeo claims its Adblock Plus has become the most popular browser extension ever at more than 300 million downloads. The move from the three big Internet companies demonstrates a growing worry over ad-blocking software and how it could cut into online advertising revenue, the FT reports. Taboola, an online content recommendation platform used by NBC, which is part of NBCUniversal, the parent of CNBC, has also entered into a deal with Eyeo. Read the full Financial Times story here . (Paywall) | 3 | 5,936 | finance |
A barbershop quartet transformed an irksome flight delay into a wonderful moment when they delighted their fellow passengers by breaking into song. The quartet, called the Port City Sound , had boarded a US Airways flight from Indianapolis to New Orleans last month when the flight was delayed for maintenance, WGHP reports. Flight attendant Kari Mann said on YouTube that she soon realized that there was a barbershop quartet on board and asked them if they'd be so kind as to sing. The four men, who are based in Maine, happily obliged, raising their voices to sing a rousing rendition of "Under The Boardwalk." The passengers loved it. "It was such a great moment," Mann wrote. "The mood changed and our passengers were awesome for the whole five hours they were on the plane! One of my favorite moments." The attendant uploaded the video of the quartet's impromptu performance to YouTube on Jan. 7. It's since gone viral, racking up more than 3.2 million views. H/T Reddit | 2 | 5,937 | travel |
Beneath President Barack Obama's plan to fight income inequality lies a gloomy view of an economy that is growing slower and creating fewer rewards for its workers than it did in much of the last century. In a budget proposal unveiled on Monday, the White House cut forecasts for an array of economic variables, depicting less growth, weaker inflation and lower interest rates than officials expected only a year ago. This comes despite an unemployment rate that the Obama administration expects to hit the 5.2 percent level considered to be roughly in line with full employment sometime this year. The administration's take on the economy moves it closer to the growing view among economists that the United States could be stuck in a prolonged period of stagnation. "In the 21st century, real GDP growth in the United States is likely to be slower than it was in earlier eras," the budget proposal says. Obama's $3.99 trillion budget plan for fiscal 2016 would mark a spending increase of about $240 billion from the current year. The economic vision presented in the plan is all-the-more pessimistic given that it incorporates the impact of higher spending on infrastructure and education, as well as overhauls of tax and immigration laws. Many of those proposals are unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Congress. Even with these measures, which are aimed to counter rising income inequality, weaker growth would leave the economy about $500 billion smaller in 2020 than the administration projected a year ago. The administration expects the share of national income going to labor - as opposed to capital - to hold near historic lows for years to come. An aging population that is less inclined to work could help limit long-run economic growth to around 2.3 percent annually, the budget says, a rate that would be roughly a percentage point lower than the average since World War Two. In the White House view, the jobless rate could drop to as low as 4.9 percent in 2017. But even that is not expected to lead to substantial wage or price increases, suggesting officials are sympathetic to stagnation arguments made prominent by economists, such as former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers, who have argued the government should spend more to make up for weak private sector demand. While the White House's estimate of potential growth was unchanged from a year ago, it now sees interest rates holding lower for years even under the assumption that the government boosts spending substantially, something that in other eras would lead lenders to jack up interest rates more. "The administration forecast projects that interest rates will stabilize below their historical averages," while inflation is expected to remain low for years to come, according to the budget documents. Other developed economies are confronting a similar set of circumstances, and slowly acknowledging that their long-run potential may be constrained. The Obama administration has been pressing European nations, primarily Germany, to act accordingly and lift government spending to make up for weak household and business demand. In the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, the administration was restrained in its own response, as it tried to control the deficits generated by stimulus programs set in motion to battle the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The impact of budget cuts continued to be felt through last year. The latest budget document marks a turn in that debate as Obama makes the case for more government pump priming. (Reporting by Howard Scheider and Jason Lange; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Tomasz Janowski) | 5 | 5,938 | news |
These tips will help you completely de-clutter, and leave your space looking put-together in no time. Personalize your charger Because we all know there's nothing more annoying than realizing someone took your charger. A few pieces of washi tape, and you'll never have to deal with that again. Get the tutorial . Store your jewelry in an ice cube tray Pick up ice tray for the easiest and tangle-free way to keep track of your jewelry. We promise you'll never lose another earring back or deal with a web of necklaces again. Keep your nail polish in order Display your colorful collection of nail polish bottles in an bathroom closet, and keep them out of harm's way with this fun shelf idea. Make some space on your desk There's no need to buy those overpriced desk organizers and cup holders when you can personalize your own using some old storage cans. Get the tutorial . Store your sweaters Rolling up those bulky sweaters is what we call a win-win situation: You'll save shelf space and won't have to worry about wrinkles come next year. Get the tutorial . Take care of your boots Instead of squishing your boots into a bin, cut a pool noodle and insert into each shoe to help maintain their structure during the spring and summer. You'll be so much happier when you pull them out again next fall. Hang up your hand towels Free up some shelf and drawer space by using tension rods for your kitchen hand towels. Get the tutorial . Store your ribbons and tapes together Keep one of your empty wax paper or tin foil dispensers handy-- the serrated edges will make measuring and cutting your tapes and ribbons a breeze. Get the tutorial . Make more room under the sink You'll be amazed at how easy it is to find everything under your kitchen sink once you utilize a tension rod. And with this trick, you'll have so much more room for extra storage. Create a magical magnetic makeup board Your morning routine just got a whole lot faster, and your vanity a whole lot cleaner. All your mascaras, blushes and bronzers will be accessible, protected, and out of the way. Fantastic, right? Get the tutorial . | 4 | 5,939 | lifestyle |
ReadWriteDrive is an ongoing series covering the future of transportation. Last month at the Washington Auto Show, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said he's considering a plan to collect data about car accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians. Nearly 5,000 pedestrians were killed in 2012, the most recent year the data is available a new high. Tens of thousands more are injured every year. That's not a bad idea at all. And some car companies are already figuring out how to improve bike safety using the influx of data they already have from car sensors which, among other things, can essentially "know" when a bike is approaching, A Tap On The Shoulder Jaguar Land Rover, for instance, wants to know the best way to get drivers to quickly respond. The British automaker recently announced results from its "Bike Sense" research project. Jaguar believes we should go beyond standard vehicle warnings. In its Bike Sense program, the vehicle uses lights and sounds or a vibration on the car seat that taps the driver on the shoulder. When the driver opens a door in the path of a speeding cyclist, the handle buzzes. The job of anticipating car-bike accidents is becoming easier, thanks to sensors and connectivity. At CES 2015 in January, Osram Opto, a German maker of laser and photodiodes working with Phantom Intelligence, a tier-one auto supplier equipped a Maserati with a lidar-camera unit that dramatically cuts the cost of a laser sensor down to about $150. Osram hopes a low-cost unit, designed specifically to detect pedestrians crossing in front of vehicle, could be deployed to millions of vehicles. The Connected Bike Helmet In 2013, Volvo's introduced "Cyclist Detection" technology. Using a radar in the front grille and a camera mounted in the rear-view mirror, the car can not only warn the driver, but will automatically brake if it detects a pedestrian or cyclist. The technology is offered in about seven Volvo models. Also at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Volvo showed off the next iteration of its bicycle detection and warning technology. The automaker teamed up with POC, a Swedish engineering and industrial design firm, and Ericsson, the communications company, to put the car and bicycle in contact with one another. Using Strava, a popular bicycle app, the position of the car and cyclist are shared to Volvo's cloud-based network. If an accident appears imminent, the Volvo driver gets an alert via a heads-up display, while a light on the cyclist's helmet flashes. "By exploring cloud-based safety systems, we are getting ever closer to eliminating the remaining blind spots between cars and cyclists and by that avoid collisions," said Klas Bendrik, VP and Group CIO at Volvo Cars. Big Data on Two Wheels What if the conditions that lead to car-bike accidents could be predicted? On a recent visit to Ford's new research center in Silicon Valley, I saw a demonstration of the American car company's "Info Cycle" experiment part of its Big Data program. The project uses a custom sensor for bicycles to collect data on the bicycle's roll, pitch, yaw, acceleration, pedal position and speed, and even lighting conditions. The bicycle becomes what Ford calls a "thin probe," one that can be combined with the thick probe of a car's bigger footprint and reams of data collected by the vehicle itself and uploaded to Ford's cloud-based network. The combination of thick and thin probes creates a set of data that, one day, could identify spots where bicyclists repeatedly face danger. Cities could change speed limits, road signs, or lighting to make roads much safer for cyclists. Lead photo courtesy of Volvo; others courtesy Jaguar, Volvo and Ford | 9 | 5,940 | autos |
The Raspberry Pi the credit card-sized microcomputer meant to help people learn to program just got an upgrade. The new Raspberry Pi comes with 1GB of memory, twice as much as the previous version, as well as a new 900MHz quad-core ARM processor that Raspberry Pi said on its website can deliver up to six times better performance. All that new goodness comes with the same old price tag of $35. The Pi, built by the non-profit Raspberry Pi Foundation (and based on tinkering by some Cambridge University techies, led by Eben Upton) celebrates its third anniversary of sales next month. It has attracted a cult following of makers and tinkerers who have used it to build everything from a Pandora jukebox to a budget supercomputer . And in the process of all that tinkering, the non-profit sold 3.8 million units ( as of Oct. 2014 ). It's unclear whether the people buying the Raspberry Pi, which was invented primarily to help schools and educational programs teach programming, are helping the cause. Back in April 2013, when just over one million units had been sold, TechCrunch reported that the vast majority of Raspberry Pis purchased had shipped to developed nations . As TechCrunch noted, that may have been because Western charities were buying the computers to take to developing countries, or because the device turned into a toy for software engineers to fiddle with in their spare time. Quartz has reached out to Raspberry Pi for updated regional sales numbers and will update this story with any response. | 3 | 5,941 | finance |
These wee ones already have a furry friend by their side. On the Same Team It's all good, baby. This cat has got your back. Backseat Cuddlers Car rides are way less boring when you have someone to snuggle with. Born Animal Lover This baby is totally jazzed to be hanging with the cat. Take a Ride With Me Who knew the cat liked swings? The baby knew. First Line of Defense "May I take a message? The baby has a very full schedule today." Meeting of the Minds They both decided it was a good idea to scratch behind the cat's ears. We Tight "Just hanging with my pal, playing video games." Time Out The baby is trying to play leapfrog, but that cat isn't a fan of amphibians. Hush, Little Baby Crying newborn? Just let the cat work its magic. Comfort Cleaning The feline's gentle head-cleansing has successfully lulled the baby to sleep. That's just adorable. | 4 | 5,942 | lifestyle |
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- The Super Bowl celebration for New Englanders and their beloved Patriots will have to wait another day as Boston continues to get battered by heavy snow. Mayor Marty Walsh said the city will postpone a planned victory parade through downtown until Wednesday. He said the city and team both agreed to hold off on the parade because of Monday's snowstorm, which dumped more than a foot of fresh snow in the Boston area, making commutes treacherous. "We thank everyone for their flexibility and patience during the planning of this parade and we look forward to celebrating with Patriots fans during better weather on Wednesday," Walsh said in a joint statement with the team. The city had announced earlier that the parade would take place Tuesday. But with weather continuing to worsen, Boston public schools preemptively canceled Tuesday classes, the fifth snow day in the past week. A decision to cancel the parade followed shortly after. Boston has seen a record 34.2 inches of snow over seven days, according to the National Weather Service. The previous seven-day record was 31.2 inches in January 1996. Following their 28-24 victory over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Arizona, the Patriots flew back to Massachusetts as scores of flights in and out of Boston's Logan International Airport were canceled or delayed Monday. The latest snowstorm didn't stop New Englanders from basking in the glow of their team's fourth Super Bowl victory. Todd Penney, of Coventry, Connecticut, was still recovering from a heady night of celebrating as he prepared for work Monday morning as a town engineer. "My voice is very hoarse from screaming at the TV. I was all in last night," he said. "It will be a lot more fun for me to snowblow this morning after the Patriots' win than if they would have lost, that's for sure." Other fans recounted tense moments from the rollercoaster victory. "It was an exciting game, a nail-biter to the end. You don't get to see games like that very often," said George Vemis, as he cleared the sidewalk in front of his variety store in Whitman, south of Boston. Cheryl Happeny, a business analyst from Whitman, said the victory is especially satisfying because so many people outside of New England have been calling the team cheaters since the scandal over underinflated footballs in the Patriots' winning game over the Indianapolis Colts erupted. "It was a sweet victory," she said. "I don't think it will quiet the critics. I'm waiting for it to heat up again. Everyone hates the Patriots because we're breaking so many records. ...We're like the Yankees of the NFL." At the Modell's Sporting Goods in Cambridge, devoted fans trickled in Monday morning as thick fluffy clumps of snow fell, grabbing commemorative T-shirts and hats by the armful. "It's an early Valentine's gift. I'm treating," said Karen Rudgis of Cambridge, who was buying shirts for her husband and two grown children. Mike Kelley, who works next door at Staples, was buying T-shirts and hats for his daughter, brother-in-law and himself. "It's an expensive day today," he said. "I've already spent $100, and I'm already planning to spend $100 more." Modell's employees said the biggest sellers so far were the white Super Bowl champion baseball caps the team wore Sunday for the locker room celebration. "It'd be a lot different if there wasn't a blizzard right now. Later tonight, I would think, it would get busy," said Jennifer Walcott, who had been among a number of staffers brought in from the store's Hamden, Connecticut, location to help open up the Cambridge store promptly at 6 a.m. Monday. From Boston to western Massachusetts, police reported that Patriots fans celebrated raucously but without mayhem late Sunday and into Monday. In Boston, where schools were closed but subways were running Monday, Walsh held court in City Hall, reflecting on Sunday's win and sketching out the upcoming celebration. The championship parade, now scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Wednesday, will begin at the Hynes Convention Center. A fleet of 25 amphibious "duck boats" resembling those used during World War II -- a staple of championship parades in Boston -- will carry the team along Boylston Street, past the Common and onto City Hall. "We'll make sure the duck boats get through the snow," Walsh said. "We'll probably have plows in front of them, behind them, beside then, next to them, under them." ------ Associated Press writers Mark Pratt and Steve LeBlanc in Boston, Denise Lavoie in Whitman, Mass., Pat Eaton-Robb in Coventry, Conn., and Steve Singer in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report. | 1 | 5,943 | sports |
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) If you're in the construction industry or pay for child care, there's lots to like in President Barack Obama's fiscal 2016 budget proposal. But if you're a couple making $500,000 a year or rely on agricultural grants not so much. Obama's nearly $4 trillion budget proposal, sent to Congress recently, draws battle lines over spending and taxes with the Republican-led Congress as the president's popularity is creeping up and the deficit is on track for another Obama-era low. On the domestic side, at least, Congress is likely to reject much of what Obama is offering. But the proposal represents Obama's agenda for the year and would create a number of winners and losers across the U.S. economy. Here are some of each: 1. Winner: The construction industry A clear winner from Obama's budget proposal would be the construction industry, since the president is proposing a $478 billion increase in funding for rebuilding U.S. roads and bridges. Obama thinks he can get the GOP on board with this: "Republicans believe that we should be rebuilding our infrastructure," he said in a pre-Super Bowl interview. But some Republicans have already expressed skepticism about Obama's proposal to pay for it, in part, with a one-time tax on foreign earnings. 2. Winner: Research and development Overall, the budget provides a 5.5% increase for research and development, spread across multiple areas like energy, biomedical research and the environment. It would also make the research and experimentation tax credit permanent. 3. Winner: Parents Obama is seeking to increase the child and dependent care tax credit. The maximum credit is now $1,000 per child. The budget triples the maximum credit for families with children under age 5, and also expands it to families with incomes of up to $120,000. The administration says the tax change would benefit 5.1 million families. 4. Loser: Wealthy couples If you and your spouse make more than $500,000 a year, Obama wants to increase your capital gains taxes. The budget proposes to pay for middle-class tax breaks and education investments by, among other things, raising the capital gains rate for that income level. The rate would go from 23.8% to 28%. 5. Loser: Agriculture programs Obama's budget trims a number of grants administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including a health-care services grant, certain housing grants from the agency and money for animal-health and alternative-crop research. Also on the chopping block: $1 million for potato breeding research. 6. Loser: Health IT research Health and Human Services funding falls slightly in the budget, with reductions for health information-technology research, and community development block grants. The grants fund affordable housing and anti-poverty programs. | 3 | 5,944 | finance |
