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International drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is known for his elaborate tunnel systems , both to transport drugs and to facilitate his incredible escapes, including the one that helped him slip out of a maximum-security prison cell in Altaplano, Mexico, in July. The kingpin's second prison break was considered a national embarrassment , and the shame has likely deepened now that security tapes have revealed exactly what the guards were doing when El Chapo disappeared from his cell. They were, like many bored office drones not tasked with standing watch over one of the world's most notorious criminals, playing solitaire on their computers. Others didn't even bother to keep up the ruse of workplace procrastination and had simply turned off their monitors, reports El Universal. The guards had originally told investigators that their computers had frozen, and when they booted back up, El Chapo was gone. They claimed they called the monitoring station about 30 times to notify them about El Chapo's disappearing act, but no one answered. But technical experts believe the system never froze and guards reset the computers themselves, which the judge presiding over the case of two of the guards said "was deliberate to give the leader of the Sinaloa that which he needed to escape: time." The guards did make calls to the monitoring center but only three, not dozens. The judge also said that though El Chapo escaped shortly before 9 p.m., the guards didn't make their way to the cell to check it out until 9:15 p.m., by which time Guzmán was probably riding his tiny motorcycle to freedom . The prison also did not activate the el codigo rojo basically Code Red that put the prison on total lockdown and alerted the military until midnight, giving the kingpin about a three-hour head start. According to La Prensa , so far at least 13 prison workers and the former director of the maximum-security prison at Altiplano are being prosecuted in El Chapo's prison break, but in their defense, it's probably easy to miss the clanging of hammers and drills over the sound of those shuffling cards.
| 5 | 90,900 |
news
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WASHINGTON South Carolina's congressional delegation is vowing to make sure the state gets federal help to recover from the historic flooding from massive rains. But less than three years ago, the Republican-dominated, conservative delegation opposed a $51 billion relief bill to help mid-Atlantic states like New York and New Jersey rebuild in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which dealt that region a devastating blow. On Tuesday, Gov. Nikki Haley said that "we're not going to stop" until the state gets "everything we need to get back up and running and fixed again." Already, the state's two GOP senators say they'll support Haley, a fellow Republican, in obtaining recovery funding as estimates come in. "The governor's going to be making the request and we'll certainly be there as part of the process," said Sen. Tim Scott. "But the amount can't be determined at this point." In January 2013, five Republicans in the House delegation voted against Sandy aid after the superstorm. So did Scott and GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham in a vote later that month. In fact, just 49 of 232 House Republicans voted to provide the Sandy storm aid. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C., offered an amendment to require that $17 billion worth of the package be offset by cuts elsewhere in the budget. At the time, Mulvaney said: "I wish very much that we could pass this and easily borrow the money without any questions whatsoever, but we've wasted that opportunity. We've mismanaged our own finances to the point where we are now no longer capable of taking care of our own." Rep. Jim Clyburn, a member of the House Democratic leadership team, supported the aid package. In the wake of the South Carolina flooding, Republicans who opposed Sandy funding seem to be having a change of heart. "Rep. Rice thinks we need to have a discussion about the role of the federal government in disaster relief," said Alex Eline, a spokeswoman for Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C. "That being said, to the extent that we have damages in South Carolina, we are covered by law and he believes we need to get the full benefit of that. We will seek funds necessary to cover the needs of our district as a result of this catastrophe." There is almost $6 billion in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund for immediate needs. But more money is likely to be required. Big flood disasters like Sandy and Hurricane Katrina usually generate far greater damage than other disasters. "There will be a time for a discussion about aid and how to pay for it, but that time is not now," Mulvaney said. "The danger is still real, and it is immediate. Keeping folks safe is the priority right now." The Sandy aid bill had a relatively difficult path through Congress. It advanced in the wake of the 2012 election that gave President Barack Obama his second term and as Obama was using leverage over Republicans to muscle through a tax increase on upper income earners. Some Republicans said Obama's performance after the storm and praise from Republicans such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie helped Obama seal his re-election. The measure also included items for earlier disasters and drew criticism from some government watchdogs and Republicans for such spending. "What I opposed was the piling on of projects," Scott said. "All types of projects that had nothing to do with it that took the number up by several billion dollars." The Sandy aid bill moved through with support of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and then-Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the leading candidate to replace Boehner when he steps down at the end of the month. The other announced candidates for leadership posts opposed the Sandy measure. "There is a reason we call this the United States of America and that's because we'd respond to any fellow Americans who find themselves in the midst of tragedy as we see in South Carolina," Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said Tuesday. "That's why I keep reminding my colleagues 'there but for the grace of God, go I.' It can happen to you next."
