text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
Every time I have to reboot my wireless router, I cross my fingers and hope nothing will go wrong. Superstitious, sure, but anything to avoid the personal technology hell that is tinkering with that mysterious box at the core of my home's Wi-Fi network. Plugging and unplugging cords, going cross-eyed reading manuals with more acronyms than the military it's no wonder I haven't upgraded my router in four years. But trying to avoid that little blinking machine turns out to have been my gravest tech mistake in years. I've been missing out on faster speeds, better security protection, new networking features even some awesome-looking new router hardware designs. Yes, I just used "awesome-looking" and "router" in the same sentence. D-Link's Corvette-red $310 AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi is a cross between an alien spaceship and an upside-down crab. Netgear's $300 Nighthawk X6 AC3200 looks like it could speed out of the Bat Cave. Both promise the fastest Wi-Fi speed available. But why should you mess with a box that still works or was handed to you by your cable provider? Well, are there rooms in your house where Wi-Fi can't be accessed? Can only one person stream Netflix at a time? Ever wonder who else is using your network? If you answered "yes" to any of those, it's time to upgrade. And while you may not need a fancy $300 model, in an age when everything from our TVs to our toaster ovens are connecting to the Internet, it's best not to cheap out on that all-important hub. For the past week, I've been living a networking nightmare, testing 10 routers in both a one-bedroom city apartment and a big suburban house. Now that I've done the hard work, it's time for you to learn (the easy way) the best approach to upgrading your home Wi-Fi network. If you remember anything from this article, it should be this: Buy an "802.11ac" router. Those who haven't upgraded a router lately probably have an 802.11n or 802.11g router. AC is the newest and fastest wireless standard available. (Even a kindergartner would be insulted by the nonsensical alphabetic ordering on these things.) Many of the latest phones, tablets, laptops, TV set-top boxes and other connected devices in your home now have faster, more finely tuned AC radios and antennas inside, but they're only better when connected to an AC wireless network. (If you have an older desktop or laptop, AC wireless USB adapters sell for under $50.) Bear in mind, you won't get faster Internet speeds from a new AC router that depends entirely on your Internet service plan. What you will get, provided you have AC-equipped devices, is less degraded speeds at longer distances, and better performance when transferring data from one device to another. When I tossed out my ancient N router this week for an AC router, surfing the Web on the latest-generation MacBook Air from two rooms away was twice as fast. Deciding what type of AC router to get can make your brain hurt. Router makers still confuse shoppers with speed claims we'll never get and terms we don't understand. And service providers try to rent you combo modem-routers that lack flexibility and in many cases power, while quietly adding up in cost, month after month. To help make sense of it all, I enlisted Tim Higgins, managing editor of SmallNetBuilder, a router reviews site. You should consider AC routers that range in classification from AC1200 at the lower end to AC3200 at the high end, he said. In larger homes, the pricier models should deliver faster speeds at greater distances. As you might expect, in my New York City apartment, I saw no performance difference between three AC routers: a $100 model, a $180 model and that "Ultra" $310 model. The space simply wasn't big enough. But in my parents' larger home, the top-of-the-line D-Link AC3200 and Netgear's Nighthawk AC1900 routers provided better speeds and smoother, higher-quality Netflix streaming than the competition at various points around the house, especially when I got farther away from the boxes. Even with six multi-directional antennas, however, the D-Link's range wasn't greater than lower-grade AC models (though AC range was, across the board, noticeably better than older routers). Think of it this way: With AC3200 routers, the data highway gets wider but not longer. In my mom's office, a known dead zone 75 feet from the router, there was still no Wi-Fi signal. One way to avoid dead zones like that is to find a better home for the router. "Router placement is going to buy you the best performance improvement," Mr. Higgins told me. Place your router in the middle of the house, he says, in an area where it isn't obstructed by, say, a cabinet or closet. For spots that still don't get signal, you need a network extender a second wireless router or a pair of plug-in-the-wall "powerline" networking boxes such as the $65 Linksys PLSK400 powerline adapter set. Beyond speed, the other big benefit of the priciest AC3200 routers is that they were designed with lots of connected devices in mind. Behind the scenes, they operate three separate networks, while cheaper (and older) routers only have two. This means your devices don't have to compete. That bandwidth-hogging Xbox could live on one network, the new smart TV on a second, and various laptops, tablets and phones on a third. Those faster speeds and smarter connections won't do you any good if you can't set the darn thing up. The second thing you should remember from this article: Pick a router that's easy to set up and manage. That's why I don't recommend TPLink. The Chinese company has great deals on AC routers, making it one of the most popular buys on Amazon. But its setup tool looks like it was designed in the early '90s, and you have to have networking experience even to change the network password. Netgear and Linksys, on the other hand, were the easiest to set up and manage on a Windows PC, while Apple's AirPort Extreme was dead simple on a Mac or even an iPad or iPhone, using the Airport Utility app. The torturous psychodrama of setting up a router is no more. It's as simple as connecting your computer, tablet or phone to the router's network, then following guided steps in any Web browser. You don't have to download any additional software, though some apps can be helpful. My favorite routers from Linksys, Netgear, D-Link and Apple all let you easily set up security, manage guests and see what devices are on your network. The Linksys Android and iPhone apps even let you check in on your home network while you're away. Netgear has also begun rolling out the feature. Let's stop right here a second: Do you have a password protecting your Wi-Fi network? If not, then don't complain when you get hacked. Fortunately, all the new routers come password protected out of the box. In fact, Netgear, Linksys and D-Link told me that every router comes with a unique name and password. While this is relatively safe, security experts do recommend picking your own name and strong password during setup. When you're in the security settings, always make sure that AES/WPA2 encryption is selected. Also, stay on top of updating your router's firmware. This may mean logging into your router every month or two. Netgear's Genie app alerts you when a new security update is available, and Linksys gives you the option to install updates automatically at night. So, which router did I upgrade to? For my apartment, I decided to go with Netgear's $180 Nighthawk AC1900. It's more than enough for my wireless needs. If you have a larger house with lots of connected devices, clear a landing pad for D-Link's AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi router. Sure, it looks ferocious, but I promise, there is no reason to be scared of the blinking box in the corner anymore. | 3 | 6,700 | finance |
ATLANTA The streak is over. The way opposing teams approach the Atlanta Hawks isn't likely to change anytime soon. For the first time in more than a month, the Hawks practiced Tuesday looking to bounce back from a loss. Defense was the main focus, after New Orleans romped to a 115-110 victory the previous night to snap Atlanta's 19-game winning streak. "I was bummed about the loss," center Al Horford said, having finished up an hour-long workout on the Philips Arena practice court. "I'm not going to lie." The Hawks equaled the fifth-longest single-season winning streak in NBA history, a run that began two days after Christmas and included a 17-0 mark in January. Along the way, Atlanta built a double-digit lead in every victory but one, knocked off the other five Eastern Conference teams with winning records, swept the season series with Western powerhouse Portland, and went 9-0 on the road. The streak carried the Hawks (40-9) to the best record in the NBA, though they again dropped percentage points behind Golden State with the loss to the Pelicans. There was a raucous celebration in the Big Easy after the horn sounded. "It was fun to see them celebrating like they won the championship. I couldn't believe it," Hawks guard Jeff Teague said with a smile. "Now we know we've got a target on our backs. We've got to come out and play hard every night." That's taken some getting used to. "A lot of our guys probably haven't been in this position before," Horford said. "People are coming after us. We're very aware that everyone is bringing their 'A' game. It's an adjustment. But that's the good thing about the NBA. It's a long season. You've got time to build good habits and know how to handle different situations." The streak was special, but it really wasn't an anomaly. The Hawks have won 33 of their last 36 games after a 7-6 start, building a comfortable lead in the East and landing three players (Horford, Teague and Paul Millsap) in the All-Star Game. Atlanta hosts the Washington Wizards (31-18) on Wednesday night a team it has already beaten twice this season, including a 31-point blowout on the MLK holiday that might've been the most impressive performance during the streak. Then comes a much-anticipated home game Friday night against Golden State, which looks a lot bigger than anyone could've envisioned at the start of the season. "Our guys understand that it's time to get back up and play," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. Injuries forced coach Budenholzer to adjust his playing rotation toward the end of the streak, most notably to deal with the loss of valuable backup forward Thabo Sefolosha. He is expected to be out at least another six weeks with a strained right calf, bumping Kent Bazemore to the wing while possibly allowing little-used guard John Jenkins to get more playing time. The Hawks are optimistic that another guard, Shelvin Mack, is close to returning from strained left calf. After missing the last eight games, he was upgraded to questionable for the Wizards and will likely be ready to return by the weekend. Mack can play both backcourt positions, freeing up Bazemore to work exclusively at small forward while Sefolosha is out. Also, Budenholzer has experimented with a grouping that includes his two primary point guards, putting Teague and second-year player Dennis Schroder together for brief spurts to give opponents another look. "It's kind of a work in progress," Budenholzer said. During the streak, the city of Atlanta finally seemed to warm to a team that has long ranked near the bottom of the league in attendance. The Hawks have sold out 10 of their last 13 home games more sellouts than they had the last two years combined. Also, Fox SportsSouth reports that local TV ratings are up a staggering 73 percent over last season, including the largest audience ever for a Hawks regular-season game on Monday night. "It was fun winning and seeing how everybody embraced us, how the crowds and the fans reacted to the whole streak thing," Teague said. "It was a good time." ___ Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 | 1 | 6,701 | sports |
Josh Hamilton will undergo right shoulder surgery that could sideline him through opening day, his latest setback during a star-crossed tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. Hamilton, the 2010 American League MVP, signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Angels before the 2013 season, but has batted just .255 with a .316 on-base percentage in his first two seasons of the deal. His on-base plus slugging (OPS) in Anaheim is .741, well off his .913 career mark entering 2013. The Angels announced he will require surgery to repair the A/C joint in his right shoulder and estimated a recovery time of six to eight weeks. That marks a full year where staying on the field has proven challenging. In 2014, he was limited to 89 games after suffering a broken finger in April and then hurting his shoulder in September. He returned for the playoffs but was hitless in 13 at-bats as the Angels were swept in the Division Series by the Kansas City Royals. The Angels said Hamilton aggravated the shoulder injury during workouts last week. They play their season opener April 6 at Seattle. If Hamilton's unable to start the season, recently-acquired Matt Joyce figures to be the left fielder, with at-bats there and at designated hitter opening up for Collin Cowgill and C.J. Cron. | 1 | 6,702 | sports |
A shocking blunder from Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli proved costly as Sunderland came through its FA Cup fourth-round replay with a 3-1 win at Craven Cottage. Late goals from Ricardo Alvarez - his first for the club - and Jordi Gomez completed a Sunderland comeback Tuesday, ensuring the Premier League side will now face Bradford City, the conqueror of Chelsea, in round five. Fulham took the lead through Hugo Rodallega following early pressure from the visitors, but was then left to rue an error from Bettinelli, who dropped a seemingly innocuous cross from Patrick van Aanholt into his own net under minimal pressure. Gus Poyet's men took full advantage, Alvarez making it 2-1 with a fine individual goal in the 75th minute. And any hopes of a Fulham comeback were ended in stoppage time when Gomez converted a penalty awarded for a foul on substitute Danny Graham. Sunderland was forced to make a late change to its side, with Steven Fletcher replacing Connor Wickham after the striker picked up an injury in the warm-up. Yet that didn't seem to affect the visitors as they made an assured start, and Bettinelli had to make instinctive early saves to deny Gomez and Fletcher, with the Scotland forward also seeing a goal ruled out for offside. The hosts had been on a four-match unbeaten run up until their 2-1 league defeat at Blackburn Rovers last time out, but they struggled to build any momentum in the early stages. Nevertheless, it was Fulham that struck first when Sunderland's defense failed to clear a corner. Cauley Woodrow saw his effort blocked on the line, but Rodallega was on hand to dispatch his 10th goal of the season from close range. Buoyed by that goal, Kit Symons' side could have been awarded a penalty just four minutes later when Alvarez brought down Ross McCormack, but referee Paul Tierney waved away the appeals. The Championship outfit continued to threaten as halftime drew closer, McCormack almost doubling the advantage when he fizzed an effort just wide. Fulham also made a bright start after the interval, yet Sunderland was gifted an equalizer when Bettinelli flapped haplessly at Van Aanholt's deflected cross and allowed the ball to drop over the goal line. Emanuele Giaccherini curled a sumptuous effort narrowly off target as Fulham struggled to come to terms with the setback. Manchester City loanee Seko Fofana provided encouragement for the home side, but it was Sunderland winger Alvarez who stole the show. The 26-year-old, on loan at the Stadium of Light from Inter, cut in from the right flank - beating two defenders in the process - before unleashing an unstoppable drive that left Bettinelli helpless. Victory was then put beyond all doubt for the visitors when Graham went down in the area under pressure from Jack Grimmer, and Gomez stepped up to dispatch coolly from the spot. | 1 | 6,703 | sports |
Last year members of travel website VirtualTourist.com put together a list of the "Top 5 Travel Scams to Look For and How to Avoid Them." This year, they have added five new ones to the list making it the "Top 10 Worst Travel Scams and How to Avoid Them." "The Wallet Polisher" -- Shoe Polishing Charlatan -- Istanbul, Turkey It goes like this. You're minding your business walking down the street in Istanbul. A shoe polisher passes you and "accidentally" drops his brush. He keeps walking while you, being an honest traveler, pick up the brush and call to him. He seems thankful and insists you get a shoe polish. When he finishes, you thank him, but he demands a payment. You pull a few coins from your wallet, which he finds offensive. You open your wallet to pull out paper money, and he grabs whatever you have and runs off. VirtualTourist members' advice: When you see that brush, give it a kick far away from you. Tip and photo by Pieter_jan_v "More Bang For Your Buck" -- Money Exchange Scammers -- Bulgaria It might seem a bit obvious but don't be fooled by the men on the street offering to change your money at a better rate than the bank can. How the scam works is quite simple: In 1999, after a period of rampant inflation, Bulgaria revalued its currency and introduced the new Lev, which replaced the old Leva at a redenomination rate of 1000 to 1. What the money changers do is quite simply pass off the old notes to the unwary, and at 1000 to 1 they are certainly making a killing! If approached in the street, just say no and the men won't pester you. They don't want to draw attention to themselves as money changing in the streets is illegal here. Tip by johngayton "Ticket Faker" -- Fake Ticket Seller -- Zakopane, Poland Lines for the Kasprowy Wierch gondola, a popular attraction in Zakopane, can be extremely long. While in line, you may be approached by random groups of people offering to sell you their tickets, but these are generally fakes. They usually work in pairs, often innocent-looking couples, and the scheme works like this. They'll walk up to you and offer you their ticket and say if you buy it, you can go up to the counter and cash it, and then you'll only have to wait 15 minutes for the gondola. They'll sell you a bad ticket, and while you're going up to the counter, they'll disappear with your money! These are con artists! Don't fall for their scheme! Just be patient and wait in line. They'll most likely be speaking in Polish, and foreigners are the easiest targets. So just ignore anyone offering to sell you tickets, and just wait in line. Tip by briantravelman "Not so Gladiator" -- No Pictures Please, Unless You Pay -- Verona, Italy You'll find "gladiators" lurking around Verona's Arena in the same way you find them lurking around Rome's Colosseum. The ploy is this: They approach someone they consider a viable target and they may kiss a lady's hand or playfully "attack" a man with their sword. Of course, lots of people find this amusing and want to take a photo of their friend with the "gladiator." What some people don't realize is that they are expected to pay for that privilege. Tip and photo by leics "You Can't Take it With You" -- Duty-Free Scams -- Frankfurt International Airport, Germany When flying internationally into Frankfurt from non-European destinations, be careful about what you purchase from a duty free shop. duty-free shops are located in that area of the airport where you only have your carry-on luggage with you. Your other luggage has already been checked in. So, there you are in front of a giant duty-free shop with a dazzling display of your favorite alcoholic beverage. You buy yourself a bottle at a nice price. The problem arises when you disembark in Germany, where security will be waiting to take your bottle away from you because you didn't buy the bottle in a European duty-free shop -- and only European duty-free shops are considered "safe". Undoubtedly, the duty-free shops are more than aware you can't take the bottle with you. Showing your receipt to the security people won't help you, either. Tip by Weissdorn "Senor Sticky Fingers" -- Pickpockets -- Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Pickpockets are no longer limited to the simple "bump and grab;" their scams and scenarios have greatly diversified. VirtualTourist members mentioned that in many instances, pickpockets are working in teams -- while one shows you a gold ring or points out mustard on your shirt, another cohort is stealing your wallet. Keep in mind, though, there are many more things for thieves to steal than simply your wallet. Cameras and smartphones are readily carried by travelers, and they have a high resale value in most cities. Another popular iteration of this scam is the distraction. A woman will approach you waving a newspaper or asking for help reading something, but under the newspaper, she is palming your iPhone off the cafe table. It's important to note that if someone offers you unsolicited help, politely decline and quickly walk away. Always keep the majority of your valuables (passport, important papers and extra credit cards) in your hotel safe, and make sure to record the serial numbers of any vital electronics that could be stolen, as some cities require a serial number in order to file a police report. Unfortunately, pickpocketing is a scam that is not limited to one specific destination, but it is rampant in crowded areas with a large number of tourists. Also, while pickpocketing probably exists everywhere, VirtualTourist members commented that it was common in Barcelona, particularly Las Ramblas, the central pedestrian street that runs from Placa Catalunya through the Gothic Quarter and to the sea. "He's Going the Distance" -- Gypsy Cabs -- Termini Station, Rome, Italy Taxis are often ground zero for scam artists, since passengers entering taxis have often just arrived in a city or aren't completely sure how long or how far their destination is from their pickup. Taxi scams can be as simple as drivers being unlicensed to overcharging and "long hauling," when drivers take a longer route to a destination to increase the fare, which is particularly common in Las Vegas. However, there are few rules to follow to make traveling by taxi easier. First, Rome has taxi cues where licensed taxis wait for fares -- always use a taxi from one of these lines. Second, many cities (Rome, New York, and Los Angeles, to name a few) have a set fare from the primary airport to inside the city -- make sure to know this number and clarify with the taxi driver this flat rate before letting him place your luggage in his car. Once inside the cab, make sure you see that the meter is on. If it's not, ask them to turn it on before you depart. Lastly, if you are leaving your hotel and going to a site, ask the doorman or concierge how much the taxi fare should cost to get to your destination. It's always good to know what the appropriate cost is for the distance you are traveling. It was noted by VirtualTourist members that Rome, Italy, is a particularly bad spot for taxi scams, especially near Termini Station. Bangkok also scored high on the list for taxi scams. "The Overly Sympathetic Stranger" -- Volunteers with Poor Intentions -- Gare du Nord Station, Paris, France When in a country with different currency or a language barrier, a common trick is for "volunteers" to offer to assist you when making a transaction or using any automated machine. Kind strangers may offer to assist you in buying a week-long ticket, but in fact, they'll get you a one-time used ticket and pocket the change. Be wary of any stranger that "offers" help too easily, particularly in high tourism areas or transportation hubs, such as Paris' subway and train stations, particularly Gare du Nord. If possible, buy transportation tickets in advance or through a window vendor at the station; at the very least, know before you arrive how much the tickets should cost. VirtualTourist members also noted that this scam is popular in train stations in Italy, as well. "The Palace is NOT closed today" -- Tuk Tuk Scammers -- Grand Palace area, Bangkok, Thailand Multiple VirtualTourist members stated that in certain parts of Southeast Asia, they were approached by locals claiming that a popular site was closed due to an assortment of excuses, ranging from a religious ceremony, royal function, a Buddhist holiday, or simply for cleaning. These locals steer tourists into a nearby tuk tuk (or rickshaw), offering to take them to a gem factory or another tourist attraction that is open and then return them back to the site once it reopens. Many members reported that the approaching locals even appeared in some sort of uniform, making their information and suggestions seem more reliable. However, the palace/site/wat is probably NOT closed today, so before you turn around and embark on a tuk tuk ride to commissioned jewelry stores and tailors, check for yourself! There are numerous member reports of this happening at a variety of sites in Bangkok, including the Grand Palace and Wat Po. "The Math Genius" -- Cash Payment Scams -- New York City, New York Sadly, the "Math Genius" can be found in a variety of places, and the most common culprits are waiters or taxi drivers, since they've already provided you with a service and you need to pay them to exit the situation. If the scam occurs in a taxi, it usually goes this way: You owe the driver $15 and you pay with a $20 bill. He switches out the bill you gave him for a $5 bill. He holds it up and argues that you owe him $10 more dollars. You apologize and give him another $10 and only after exiting the car do you realize you essentially paid twice the taxi fare. Almost every traveler has fallen for this trick at some point because of exhaustion or being unfamiliar with the local currency. While this can happen everywhere, VirtualTourist's noted it is a particularly common problem in New York City and Istanbul, Turkey. | 2 | 6,704 | travel |
SAN DIEGO -- Justin Thomas tops out at 5-9 and tips the scales at about a buck fifty dripping wet. Charles Atlas he is not. But he sure hits it like Paul Bunyan. Thomas is among the early-season story lines of the 2014-15 wraparound season because of his youth at age 21, his play and his power. Thomas has ridden that power into contention the last three weeks with ties for sixth in the Sony Open, seventh in the Humana Challenge and 17th last week in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. His scoring average is 69.88 (13th on Tour) and he's won $664,936. But for the life of him, the former Alabama All-American can't explain why he's averaging 303.1 yards off the tee, which ranks 16th on the PGA Tour. "It makes no sense why I hit it as far as I do with my size and my height and everything, it really doesn't," Thomas said Tuesday after a practice round on the South Course at Torrey Pines as he prepared for the Farmers Insurance Open. "That's what I focus on in my workouts and my stretches; to get the most possible out of my body frame and to hit it as far as I can for my weight. I guess I'm efficient with what I have. "And swinging hard doesn't hurt either." Good friend Jordan Spieth said we'll see an even longer Thomas. "The more confidence he gets the longer he hits it," said Spieth, who first met Thomas when they were 13 at an American Junior Golf Association tournament. "I really don't know how he hits it so long. He gets it into a really good position at the top and then he has that little pause and then everything rifles through in sync." Thomas, who won once on the Web.com Tour in 2014, started wowing people on the PGA Tour last year when, on a sponsor's exemption, he tied for 10th in the Farmers. He's quickly become a known player this year, with each week adding to his confidence. "I've been on a run," he said. "I just have a little different mind frame I think going into the tournaments as I did in the fall events. I'm just enjoying it. … But I think that it all in the end comes down to just I have a lot more confidence when I'm out on the course going into each event." Coming up short the past three weeks also has helped him. "Patience," Thomas said when asked what he's learned about being in the heat three weeks in a row. ""I feel like I've played well enough to win and it happened to me last year as well. I was fortunate where I played well enough to get myself in contention a pretty good amount of times and it took me awhile to get it done. "Everyone kept asking me when are you going to win? And I said, 'I'm trying, I wasn't trying to finish whatever I was.' It's tough to win. It doesn't matter what level you're at. If I go play some college events right now I would have a hard time winning. I think that it's just being patient and just letting whatever's going to happen, happen." Spieth said Thomas will make it happen this season. "I think he'll win this year, no doubt," Spieth said. "The past three weeks were great experience for him, being in contention, feeling the blood running. You have to go through that to win. I don't think it will be far from now." | 1 | 6,705 | sports |
Yahoo has decided to spin off its Small Business unit as part of the spinoff of its stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (BABA.N). Yahoo Small Business helps small enterprises set up and run their businesses online. Yahoo announced last week about a tax-free spinoff of its 15 percent stake in China's Alibaba into a newly formed independent registered investment company responding to pressure to hand over to shareholders its prized e-commerce investment valued at roughly $40 billion. Yahoo had then said the new entity would include its 384 million shares in Alibaba as well as an unspecified "legacy, ancillary" Yahoo unit. "We're mapping out additional investments now for our platform and services," Yahoo Small Business said on its Tumblr page on Tuesday. (http://bit.ly/1CXtQZU) The transaction is expected to occur in Q4 2015. The unit will move to SpinCo prior to completion of the transaction. (Reporting By Kanika Sikka in Bengaluru; editing by Andrew Hay) | 3 | 6,706 | finance |
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard may wed this weekend in the Bahamas. | 8 | 6,707 | video |