The hunt may be over but the social media storm has just begun. An Oregon couple's save-the-date photo has gone viral, racking up scores of likes and shares from hunters and wedding enthusiasts alike. The photo which features bride-to-be Stevie Beard holding a rifle while her fiancé, Brady Hogevoll, hangs by his ankles from a tractor is captioned, "The Hunt is Over!" Photographer Joshua Rainey snapped the cheeky shot for Logsden couple last month. The bride shared it with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a hunting advocacy group, where it racked up 6.4 million views and more than 162,000 likes, the group said. The attention stunned the engaged couple. "At first, it's really shocking," Beard told the Oregonian. "You don't ever expect for your face or your picture to go all over the country." Beard and Hogevoll, both 28, grew up together in rural Oregon. Eventually the childhood buddies started dating. Hogevoll's family is full of hunters when he started dating Beard, he took her out with them, too. The family sometimes hangs their game on the tractor while they clean it, Beard told the newspaper. "So I told Brady, 'What if we did one, and we hung you from the tractor?'" Beard said. "And he looked at me and was like, 'Well, by my ankles?'" The good sport groom eventually agreed. Beard's dad painted the save-the-date sign, and Hogevoll practiced knots that would keep him safely tied up. On the day of the shoot which also included more traditional poses of the couple holding hands and kissing Rainey snapped quickly so the groom wouldn't have to stay upside down for too long. Beard, a dental hygienist, and Hogevoll, a tugboat captain, will tie the knot on Sept. 5. [email protected] | 5 | 5,945 | news |
When you dress together, you stay together. Sometimes. Victoria and David Beckham in 1999 Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel in 2013 Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in 2014 Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in 2005 Justin Theroux and Jennifer Aniston in 2011 Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow in 1997 Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2001 Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2013 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in 2015 Aaron Paul and Lauren Parsekian Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in 2014 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in 2015 Jamie Hince and Kate Moss | 4 | 5,946 | lifestyle |
A $2 tip on a $4 coffee order is not uncommon. Customers are being subtly pressured into tipping more, thanks in part to technology. That's what the New York Times argues in a new report that blames tablet-based P.O.S. systems for pressuring customers to pick a preset tip amount. Many businesses, including coffee shops, have switched from registers to tablets. The software on these tablets includes preset tip options. To avoid the preset commands which are often as high as 25, 50, and 75 percent a customer has to click over to a customized tip button, which can be uncomfortable with a cashier "looking on." Some restaurants have added a DipJar, a tip jar for credit cards, next to their registers. Thanks to an onslaught of new tipping methods, people are now feeling pressured to tip in situations in which they normally may not have. The New York Times writes customers can now tip people on the internet including their favorite food bloggers with Bitcoin . ChangeTip allows people to send Bitcoin tips through social media, email, text, or Skype to anyone on the internet. Other restaurants approach tipping in new ways. Some have added a DipJar , a tip jar for credit cards, next to their registers. Customers can pay for their items with a credit card and then "dip the same card into a receptacle by the register for a preset tip amount, usually $1." Leo Kremer the co-founder of a small taqueria chain in New York City tells the paper that the DipJar has actually raised the number of tips they've received. The chain recently removed the tip line on receipts for credit card transactions below $20 because "some customers found it presumptuous." Tipping, especially at sit-down restaurants, continues to be a hot topic. Currently, most servers are reliant upon tips to make up the bulk of their take home pay, which puts pressure on both the customer and the employee. To combat this, many restaurants are eliminating tipping , and instead are increasing the hourly wages of their staff. While wages are raised, so are the menu prices , but most customers don't seem to mind. The NYT points out that while driver-service Uber has higher prices, people appreciate its "ban on tips." | 0 | 5,947 | foodanddrink |
This little Havanese from Team Fluff is now living the life as a Jersey girl. Check in on Rosie. | 8 | 5,948 | video |
Business investment has played an integral role in hopes that a bustling U.S. economy would light the way for the rest of the world in 2015. Tumbling gas prices, a newly resurgent U.S. dollar and a weak-spending consumer have taken consider luster off that picture. In fact, companies reporting quarterly earnings are predicting not robust times ahead but rather tepid profit growth, with a cornerstone of those forecasts being a drop, not a rise, in capital expenditures, or capex. Goldman Sachs lowered its capex forecast from a gain of 6 percent to a decline of 3 percent, a stunning turnaround that the firm attributed primarily to weakened energy companies that have suffered from oil's decline. The number represents the worst figure since the financial crisis days of 2009. "We expect total energy capex will collapse by 25 percent in 2015," Goldman said in a report for clients. "The sector accounts for 33 percent of S&P 500 (.SPX) capex and should drag total S&P 500 capital expenditure growth into negative territory." That, of course, is the bad news. The good news is that Goldman characterized capex outside of energy as "strong" as the firm holds to an "above-trend" growth forecast. Those hopes come for an economy that limped to the finish line in the fourth quarter of 2014 with well-below-consensus growth of 2.6 percent that capped off a year with just 2.4 percent annualized gains in gross domestic product . How and when corporate America will part with the $1.8 trillion it has stashed domestically and another $2 trillion or so overseas is a key question for future growth. Liz Ann Sonders, chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, was among those forecasting a big lift for capex this year that she now says will be delayed. Capex spending tends to pick up about seven to nine months after oil bottoms. Crude prices are down nearly 8 percent for 2015 but have been on an upswing for the past week or so. "What tends to happen is if you get a big crash in oil prices, it immediately affects oil and drilling capex but also" other sectors, Sonders said in a phone interview. "I don't think it means capex becomes a big drag on the economy. It's just not the lift a lot of people including me had hoped for." Low confidence has been the key hurdle for companies to get more aggressive with capital investment and hiring, and the fourth-quarter earnings picture provided little reason for optimism. Goldman said the current ratio of negative-to-positive outlooks is the highest in the 8½ years the firm has been tracking that metric. Morgan Stanley strategist Adam Parker put the negative-to-positive ratio at 5.3 to 1. "It would seem that management teams are becoming increasingly wary as energy revisions continue to fall and the dollar picks up strength," he said in a note. Parker also cautioned investors against worrying too much, saying that current expectations for stock market growth "are too low." Amid the dour outlooks he found hope in revenue growth for the quarter and pointed out that companies are easily beating a significantly lowered bar overall for earnings season. Companies have been using their cash to prop up stock prices through share buybacks and dividends, a trend likely to continue should the capex outlook continue to weaken. Expectations for energy earnings have come down 35.1 percent. Excluding energy and financials the significance of doing so is debatable considering the two sectors comprise about a quarter of the S&P 500 full-year earnings growth expectations are at 7.9 percent. The trend, though, has been lower and perhaps for good reason. Oil's decline has served as a legitimate black swan a highly improbable event, foreseen by almost no one on Wall Street, with substantial consequences and thus may not be fully appreciated yet. After all, most economists pinned their buoyant hopes on a rejuvenated consumer, who was supposed to receive a major boost from gas prices below $2 a gallon at the pump in many places. However, the holiday retail numbers were dismal, with Commerce Department reporting Monday that December retail spending was at a five-year low. At the same time, the Institute for Supply Management manufacturing index, also released Monday, registered a 53.5, a number that economist Paul Ashworth at Capital Economics said is more consistent with 2 percent rather than the expected 3 percent or better GDP growth this year. Missing expectations has been part of the economic landscape as of late. Bespoke Investment Group's economic surprise index, which measures the rate at which data beat or miss estimates, is negative over the most recent 50-day period. Savita Subramanian, equity and quant strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, pointed out that in addition to energy, the consumer sectors also have been feeling the squeeze. It's an observation not lost elsewhere on Wall Street. "Consumers appear to be somewhat fatigued in their spending patterns, pulling back noticeably at the end of the year despite lower gas prices," Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at Sterne Agee, said in a note. "In the end, low gas prices will provide only a temporary boost while the key equation in terms of long-term success remains organic job and sustainable income growth." | 3 | 5,949 | finance |
WASHINGTON President Barack Obama warned congressional Republicans Monday that he won't accept a spending plan that boosts national security at the expense of domestic programs for the middle class. He also called on them not to saddle legislation that pays for homeland security operations with contentious provisions on immigration. "I will not accept a budget that severs the vital links between our national security and our economic security," Obama said. "Those two things go hand in hand." Obama addressed the budget he released Monday and the financing of the Homeland Security Department during a visit to the department's headquarters. Obama is proposing higher taxes on wealthier Americans and corporations, and an ambitious $478 billion public works program for highway, bridge and transit upgrades. He also wants a 7 percent increase in defense and domestic spending that restores some automatic cuts triggered by a 2011 budget deal. Obama called those cuts as "mindless austerity." The president also said every American has an interest in making sure that the Homeland Security Department has what it needs to achieve its mission. He wants Congress to pass a funding bill for the department without rolling back his executive actions on immigration. "The men and women of America's homeland security apparatus do important work to protect us, and Republicans and Democrats in Congress should not be playing politics with them," Obama said. | 3 | 5,950 | finance |
NEW YORK The mother of a 6-year-old boy who vanished on his way to school 35 years ago is testifying in the New York murder trial of a store clerk accused of killing him. Julie Patz began her testimony Monday recounting her time living in SoHo when Etan was little. She was the last relative to see him alive. Etan disappeared on May 25, 1979. It was his first time walking to school alone. His mother says Etan was trusting and craved independence but also feared being lost or alone. Pedro Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. Hernandez confessed in 2012 in a lengthy videotaped statement to authorities. His lawyer says he can't distinguish between reality and fantasy. Etan's body hasn't been found. The investigation has stretched over continents and decades. | 5 | 5,951 | news |
Boston's Super Bowl victory parade will happen on Tuesday, despite two heavy storms in one week and big piles of snow along a route that likely will attract at least tens of thousands of throaty fans. Mayor Marty Walsh on Monday announced the parade as more than a foot (30 cm) of snow was expected to hit the city. Even before the New England Patriots won their fourth Super Bowl on a heart-stopping sequence of plays Sunday night, the mayor had city crews removing truckloads of snow along a planned parade route. Walsh told WHDH-TV Channel 7 in an interview that this was done "quietly" so as not to jinx the team. The mayor wasn't being cocky about the hometown team, but after a blizzard hit the city last week he had to be ready for a potential victory parade. The Patriots looked almost certain to lose the game as the Seattle Seahawks were just a yard away from scoring a game-winning touchdown. But Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw an interception with 25 seconds left on the clock, allowing the Patriots to win 28-24. Temperatures are forecast to be about 12 Fahrenheit (-11 Celsius) when the parade kicks off at 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday at Boston's Prudential Tower and heads to City Hall about a mile-and-a-half (2.4 km) away. The team, including star quarterback Tom Brady and Malcolm Butler, the rookie who intercepted Wilson's pass, will tour the route in duck boats in what has become a tradition for the city's championship-winning teams. Fans are calling Sunday night's game one of the best Super Bowls in the history of the National Football League. The buildup to the 49th Super Bowl had been dominated by a controversy over deflated footballs used by the Patriots in a blowout win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC title game that earned them a trip to Arizona to play the Seahawks. (Reporting by Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Eric Beech) | 1 | 5,952 | sports |
CNN's Richard Quest got an exclusive look at the creation of Nationwide's dark Super Bowl ad. | 8 | 5,953 | video |
President Obama on Monday will unveil a nearly $4 trillion budget for 2016 that would offer financial relief for the middle class, boost investments in areas such as infrastructure and aim to reduce the federal deficit and debt, according to senior administration officials. Officials said the plan, which will be released to the public at 11:30 a.m., is intended to balance higher investment in government programs and fiscal discipline. "You don't need to choose between those two things, you can in fact accomplish both. We believe our budget provides a roadmap for how to do that," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call Sunday. While Republicans advocate fiscal discipline, the overall plan for spending increases and taxes on the wealthy and large financial institutions will almost certainly get rejected by the GOP majority in Congress. The budget will ask Congress to replace sequestration budget caps that are set to limit discretionary spending starting next October. To reverse those cuts, the budget will request $74 billion more in both spending for domestic programs and the Pentagon, resulting in a total of $530 billion for non-defense and $561 billion for defense. "We feel that the increased investment in discretionary spending on both the non-defense and defense side are vital for our economic and national security," a senior official said. To pay for those spending increases, the budget will propose mandatory spending reductions, closing tax loopholes and limiting tax benefits and immigration reform that reflects the bipartisan bill the Senate passed in 2013. Of the discretionary spending requests, a major one is a $478 billion six-year surface transportation reauthorization to rebuild roads, bridges and transit. The Highway Trust Fund, which normally funds these projects through the gas tax, is expected to go bankrupt by the end of May and the administration acknowledges it can't cover the new proposal. Instead, the budget would impose a one-time mandatory transition tax of 14 percent on about $2 trillion of untaxed earnings U.S. companies have accumulated overseas. About $238 billion of revenue from that tax would supplement the Highway Trust Fund to subsidize the new projects, according to an administration official. Obama's second-to-last budget proposal also includes investments in early and higher education, money to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Russian aggression toward Ukraine and aid to help Central American countries following last summer's influx of young immigrants at the southern border. Officials said it also contains "an ambitious set" of tax proposals that include up to $3,000 for a childcare tax credit, a college tax credit of $2,500, a second-earner tax credit of $500 and an expanded earned income tax credit for workers without children and non-custodial parents. These proposals would benefit more than 44 million households and provide an average benefit of $600 per household, the Treasury Department estimates. As Obama outlined in his State of the Union address last month, the budget would generate $320 billion over the next decade by raising the capital gains and dividends rate to 28 percent, which would affect large financial companies and couples making more than $500,000 per year. The hikes would make room for a total of $277 billion in tax breaks for the middle class. The budget would result in $1.8 trillion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years and stabilize deficits below the 40-year average of 3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). In 2016, for example, the budget would bring the deficit down to $474 billion, 2.5 percent of GDP. The deficit last year fell to $483 billion. Administration officials said debt would fall to 75 percent of GDP in 2016 and even further to 73.3 percent in 2025, much lower than the 79 percent the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected would happen last week if current laws remain unchanged. By the end of 2015, the budget will project real GDP will be 3.1 percent and the unemployment rate will fall to 5.4 percent. Some of the mandatory spending decreases include a proposal to reduce subsidies in a crop insurance program for farmers, an official said, and initiatives to reduce fraud within the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Disability Insurance Trust Fund. Officials said because the budget's printing deadline occurred before the president decided last week to drop the plan to tax withdrawals from 529 college plans, it does contain it, but the administration won't pursue it. Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill lobbied the White House against the proposal. Congressional Republicans are expected to declare much of the budget dead on arrival, which they've already made clear as details about the tax and spending plans have trickled out. Since the infrastructure proposal, however, would be funded through a corporate tax overhaul, it could speed up negotiations over the tax code in Congress. The GOP, meanwhile, is expected to introduce a budget blueprint of its own before April 15. | 5 | 5,954 | news |
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, said Monday the furry rodent has forecast six more weeks of winter. Members of the top hat-wearing Inner Circle announced the "prediction" Monday morning. A German legend has it that if a furry rodent sees his shadow on Feb. 2, winter will last another six weeks. If not, spring comes early. The forecast was also announced on Twitter, as was referenced in the official proclamation read by Jeff Lundy, the Fair Weatherman of the Inner Circle. "Forecasts abound on the Internet, but, I, Punxsutawney Phil am still your best bet. Yes, a shadow I see, you can start to Twitter, hash tag: Six more weeks of winter!" The forecast was delivered after a steady pre-dawn rain turned to snow as temperatures dropped from the high 30s to around freezing. They were forecast to keep dropping over much of the state, prompting the state Department of Transportation to lower the speed limit to 45 mph for many interstate highways which were already wet and expected to freeze or be covered with snow as the day wore on. The rain kept some revelers away, with state police estimating the crowd at around 11,000, slightly smaller than in recent years when upward of 15,000 attended. Despite the German legend, Phil's handlers don't wait to see if he sees his shadow as he likely would not have on such an overcast day. Instead, the Inner Circle decide on the forecast ahead of time and announce it on Gobbler's Knob, a tiny hill in the town for which the groundhog is named, about 65 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Records going back to 1887 show Phil has now predicted more winter 102 times while forecasting an early spring just 17 times. There are no records for the remaining years. Phil's counterpart in New York City, Staten Island Chuck, delivered a conflicting message in calling for an early spring after not seeing his shadow. Chuck emerged from his home at the Staten Island Zoo early Monday and took part in a new ceremony that didn't include being held by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Last year, in de Blasio's first time at the annual ceremony, the rodent slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground. It died weeks later. A medical exam revealed it died of internal injuries, but zoo officials said it was unclear if they were caused by the fall from de Blasio's arms. Zoo officials didn't make the death public for months. The accident became a source of teasing for the mayor, and de Blasio himself suggested Monday that "teams of animal behavior experts and scientists have consulted from all over the country" to keep the groundhog safe. In Wisconsin, the mayor of Sun Prairie might not be getting too close to a groundhog again. During a celebration Monday, the handler of Jimmy the groundhog held the animal next the face of Mayor Jonathan Freund, and Jimmy promptly bit down on the mayor's left ear. Freund flinched, but went on with the event. Freund flinched, but went on with the event. | 5 | 5,955 | news |