| 5 | 90,901 |
news
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The nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager announced late Tuesday that it will include two new, very expensive cholesterol drugs on its list of covered drugs next year but also has a plan to prevent the medications from busting budgets. Express Scripts (ESRX) said it will control costs from the medications through a combination of discounts from their makers, and restrictions on who can use them. Also, it will cap the amount per member that a pharmacy plan sponsor will spend on the injectable, cholesterol-lowering drugs, called Praluent and Repatha, in 2016. Praluent has a wholesale price of $14,600 per year. Repatha's wholesale price is $14,100 per year. The company did not reveal at what amount it would cap spending on the medications by plan sponsors, but said Express Scripts would cover the cost of the drugs for plan sponsors beyond that threshold. "We aren't going to allow it to bust their budget," said Dr. Steve Miller, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Express Scripts, who noted that plan sponsors had told his company "they were extremely concerned" about the potential cost impact from the drugs. Miller also said that Express Scripts is implementing similar limits on what plan sponsors will have to pay for other medications, along the lines of the cap that it is implementing for PCSK9 inhibitors. "We've been going back and doing this both in generics and branded products," he said. Miller said Express Scripts is getting the point where "a high percentage of our total spend is covered by inflation protection" from the caps. Express Scripts said that clients of its National Preferred Formulary will collectively spend next year about $750 million on the two drugs, known as PCSK9 inhibitors. That amount is "far lower than industry forecasts," according to the company Express Scripts' National Preferred Formulary covers about 25 million people. The pharmacy company did not disclose the discounts it obtained for Praluent, which was developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Sanofi, (SAN-FR) or for Repatha, which is made by Amgen (AMGN) . But Miller said Express Scripts held "collaborative discussions with" the manufacturers, "who share our interest in delivering innovative treatments to patients when clinically appropriate." "We've negotiated for what we think is a favorable price," Miller said. "We are confident that we have received the best price possible for both products, without needing to exclude either." In a recent report, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) said that an analysis of the drugs' benefits "indicate that the price that best represents the overall benefits these drugs may bring to patients would be between $3,615 and $4,811," which would represent up to a 75 percent discount off the list price of Praulent. Asked about that analysis, Miller said:"We used the ICER report in our negotiations. Did we receive the ICER price? The answer is no, we didn't." Still, "we believe that for at least 2016 that we have a very good idea that this should be well-absorbed in the budgets of our plan members," he said. Even before both drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration and their wholesale prices were announced, analysts had warned that the PCSK9 inhibitors could lead to significantly higher spending by insurance plans because of their potential use by millions of patients with high cholesterol levels. Express Scripts itself has voiced fears that annual U.S. spending on the new types of drugs could top $100 billion annually. "Even if physicians adopt this new therapy slower than anticipated, it is clear that PCSK9 inhibitors are on a path to become the costliest therapy class this country has ever seen," Miller wrote in a blog post at the time. The FDA approved the drugs for heart disease patients who cannot tolerate more levels of statins, the traditional cholesterol-lowering medications, as well as for people with a condition known as heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Since then, pharmacy benefit managers have tried to control costs of the new drugs by limiting use to the approved patient population, which Miller had said two months ago would be in the range of 8 million to 10 million people nationally. Express Scripts has started a "Cholesterol Care Value Program," which the company said uses "rigorous clinical documentation to ensure" the "right patients" get access to the drugs, "while minimizing unnecessary risks and spending." The company also said that for a large majority of the more than 70 million people with high cholesterol, the traditional treatment of statins is "the clinically appropriate, tried-and-true therapy." Last week, Express Scripts Vice President Everett Neville told the Reuters news agency that his company and insurers "had rejected a surprisingly high number of prescriptions for the two injectable drugs" because patients either didn't qualify or failed to produce required documentation. He also said the PCSK9 inhibitors would not be "budget-busters," Reuters reported . Anthony Hooper, executive vice president of global commercial operations at Amgen, said, "Ensuring access to Repatha for appropriate patients is among Amgen's highest priorities." "We are delighted that Express Scripts has chosen to preserve physician and patient treatment choice for patients who need intensive and predictable LDL lowering. This is an important milestone for patients. We will continue to engage constructively with other payers to enable patients to have access to Repatha," Hooper said. In joint statement, Sanofi and Regeneron said they: "are confident in the value that Praluen ... injection provides to appropriate patients and the overall health-care system, and are pleased that patients in the U.S. now have increased access to Praluent." "We are committed to ensuring appropriate patients can access medicines that improve their health, and we are dedicated to establishing agreements with insurers to help achieve that goal," Sanofi and Regeneron said.