CHAPEL HILL - Marcus Paige shared some strong words with his teammates - and with reporters - Monday night after North Carolina's 75-64 loss against Virginia. I wrote a lot about them. They're worth revisiting. He said: "We can't keep talking about change. We've got to have guys look in the mirror and decide they're going to change, buy in, and then some good things will happen." And: "It's nothing we haven't learned from earlier losses. You look at the Kentucky game, the Iowa game. It's the same type of story. ... It is February, you know. The season's rolling. Great teams at this time are meshing together. You don't have to keep preaching effort, keep preaching buying in, not worrying about your individual self." And: "I'm not going to sit here and call guys out but us as a whole, myself included, just has to do a better job of (doing) what (coach Roy Williams) says. I know buying in is a term people use a lot and it's kind of cliche ... but when you do, when you invest and stop caring about yourself - I don't care about how many rebounds, how many steals I got. "I care about what I can do in the moment to help North Carolina play, to help my teammate, to get us the ball, to get us possession. That's when things start clicking." Strong stuff. I asked if Paige felt there was a disconnect between Williams and the team, whether some guys just aren't getting it. "Yeah, I think so," he said. Part of this, it's likely, can be attributed to the emotions that come with a difficult loss, and with the first losing streak of the season. The Tar Heels led Louisville by 18 points Saturday before losing in overtime, and they led Virginia at halftime before another second-half meltdown doomed them. So there's frustration, and undoubtedly Paige is feeling some of that. You can't conclude that all of what he said, though, is the byproduct of blowing off steam after a difficult loss. Paige hinted at some pretty significant problems on this team, and basically implied there are chemistry issues and some players simply aren't heeding Williams' message. That would be troubling at any point, but it's especially so now, in February. I've covered just about every game this season (missed the Alabama-Birmingham game while in Detroit for the Quick Lane Bowl) and at least on the surface it doesn't look like the Tar Heels have chemistry issues. Clearly, though, something is off with these guys if Paige is saying there needs to be a better sense of buying in, and that some players need to forget about individual success and focus more on the team. The question everyone wants to know, of course, is who was Paige talking about? It's impossible to answer based on what we in the media get to see (nothing, beyond games) but there have been times when the Tar Heels' body language could be better. Brice Johnson has had his head-hanging moments, and J.P. Tokoto, too, can seem frustrated at times. That doesn't say anything, of course, about their level of "buy-in." Johnson and Tokoto have been instrumental to UNC's success, when the Tar Heels have been successful. Both players, though, can be enigmatic. Johnson seemed to turn a corner before finishing with just two points at Louisville. Tokoto had a single point - and one rebound - against Virginia. Those are Paige's classmates - all three are juniors - and the inconsistency has to be frustrating for everybody involved. To his credit, Johnson said Monday: "Everybody has to go and look and in the mirror, myself included, and ask yourself whether you're playing as hard as you can or if you're doing everything you can to help this team." Things change in a hurry. Late Saturday afternoon the Tar Heels were leading Louisville by 18 points. They seemed headed for their seventh consecutive victory and, perhaps, their most impressive win of the season. Then everything fell apart, and did again in the second half Monday night. And here we are, with a lot of uncomfortable questions about effort and buying in and commitment. Andrew Carter is the UNC athletics beat reporter for The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer. Follow him on Twitter at @ andrewcarter . | 1 | 6,708 | sports |
Online ride-service provider Uber Technologies Inc proposed on Wednesday a new registration system for its drivers in South Korea, seeking to overcome a ban on connecting passengers to private cars in Asia's fourth-largest economy. David Plouffe, Uber's senior vice president of policy and strategy, told reporters in Seoul that the U.S.-based taxi startup wanted to work with regulators to find a way to operate legally in the country. The proposed system would give legal commercial licenses for registered drivers, who would be subject to minimum requirements on experience and insurance as well as background checks for criminal records, he said. The changes flagged for South Korea have already been implemented in cities such as London, Los Angeles and New York, Uber said, reflecting the company's new conciliatory tone in response to mounting legal challenges and criticism of its aggressive business style. "The solution that we seek with Seoul city, the ministry of transportation and the National Assembly is to find a solution that works for taxis, works for consumers and works for the overall Korean economy," said Plouffe, former campaign manager for U.S. President Barack Obama. A Seoul municipal official said Uber had not formally presented its proposal. "We have no plans to discuss this proposal with Uber," said the official who declined to be identified. Uber's Korean proposal follows a similar move by the company in India, after it was banned from operating in New Delhi in response to rape allegations against one of its drivers. On Monday it said it had tightened background screening of its Indian drivers to include inspection of criminal court records. Four-year-old Uber, which helps users summon taxi-like services on their smartphones, has drawn criticism around the world, even as it has continued to expand rapidly into more than 250 cities globally. In Europe, where it offers a range of transport options from professional limousine services to informal ride-sharing, Uber has been hit with court injunctions in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain for violating taxi licensing rules. In December, South Korean prosecutors indicted Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and the company's South Korean unit for violating transport rules which require drivers and vehicles used in taxi services to be licensed. In January, the city of Seoul started offering rewards of up to 1 million won ($929) for people who reported private or rented car drivers providing transport through Uber. One of the world's most highly valued venture-backed start-ups worth at least $41 billion, Uber has faced regulatory scrutiny and court injunctions from its earliest days in San Francisco. (Additional reporting by Sohee Kim; Editing by Stephen Coates) | 5 | 6,709 | news |
The top free-agent pitcher on the market reportedly will have a new home soon. Former Rays and Royals right-hander James Shields has multiple suitors and will make a decision by the end of the week, according to Fox Sports . MORE: New faces, new places | Rockies sign Kyle Kendrick to $5.5M deal | Still multiple suitors for Cole Hamels To say there is interest in Shields would be a vast understatement. He's expected to command a salary of about $20 million a year. The Cardinals , Yankees and Tigers might be the top contenders, but the Brewers , Marlins, Mets, Blue Jays, Cubs, Padres, Giants and Dodgers have all reportedly tried to recruit the 2011 All-Star. A return to the Royals , whom he helped lead to the World Series, is not out of the question. Shields led the American League with 11 complete games in 2011 for the Rays and led the league with 34 starts each of the past two seasons with the Royals. Shields spent the first seven of his nine major league seasons with Tampa Bay and has a career record of 114-90 with a 3.72 ERA. The 33-year-old has averaged 212 innings pitched in his career. He led the AL with 228 2/3 innings in 2013. | 1 | 6,710 | sports |
HARTFORD, Conn. UConn coach Geno Auriemma reached 900 wins faster than any other college basketball coach, and has no plans to slow down. Auriemma achieved the milestone when No. 2 UConn routed Cincinnati 96-36 on Tuesday night. It only took him 1,034 games to do it. "I don't want to stop setting the bar, and it's up to everybody else to try to get there," the Hall of Fame coach said. "We're going to keep doing what we're doing and we're not going to stop." The victory ties him with former Texas coach Jody Conradt for fifth place on the all-time women's list, 198 wins behind former Tennessee coach Pat Summitt. Freshman Gabby Williams led six players in double figures for the Huskies (21-1, 11-0 American Athletic Conference) with a career-high 18 points. She also had 14 rebounds. The Huskies showed some nerves early, falling behind 5-0. But UConn scored the next 15 points, all on 3-pointers They closed the first half on a 22-0 run to put the game away. "It's kind of like giving back to him," Williams said. "I know how hard he works, so for him to feel he's getting something for me is a great feeling for me as well." Auriemma's winning percentage of 87.04 percent in the best in the history of the women's game. He also holds a record nine NCAA titles, and has appeared in the Final Four 15 times. Cincinnati coach Jamelle Elliott, who played for Auriemma and was an assistant at UConn, said she hopes she's learned something along the way about "demanding and not accepting anything less than perfection." "He never coached me and he doesn't coach any of his players like girls," she said. "He coaches us like players." The list of college women's basketball coaches who have reached the 900-win plateau also includes North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell, Rutgers' C. Vivian Stringer and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer. Jasmine Whitfield led Cincinnati (6-16, 3-8) with 14 points. The Bearcats missed 18 straight shots and failed to score for the last 9:27 before intermission, trailing 47-15 at the break. The Bearcats have lost five of their last six games, which also included a 96-31 defeat at the hands of the Huskies just over a week ago in Ohio. UConn cruised through the second half and the crowd began chanting "Geno! Geno!" as the buzzer sounded. Former players appeared in a video message after the game, congratulating their coach. His current team wore shirts that said "Geno Never Stops." They also had on paper glasses that had the number 900 on them. "We got a long way to go this year and a lot of work left to do," Auriemma said to the crowd after the game. "I know this is 900, but there are six games in March that will mean as much as the previous 900 and they are the ones I'll try to reach." Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis had 16 points and Breanna Stewart added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Huskies. Saniya Chong scored 11 points, while Kia Nurse and Morgan Tuck each had 10. UConn has won 20 straight games since a November loss at Stanford, and has not lost a conference game since the founding of the AAC last season. They have dominated the conference schedule this season, winning games by an average of more than 50 points. The Huskies held Cincinnati to 14 field goals and 24.6 percent shooting UConn faces a tougher test next Monday when it steps out of conference to host top-ranked South Carolina in Storrs. TIP INS: Cincinnati: Elliott took part in 519 of Auriemma's wins while a player and coach at UConn. She is 0-9 against her mentor since becoming a head coach. UConn: Auriemma's record improved to 100-6 since winning his 800th game and 300-18 since his 600th win. He is also 48-0 against teams coached by a former UConn player or assistant coach. STEWIE: Stewart continued her climb up the school's all-time scoring list, moving past Barbara Turner into 16th place. The junior's 14 points give her 1,641 for her career. UP NEXT: Cincinnati: The Bearcats travel to Florida to face USF on Saturday. UConn: The Huskies visit Memphis on Saturday, before their showdown on Monday with top-ranked South Carolina at Gampel Pavilion. | 1 | 6,711 | sports |
Chauvet Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the heart of France, is also known as the Cave of Dreams. CNN's Jonathan Mann reports. | 2 | 6,712 | travel |
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Not long ago, Andrew Harrison hesitated to take the shots that are now falling for Kentucky's sophomore point guard. Karl-Anthony Towns' main issue recently has been finishing off his promising starts. Both players' determination to progress resulted in huge efforts that kept the top-ranked Wildcats unbeaten. Harrison scored a season-high 23 points and combined with Towns for key baskets down the stretch that helped Kentucky stop pesky Georgia 69-58 on Tuesday night. Twice on the verge of running away from a Georgia squad playing its second straight game without leading scorer and rebounder Marcus Thornton (concussion), the Wildcats (22-0, 9-0 Southeastern Conference) saw their margin dwindle near the end. Harrison and Towns quickly asserted themselves to preserve the Wildcats' lead. Harrison's layup with 3:58 remaining provided a 62-54 lead before baskets by Yante Maten and Nemanja Djurisic pulled the Bulldogs to 63-58 with 2:06 left. Towns' short jumper with 1:33 left got the lead to seven, and Tyler Ulis and Harrison each added two free throws in the final minute for the Wildcats. Towns finished with 15 with a career-high 13 rebounds. Those performances were big for both players beyond the outcome. For the oft-scrutinized Harrison, it demonstrated a growing confidence in his game that resulted in 8-of-16 shooting including three 3-pointers, seven of Kentucky's 16 assists with just one turnover. "I've been putting a lot of work in with my dad and the assistant coaches," Harrison said. "It's a blessing to play well." Added Kentucky coach John Calipari, "we're trying to get him to be more aggressive. There were a couple of plays early in the game I said, `quit pulling it out. If they throw it to you, attack, make plays and make plays for your teammate.'... "I thought he played with good energy. Assist-to-turnover, he played well." Djurisic's 17 points led Georgia (14-7, 5-4), which outrebounded Kentucky 36-24. Maten added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs, whose nine offensive boards helped them stay nearly even in the paint against the taller Wildcats. But Georgia couldn't get the rebounds it needed in the final minutes while Kentucky did. Willie Cauley-Stein came up with one leading to Harrison's clinching foul shots, and Towns sealed the game with a block and rebound at the end. "If we make another shot or two late, it could have been interesting," Georgia coach Mark Fox said. "Kentucky's got a great team and give them credit for making enough plays to win." Devin Booker had nine points and Ulis eight for Kentucky, which played its second straight game without freshman forward Trey Lyles because of an illness. While his absence hurt the Wildcats, Towns more than made up for it with two good halves after struggling to finish off strong starts. "I'm just trying to put a lot of things together, and I see it's working," Towns said after shooting 6 of 11 from the field. "I'm making a lot of shots right now, and that's a testament to hard work." Towns and Harrison combined to shoot 9 of 16 from the field for 23 first-half points, including 10 down the stretch to provide a 42-27 halftime lead just when the Bulldogs were making it competitive. Georgia eventually trailed by 18 early in the second half before drawing to 51-42 with a 15-7 run over 4:04. The Bulldogs didn't go away and had chances near the end but couldn't get closer than five in the final minutes. Harrison and Towns made sure of that. QUOTABLE "Let's get in the game like the Super Bowl where you got to catch one on your back. I promise I'll run it in if you get us to that point." -- Calipari, who drew a laugh with an answer referencing the end of Sunday's Super Bowl where Seattle was criticized for passing the ball on the 1 (which was intercepted) instead of running it in. TIP-INS Georgia: Bulldogs sophomore forward Brandon Kessler made his first start this season and had seven first-half points. ... Georgia committed 16 turnovers leading to 18 Kentucky points. Kentucky: Among the spectators was Oscar Robertson, who mingled with fellow Naismith Hall of Famer and former Wildcats coach Joe B. Hall. ... Towns and Cauley-Stein (6 points, 5 rebounds) combined for all 10 of Kentucky's first-half rebounds. UP NEXT: Georgia: Hosts Tennessee on Saturday. Kentucky: Visits Florida on Saturday. | 1 | 6,713 | sports |
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The Anaheim Ducks had lost their last two games, and they trailed Carolina by two goals with 11 minutes left. With a rough week behind them and a brutal road trip looming, the Ducks had ample opportunity and reason to give up and move on. ''We don't do that,'' captain Ryan Getzlaf said. ''That's the difference between good teams and the mediocre teams.'' Getzlaf scored 45 seconds into overtime, Corey Perry scored two goals and the Ducks roared back from that two-goal deficit in the third period for a 5-4 victory Tuesday night. Perry tied it with 4:08 left in regulation and set up Getzlaf's winner as Anaheim (33-12-6) stayed even with Nashville atop the overall NHL standings. Even during a rough stretch of their schedule, the Ducks' nerve in tight games hasn't faltered: They've won an NHL-best 23 one-goal games, including this stirring comeback. ''You never give up,'' Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau said. ''That's something that I think in the third periods we haven't done at all this year, and I don't think it's in their character to do that.'' Ryan Kesler scored on the power play and Frederik Andersen stopped 28 shots for the Ducks, who made plenty of mistakes in the third period alone, giving a penalty shot and two lengthy 5-on-3 advantages to the Hurricanes. Brad Malone broke a tie when he scored on that penalty shot, and Jordan Staal put the Hurricanes up 4-2 with 14:50 to play in regulation. But the Ducks went to work and got rewarded when Devante Smith-Pelly redirected Jakob Silfverberg's shot midway through the third. Perry then scored from a scrum in front of Anton Khudobin's net, and Getzlaf ended it with his 16th goal of the season on Perry's setup. ''I thought we did a good job of keeping our emotions in check and finishing the hockey game the way we wanted to,'' Perry said. Alexander Semin and Jay McClement scored in a 2:17 span of the second period for the Hurricanes, who have lost three straight after an encouraging effort in January. ''We played well, and we had them on the ropes,'' Staal said. ''But obviously that's been said a few times in here throughout the year. It's not good enough just to play with them. With all the 2-1 games and the one-goal games we've lost, we've still got to find a way.'' Khudobin made 25 saves in Carolina's second stop on a four-game road trip. The Ducks dropped back-to-back games to San Jose and Chicago last week after winning 18 of their previous 23, but they avoided heading out on a five-game road trip on their longest skid of the season. Perry ended a five-game scoring drought and secured the seventh 20-goal season of his NHL career with the Ducks' opening score. He finished with two goals and an assist. Semin tied it with just his second goal of the season, beating Andersen off a faceoff. The enigmatic Russian forward was a healthy scratch in four games late last month. McClement put the Hurricanes ahead by snapping his 23-game goal drought, but Kesler evened it again with an adroit tip on the power play for only his second goal in 15 games. Carolina failed to score with a 5-on-3 advantage for 2 full minutes early in the third, but Malone converted a penalty shot after Cam Fowler broke up his breakaway moments later. Staal then batted home a rebound for just his second goal in a season that began with a broken leg. NOTES: Ducks D Eric Brewer struggled in his first game back in the lineup after a 24-game absence with a broken foot. Before his injury, Brewer had played just two games in Anaheim, which acquired him from Tampa Bay in late November. ... C Elias Lindholm returned to Carolina's lineup after a one-game absence, and Andrej Nestrasil was a scratch. ... The clubs meet again in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Feb. 12. ... Malone has four goals in six games. | 1 | 6,714 | sports |
Led by Colin Wilson's game-winning goal and Carter Hutton's game-saving stop, the Predators hung on to knock off the Maple Leafs 4-3 on Tuesday night. | 1 | 6,715 | sports |
After three years of planning, Lutz Eichholz managed to scoot down 5,600-meter-high Mount Damavand in Iran on his unicycle. His record-breaking descent defied dizzying drops, injury and temperatures ranging from 40 to -7 degrees Celsius. | 5 | 6,716 | news |
The Coyotes got goals from Shane Doan, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Lucas Lessio and Tobias Rieder as they defeated the Blue Jackets 4-1 on Tuesday. | 1 | 6,717 | sports |
AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Jordan executed two al-Qaida prisoners before dawn Wednesday, just hours after an online video purported to show Islamic State group militants burning a captured Jordanian pilot to death in a cage. The gruesome death of 26-year-old Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh, captured while participating in airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition targeting the militants, sparked outrage across the Middle East and anti-Islamic State protests in Jordan. King Abdullah II, a staunch Western ally, rushed back to Jordan, cutting short a Washington trip to try to persuade his people to support an even tougher line against the militants. Rallying such backing is pivotal for Jordan's continued role in the coalition. Public opinion in Jordan has been ambiguous growing demands for revenge against the militants have been mixed with misgivings about Jordan's role in a bombing campaign widely seen as serving Western interests. The extremists, meanwhile, appeared to be goading Jordan. In Raqaa, the Islamic State group's de facto capital, the militants gleefully played al-Kaseasbeh's slaying on outdoor projectors, with some chanting "God is great," according to militant video posted online Wednesday that conformed to Associated Press reporting of the event. In the 20-minute video, the pilot displayed signs of having been beaten, including a black eye. Toward the end of the clip, he is shown wearing an orange jumpsuit. He stands in an outdoor cage as a masked militant ignites a line of fuel leading to it. The video of his purported killing was released on militant websites and bore the logo of the extremist group's al-Furqan media service. The clip featured the slick production and graphics used in previous Islamic State group videos. It could not immediately be confirmed independently by the AP. A wave of condemnation washed across the Middle East on Wednesday, signaling that the Islamic State group militants might have overplayed their hand by putting their brutality toward a fellow Muslim on display. Some said this could trigger a backlash among Sunni Muslims in the region, the main reservoir of potential supporters. At the same time, Jordan faces increasing internal and external threats from the militants. Jordan borders areas of Islamic State group's self-declared caliphate. There also have been signs of greater support for the group's militant ideas among Jordan's young and poor. Following the pilot's death, Jordan launched what it said would be a tough campaign against the Islamic State group. In a first response, Jordan executed Sajida al-Rishawi and Ziad al-Karbouly, two Iraqis linked to al-Qaida, government spokesman Mohammed al-Momani said. Another official said they were executed by hanging. Authorities said the pair would be buried later in Jordan. Al-Rishawi had been sentenced to death after her 2005 role in a triple hotel bombing that killed 60 people in Amman orchestrated by al-Qaida in Iraq, the predecessor of the Islamic State group. Al-Karbouly was sent to death row in 2008 for plotting terror attacks on Jordanians in Iraq. Islamic State group militants purportedly had demanded Jordan release al-Rishawi in exchange for the pilot. Over the past week, Jordan had offered to trade her, but froze any swap after failing to receive any proof that the pilot was still alive. The Jordanian military said, without elaborating, that the pilot was killed Jan. 3, suggesting officials knew any attempt to trade would be in vain. Al-Kaseasbeh had fallen into the hands of the militants when his F-16 crashed near Raqqa. He was the first airman participating in the U.S.-led bombing raids against militant positions in Syria and Iraq to be captured. The pilot's father, Safi Yousef al-Kaseasbeh, urged his government to "take revenge for Muath and to take revenge for the country, even before Muath." Late Tuesday, dozens of people chanting against Islamic State marched toward the royal palace. Waving a Jordanian flag, they chanted, "Damn you, Daesh!" using the Arabic acronym of the group and "We will avenge, we will avenge our son's blood." Al-Kaseasbeh was from a tribal area in southern Jordan's Karak district. The tribes are considered a mainstay of support for the monarchy, but the pilot's capture strained that relationship. During the weeks of uncertainty about the pilot, relatives criticized the government's handling of the crisis and Jordan's participation in the anti-Islamic State group alliance. However, the tone has changed since the announcement of his death, with family members and other Jordanians speaking out against the militants. "There is no religion accepts such act," Amman resident Hassan Abu Ali said. "Islam is a religion of tolerance. (The Islamic State group) have nothing to do with Islam. This is criminal act." Across the Middle East, religious and political leaders offered angry denunciations and called for blood as some on television wept when talking about the pilot. The head of Sunni Islam's most respected seat of learning, Egypt's Al-Azhar, described the militants as enemies of God and the Prophet Muhammad, saying they deserved the Quran-prescribed punishment of death, crucifixion or the chopping off of their arms. "Islam prohibits the taking of an innocent life," Ahmed al-Tayeb, Al-Azhar's grand sheik, said in a statement, adding that by burning the pilot to death, the militants violated Islam's prohibition on the mutilation of bodies, even during wartime. The Islamic State group has released a series of gruesome videos showing the beheading of captives, including two American journalists, an American aid worker and two British aid workers. Tuesday's was the first to show a captive being burned alive. The latest video was released three days after another video showed the purported beheading of a Japanese journalist, Kenji Goto. A second Japanese hostage was apparently killed earlier last month. U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter Jr., a California Republican, said after a meeting with the king that Abdullah had been visibly angry and promised to retaliate against the militants. "They're starting more sorties tomorrow than they've ever had. They're starting tomorrow," Hunter told the Washington Examiner in an interview published online Tuesday night. Hunter added the king also said: "The only problem we're going to have is running out of fuel and bullets." ___ Associated Press writers Hamza Hendawi in Cairo, Diaa Hadid in Beirut and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to the report. | 5 | 6,718 | news |
Cory Provus and Tarik Turner recap DePaul's 75-62 win over Seton Hall. | 1 | 6,719 | sports |
After Sunday's devastating Super Bowl loss, Russell Wilson is trading in his current balls for some balls of a different kind. The Seahawks quarterback will return to Texas Rangers spring training for the second year in a row. Watch to find out more. | 8 | 6,720 | video |
NORTH HAVERHILL, N.H. Lawyers for a woman who fled from New Hampshire with her then-8-year-old daughter a decade ago in a custody case want a judge to allow her defense to be that she was "acting in good faith to protect the child from real and imminent physical danger" from her father. A prosecutor says that defense only applies if Genevieve Kelley had stayed in New Hampshire with the girl. A hearing on the motion and others is scheduled for Wednesday. Kelley, 50, a family practice doctor from Whitefield, turned herself in to authorities in November on custodial interference charges. She said she violated a family court decision to protect her daughter, Mary Nunes, from her ex-husband, Mark Nunes, whom she alleges abused the child. He was investigated, but not charged; authorities felt he was unfairly accused. Kelley said she fled to avoid a greater harm to her child, but prosecutor John McCormick said that defense doesn't apply under state law. Kelley's lawyer, Alan Rosenfeld, said the law is meant to prevent that defense from being available to parents who take children out of state as part of an alleged crime; he said it would be up to prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Kelley left after no longer having a legal right to do so. Rosenfeld said Kelley plans to offer testimony that at a point where her daughter's court-appointed guardian and social service agencies "had chosen not to believe" what the girl said, the legal system was unable to protect her. "Simply put, there was no lawful alternative to provide safety for this child," he wrote. McCormick said the investigation into whether Mary was abused was "greatly compromised" by Kelley's actions. He said because Kelley intentionally refused to follow the court's order for Mary to be evaluated in 2004, "she all but sabotaged the prospect of ever bringing Mary's alleged abuser to justice, whether the abuser was who the defendant claims, some other person close to Mary when she was a young child, or whether Mary was simply pressured" into accusing her father of abusing her. Rosenfeld said Mary Nunes, now 18 and in hiding, plans to be a witness for her mother at the trial. He has asked that her testimony be videotaped, saying a psychiatrist diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2004. Rosenfeld said she would suffer mental or emotional strain if she has to testify in court. McCormick responded that while the state is sensitive to Nunes' well-being, if she is going to be a witness, she should appear at trial, not as part of a "packaged videotaped presentation." Kelley was released from jail on Jan. 7, nearly three weeks after supporters posted $250,000 cash bail. She has said her daughter is safe. Authorities don't know where she is. Kelley is not allowed to have contact with her or with her husband, Scott Kelley, who also is missing and is charged with custodial interference. McCormick has asked for access to Kelley's passport in hopes of locating her daughter. Rosenfeld objected, saying she would be producing evidence against herself, in violation of her constitutional rights against self-incrimination. | 5 | 6,721 | news |