Millions of fans took to social media for Sunday's Super Bowl 49, making it the most tweeted NFL football final in history, Twitter said Monday. More than 28 million tweets were sent out relating to the big match, which saw the New England Patriots snatch a win from reigning champions Seattle Seahawks. "All night, the conversation around #SB49 dominated Twitter," the social networking giant said in a blog post. "Over 28.4 million global Tweets containing terms related to the game and halftime show were sent during the live telecast (from kickoff through 30 minutes after the clock expired)." Last year's Super Bowl generated 24.9 million tweets, the company said. The most tweeted moment of the night was when Pats cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass from Seahawks' Russel Wilson to win the game 28-24 for New England. The deciding moment generated some 395,000 tweets a minute, according to the blog post. News of the final score got about 379,000 tweets a minute, while Katy Perry's dazzling halftime performance saw 284,000 posts a minute. Most tweets came from the eastern United States, with the plenty of social media action taking place in Boston, New York, Washington and Philadelphia. But a flurry of activity also occurred on the west coast, namely in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Twitter said. International hotspots included Britain, Spain and Brazil. Patriots star quarterback and 2015 Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady was the most tweeted about player, followed by his teammates Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. Super Bowl Sunday, an unofficial holiday in the United States, was expected to draw a whopping 115 million viewers -- or about one in three Americans. | 1 | 5,956 | sports |
Kris Jenner reportedly refuses to speak about Bruce Jenner with her close confidants. The showbiz matriarch's ex-husband is reportedly planning to "transition into a woman" but her friends are growing increasingly frustrated as she hasn't filled them in on what's happening, despite a series of leaked stories made public. An insider told the New York Daily News newspaper's Confidenti@l column: "Basically if your last name isn't Kardashian or Jenner, you have no idea what's going on. These are people who are Kris' confidants. They talk to Kris, but it doesn't come up and they don't ask." The friend thinks it is "shocking" and "devastating" that Kris has chosen not to speak about the situation with her pals and has appealed to her to "address what's going on, one way or another" to ease the awkwardness. Bruce, 65, first sparked speculation he had started the transition after appearing with longer hair and wearing makeup over the past few months and is said to be preparing to release a docuseries about his "journey" when "he is ready". An insider added he also is trying to be respectful of his and Kris' kids - Kylie, 17, and Kendall, 19, as well as Burt, 36, Cassandra, 34, Brandon, 33 and Brody Jenner, 31, from previous relationships, and his stepchildren with Kris; Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian - by undergoing the transition gradually. The insider said: "It will air when he is ready to be open about his transition. "But he's acting more and more confident and seems very happy. "He's being very smart about and also respectful about his transition. Instead of completely shocking everyone, his changes have been subtle, and his family has had the chance to slowly get used to his new looks and life. "He's in such a great space. That's why he it's the perfect time to do something like this." | 6 | 5,957 | entertainment |
Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston? Over the next several weeks leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft , that question will intensify. More so than any others, those two players will be picked apart from top to bottom. A case can easily be made for and against both. Mariota of Oregon is an ultra athletic modern day version of Randall Cunningham. A quarterback just as capable of dropping passes on a receiver in stride as he is pulling the ball down and busting a big run. But how much is he a product of the Ducks' system and how tightly can he fit the ball into a small window? Florida State's Winston has the frame, the arm, the moxie and that immeasurable clutchness that kicks in late in games. He completes more difficult passes from more difficult angles. But is he too much of a gunslinger throwing the ball into coverage and will his immaturity issues follow him to the NFL? As we approach the draft, all of those questions will be pored over countless times. And that's just Tampa Bay and the No. 1 pick in the draft. These players are going to get dissected and moved around big boards. Things are going to fluctuate before settling more as the draft approaches. Free agency will change things up more than anything else. As you'll see in many of the write-ups below, it's impossible at this stage to gauge which teams will lose the key free agents. In many cases, these picks were made on the assumption those players would leave for a lucrative contract elsewhere. For now, we don't know what teams will do. Lets have some fun trying to figure it out. 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers : Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon ESPN's top two NFL reporters are starting to lean Mariota to the Buccaneers. Adam Scheffer said last week that there's a "sense" Tampa has its sights set on the Oregon quarterback. Chris Mortensen has said the "stars are aligned" for Mariota going to Tampa. While neither of those are necessarily declarative statements, they're much more than anyone has said connecting Florida State's Jameis Winston to the No. 1 pick. 2. Tennessee Titans : Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State Should Mariota go first overall, Winston should be the pick for the Titans. From purely an on-field standpoint, he's superior in every way to Zach Mettenberger except maybe pure arm strength. Winston is a better for Tennessee's offense than Mariota and has the skill to complete passes all over the field. 3. Jacksonville Jaguars : Randy Gregory, DE, Nebraska This pick has become the go-to for the Jaguars, but we'll see how the offseason process plays out for Gregory. He looks like a natural fit as a pass rushing Leo. The quest about him is if he can up physicality to take on blocks better. 4. Oakland Raiders : Leonard Williams, DT, Southern California Although the Raiders need a good lead wide receiver, Williams is the top player in the draft. He would give Oakland a player up front can play the run and the pass extremely well. 5. Washington: La'el Collins, OT, LSU The best comparison for Collins coming out of LSU is actually Trent Williams. He could slot into the right tackle spot for Washington and give them a pair of physical, bookend tackles up front. One of the draft's better outside linebackers would fit here as well. 6. New York Jets : Vic Beasley, DE/OLB, Clemson If the top two quarterbacks are off the board when the Jets pick, a lot of what they do here will depend on what they do with wide receiver Percy Harvin. If he's released, a wide receiver could be the target. If not, going after a pass rusher to upgrade over players like Calvin Pace and Jason Babin. Beasley is an ultra-quick pass rusher who can be brought in to quickly make an impact. 7. Chicago Bears : Dante Fowler, DE, Florida The Bears have a good pass rusher in Willie Young , but the addition of Jared Allen last offseason just didn't pay off. Fowler is a relentless defensive lineman who can line up in a variety of ways. 8. Atlanta Falcons : Shane Ray, DE/OLB, Missouri Some consider Ray more of a linebacker because he's not the tallest player, but he profiles better as an end. With his hand down, Ray can take advantage of his first step and hand use. In Dan Quinn's defense, Ray would be used the same way the Seahawks use Bruce Irvin . 9. New York Giants : Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama Even though the Giants just used a high first-round pick on Odell Beckham Jr. last season, Cooper is too good of a player to pass up at No. 9. General manager Jerry Reese always insists on taking the best player on the team's draft board, and Cooper has top five potential. Taking Cooper would also be an indication of Victor Cruz's future. 10. St. Louis Rams : Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa The biggest strengths in Schreff's game are his power and technique. One may lead to the other, but he knows how to play to where he excels. Scherff doesn't have the quickest feet, but that could be masked somewhat playing right tackle for the Rams. 11. Minnesota Vikings : DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville This pick is just too perfect and easy to make. Combining Parker with his college quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is the type of thing people write books about. Parker would be the Vikings' No. 1 wide receiver of the future and would also let the Vikings figure out what to do with Cordarrelle Patterson and not worry if his struggles persist. 12. Cleveland Browns : Kevin White, WR, West Virginia The run on wide receivers continues with White, who could rise higher than No. 12 during the offseason process. The Browns won't have Josh Gordon next season, and that could force them to target a wide receiver this high. 13. New Orleans Saints : Bud Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky The future of Junior Galette in New Orleans is questionable, and the pass rush beyond him is questionable. Dupree has enough power to stick at end and the athleticism to play linebacker if needed. 14. Miami Dolphins : Danny Shelton, DT, Washington Shelton would be a perfect fit for the Dolphins. He could plug in at nose tackle as a rookie and give Miami a dependable run topper up front. 15. San Francisco 49ers : Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri The potential for Green-Beckham is incredible, but that's also an indictment on his development. Green-Beckham has the sort of skills to be not only the best wide receiver in this year's draft, but among the five best players overall. He enters the NFL with a bevy of off-field issues and hasn't played football in more than a year. 16. Houston Texans : Trae Waynes, CB, Michigan State Starting cornerback Kareem Jackson is set to enter free agency. In a mock scenario where free agency isn't projected, this choice is assuming Jackson signs elsewhere. Waynes is a press man specialist coming out of a school that is gaining quite the reputation for developing NFL talent. 17. San Diego Chargers : T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh Any offensive lineman who can play right tackle would be a successful choice for the Chargers. Clemmings would be an easier fit than trying to convert a left side player to the right. While Clemmings is still developing his hand usage, he showed at Pitt this season that he can knock defensive linemen around and get physical in the run game. 18. Kansas City Chiefs : Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State: If the Chiefs cut Dwayne Bowe because of his large salary number the next three seasons, wide receiver becomes a big need. Bowe may not have had a touchdown this season, but he still accounted for 96 targets. A player like Strong can do many of the same things as Bowe, and would obviously be much cheaper. 19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo): Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State If the Browns take a wide receiver with the No. 12 pick, they could have their pick of some very good defensive tackles at 19. Malcom Brown of Texas has been connected to Cleveland often, but Goldman is an equally good player. He can do a lot of the same things Phil Taylor does for the Browns, when healthy. 20. Philadelphia Eagles : Landon Collins, S, Alabama Whatever defensive back the Eagles have rated the highest when their pick comes along should be the choice. In this case it's Collins, a disciplined safety who makes few mistakes. 21. Cincinnati Bengals : Malcom Brown, DT, Texas There has been speculation that the Bengals could save some money by releasing starter Domata Peko. If that happens, Brown would be an excellent addition. He's not simply a space-filling defensive tackle, though. He showed at Texas he can move around well and pressure the quarterback. 22. Pittsburgh Steelers : Marcus Peters, CB, Washington The Steelers need talent at cornerback, and risking it on a possible character gamble like Peters would be worthwhile. There is no more talented cornerback in the draft this year. If there weren't issues about his dismissal at Washington, he would likely be a lock top 10 pick. 23. Detroit Lions : P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State There was a report on ESPN on Sunday that there is a good chance the Lions will re-sign Ndamukong Suh , so that would eliminate needing to reach for a defensive tackle here. Rashean Mathis was on just a one-year deal and will be 35 before the start of next season. Williams is a highly talented corner with size. He would pair well with a player like Darius Slay . 24. Arizona Cardinals : Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA Kendricks is an instinctual, playmaking linebacker who could slot in as a starting inside linebacker as a rookie. He's capable of making plays all over the field, and can be used in man coverage. There's little Kendricks can't do. He just might not grade out because of his size. 25. Carolina Panthers : Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami Byron Bell had his struggles this season as Carolina's starting left tackle. He could be better on the right side and a true left tackle like Flowers could give the Panthers a nice piece up front. Along with Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell at the guard spots, the Panthers would have a solid young nucleus up front. 26. Baltimore Ravens : Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin Justin Forsett is coming off a career season, and could look to get a big contract this offseason. If the Ravens decide not to give it to him, they could be the team that breaks the string on no running backs being taken in the first round. Gordon often gets described as a bigger version of Jamaal Charles , so adding that type of player to Baltimore's offense could help keep them in the playoff picture. 27. Dallas Cowboys : Andrus Peat, OT, Stanford This might be overkill considering how many high draft picks the Cowboys have used on the offensive line. But Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell are both free agents. If Free is brought back on a short deal, for instance, Peat could be added as his eventual replacement. 28. Denver Broncos : Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma Here's another example of a high-priced free agent possibly leaving a team. In this case it's defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. Phillips is one of the more physically imposing players in this year's draft. He's the type of defensive tackle who can plug up the middle by occupying multiple blockers. 29. Indianapolis Colts : A.J. Cann, G, South Carolina The idea of Indianapolis continuing to build up front is too difficult to pass on. Cann is the draft's pure guard and could be brought in to start at left guard. That would move second-year player Jack Mewhort back to his more natural position at tackle. 30. Green Bay Packers : Benardrick McKinney, MLB, Mississippi State Playing Clay Matthews at middle linebacker was a fun experiment, but he still has better value getting after the passer from the outside. McKinney is a gifted athlete who would really benefit from being in the Green Bay system under coordinator Dom Capers. McKinney can make plays sideline-to-sideline, which would free Matthews up to wreak havoc in the backfield. 31. Seattle Seahawks: Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota In the Super Bowl , no Seahawks tight end saw a single target. While that may be a symptom of the scheme on offense, it could be an indicator of a lack of talent. Williams is the draft's top tight end. He's a player who can stretch the seam and suck in safeties, which can lead to outside receivers getting open. 32. New England Patriots : Carl Davis, DT, Iowa Vince Wilfork may be under contract the next two seasons, but he could decide to retire on top following New England's Super Bowl win. If that's the case, the Patriots could do with another big body up front. Teams doubled Davis much of the season at Iowa, and he showed he can hold up and still push the pocket. | 1 | 5,958 | sports |
The fourth quarter earnings season has been rare disappointment so far. For years, investors have expected nothing but good news. Management would do their best to lower expectations, only to provide upside surprises as the numbers were released. Corporate profits zoomed consistently to new record highs pretty much every quarter. Maybe not this time. Analysts still expect the S&P 500 companies to post record earnings per share in 2015, but forecasts for the overall earnings growth rate for the fourth quarter have come down. The slowdown in earnings and now, economic growth too could cast a pall over the stock market's performance through the rest of 2015. With nearly half of the S&P 500 companies having reported fourth-quarter earnings so far, the overall growth rate is 0.3 percent excluding Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) and its exceptional results, according to FactSet. (Including Apple's blowout quarter, the rate is 2.1 percent.) Unless earnings from an unusually high number of companies fall short of expectations in the coming weeks, the S&P 500 is still on track to post its eighth straight quarter of year-over-year earnings growth. But analysts now expect the streak to end there, as the outlook for the first quarter of 2015 has turned negative. Disappointing announcements by heavyweights like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) , United Technologies (NYSE:UTX) , Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT) and Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG) , among others, have weighed on results and 2015 expectations. Slowdowns throughout Europe and Asia and a drag on foreign earnings from a stronger dollar have played a role, as has the nearly 60 percent decline in oil prices (and the resulting slowdown in energy sector capital expenditures). Tech companies have been hit by Microsoft's dour outlook on PC sales based on a downtrend in new Windows 7/8 licenses and the potential for an underwhelming reception for the upcoming Windows 10 release. As a result, analysts are now looking for first-quarter S&P 500 earnings per share growth of just 0.1 percent, down from 4 percent at the start of the quarter, while revenues are expected to drop 1.9 percent vs. growth of 1.6 percent that was expected just a few weeks ago. In other words, earnings are stalling. Economic growth is slowing in the U.S. as well, with the first estimate of fourth-quarter GDP growing at a slower-than-expected 2.6 percent annualized rate, shy of the 3.2 percent consensus estimate and the 5 percent growth posted in Q3. A slowdown in business investment, no doubt related to the collapse in oil prices, was to blame, even as consumers picked up the pace of their spending. All this presents a problem for stocks going forward. The combination of earning and how much investors are willing to pay to get exposure to those earnings forms the classic price-to-earnings multiple used to get a valuation on stocks. It provides a reference point for investors, telling them when a stock is cheap, when it's fairly valued and when it's overpriced. Like so much in life, there are no hard and fast rules. Stocks that are expensive can get more expensive and stay that way for a long time, and vice versa. As a rough guide, a P/E multiple of 15 is considered fair value, but that will change, sometimes dramatically, based on the earnings growth rate and earnings volatility of a company. So, all else equal, a stalling of earnings suggests that stock prices could hit a wall in the months to come at least until earnings growth can reaccelerate. That's the takeaway from research by Deutsche Bank strategist David Bianco. He sees S&P 500 earnings per share finishing near $117.50 for full-year 2014, which would mean that the market is trading at a multiple of 17.1 times earnings. To get to his year-end S&P 500 target of 2,150, which represents a gain of about 7.5 percent from here, he forecasts earnings per share growth of about 3 percent this year. The gap between predicted stock market gains, and the slower pace of earnings growth, would push the P/E multiple to 17.8. Not until 2016, under Bianco's outlook, would multiples start to come back down as earnings growth revs up and stock price gains slow slightly. So, is this realistic? Theoretically, there is nothing stopping stock prices from rising if people want to pay up regardless of valuations. Investor sentiment is always the "X' factor for which there is no model or tool to predict. In reality, it will certainly depend on a number of hurdles being cleared. These include a resolution to the debt standoff in Europe between the new government in Greece and the hardliners in Germany, a lack of volatility should the Federal Reserve raise rates as expected later this year, no further escalation of the situation in Ukraine and stabilization in energy prices, among other factors. A continuation of recent U.S. job gains would be a precondition as well. The good news is that research from Barclays Capital suggests that the recent collapse in energy prices could help juice GDP growth in the second half of the year something that would help lift corporate earnings. They looked back at five similar episodes of oil price declines over the last 30 years and found that while typically associated at first with a slowdown in economic growth, a positive growth response followed with a two- to three-quarter lag. The analysts are confident of this based on evidence that the oil price drop is largely a function of oversupply and thus is not indicative of a deeper collapse in global demand that could jeopardize an economic rebound going forward. This is based on the fact the crude oil's fall far outstrips pullbacks in agricultural, metals and mineral commodities. Time will tell if this optimism on stocks, earnings and economic growth is well founded and develops into a second-half bounce. For now, though, the selling pressure that threatens to take stocks back to their mid-October lows looks set to continue in the short-term as the Q4 earnings season rolls on and the S&P 500 threatens to fall through support at its 125-day moving average, as shown above. | 5 | 5,959 | news |