| 3 | 90,902 |
finance
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Las Vegas is known for being extravagant and over the top from its people and food to its hotels. When it comes to the Luxe Pet Hotels... it is no different! No need to leave your pet at home when you vacation to Las Vegas. Your fur baby deserves to be treated like royalty! This luxurious pet hotel takes pampering to another level… Robin Leach takes you inside this PET PALACE PARADISE! Check out the latest episode of #LUXEVEGAS and you'll wish you could stay here, too! Get more feel good video clips at http://www.hooplaha.com Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hooplaha Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hooplaha
| 5 | 90,903 |
news
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Breakups are the worst. Sometimes they're the worst because you have lost someone that you truly care about and will miss; sometimes they're the worst because you have put all your eggs in one person-size basket and that person-size basket unceremoniously dumps you; sometimes they're the worst because now what am I supposed to do with my time? Regardless if you are the dumper, the dumpee, it was mutual, or the other person just ghosted into the mist, getting over a breakup isn't easy. Here are a few proactive tricks to help you get through it. 1. Give yourself permission to be messy but only for a specific amount of time. Women can be hard on themselves post-breakup. You're going to be sad, you're going to be angry, and you're going to be emotional. You should be. Breakups are sad, even if breaking up is the best thing that could have happened. You can't be a mess forever, but set an end date, and then take the time to be emotional and messy if you need it. Bonus: Breakups are the only acceptable time to show up to lunch in your pajamas clutching My Little Ponies and a jar of peanut butter. 2. Have a funeral for your dead relationship. Literally. Just like mourning a death, there are stages of grieving a breakup. Instead of hoping the other person will come to their senses and come running back into your arms, or that you can somehow trick them into being yours again, you have to accept that your relationship is over. (The tricking thing never works anyway.) The best way to do this is with a funeral. Alone, or better yet with girlfriends while drinking, physically bury some memento from your relationship while giving an angry/heartfelt/drunken eulogy. Just acknowledge that it's over and you're moving on. 3a. Unfollow your ex everywhere . There are many schools of thought on this, but by and large, looking at any images of your ex having fun/with other women/not being a miserable pile of tears will probably annoy the hell out of you. Unfollow everywhere, and yes, this includes your ex's friends and family, because you know you're just doing that to see your ex. How much did you really like his parents? 3b. Don't forget to double delete them from your iPhone. You deleted Jason's contact from your phone, but if you go to messages and start typing "J-a" his name and number will still pop up. NO! No. But don't worry, if this happens, just tap the "i" icon next to his name and choose "Remove from recents." There, now he's double deleted and you won't be taken off guard by his name popping up. 4. Get your own damn Netflix account. This is important if you were with someone for a while and shared accounts for things like HBOGo, Netflix, cell phone family plans, CostCo memberships, Spotify, etc. I have found that it's both time- and brain-consuming to do the busywork of setting up all your own stuff post-breakup, and as a bonus, it's also oddly empowering. Who needs love to buy bulk groceries? You don't! 5. Make a masturbation schedule and stick to it. For a long time I thought that sexuality was just the sex you had with another person, and being in a relationship does not disabuse you of this notion. Being single, however, is an opportunity to reintroduce you to the idea that your sex life belongs to you and you alone, and if you're feeling kind, you may loan it out to other people on occasion. It also reminds you that there is more to your sexuality than just having sex. Get your masturbation schedule back on track as a single woman. Write some erotic slash fan fic about The Avengers. Watch porn. Take a class in anal. Get erotic massages. Sculpt your pubic hair into new shapes. Take a burlesque dance class. There is so much out there that you probably wouldn't have even considered while you were in a relationship. 