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Pick a category: Defense. Shooting. Ball movement. Efficiency. Togetherness. BOX SCORE: TRAIL BLAZERS 103, JAZZ 102 In four games this season, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings showed in just about every way how much of a difference there is between the NBA's Northern California clubs. Stephen Curry had 23 points and nine assists, and the Warriors rode a 23-0 spurt in the first half to beat the Kings 121-96 on Tuesday night, sweeping the season series for the second straight year. "They want to be all machos over there, but we just come out here and play our game. We always come out with a win," said Warriors reserve Marreese Speights, who finished with 17 points and eight rebounds before fouling out. Golden State shut down Sacramento for more than seven minutes at the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter to take an 18-point lead. The Warriors went ahead by 21 at the half and 25 in the third quarter, then held off a brief Kings comeback. Things got physical and feisty, at times, on the court. But none of it seemed to faze the visitors. The Warriors had 33 assists and 11 turnovers, while the Kings had 17 assists and 18 turnovers. Golden State outshot Sacramento 50.5 percent to 44.3 percent and outscored Sacramento's bench 61 to 12. "I love the box score. I love having a lot of different guys scoring and not having all the points concentrated on a few guys," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "It just makes us hard to guard." Sacramento snapped its eight-game losing streak with a win at Indiana on Saturday and had hoped to carry the momentum home. Instead, about the only thing the Kings accomplished was quieting Klay Thompson -- who had 14 points -- after he scored an NBA-record 37 points in the third quarter and finished with 52 in Golden State's last game against Sacramento on Jan. 23. DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gay scored 20 for the Kings, who rallied within 11 late in the third quarter before the Warriors regrouped. "Basically, their bench came in and did a great job," Cousins said. "They pushed the game ahead and made it tough for our whole team." It was quite a way for the NBA-leading Warriors (38-8) to begin a stretch of four games in five nights, including three on the road. In all, five of their last six games before the All-Star break are away from home. Golden State fell behind 22-14 with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter before smothering Sacramento (17-30) for a stunningly prolonged stretch. The Warriors held the Kings scoreless for more than seven minutes and without a field goal for more than 8 minutes. Sacramento missed 10 consecutive shots and committed five turnovers until Jason Thompson's short jumper with 9:38 left in the second quarter. The Warriors rolled into the half up 63-42, kept their pace-and-space attack moving after the break and moved ahead by 25 points in the third quarter. Cousins helped Sacramento slice that lead to 11 late in the third before the Warriors got hot again. Curry hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter and the Warriors built back a big lead. SILVER IN SACRAMENTO NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the game. He was in town to tour Sacramento's future downtown arena, which is scheduled to open for the 2016-17 season. HALFTIME SHOW Rapper Flo Rida performed at halftime. The Kings dance team participated in his on-court show. TIP-INS Warriors: It was Golden State's NBA-best 19th game with at least 30 assists. ... Backup center Festus Ezeli after sitting out the last 18 games with a sprained left ankle. He had five rebounds and two points in eight minutes. Kings: Sacramento dropped to 6-17 since firing Michael Malone as coach. ... Reserve big man Reggie Evans was inactive. UP NEXT Warriors: Host Dallas on Wednesday. | 1 | 6,722 | sports |
President Barack Obama's pick for defense secretary is poised to tell Republicans in Congress on Wednesday he might eventually consider reviewing the schedule for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, and would push to trim wasteful spending. Ashton Carter, a former Pentagon No. 2, heads to the Senate for a 9:30 a.m. confirmation hearing that is expected to be far smoother than the one that badly damaged outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's political stature two years ago. But Carter is hardly going to get an easy ride, with key Republicans in the Senate Armed Services Committee sharply critical of Obama's drawdown schedule in Afghanistan as well his limits on U.S. military actions in Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. "I think he's well qualified. He's going to have to do well. He's going to have to defend the president, but not to a fault," Senator Lindsey Graham, a key committee member, told Reuters. Carter was nominated to become Obama's fourth defense secretary after Hagel resigned under pressure last year, raising questions over whether the 60-year-old technocrat would be able break into Obama's tight-knit inner circle. Hagel remains in the job until his successor is confirmed. In an opening statement Carter is due to read on Wednesday morning, obtained by Reuters, he promised to give Obama his "most candid strategic advice" about the dangers ahead. Carter also said in written answers to questions due to be publicly released on Wednesday that he's willing to consider recommending changes to Obama's drawdown plans in Afghanistan next year, should conditions deteriorate. That could appeal to some Republicans who criticize Obama for setting drawdown targets based on what they say is a political calendar instead of security after 13 years of war. Carter also expressed interest in expanding counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan and advancing efforts to arm and integrate Sunni tribal forces into Iraq's battle against Islamic State militants. Still, it remains to be seen whether Carter will depart from longstanding Obama administration positions. Carter is an administration insider who has toiled away in high-ranking positions within the Pentagon in recent years. His roles include deputy defense secretary -- the Pentagon's No. 2 job -- from 2011 to 2013 and the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer from 2009-11 when he led a major restructuring of the F-35 fighter jet program. "I would think we will see more of continuity than we will see divergence," said William Perry, a former U.S. defense secretary and mentor to Carter. Carter's hearing will be closely watched by Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co and other big weapons makers, which are waiting for clues about Carter's priorities and his commitment to new procurement programs, including a new long-range bomber and the Air Force One replacement. Like Hagel, Carter criticized across-the-board spending cuts imposed by Congress but also singled out the need for greater reform of defense spending, already underway. "I cannot suggest support and stability for the defense budget without at the same time frankly noting that not every defense dollar is spent as well as it should be," he says in prepared opening remarks. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Andrea Shalal; editing by Stuart Grudgings) | 5 | 6,723 | news |
A report by the British Medical Journal says just over $1bn of $3bn pledged to fight the Ebola outbreak has reached affected countries. | 8 | 6,724 | video |
Defending champion Lee Westwood will be shooting for a third Malaysian Open title this week to extend his strong record in Asia, which has come to feel like home for the Englishman. Westwood was in a class by himself last year, seizing the title at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club by seven strokes and adding to a previous win in the tournament way back in 1997. "I am always comfortable playing in Malaysia, and with last year's win one of my best ever, I am ready to defend my title on a course where I almost feel like a member," said Westwood, 41. Few non-Asian players can rival the former world number one's record in the region. Westwood has 42 pro victories in his career including seven in Asian Tour-sanctioned events and several others in the region. His most recent Asian Tour win came in the Thailand Golf Championship in December, the second time he won that event. The $3 million Maybank Malaysian Open starting on Thursday is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours. Since his victory last year in Kuala Lumpur, Westwood has struggled to remain in top form and is now ranked 30th in the world. But, following his one-shot victory in Thailand in December, he finished a solid ninth place last week in the Dubai Desert Classic, won by world number one Rory McIlroy. Challengers in Kuala Lumpur include Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, the world number 15, who has steadily emerged as a formidable competitor on the European Tour. The 2010 US Open Champion and world number 20 Graeme McDowell, whose last tournament win came at the Alstom Open de France last July, also is in the fray, as is the Asian Tour's current top-ranked player David Lipsky of the United States. Besides a challenging course that puts a premium on accuracy, competitors typically must contend with hot and steamy local conditions that can sap the resolve of the un-acclimated, while frequent rain and lightning delays can disrupt momentum. But the tournament -- held last year in April -- is being staged earlier this year, and recent weather conditions have been relatively balmy. Two Thai players in the field who know how to handle Malaysian conditions are Thongchai Jaidee, who has won the event twice before, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who took the title in 2013. | 1 | 6,725 | sports |
PARIS European Union leaders cautioned Wednesday that talks with Greece over its demands to ease its bailout loans will be tough, though the country's new prime minister was upbeat about a possible solution. With all Europe waiting to see how Greece proposes to renegotiate its massive bailout loans, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his finance minister are on a whirlwind tour of the region to discuss possible solutions. Tsipras wants easier terms of repayment on the 240 billion euros (currently $271 billion) in bailout loans and to relax the austerity budget measures the country has been required to make. "I'm very optimistic after these discussions that we are in a good way," Tsipras said, after meeting the presidents of the EU's three main institutions in Brussels. "We don't have already an agreement but we are in a good direction to find a viable agreement." Meanwhile, Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis met with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi in Frankfurt, for what he described as "a very fruitful discussion" about the rules and constraints of monetary union. The ECB, however, responded to the meeting by deciding late Wednesday to add pressure on the Greek government by withdrawing a key borrowing option for the country's banks. The move underlines the key role the ECB, the monetary authority for the 19 countries that use the shared currency, is playing in the Greek drama. The ECB had allowed the use of Greece's junk-rated bonds as collateral because the government was getting a financial lifeline though the bailout program that expires Feb. 28. The ECB said in a statement that prospects for a new deal appear uncertain. The negotiations with leaders at the European Commission, the EU's executive and one of the three main institutions overseeing Greece's finances, are also expected to be tough. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said the EU would show flexibility in helping Athens with its debts but ruled out wholesale policy changes. In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was too early to speculate on a deal as Greece had not yet made suggestions on how to reduce its debt load. "We are waiting for the concrete proposals, and then we can talk further," said Merkel. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble will meet Varoufakis on Thursday in Berlin while Merkel could have her first meeting with Tsipras on Feb. 12, when EU leaders gather in Brussels. Germany has long been Europe's toughest enforcer of debt reduction policies, particularly in countries like Greece that got rescue loans from fellow EU states. After meeting with Juncker, Tsipras then headed to Paris to meet with France's Socialist president Francois Hollande, regarded as a potential ally by the Greek government in discussions with EU leaders. Hollande called for a "long-term" solution for Greece but in a joint statement to the press he stressed the need for "respect of the European rules." "I am sure that our partners want to listen to us and I am sure that we can work together to overcome the crisis in Greece", Tsipras said. Tsipras is riding a wave of popular discontent in Greece over the austerity measures demanded by the creditors, which include eurozone states like Germany as well as the International Monetary Fund. He has rejected discussing the country's debt with the so-called troika a team of technical experts representing the European Commission, European Central Bank and the IMF. Instead, his left-wing government has sought to hold talks with the leaders of those institutions and governments. A first priority is whether Greece will ask for an extension to its loan program before a fast-approaching bailout deadline on Feb. 28. If not, Athens would be left to fend for itself without international backing. ___ David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report. Lorne Cook contributed from Brussels. | 3 | 6,726 | finance |
U.S. President Barack Obama offered his "deepest condolences" to Jordan's King Abdullah II over the death of Jordanian air force pilot Muath Al-Kaseasbeh during an unscheduled meeting at the White House on Tuesday, according to media reports . The meeting was held just hours after the Islamic State group released a video showing the 26-year-old pilot being burned to death. "The president and King Abdullah reaffirmed that the vile murder of this brave Jordanian will only serve to steel the international community's resolve to destroy ISIL," Alistair Baskey, White House spokesperson, reportedly said after the meeting. In a statement, published Tuesday after the video's release, Obama said that the ISIS' move was further evidence of the extremist group's "viciousness and barbarity" and that al-Kasasbeh's sacrifice should unite the world against the militant group. "As we grieve together, we must stand united, respectful of his sacrifice to defeat this scourge. Today, the coalition fights for everyone who has suffered from ISIL's inhumanity," Obama said in the statement . U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the killing of the pilot, saying that ISIS has "no agenda other than to kill and destroy." "Jordanian First Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh represented everything that ISIL is not -- he was brave, compassionate, and principled," Kerry said, in the statement . "Today and hereafter, particularly in this hour of grief, our support for Jordan and the Jordanian people remains strong and steadfast." The brutal killing of the Jordanian pilot has sparked outrage in Jordan, with the country's government vowing "strong, decisive and swift" response to his death. On Wednesday, Jordan executed two al Qaeda prisoners to avenge the death of its pilot. The prisoners included a would-be female suicide bomber, whose release had been sought by ISIS. Abdullah II, who was in Washington on a previously scheduled trip, also cut short his visit and called for the nation to "stand together." "Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with the family of the martyr hero Moaz, with our people and our armed forces in this tragedy," he reportedly said. "At these difficult times it is every Jordanian's duty to stand together in the face of crises and ordeals, which will only make us stronger." | 5 | 6,727 | news |
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) It's been a while, but there's a giant Powerball jackpot that's expected to have a prize of $317 million by Wednesday night's drawing. The total is a return to form for Powerball, which has been known, along with Mega Millions, for its record-breaking jackpots in recent years. But there's been something of a drought, with nearly a year passing since the Powerball total climbed above $300 million. Here's a look at the latest jackpot, what's behind the lull and what it means to state lotteries. CHANGES TO THE GAME The $317 million prize would be the 11th largest Powerball jackpot ever and the 22nd largest in U.S. history when including Mega Millions, the other national lottery game. The pot has been rolling since early December. Since 2012, officials have sought to increase revenue by tinkering with Powerball and Mega Millions, primarily changing some ticket prices and lowering the odds of winning jackpots. Thanks to those moves, jackpot sizes have repeatedly climbed to record levels. More than half of the top 10 U.S. jackpots have been reached in the past couple of years, including a $590.5 million Powerball jackpot in May 2013 and a $648 million Mega Millions jackpot in December 2013. JACKPOT DROUGHT Before the latest prize, Powerball's last major jackpot was in February 2014 when it was $425 million. There was a $326 million jackpot won for Mega Millions in November, that game's first major jackpot since March 2014, when it reached $414 million. Lottery officials said there's no particular reason for the lull. Terry Rich, president of the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries and CEO of the Iowa Lottery, said lottery jackpots are inherently random. The game is expected to have slow periods based on projection models, he added. TICKET SALES Fewer giant jackpots can mean smaller ticket sales because casual players are not jumping in as often. In this case, ticket sales for Powerball and Mega Millions slightly declined during the first six months of the fiscal year that began in July, according to data. For Powerball, more than $1.6 billion in ticket sales was collected between July and the end of December. For Mega Millions, it was just over $1.4 billion. Both figures reflect a decline from the halfway point of the previous fiscal year. During that period, ticket sales for Powerball were over $2.7 billion and for Mega Millions, it was more than $1.8 billion. OVERALL OUTLOOK It's not all doom and gloom. Rich said it takes just one large jackpot to balance things out. Plus, people are still playing other games. In the fiscal year that ended in June 2014, total ticket sales from all of the nation's lottery games was about $70 billion dollars, up from about $68 billion the previous year. Popular options like instant-scratch games bring in consistent revenue. As a result, state lotteries do not always heavily rely on jackpot ticket sales, according to Paula Otto, lead director for Mega Millions and executive director of the Virginia Lottery. JACKPOT FATIGUE While huge jackpots draw more players, the downside is people become unfazed by smaller prizes. Otto called it jackpot fatigue and said lottery officials plan to do more research this year to examine the games. "Why do people play? Why don't they play?" she said of the kind of questions they want to answer. "What could we do to change the game to make it more attractive at all jackpot levels?" | 5 | 6,728 | news |
There are three absolutely crucial meetings for Greece's financial future going on today. The outcome of pretty much all of them will have to be positive, or at least neutral, for markets to keep taking a positive view of Greece's new plans for restructuring its huge debts. The first meeting is at the European Central Bank today. A Reuters exclusive yesterday revealed that two Greek banks have tapped the emergency liquidity assistance (ELA) mechanism for €2 billion. That comes from the ECB and the governing council have to assess and approve or deny the assistance every two weeks. They're doing that this morning. Here's Lloyds' research team on the subject, emphasis ours: The ECB holds the key to Greece's survival until the completion of the negotiations through the liquidity provided to Greek banks. Today's non-rate setting meeting is expected to extend the ELA for another 2 weeks but the post-February situation looks still unclear. As already discussed next week's EU summit is key and there is a high probability of an extraordinary Eurogroup early next week ( the Eurogroup is a summit of all of the eurozone's finance ministers ). Then there's finance minister Yannis Varoufakis' meeting with ECB chief Mario Draghi. Draghi has previously said that the ECB's liquidity assistance is subject to Greece sticking to its bailout agreement, which Varoufakis wants to scrap. There's a big gap between the official end of the bailout (if it isn't extended) at the end of February, and a full deal on debt, which likely wouldn't come for months (if it comes at all), so it's crucial for the new Greek government that the ECB still acts as a backstop for the country's banks, Varoufakis will likely need Draghi's tentative agreement for that. The headline meeting is between Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and EU Commission president Jean Claude Juncker. Tsipras is continuing his tour of Europe in Brussels, and Juncker is the most important person he's met yet in terms of his plans for Greece's debt. It might be a little bit awkward: Just a few months ago Juncker said if Tsipras was elected it would be a "major risk" for Greece, that he had "not adequately understood what the problems are in Greece". | 3 | 6,729 | finance |
TOKYO Sony Corp. trimmed its forecast of losses on Wednesday and gave a figure for damages from the Sony Pictures hack. The entertainment and electronics giant delayed the announcement of its earnings for the October-December quarter because the cyberattack affected its ability to compile its complete results in time. The hack, which became public in December when the Hollywood studio's computers were crippled and sensitive documents were posted online, cost Sony about $15 million, it said. Sony issued new earnings forecasts for the fiscal year ending in March and said it was benefiting from strong sales of the PlayStation 4, other devices and network services. The company is forecasting a loss of 170 billion yen ($1.4 billion) for the fiscal year, an improvement from its earlier forecast of a 230 billion yen loss. The company reported a 40 billion yen loss last fiscal year. Sony has brought in new top executives and is in the midst of a major restructuring that is expected to help put the company on a stronger footing after years of losses. It still is relatively strong in video games and its movie and music businesses have benefited from a weakening in the Japanese yen, which improves profit earned in dollars when it is brought back to Japan. The company has sold its Vaio computer business and is splitting off its TV division to run as a wholly-owned subsidiary. In its update, Sony said stronger than expected sales of the PlayStation 4, higher network services revenue, robust sales of devices and a slight improvement in its financial services business will help counter a decline in its mobile business. It expects to release its October-December quarterly result by the end of March. | 3 | 6,730 | finance |
Cameroon soldiers clashed with Boko Haram fighters in the Cameroonian border town of Fotokol on Wednesday as part of a regional push to combat the Islamists, security sources said. The Islamists "entered this morning," a Cameroonian security source said, after Chadian troops retook the Nigerian town of Gamboru just across the border. "Fighting between them and our soldiers is really intense." Around 2,000 Chadian troops backed by armoured vehicles crossed the border into Gamboru from Fotokol after days of clashes with the insurgents. By Tuesday evening, the troops had taken control of the town, according to an AFP journalist in Gamboru, leaving scenes of desolation, with houses destroyed, shops gutted and trucks charred. The residents and remaining fighters appeared to have fled. No official death toll from the fighting was immediately available. A Chadian military source said eight Chadian soldiers were killed and around 20 injured. The AFP journalist saw bodies lying on the ground. "We have routed this group of terrorists," the commander of the Chadian contingent Ahmat Dari told AFP, vowing to continue the fight against the insurgents "until the end". | 5 | 6,731 | news |
House of Mouse posts another monster quarter | 3 | 6,732 | finance |
Thousands of college students in the United States are being bribed to ignore their phones during class with free food and store discounts. Students at colleges including Penn State , and the University of California, Chico, have downloaded an app called Pocket Points that tracks how long a smartphone is kept locked and gives out points accordingly. The app first developed by a student at the Chico university encourages students to earn points by ignoring their mobile devices, rewarding them with treats for paying attention to the classes they pay thousands of dollars for. 20 minutes without checking your phone earns one point For every 20 minutes a phone is left locked while the app is running, students earn one point, but teamwork can speed that process the more students are using the app on campus at the same time, the faster points are paid out. Penn State says the points can be used in its student bookstore, with 10 points netting users a 15 percent discount on university-branded apparel, but a number of nearby businesses including the fine-sounding establishment Bradley's Cheesesteaks and Hoagies also offer discounts if you can prove you weren't checking your Facebook feed in class. Dedicated fans of free food may be hoping to use the app to game the system, earning points for locking their phones for hours on end in order to earn infinite hoagies, but the app has geographical restrictions. You'll only be able to earn Pocket Points on campus at either Penn State or the University of California, Chico at least until other institutes of higher education start to bribe their students to listen to their lectures. | 5 | 6,733 | news |
D.J. Augustin scored 25 points and added a season-high 13 assists Tuesday, sparking the Detroit Pistons over Miami 108-91 as Heat star Dwyane Wade missed his third consecutive game. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 18 points and Andre Drummond scored 14 and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who have won back-to-back games after a four-game losing streak. Kyle Singler had 13 points, Greg Monroe added 12 and reserve Jodie Meeks had 10 for Detroit, which improved to 19-30, 2 1/2 games behind Miami (21-27) for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Despite a 34-point performance from Chris Bosh, the Heat never led after an 11-8 edge. Bosh went 9-for-9 in the third quarter, when he poured in 21 points. Wade remains sidelined by a strained hamstring and could be sidelined for several weeks. Britain's Luol Deng scored 10 points for the Heat while Hassan Whiteside, the 7-foot center who led Miami in scoring the past two games, contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds. | 1 | 6,734 | sports |
WASHINGTON Nearly five years after President Barack Obama signed his health care overhaul into law, its fate is yet again in the hands of the Supreme Court. This time it's not just the White House and Democrats who have reason to be anxious. Republican lawmakers and governors won't escape the political fallout if the court invalidates insurance subsidies worth billions of dollars to people in more than 30 states. Obama's law offers subsidized private insurance to people who don't have access to it on the job. Without financial assistance with their premiums, millions of those consumers would drop coverage. And disruptions in the affected states don't end there. If droves of healthy people bail out of HealthCare.gov, residents buying individual policies outside the government market would face a jump in premiums. That's because self-pay customers are in the same insurance pool as the subsidized ones. Health insurers spent millions to defeat the law as it was being debated. But the industry told the court last month that the subsidies are a key to making the insurance overhaul work. Withdrawing them would "make the situation worse than it was before" Congress passed the Affordable Care Act. The debate over "Obamacare" was messy enough when just politics and ideology were involved. It gets really dicey with the well-being of millions of people in the balance. "It is not simply a function of law or ideology; there are practical impacts on high numbers of people," said Republican Mike Leavitt, a former federal health secretary. The legal issues involve the leeway accorded to federal agencies in applying complex legislation. Opponents argue that the precise wording of the law only allows subsidies in states that have set up their own insurance markets, or exchanges. That would leave out most beneficiaries, who live in states where the federal government runs the exchanges. The administration and Democratic lawmakers who wrote the law say Congress' clear intent was to provide subsidies to people in every state. While predicting a victory, the White House has not prepared consumers for the consequences of a reversal. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell repeatedly said that "nothing has changed," even as other supporters of the law grew alarmed when the Supreme Court unexpectedly took the case. Burwell has dodged questions about contingency planning. With oral arguments set for March 4 and a decision expected early in the summer, here's what's at stake: RED STATES IN THE PATH Insurance losses would be concentrated in Republican-led states, many of which have resisted "Obamacare." Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, and New Jersey are among those with the most to lose. Residents of blue states that are running their own markets, including California and New York, would continue to receive benefits. Because the health law's 2015 sign-up season is still underway, it's unclear how many millions of people could become uninsured. Two independent studies put the number at around 8 million. That includes consumers who bought individual policies outside of HealthCare.gov, but would drop coverage if premiums jump. The federal government is currently running the insurance markets in 37 states, but not all may be affected. Some states have made progress toward setting up their own exchanges. INSURER ESCAPE CLAUSE? Even if the Obama administration has no Plan B, insurers appear to have been thinking ahead. The federal government acknowledges in contract language that insurers "could have cause to terminate" their agreements with HealthCare.gov if the subsidies cease. TIME TO SCRAMBLE If the Supreme Court rules in late June, that would leave about three months before the start of the next sign-up season for coverage. If the ruling goes against the subsidies, it's unclear whether the courts can delay the effects for more than a few weeks, and most state legislatures are not in session during the summer. Meanwhile, insurers are supposed to have their rates for 2016 locked down. There's speculation that the White House could quickly roll out an administrative fix, but Obama could also toss the whole mess into the lap of the GOP-led Congress. Technically, a few tweaks from Congress would fix the problem. But after repeated votes to repeal "Obamacare," would any Republicans be willing to facilitate its rescue? "We don't see fixes the administration can make and we don't see Congress acting to fix this," said Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, a public policy center aligned with the White House. REPUBLICAN vs. REPUBLICAN? Faced with constituents at risk of losing coverage, some congressional Republicans may be willing to make fixes to the subsidies in exchange for concessions from Obama. Republicans have a long hit list of health law provisions, including employer requirements to cover workers, a tax on medical devices and a Medicare cost-control board. But other Republicans will not want to lift a finger to bail out the program they've railed against. "The president will say, 'With one line of legislation, you could save 5 million people from losing their health insurance,' and the Republicans need to have a unified response," said Leavitt, the former HHS secretary. "If they don't, then it creates a problem for them." Yet in the five years since the health law passed, Republicans have failed to find consensus on an alternative, and remain hard-pressed to do so. The GOP's 2016 presidential hopefuls will be hounded for answers. To complicate matters, budget experts say a congressional fix restoring some or all of the subsidies would have to be paid for with either spending cuts or tax increases. The last time the Supreme Court ruled on the health care law, the result was a 5-4 decision upholding its central requirement that virtually all Americans must carry health insurance. This time, it won't just be political junkies holding their breath before the announcement, but many consumers as well. ___ The case is King v. Burwell, docket No. 14-114. | 5 | 6,735 | news |