Scientists have discovered that a meteorite, which was found a few years ago in the Moroccan desert, is a 4.4 billion-year-old chunk of the Martian crust. The scientists said in a new study that similar black rocks could be found in abundance on the Martian surface. The analysis of the "NWA 7034" meteorite, which is also known by the name "Black Beauty," reveals that the spectroscopic measurements of the rock are similar to the orbital measurements of the Martian dark plains -- areas where the coating of red dust is thin and the rocks beneath are exposed. The study has shown that the dark plains on Mars are dominated by rocks similar to "Black Beauty." Because the dark plains have less dust, they're thought to be representative of what lies beneath the red dust. "Mars is punctured by over 400,000 impact craters greater than 1 km in diameter ...," the researchers wrote in the study published last week in the journal Icarus. "Because brecciation is a natural consequence of impacts, it is expected that material similar to NWA 7034 has accumulated on Mars over time." The new findings have, thus, helped the scientists determine that the meteorite represents that "bulk background" of rocks on the planet's surface. "This is showing that if you went to Mars and picked up a chunk of crust, you'd expect it to be heavily beat up, battered, broken apart and put back together," Kevin Cannon, a graduate student at the Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island and the study's lead author, said in a statement. A chip from "Black Beauty," a meteorite from Mars, contains different rock types welded together. Brown University Martian rocks that landed on Earth before "Black Beauty" were mainly igneous rocks made of cooled volcanic material. But, according to scientists , "NWA 7034" is a fusion of different rock types welded together. The meteorite contains sedimentary components that match the chemical makeup of rocks studied by the Mars rovers. According to scientists, the rock is a piece of Martian crust, and the first such sample to arrive on Earth. | 5 | 5,960 | news |
Microsoft is throwing its weight behind the newly announced Raspberry Pi 2 today. The Raspberry Pi Foundation's low-cost computer was an instant hit when it first debuted in 2012, and the new Raspberry Pi 2 now includes a more powerful processor and twice as much RAM. While you've never been able to officially run copies of Windows on the Raspberry Pi without resorting to an old version or tricks and hacks, Microsoft says it's "delivering a version of Windows 10 that supports Raspberry Pi 2." A full Windows PC for just $35? It's not clear exactly what version of Windows 10 will be available, but Microsoft is handing it out for free to the Maker community through its Windows Developer Program for IoT later this year. With the pricing of the Raspberry Pi 2 and Microsoft's free copy of Windows 10, you could have a full PC for just $35 later this year. We'll have to wait to hear more information from Microsoft on how Windows 10 will function on the Raspberry Pi 2, but the company says it's planning to reveal more "in the coming months." Microsoft is currently developing Windows 10 as part of a public series of previews, and the company is relying heavily on feedback. We recently got a chance to see the new operating system running on 8-inch tablets , phones , PCs , and the Xbox One . With new universal apps, a fresh browser, and the return of the Start Menu, Microsoft is expected to ship Windows 10 later this year on PCs, tablets, phones, and even miniature devices like the Raspberry Pi 2. | 3 | 5,961 | finance |
Plastic surgeons Dr. Andrew Ordon and Dr. Ritu Chopra perform a life-changing reconstructive surgery on a 16-year-old girl who was left with disfiguring scars from a lawnmower accident as a child. | 7 | 5,962 | health |
Andie Mitchell's book, 'It Was Me All Along,' reveals her struggle with weight. She gets real about her epic trials here. | 7 | 5,963 | health |
Among the automakers, the automotive media, and the fans, new vehicles face great expectations from the moment their existence is revealed. Speculation and bench racing run rampant as we all try to infer from the available data how a vehicle should perform and how it will compare to the best in the segment. This prejudgment is no better illustrated than in the realm of sports cars, which brings us to these two perfect examples. Both the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the Nissan GT-R NISMO were among the most anticipated sports cars of recent years. The former sees a thoroughly improved chassis and interior matched to an even more capable drivetrain and suspension that promise to steal the mantle of supercar-killer from the latter, a no-holds barred rethink of the dominant supercar-killer of the past decade. Both cars promise performance normally reserved for cars two and three times the price, and both deliver in markedly different ways. From Chevrolet, we find a traditional formula writ for the 21st century. A supercharged 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 in the front drives a seven-speed manual transaxle that attempts to put 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque on the ground through only the rear wheels with help from an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, massive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 nearly slick tires, and Chevrolet's Z07 Stage III aerodynamics package. (A more comparable eight-speed automatic model was not available for this test.) Nissan's approach is by no means new but is less traditional than Chevrolet's. A twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6 sends power to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic in the tail that then routes power primarily to the rear wheels but constantly monitors and redistributes torque to the front wheels as needed for maximum performance. The hand of Nissan's NISMO performance department can be seen in the car's increased output of 600 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque, along with improvements to the aerodynamics, the transmission, and the all-wheel-drive control systems. As it has from the R35 GT-R's beginning in 2007 (in Japan), Nissan has made continual improvements to the GT-R NISMO's complex software, even midyear. In this case, it means tweaks to the engine control software to eliminate a slight plateau in midrange power output, something we noticed on an early 2015 model we tested back in August. The result is plainly evident at the test track and from behind the wheel. From a standing start, the 3,881-pound NISMO hits 60 mph in the same 2.9 seconds but now finishes a quarter mile in 11.0 seconds at 126.6 mph, a tenth of a second quicker and 1.3 mph faster. What plateau?Good stuff, you say, but clearly the Z06's 50-hp and 169-lb-ft advantage coupled with more than 350 pounds in weight savings (at 3,527 pounds) should make short work of the NISMO. You would be wrong. The super 'Vette needs 3.3 seconds to hit 60 mph from a stop and 11.4 seconds to run the quarter mile at a trap speed of 124.4 mph. Z06 fans will no doubt notice that's a tenth of a second slower on both counts and 1.8 mph slower than the first 2015 Z06 we tested (MT February 2015). The reason for the discrepancy, we believe, is aerodynamics. The first Z06 was outfitted with the Stage II aerodynamic kit, but this car features the Stage III kit, which adds a significantly taller rear wing and front splitter extensions. Although good for high-speed handling, the additional downforce also means additional drag. As for comparing it to the NISMO, the 'Vette is hampered not only by its drag but also by its slower manual transmission and the need to put all the power to just two wheels. The 'Vette has other tricks, though. Its massive carbon-ceramic brakes; wider, stickier front tires; and lower curb weight all contributed to a significantly shorter stopping distance. From 60 mph, the Z06 needed just 91 feet to stop. The steel-braked NISMO needed 97 feet. However, these cars were not designed for drag racing, even if they happen to be quite good at it. These are street-legal track cars. They're made for corners, and they're very good with those, too. The NISMO's 1.03g average on the skidpad and 23.1-second figure eight lap at 0.99g average put it among the best cars we've tested. Although its figure-eight lap time was two-tenths of a second slower than the other NISMO, its 0.99g average was significantly higher and a new all-time best for the GT-R (up from 0.91). Both deliver performance typically reserved for cars two and three times the price. Sticky as the GT-R is, it's no match for the Z06, whose combination of speed and grip almost make it a record-breaker. As it stands, the Z06 is the second quickest car ever around our figure-eight course, bested only by the Porsche 918 Spyder. With a 22.3-second lap at 1.06g average, it's two-tenths quicker than the other Z06 and substantially grippier (up from 0.98g average). Tracking the data, we see the Corvette achieve higher speeds in the straights and brake later and harder than the NISMO, and it carries more speed around the corners. All this despite a frustrating but mild mid-corner oversteer that, if not managed, easily becomes a spin. On a simple skidpad, the Z06 again bests itself and solidifies its standing as the grippiest street car we've ever tested at 1.17g average, up from 1.16. Unfortunately for the Z06, these numerical advantages don't play out at the racetrack. We brought the cars to historic Willow Springs to let their monstrous power and grip loose on the Big Track, colloquially known as the "Fastest Road in the West." At 2.42 miles, its nine turns run the gamut from tight and technical to high-speed sweepers, and its long straights let high-horsepower cars really stretch their legs. For this, we brought in our favorite pro driver, Randy Pobst, who turned an impressive 1:25.70 lap time in the NISMO but only a 1:27.10 in the Z06. How did that happen? We were as surprised as you. The Z06 has obvious weight, power, and grip advantages, and yet it lost by more than a second. In fact, it barely beat the even less powerful (and lighter) Porsche 911 GT3's lap time despite a whopping 175-hp and 326-lb-ft advantage. Here's what the data showed: The Z06 generally out-braked the NISMO and carried more speed through the middle of most corners, but the NISMO was back on the throttle sooner and carried more speed out. What's more, the NISMO was significantly faster on the straights, besting the Z06's top speeds by 6 and 7 miles per hour on the front and back straights. Best we can figure, the answer is in the aerodynamics. The Z06's big front splitter and vertical rear wing create downforce that helped the car carry more speed mid-corner, but the drag they create held it back on the straights. This wasn't an issue on the figure eight, as the speeds were significantly lower. To verify, we removed the clear Gurney flap center piece on the rear wing and had Randy give it another go. As we predicted, the Z06 picked up speed on the straights (1 mph greater top speed on the front straight) but lost time in the corners, where the reduced downforce increased the car's tendency to oversteer. Add to that the Z06's tendency to get hot after one lap and the computer's decision to reduce power to compensate, and you have a lap slower than expected. "It felt faster [than the lap time], but it also didn't feel like it had 650 horsepower," Randy said. "Just not as fast as I expected." He also griped it had "too much mid-corner oversteer, and the throttle is too sharp, so I can't modulate it like I want to." Then he said something we've never heard him say before: "I'd put some understeer into it. It doesn't understeer; the front has tremendous grip. I'd put a little understeer into it to settle down the rear." He followed that with: "On the laps where I used PTM (Chevrolet's Performance Traction Management), I found myself leaning on the stability control. I hate doing that, but it controlled the oversteer." He also preferred running the car in Sport handling mode rather than Track, as he found Track's suspension settings much too stiff. "It's beating me up out there, and this track isn't that rough." He did have nice things to say, too. "The brakes are phenomenal. The pedal feel, the stopping power, they're way better than the GT-R's." And: "The Z06 is more fun. It's a challenge. The GT-R is too boring. And I love the manual shifter. It's old-school. I'm old-school." He was less animated about the GT-R. "It just grips everywhere. They took some of the understeer out from the last one we tested. It's better balanced. I'd love to see some cup tires and some bigger brakes on it. It could handle them. The power delivery is better, too." The NISMO is all business, never evoking as much emotional response. With the shock of the track results still front of mind, Carlos Lago and I set off for one of California's best driving roads to determine whether the track results would be reflected in the real world. There it became a much closer competition. We hemmed and hawed, discussing how each car's strengths and weaknesses balanced out the other's. Lago figured he'd be quicker in the NISMO, owing to its incredible ability to pull out of corners at warp speed. To me, the Z06's better brakes made me more confident and allowed me to carry more speed into the corners, where the massive grip would carry me through quicker. The mid-corner oversteer that was so obvious at the track was nowhere to be found on the road. We agreed the NISMO's higher seating position gave better outward visibility but made the car feel more top-heavy and imparted the sensation it was rolling over much more than the lower, racier Z06. It was also hard to ignore the NISMO's extra weight, both under braking and in corners. In the end, we agreed the Z06 was slightly more fun to drive thanks to the involvement of its manual transmission, its sportier seating position, and vastly superior soundtrack. When it came time to make the long drive home, it was an easier decision for me. The Z06's third-generation magnetorheological shock absorbers remain the best in the business and make the car a far more comfortable ride on the street than the stiff NISMO, even with that car's Comfort suspension setting. The NISMO's insistence on chasing every single groove in the pavement also gets old quickly. Sure, the Z06's manual transmission was more work in traffic, but a reasonably light clutch made it mostly a non-issue. More frustrating was the heat radiating through the firewall and center tunnel when stuck in traffic; it cooked my feet first and then heated up the whole cabin. At freeway speeds, there's enough airflow under the car to keep it in check, but at rush hour, there's nothing you can do but turn up the AC while you creep along. When it came time to tally up the score, we found ourselves with a doozy. The Z06 is better in everyday life and performs better around a corner. The GT-R is faster at the track and in a straight line. The cars are about equal on a good road. How do we choose? I put it to Randy first, asking which he liked better. His answer: "The Corvette. The GT-R is too boring in its efficiency (on the track). But if I wanted to set a lap, I'd take the GT-R." It's where we ended up, as well. We had a bit more fun in the Z06, but we know the GT-R is the superior track machine. If this were Best Driver's Car, the Z06's more engaging and rewarding driving experience might tip the scales, but it's not. These cars are built for the track, and the GT-R does it better, though Chevrolet is to be roundly commended for what it's done at two-thirds the price. The GT-R costs significantly more, but you get what you pay for. What really clinched it is that despite the price difference, the NISMO actually is doing more with less. It's working with an older chassis, significantly more weight, less powerful brakes, less tire, less power, and much, much less torque. Despite all that, it's as quick on the road as the Z06 and trounces it on a racetrack. For surmounting such massive obstacles and not only meeting but also exceeding the Z06's all-around performance, the Nissan GT-R NISMO is our winner by the smallest of margins. Godzilla Raids Again When we overlaid the plots of the Z06 and GT-R's best laps, we all sat back, briefly confused. Is the Nissan really that much faster at higher speeds? Does the Corvette really outgrip the GT-R that substantially through the long Turn 2? The data doesn't lie. (We simultaneously record these laps with two different Vbox data loggers precisely to keep them honest.) But on both the front and back straights, the Nissan clearly had the legs on the Chevrolet. Gearing? Aerodynamics? Heat buildup? Meanwhile, the Corvette's big Turn 2 cornering edge quickly degraded during subsequent laps. Was heat generation in its tires rocketing their pressures? And notice, too, Randy Pobst's pause between Turns 4 and 5 in the Z06 (avoiding a time-eating gear shift) and his dramatically early braking before Turn 9 due to a lack of total confidence. Often comparison lapping days such as these leave us frustratingly short on time to unravel all the underlying puzzles. But we know for sure that despite all the back and forth in the speed graph, the GT-R quickly grabbed a small lead on the Corvette and held it all the way to its 280-foot advantage at the finish line. 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (Z07 Package) 2015 Nissan GT-R Nismo POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD Front-engine, AWD ENGINE TYPE Supercharged 90-deg V-8, aluminum block/heads Twin-turbo 60-deg V-6, aluminum block/heads VALVETRAIN OHV, 2 valves/cyl DOHC, 4 valves/cyl DISPLACEMENT 376.0 cu in/6,162 cc 231.8 cu in/3,799 cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.0:1 9.0:1 POWER (SAE NET) 650 hp @ 6,400 rpm* 600 hp @ 6,800 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 650 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm* 481 lb-ft @ 3,200 rpm REDLINE 6,500 rpm 7,000 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 5.4 lb/hp 6.5 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 7-speed manual 6-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.42:1/1.54:1 3.70:1/2.95:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, transverse leaf spring, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, transverse leaf spring, adj shocks, anti-roll bar Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 12.0-16.4:1 15.0:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.5 2.5 BRAKES, F;R 15.5-in vented, drilled carbon-ceramic disc; 15.3-in vented, drilled carbon- ceramic disc, ABS 15.4-in vented, drilled disc; 15.0-in vented, drilled disc, ABS WHEELS, F;R 10.0 x 19-in; 12.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum 10.0 x 20 in; 10.5 x 20 in, forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 285/30R19 94Y; 335/25R20 99Y Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 255/40R20 97Y; 285/35R20 100Y Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT600 DSST DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 106.7 in 109.4 in TRACK, F/R 63.5/62.5 in 63.0/63.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 177.9 x 77.4 x 48.6 in 184.3 x 74.6 x 54.2 in TURNING CIRCLE 37.7 ft 36.6 ft CURB WEIGHT 3,527 lb 3,881 lb WEIGHT DIST., F/R 50/50% 55/45% SEATING CAPACITY 2 4 HEADROOM, F/R 37.9/- in 38.1/33.5 in LEGROOM, F/R 43.0/- in 44.6/26.4 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 55.0/- in 54.3/50.0 in CARGO VOLUME 15.0 cu ft 8.8 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 1.1 sec 0-40 2.1 1.6 0-50 2.7 2.2 0-60 3.3 2.9 0-70 4.2 3.7 0-80 5.0 4.6 0-90 6.0 5.6 0-100 7.4 6.8 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.4 1.4 QUARTER MILE 11.4 sec @ 124.4 mph 11.0 sec @ 126.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 91 ft 97 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.17 g (avg) 1.03 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 22.3 sec @ 1.06 g (avg) 23.1 sec @ 0.99 g (avg) 2.42-MI ROAD COURSE LAP 87.1 sec 85.7 sec TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,200 rpm 2,100 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $89,985 $151,585 PRICE AS TESTED $105,210 $151,880 STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL Yes/yes Yes/yes AIRBAGS Dual front, front side/head Dual front, front side, front curtain BASIC WARRANTY 3 yrs/36,000 miles 3 yrs/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 yrs/100,000 miles 5 yrs/60,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 yrs/100,000 miles 3 yrs/36,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 18.5 gal 19.5 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 15/22/18 mpg 16/23/19 mpg ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY 225/153 kW-hrs/100 miles 211/147 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 1.11 lb/mile 1.05 lb/mile RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium Unleaded premium | 9 | 5,964 | autos |
Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of the Korean Air Lines chairman, treated flight crew like "feudal slaves," a chief steward told a court during the "nut rage" trial on Monday, according to Reuters. Cho has been charged with violating aviation safety law over a bag of improperly served macadamia nuts. Cho Yang-ho's daughter, who headed the airline's in-flight service division before the Dec. 5 incident, is on trial for violating aviation safety regulations and plotting with other company executives to force crew members to lie about the incident, which followed the heiress being served nuts in a bag rather than on a plate by a first-class cabin flight attendant. She reportedly demanded that the chief steward Park Chang-jin be removed from the flight , which was bound for Incheon, South Korea, from New York's John F. Kennedy airport. Cho "was like a beast that found its prey gritting its teeth as she became abusive, not listening to what I had to say at all," Park said, according to Reuters . "I don't think Cho showed an ounce of conscience, treating powerless people like myself like feudal slaves, forcing us to sacrifice and treating it as if it was the natural thing to do." Cho reportedly told the Seoul court that her behavior was "wrong" but she believes that the cabin crew did not follow proper procedures. The 40-year-old could face up to 15 years in jail for all the charges against her, which include hindering a government investigation. Cho, who also goes by the name Heather, resigned from her position in the company following the incident and publicly apologized. A prosecutor previously said that her actions were "threatening the safety of the flight and causing confusion in law and order." Park reportedly appeared in the court Monday after resuming work over the weekend after a leave of absence. Four South Korean officials were found guilty of improper conduct during investigations into the case. | 2 | 5,965 | travel |
In Oakland, California, there is a tale of two cities. To the north is the predominantly white neighborhood of Rockridge, with a median household income more than three times than Oakland's average. It's known for its 1920s cottages and bustling College Avenue cafes, bookstores, and shops. To the southeast, in a neighborhood known as East 14th, more than 34 percent of the mostly black and Latino residents live below the poverty line. Sections of its main drag, International Avenue, are established areas of prostitution. Rockridge and East 14th (also known as Lower San Antonio) are less than five miles apart. Yet there is little exchange between the communities. But for seven nights in late January, the two neighborhoods were suddenly linked when two cross-town storefronts became gigantic video-chat portals. Using Skype, back-projection, and some well-secured audio equipment, artists Maya Gurantz and Ellen Sebastian Chang created " A Hole in Space ": Rockridge residents could see a live feed of a block in East 14th by looking in the windows of a soon-to-open hardware shop. People in East 14th could stroll past the front of the Youth Employment Project for a real-time feed of that spot in Rockridge. Everyone could watch, hear, and talk to whoever was on the other side, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. It was like putting a window in a wall dividing the disparate communities one older, more diverse, and full of activist history; the other newer, whiter, and a bit eager to rewrite. "We'd started talking about collaborating on a project about Oakland about nine years [ago]," says Chang. "The city started changing in a really accelerated way, and we both felt this sense of an abandonment of place as an influx of people move in and impose their own histories on the city. It's like that term 'Columbus-ing.' People of color are having their identities smudged out." "A Hole in Space" arrived without any press prelude. The duo told no one, other than their location sponsors, about what they were doing. "It was about discovery and speaking through space across invisible lines," they write in an email. The project struck chords in both neighborhoods. "Every night I'd stumble across people engaged in conversation with someone on the screen," says Gurantz. "There was one night I came to Rockridge and there was a delivery guy waiting for his shift to end. He just quietly sat there for a while before he told me, 'That's East 14th, I grew up there.' Gurantz describes a moment on the first night the project ran Martin Luther King Jr. Day when someone at Rockridge stood waiting for something to happen in East 14th. "Within 30 seconds of him getting bored and walking away, a Black Lives Matter rally marched past the screen," she says. "It was amazing." But she also notes that more mundane moments, like hearing the ambulances in Rockridge or a bit of traffic in East 14th, were chances for neighbors to connect to one another's worlds. Not everyone's reactions were positive. In Rockridge, Gurantz and Chang received a number of bitterly phrased noise complaints. "One guy wrote us an email and said if we didn't lower the volume immediately he would shut our project down, " Gurantz says. "He didn't try to have a conversation about it. It was extraordinary, the performance of entitlement." Chang stresses how important it was for her and Gurantz that the installation didn't feel like a mode of surveillance an especially sensitive issue in East 14th. "As low-income black people, we feel surveilled and scrutinized all the time," Chang says. "We had to be really careful about the location we picked in that neighborhood." But even after choosing an established youth services organization, "One of the first thing one of the counselors at YEP asked was, 'Do we have a lawyer?'" remembers Gurantz. "Because anything caught on these cameras, if it's illegal, the OPD could subpoena the footage." "There was not one single comment like that in Rockridge," says Chang. "None of that crossed their minds. But everybody in East Oakland, the first thing out of their mouths was, 'Are the police looking at this?'" Another young woman in East 14th was concerned that the project might reveal the level of sex trafficking going on there. "She said it upset her," says Chang. "But I said, 'People need to know you are here, that YEP is here and that families are here, and that the people who walk through these streets every day have the same desires and goals as in Rockridge.'" The artists say they're discussing the possibility of re-creating the project elsewheres. Gurantz has thought about connecting Apple's Mountain View campus to their Foxconn factory in Shenzhen, but says that Chang has doubts about the value of trying to engage with a corporate structure. "It has to be really precise, who we're connecting," Gurantz says, "... because that's where change in political power is going to come." Chang and Gurantz were inspired by the work of another pair of artists, a 1980s satellite-based installation between L.A.'s Century City and Manhattan's Lincoln Center (a remarkable feat, given the lack of freely available technology back then). All photos courtesy of Ellen Sebastian Chang and Maya Gurantz. | 5 | 5,966 | news |
Investors who have been piling into real estate exchange-traded funds over the past year could be in for a rocky ride if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates later this year as expected. The record $10.7 billion in new money invested last year in ETFs that focus on real estate investment trusts (REITs), coupled with the $1.2 billion added so far this year, have made these funds pricey: After several of the biggest ETFs returned north of 30 percent last year, the category has an average price-to-earnings ratio of 36.9, according to data from ETF.com. One popular fund, the iShares Cohen and Steers REIT ETF, for example, has a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.5, more than triple the 17 P/E ratio on the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index. That could make those funds vulnerable to an interest rate hike because rising rates could spur investors to sell REITs in favor of other yield-generating investments like bonds, to which REITs are often viewed as an alternative. Vanguard declined to comment on REIT funds in particular, while BlackRock did not immediately comment. Holders of REITs, which invest in mortgages or properties such as shopping malls and office buildings, have benefited in a low-interest rate environment. The Vanguard REIT ETF yields 3.4 percent, compared to the broader market SPDR S&P 500 ETF's yield of 1.9 percent, and the 10-Year Treasury, which has a current yield of 1.7 percent. But with the Federal Reserve indicating on Wednesday that it remains on track to raise interest rates this year, REIT funds are likely to take a hit. "The U.S. real estate market is still recovering, and that's why I like them at the moment because investing in REITs is like investing in U.S. real estate," said John Shearman of Sausalito, California-based IV Lions LLC, who invests in the Vanguard REIT ETF for his clients. Shearman said he is willing to ride out the bumpy road that REITs may take with rising rates because he is more concerned with their performance in the long term. "All I care about is, in 10 to 20 years' time, what the investment in VNQ will have done. I think it will have done very nicely," he said. It may be that some of those continuing to pile into the REIT funds are betting on the opposite scenario: With a weak Europe and a strong dollar, some analysts expect the Fed to continue delaying higher rates. Coupled with strong fundamentals in some portions of the real estate market, that could insulate REIT investors for another year. Hotel REITs, for example, are favored by analysts at Baird who see high occupancy levels driving bottom-line growth for REITs. REITs will also vary in their response to rising rates. Properties with shorter leases, such as self-storage facilities, can adapt their operations more quickly to an interest rate hike, said Morningstar analyst Bob Goldsborough. REELING IN RETURNS Among the biggest real estate ETFs, the $30 billion Vanguard REIT ETF, which has won $482 million in new assets so far this year, is already up 8.7 percent in the first 18 trading days of this year, the iShares Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index Fund is up 9.3 percent, and the SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF is up 8.7 percent over the same period. The funds returned 30.3 percent, 34 percent and 31.7 percent, respectively, in 2014, far outperforming the broader S&P 500, which rose 13.7 percent. (Reporting by Ashley Lau in New York; editing by Linda Stern and Nick Zieminski) | 3 | 5,967 | finance |
Overdraft fees continue to be big business for banks, despite a 2010 Federal Reserve rule preventing banks from automatically enrolling customers in overdraft programs. The changes since 2010 include an increase in the median fee that customers pay for withdrawing more from checking than the account holds. They rose to about $30 in 2013 (a record), up from $29 in 2012 and $26 in 2009. This data is based on a survey of nearly 3,000 banks and credit unions by Moebs Services Inc., an economic-research firm in Lake Bluff, Ill., according to The Wall Street Journal . Of course, your money mismanagement contributes to all overdraft fees, but banks aren't necessarily looking to help you stay in the black. Instead, some banks have policies designed to push accounts into the red whenever possible. Here are five sneaky ways banks squeeze more overdraft fees from their customers. 1. Persuading you to opt for overdraft protection Let's start by talking about that 2010 Federal Reserve rule for a minute. Before its implementation, banks could automatically enroll customers in overdraft protection. Now, they must get customers to opt in. However, it appears some banks aren't being entirely transparent about what customers are getting into when they sign up for overdraft protection. According to a 2014 survey by the Pew Charitable Trusts , more than half of those who had overdrawn accounts didn't realize they had opted into a program that would result in fees. 2. Processing largest payments first Another sneaky tactic is reordering your transactions so the largest items go through first. A representative of the American Bankers Association was quoted in Forbes as saying some banks do this to make sure large, important transactions such as mortgage payments make it through the account. But it seems like a highly convenient way to maximize overdraft fees. That Pew Charitable Trusts survey also found that all 12 of the largest banks, in terms of deposit volume, either reordered transactions to run the largest first or reserved the right to do so. However, some banks, such as Citi , have since reversed course and are now processing transactions in order from smallest to largest. 3. Running deposits last Along the same lines, some banks may credit deposits after they process payments. That may be true even if you have a deposit being made electronically, such as a payroll direct deposit. The law requires banks to make direct deposits available the business day after the business day it's received, but there's nothing to stop them from running all your pending transactions and check payments before crediting the deposit. 4. Holding checks The Expedited Funds Availability Act allows banks to put holds on checks that could be as long as nine business days depending on whether your account is new, the size of the check and if you have a history of overdrafts. That said, by law, banks typically must make $200 of a check available to you the next business day. However, that doesn't apply if you make your deposit via an ATM. Either way, that isn't going to do you much good if you're going to be short more than $200 the next day. For example, if you need to cover $500 for the mortgage payment scheduled to hit your account tomorrow, depositing your $1,000 paycheck today isn't going to help you avoid an overdraft fee. 5. Basing overdrafts on the available balance rather than the actual balance This is perhaps the most frustrating sneaky trick banks use. Let's assume your significant other uses the debit card, and you realize that transaction is going to make your account overdrawn once it posts. You gather up some cash and rush to the bank. Your deposit is available immediately, and you deftly sidestep that $35 overdraft fee. Or have you? Before you start celebrating, know that some banks will charge overdraft fees based upon the available balance, not the actual balance. As a result, your actual balance may never go negative, and the bank could still charge you an overdraft fee because of that pending transaction. How to protect yourself from overdraft fees Sneaky bank fees can make it hard to keep your account in the black, particularly if you are living paycheck to paycheck. But here are a couple of suggestions to help keep your overdraft fees in check. Opt out of overdraft protection. Even if you already opted in, you can change your mind. Opting out means you might have the embarrassment of a declined transaction, but do you really want to pay $35 to save face in front of a store clerk you may never see again? Balance your checkbook daily. In the electronic age, balancing the checkbook might seem like a quaint idea. However, there is no better way to track your balance and keep your account out of the red. Keep a checking account cushion. Move some of your savings to your checking account to act as a cushion, but don't write that amount in your checkbook or account ledger. Pretend that money isn't there so you aren't tempted to spend it. Use a savings account for overdrafts. Some banks and credit unions will let you link your checking account to a savings account. Then, if your checking account goes negative, it will pull from your savings to cover the balance. Some institutions offer this option for free while others charge a fee. However, any fee is typically less than what you would pay for an overdraft. Link to a credit card. Likewise, you may be able to link to a credit card to act as a backup to your checking account. However, use extreme caution with this method. If you already have shaky finances, the last thing you need is more credit card debt. What do you think of bank overdraft policies? Are banks playing fair? Tell us what you think in the comments below or on our Facebook page . | 3 | 5,968 | finance |
By now it's clear that stress can harm our health in a multitude of ways, and new scientific research reinforcing its negative effects seems to debut weekly. But something we often fail to discuss is the positive side of stress, the conscious role we play in creating it, and how it can actually help us be more productive, creative and successful every day. Eustress, the scientific term for "good stress," encompasses the various healthy responses a person can have to any given form of stress. Distress, its natural counterpoint and the one we often think of when we hear the "S" word, is responsible for the physical, mental and emotional problems we, as a society, are now working so hard to avoid. However, these two categorizations are, at their roots, the same, with only two key factors distinguishing them. From a biological perspective, all stress stems from the body's natural "fight-or-flight" response. Once the body senses a given threat, the heart begins to pump blood more quickly, the brain sends cortisol and adrenaline throughout the body, and the digestive and immune systems shut down temporarily to focus all attention on dealing with the stressor. This response happens with all stress -- it's automatic. Now we can first distinguish between good and bad stress by the length of time for which we experience it. The body's stress response is an acute one, meaning it is intended to last only for a short period of time. While those reactions prove beneficial (some researchers say it even strengthens the immune system), they turn destructive when they become more chronic, or prolonged. And let's face it: Many of the things that send us over the edge today are perpetual, daily occurrences, keeping our bodies in this fighting mode, which ultimately leaves us tired, weak and upset. Stressors are also deemed positive or negative by the attitude we bring to the table about them beforehand, and as they arise. The moment we begin to feel as though we have lost control of our situation, the harmful effects of stress begin. But just as we have the power to psych ourselves out for a big meeting or interview, dread the usual morning traffic jam, or expect the worse from confrontation with a friend or family member, we can approach stereotypical "stressful" situations in a proactive, optimistic fashion. By doing so, the body's stress response can begin to work for us again rather than against us. Instead of letting bad stress drag you down the path of unhappiness, exhaustion and burnout, use these six simple steps to harness its power in a positive way. Be honest about your self-talk. Taking the time to acknowledge how you internalize stress and what that may mean for how you're currently feeling could be one of the most beneficial, mindful moments you ever create for yourself. Only by listening without judgment to that inner dialogue can you begin to understand where those automatic responses come from and then replace them with a more helpful and motivational commentary that can guide you through various tough situations. Catch it before it starts. Once a stress response is under way, there's no stopping it biologically, which makes it even more critical to develop foresight into dealing with stressful situations in a constructive manner. Since control is so closely linked to the anxiety aspects of the stress response, focusing your energy on determining what you can (and can't!) affect is one of the most powerful, proactive tools available for dealing with the downsides of stress. If you're able to go into each moment with this type of calm and mental clarity, the stress you experience will become more of a fleeting feeling than a consistently overwhelming pressure to try and change or fix. Reframe challenges as opportunities. This mental trick not only makes you more resilient to the negative impact of stress, but also sets you up for more successful stress face-offs in the future. That repeated exposure lends the body psychologically as much as physically a sense of control that resurfaces when similar experiences arise. So instead of viewing a daily dose of stress as a roadblock to overcome, accept it as a positive challenge to then improve your productivity, focus and overall performance. Think about what works -- and what doesn't -- for you. Everyone is different when it comes to the particulars (not to mention intensity) of their stress triggers. Some people fear public speaking while others can't get enough of it. Some people seek the thrill of tight deadlines while others can't stand it. Just as it's important to listen to how you speak to yourself regarding stressful situations, knowing the circumstances, activities or personality traits in others that make you feel less in control and full of consistent anxiety can help you tremendously in managing your unnecessary stress exposure. Living by your own individualized meaning and purpose, both at work and otherwise, can boast big benefits when it comes to reducing your stress levels. Change up your surroundings. Good stress is a motivator to finish a given task at work or push for a challenging promotion -- in a sense, it helps us thrive. Without it, we would often lack the motivation to achieve anything at all. But for many of us, our modern environments seem to antagonize us rather than inspire us. Sticking with jobs we truly dislike that require longer commutes and more time away from the people and activities we enjoy keeps chronic stress at a persistent high. And that stress, over time, can lead to premature aging, a weakened immune system, damage to the brain, a higher risk of infection, the development of mental disorders, and the beginnings of heart disease. Rather than sticking with surroundings that perpetuate the burnout -- and breakdown -- of the body, consider making lifestyle changes that would help reduce the amount of "bad" stress in your life automatically. Ask for help. Changing your perception of stress (even before it happens) is often easier said than done, which is all the more reason to not go it alone. Research has shown that the utilization of coaching, training and peer support groups can be quite effective in transforming typically negative stressors into positive ones. For example, Columbia Business School research scholar Alia Crum gave a group of employees at a struggling financial services company a video-based training program intended to lighten their perspectives of their work environment. After watching motivational clips of athletes and professionals both facing challenges and overcoming them, the workers experienced a substantial improvement in their own attitudes. Instead of interpreting stress as an energy drainer, they viewed it as a potential performance aid -- a change that may or may not have occurred without this external assistance. | 7 | 5,969 | health |