6. Whenever you have a decision to make, ask yourself what you most want to do - not what your friends want to do or what your parents want you to do - and do that. Remember all the things you used to do when you were single? Eating imitation crab meat for dinner? Watching endless marathons of America's Next Top Model ? Waking up at 4 a.m. and deciding to dye your hair? All the things that you had to compromise while you were in a relationship - guess what? - you no longer have to! You maybe thought those things were sad while you were in a relationship, but they weren't sad - they were you living completely on your own terms, and it's time to get back into that uncompromising life. 7. Go to brunch. Sometimes when you go through a breakup, you walk outside and look at the hustle and bustle of the world and think, HOW IS ANYONE ABLE TO GO TO WORK OR HAVE BRUNCH - DON'T THEY KNOW TRUE LOVE HAS DIED?! But it's true, the world continues to turn and exist and have birthdays and school projects and business meetings, despite the fact that you've gone through something terrible. Get out of your own misery by getting out into the world and gaining perspective for how tiny, ultimately, we are in the grand scheme of things. Volunteer. Go to a museum. Help clean your parents' garage. Help out a friend and don't make it about you. 8. Set up "on call shifts" for your friends. "On call" is a thing my friends and I have been doing for a long time. When one of us is going through something, the rest of us set up a schedule and take turns being the receptacle for whatever emotions our troubled pal needs to get rid of. If she needs to watch old horror movies and not talk, someone's there. If she needs to weep and yell and hypothesize about the future, boom. All she has to do is text a code word. Set this up with a few of your friends. If Jessica's "shift" is Monday nights and you're having a rough Monday, all you need to do is send her the pizza emoji and she'll be there. 9. Take an inventory of your needs, and assign a new way to fill each one. What did your relationship provide you? Really? Companionship? Not feeling alone? Intimacy? Sex? A date to all the weddings you have to go to? Once you get over the hysterical feelings, sit and think through (or talk through with a friend) what you actually got out of the relationship, good and bad. Realize that you deserve to have intimacy and companionship and sex and wedding dates, even if you aren't in a relationship, and seek out creative ways to have those needs met without being in a romantic relationship. For example, did you know that if your pal brushes your hair, it feels just as good as when a lover does it? 10. Stay single until you can feel chill about facing a weekend with no plans. I don't believe that everyone has to be single for long periods of time, but I do believe that if you jump into a relationship immediately after terminating a relationship, you don't have enough time to properly mourn the first relationship. Often you end up cramming all the emotional baggage of the old relationship into the new one. When you're finally OK with the idea of spending a whole weekend with just your fun self and not crying even once is when you're probably OK to date again. Emily V. Gordon is an L.A.-based writer and comedy producer, and a former couples therapist. You can find her making comedy happen on The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail on Comedy Central, or writing about relationship and self-esteem issues on her Tumblr . You can also buy Super You , her self-improvement guide for women, here .
| 4 | 90,904 |
lifestyle
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Ernestine "Ernie" Shepherd proves age truly is just a number. At age 79 she is a personal trainer, a professional model, a competitive bodybuilder and happier and more fulfilled than she's ever been in her life. In March of 2010, on stage in Rome, Italy she was given the title of World's Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder by Guinness World Records. Have you ever broken a world record? Me either! Go Ernie! You may be surprised to hear that she wasn't always this dedicated to her health. At age 56 she was a sedentary, well-padded school secretary and "slug" who had never worked out a day in her life. It wasn't until Ernie and her sister, Velvet went bathing suit shopping that her view changed. They both laughed at their figures and realized they needed to get in shape. Ernestine and her sister joined a gym and started working out together. Very sadly though, Velvet died suddenly from a brain aneurysm. Devastated, Ernestine stopped going to the gym. After some months of mourning the loss of her sister, a friend opened her eyes to the fact that Velvet would want her to continue what they started. Ernie returned to the gym with a reignited determination to get fit. Starting slowly and building her body step by little step, Ernestine over time completely transformed not only her body, but her life, too. She has never been happier. She trains mostly senior women and still trains as a competitive athlete and motivational speaker. Age, size, nor expectations could keep this go getter from reaching her dreams! Get more feel good video clips at http://www.hooplaha.com Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hooplaha Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hooplaha
| 8 | 90,905 |
video
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"Aw, you guys make such a cute couple!"