Vietnamese authorities have buried thousands of seized cats -- many believed to have been alive at the time -- after the felines were smuggled from China to feed the nation's illegal cat meat trade. A truck containing three tons of live cats crammed into bamboo crates was impounded last Tuesday in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, with police initially undecided how to deal with the animals. But on Wednesday a police officer told AFP they had been buried in accordance with Vietnamese law on smuggled goods. "The cats were from China, with no official origin papers and no quarantine," a policeman from the Dong Da district environmental police said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Several of them had died, there was a terrible smell that could affect the environment and carried risks of future diseases," he said. "Therefore, we culled them by burying them," he said, declining to confirm how many were alive at the time of burial. Animal protection groups, who pleaded in vain for the cats to be spared, fear many of the creatures were alive when they were buried. Other smuggled animals, including chickens, are routinely disposed of in a similar way. The Asian Canine Protection Alliance, a regional coalition of animal rights groups, said it had heard "inhumane stories as to how the (cats) may have been destroyed." "Our request for any visual evidence of their fate has been denied," the group said in a statement Wednesday, calling for the "practice of inhumane killing of trafficked animals," to be stopped. Photographs of the cats crammed into dozens of bamboo crates stacked on top of one another prompted widespread calls for the felines' lives to be spared. One petition on change.org urging Vietnamese authorities "to change their animal handling policies" had garnered more than 23,000 signatures from across the world by Wednesday. Cat meat, known locally as "little tiger", is a delicacy in Vietnam, and although officially banned it is widely available in specialist restaurants. Vietnam has long banned its consumption in an effort to encourage cat ownership and keep the country's rat population under control. But there are still dozens of restaurants serving cat in Hanoi and it is rare to see cats roaming the streets -- most pet-owners keep them indoors or tied up fearing they could be stolen. Such is the demand from restaurants that cats are sometimes smuggled across the border from China, Thailand and Laos. | 5 | 6,736 | news |
Trying to get white residents in suburban Jackson, Miss., to discuss the gruesome hate crime that ended the life of a black autoworker is not easy. Last month, two young adults from Rankin County pleaded guilty to federal hate-crime charges for attacking African-Americans in Jackson when they were teenagers, part of a spree they called "n--- bashing." Their pleas ended the federal government's first prosecution in the state under the 2009 Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. John Blalack and Robert Rice are the last of 10 defendants who admitted to the attacks, the kind of racial crime that has plagued Mississippi for decades. Deryl Dedmon, the ringleader, is serving a life sentence for running over James Anderson with a truck after the group robbed him. Leaders of the mostly-white community where the teens live have been tight-lipped about the issue of racism in their backyards. All five members of the county's board of supervisors declined to talk to National Journal about it, and city officials from the county seat of Brandon either declined to talk or did not respond to requests for an interview. The last four defendants who pleaded guilty to the hate-crime charges also declined to speak or did not respond to interview requests through their attorneys. One man did agree to talk: Perry Sanderford, who has lived in Rankin County for more than 30 years and is founder of Crossroads Counseling Center, a Christian family-counseling center affiliated with the Rankin County Baptist Association. He's white. Sanderford talked with National Journal about how Anderson's murder has affected the community and what it says about race relations in Jackson. What was your reaction when you found out that the murder of James Anderson was racially motivated? It's sad. Any time life is lost due to a criminal element, it's sad. But it's not indicative of our culture. At any moment, minor elements of any culture or environment can show itself. That doesn't represent the reality of the culture. What are race relations like in Rankin County? We've come a long way. If you'll remember, in the civil-rights era we were having difficulties making adjustments. But this here was an isolated event. What I think happened was a small group were motivated by the least emotionally mature element and there was no accountability, no one to challenge them. These were teenagers and apparently quite isolated. But it doesn't represent the culture of race relations in Rankin County. Rankin County is home to two branches of the KKK. What does this say about racism in your community? I've lived here 40 years; that element does not show itself. I've never seen them, I do not hear about it. We work together very well among all races in Rankin County. And that's a reality. The sad thing is that the old wounds of the past were triggered by a very isolated event and it has the potential to color this as the present reality. It's just not true. It's the past reality. To this family, this is death and this is hard and to the family of the adolescents that acted this out, it is also a sad day. I've had a really hard time getting local leaders to talk about this. Is race a taboo subject? A hesitancy to talk about it does not mean there is a problem. The hesitancy is because we've gotten to a place of respect where we do not want to offend, so we tend to not focus on the negative. So do you think racial violence should or shouldn't be discussed? I think it can be discussed in a forum where there is open dialogue and understanding. It's a sad, difficult subject, and it's like an old wound. Many people don't want to go back to that trauma. There has been lots of healing and great relationships over the years. Of course there's a small element that surfaces every now and then, but like I said, that doesn't represent us. You have a lot of experience as a Christian family counselor. How do you think teens develop this sort of hatred? I think a small group that's isolated has the potential to regress to the lowest emotionally mature level, and that's what happened. There's a seed that's been here since the beginning. Cain slew his brother it's not new. We live in a culture of death; it's trained through videos and news. These young people grow up on the media. Violence is a part of the culture. It's just a horrific tragedy, but also I think it was just violence, rage. How does the community move forward from here? I think continued open dialogue for greater understanding and an appreciation of diversity. I believe it's happening. Mississippi ranks number two as the state where people make the most charitable contributions for the betterment of others. But we do have a history. We have, like, PTSD I think the nation harks back to the pain of the past that may have been targeted in the South, and a lot of that has healed and moved on. But the nation triggers that past about the South, and there is a lot more than that going on. | 5 | 6,737 | news |
As Super Bowl XLIX drew to an end, two former Seattle Seahawks Legion of Boom teammates, one of whom now plays for the New England Patriots, appeared to be angrily screaming in each others faces. Thanks to this very intense photo, many believe Browner was jawing with Sherman. | 8 | 6,738 | video |
At least seven people died and 12 were injured when a commuter train hit an SUV on the track near New York City. Jean Casarez reports. | 8 | 6,739 | video |
Chad said Wednesday it inflicted heavy losses on Nigeria's Boko Haram, killing "over 200" Islamist militants in a border town that it wrested from the rebels in a ground offensive. Nine Chadian soldiers were also killed and 21 injured Tuesday in Gamboru as regional forces took the fight against the insurgents on to Nigerian soil for the first time, the Chadian army said. "This toll is provisional," the Chadian military said in a statement, adding that troops were still combing the town on Nigeria's border with Cameroon for lingering rebel elements. Around 2,000 Chadian troops backed by armoured vehicles poured across the border into Gamboru on Tuesday after the African Union last week backed a regional force to take on the extremists. The sound of automatic gunfire could heard Wednesday in the town, which has been abandoned by residents after a barrage of air strikes by Chad in the run-up to its offensive, an AFP journalist reported. While the operation in Gamboru continued, the town of Fotokol on the other side of the border, in Cameroon, came under fresh attack from the jihadists. "The guys (Boko Haram) entered this morning. The fighting between them and our soldiers is very intense," a Cameroonian security source in Fotokol told AFP by telephone. The Cameroonian troops had managed to repel the attack by mid-morning, after Chadian soldiers crossed back from Nigeria to help defend the town. - 'Hunt them everywhere' - In Gamboru, the clashes left scenes of desolation, with bodies lying on the ground, houses destroyed, shops gutted and trucks charred. "We have routed this band of terrorists," the commander of the Chadian contingent Ahmat Dari told AFP Tuesday, vowing to "hunt them down everywhere." Nigeria's military has drawn fierce criticism for failing to hold back the insurgents, who have stepped up their campaign of terror in country's northeast in the run-up to presidential and parliamentary elections on February 14. In recent months the group has also carried out increasing cross-border raids, threatening regional security. Chad's intervention reflects the growing nervousness among Nigeria's neighbours over the prospect of Boko Haram achieving its stated aim of carving out an Islamic caliphate on their borders. - Nigerian sovereignty 'intact' - Nigerian defence spokesman Chris Olukolade denied that the presence of foreign troops on Nigerian soil compromised the country's sovereignty. "Nigeria's territorial integrity remains intact," he said, claiming national forces had "planned and are driving the present onslaught against terrorists from all fronts in Nigeria, not the Chadian forces". Regional forces have gone into action on several fronts. Chadian troops and vehicles have massed near Boko Haram-held towns along Nigeria's border with Niger, pointing the way to another possible cross-border operation. "A contingent of about 400 vehicles and tanks is stationed between Mamori and Bosso," Niger's private radio Anfani reported. - French help - France is supporting the operations by carrying out reconnaissance flights over border areas of Chad and Cameroon, defence officials in Paris said. At least 13,000 people have been killed and more than a million forced from their homes since Boko Haram launched an insurgency in 2009. The group has stepped up its attacks in recent weeks, in a move believed to be aimed at disrupting the elections. The rebels have tried, in vain, to capture the strategic northeastern town of Maiduguri twice in the past week. On Monday, President Goodluck Jonathan -- who is running for re-election against a former military ruler who has vowed to defeat Boko Haram -- escaped a suspected suicide bomb attack after attending a campaign rally in Gombe in the northeast. Chad's President Idriss Deby sent soldiers to Cameroon in mid-January to assist troops from Yaounde fighting increasing rebel incursions in the country's far northeast. N'Djamena was already part of a long-standing regional force with Niger and Nigeria in the Lake Chad area. But that force had been assumed to be moribund after Boko Haram overran the multi-national base in Baga, northern Borno state, on January 3, in an attack that also left hundreds of civilians feared dead. | 5 | 6,740 | news |
NEW YORK (AP) Chris Martin was as far from the bright lights of the major leagues as could be five years ago, working in a warehouse off Interstate 20 in Arlington, Texas, pushing 650-pound Sub-Zero refrigerators onto dollies for deliveries. Drafted twice but never signed, he hurt his arm while pitching for a community college, didn't respond to surgery and finished school without a degree. But at least he was down to one job. He worked his own unique day-night doubleheader for a stretch, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lawn-and-garden section at Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse and from 5:30-11 p.m. loading 53-foot trailers for UPS at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Not anymore. Come Feb. 21, the 28-year-old will be wearing No. 61 for the New York Yankees at spring training, a throwback to an era a half-century ago when all but stars worked odd jobs to make ends meet. ''Oh man, I'm pumped. I'm ready to go. Wish it started today,'' the 6-foot-8 right-hander said. Martin had given up on a baseball career in 2008, when he wasn't able to make a single toss without sharp pain. In a sport filled with players on the field nearly year-round since their early teens, Martin didn't pitch in a game from the fall of 2005 until the summer of 2010. But serendipity and perseverance intervened. An unexpected encounter in a bar with a high school buddy set off a chain of events that started with a fortuitous game of catch and led to a tryout at his own expense, stops with six minor league teams and his major league debut with Colorado last April. The Yankees purchased him last month for $75,000. ''It's just an amazing story, how a guy like this completely gets lost in the shuffle,'' said Pete Incaviglia, the former slugger who signed Martin to his first professional contract with the Grand Prairie Airhogs, an independent team in Texas. A 2004 graduate of Arlington High School, Martin was drafted by Detroit in the 18th round with the 523rd pick. He chose to attend McLennan Community College in Waco, and stayed there when Colorado drafted him in the 21st round in June 2005. Martin, however, hurt his shoulder in a game at Navarro Junior College that fall. He tried rest and rehab at the advice of Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers' team physician, but that didn't help. Meister operated in August 2007 to repair the labrum and release the shoulder capsule. When he healed, Martin tried out for the Fort Worth Cats of United League Baseball. ''The shoulder still felt the same, so that's when I decided to hang it up,'' Martin said. He went to work at Lowe's. Plus, he added the night job, primarily for UPS's health insurance. That was his life for about a year, until he went to J. Gilligan's Bar & Grill and came across Jordan Bostick, who was a year behind him in high school. Bostick was a warehouse manager at Texas Appliance in Arlington, and he suggested Martin work for him. ''I don't know about how the money compared, but it definitely was a lot better than doing double duty, that's for sure,'' Bostick recalled. One day in June 2010, Bostick broke out a left-handed catcher's mitt at the warehouse. Martin hadn't picked up a baseball in three years. ''I was playing slow-pitch softball,'' he said. Martin's pitches ''busted seams and nearly took my thumb off,'' Bostick said. Martin's shoulder, surprisingly, felt OK. ''When he was in college, he was real thin, tall and skinny. I just don't think he was as strong enough for as hard as he was throwing,'' Martin's father, Matt, said. ''When he was working for that appliance store, he was doing a lot more physical labor, so he was getting stronger, I would have to say.'' Martin joined a friend on a men's league team, pitched a few times and remained pain free. A series of texts and calls between former McLennan players landed Martin a tryout with Incaviglia's team. ''Out of the corner of my eye, I see my bullpen catcher waving me over, and so I go over there and kind of stand behind the catcher and look at my gun: 94, 94, 95,'' Incaviglia said. Martin signed for $800 a month and went 4-0 with a 1.95 ERA in 13 games. Incaviglia called Red Sox scout Jaymie Bane. ''I said: Just bring him to your tryout and call me and say thank you,'' Incaviglia remembered. After the season, Bane had Martin throw for another Red Sox scout. Then Martin went to Fort Myers with his dad and pitched batting practice at Boston's minor league complex for Bane and Red Sox officials Allard Baird and Jared Porter. Martin's father still has a copy of a check the Red Sox sent reimbursing Chris' airfare and a room at the Ramada: $464.52. After a few pitches, Baird told Bane to stand behind Martin and shift him toward the third-base side of the pitching rubber. ''The moment he did it, it came out, and you could see the difference,'' Bane said. Boston asked Martin to come back two days later for a bullpen session, to make sure his arm bounced back. The Red Sox signed him for $1,100 a month. Martin pitched at Class A with Greenville and Salem, Double-A with Portland, Maine, and Triple-A with Pawtucket. He was traded to the Rockies in December 2013 and sent to Colorado Springs. Martin made his big league debut last April 26 at Dodger Stadium, and his first three batters were Adrian Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier - totaling 547 homers at the time. He had a 6.89 ERA in 16 big league games over 43 days during two callups and finally earned bigger money: $168,256. The Yankees like his fastball, which averages 95 mph. And Martin's height - he wears a size 50 jersey. When Martin struggles in games, he thinks about his long journey to the big leagues. ''It reminds me how fast baseball can be taken away and it makes me not take things for granted anymore,'' he said. ''I don't want to go back to where I was.'' | 1 | 6,741 | sports |
Oryx, giraffes and cheetahs roam an "Arabian Ark" nature reserve on a desert Gulf island where species once facing extinction in the region are making a comeback. Since animals were first brought to Sir Bani Yas off the coast of Abu Dhabi more than four decades ago, their total population has soared to more than 13,000. Twenty-five species of mammals and 170 types of birds are found in a nature reserve covering an area of 1,400 hectares (3,500 acres). They include striped hyenas, caracals -- also known as the desert lynx -- and the Arabian tahr, a small goat-like mammal indigenous to the Hajar Mountains between the UAE and Oman. Some species are, or were, endangered in the region, or even extinct in the wild. The reserve began as an initiative by late UAE founder Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahayan who started bringing animals to Sir Bani Yas in 1971. "He started developing the island into a nature reserve and the idea back then was to create an Arabian Ark for his people," said Marius Prinsloo, general manager of operations at the island. "We have been successful," he said of the conservation efforts. - 'Great results' - Sir Bani Yas is now home to about 500 Arabian Oryx -- one of the world's largest herds. Sameer Ghani, an independent conservation specialist, said the reserve's Arabian Oryx breeding programme was showing "great results" after the animal "went extinct in the wild in the early 1970s". A type of antelope, they once roamed most of the Arabian Peninsula but rampant hunting meant that for years they survived only in captivity. Conservationists believe the last remaining Arabian Oryx in the wild was shot and killed in the Omani desert in 1972. They were bred and reintroduced in the UAE and other countries, resulting in their removal in 2011 from the global list of endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which now classifies them as vulnerable. Sand and mountain gazelles have also found a natural habitat on Sir Bani Yas. In 2008, four cheetahs were brought to the island to help maintain a natural balance. The cheetah -- the world's fastest land animal -- was indigenous to the region but believed to have become extinct in the wild in the Middle East in the early 1970s. Bred or raised in captivity, the four cheetahs were taught to survive and hunt for themselves, feeding mainly on sand gazelles. In 2010, the first cheetah cubs were born on the island. Ghani said the biggest challenge of the conservation programme was "re-wilding" -- educating animals raised in captivity to survive on their own. The animals "eventually become part of the natural population of the island". - Planting mangroves - Non-indigenous animals including the scimitar-horned oryx, the reticulated giraffe and blackbuck antelopes have also been introduced in the park. Every visitor to the island is urged to plant a mangrove and if they do not then the reserve does it for them. About 2.5 million trees have been planted on Sir Bani Yas, which after decades closed to the public was opened to tourists six years ago offering African-style safaris. Sir Bani Yas, located around 170 kilometres (106 miles) from the capital of Abu Dhabi, is also home to the remains of a pre-Islamic monastery and other archeological remains. "In 1992, we began exploration and excavation works and have since uncovered 36 archeological sites, most importantly a Christian monastery dating back to 600 AD," said Fatima Mutawaa of the Tourism Development & Investment Company, which is developing Sir Bani Yas. The sites "reflect the diverse cultures that have thrived on this island," said Mutawaa. The monastery is believed to have been built by a community of 30-40 monks who probably belonged to the Nestorian Church. It is thought to have been abandoned after about 750 AD. While it has an airport and three luxury resorts, Sir Bani Yas has largely preserved its natural character, in stark contrast to the glitzy shopping malls and skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. "Sir Bani Yas offers an amazing natural landscape of wadis (valleys) and salt stones and beaches," said Mark Eletr, director of four resorts on the island run by Thai group Anantara. "People are experiencing this now and enjoying a very raw natural environment." | 2 | 6,742 | travel |
Police have launched an investigation after finding drugs at Bobbi Kristina Brown's home. Roswell Police Department are said to have discovered the narcotics shortly after the 21-year-old actress was discovered unresponsive in a bathtub at her townhouse in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, 31 January, family sources have told TMZ. While Bobbi - who is the only daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown - is currently "fighting for her life" in hospital, an investigation has been launched into the circumstances in which she was found after police conducted a second search of the property. Her husband Nick Gordon and her ex-boyfriend Max Lomas were the first to arrive at the scene, and according to Fulton County Jail records, Max, 24, was arrested early last year on suspicion of drug dealing and was charged with possession and intent to distribute cannabis as well as possession of Alprazolam. He was also charged with possessing a firearm or knife while attempting to commit a crime. While the police department originally reported they had found no traces of drugs in Bobbi's home, they have since revealed they believe she may have been under the influence when she was discovered by the pair in the bathroom. Bobbi - who is thought to have spent up to eight minutes underwater - has been placed in a medically-induced coma after being found with "no heartbeat". Although she is said to have "opened and closed" her eyes a few times on Monday, a source close to the family said she remains on a ventilator in the intensive care unit and doctors have warned that they won't be able to tell if she has suffered brain damage until the sedatives can be reduced. | 6 | 6,743 | entertainment |
Nicole Scherzinger has dumped Lewis Hamilton after he refused to marry her. The former Pussycat Doll is said to be "very upset" after ending her seven year relationship with the F1 star following a series of rows over the festive period. While the couple were believed to be planning to wed last year, it is thought the brunette beauty has grown tired of waiting for her 30-year-old beau to put a ring on her finger. A source told The Sun newspaper: "It really is over this time."It is said the pair had been spending less and less time together after Lewis - who bagged his second F1 championship last year - revealed plans to go for a third and Nicole joined the West End production of cats. A source explained: "They'd been fighting for months but things had got much worse." They spend so much time apart that things just became untenable."Lewis also confessed that he was feeling pressure from the 36-year-old singer's family to pop the question but insisted the pair were too busy to tie the knot when he was questioned over their relationship back in December. He said: "I'm certainly feeling pressure, heat from family members." But Nicole's massively focused on her work the same as I am. We're happy just way we are. [Marriage at] one point...will be for us." He added that the couple were too "young" to start having kids. Speaking about the future of his relationship with Nicole, he said: "She's amazing with kids, I think we're both pretty good with kids ... but we don't have time for that at the moment." There are so many things we want to do, but the great thing is that we support each other with it. All in good time. She's still massively young and I'm still young man!" | 6 | 6,744 | entertainment |
Strong demand for pay TV in Britain and a record jump in customer numbers in Germany helped Sky Plc to post a 16 percent rise in first-half adjusted operating profit in its maiden results as a European pay-TV group on Wednesday. Sky, which was formed from the combination of Britain's BSkyB, Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia to serve 20 million customers in Europe, said it had also seen a significant decline in the number of people leaving their platforms. Overall the group posted first half adjusted operating profit up 16 percent to 675 million pounds ($1 billion), well ahead of forecasts of 644 million pounds in a consensus provided by the company. "Alongside our continued strength in the UK and Ireland, the acquisition of Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland gives us an expanded opportunity for growth," Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch said. "Both businesses had a strong quarter." Latest: Sky plc share price Having seen off a string of challengers to dominate its home market, BSkyB in June embarked on a plan to enter Germany, Austria and Italy by buying Rupert Murdoch's assets in those markets - countries where pay-TV is not yet as popular or profitable. The first set of results as a combined company indicated the group had got its timing right. While adding 204,000 new customers in Britain and Ireland, the highest growth in nine years, it saw record growth in Germany and the best growth in Italy in 12 quarters, helped by fewer customers leaving the platform. ($1 = 0.6602 pounds) (Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Paul Sandle) More from MSN Money: Latest: Sky plc share price Stock screener: find stocks that interest you | 3 | 6,745 | finance |
Johnny Depp "can't wait" to marry Amber Heard. The 'Mortdecai' star is expected to tie the knot with his 28-year-old fiancee on his private island in the Bahamas this weekend and the 51-year-old actor is said to be ecstatic about his forthcoming nuptials to the 28-year-old blonde. A source told E! News: "He's completely in love and can't wait!" The couple - who got engaged in December 2013 after a year together - are reportedly planning to wed in the 45-acres of Little Hall's Pond Cay in front of 50 guests. Johnny and Amber are believed to have chosen the February date in order to fit in with their hectic work schedules. A source previously explained: "She's filming a movie in London, and he's getting ready to film the next 'Pirates of the Caribbean' in Australia. So this is the only time that everyone could get together." However, accommodation on the island is limited so some guests - including Amber's family and Johnny's two children from his previous relationship with Vanessa Paradis, 15-year-old Lily-Rose and Jack, 12 - will be staying on his yacht during the celebrations. The reports rubbish rumors that the couple were on the verge of splitting up with a source recently revealing that the pair are in a "good place". The insider added: "Amber and Johnny are really happy. And their relationship is in a really good place. | 6 | 6,746 | entertainment |