As things currently stand, the Blue Jays have 14 players under contract for 2015 (including Ricky Romero ), with a total reported salary commitment of $112.75 million. If we conservatively assume that both Josh Donaldson and Danny Valencia win their arbitration hearings and the 25-man roster is rounded out with 10 players at or near the minimum, then that brings the salary commitment to around $126 million. There are also option buyouts to account for, which is a little more complicated. My understanding is the convention is for option buyouts in November to hit the next year's budget (hence the manuever the Jays did with Rajai Davis a couple years back), so that's another $2.4 million. Even were this incorrect, the Jays have five potential 2016 option buyouts totalling $5.6-million that they'd have to reserve something against ($1.6-million of that is virtually guaranteed), so it's not going to change much. There's also an unknown amount of money sent to the Mariners in the J.A. Happ - Michael Saunders deal, so we'll call the grand total an even $130 million. In early October, Paul Beeston did a radio interview with Jeff Blair in which Beeston was asked about the 2015 payroll and said, "you know it's going higher [relative to 2014 payroll]". This echoed comments from another radio hit in August in which he expressed the same sentiment. Using the same type of accounting as above for consistency, the Jays had an opening day 2014 payroll of about $136 million. Technically, any number above that would fulfil Beeston's commitment, but realistically it must have meant at least $140 million. Anything under that would be such a trivial increase that it would be not be possible to be so confident about going past the actual 2014 number. Moreover, due to the strong salary inflation in Major League Baseball, even $140 million in 2015 would have less purchasing power than $136 million in 2014. So it's safe to say that based on what Beeston was talking about back in October, at this point in the offseason the Blue Jays should have at least another $10 million in available funds for 2015. On December 30, the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin informed us that the Jays were believed to have only $9 million in budget room left. Given that the Jays have not made any major league moves that would had affected payroll since early December (other than agreeing on contracts with Brett Cecil , Marco Estrada and Saunders at nearly $1 million less than was publicly projected), this would seem to imply a small cutback compared to what Beeston promised in early October. Technically not, but certainly in spirit especially since he was talking about Melky Cabrera likely being back and there's no way that could have happened on a budget only trivially higher than 2014's. Not one week later, Shi Davidi wrote for Sportsnet that on the contrary, there was "$5-$7 million...thought to still [be] available". Then last week, Ben Nicholson-Smith, also of Sportsnet, wrote that the Jays' "payroll flexibility [is] believed to be $5-6 million", which once again is slightly lower than the previous report. This again, despite nothing happening in the intervening period that should have reduced things. And it's noteworthy that this range would outright leave the 2015 payroll shy of the 2014 payroll calculated in the same manner. It would seem then, that over the course of the winter, the 2015 budget has shrunk. And if all the reports above are to be believed, then it's shrunk continuously. Frankly, at this point, by the time we get to Opening Day I'm half worried we'll hear the Blue Jays have negative payroll flexibility. What's curious is that something else has been shrinking continuously at the same time: the value of the loonie versus the greenback. We know that has obvious impacts on the Jays, though one would think that when the budget is set there would be either internal or external measures taken to hedge currency exposure so that the budget is not a moving target throughout the offseason (or worse, regular season). So that's probably coincidence. But either way, it looks like the Blue Jays will fall short of Beeston's commitments last year. Conveniently, the State of the Franchise is later week, which would be a good time for fans to demand some answers about the budget directly from the front office. But with questions now pre-screened and this administration's track record, I'll bet against it. | 1 | 5,970 | sports |
In his latest budget, President Obama is putting serious money behind government tech. The new budget calls for $105 million to create new digital strike forces in 25 agencies across the government. The new teams would be modeled on the US Digital Service that was founded to repair Healthcare.gov after its disastrous launch , lead by former Google engineer Mikey Dickerson. The plan is to make the government better at ambitious tech projects by managing technology more actively within the government and relying less on independent contractors. The budget needs to pass congress before the plan becomes a reality and the digital provision could easily be stripped out in Congress, but it suggests the lessons of Healthcare.gov haven't been lost on President Obama. Many saw the high-profile site failure as proof of long-standing problems in the federal procurement process , but so far, the president has seen small, agile groups like the Digital Service as the best response. "This team of America's best digital experts has worked in collaboration with federal agencies on their high impact, citizen-facing programs to improve how citizens and businesses experience government services," the White House said in a statement. | 5 | 5,971 | news |
NEW YORK (AP) -- New England's thrilling win over Seattle scored the highest-ever overnight television ratings for a Super Bowl and also set conversation milestones for Twitter and Facebook. The Nielsen company said Monday the game had a 49.7 rating in the nation's largest media markets, up 4 percent over last year's game. That means nearly half of the homes in those 56 metropolitan areas were watching the game. It's an early indication that the game may be on the way to another viewership record. Last year's contest between Seattle and Denver was seen by 111.5 million people, the annual game setting a record for the most-watched TV event in U.S. history for the fourth time in five years. Nielsen expected a viewership estimate later on Monday. Facebook said an estimated 65 million people conversed about the game on the social media site, more than any other Super Bowl and second only to two World Cup games last year for most talked-about events. There were some 265 million individual posts, comments or "likes," Facebook said. The moment drawing the most Facebook comments was just after the Patriots sealed the 28-24 victory, with the second being when Katy Perry soared through stadium for her "Firework" finale to the Super Bowl halftime show. Twitter estimated there were 28.4 million tweets posted between the kickoff and 30 minutes after the game's conclusion, surpassing last year's game to be the most tweeted-about Super Bowl ever. It was second only to the 35.6 million tweets sent about last year's World Cup semifinal between Brazil and Germany. Malcolm Butler's game-saving interception in the last minute really set the Twitter engines revving, with an estimated 395,000 tweets per minute, with 379,000 tweets per minute coming when the game actually ended, Twitter said. Meanwhile, the digital video recorder maker TiVo reported that the top commercial played back by its users was Budweiser's "lost dog" spot. The second most played-back was the public service announcement about domestic violence involving a woman's 911 call for help. Given the game's large audience, that indicates the ad was a real conversation-starter on the issue of domestic violence, said Tara Maitra, TiVo's senior vice president and general manager of content and media sales. TiVo's ad ranking is also a reflection of the more serious tone taken by advertisers, she said. In the past, humorous and sometimes raunchy ads have generated the most TiVo playbacks. | 1 | 5,972 | sports |
Touchdown, Pizza Hut. The Yum Brands (YUM) -owned pizza chain eclipsed its sales record for its biggest digital sales day ever Sunday. "By halftime, the world's largest pizza company surpassed last year's sales figure, ultimately surpassing well over $10 (million) in digital sales," Doug Terfehr, a spokesman for the chain, said in an email. This year's Super Bowl marks Pizza Hut's first with its newly redesigned app and website. The chain has also heavily promoted its revamped menu that launched in November with trendy flavors like honey sriracha and more premium ingredients, like cherry peppers harvested from the Peruvian highlands. Super Bowl Sunday is typically the busiest day of the year for the chain. While Pizza Hut was first out of the gate, peers like Domino's (DPZ) and Papa John's (PZZA) are expected to boast of their own successes later in the day. | 3 | 5,973 | finance |
Why would I want an Apple Watch? is the question that pretty much every tech fetishist has been asking ever since the device was unveiled four months ago. As a Pebble user, I like the idea of receiving highly tuned notifications on my wrist so that I don't have to fish my phone out of my pocket so frequently. And Digital Touch sounds fun, letting me send throbbing heartbeats to my wife's wrist and poorly drawn penises to Nilay but that's just novelty and will surely get boring in time. What I'm really waiting for are those killer, third-party apps developed with actionable notifications and "Glances," Apple's quick-look feature meant to save time. Then maybe it'll be easier to justify a starting price of $349. Unfortunately, WatchKit was only released in November, and Watch isn't scheduled to start shipping until April. And while Nike, Instagram, and American Airline apps have all been teased, none have been shown. That's where the Letter Society comes in. The Letter Society is a design collaborative and blog that instigates regular creative challenges. Previous challenges have included band posters , family crests , stamps , and some rather creative redesigns of the famously stark Google homepage . The 20th challenge to its design community was to "create a use for the new Apple Watch." A tall order, to be filled before the "market is flooded with endless adaptations of applications." Some of the best contributions can be found below. Ryan Brownhill, a 22-year-old designer at IBM in Austin, chose Uber for the design challenge, focusing on the ability to seamlessly move from the watch to iPhone and back. The Apple Watch concept was therefore designed as an extension to the app, "not the entire app crammed into your wrist." Heavy lifting features like splitting fares and profiles are therefore left to the smartphone. Couple this with Apple Pay and you might never have to use your iPhone during the entire journey. Nathan Boyd, a 24-year-old designer living in Southern California, wants to make Swarm useful on the wrist while avoiding "pointless minifications" of the existing app. As such, he focuses on easy check-in, sticker usage, and location selection allowing Foursquare users to leave their phones pocketed. You can also see which friends are within a pre-defined radius, presumably so you can avoid them. Fran Palmer, a 25-year-old designer at FCB in Chicago, came at this challenge from a very dark place, noting that most apps are "completely useless on a watch," and the Watch itself is just another piece of tech to "get hooked on." Fortunately, she was overcome with the desire to communicate like a spy with international criminals, using her Google Translate concept to facilitate real-time communications. It'll also do simple spoken and written word translations while a hard tap on the Watch will fave a translation for quick access later. I look forward to the first tourist that demands a French waiter speaks into his Watch. Jake Nolan, a 25-year-old designer at Five & Done in California, also decided to keep things simple with his Mint concept, choosing to focus on reminders of upcoming payments and an overview of remaining bills. Users can long-press to pay bill alerts, view a bill, or dismiss it as paid. Honestly though, the last thing I want my watch to nag me about is my depressing student loan payment, so I think I'll pass if this does come to fruition, as useful as it seems. | 5 | 5,974 | news |
While this is a bit of fantasy marketball, there's an old theory that uses the results of the Super Bowl to predict the performance of the stock market for that year. Simply put, if an original NFL team wins the big game, the stock market will go up. If an original AFL team wins, stocks will go down. Now, of course, the Super Bowl has nothing to do with the stock market. But in what economists call a "false cause fallacy," the "Super Bowl Theory" has had a better than 80 percent accuracy rate since the big game started 49 bowl games ago. So how did it shake out this year? The Seattle Seahawks were an expansion team that spent time in both the NFC and AFC, so actually, there was no ORIGINAL NFL team (like the Chicago Bears or New York Giants) in the championship. However, the New England (formerly Boston) Patriots are an original AFL team. So, if the Super Bowl theory holds true, their victory could be a bad omen for Wall Street in 2015. One of the other popular theories, the "January Barometer" that holds "as January goes, so goes the market," is also pointing lower: The S&P was down 3.1 percent January. To be fair, the January Barometer was a fake-out last year, but will it be a head-fake this year as well? The Super Bowl Theory says no! Commentary by Ron Insana, a CNBC and MSNBC contributor and the author of four books on Wall Street. He also editor of "Insana's Market Intellgence," available at Marketfy.com . He delivers a daily podcast, "Insana Insights," and a long-form weekly version, both available on iTunes and at roninsana.com . Follow him on Twitter @rinsana . | 3 | 5,975 | finance |
The compensation fund for victims of General Motors' (GM) faulty ignition switch has determined that 51 of the claims for deceased people and about 70 for injuries are eligible for compensation, administrator Kenneth Feinberg told CNBC on Monday. GM was using different standards direct evidence of the engineering defect when it identified 13 eligible cases, Feinberg said. Lawyers and the judges look at other factors, such as circumstantial evidence, "so naturally there would be more clients," Feinberg said in "Squawk Box" interview. As of Monday morning, the compensation program had received 4,180 claims, but about 3,000 were either ineligible, lacked sufficient documentation or were filed with no documentation whatsoever, he said. General Motors said last week it would not extend this past weekend's deadline to file claims in its faulty ignition switch compensation program, rejecting pleas from two U.S. senators for an extension. GM in a statement said it had already extended the deadline once to Jan. 31. Reuters contributed to this story. | 5 | 5,976 | news |
Some of us feel well-rested after a solid eight hours of sleep. For others, closer to nine feels best. For others still, a little less will do. How much sleep we prefer to get is highly subjective -- but how much sleep we need is a bit more concrete. After web analytics showed the vast popularity of the How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? feature of the National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) website, a panel of experts set about to reassure that the information provided there was the most accurate and up to date. "Sleep duration was basically one of the most visited pages on the NSF website, and it wasn't really clear how those recommendations for the ranges had been arrived at," Max Hirshkowitz, Ph.D., chair of the National Sleep Foundation Scientific Advisory Council, told The Huffington Post. To do so, a panel of six sleep experts and 12 other medical experts from organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Geriatrics Society, the American Psychiatric Association and the Society for Research in Human Development, conducted a formal literature review. The panel focused on the body of research surrounding sleep duration in healthy human subjects that had been published in peer-reviewed journals between 2004 and 2014. From the 312 articles reviewed, the experts were able to fine-tune existing sleep duration recommendations as detailed below: Newborns (0-3 months): 14-17 hours (range narrowed from 12-18) Infants (4-11 months): 12-15 hours (range widened from 14-15) Toddlers (1-2 years): 11-14 hours (range widened from 12-14) Preschoolers (3-5): 10-13 hours (range widened from 11-13) School-Age Children (6-13): 9-11 hours (range widened from 10-11) Teenagers (14-17): 8-10 hours (range widened from 8.5-9.5) Young Adults (18-25): 7-9 hours (new age category) Adults (26-64): 7-9 hours (no change) Older Adults (65+): 7-8 hours (new age category) (In addition, the NSF has also added categories for the outliers among us, supplying the range of hours of sleep that have been deemed both "May be appropriate" and "Not recommended.") "This is the first time that any professional organization has developed age-specific recommended sleep durations based on a rigorous, systematic review of the world scientific literature relating sleep duration to health, performance and safety," Charles A. Czeisler, Ph.D., M.D., professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School and chairman of the board of the National Sleep Foundation, said in a statement. It's not an exact science, said Hirshkowitz, but it's a start. "Like with most things, it's successive approximation that gets you to the goal. The first time somebody built a wristwatch, it wasn't very good, but after hundreds of years of making precise changes, to have a timepiece that doesn't tell time is pretty unusual." As more and more research is conducted around sleep duration, subsequent minor changes will be made, he said, helping experts to zero in on the absolute best recommendations to give to patients. If you're currently getting enough sleep and feel pretty good, keep it up. But if you're meeting your age group's recommended range and waking up groggy and feeling slugging throughout the day, it could be a warning sign of various sleep conditions or a less-than-ideal sleep environment, said Hirshkowitz, which you might want to address with a healthcare professional. If you're simply not sure, he suggests doing a little home experiment. Start with the midpoint of the sleep duration range for your age group. Note you how feel when you wake up, how you feel during the day and how you feel as you're winding down in the evening. Then, depending on how you feel, you can adjust your time in bed to be shorter or longer as you see fit. Or, try something a little less elaborate. "If you could select your bedtime and wake time, what would it be?" Hirshkowitz asked. I said 11:30 p.m. and 8 a.m. "Now, if that is going to be your set bedtime forever, forevermore, you will never be able to get one extra minute, you will always have exactly that amount of sleep -- do you want to adjust what you said?" Never one extra minute?! I gave myself an extra hour -- and most people adjust when faced with this exercise, he said. Your optimal sleep duration is probably somewhere in between those two ranges. | 7 | 5,977 | health |