CAIRO (AP) The horrific fate of a captured Jordanian pilot, burned to death by the Islamic State group, unleashed a wave of grief and rage on Wednesday across the Middle East, a region long accustomed to upheavals and violence. Political and religious leaders united in outrage and condemnation, saying the slaying of the airman goes against Islam's teachings. The gruesome militant video of the last moments in the life of 26-year-old Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh, whose F-16 crashed in Syria in December during a U.S.-led coalition raid on the extremist group, crossed a line beyond the beheadings of Western hostages at the hands of Islamic State extremists. From the world's most prestigious seat of Sunni Islam learning, Cairo's Al-Azhar Mosque, Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb said the IS militants deserve the Quranic punishment of death, crucifixion or the chopping off of their arms for being enemies of God and the Prophet Muhammad. "Islam prohibits the taking of an innocent life," al-Tayeb said. By burning the pilot to death, he added, the militants violated Islam's prohibition on the immolation or mutilation of bodies even during wartime. Under many Mideast legal systems, capital punishment is usually carried out by hanging. In Iran and Pakistan, stoning to death as punishment for adultery exists in the penal code but is rarely used. Beheadings are routinely carried out in Saudi Arabia, and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers have on occasion publicly shot to death Palestinians suspected of spying for Israel. But burning to death as a punishment proscribed by an Islamic court such as the self-styled tribunals set up by the Islamic State militants in areas under their control is unheard of in the contemporary Middle East. The IS extremists captured a third of both Iraq and Syria in a blitz last year, proclaimed their caliphate and imposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law. In Saudi Arabia, prominent cleric Sheik Salman al-Oudah cited on Wednesday a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, which reserves for God alone the right to punish by fire. In Qatar, cleric Youssef al-Qaradawi respected by the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists issued a five-page statement listing Quranic verses and sayings, also attributed to the prophet and telling Muslims to not mistreat prisoners of war. But al-Qaradawi tempered his admonishment of the immolation death of the Jordanian pilot by criticizing the international community's "laxity" toward Syrian President Bashar Assad, saying such an attitude "created these extremist groups and provided them with a fertile environment." In Algeria, cleric El-Hadi Shalaby noted that the majority of Islamic State group's victims have been Muslims, both Sunnis and Shiites. "What hurts me as a Muslim is that they (IS militants) do all this in the name of Islam," he said. "The Muslim faith is utterly foreign to these practices." However, some sought to justify the Islamic State's killing of the pilot. Hussein Bin Mahmoud, an Islamic State-linked theologian, claimed on one of the group's social media forums that two of the Prophet Muhammad's revered successors ordered punishment by fire for renegades shortly after the Prophet's death. Al-Azhar has long disputed this claim. Bin Mahmoud also cited a Quranic verse that requires Muslims to punish their enemies in kind. Since U.S.-led airstrikes "burn" Muslims, he argued, the IS group must burn those behind the raids. But that view has only been embraced by a radical fringe, and mainstream Muslims united in condemnation of the killing on Wednesday. Iyad Madani, the leader of the 57-nation, Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation the world's largest bloc of Muslim countries said the killing showed total disregard for the rights of prisoners under Islam, as well as what he called the moral standards for war. There is a "malaise" in parts of the Middle East, along with the "intellectual decay, the political fragmentation and the abuse of Islam, the great religion of mercy," he said. U.S.-allied Gulf Arab nations issued similar condemnations. United Arab Emirates' foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reaffirmed his nation's commitment to fighting terrorism and extremism. "This heinous and obscene act represents a brutal escalation by the terrorist group, whose evil objectives have become apparent," he said. The UAE is one of the most visible Arab members in the U.S.-led coalition battling the Islamic State group, which also includes Jordan. Bahrain, a Gulf state that is home to the U.S. 5th Fleet, denounced the killing as "despicable," and Kuwait's emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, blasted the killing as "criminal" and "vicious." Qatar's Foreign Ministry also condemned the "criminal act." The tiny but very rich Gulf nation hosts the regional command center coordinating coalition airstrikes. In predominantly Muslim Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the killing an act of "savagery," adding that "there is no such thing in our religion." Iran, which has aided both Iraq and Syria against the IS, said the killing of the pilot was an "inhuman" act that violated the codes of Islam, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham. Tunisia's Foreign Ministry decried the "cowardly" and "savage" act. The newly elected President Beji Caid Essebsi said the pilot's slaying was an "odious crime" incompatible with the principles of Islam and all other divine laws. In his native Jordan, the killing of al-Kaseasbeh who had been the subject of intense negotiations over a possible swap with an al-Qaida prisoner on death row drew swift retribution. The prisoner, an Iraqi woman convicted of involvement in a triple hotel bombing in Amman in 2005, was executed along with another al-Qaida prisoner at dawn on Wednesday. The pan-Arab al-Hayat newspaper denounced the pilot's killing with a one-word headline on the front page: "Barbarity." "How many ... are there, whose names we are ignorant of, slaughtered by the Islamic State and their brothers?" asked an article in Lebanon's left-leaning daily Assafir. Jordanian politician Mohammed al-Rousan wept openly on national television as he described watching al-Kaseasbeh's death, saying even people accustomed to violence could not bear to see a man burned alive. Then, his tears turned to rage. "Let's use the same methods as them!" he shouted during the interview with Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV. "Let's kill their children! Let's kill their women!" ___ Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Diaa Hadid in Beirut; Maamoun Youssef in Cairo; Suzan Frazer in Ankara; Bouazza ben Bouazza in Tunis, Tunisia; Aomar Ouali in Algiers, Algeria, and Akram Fares in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report. | 5 | 6,747 | news |
Instagram has tweaked its video settings so that clips automatically replay in users' streams a change that will be mainly welcomed by #brands keen to get as many views for their ads as possible. The users themselves might be less happy as the clips also autoplay, eating up mobile data. Users can choose to have videos preload on Wi-Fi only to save data, but this is not the default option and there's no way to disable autoplaying altogether. The change also brings Instagram's video service closer to rival Vine's. However, while Vine's six-second clips are often designed to be looped, Instagram's 15-second videos generally are not. The Facebook-owned Instagram first introduced video ads in October last year , but was criticized for failing to curate these to the same standard it had applied to static ads. Auto-playing might make this difference even more apparent. UhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"> We tried to outrace two drones in a BMW M235i in the Las Vegas desert. Full video on YouTube! A video posted by @verge on T18:37:32+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jan 17, 2015 at 10:37am PST | 5 | 6,748 | news |
Greece's new prime minister is heading to Brussels for a showdown. Alexis Tsipras arrives at the seat of the European Commission today for talks with its president, Jean Claude Juncker. Stocks rallied yesterday after Greece's new finance minister said that the administration would pursue a debt swap rather than an outright haircut. The meeting today could also move markets. Chinese services are growing at their slowest pace in six months. HSBC's services purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China, one of the most widely-watched business surveys in the world, fell to 51.8. Anything above 50 signals growth. Two days ago, HSBC's survey for manufacturing showed the PMI below 50 for a second month. Russian state energy giant Rosneft is raising money from a Swiss commodities trader. Rosneft is raising money from Swiss trader Trafigura days before it must repay a $7 billion debt and squeezed by sanctions, industry sources said, seeking new options after a foray into the bond market fuelled a devaluation of the rouble. US auto makers sold 16.56 million units in January. The big automakers have announced their January US sales stats throughout the day. And according to WardsAuto, the pace of sales slowed to an annualised rate of 16.56 million, down from 16.8 million in December. This was in line with analysts' expectation for 16.6 million. Services PMIs are coming. After manufacturing PMIs earlier this week, the eurozone's services PMI figures for January are out between 8:15 a.m. and 9 a.m. GMT (4:15 and 5 a.m. ET). Economists are expecting an improvement from December. US petrol prices just reversed a 17-week slumping trend. Gasoline prices fell for 17 straight weeks from September 29 through January 26. The Energy Information Administration says that this streak has come to an end. With oil prices rising, average US gas prices ticked up from $2.044/gal on January 26 to $2.068 on February 2. The weak yen is boosting Toyota. Toyota lifted its operating profit guidance by 8% on Wednesday as a weaker yen increases the value of sales overseas and makes up for slumping demand at home. The world's biggest automaker now expects record operating profit of 2.70 trillion yen ($22.93 billion) for the year. Asian markets are mostly up. Japan's Nikkei climbed 1.98% on Wednesday, followed up by Hong Kong's Hang Seng, which is now up 0.62%. The Shanghai Composite dipped, down 0.5% just ahead of the close. Brazil may replace the management of state energy giant Petrobras. Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff accepted an offer by Petrobras Chief Executive Officer Maria das Graças Foster to step down this month, setting in motion a plan to replace senior management at the embattled state-run oil company, a government source said on Tuesday. Venezuela just took over a supermarket chain accused of hoarding. Venezuela said on Tuesday it has temporarily taken over 35 stores belonging to the "Dia a Dia" supermarket chain on charges it squirrelled away food to stoke public exasperation over widespread shortages. NOW WATCH: This Animated Map Shows How European Languages Evolved | 3 | 6,749 | finance |
Legendary defensive coach Dick LeBeau is expected to be named assistant head coach with the Titans, where he'll be in charge of the defense, a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday. An official announcement is expected later in the week. LeBeau, the architect of the defenses that helped the Steelers win two Super Bowl titles and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, parted ways with the Steelers last month. Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt reached out to LeBeau not long after, and more recently persuaded him to join the organization, the source said. While LeBeau, 77, will be in charge of the defense, Ray Horton will remain on the staff as the team's defensive coordinator. Horton was hired by Whisenhunt last offseason. LeBeau had been with the Steelers for 16 seasons, where he was a part of three Super Bowl teams. He served as defensive coordinator from 1995-96 and from 2004-14. Whisenhunt was offensive coordinator opposite LeBeau when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. Horton was defensive backs coach under LeBeau for seven seasons in Pittsburgh. Prior to that, Horton spent time with LeBeau in Cincinnati as a player and a coach. Pittsburgh allowed the fewest yards in the NFL in five of the 13 seasons in which LeBeau led the defense. In 2014, the Steelers finished 18th in the NFL in both scoring defense (23.0 points allowed per game) and total defense (353.4 yards per game). LeBeau's presence should provide a boost to a defense that ranked 27th in the NFL in yards allowed and 29th in points in 2014. The Titans, of course, will need to upgrade their personnel to make LeBeau's defense work. LeBeau discussed a potential job with the Arizona Cardinals last month but decided on the opportunity with the Titans instead. Wyatt also writes for The Tennessean. | 5 | 6,750 | news |
WASHINGTON For a pair of first-time presidential hopefuls, the sudden injection of the childhood vaccine debate into the 2016 campaign is a lesson in how unexpected issues can become stumbling blocks. Long-held positions can look different under the glare of the national spotlight. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, both weighing bids for the GOP presidential nomination, struggled this week to articulate their views on the emotionally charged vaccination controversy. The matter has taken on new resonance amid a frightening measles outbreak that has sickened more than 100 people across the U.S. and in Mexico. Paul pushed back on criticism of his initial assertion that he was aware of "many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines." He issued a statement Tuesday denying immunizations cause disorders, saying they were just "temporally related." He also posted a photo on Twitter of himself getting a booster for a vaccine. Christie, in the midst of a three-day trip to the United Kingdom, took a different approach, canceling plans to speak to reporters Tuesday after his comments a day earlier caused a stir. "Is there something you don't understand about 'No questions'?" Christie snapped at reporters Tuesday. The measles outbreak has revived the discussion about parents who choose not to vaccinate their children, some out of fear that vaccines can lead to autism and developmental disorders a claim that has been vigorously debunked by medical researchers. It's unclear whether the vaccine issue will have a long shelf life in a White House campaign that is only just beginning. But the ways prospective candidates handle unanticipated issues can help determine whether those subjects blow over or become nagging distractions that contenders can't shake. "Every day you want to go out with a message to voters, and every day there are a dozen trapdoors you don't want to fall into," said Robert Gibbs, a top adviser for both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. "If you look at Chris Christie and Rand Paul, they fell into the trapdoors yesterday." Christie's and Paul's assertions that parents should have some choice in basic vaccinations have put other potential 2016 contenders on the spot on a topic that was largely absent from political discussions until this week and does not break down along party lines. Several potential GOP candidates voiced their support for vaccines Tuesday. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida said there was "absolutely no medical science or data that links vaccination to autism." Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said it was "irresponsible for leaders to undermine the public's confidence in vaccinations that have been tested and proven to protect public health." And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's office said he encouraged parents to have their children vaccinated as he had. Likely Democratic candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton took to Twitter, saying: "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and (hashtag)vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids." During the 2008 presidential campaign, both Clinton and Obama had left open the possibility of a link between vaccines and autism, saying more research was needed on the matter. But like Clinton, Obama urged parents this week to get their children vaccinated and said the science on the benefits was "indisputable." White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended Obama's shift, saying his earlier comments came before a medical study that drew a connection between autism and vaccines was retracted in 2010. For Christie, the timing of the vaccine row could be particularly problematic. The New Jersey governor is in a battle with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for the party's high-dollar, establishment donors. And his comments on vaccinations have distracted from his efforts to burnish his foreign policy credentials and build relationships with world leaders during his visit to Britain. When asked about the measles outbreak Monday, Christie said he and his wife had vaccinated their own children and he believes doing so is important to public health but "parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well." Christie's comments were largely in line with his previous statements. During his first campaign for governor in 2009, he pledged to fight for greater parental involvement in vaccination decisions. But given both the measles outbreak and Christie's exploration of a presidential campaign, the governor's comments brought attention. His office later emphasized that he backed vaccinations for diseases such as measles. Paul, a libertarian-leaning eye doctor who has long argued against government interference in Americans' lives, said Monday that he had heard of cases where children developed disorders after receiving vaccines and that parents "should have some input." His comments were followed by a clarifying statement from his office, which said the Kentucky senator believes vaccines have saved lives and should be administered to children. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in August found that 68 percent of Americans think vaccination should be required for all children, while 30 percent think parents should be allowed to decide. Republicans are slightly more likely to say parents should be allowed to decide, a sentiment that appears to be growing. According to the Pew survey, 34 percent of Republicans backed parental decision-making, up from 26 percent in 2009. About 22 percent of Democrats said parents should be allowed to decide on vaccinating their children. ___ AP writers Jill Colvin in Cambridge, England, Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, and Philip Elliott, Ken Thomas and AP News Survey Specialist Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC | 5 | 6,751 | news |
BOSTON Giddy fans of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots chanted "Brady! Brady!" and clambered atop massive snowbanks for better views as players danced and waved their way through Boston in a Wednesday parade celebrating their fourth NFL title. Well-wishers blew kisses, pumped their fists and screamed themselves hoarse from behind barriers as the team rolled through downtown aboard the World War II-style amphibious "duck boat" vehicles that have become a staple of the city's championship parades. Some fans defied police warnings and climbed on giant piles of snow left from last week's blizzard to get a glimpse of quarterback Tom Brady, coach Bill Belichick and other players and their wives and girlfriends as a truck blew plumes of confetti into the air. The crowd roared as a smiling Belichick and his players snapped selfies and took turns waving the Lombardi trophy. Dozens of police officers on foot secured the convoy as it rolled down Boylston Street and past the finish line of the Boston Marathon, where two bombs killed three people and wounded more than 260 others in 2013. Fans sported No. 12 Brady jerseys, shouted the MVP's name and held "We are the CHAMPIONS" placards. One had a sign that read: "Belichick for President." A beaming Brady held his young son, Benjamin, who grinned and waved to the crowd. Sunday's 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks was New England's fourth championship and their first in a decade, and that brought exuberant fans out into the winter chill. "I'm freezing but it's been great. It's exciting," said Annie Cushing, of Quincy, wearing a Rob Gronkowski jersey and a homemade Lombardi trophy hat made of tin foil and tape. The real Gronk drew laughs with hip-hop dance moves and a goofy cap featuring a one-eyed "Minion" character. By the granary burial ground where famous Bostonians were laid to rest, a boy held high a sign on a wooden picket saying: "13 years old, nine championships," a nod to the city's other successful sports franchises. A few parade watchers furtively sipped from small bottles of booze to keep warm. Carl Estrelle of Cambridge wore a white T-shirt saying "deflate this" a reference to allegations that the Patriots cheated with underinflated footballs in their AFC championship win against the Indianapolis Colts. But he made his loyalties clear. "That was the best championship," he said. "They deserved to win. They did their job." Near the city's snow-blanketed Common, a chant of "Boston Strong" went up, and some revelers tried to get a wave going before midday fireworks at City Hall Plaza. Others found a better perch in the warmth of fast-food eateries. "This is the best view," said Chris Cunningham of South Kingston, Rhode Island, watching from inside a Dunkin' Donuts storefront. ___ Associated Press writer William J. Kole in Boston contributed to this report. | 1 | 6,752 | sports |
Investors haven't been too keen on Twitter lately. This time last year, the stock hit a peak of $67, but it's more recently been floating at around $40. Shareholders have been particularly worried about slowing user growth as well as recent management shuffles that brought in a new chief financial officer and other executives. But come tomorrow, February 5, Twitter will have its moment to win some hearts and minds when it reports its quarterly earnings and perhaps regain some confidence. There are two key metrics investors will be keeping an eye out for: Revenue : Three months ago, Twitter warned of slowing sales growth and set low expectations for the fourth quarter, forecasting revenue between $440 million and $450 million. On the high end, that represents an 85% rise year-over-year, a notable decline from the triple-digit growth of recent quarters. Monetization also remains an issue. Twitter still lags behind Facebook, generating only $1.13 in ad revenue per active user the third quarter, or about half of Facebook's $2.22. Monthly active users : Wall Street wants proof that Twitter has mainstream appeal. Analysts expect the company to grow its base by 20% to about 290 million users, give or take a million. Assuming it meets expectations that would represent a slight deceleration in growth from recent quarters. (It's likely Twitter will also tout a high number of logged-out users to boost its overall audience size. During its last earnings report, the company said the number of logged-out users is two to three times larger than its active user base.) Under its new executive regime, Twitter has been pushing out a number of new features lately, including ads that run on other platforms, group messaging, video sharing and editing capabilities, and a recap of tweets that users missed when they weren't using the app. The company has also been testing an instant timeline , which shows new users a stream of tweets tailored by interest. Ultimately, Twitter aspires to have the largest audience in the world . But not everyone is so confident in the social network. In a research note, RBC Capital Markets characterizes the goal as "noble." But its response as to whether or not it was realistic was telling: "TBD…" | 3 | 6,753 | finance |
A TransAsia Airways plane carrying 58 people, including five crew members, crashed in a river in Taiwan's capital. Video captured by a driver shows the final moments before crash. PHOTO: PHOTOMALL/XINHUA/ZUMA WIRE | Video: YouTube/aronchen2k | 5 | 6,754 | news |
One of the biggest names in soccer wanted to find out whether or not he has what it takes to be a field-goal kicker. Barcelona star Neymar tried his hand at American Football while participating in something called the StarClub Challenge. | 1 | 6,755 | sports |
BEIJING China announced Wednesday that users of blogs and chat rooms will be required to register their names with operators and promise in writing to avoid challenging the Communist political system, further tightening control over Internet use. The announcement follows what technology companies say are official efforts in recent weeks to block virtual private networks that are used to circumvent China's extensive Internet filters. China has the world's biggest population of Internet users with 649 million people online but increasing censorship has chilled the popularity of social media. Beijing has required Internet companies since 2012 to obtain real names of some users. But compliance was uneven and the rules failed to specify what services were covered. The latest announcement extends that "real name" registration requirement to blogs, microblog services such as the popular Sina Weibo and website comment sections. Such settings offer many Chinese their only opportunity to express themselves in public in a society in which all media are controlled by the ruling Communist Party. The rules also require Internet services for the first time to have users sign a contract that includes a pledge to refrain from "illegal and unhealthy" activity. Wednesday's announcement affirmed an earlier prohibition against posting material deemed a threat to state power or national security terms the ruling party uses to describe opposition to Communist rule. It said operators will be required to deactivate accounts of violators. The ruling party encourages Internet use for business and education but tries to block material deemed subversive or obscene. Beijing regularly launches new censorship initiatives to respond to changes such as the growing popularity of social media. The Cyberspace Administration of China said the latest rules are needed to combat "username chaos." In a statement, the agency said users took inappropriate online names such as Putin and Obama, promoted "vulgar culture," committed fraud by pretending to be Communist Party officials or agitated for separatist causes. Operators will be required to assign an employee to review and keep track of user details to ensure they comply, the agency said. The government of President Xi Jinping has been calling on Internet companies since last year to "spread positive energy" online. In May, Sina Corp., which operates one of China's most popular Internet platforms, said it was penalized for allowing "unhealthy and indecent content" online. Sina was fined $815,000 and stripped of two of its licenses for Internet publication and online transmission of audio-visual programs. In a statement on its own Sina Weibo microblog account, Sina said it "firmly supports" the new measures. It posted instructions for users to alert censors to possible violators. China operates the world's most extensive system of Internet monitoring and filters. It blocks access to websites abroad run by human rights and other activists groups, as well as popular services such as the Google search engine and Facebook. Until recently, users of virtual private network, or VPN, services were able to skirt those restrictions to reach business tools operated by Google and other blocked sites. But in recent weeks, some companies that operate VPNs, which encrypt traffic to prevent censors from reading it, say tighter controls have disrupted their services. The government has not confirmed it was responsible for the blockage. But an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, responding to a question about it at a Jan. 27 news conference, said, "harmful information should be managed according to Chinese laws." Censorship also has eroded the popularity of social media such as Sina Weibo, which freelance journalists and independent commentators used to distribute news reports and essays. The number of users has declined since Beijing tightened control in 2013 over how such services could be used. The number of microblog users as of the end of last year declined to 249 million, some 7.1 percent, or 32 million people, below 2013, according to a state-authorized research body, the China Internet Network Information Center. ___ Cyberspace Administration of China (in Chinese): www.cac.gov.cn | 5 | 6,756 | news |
Australia coach Darren Lehmann on Wednesday offered his full support for Michael Clarke to return as captain for the World Cup after weeks of speculation over the 33-year-old's career. Asked if Clarke would be skipper again if fit in time for the competition which begins later this month, Lehmann said: "Definitely." "He's ahead of schedule," to return from hamstring surgery and chronic back pain, Lehmann added. Cricket Australia have given Clarke until Australia's second pool match against Bangladesh on February 21 to prove his fitness for the World Cup. But Lehmann suggested that he could resume playing earlier, saying "fingers crossed he might be". "Michael wants to lead his side really well through the World Cup and win the World Cup," Lehmann said. Clarke is set to play for a Cricket Australia XI against Bangladesh in a one-day practice match on Thursday in Brisbane but he will be restricted to batting and light fielding. He appeared to move freely in fielding drills and in the nets on Wednesday morning as he met his Australia XI teammates, who are mostly youngsters and fringe Sheffield Shield players, the Associated Australian Press reported. Clarke was moved Monday to admit he was ready to play under the captaincy of young gun Steve Smith. Amid reports that the team prefer the stand-in skipper who has had a sensational summer, Clarke insisted his relationship with his team-mates was exceptional. Clarke was forced to bow out after the first Test against India in December with the serious hamstring injury, and Smith filled in as captain with great success for the three remaining Tests. | 1 | 6,757 | sports |
Jonah Hill has a new girlfriend. The 'Wolf of Wall Street' star dated nutritionist Brooke Glazer for much of last year but it seems the couple have now split up, as he was heard introducing his new lover to pal Leonardo DiCaprio. On Saturday, 31 January, the 31-year-old funnyman was attending the New York screening of Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary 'Virunga' - for which Leonardo was an executive producer - and was overheard gushing about the mystery female who he said is "named Camille". Following the screening - which was also attended by Bill Clinton, Jeffrey Wright and Hillary Clinton - the '22 Jump Street' actor is reported to have headed off for a romantic date with his new-found partner instead of joining Leo at nearby nightspot, 1 Oak. The source told the New York Post newspaper: "Jonah went on a double date at Marc Murphy's restaurant Landmarc at Time Warner Center." The revelation Jonah has split from long-term partner Brooke comes amid worries about his rocketing weight, with sources saying his eating habits have become "out of control". A friend previously revealed: "Jonah is eating again with reckless abandon." He is a brilliant comedic actor with decades ahead of him, but he has to get a handle on his health before he faces deadly consequences." This past year, it has all come back and more and in recent months, Jonah is ballooning out of control." | 6 | 6,758 | entertainment |
Keep your kitchen fresh to death! | 8 | 6,759 | video |
Harry Redknapp has resigned from his post as manager of Queens Park Rangers, citing an upcoming knee operation for the decision | 1 | 6,760 | sports |
Congressman Glenn Thompson is obsessed with Groundhog Day. | 8 | 6,761 | video |
Winter can bring out the worst in people - especially their skin. Dry, chapped skin is considered the norm during this season, and since I'm always on the quest to avoid annoying skin woes, I ventured to Kate Somerville's Skin Clinic to learn what mistakes people tend to make during colder weather when it comes to their skin, what products we should start incorporating into our routine, and the ultimate Winter skin regimen from the woman herself. Kate, an esthetician herself, works with top dermatologists and plastic surgeons to develop her at-home products, which means clinical results in the comfort of your own bathroom. And trust me: if you haven't tried ExfoliKate, D-Scar or DermalQuench Clear, you're about to change your skin forever (in the best way possible). On Kirbie: D.Ra top and skirt | 4 | 6,762 | lifestyle |
Check out the Big Trends from Tuesday, which includes Manchester United's FA Cup win, an update on Paul George's injury and Kevin Durant's Twitter feud. | 1 | 6,763 | sports |
SAN DIEGO (AP) A group of PGA Tour caddies sued the PGA Tour in federal court Tuesday for making them wear bibs that have the logo of the tournament sponsors without sharing in what it estimates as $50 million in endorsement revenue. The class-action suit on behalf of 81 caddies was filed in San Francisco, where former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon successfully sued the NCAA for keeping college players from selling their marketing rights. ''This lawsuit is intended to protect the rights of caddies who are required to endorse tour sponsors with zero compensation from the PGA Tour,'' said Gene Egdorf, the caddies' Houston-based lawyer. ''Any working professional deserves to be paid based on the income they generate, but that's not happening on the PGA Tour.'' PGA Tour spokesman Ty Votaw said there would be no comment. At issue was whether the tour had a right to force caddies to wear bibs and ''retain for itself the tens of millions of dollars in advertising generated by those bibs.'' The lawsuit stems from a dispute that has been brewing for more than a year over treatment of caddies. A tipping point was at The Barclays in August 2013 at Liberty National during a rain delay, when caddies said security would not allow their wives or children in a caddie room because they did not have credentials. They felt it was an example of how the tour treats them like second-class citizens. At several tournaments, they are not allowed in the clubhouse or in the locker room. The bibs a caddie wears have the players' name on the back, and the tournament logo on the front. The lawsuit also claims the tour has denied caddies access to basic health care and pensions plan. Mike Hicks, the caddie for Payne Stewart when he won his last U.S. Open in 1999, and Kenny Harms, who works for Kevin Na, were the top two class representatives in the lawsuit. Included among the other caddies were Andy Sanders (who works for Jimmy Walker), Jimmy Johnson (Steve Stricker), Damon Green (Zach Johnson) and Tony Navarro, the longtime caddie for Greg Norman who now works for Gary Woodland. The caddies for Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy were not part of the class-action lawsuit. Joe LaCava, who works for Woods, is a board member of the Association of Professional Tour Caddies that was formed just over a year ago. The profession has changed over the last few decades. Several caddies on tour formerly played on smaller tours. Michael Maness, who caddies for Kevin Chappell, qualified for The Greenbrier Classic in 2012. Green played in a U.S. Senior Open. Sanders played in the Palmer Cup when he was in college. PGA Tour players are considered to be independent contractors who employ their caddies individually. The lawsuit claims the tour has contacted players to ask if they would be willing to fire their caddies for not wearing a bib. | 1 | 6,764 | sports |
Find out who Brian Scalabrine's top 5 underrated players are. | 1 | 6,765 | sports |
After being the best-selling midsize sedan in 2014, the Toyota Camry enters 2015 with a strong start by selling 26,763 units in January. The Nissan Altima wasn't far behind with its sales tally of 26,408. Rounding out the podium was the Honda Accord with 21,011 units sold last month. The Ford Fusion went home to 19,694 customers in January, which is enough for a fourth-place finish, though that's a slight drop compared to the 20,717 units sold in January 2014. The Chrysler 200 took the number-five spot with 14,157 sold, a 30-percent jump compared to the same period last year. The 200's strong performance contributed to Chrysler's 11-percent sales increase in January. Fifth and sixth place went to the Hyundai Sonata and Chevrolet Malibu, which sold 12,363 and 11,878 units, respectively. The Kia Optima took a slight dip with its sales tally of 9394 units, compared to 9979 in January 2014. In ninth place is the Volkswagen Passat with 6305 units sold. Landing in the bottom three are the Subaru Legacy (3881 sold), Mazda6 (3766), and Dodge Avenger (242). As expected, the Avenger is fading away as production ended last year. The Legacy, however, was one of Subaru's best sales performers last month, with its number representing a 42-percent jump compared to January 2014. Source: The Automakers Click the name of the crossover to research the vehicle. Model JAN-15 JAN-14 Year-to-Date Toyota Camry 26,763 23,332 26,763 Nissan Altima 26,408 22,515 26,408 Honda Accord 21,011 20,604 21,011 Ford Fusion 19,694 20,717 19,694 Chrysler 200 14,157 10,912 14,157 Hyundai Sonata 12,363 9,815 12,363 Chevrolet Malibu 11,878 11,822 11,878 Kia Optima 9394 9979 9394 Volkswagen Passat 6305 6236 6305 Subaru Legacy 3881 2735 3881 Mazda6 3766 3172 3766 Dodge Avenger 242 4795 242 | 9 | 6,766 | autos |
Today, we are all this ice sculpture. | 8 | 6,767 | video |
See how the Fox News anchors and guests covered the vaccine debate this week -- compared with how they did it before. | 8 | 6,768 | video |
Which clubs had a bad January in the transfer window? Kevin Egan picks his bunch. | 1 | 6,769 | sports |
A Russian lawmaker who has strongly backed anti-gay legislation said on Tuesday all homosexuals were "mentally ill" after two lesbians snapped themselves kissing on a plane with him sitting in the background. Vitaly Milonov also railed at the "stupidity" of the women in the picture, which showed him reading in the row behind as the women kiss in front of him. The picture has gone viral after one of the women, who calls herself Kseniya Infinity, posted it on her social networking pages. "The lesbians went through with this photo session due to their stupidity," Milonov told AFP. "It shows that all LGBT people are mentally ill. They have overdosed on so-called European values." Milonov vowed to retaliate, saying: "They should have to do a photo session in a police station." Kseniya Infinity runs a popular lesbian night club in Saint Petersburg called Infinity that has featured performances by pop stars. Milonov said he would retaliate by investigating the club. "I didn't know anything about the club they organised. Now I will get to work on it," Milonov said. Milonov, who sits in the regional parliament of Saint Petersburg, introduced a law in the city banning "propaganda" of gay relationships to minors before a similar law was introduced Russia-wide in 2013, sparking international controversy. He is known for his openly homophobic statements and has become a hate figure for gay rights supporters. Kseniya Infinity wrote on the VKontakte networking site that the women spotted Milonov in the row behind them as they boarded a flight from Moscow to Saint Petersburg and decided to take the picture. "Milonov himself didn't say anything to us. We did a photo-session with him in the background. When he spotted us, he hid behind a tablet," Kseniya wrote. "We're very happy. He probably isn't, but who cares." | 5 | 6,770 | news |
Asian stock markets joined the global rally on Wednesday, shrugging off a slip in crude oil prices in early Asian trading, while traders digest a raft of earnings releases in Tokyo and Sydney. Oil prices fell on the back of renewed concerns over global demand and as high stock levels halted a rally that lifted prices by about 19 percent over the past four sessions. Analysts are divided on whether the movements this week indicate a bottom for oil, which have been battered by a seven-month long rout. "I think we've seen the lows for the year, even though the cutting down of capex and oil rigs may take 6 months to 2 years before supply tightens," Daniel Morgan, global commodities analyst at UBS, told CNBC's " The Rundown ." "Financially, oil prices have been sold off too aggressively so it's poised for a comeback now." However, Daryl Guppy, CEO at Guppytraders.com, says the benchmarks are still trading within a downtrend picture: "U.S. crude is seeing a short-term rally towards the resistance level of $58 a barrel, which we expect to see a pullback and retest the support level of $48. Brent could rally to $60-62 a barrel then retreat again." Overnight, U.S. stocks closed higher for the second consecutive day , with all indices piling on more than 1 percent, encouraged by hopes of a deal on Greek debt and as traders picked up faith that oil had hit bottom after a seven-month rout. ASX jumps 1.2% Australia's key S&P ASX 200 shot up to fresh seven-year highs, capitalizing on Tuesday's rally ignited by an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Equities down under have seen tenth straight session of gains, while the Australian dollar traded at $0.7829 against the greenback, rebounding from a six-year low of $0.7648 attained in the previous session. The energy sector extended gains, cheering signs of a possible reprieve in global oil prices; Origin Energy (ORG-AU) climbed 3.4 percent, while Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG-AU) and Santos advanced 2 and 1.8 percent. Mining heavyweights also contributed to the rally, with Fortescue Metals (FMG-AU) and BHP Billiton (BLT-GB) being the top performers with 8.9 and 4.4 percent gains, respectively. Westpac and Commonwealth Bank of Australia are in focus after the lenders lowered their floating mortgage rates early Wednesday. Shares of the two banks rose 2.8 and 0.4 percent, with the latter breaking yet another record high at A$91.94 earlier in the day. Sydney-based Echo Entertainment finished 2.1 percent lower. The casino company hit a three-year high in the morning session,after reporting a 78 percent jump in net profit for the six months to Dec 2014 thanks to record bets from high rollers. Nikkei leaps 1.8% Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index got a boost from a weaker yen , as the local currency traded at 117.7, compared to Tuesday's 116.9 per dollar. Sharp gains by the financial sector also added to the upward momentum. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T-JP) rallied nearly 5 percent on the back of better-than-expected profits in the September-December period, while rival SMFG (8316.T-JP) jumped 2.7 percent. Shares of Nissan Motor (7201.T-JP) bounced up 1.7 percent, cheering news of a 22 percent rise in sales in China for the month of January. However, Panasonic (6752.T-JP) made losses of 2.1 percent, folowing Tuesday's announcement of a 42 percent plunge in its nine-month net profit. Osaka-based Sharp (6753.T-JP) also tanked 5 percent after the electronics giant reversed its fiscal year profit forecast late Tuesday, warning that it could instead lose about $256 million following a slump in its television and smartphone screen businesses. Earnings season continues, with automakers Toyota Motor (7203.T-JP) and Mazda (7261.T-JP) , as well as Fuji Heavy Industries (7270.T-JP) due to put out corporate report cards today. Sony (6758.T-JP) 's late-afternoon press conference where it will provide more details on its business strategy will also be in focus. Shares of the above firms made gains between 1.4 and 5 percent. Mainland indices mixed China's benchmark Shanghai Composite index pared gains to slip into negative territory in the afternoon session, amid a pullback in the insurance and energy industries. Oil-related counters PetroChina notched down 0.8 percent, while China Oilfield Services and Sinopec traded near the flatline. China Pacific Insurance led losses in the insurance sector, with a 1.7 percent slump. Ping An Insurance (1318-SZ) and China Life Insurance also slipped 0.7 and 0.3 percent each. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was up 0.7 percent to touch a one-week high. Standard Chartered was the day's top gainer, rallying nearly 5 percent, after its shareholder Aberdeen Asset Management called it a "very good bank" and reiterated its support for the company. Meanwhile, shares of Wynn Macau (1128-HK) fell 0.5 percent, trimming losses from a steep 1.8 percent decline earlier, on news that the slowdown in Macau's gaming sector took a toll on Wynn Resorts (WYNN) ' fourth-quarter earnings. Kospi adds 0.8% South Korean shares edged up to a near two-month high in a broad-based rally. Tech stocks like LG Display (3422-KR) and LG Electronics (6657-KR) piled on 3 and 1.7 percent, while Samsung SDI (640-KR) tacked on 1.9 percent. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, which was in the focus for winning a $200 million order to build an LNG carrier from an undisclosed client, erased early gains to close down 0.8 percent. But Samsung Electronics finished flat. The heaviest weighted stock on the Kospi index had named Lee Sang-chul, formerl head of the company's Russian operations, as the new head of strategic marketing at its mobile division. | 3 | 6,771 | finance |
BURBANK, Calif. Disney might be lapping the hugely successful theatrical release of "Frozen," but magic lives on in its media networks and parks and resorts. Revenue from Disney parks and resorts rose 9 percent to $3.9 billion in the last three months of 2014, as more people visited its California and Florida properties than in any quarter and spent more money there. In an interview with CNBC, CEO Bob Iger said the entertainment company is seeing no discernible impact on attendance or bookings from the measles outbreak linked last month to Disney's Southern California parks. Iger did say parents with children under the age of inoculation should be cautious about bringing them to any large public place like Disneyland, including mass transportation and movie theaters. Strong results from the parks, Disney Channels and sales of "Frozen" merchandise drove earnings up 19 percent. The Walt Disney Co.'s profit and revenue topped expectations for the first quarter. Shares rose over 4 percent in aftermarket trading. Even a year after "Frozen" was released, sales of toys and other merchandise drove a 22 percent jump in consumer products sales to $1.4 billion. Revenue from the company's media networks was another strong point, jumping 11 percent to $5.86 billion on strength from cable networks such as Disney Channels and ABC Family. Broadcasting revenue rose on sales of shows including "Criminal Minds" and "Scandal." ESPN revenue fell, hurt by higher rates to broadcast NFL games and lower ratings for certain programs. Movie studios, TV networks and cable and satellite providers alike are grappling with a changing media industry as more people watch TV and movies online and via streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Dish last month launched a streaming-only option, Sling TV, that bundles Disney's ESPN sports network with the Disney Channel and a handful of other cable networks. Iger said in a call with analysts that he doesn't have data yet on how many customers Dish has sold Sling TV to, and whether those customers are switching from cable or previously had no service. The company could consider selling a Disney-branded streaming-only option directly to customers, such as its ESPN channel, a Marvel "type product" or even Star Wars. But the time isn't now, he said. "If we see that market dynamics are changing in such a way that it's better for us as a company to take the product out directly, and to not only improve our margins by taking out the middleman but create a closer relationship with the consumer that can be mined for other revenue-generating purposes, then we'll do that," Iger said. "We think if we were to do that now it would be precipitous of us." Theatrically, Disney's "Big Hero 6" film couldn't match the performance of "Frozen" in the year-ago period, which had also included the release of Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World." But the company has some mega-movies on the horizon to help make up for that. Its live-action Cinderella movie debuts in March. And the widely anticipated "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" debuts Dec. 18. Iger pointed out that "Frozen" isn't the only blockbuster franchise under Disney's belt. The company has 11 franchises with more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. The Burbank, California-based company earned $2.24 billion, or $1.27 per share, topping the $1.08 per share average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research. Revenue rose 9 percent to $13.39 billion in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts of $12.85 billion, according to Zacks. Shares rose $3.65, or 3.9 percent, to $97.75 during aftermarket trading after closing up 2.4 percent at $94.10 before the report. The stock has been trading near its all-time high of $96.43. _____ Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on DIS at http://www.zacks.com/ap/DIS _____ Keywords: Walt Disney, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings | 3 | 6,772 | finance |
There comes a point during your race when you hit the inevitable "wall." We've all been there a pain in your knee starts to set in, there's a burning sensation in your side and you're wondering exactly how many miles you still have to go. This would be the ideal time to have your friends and family cheer you on, right? That's the thought behind the Motigo app. A good pep talk makes all the difference when closing in on those last few miles of your race, and with the app, your cheering squad can send you personalized, recorded messages to play just when you need it most. You'll need to have ear buds in to hear the messages, and if you're jammin' out to the latest Ellie Goulding , the music will automatically lower as the recording plays. It's as easy as downloading the free app, finding your race and letting friends know you'd love their support. After downloading Motigo, your pals can start sending as many messages as they want the words of encouragement are pre-planned so your friends and family don't need to be tracking where you are along the course. The first "cheer" is free and each additional cheer can be purchased for $1.99 or $7.99 for five. Co-creator Celeste Lo equates the mid-race cheer to providing "emotional fuel." Motigo is currently available for iPhones only, however an Android version is being developed and should be ready by Spring 2015. | 7 | 6,773 | health |
SELF editors know how important time management is and we make sure to turn it out at the office. But we also know how to unwind as well. Which is why we wanted to offer a sneak peek into our own Out-of-Office hours, from quality kitchen time prepping healthy meals to hitting the track for some head-clearing laps. Wish you had the same recreational snaps to share? There's hope! Sign up for our 21-Day Time Makeover , where you'll discover a newfound lease on life, a blueprint to spending your waking hours judiciously and most important, some keen ideas on what to do with all that reclaimed time. Traverse the Great Outdoors Talk about a view! Associate Beauty Editor Kate Erickson takes to the mountains when she needs to unwind this snap is from a recent hike near her hometown in Northern California. Watch a Lil' TV Entertainment Assistant Elyse Roth knows how to wind down comfy slippers, Apple TV, red nail polish and feet up. Catch Some Waves Editorial Production Manager Kelley Erickson does it right hanging' ten with family and friends. Cook Some Dinner Fitness Director Liz Plosser calls whipping up a healthy dinner "pure bliss." We couldn't agree more. Go Travel Our Art Assistant, Katelyn Baker, makes it a point to get out of the city on weekends to explore. She recently visited the DIA Beacon in upstate New York, a modern art museum, to garner some creative inspo from some of the freshest artists on the scene. Go Running (Duh, Our Favorite!) Call this the accidental selfie: Health Editor Corrie Pikul whipped out her cell to check her pace and hit the camera button without realizing it. The resulting photo is so cool, don't you think? Run Hard, Too In need of a little motivation? Look no further than Online Fitness and Wellness Editor Bari Lieberman, who hits the track for "lap time" when she needs to clear her mind. Hit the Pool Contributing Editor Liesa Goins looks for a lap pool whenever she hits the road. Not too shabby of a view, don't you think? Put a Mask on It Reporter-Researcher Sabrina Bachai knows how to seriously multitask: While catching up on a recent issue, she also made sure to ward off skin issues with a cleansing charcoal mask. Bake It Up Editorial Assistant Meg Lappe turned to our December issue to make these linzer heart cookies don't they look delicious?! Just Veg Out There's no better place to relax than the pool especially when you're on vacation like our Contributing Editor Abbi Libbers was in Florida recently. | 4 | 6,774 | lifestyle |
If you think you've got a monster-in-law, the things these mothers-in-law have said may make you thank your lucky stars! "I got pregnant soon after our wedding within about six months so by our one-year anniversary party, I was well on my way to having our first baby," recalls one bride. "Anyway, at our anniversary party, my mother-in-law thought it was appropriate to tell everyone there that I was much larger as in, fatter than she had been six months in, and launched a discussion about how I should try to eat less!" "My future MIL has always loved my fiancé's ex," says one bride-to-be. "I know they still talk, because I can see their interactions on Facebook and such. But I was still pretty shocked when I accidentally walked in on a conversation between her and my fiancé, with her asking him, 'Why can't you just try to make things with [your ex] work? You'd be so much better off.'" "I almost wish I could say that my MIL says something to me," says another bride. "But the truth is, she hates me so much that she barely recognizes my presence. If I ask her a question, she won't answer it. And if she does, she'll turn to my husband and respond to him as if he's the one who asked it!" "My MIL doesn't mince words," says a recent newlywed. "She once caught me using a handheld mirror to check to see if I had anything in my teeth, and she laughed and told me that I was narcissistic! Um, no, I just don't want spinach in my teeth!" "On our wedding day, I remember saying to my MIL, 'Isn't this the most amazing day?'" recalls one bride. "And she replied, 'If you say so.'" | 4 | 6,775 | lifestyle |
Life often gets in the way of sex . It can even inhibit your ability to get it on in your own bedroom. "Your bedroom is your sensual space and a space for you two to relax and reconnect. You should feel sensual when you enter the room and seeing your children's toys or wearing your thick flannel PJs to bed will only keep you in mom and dad mode, not wife and husband mode," explains sex expert Nikki Ransom-Alfred. So make a commitment to sex up your private space with these expert tips. Add scented candles. Add an extra sexual element to their already sexy scent by selecting massage candles. "Not only do they smell amazing, but candlelight is very sexy and flattering to the skin," says Ransom-Alfred. Place fresh flowers by your bedside. "Flowers play on our sense of smell and are also a simple way to beautify your room," says Ransom-Alfred. Buy decorative pillows. Not only do they look nice, but "pillows also come in handy with certain sex positions ," explains Ransom-Alfred. Invest in silk or satin sheets. "Feeling your entire body immersed and covered in a soft satin or silk fabric is guaranteed to make one feel relaxed, sexy and erotic," Ransom-Alfred says. Place mirrors with purpose. "Mirrors with or without decorative frames bring a sensual ambience to the room and up the kink factor when you utilize those mirrors during sex," explains Ransom-Alfred. Play with reds. "Add deep reds, pinks or earth tones for a burst of sensual color," says Ransom-Alfred. Keep the bedroom clean. "A cluttered room will make for a cluttered mind and will inhibit relaxation and sensual feelings," Ransom-Alfred says. Try out a faux fur or shaggy rug. "This is a simple way to add a bit of elegance and fun to your room that also feels good on your skin," explains Ransom-Alfred. "You and your partner can use this rug for those moments spent on the floor relaxing with a glass of wine and feeding each other grapes." | 4 | 6,776 | lifestyle |
CANONSBURG, Pa. - Days before the 2005 NHL draft, when 17-year-old Sidney Crosby was interviewing with all 30 teams, the New York Rangers asked him the mother of all questions. "They asked, 'If we could give you a pill that you could take that would guarantee that you would be part of a Stanley Cup-winning team and a Olympic gold medal team, but you couldn't live past age 25, would you take that pill?'" Crosby recalled, laughing at the memory. Crosby knew the Rangers were trying to ascertain whether he would be willing to do anything for his team. "But it was such a weird question, and I remember thinking, 'How do you answer that?'" he said. The question appeared to have no acceptable solution, like the ending of the movie War Games when the computer determines the only "winning move is not to play." But Crosby is a player, and players play. "I wouldn't take the pill," he told the Rangers, "because I plan to win more than one of those." Crosby's answer was both perfect and prophetic. Now in his 10th NHL season, Crosby has two Olympic gold medals, one Stanley Cup championship, another trip to the Final, two NHL scoring championships, one goal-scoring title, five 100-point seasons, two Hart trophies (MVP) and two Ted Lindsay trophies (players' MVP). He has been the player that scouts expected him to be, and the ambassador that the NHL needed him to be. Crosby delivers on the ice and does as many interviews and appearances as a league has a right to expect. "I don't think it is possible to do more for a league than Sid has done," said Pittsburgh Penguins President David Morehouse. Crosby arrived in the NHL right after the canceled 2004-05 season. Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and Crosby were third and sixth in the scoring race that first season, and it was clear they could do for the NHL what Larry Bird and Magic Johnson did for the NBA. Both players have been instrumental in helping the NHL grow, but the success of the Penguins and of Team Canada has forced Crosby to do more of the heavy lifting as a spokesman. "I feel like he is well thought-out and he has a good care level for the game and the fans," said Nashville Predators general manager David Poile. No one at the NHL office has to worry about Crosby making a misstep on Twitter because to him, that form of social media is a one-way street. He travels down that road to find information, not to provide it. "I'm pretty old-fashioned," Crosby told USA TODAY Sports. "I never feel the need to say where I am. Because I do a lot of interviews, people might believe I want my opinion heard. But I don't ever feel a need to share my opinion. This just comes with the territory." Crosby has patience with the puck on the ice and with his off-ice obligations. He is impressively accessible for a player of his stature, especially when you consider he has been treated like a rock star in Canada since he was a 17-year-old playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. At a young age, he had a mature grasp of what it meant to be a star. In 2004, he told USA TODAY Sports that the hardest thing for him was balancing his obligation to sign autographs for fans with his desire not to inconvenience teammates who had to wait for him. How many teenagers think like that? "Just because you receive extra attention doesn't give you the right to (disrupt) your teammates," Crosby said. "You have to be mindful of that. That never changes. You have to keep things in perspective." Some athletes bristle at tough questions, or joust with the news media about questions being asked. But that's not Crosby's style because it's not his personality. "When you are asked a question, that question reflects someone else's opinion," Crosby said. "And my opinion may be different than their opinion, but it's not the place to get into an argument over my opinion and your opinion. They are trying to do their job the best they can, and I have to do my job by answering the question the best I can." He is far more likely to mix it up with a Philadelphia Flyers forward than to end up in a verbal sparring match with the media. But he has empathy for players who do have squabbles with the media, such as Toronto Maple Leafs star Phil Kessel, who recently called a reporter an "idiot" after a hostile exchange. "We've all been in that situation where you see where the angle of the question is going and you don't agree with it," Crosby said. "What I saw in that was people being human. Obviously, you don't want that to happen, but I don't blame (Kessel) because of the position he was put in. At the same, the person asking the question is doing their job. To me, it was just human nature taking over. " Not everything works out the way Crosby wants, but he seems to give considerable thought to what he says and does. "At some point, how you act is just who you are," he said. "I may not always have the most exciting answers, but that's who I am. I can't change that." Teammates and adversaries marvel at his ability to balance all of the commitments he has a captain, player, league representative and someone who wants to enjoy his life. "He does a good job of separating," said New York Islanders captain John Tavares. "He has a lot to deal with on a daily basis and a lot of it is away from the rink, but once he steps on the ice, you see that's where he is most comfortable." Tavares, who played with Crosby at the 2014 Olympics, hasn't not seen any evidence that Crosby's off-ice workload affects his performance on the ice. "His focus is always there," Tavares said. "He never seems to be tired. … He always seems to be at his best." Crosby, though, never has a day off from being who he is. "Win or lose, Sid has to face the music all of the time," Penguins teammate Pascal Dupuis said. "Half of us, if we lose, we get undressed, and try to get out of there as soon as possible. But Sid stays and answers the question." As the face of the league, he has his share of critics. The comment section of stories about Crosby usually has plenty of fans complaining that he gets too much attention or that he "whines" at officials to get calls. The latter is a complaint that all top players hear. "I would say that I am aware of it," Crosby said, laughing. "It's hard to ignore 18,000 boos in some places … that's the way it is, and I don't know if there is anything you can do to change that." Dupuis said opposing fans might boo Crosby, but they can't stop watching him every time he is on the ice. "The booing is a tribute to how talented he is," he said. Crosby can't go anywhere in Canada or Pittsburgh without being instantly recognized. Dupuis says Crosby has to take to the back alleys in Canada to enter a restaurant without creating a commotion. "He gets interrupted four or five times, every course," Dupuis said. "We can see why everybody loves him because he treats everyone with respect." Even with that, Crosby has managed to maintain some level of privacy. The main reason: He's not a true man about town. "I'm probably not going to a movie at 7 p.m. on a Friday night," he said, laughing. "But even if I didn't play hockey let's say I was a firefighter I wouldn't probably go to at 7 o'clock show on a Friday. If I'm going to a movie, it's going to be in the afternoon, on a Monday, when it is a little quieter." He offers another example. "When it comes to Christmas shopping," he said, "I don't like being in a mall after Dec. 10, whether I play hockey or do something else. That's just who I am." Remember that Crosby's salary averages $8.7 million, and yet he lived with Penguins owner Mario Lemieux and his family for several years because he enjoyed the family atmosphere. Even today, his home is a couple of blocks away from Lemieux. Pittsburgh perfect for Crosby Pittsburgh and Crosby seem perfect for each other. Lemieux, plus Steelers greats Jack Lambert, Franco Harris and Lynn Swann settled in Pittsburgh because people there appreciate their superstars, but they give them some space. "It is not a pretentious place," Morehouse said. "Here, you say what you mean and you mean what you say. You are who you are and Sid has always been like that." Crosby grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, a town of about 25,000 residents. "I think New York is an awesome city. I have a good time there, but I couldn't see myself living there. It's so busy. It's not what I'm used to," he said. "I'm not New York, but I wouldn't want to be on a farm somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I'm not that guy either." Morehouse said the story of Crosby is he is the same person away from the rink that he is on ice. "That innate ability to see things that others don't see carries over to all aspects of his life," he said. Crosby saw a need to get more youngsters involved in Pittsburgh youth hockey and came to the team with an idea of outfitting 1,000 youngsters head-to-toe with equipment every year. He has been doing this for seven seasons and has put his own money into the endeavor. "He does more things that you don't hear about because he doesn't want you to hear about them," Morehouse said. He said when you get to know Crosby you realize immediately that he was raised right. "He is not flamboyant. He's quiet. He doesn't like a lot of attention," Morehouse said. "He takes his shoes off when he comes into your house. His manners are impeccable." After a decade in the NHL, Crosby says he feels good about what he has accomplished, but is hopeful of doing much more. He's 27, meaning he likely will play another decade or longer. "There is always the thought of wanting more," he said. "You look at some opportunities you had that you didn't take advantage of. That's kind of what pushes you to be better, to get to the next level." Bad medical luck Crosby's accomplishments are more remarkable when you consider he missed the better part of two seasons with concussion issues. Plus, he had a broken jaw that cost him a scoring title. He has had bad medical luck, even this season, when he missed three December games with the mumps despite being well vaccinated against the virus. A lower-body injury kept him out of the All-Star Game. "I've had a few bumps along the way, going through the concussion stuff," he said. "At the time, it seemed really difficult. But in the end, I think it gave me a different perspective on things." Crosby has had some bumps on the ice, too, scoring five points in 10 games in December. He had a much better January with 14 points in 11 games and is six points behind in the scoring race. More important to Crosby, the Penguins are playing a new puck-possession style, and have added several players designed to make the team more competitive in the postseason. "I want to think we will (play differently)," Crosby said. "In order to do that, we have to learn from previous playoffs. "At the end of the day, it's still on us as players. You can talk about your system, but it's not an X's and O's thing. You have to go out there and compete." The 10 seasons has clicked off very quickly for Crosby. He recalls Lemieux's youngest children, Austin and Alexa, helped him unpack and now they are inching toward adulthood. "When I got (to Lemieux's home) I had no clue," Crosby said. "Once I got there, I remember thinking I was lucky to be there because there were so many things I had to take care of ... and then I had my learning curve fast-tracked because Mario was around. That was cool." One of his objectives is to spend his entire career with the Penguins, as Lemieux did. "That's a pretty tough thing to do these days," Crosby said. "Players move around a lot now. But I would definitely like to do that." | 1 | 6,777 | sports |