Tonight's spotlight in the NBA features the Atlanta Hawks as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Can the Hawks extend their winning streak to 20 games? | 1 | 5,978 | sports |
With zero obstacles in the way, Henry makes his fourth trip into the end zone. | 8 | 5,979 | video |
Bill Belichick won his fourth Super Bowl on Sunday to tie Chuck Noll for most Super Bowl wins by a head coach. Is it safe to say Belichick is the greatest NFL head coach of all time? | 1 | 5,980 | sports |
Canadian yogawear chain Lululemon Athletica Inc's (LULU.O) founder Chip Wilson said that he was stepping down from the company's board of directors. "I believe that now is the right time to step away from the board," Wilson said in a statement on Monday. Wilson stepped down as Lululemon's chief innovation and branding officer in 2012, but returned to its board in the spring of 2013, when the company recalled its transparent pants. | 3 | 5,981 | finance |
The Patriots are Super Bowl champions, but with everything surrounding Deflate-gate, is their Super Bowl victory tainted? We discuss if there should be an asterisk by Super Bowl XLIX. | 1 | 5,982 | sports |
(Updates flight cancellations in fifth paragraph, Boston snow totals in eighth.) (Bloomberg) -- A storm that dropped record-setting snow on Chicago swept east across the U.S., grounding thousands of flights and bringing as much as another foot (30 centimeters) to Boston, which already had more than 24 inches on the ground from a blizzard last week. In New York, the snow changed to rain, then back to snow, creating slushy and icy conditions for commuters. "Most places around Boston are looking to around a foot," said Bruce Sullivan, a meteorologist at the Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. "By Tuesday morning, there may be some lingering snow squalls in eastern Maine, but it's out of here pretty quick. Then just a cold shot will follow that, so we don't see anything melting." Winter storm warnings stretched from eastern Ohio through Maine in the U.S. and similar alerts, along with blizzard and blowing snow warnings, were in place from southern Ontario to Newfoundland in Canada, according to national weather agencies in both countries. Across the U.S., 3,886 flights were canceled as of 3:51 p.m. New York time, with the most at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, according to FlightAware, a Houston-based airline tracking company. Yesterday, 2,566 trips were scrubbed, with Chicago being the hardest-hit. A daily record of 16.2 inches fell at O'Hare on Sunday, breaking the mark set in 2011, the National Weather Service said. Schools closed in Chicago, Boston, Cleveland and Detroit. Chicago Outlook As of early Monday, the snow had mostly ended in Chicago, except for some lake-effect squalls that may linger through the day, Sullivan said by telephone. Temperatures dropped to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 12 Celsius). New York's LaGuardia Airport had received 5.2 inches as of 3 p.m., according to the prediction center. Boston had 9.9 inches by 2 p.m. and Cleveland, which got 7.2 inches Sunday, may pick up another inch before the storm winds down from west to east, the weather service said. The Toronto area may get 10 to 14 inches before it is over, Environment Canada said. Sullivan said the center of the storm was moving across Pennsylvania, while a secondary system was developing off the coast of New Jersey, pulling cold air behind it. That will keep colder air over much of New England, ensuring most places don't get a changeover to rain. While snow may persist across northern New Jersey, rain in New York is forecast to change to sleet and freezing rain in the afternoon before the storm ends, the weather service said. As New Yorkers head home from work there could be a coating of ice and slush on roads, the weather service said. To contact the reporter on this story: Brian K. Sullivan in Boston at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Marino at [email protected] Charlotte Porter, Bill Banker | 2 | 5,983 | travel |
Tiger Woods posted an 82 on Friday, the worst round of his professional career. Is this a sign that the end might be near for Eldrick? | 1 | 5,984 | sports |
Messages of support were being offered as people awaited word on singer Whitney Houston's daughter, who authorities say was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub over the weekend in a suburban Atlanta townhome. Twenty-one-year-old Bobbi Kristina Brown was taken to a hospital in the northern Atlanta suburb of Roswell, Georgia, police said. Brown is also the daughter of R&B singer Bobby Brown. Lindsey Harber, a spokeswoman at North Fulton Hospital, where police say Houston's daughter was taken, declined comment. "I can't confirm she's even there," Harber said Sunday. Brown's husband, Nick Gordon, along with a friend, found her in a bathtub Saturday, Roswell police said in a statement. The friend called 911 while Brown's husband performed CPR on her because they did not believe she was breathing nor had a pulse, said Officer Lisa Holland, a Roswell Police Department spokeswoman. Police gave Brown additional care before she was taken to the hospital, Holland said. La Toya Jackson is one of several celebrities who used Twitter to express her support Sunday. "Let's All Send Love Light & Prayers to Bobbi Kristina Brown!" Jackson tweeted. "Wishing Her A Healthy & Speedy Recovery!" Singer-songwriter Missy Elliott said on Twitter that she's also throwing her support behind Brown. "Still Praying 4 Bobbi Kristina," Elliott tweeted in part. The townhome is in a subdivision near a bend in the Chattahoochee River, about 20 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. Whitney Houston was found dead in a hotel bathtub on Feb. 11, 2012, in Beverly Hills, California. The 48-year-old Houston had struggled for years with cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her behavior had become erratic. Authorities examining Houston's death found a dozen prescription drug bottles in the hotel suite. They concluded Houston accidentally drowned. Heart disease and cocaine use were listed as contributing factors in Houston's death. In September, the late singer's sister-in-law Pat Houston told The Associated Press that Bobbi Kristina Brown was doing well, and that she was proud of her. "Bobbi's a 21-year-old. She's doing good," Pat Houston said. "I always tell the kids not only her but the other nieces and nephews, 'You think you're grown. Just because you're 21, out of the house, you think you're grown,'" she added. "I mean, they make their decisions, they keep moving, you can only advise them and keep it moving, and that's what I do. But she's good. I'm very proud of Krissy." Over her career, Whitney Houston sold more than 50 million records in the United States alone. Her voice, an ideal blend of power, grace and beauty, made classics out of songs such as Saving All My Love For You , I Will Always Love You , The Greatest Love of All and I'm Every Woman . Her six Grammys were only a fraction of her many awards. | 6 | 5,985 | entertainment |
Freedom House released its annual Freedom in the World report this week, rating each of the world's nations according to the political rights and civil liberties of their people. The report found that overall freedom in the world dropped for the ninth consecutive year, with nearly twice as many countries suffering declines in freedom as registering gains. The number of countries whose freedom improved is at its lowest point in nine years. The report found a growing disdain for democracy in nearly all regions of the world, with losses in personal freedom often coming in the form of increased state surveillance and restrictions on internet communications. Of the 195 countries assessed, 26% were rated "Not Free," with ratings for the Middle East and North Africa among the worst of the world's regions. 1. Belarus Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka heads an authoritarian regime notorious for crushing any and all forms of political dissent. Term limits don't exist and key opposition figures are often prevented from running for office, according to Freedom House . As a result, opposition parties have no representation in the Belarusian National Assembly. Belarusian national television is controlled by the government and dissenting views are not presented. As more and more Belarusians gain access to the internet, the government is trying to expand its control to the web. Social networking sites are blocked, and online opposition activists are regularly harassed and threatened. 2. Somalia The political process in anarchic Somalia is largely driven by clan loyalty, according to Freedom House. While Somalia's current parliament is highly regarded by the international community, Somali citizens exercise little power over the system and have limited, if any, access to their representatives. Somalia's new government, which took power last December, also controls the media with a heavy hand. Somalia is plagued by lawlessness: though technically illegal, female genital mutilation is still widely practiced on nearly all young Somali girls. The prevalence of armed groups like the jihadist organization al Shabaab, and the government's relatively limited ability to counter them, makes the state of civil and political rights incredibly dire even without an oppressive state apparatus. 3. Equatorial Guinea Political opposition in Equatorial Guinea is limited and kept under strict control by the regime, according to Freedom House . The ruling party has almost complete control over the media, judiciary, police, and military. Corruption is rampant. Press censorship by the government is authorized under a 1992 law, Facebook is blocked, and libel is a criminal offense. The government engages in arbitrary arrests and frequently detains its political opponents on charges of "destabilization." 4. South Sudan South Sudan achieved independence from Sudan in 2011, but political violence and mass killings along ethnic lines threatened to make it a failed state, according to Freedom House . The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, has sweeping powers and cannot be impeached. In 2013, Kiir dismissed his entire cabinet and the vice president, while opposition parties still have virtually no real political power. Security forces operate with impunity and serious abuses are regularly carried out against civilians with the full knowledge or on the orders of senior commanders. 5. Chad Chad has never held entirely free and fair elections, according to Freedom House. President Idriss Déby, a former military commander, ousted dictator Hissène Habré in 1990 has been president ever since. Déby has complete control over the judicial and legislative branches of government, and his ethnic group the Zaghawa controls Chad's political and economic systems. This has fomented resentment among the more than 200 ethnic groups that live in Chad. Chad is a notorious source, transit, and destination country for child trafficking, a problem the government has done little to address. 6. Central African Republic A coup by the rebel group Séléka in March 2013 left the already poverty-stricken Central African Republic highly unstable and isolated by the international community. The current regime is nontransparent and unelected. The proliferation of armed groups throughout the country including combatants from the Lord's Resistance Army in the southeast has become a serious problem: the UN estimates that up to 6,000 children are currently fighting for one of C.A.R.'s rebel factions, according to Freedom House . 7. Sudan Sudan's first multiparty elections in 24 years were held in 2010 but failed to meet international standards for fair and free elections, according to Freedom House. Sudan is considered one of the world's most corrupt countries. Favored ethnic groups have tight control over the national economy, while other groups remain neglected and impoverished. A government-appointed Press Council regulates the media, and the law prohibits conversion to any religion other than Islam. The regime in Khartoum is also undertaking brutal counter-insurgency campaigns in Darfur, Blue Nile, and Southern Khordofan, with 450,000 people displaced by fighting in Darfur in 2014 alone. 8. Uzbekistan Uzbekistan's government has suppressed all political opposition. Activists and journalists in the country face physical violence, prosecution, fines, and arbitrary detention. There are also no free elections, according to Freedom House . Free speech is severely restricted to the point that recording artists must obtain special licenses from the government to perform in public. Forced labor is also a serious problem: the US State Department found in 2014 that "Uzbekistan remains one of only a handful of governments around the world that subjects its citizens to forced labor through implementation of state policy." 9. Turkmenistan None of Turkmenistan's elections since the country achieved independence in 1991 have been free or fair, according to Freedom House . President Berdymukhammedov rules with an authoritarian hand, and it is well known that many public officials bribed their way into office. Things as simple as attending university or receiving medical care typically require some kind of bribe and ar bitrary evictions and confiscation of property are commonplace. The government controls nearly all broadcast and print media. The country's main internet service provider is also run by the government, which routinely blocks websites it deems undesirable. 10. Cuba Cuba has become more free since Fidel Castro stepped down as president in 2008, but is still considered "not free" by Freedom House 's standards. Cuba's one-party political system is dominated by the Communist Party. Political dissent is a punishable offense, and the Cuban government has continued its use of short-term "preventative" detentions to intimidate the opposition. The Cuban news media is owned and run by the state and few Cubans have access to the Internet since it is so expensive one hour of computer time at an internet café costs the equivalent of a week's average salary. 11. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy with a legal system based on Sharia law. The Koran and the Sunna (the traditions of the prophet Muhammad) are the country's constitution and political dissent is criminalized, according to Freedom House . Members of the Saudi royal family own stakes in news outlets in multiple countries and they largely control domestic media content. Journalists and activists have been jailed for expressing dissent online. All Saudis are required by law to be Muslims, and the public practice of any religion other than Islam is strictly forbidden. Shiites and Sufis are heavily restricted in their worship. Women are not permitted to drive cars or leave the home without a male relative accompanying them. 12. Syria Syria's collapse into civil war has produced more than 2 million refugees, 5 million internally displaced persons, and nearly 130,000 fatalities, according to Freedom House . President Bashar al-Assad's attempts to defeat Syria's armed factions have resulted in the indiscriminate killing of civilians using air strikes, artillery bombardments, and chemical weapons. Tens of thousands of people have been arrested and tortured since the uprising began in 2011 and Syrian journalists are frequently kidnapped and executed. 13. Eritrea This small east African nation has been designated "not free" by Freedom House for the 16th consecutive year. Eritrea has only one real political party the People's Front for Democracy and Justice which is subordinate to longtime President Isaias Afwerki, who was not democratically elected, according to Freedom House. Afwerki's rule has taken a harshly authoritarian turn since 2000. Independent media is prohibited from operating in Eritrea and the government currently controls all broadcasting outlets. Academic and religious freedom is also constrained, and citizens have limited freedom of movement in and out of the country. 14. China China's president Xi Jingping launched an aggressive anti-graft campaign in 2013, promising to crack down on corrupt officials and business leaders both at home and abroad. This campaign has come at the expense of civil and political liberties, according to Freedom House , and judicial oversight of party actions has been notably absent since the campaign began. Civil society organizations, labor leaders, and academics are regularly investigated and often harassed by government officials. The Chinese Communist Party does not tolerate any form of organized opposition more than 190 political reform activists were detained during 2014 alone. 15. North Korea North Korea, which functions as a single-party state under a totalitarian family dictatorship, is the least free country in the world, according to Freedom House . Corruption and bribery are pervasive at every level of the state and the economy. Internet access is restricted to a few thousand, high-ranking people, and academic freedom does not exist: all curriculum must be approved by the state. All forms of protest and collective bargaining are illegal and there is no independent judiciary. Political dissidents are either executed or sent to prison camps, where many of them die from extreme hunger or exhaustion. | 5 | 5,986 | news |
Alex Ovechkin became the 5th player in NHL history to record at least 30 goals in each of his first 10 seasons on Sunday. With 21 games remaining, can Ovie reach the 50 goal mark? | 1 | 5,987 | sports |
HAVANA Private restaurants in Havana are exploding in number and soaring in quality, providing a treat for visitors and a surprising bright spot in a nation better known for monotonous food and spotty service. Havana now boasts nearly 2,000 private restaurants offering a range of cuisine from traditional Cuban to Russian, Spanish, Vietnamese and other ethnicities. From caviar to lobster bisque and on to pizza, everything seems to be available. Usually set in private homes, some of the restaurants offer Old World charm with starched white tablecloths and real silverware. Heirlooms fill shelves. Other restaurants hunker in basements or peer from walk-up seafront buildings, sometimes with funky or retro decor. "Gastronomy is on the rise in our country," said Jorge Luis Trejo, son of the proprietors of La Moraleja, a restaurant in Havana's Vedado district with wild rabbit flambe and chicken confit on the menu. His family's restaurant opened in January 2012. Donning the chef's apron is a cook who once worked in France, the Netherlands, Greece and England, Trejo said. "We try to make traditionally Cuban dishes with fusion sauces to entertain our clients," he said. At the end of each meal, waitresses carry a humidor to diners and offer them a choice of complimentary hand-rolled cigars. Private restaurants first arose in Cuba in 1993 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's longtime patron, only to be reined in as authorities worried that small eateries were relying on pilfered supplies and surpassing the legal limit of 12 chairs, essentially three tables. The restaurants were known as paladares, a Spanish and Portuguese word that means palates, a moniker taken from the establishment of a food vendor in a popular Brazilian soap opera. For periods in the 1990s, small restaurants could offer neither seafood nor beef, which were needed for the official tourist industry. Owners were ordered to buy at retail prices in official stores. Most employees had to be family members. Those rules drove most restaurants out of business, choking them with a web of taxes and arbitrary enforcement that underscored how wary Cuba's communist officials were of private enterprise. By 2010, state media reported that as few as 74 private restaurants were operating in Havana. Then things began to change. Fidel Castro's brother, Raul, who'd taken control of the government, ordered more flexible rules for restaurants at the end of 2011, raising the limit on chairs to 50 and issuing new licenses. There are still rules to be skirted, and supplies can be hard to come by, but a rebirth is taking place. "There's undeniably a boom, a significant increase in both the numbers of people who have licenses in the food service area and the emergence of a haute cuisine, or as they say in Cuba cocina de autor," or creative nouvelle cuisine, said Ted Henken, a Cuba expert at Baruch College in New York who's written about the phenomenon. Today, Havana is dotted with private restaurants with elaborate menus, identifiable only by single small signs on the outsides of buildings. In Cuba's moribund economy, bad service is the norm in most offices, hotels and state-run businesses, but not in the private restaurants, which often have the cozy feeling of private dining since they occupy what once were people's homes. "You feel like, 'Oh, I'm in someone's old living room, and sipping a mojito,' " Henken said. It's a feeling that more Americans may experience. On Dec. 17, President Barack Obama and Raul Castro announced the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, broken in 1961. Obama also said he'd further relax restrictions on U.S. citizens' travel to Cuba without lifting the long-standing trade embargo, which only Congress can do. The easing of U.S. rules will include permitting U.S. banks to accept credit card transactions conducted in Cuba. Many Cuban restaurateurs await a growing flow of American visitors. At Paladar Los Mercaderes, which sits on a bustling pedestrian street in renovated Old Havana, handsome waiters in crisp black uniforms buttoned to the neck take orders in a multitude of languages. Modern Cuban art adorns the walls. Musicians croon Cuban ballads as breezes waft through the high-ceilinged rooms. Among the entrees, one could pick from smoked pork loin in plum sauce ($15.75), filet mignon in mushroom sauce ($18), shrimp risotto ($17) or a grilled seafood platter with lobster tail (variable price), among other dishes. "We built a restaurant like one we'd like to go to," said Yamil Alvarez, one of three owners of the business, which opened in December 2012. "We bet on hiring young people who are well educated but without any experience. "We've got boats fishing for us, so we always have fresh fish. We've got a contract with a farm for fresh produce," said Alvarez, an engineer who was once a guide at a cigar factory. While Alvarez aims for a bit of glam, or what he labels a "unique experience," other restaurants shoot for different diners, mostly foreign but also some Cubans with access to hard currency. El Litoral, a trendy spot on the seaside boulevard in Vedado, is filled nightly with diplomats, artists, well-heeled tourists and a smattering of Cubans. Opened a year ago, the restaurant offers a high-end menu that includes puff pastry entrees, a roasted seafood platter, and a kebab of shrimp and bacon in the fresh split-pea soup, among other offerings. A different clientele comes to Nazdarovie, mainly those with connections to the former Soviet bloc but also those drawn by Soviet kitsch. The name is a toast to one's health. "This restaurant is inspired by the memories and nostalgia felt by the thousands of Cubans who spent many years of their youth studying in the USSR," the menu notes. A bust of Lenin peers out from the bar. Copies of Sputnik, a magazine, and matryoshka dolls fill shelves. In a decidedly modern touch, big red art deco lamps shine above deep black tables. A terrace looks out on the sea. The food, far from bland, includes borscht, stroganoffs, chicken tabaca and the shashlik kebabs popular in Eastern Europe. "The chef is Cuban but he studied at the Cordon Bleu school in Miami," said Yansel Sergienko, a 22-year-old bartender sporting a visorless Soviet naval cap. There still is a Wild West feel to Havana's private dining scene. Many restaurateurs must skirt the rules to keep their larders filled, employing "mules" who travel to Mexico, Spain and Florida to bring back supplies and more exotic ingredients. Until the Castro government gets out of the way of the growth and clarifies regulations, the Havana restaurant scene won't truly take off, experts say. "You have to be partly a wily rule bender" to keep restaurants in business, Henken said, "and that needs to be solved before Havana becomes a tourist draw for people on the culinary circuit. ... Now it's more of a curiosity than an eater's paradise." | 5 | 5,988 | news |