Removing wallpaper is, in a word, laborious. The process takes a great deal of energy and time. And lo and behold, even once you think you're finished, you're not. Stubbornly positioned between you and a smooth, clean wall, there still remains a smattering of stubborn wallpaper glue. You can get it off. Anyone can remove wallpaper glue. It doesn't take any advanced skills or exotic tools. But much like the work you've done already to get this far, removing wallpaper glue requires patience and commitment. When you're ready to power through to the finish line, continue reading the step-by-step instructions detailed below. We salute you! TOOLS AND MATERIALS - Liquid dish soap- Baking soda- Vinegar (optional) - Bucket- Sponges- Rags- Putty knife- Plastic tarps- Painter's tape- Clean cloths- Trash bags- Disposable gloves- Ladder (optional, if you have high ceilings) STEP 1 First, get all furniture and accessories out of the room. If you can't move everything, at least protect it with a plastic tarp. Use another tarp to cover the floors. As a further precaution, we recommend using painter's tape to cover the electrical outlets in the room. In fact, it's not a terrible idea to cut off power to the room altogether. The last thing needed to prepare the work area: trash bags, and plenty of them. Things are about to get messy! STEP 2 In a bucket, combine hot water, liquid dish soap, and a heaping tablespoon of baking soda . For particularly stubborn adhesive, add one cup of vinegar for every gallon of water used. Next, soak a sponge in the solution, squeeze out the excess liquid, and gently rub the sponge over a small section of wallpaper glue. Having done so, test the glue with your fingernail. You should notice miracle of miracles! that the wallpaper glue has softened considerably and seems willing to budge. STEP 3 With a rag, try wiping the glue off the wall. If it's ready, a good portion of the glue will come right off. At that point, you can reach for the putty knife and scrape away any last lingering pieces. Because even a speck of leftover wallpaper glue can detract from a future paint job, it's important to get off every last bit. Note: If the wallpaper glue seems unfazed, consider purchasing commercial wallpaper remover. It's not usually necessary, but different installers use different types of glues, some more stubborn than others. STEP 4 With a clean cloth, use circular motions to wipe the softening solution off the wall. Move on to the next section and repeat the process in step 3. One finished with the entire wall, let the room fully air out. STEP 5 Remove the painter's tape and the tarps, and replace the furniture in the room unless, of course, you plan to paint . If that's the case, you're basically all set to continue working if you have any energy left, that is! | 4 | 6,778 | lifestyle |
We are a little more than halfway through the NBA's regular season, but for two-thirds of the league's teams, their playoff hopes have already been decided and all that is left is shuffling for playoff seeding or draft lottery ping pong balls. Using a rating system that accounts for margin of victory, home-court advantage, strength of schedule, and prior performance, and then simulating the rest of the season thousands of times, Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight.com has determined the probability each team has of making the playoffs. Of the NBA's 30 teams, 22 still have a realistic shot (at least 5%) to make the playoffs. Of those teams, 12 are locks or near-locks (at least 95%) to make the playoffs with four spots still up for grabs. Here is a look at the Eastern Conference where six teams are still alive for the final two spots and one of those spots will almost certainly go to the Miami Heat who are on the verge of breaking the 95% barrier. The playoff race in the Western Conference is even more clear cut as just four teams are still alive for the final two spots. NOW WATCH: Cristiano Ronaldo, wearing a wig and glasses, surprised a young fan on the streets of Madrid | 1 | 6,779 | sports |
Only two-thirds of the $2.89 billion in aid promised to Ebola-stricken countries by the international community had been delivered as of the first of the year, according to a study published today in the British Medical Journal. Furthermore, that funding may have come too late to bring the most help to the affected region--revealing a potential gap in the international aid effort. Karen Grepin, a professor of global health policy at New York University, used an aid tracking system hosted by the United Nations to find that only $1.09 billion of the world's pledges were made available by December 31, 2014 to the region of western Africa where the outbreak was at its worst. Grepin says funding, while generous, may have arrived too late to help with the bulk of the crisis--the outbreak started in March of 2014 and worsened substantially in August and September, but resources didn't start pouring into the region until October. According to Grepin, another $500 million came toward the end of the year as the outbreak had started to slow. "The problem has not been the generosity of donors but that the resources have not been deployed rapidly enough," Grepin says. She thinks that the World Health Organization failed to emphasize the urgent need for such funds to the international community, and that more lives might have been saved by an earlier call to action. "Many are going to be wondering why WHO has been so slow to see the seriousness of this," she says. "I think we'll be asking that question for the months and years ahead. It's not clear why they were so slow but it's clear to me that they were slower than what the evidence was telling them." Generally, governments far outpaced international aid groups and private foundations in giving money to fend off Ebola. The top donors include the U.S. ($900 million), the U.K. ($307 million), the World Bank ($230 million) and Germany ($161 million). Of the money pledged, Liberia has received $882 million in aid, which is more than any other nation. These contributions tallied to $110,000 for every case of Ebola in the country. In Sierra Leone, however, the amount granted per patient stood at less than half as much at $49,000. Some of the international aid (about 40 percent) has been sent through organizations to help the region as a whole rather than designated for one particular nation. Those funds have helped set up first-responder efforts by the United Nations and World Health Organization but will not necessarily allow affected countries to bolster long-term resiliency to future outbreaks by making improvements to health care systems. "If we think that most aid arrives too late to be useful to the outbreak itself, you would really expect to see more going to governments to deal with the long-term vulnerability of the health system," Amanda Glassman, Director of Global Health Policy at a nonprofit called the Center for Global Development , says. In addition to governments and aid agencies, a few wealthy benefactors have also sent aid Paul Allen of Microsoft gave $100 million to the effort and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook contributed $25 million. The U.S. had delivered on 95 percent of its promised aid by the time Grepin's study was completed. In the U.S., this money typically comes from the U.S. Agency for International Development or the Office of International Affairs. "There was a lot of press in countries like the U.S. and U.K. where cases had actually appeared," Grepin says. "I think there was pressure on countries from their own people to say that they were doing something." Glassman adds that the fact that two-thirds of the promised aid has so far been delivered struck her as positive. She says she wishes there had been data available comparing the delivery of aid for Ebola to that of other crises. She would also like to see more information on how the aid money was used in order to gauge whether the funds were truly effective. "The international community doesn't have something in place to say, let's look at how funds are used and how we can use them better next time," she says. Grepin notes that the aid tracking system she used for her study did not count certain types of aid that have been made available, including zero-interest loans offered by the World Bank and medical teams sent to afflicted countries from China. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has stated that a total of $2.27 billion must be granted from donors to halt the Ebola outbreak. Based on that estimate, international donors have pledged more than enough for the fight--so long as they deliver. | 5 | 6,780 | news |
Illustrated by ELLIOT SALAZAR. "I found Prince Charming by following The Rules and so can you! I rarely called him or met him halfway. He loved the chase." - Kim, married 2012. In February 1995, a new dating book hit shelves, claiming to offer "time-tested secrets for capturing the heart of Mr. Right." It became a national best seller, teaching women all over the world how to snag a man, keep him on the line, and reel that sucker all the way to the altar. Authors Sherrie Schneider and Ellen Fein took a wise and biting tone with readers, outlining such unbreakable principles as, "Always end phone calls first," and "be a little distant and difficult." The 36 Rules became a thrilling new phenomenon, fundamentally based on the oldest game in town: playing very, very hard to get. From the start, The Rules had its critics those who called out the book as an anti-feminist, "goose-step guide to dating." Indeed, the entire program hinged on the concept of men as dimwitted hunters and women as the elusive, shiny-haired bait. But, all those readers simply weren't bothered. And, soon enough, a lot of them were married. For all the outrage at and criticism of this bestselling guide to game-playing, Schneider and Fein had the simple answer: "It works." 20 years later, do the same old Rules apply? For Ellen and Sherrie, who've devoted their careers to this program, the answer is an unequivocal "obviously!" To them, The Rules is not about manipulation; it's about preventing women from making avoidable dating mistakes and getting hurt because of them. "One of our clients before she started working with us broke all the Rules, and a guy dumped her," says Sherrie. "She couldn't get out of bed for a month. She couldn't go to work. And, she works in high finance!" Both Ellen and Sherrie claim to be feminists, and they shrug off any claims to the contrary. In their opinion, "feminism is about equal pay for equal work, owning a condo, or running a marathon." says Sherrie. "But, it's not about asking men out, paying for dates, or being a man. Women cannot be men, romantically."In the years since first publishing, the authors have put out four additional Rules books, including The Rules For Marriage and The Rules For Online Dating . Not Your Mother's Rules came out in 2013, revamping the advice and catering to young women who are dating in the age of social media. Here, you'll find Rules like, "Wait for a guy to follow you on Twitter first," and, "Wait at least four hours to return a guy's first text." Chapters also include tips for weight loss ("an average-looking slender girl has a better chance of attracting a guy than a very pretty overweight girl") and a section titled "Be Cautious About Date Rape." "If you do decide to drink, be smart about it," say Ellen and Sherrie. "On campus, you hear about date rape all too often stories of girls who drank too much and suffered the consequences." The Rules may have evolved since 1995, but the Rules Girl looks the same: She is aloof and demure. She wears only high heels and push-up bras with "big (three-inch) hoop earrings" and a "chunky gold watch." She waxes, uses contacts ("try blue and green shades!"), and dyes her hair blonde. She doesn't return calls, doesn't blab about her career success ("try to let him shine!"), and doesn't drink so much that she lets herself get raped. She waits at least four dates to move beyond kissing, because when she does finally have sex with a guy, "there is no going back," Ellen and Sherrie remind her. "You should continue to sleep with him if you have already. Otherwise he will think you are spiteful."In addition to their books, Ellen and Sherrie provide courses and one-on-one coaching. Just 15 minutes on the phone with one of them will run you $150 (but you can purchase five minutes for $50 if you just have a "very quick question"). For $1,200, one of them will meet you at the Short Hills Mall in New Jersey for four hours of private consultation. Other services included on The Rules site include, "Rebuilding Your Self-Confidence," "How To Write A Bestseller," and "Ghostwriting (Books And Blogs, And Even College Essays!)" For the die-hard Rules Girls, there's a course for becoming a certified Rules Coach. I spoke with Vanessa Taylor, a Rules Coach based in Los Angeles. On her blog, Platinum Girl: The World's Most Precious Woman, Taylor analyzes celebrity relationships through the lens of The Rules . Like Ellen and Sherrie, she thinks The Rules are tools for women to stop men from ruining their lives. "You can see Britney Spears' demise happened around the same time she proposed to Kevin Federline," she says. "He never really wanted her." Vanessa sweetly gushed about her own recent marriage and how The Rules helped her find and keep her dream guy. "It's funny, because my now-husband knew what I was up to. He tried calling me out on it, saying, 'I don't need to play these rules with you. I don't need to do this.'" But, she persevered despite his protestations. Texting is Vanessa's forte (she later wrote a book titled, Text Love Power: The Girls Guide to Texting & Dating ) and she turned the medium into a veritable mousetrap to ensnare her man. For example, "Over a three-day weekend I didn't respond to twelve of his texts," Vanessa explains. As expected, this drove her guy up the wall. "He was insane!" she continues, "But, that's kind of what you want." Soon enough, he was pleading for a response. "He'd be like, 'It would be really great to hear from you, just a simple hi.'" Still, she let him dangle, even when she sensed him getting upset: "He might get a little angry, but he didn't want to seem like a nutcase." In Vanessa's case, the method worked. But, there's always risk involved. "One of my clients had a guy threaten to break up with her when she wouldn't respond to his texts. But, I told her, 'We don't go text for text.' Just because he sends a message doesn't mean you're obligated to respond all the time." There is a kind of empowerment in a concept like that. How often have we analyzed and fretted over the precise timing and language of a text conversation? Perhaps all this calculated coquetting is anti-feminist and old-fashioned, but so is sitting at home and staring at the phone. The only trouble with The Rules is that whether you reply or not, you're still doing it for the guy. Vanessa puts a more flexible spin on Ellen and Sherrie's program. For her, it boils down to creating healthy boundaries and establishing your own power in the relationship, right from the start. Inarguably, that's a healthy and feminist intention. Some women might pull this off naturally, confident enough in their own worth and instincts to text back whenever they feel like it. Some men might not be alpha-texters, out hunting for a blonde in hoop earrings. But, a Rules Girl doesn't take risks like that. She puts in her blue or green contacts, and she checks the chart on page 66 to ascertain Minimum Text-Back Time. "The biggest criticism I hear from girls is, 'how can I be with someone if I can't be myself?'" says Vanessa. As ever, the answer is clear and irrefutable: "Make it yourself. Make it yourself and believe it." Looking back, one can see how The Rules got a foothold in 1995. Third-wave feminism was cresting across the country, bringing with it Riot Grrrls, The Vagina Monologues , and Take Your Daughter To Work Day. With any movement comes a backlash, and The Rules came hard and fast, telling all those women that equality is fine at the office, but it won't put a ring on your finger and that's what you really want, right? 20 years later, maybe new Rules aren't the answer. Maybe we just need to start asking a new question. | 4 | 6,781 | lifestyle |
Researchers at MIT labs have created a dynamic shape display which allows users to virtually transmit motion. | 8 | 6,782 | video |
Jordan's King Abdullah has cut short a trip to the US following the killing of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh by Islamic State. | 5 | 6,783 | news |
A U.S. jury on Tuesday ordered Toyota Motor Corp to pay nearly $11 million after finding that an accelerator defect in a 1996 Camry was at fault for a 2006 fatal car crash in Minnesota. Following a three-week trial, jurors in Minnesota federal court deliberated for four days before finding Toyota 60 percent liable for the crash, according to plaintiffs' lawyers. Koua Fong Lee, the Camry's driver, was found 40 percent responsible, according to lawyers. The plaintiffs said that the crash was caused by a defect in the Camry's accelerator that caused it to become stuck, and the brakes failed to work. Toyota denied that the car was at fault, and said the driver had been negligent. A spokeswoman for Toyota, Amanda Rice, said it was weighing its legal options. The car in the accident was not covered by Toyota's recall of more than 10 million vehicles between 2009 and 2010 over acceleration issues. The Minnesota trial stemmed from a lawsuit filed on behalf of passengers injured or killed in a 2006 crash in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lee, who later joined the suit, said he was driving his 1996 Toyota Camry when it inexplicably began to accelerate as he approached other vehicles stopped at an intersection, according to court filings. The Camry slammed into an Oldsmobile Ciera, killing the driver, Javis Trice-Adams Sr., as well as his 9-year old son, according to the 2010 lawsuit. A 6-year old girl who was also in the car was paralyzed and later died. Two other passengers were seriously injured, according to the lawsuit. Lee was charged in connection with the crash and served nearly three years in prison for vehicular homicide, according to his lawyer, Robert Hilliard. In 2010, when reports of unintended acceleration in other Toyota vehicles surfaced, Lee won a motion to set aside his conviction, and he was released from prison. Bill Markovits, a lawyer for the estate of the 6-year old girl and one of the injured passengers, said that his clients felt vindicated by the jury verdict. A lawyer for other passengers of the Ciera could not immediately be reached for comment. Hilliard said that while Lee would not be able to regain the years he spent in prison, he was glad that the jury had rejected Toyota's attempts to lay the blame entirely on him. (Reporting by Jessica Dye in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Cynthia Osterman) | 3 | 6,784 | finance |
No Democratic strategy got more attention in 2014 than the party's ritualized slamming of the conservative Koch brothers. From Harry Reid's floor speeches to TV ads broadcast across the country, Democrats bloodied the billionaire brothers and they candidates they funded yet most of the Koch candidates won anyway. But one of Democrats' top campaigners has a bold message for his colleagues: Despite the losses of 2014, double down on the Kochs in 2016. It's one of several strategies including the vaunted " war on women " playbook that many Democrats hope to resurrect in the next election, even as Republicans scoff and other Democrats push for the party to change course. Paul Tencher, who managed Democratic Sen. Gary Peters's victorious 2014 campaign in Michigan, says his team's efforts demonstrate that the strategy is too potent to give up, especially with the Kochs' political network planning to spend a gargantuan $889 million in 2016. Tencher says their methods are the only way to keep the ever-growing influx of Koch-network money from swinging elections. "We have to be smarter and more disciplined about shutting off the spigot of outside money," Tencher said in an interview. "… This isn't just about bruising up the Koch brothers and raising money. It's about shutting off that spigot and making their brand incapable of carrying the Republican message. "There's nothing worse than a campaign manager who talks about how campaigns should be run," Tencher laughed. "It's a choose-your-own-adventure business, and some others had strategies that worked as well.… But I think other campaigns could and should have bought into this messaging better." Yet not every Democrat wants to double down on the Kochs. It's expensive, for one thing, to raise the profiles of businessmen most people have never heard of in order to attack them. "I think the Kochs are a great fundraising foil, but I continue to believe they're not the best line of attack for Democrats," said Travis Lowe, a Democratic ad-maker. "Any number of entities used the Kochs as a foil last time, and it didn't work," Lowe continued. "That doesn't mean it can't in a better environment. But ... there are better arguments." And Republicans have long jeered Democrats' attacks on the Kochs; they say the Democratic Party's record in 2014 speaks for itself. "When you're cleaning out the fridge, if it stinks, you get rid of it," said GOP strategist Brad Todd. "The Democrats have been totally unwilling to clean out their campaign fridge after 2014." Democratic Senate strategists caution that nearly two years before the 2016 election, they have made no decisions about whether the Kochs will figure as strongly in their messaging as they did last year. But Tencher says his Michigan experience shows that a Koch-focused attack has promise. Peters's campaign in Michigan was one of the few November bright spots for his party, and it came after months of relentless TV ads linking Republican nominee Terri Lynn Land to the Kochs and a trio of environmental and economic issues with Koch-owned companies in the state. According to analysis from Kantar Media/CMAG and The Cook Political Report, 35 percent of Democratic TV ads in Michigan's 2014 Senate race attacked the Kochs the highest rate in the country. When Tencher started as Peters's campaign manager last winter, Koch-affiliated groups such as Americans for Prosperity had been advertising against Peters for months, and Land was doing better in both public and private polling. So Peters's campaign shifted resources to opposition research but on the Kochs, not Land. "We set out to find things to shut the spigot off, because I felt there was no way we could compete with their money," Tencher said. "If they were going to come in and spend $10, $12, $15 million, there was literally nothing we could do, so we had to find a way to stop them from doing it." Democratic outside groups picked up on the campaign's research, which highlighted chemical storage along the Detroit River and major layoffs in northern Michigan, and aired TV ads attacking the Kochs' motivations for backing Land. And from the spring through the early fall, as Peters pulled away and Land's unfavorable ratings grew in Democratic polling from 25 percent to the 40s, the Kochs' name recognition and unfavorable ratings grew in lockstep, too. "The Kochs left in August," Tencher said. "Whether it was because she became a non-viable candidate or they became a non-viable messenger, one way or another we stopped their money." Tencher has an enviable campaign record; in the election before last, he managed Sen. Joe Donnelly's successful long-shot campaign in Indiana. But critics note that Michigan, a reliably blue state where Republicans nominated a flawed Senate candidate, may not be the best place to rely on to test a national strategy. And while Republican strategists generally criticize Democratic strategy whatever it is, they are notably unafraid even in private conversations of their candidates being tied back to the Kochs. "I feel like their strategy is, they don't have a bogeyman and so they have to make one up," said Andrea Bozek, the communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "We have a lot of scary characters to pick from: Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama, Harry Reid. They don't have anyone who galvanizes emotional discomfort to that level, according to the polling I've seen." "My look at the election results shows that that was a resounding failure," said Levi Russell, communications director for Americans for Prosperity. "Because that strategy was tried in every single competitive Senate race without fail." Tencher insists the answer is to invest more time, energy, and money into connecting the Kochs to local issues, like the environment in Michigan, and linking it all back to Republican candidates who benefit from their spending. "We have to do the research," Tencher said. "We sat down, made it a priority, and said this is what we're going to do. Huge credit to our communications and research staff, they went and found it. For 2016, this has to be a concentrated effort. "Obviously they have a pretty specific [spending] number in mind," he said. | 5 | 6,785 | news |
Ted Strickland has the resume of an elder statesman within the Democratic Party: He's 73, served in the House for a dozen years, and lost his last statewide race in 2010. But rather than step aside for the next generation, the former governor of Ohio said last week that he is "seriously considering" a run against Republican Sen. Rob Portman. If he does, his candidacy will present an early dilemma for Democrats, one that's reflected in many of their other top Senate targets. Many Democrats who lost in previous elections are considering comebacks for office in marquee 2016 races and, despite their setbacks, seem positioned to gather most of the party's support behind them. In North Carolina, Democrats still consider former Sen. Kay Hagan their top choice. Party leaders in Pennsylvania are starting to rally around Joe Sestak, the party's 2010 nominee for the Senate who hasn't held elective office since. And in Wisconsin, most Democrats expect former Sen. Russ Feingold will return to politics after more than four years away and claim the party's nomination. A fourth, former Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska, has not ruled out a campaign either after losing his re-election race last year, and he would be the party's top choice to run against GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski. It's a gamble for the party to rely so heavily on the brand-name political veterans. Former statewide officeholders like Strickland carry important advantages into major campaigns, including high name recognition and a proven ability to raise money. But in a cycle where Democrats can finally turn the page on the Obama era, when many voters are distrustful of anything that smacks of the political establishment, their candidacies are also inextricably linked to both the president and the past. But most senior Democratic officials are embracing the past. They argue that, although former office-holders are sometimes a risky bet, most members of the current crop of potential recruits are well-qualified to run for office again. Against a well-funded and entrenched incumbent like Portman, they say Democrats can't afford to roll the dice with someone untested. "There's no question there's always need for a fresh face, but these are people who are very savvy, and well-liked, and gold-chip prospects," said one Democratic strategist, who requested anonymity to speak candidly about party strategy. "So I think there's a difference between someone who's been around the block and lost 20 times" and the candidates being recruited today. In Ohio, the primary could pit two candidates with very different levels of experience in the septuagenarian Strickland and 30-year-old Cincinnati city council member P.G. Sittenfeld, who already declared his candidacy. If Strickland runs, he's well positioned to receive the vast majority of party support. That preference for the familiar is concerning several skeptics who believe the party is already suffering from an age imbalance among its leaders a discrepancy that could be exacerbated if the party nominates the 67-year-old Hillary Clinton for president could use an infusion of younger talent. "The Ohio Democrats fall into two categories," said Jerry Austin, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state. "Those who understand it's time for the future and find new people to run … and those who don't know anything other than the past. That's why they fall back on candidates like Strickland." Still, in at least four other states, Democrats are ready to test the proposition that former office-holders are their best bet to knock off GOP incumbents. Like Strickland, political operatives will find a lot to like in each of their perspective candidacies. Hagan proved a dynamite fundraiser during her last campaign, for instance, while Begich came close to a stunning victory in a red state during a terrible year for the party. Sestak was a former Navy admiral, and Feingold's brand of outspoken independence makes it difficult to label him just another politician. But the quartet of former officeholders also voted for many of the least popular parts of President Obama's agenda, such as Obamacare. Many of them like Feingold held statewide office for nearly two decades. With the exception of Begich, all of them are over 60 years old. That kind of experience makes it difficult to argue they aren't part of the political establishment a risky place for any pol to land at a time when dissatisfaction with politics is near modern highs. Candidates who come from outside the system have an easier time arguing that they fix it. "It's being able to say, 'Listen, I've never been a part of that work,' " said Steve Schale, a Florida-based Democratic strategist. " 'I'm like you, I don't understand why they do things like they do.' " Democrats also aren't stuck with retreads in every race. Many Democrats think Rep. Patrick Murphy, just 31 and elected in 2012, will run for Sen. Marco Rubio's seat in Florida. A 33-year-old Democratic secretary of state named Jason Kander is contemplating a run against GOP Sen. Roy Blunt in Missouri. Schale sees both sides of the argument: Last year, he was an unofficial adviser to Charlie Crist's failed run for governor and also worked for first-time candidate Gwen Graham, who scored one of the party's few victories against a House GOP incumbent. Despite Crist's failure and Graham's success, he says it would be a mistake to conclude that candidates with baggage are a bad idea. In the governor's race, for instance, an inexperienced nominee would have been swamped early by Republican Gov. Rick Scott's rampant spending. "It's very hard to build a candidate from whole cloth," Schale said. "[Particularly] in states with an expensive media environment." | 5 | 6,786 | news |
Recruiting is the lifeblood of big-time college football and the Southeastern Conference's current run of success may relate to this: During a recent five-year span, SEC public schools spent, on average, roughly $150,000 more per year recruiting football players than did public schools in the other four power conferences. As a new class of recruits begins formalizing school choices on Wednesday's national signing day, a USA TODAY Sports analysis also finds that in football recruiting budgets, as in many other ways, the gulf between the Football Bowl Subdivision's haves and have-nots is growing substantially. Power conference schools went from spending an average of $247,000 more than non-power conference schools in 2008-09 to spending $360,000 more in 2012-13, the most recent school year for which nationwide data are available. Overall during that period, spending on football recruiting increased by more than $8.9 million, or about 30%, among FBS public schools slightly more than the rate at which all operational spending on athletics rose. USA TODAY Sports analyzed recruiting expense data gathered in conjunction with Indiana University's National Sports Journalism Center from financial reports the schools file annually with the NCAA. The reports ask schools to report income and spending in a variety of categories on a sport-by-sport basis. No public school spent more on football recruiting than the SEC's Tennessee, with an average of nearly $1.3 million annually 36% more than any other major college program. Tennessee was the only school over that span to average a seven-figure expenditure for recruiting expenses, which include transportation as well as lodging and meals for both recruits on school visits and coaches on recruiting trips. Tennessee vice chancellor and athletics director Dave Hart said in a written statement to USA TODAY Sports the difference may be that Tennessee is more diligent in how it categorizes each of its teams' recruiting expenses, and that some other schools may place some of those costs into another category which, if true, could mean that recruiting expenses at other schools are actually higher than reported. SEC schools spent an average of $582,000 per year recruiting football players during the five-year period, far more than schools in the other four power conferences the Big 12 ($450,000), Big Ten ($444,000), Atlantic Coast ($426,000) and Pac-12 ($403,000). USA TODAY Sports' analysis also ranked schools' recruiting spending based on bang for the buck. Boise State won 55 games from 2010 to 2014 with four finishes in the top 25 of the Amway Coaches Poll for an average of just under $12,000 in recruiting expenses per win. Northern Illinois (57 wins, one top-25 finish) spent even less per win, by $135. Louisiana-Monroe (27 wins, no top 25s) spent the least per win at $7,633. Wisconsin performed well relative to its Big Ten peers with 50 wins, four top-25 finishes and $23,000 in recruiting expenses per win. "I think we manage our money the best we can and are efficient while serving the needs of the coaches … so we must be doing something right," Wisconsin associate athletics director for external relations Justin Doherty said, adding that "it's not about the money. It's about building relationships with a prospect and a coach." Tennessee won 28 games over that span with no top-25 finishes for an average of nearly $232,000 in recruiting expenses per win, least bang for the buck. Kansas was next worse with 12 wins and no top-25 finishes for an average of nearly $180,000 in recruiting expenses per win. "Any expense related to recruiting is included in our NCAA form under that area rather than some costs being absorbed into the regular football or individual sport accounts, which may be the practice of other institutions," Tennessee's Hart said in his statement to USA TODAY Sports. "This practice allows for a higher, and likely more accurate, accounting of true recruiting-related expenses. This includes everything from travel-related costs such as chartered aircraft and commercial flights to general expenses such as those incurred with on-campus recruiting, mailers, office supplies, and etc." The NCAA's definition of recruiting expenses includes, in addition to the usual travel costs, telephone call charges and postage "and such" plus the value of an institution's own vehicles or planes, as well as the in-kind value of loaned or contributed transportation costs. "In terms of aircraft, the school plane to which we have access is a UT system plane that is used across multiple campuses," Hart said. "We have limited access to the system plane during peak football recruiting times, which can necessitate more frequent expenditures related to charter aircraft than other institutions with more direct University or athletic department-owned aircraft may experience. "Additionally, 80% of student-athletes come from outside the state, which increases the recruiting territory we cover and to which we travel in all sports. That said, we do and will continue to invest heavily in recruiting because of how critical success in that area is to the overall athletics program." The one-year lag used between expense data and win totals is meant to account for the fact that recruited high school seniors do not arrive on campus until the following year. Even so, this remains an inexact measure, as recruiting expenses for any one particular season can stretch back as far seven or eight years. That's because costs can begin when a player is scouted early in his high school career coupled with the reality that redshirt seniors typically spend five years in a program. Tennessee is not the only place where spending does not equal winning: Of the 25 top spenders on recruiting over the five-year span, 11 have not been ranked in the final coaches poll and five more were ranked just one of those seasons. Purdue showed one of the largest percentage declines in recruiting expenditures over the five-year span more than $666,000 in 2008-09 and nearly $480,000 in 2012-13, a drop of 28%. Tom Schott, Purdue's senior associate athletics director for communications, said costs for software shifted from football to a department-wide technical budget during those years, among other cost shifts, lending credence to Tennessee's contention that schools sometimes compute costs differently. The analysis includes 98 public schools that were members of the Football Bowl Subdivision for the full five years covered. It does not include Penn State because its data for 2008-09 was not available. The analysis for conferences counts the schools that were members of a particular conference in 2012-13 as if they were members of that conference for the entire five years, even if they switched conferences during the span. Contributing: Nick Penzenstadler, Christopher Schnaars, Matt Slovin of The Tennessean and Matt L. Stephens of The Coloradoan | 1 | 6,787 | sports |
Bill Hader was intimidated by a guy covered in props (Andy Samberg) in the elevator, on his way to his 'SNL' audition. Dana Carvey was a stand up, performing gigs at a pizza parlor before his 'SNL' break. | 8 | 6,788 | video |
If you think the battle over Robin Williams' estate is nasty, consider the fight over the fortune of Michael Wright. The Australian mining billionaire left an estate worth $2.7 billion Australian dollars (US$2.1 billion) when he died in 2012. But now, a previously unknown daughter is asking for bigger share of his estate. The 19-year-old student, named Olivia Mead, was left A$3 million in Wright's will, along with an allowance for 30 years. Yet she wants more a lot more. And she's given the court a shopping list, according to The West Australian . Specifically, the paper said she wants a A$2.5 million house, to be refurbished twice at a cost of A$500,000. She wants a A$250,000 diamond-studded bass guitar made out of 10,000-year-old Siberian mammoth ivory, 24-carat gold inlay and knobs topped with 3.3 carat diamonds valued at A$250,000. For playing along with the bass, she also wants a A$1.2 million crystal-encrusted piano. She also wants payment for all of her expenses for the next 77 years, until she turns 96. Those include five pairs of A$5,000 shoes a year, 20 pairs of A$300 shoes a year, A$40,000 a year for holidays, two cars, A$10,000 a year for handbags and fashion accessories and A$2,014 a year to keep an axolotl, a salamander also known as a Mexican walking fish. She is also claiming A$300 a week for clothes, A$800 a week for food and alcohol, A$400 a week for restaurant bills and A$150 a week for fine wine all for life. Mead is suing Wright's estate and his two other daughters for her requests, saying she's been left "without adequate provisions in her father's will." To read the full report in The West Australian , click here . | 3 | 6,789 | finance |
A device that pairs with your smartphone and screens your breath for early detection of potentially life-threatening diseases is in the works at a research consortium at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. Unsurprisingly called the SNIFFPHONE, it's being funded by a grant from the European Commission. "It will be made tinier and cheaper than disease detection solutions currently, consume little power, and most importantly, it will enable immediate and early diagnosis that is both accurate and non-invasive," says Professor Hossam Haick, head of the consortium. A combination of micro and nano-sensors will analyze the exhaled breath and send the information through the smartphone to be processed for interpretation -- perhaps in a corresponding app -- which establishes the diagnosis. The technology is not only capable of early disease detection, it knows if you are likely to contract a specific disease and help you avoid doing so, according to a press release from the American Technion Society. Breath analysis to detect disease is a developing science. This past May, Dr. Raed Dweik of the Cleveland Clinic in the US published a paper on an experiment in which his team was able to recognize the unique "breathprint" of those with heart failure. In 2013, Dr. Ruchi Mathur developed a breath test that reveals an individual's susceptibility to weight gain. | 7 | 6,790 | health |
NASCAR's Super Bowl ad hasn't gone over as well as anticipated. As of Tuesday morning, a Change.org petition from a user named Gluten Dude had collected more than 18,300 signatures against the ad and in support of Celiac disease awareness. The tongue-and-cheek commerical conveys a hardcore, beer-guzzling, American flag-donning, bull-riding NASCAR fan that rejects all that is "weak." And while the ad doesn't mention the autoimmune disease Celiac outright, it pokes fun at gluten insensitivity. "When our idea of danger is eating gluten, there's trouble afoot," Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman says in the commercial. According to Adweek, the anonymous Gluten Dude said he wanted to have the ad removed due to its insensitivity, as was GoDaddy's ad, controversial for its "puppy mill humor." "NBC is running a Super Bowl ad that makes fun of those who are gluten-free. It implies that we're soft...we're weak...we're part of America's problem," the petition reads. An NBC spokesman said the gluten reference appeared in the 2-minute version of the ad, which is only available online and "at the viewer's discretion." The full version was not aired at the conclusion of the Super Bowl. Response to the ad, the spokesman said, has been "overwhelmingly positive, but we understand that it is hard to please everyone and apologize to anyone who took offense." NASCAR could not immediately be reached for comment. | 1 | 6,791 | sports |
Sitting at a desk all day is terrible for your body, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help you burn calories while sitting. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has a few tricks to add a little activity to your work day! | 8 | 6,792 | video |
The NTSB says a pilot and/or his passenger were likely taking selfies when the pilot lost control of the plane, causing it to crash, and killing them both. Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) has the details. | 8 | 6,793 | video |
The Cleveland Browns will be without stud wide receiver Josh Gordon for the entire 2015 season and potentially even longer. Josh Gordon suspended: http://t.co/AkL8VcJvFz pic.twitter.com/MSa6SCW8DA NFL (@nfl) February 3, 2015 Following a positive test for alcohol consumption last month, the National Football League officially suspended Gordon for a minimum of one year on Tuesday (via Ohio.com). Josh Gordon of the Cleveland Browns has been suspended without pay for at least one year for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances of Abuse," a statement attributed to a league spokesman read. "Gordon's suspension begins immediately." It's yet another black eye in what has been a turbulent off-field career for the much-maligned pass catcher. Prior to testing positive for alcohol use a banned substance when a player is under discipline for alcohol-related offenses Gordon's rap sheet has included a DUI and a positive marijuana test. Remember, Gordon entered the 2012 supplemental draft because of off-field issues at Baylor. Browns general manager Ray Farmer had the following to say in a statement regarding Gordon's latest suspension: As we have conveyed, we are disappointed to once again be at this point with Josh. Throughout his career we have tried to assist him in getting support like we would with any member of our organization. Unfortunately our efforts have not resonated with him. It is evident that Josh needs to make some substantial strides to live up to the positive culture we are trying to build this football team upon. Our hope is that this suspension affords Josh the opportunity to gain some clarity in determining what he wants to accomplish moving forward and if he wants a career in the Nation Football League. We will have no further comment on Josh as he will not be permitted in our facility for the duration of his suspension. Gordon had previously taken to the Internet to write an open letter regarding his off-field issues and take some responsibility for his actions. It remains to be seen just how seriously he's going to take this latest suspension. This news comes one day after it was announced that Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel had entered himself into a rehab program. Needless to say, Cleveland's offseason is already off to a rocky start. The post NFL Officially Suspends Josh Gordon At Least One Year appeared first on Sportsnaut.com . | 1 | 6,794 | sports |
Danielle Panabaker stars as Dr. Caitlin Snow on The CW's The Flash, and when she stopped by our POPSUGAR studios, she told us fans can expect the show to keep them guessing as the season goes on. In fact, she told us a "huge twist" ahead was even a surprise to her! Danielle also gave us some scoop on tonight's episode, which puts her self-described "tone deaf" karaoke skills to the test opposite her costar Grant Gustin. | 8 | 6,795 | video |
As a rule, rogue Android apps don't last long on Google Play -- either Google catches them quickly , or enough people complain that something gets done. That doesn't appear to have happened with a recent batch of apps, though. Antivirus developer Avast has noticed that multiple titles, including some with millions of downloads, have been harboring a sneaky form of adware that tries to fool you into either paying for content or violating your privacy. The apps will often work normally for days, but eventually pester you with ads warning about non-existent updates and viruses every time you unlock your phone. If you're tempted enough to tap one of the ads, you're steered to far more dangerous content that may send premium text messages (without asking, naturally), harvest personal info or otherwise compromise your device. At least some of the offending apps are gone as I write this, so there's no doubt that Google is clamping down. However, it does raise the question of why these apps managed to get relatively popular before the hammer fell -- even if they were pumped up by fake downloads, there were negative reviews indicating that something was amiss. We've reached out to Google to get more details about what happened and what it might be doing to mitigate these problems in the future. For now, your best defenses are to either install only the apps you trust, or to read reviews carefully before you take the plunge. Avast Blog | 5 | 6,796 | news |
Kevin Egan breaks down Manchester United's 3-0 win over Cambridge United in the FA Cup. | 1 | 6,797 | sports |
VALHALLA, N.Y. (AP) Federal investigators looking into a fiery commuter train wreck that killed six people zeroed in Wednesday on what they called the big question on everyone's mind: Why was the driver of an SUV stopped on the tracks, between the lowered crossing gates? A team from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to examine the blackened and mangled wreckage and the Metro-North train's data recorders the morning after the rush-hour collision with the sport utility vehicle about 20 miles north of New York City. The Tuesday evening crash was the deadliest accident in the 32-year history of one of the nation's busiest commuter railroads one that has come under a harsh spotlight over a series of accidents in recent years. The SUV driver and five men on the train were killed, burned so badly that authorities were using dental records to identify them. "The big question everyone wants to know is: Why was this vehicle in the crossing?" said Robert Sumwalt, NTSB vice chairman. The wreck happened after dark in backed-up traffic in an area where the tracks are straight but driving can be tricky. Motorists exiting or entering the adjacent Taconic Parkway have to turn and cross the tracks near a wooded area and a cemetery. The driver whom family friends identified as 49-year-old Ellen Brody, a jewelry store employee had calmly gotten out of her Mercedes SUV momentarily after the crossing gates came down around her and hit her car, according to the motorist behind her, Rick Hope. "She wasn't in a hurry at all, but she had to have known that a train was coming," Hope told the Journal News. He said he motioned to her to come back and gave her room to reverse. But instead, she got back in her car and went forward on the tracks, he said. "It looks like she stopped where she stopped because she didn't want to go on the tracks," Hope he told WNYW-TV. "It was dark, so maybe she didn't know she was in front of the gate." Traffic was moving slowly at the time, choked with drivers seeking to avoid the Taconic Parkway because of an accident, he noted. As of Wednesday evening, investigators had no evidence the crossing gates weren't working properly, but their examination was just beginning, Sumwalt said. Among other things, investigators also planned to examine the tracks, interview the crew and find out whether the SUV had a data recorder of its own. Brody was a mother of three grown daughters and an active, outgoing member of her synagogue. And she was "not risky when it came to her safety or others," said family friend Paul Feiner, the town supervisor in Greenburgh. Railroad grade crossings typically have gate arms designed to lift automatically if they hit a car or other object on the way down, railroad safety consultant Grady Cothen said. The wooden arms are designed to be easily broken if a car trapped between them moves forward or backward, he said. Acknowledging that collisions between trains and cars rarely cause rider deaths, Sumwalt said the NTSB would also examine the adequacy of the train's exits and the intensity of the fire, which investigators believe was sparked by the SUV's gas tank. Sen. Charles Schumer said early indications are that the train was going 58 mph, or within the 60-to-70-mph speed limit in that area. The NTSB said it wanted to confirm speed and other data extracted from the recorder before releasing it. It was not the first deadly crash at the site: A Metro-North train hit a truck, killing its driver, at the same Commerce Street crossing in 1984, according to Federal Railroad Administration records. Rep. Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., said Tuesday's accident underscores the need for positive train control, a technology that uses WiFi and GPS to monitor trains' exact position and automatically applies the brakes to prevent collisions or lessen their severity. While not specifically designed to address grade-crossing accidents, the technology can be expanded for such purposes, he said. Congress passed a 2008 law that requires all railroads to install positive train control by the end of 2015, but it's clear most of them will not meet the deadline. The crash was so powerful that the electrified third rail came up and pierced the train and the SUV, and the SUV was pushed about 1,000 feet, Sumwalt said. The blaze consumed the SUV and the train's first car. Elizabeth Bordiga was commuting home from her New York City nursing job when she suddenly felt the train jerk a few times. She and other passengers in the middle part of the train started calmly walking to the back. But then they started smelling gasoline, and somebody said there was a fire. But they couldn't open the emergency window or figure out how to escape until a firefighter got a door open, she said. Commuters lifted each other down from the train to the ground about 7 feet below, said Bordiga, who uses a cane. "When I was on the ground, I looked to the right and saw flames. I couldn't believe it," she said. In the first car, a man whose own hands were burned elbowed open the emergency exit latch, allowing some of the train's roughly 700 passengers to escape, passenger Christopher Gross said on ABC's "Good Morning America." The train's engineer tried to rescue people until the smoke and flames got so severe that he had to escape, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino said While officials did not immediately release any victims' names, employers confirmed that the dead included Walter Liedtke, a curator of European paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Eric Vandercar, 53, a senior managing director at Mesirow Financial. Every day, trains travel across more than 212,000 highway-grade rail crossings in the U.S. There are an average of 230 to 250 deaths a year at such crossings, down over 50 percent from two decades ago, FRA figures show. Risky driver behavior or poor judgment accounts for 94 percent of grade crossing accidents, according to a 2004 government report. Metro-North is the nation's second-busiest commuter railroad, after the Long Island Rail Road, serving about 280,000 riders a day. Late last year, the NTSB issued rulings on five Metro-North accidents in New York and Connecticut in 2013 and 2014, repeatedly finding fault with the railroad. Among the accidents was a 2013 derailment in the Bronx that killed four people, the railroad's first passenger fatalities, The NTSB said the engineer had fallen asleep at the controls because of a severe, undiagnosed case of sleep apnea. ___ Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz, Ula Ilnytzky and Meghan Barr in New York; Joan Lowy in Washington; and Michael Kunzelman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contributed to this report. | 5 | 6,798 | news |
Pet owners may now only need to turn to one company in the morning. Coffee, peanut butter, jam and frosting company J.M. Smucker is buying Big Heart Pet Brands, the owner of MeowMix, Milk-Bone and Kibbles'nBits, for $5.8 billion as it diversifies into the pet foods business. For J.M. Smucker, the acquisition, which comes with $2.6 billion in debt, is an attempt at diversification. Currently, 46% of the company's sales come from coffee, while 13% come from peanut butter and a further 6% come from its popular jams. Inclusive of Big Heart Pet Brands, J.M. Smucker's coffee and pet foods businesses will be of roughly equal size, contributing about a third apiece to overall revenue, while peanut butter, oils, jams, frostings and other products will contribute the rest. Big Heart's selling group, KKR & Co., Vestar Capital Partners and Centerview Capital, are exiting the successful take private, formerly known as Del Monte Foods, by accepting mostly stock from J.M. Smucker in a transaction that values the company at $5.8 billion when including debt. In total, the PE investor group will receive $1.3 billion in cash and 17.9 million shares of J.M. Smucker worth roughly $1.9 billion as of the close of trading on Tuesday. The structure of the deal underscores how KKR and other large private equity firms are increasingly willing to accept public shares, instead of cash, as they exit large LBO transactions. "We're confident that Big Heart Pet Brands can look ahead to continued success in the sector as part of the Smucker family. We look forward to benefiting from this synergistic combination as a meaningful shareholder in Smucker going forward," said a senior executive group from KKR, Vestar and Centerview. J.M. Smucker expects to achieve annual synergies of approximately $200 million within the first three years of the close of the merger. KKR also received significant stock in its sale of Alliance Boots to Walgeens Boots Alliance and in its proposed sale of U.S. Foods to Sysco, which is moving towards a close after a lengthy antitrust review. Those transactions indicate that the PE firm is willing to partake in the planned synergies and de-leveraging balance sheet of the acquirer, while also seeing a fuller return on any operational improvements achieved during private hands. The PE owners of Big Heart Pet Brands took the company private at an enterprise value of $5.3 billion in March 2011, relying on $2.7 billion in debt financing. In 2013, the group sold its canned foods business to Del Monte Pacific for $1.68 billion in cash. Inclusive of synergies, J.M. Smucker is paying the group nine times Big Heart's estimated 2015 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Prior to Tuesday's deal, Big Heart was likely a candidate for a public offering in coming quarters or years. "Given the strong alignment between Big Heart Pet Brands' and Smucker's purposes and values, I'm confident that Smucker is a great fit for our brand portfolio," Dave West, CEO of Big Heart, said in a statement. "Our sponsor owners have been great partners as we invested in growing our business and capabilities to drive value creation, and our iconic pet food and snack brands have significant growth potential," he added. J.M. Smucker will see its leverage rise to four times annual EBITDA, given a total debt load of $6.5 billion inclusive of debt it is assuming in the transaction. The deal is expected to close by early May. Shares in J.M. Smucker rose nearly 4% in after-hours trading. Over the past 12-months, J.M. Smucker's 10% rise modestly underperformed the S&P 500 Index. William Blair is serving as financial advisor to J.M. Smucker and Bank of America is providing financing. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as J.M. Smucker's legal advisor. Morgan Stanley and Centerview Partners acted as financial advisors to Big Heart Pet Brands, while Simpson Thacher & Bartlett acted as legal advisor. | 3 | 6,799 | finance |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.