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK Maybe you're hard to impress. Maybe, having seen the near infinities of Death Valley's Badwater Basin and crept up the highest dune at Mesquite Flat, you're thinking: Weird. But not weird enough. If so, the Racetrack is for you. This backcountry outpost is where breadbox-sized rocks mysteriously make tracks across a pale, flat, dry lake bed, evoking thoughts of moon landings and Bonneville time trials. Photographers and conspiracy theorists love the place, especially when the sun is low. To get there, you need a vehicle with high clearance and heavy-duty tires (we had a Jeep) and tolerance for a bumpy ride. Unless you've competed in the Baja 1000, give the drive 90 minutes to two hours each way from Ubehebe Crater. From the pavement's end (near the crater), it's a 27-mile rumble. At mile 26, you encounter the Grandstand, an enormous hunk of dark quartz monzonite at the north end of the lake bed. About mile 27, you park and look for rocks and tracks. Scientists theorize that the lake evaporated about 10,000 years ago, leaving dried mud 1,000 feet or more deep. There are dozens of rocks and strange tracks some straight, some curved, some that suddenly veer but they're not a mystery anymore. Last year researchers Richard and James Norris found that if ice sheets form on the lake bed, then break up as temperatures warm and wind kicks up, the windblown, fragmented ice sheets glide across the lake bed and nudge the rocks hard enough to move them, millimeter by millimeter. The Norrises documented 60 moving rocks in the winter of 2013-14, including one rock that traveled 245 yards in two months. But wandering the flats is still spooky and sometimes breathtaking, especially if there are clouds floating about when the sun is low. The lake bed is about 3 miles long and 2 miles wide, so leave yourself time to meander. But don't move any rocks. And if there's wet mud, don't leave tracks. | 2 | 5,989 | travel |
SAN JOSE, Calif. The introductory period has ended for Brad Richards. With the NHL season past the halfway point, the 34-year-old center has fully familiarized himself with Blackhawks teammates and coach Joel Quenneville's system, so all that remains is to concentrate on winning games. "This is my team, and I know what the coach wants and expects, and I know where my place is in the lineup, so a lot of the guessing and trying to figure things out is over," Richards said. "Now, I'm just playing hockey. Getting to know the guys and all that, I can leave that part behind." After playing in 982 games with the Lightning, Stars and Rangers, Richards signed with the Hawks as a free agent in July and is 47 games into his Hawks career. After a sometimes difficult transition to a new city, new team and new role, he has found himself at home centering the second line with wingers Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp. "Every day is better," Richards said. "You always want to do more and want more responsibility, but at the same time I have to know where my place is. I can't get frustrated with different things, so I just try to keep plugging away." Richards' days of scoring 91 points in a season he accomplished that during the 2005-06 season with the Lightning and again in '09-10 with the Stars are a thing of the past, and he is now expected to keep things moving with his linemates and play well at both ends of the ice. "Brad had a real good stretch, scoring at a high rate for a while," Quenneville said. "The demands of our centermen without the puck, playing in all the zones, the awareness to try to pressure and try to be below the puck in our own end, is a work in progress. Offensively, a lot of good things come from that line and him. But we want to make sure the without-the-puck play (has) that consistency." Though he's focusing on defense, Richards would still "like to put a few more in the net." He has done that nine times this season but has scored only once in the last 11 games while dishing out seven assists. "I'm getting a lot of shots and looks. but for whatever reason I'm not putting it where I need to put it," Richards said. "I feel like I'm getting to know Kaner, and all that part is kind of over with. Now, it's just play and ... I want to do more, especially when we need our points now. Every night from here on in the points are so valuable. ... This is the time you want to step up and help your team." In the process, Richards can show NHL general managers including the Hawks' Stan Bowman that he can be an asset to a team looking for a veteran center next season. "I'm not really worried about a job I'm pretty sure I can play in the NHL," said Richards, who inked a one-year, $2 million deal with the Hawks. "The only thing you ever think about it is, if things are working, you just want to win and everything will always fall into place, whether it's here or somewhere else. I came here knowing it's a different situation. I'm a big boy. When you sign up for this, you can't worry about it." | 1 | 5,990 | sports |
The UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a new credit card sized computer on Monday, called the Raspberry Pi 2. The Raspberry Pi has been widely adopted by tinkerers and schools around the world since it first arrived in 2012, mainly because it offers so much versatility at an affordable price point of $35. It's mainly used as a tool to teach kids and interested others basic computer science. The computers can support over 20 different operating systems and offer lots of options for connectivity, transmitting audio and video, and more. People have been using Raspberry Pi to fuel all kinds of innovations. While the new Raspberry Pi 2 does not replace any of the company's other offerings, the new Pi 2 still costs $35, but now includes a faster processor and memory, which offers up to 6x performance and 2x the memory of the original Raspberry Pi. And since the new Raspberry Pi 2 has a new ARM processor, it can handle more distributions and operating systems, including Windows 10. "For the last six months we've been working closely with Microsoft to bring the forthcoming Windows 10 to Raspberry Pi 2," the Raspberry Pi Foundation said in a blog post . "Microsoft will have much more to share over the coming months. The Raspberry Pi 2-compatible version of Windows 10 will be available free of charge to makers." The Raspberry Pi 2 is available to buy today. You can read more about the new computer over at the Raspberry Pi Foundation . | 5 | 5,991 | news |
German Formula One driver had finished second behind world champion Lewis Hamilton last season. Nico Rosberg is studying how he breathes as he looks to overhaul Formula One world champion and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. Rosberg missed out on the title in dramatic fashion last year and wants to find improvements. The German driver has tried perfecting new breathing techniques in order to find the 'one or two per cent' that could make all the difference this season. Rosberg did better than Hamilton in qualifying last year, securing 11 pole positions compared to seven, but Hamilton dominated him - 11 wins to five - on race day. That has been bugging Rosberg, who is determined to find the small margins that will work in his favour. "I learned some things in the winter. For example, my breathing was something I could work on, my breathing in the race car,'' Rosberg explained. "Because when we go through fast corners we hold the breath, because we have so much g-force. Of course I want to give you some insights, but not compromise my secrets. ''He's also stepped up his training regime. "To be that little bit more fit at the end of races, a little bit more on it. That one or two percent that makes the difference in the end.'' Hamilton beat Rosberg by 67 points - but the margin was exaggerated by the double points on offer in the last race. | 1 | 5,992 | sports |
Inexpensive Valentine's Day gifts and Ideas for him, her, and the youngsters. MAKE THE DAY SPECIAL With Christmas more than a month in the past, you might have heaved a sigh of relief about the end of gift-giving mania. Well, take a deep breath. Valentine's Day arrives on February 14 and a survey by the National Retail Federation found that people who celebrated last year spent an average $133 on all the paraphernalia, from gifts to cards, dinner, and candy. Although such largesse may serve as an acute economic stimulus package, as a declaration of love, it's really not necessary.There's a lot of truth to the old maxim that gifts from the heart are the ones most cherished. This year present your special someone (even the kids) with a gift made by your own hand. MEMORY GIFT FOR HIM Take your guy on a trip down memory lane with a unique Valentine's Day gift that's far from saccharine and sappy. A collage of old photographs combined with current images is a personal demonstration of your affection. Or, create a love-song mix CD or MP3 playlist. As you listen together, relive memorable moments and renew the shared experience. FEED YOUR MAN It's often said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Preparing your special guy's favorite dish is the obvious route, but add some pizzazz to create a unique Valentine's Day gift. Bake heart-shaped cookies or pastries using inexpensive heart cut-outs and/or whip up a batch of homemade chocolate truffles. Here's an excellent recipe from Food Network. MANLY BOUQUET With a little imagination and DIY effort you can create a masculine bouquet your man will love. Buy a few inexpensive gifts, like boxer shorts, a mini bottle of liquor, and a t-shirt, and attach them all to craft sticks. Set them in a tin bucket, and there you go -- easy and thoughtful for little cost. TRADITIONAL GIFTS FOR HER For your special gal, stick to a simple but unique Valentine's Day gift. Although traditional presents of the flowers-and-chocolates variety may seem compelling, a little more effort on your part, particularly if the result helps alleviate everyday stress, will be most welcome. Start with a romantic home-cooked meal coupled with wine and glowing candles. Afterwards, give her a relaxing massage or draw a rose petal-infused bath enhanced with homemade bath salts. If you decide on a bouquet of flowers, pair it with chocolate-dipped strawberries. Pricey to buy, these delectable treats are easy to make at home; online recipes are just as easy to find. COUPON CARDS FOR HER These are a unique gift for Valentine's Day that can be totally personalized for her (or him). About.com offers an array of free love coupons and voucher printouts and templates. Just fill in the blanks with whatever you can give -- a free massage, a week's relief from house cleaning or preparing dinner, an afternoon of child care so she can enjoy a bit of "me" time, and so on. A LOVE LETTER FOR HER In this fast-paced and high-tech world, the handwritten note is fast becoming a remnant of another century. A genuine and heartfelt letter is a truly unique Valentine's Day gift that can provide special pleasure for writer and recipient. If you've forgotten how to write with a pen, punt and go electronic. SCAVENGER HUNT FOR HIM, HER, OR THE KIDS Forget spending money on an expensive gift and go for an experience that will be long remembered. Put together a scavenger hunt for your special someone based on key pieces of your history together. You can also do this for your children with playful notes and small toys (think pencils, Play Doh etc); they will relish the experience. VALENTINE'S DAY PICNIC FOR THE FAMILY Do you have little ones at home and want to treat the whole family to a romantic Valentine's Day without spending a lot of cash? Stay in and order carry-out dinner. Set up a picnic on the living room floor. Lay out a blanket and pillows, light candles, play music, and enjoy the evening by talking and laughing with your loved ones. HEART ATTACK FOR THE KIDS Okay, we're not really suggesting giving someone a heart attack -- we're talking about setting up a cute "heart attack" display. Cut out hearts of all shapes and sizes and write little notes about how you love your children on each. Stick them to the kids' doors and all over their rooms while they're asleep and watch their delight when they wake up. The same can be done for your significant other, but this time affix the hearts to his or her car. HEART-SHAPED MEAL Pretty much any Valentine will get a kick out of this idea. Commit to creating an entire day's worth of meals in the shape of hearts. Start off with heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, move on to heart-shaped sandwiches and heart-shaped fruit for lunch, and finish the day with a heart-shaped pizza at dinnertime. | 4 | 5,993 | lifestyle |
McDonald's has rolled out a tear-jerking, feel-good publicity campaign that will allow customers in the US to pay for their meal with hugs, an impromptu dance, and fist bumps as part of a Valentine's Day promotion. First aired as a Super Bowl commercial, the campaign hinges on the company's current slogan, 'I'm Lovin' It' and will allow randomly selected customers across the US to 'Pay with Lovin.'' That may mean scoring a free Big Mac by raising the roof and putting their hands up in the air, giving a staff member a fist bump, or calling up their mom to tell them how much they love them. "Your total is one big family hug," says a McDonald's worker to a family of customers in the promotional ad. The campaign starts Monday and ends Valentine's Day, February 14 and customers will be selected randomly at participating restaurants across the US. It's the latest feel-good ad campaign that aims to personalize the customer experience. Coca-Cola's branding promotion, for instance, emblazoned bottles with the most popular first names in markets around the world. Chocolate brand M&M's also invites customers to personalize chocolate candies with photos and messages for their loved ones every Valentine's Day. | 0 | 5,994 | foodanddrink |
Anderson Silva beat Nick Diaz in a unanimous decision on Saturday night, but that wasn't the most interesting thing that happened. At one point, Diaz tried taunting by laying down in the middle of the ring. | 1 | 5,995 | sports |
It sure is a good night to be a Brady! Yes, Tom Brady led his team to beat Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX. And yes, he was crowned MVP once again on football's most-watched night. But one of the biggest highlights for the all-star quarterback may have been celebrating the win with wife Gisele Bündchen and his kids. "We are so proud of you daddy!!!" the supermodel shared on Instagram as she shared a kiss with her hunky husband. "Congratulations!!!! #GoPats #SuperBowl #SB49." The couple's children were also able to head down to the field in their matching Brady jerseys once the game clock struck 0. "Let s go daddy!!" Bündchen posted online before the final score was revealed. "Let's go Pats." Lucky for them, the New England Patriots came out on top allowing the two celebrate after the game and reunite with daddy. Let's let the adorable photos speak for themselves, shall we? Congratulations Mr. Tom Brady! You gave your family a big reason to smile tonight! | 6 | 5,996 | entertainment |
The Nashville Predators blanked the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-0 on Sunday. The struggles continues for Marc-Andre Fleury as he is 3-5-3 with a 3.30 goals against average since the start of January. | 1 | 5,997 | sports |
U.S. consumer spending recorded its biggest decline since late 2009 in December, with households appearing to save the extra cash from cheaper gasoline, which could support future consumption. The Commerce Department said on Monday consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, fell 0.3 percent after a 0.5 percent gain in November. It was the largest drop since September 2009 and reflected big declines in spending on both durable and nondurable goods. When adjusted for inflation, consumer spending dipped 0.1 percent, the weakest reading since last April, after increasing 0.7 percent in November. Prices for longer-dated U.S. government debt briefly rose on the data, while the dollar fell against a basket of currencies. U.S. stock index futures pared gains. The data was included in Friday's fourth-quarter gross domestic product report, which showed the economy growing at a 2.6 percent annual pace, with consumer spending rising at a brisk 4.3 percent rate - the fastest since 2006. Despite ending 2014 on a weak note, lower gasoline prices and a firming labor market are expected to provide a huge tailwind to consumer spending in the first quarter. Households have so far used much of the extra income from cheap gasoline to pay down debt and boost savings, according to economists. Gasoline prices have plunged 43 percent since June, according to U.S. government data. In December, income increased 0.3 percent after a similar gain in November. Income at the disposal of households after accounting for inflation increased 0.5 percent, the largest rise since last March. The saving rate rose to 4.9 percent from 4.3 percent in the prior month. Lower gasoline prices put a damper on price pressures in December, with key inflation gauges slipping further below the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target. A price index for consumer spending fell 0.2 percent after a similar decline in November. In the 12 months through December, the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 0.7 percent, the weakest reading since October 2009, slowing from a 1.2 percent increase in November. Excluding food and energy, prices were unchanged for a second straight month. The so-called core PCE price index increased 1.3 percent in the 12 months through December. The Fed has repeatedly said it viewed the oil-driven decline in inflation as transitory and expected inflation to move back to its target. | 3 | 5,998 | finance |
AC Milan has announced the signing of Luca Antonelli from Genoa for an undisclosed fee. The 27-year-old has signed a contract until June 2018 with the San Siro side and will be wearing the No. 31 jersey at his new club. Antonelli is a product of the Milan youth academy, but failed to break into the first team at San Siro during his initial spell at the club. He was farmed out on loan to Bari in 2007-08 before he was offloaded to Parma on a permanent basis in 2008. He then joined Genoa in 2011 and had since developed into a key player at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, eventually earning himself a return to his boyhood club. The left back is Milan's fifth signing of the January transfer window after the arrivals of Alessio Cerci, Salvatore Bocchetti, Mattia Destro and Suso. | 1 | 5,999 | sports |
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