| 8 | 90,906 |
video
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Cindy Crawford's 14-year-old daughter Kaia Gerber is really ready to follow in her mom's footsteps! The teenager, who signed with IMG Models this summer, has gotten tons of attention for looking like (and posing like ) her beautiful mom. Now, the icon says Kaia might follow her all the way to the pages of Playboy ! Crawford is touring to promote her new book, Becoming , and chatted about it at a luncheon at Casa Claridge's Faena Miami Beach on Tuesday. The book features some of Crawford's famous nude Playboy photos. An eyewitness tells ET Crawford was asked if Kaia wants to do Playboy one day, and replied, "Oh, she does." The supermodel said she isn't pushing the idea on her daughter, but that she can't be a hypocrite with Kaia. Crawford acknowledges Playboy was a big part of her career. And, Kaia even helped her mom pick which nude photos would wind up in Becoming! Apparently, the topic jokingly came up at home. Crawford said her teenage son, Presley (also a model), will call sister Kaia out on what she posts to Instagram. The eyewitness tells ET Crawford's story: "He'll go, 'Mom did you see what Kaia posted on Instagram?' and Cindy will look at it and say 'What? I think it's fine,' and her son once said, 'Ugh, what do you know? You did Playboy .'" Crawford also told the group she helps Kaia with modeling choices, especially because she knows which photographers are great to work with. ET caught up with Crawford just last week, and she told us she's happy to give her children advice. "Who better can guide them?" she said. Though, at Tuesday's luncheon, the 49-year-old revealed her children hadn't grasped the full capacity of her career "until Taylor Swift invited me to be in her music video. Then they liked me." The event was moderated by Pablo De Ritis of the Faena Group, with Crawford's friend Lara Shriftman in attendance. Guests received gift bags featuring copies of Becoming with bookmarks signed by Cindy, along with Casamigos Tequila bottles and T-shirts. Crawford's loving husband, Casamigos co-founder Rande Gerber, traveled with her to Miami, where the sexy pair got in some beach time . They're fresh off a trip to London , where they launched Casamigos and Crawford's book with pals George (also a Casamigos co-founder) and Amal Clooney . Meanwhile, Presley and Kaia got in some party time of their own the siblings hit up Teen Vogue's Young Hollywood soiree, where they expertly posed on the red carpet (nice training, Cindy!) and adorably stuck by each other's sides the whole night. ET sat down with Rande over the summer, where he told us Presley looks out for his younger sister. Watch the video below to hear him gush over his gorgeous family!
| 6 | 90,907 |
entertainment
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee coach Rick Barnes' new surroundings have the veteran coach adopting a slightly different approach in preseason practices. Barnes has needed to do more teaching so far as he goes over the different drills that had become second nature to his players at Texas, where he had coached for the last 17 seasons. Tennessee started practice last week as the Volunteers adjust to their third coach in as many seasons. ''We'd been 17 years where we had certain core basic drills that we knew, the players knew (and) we just called them out,'' Barnes said Tuesday. ''Now we're teaching them everything that we want to implement and put in. It's fun.'' Tennessee wants Barnes to provide the stability that's been missing from its program with all the coaching turnover. Barnes replaced Donnie Tyndall, who went 16-16 in his lone season at Tennessee before being fired in March as the NCAA investigated his two-year tenure at Southern Mississippi. Senior guard Kevin Punter acknowledged the coaching change was rough and that he thought about leaving, but Barnes' arrival made him stay put. ''I've been watching Coach when he was coaching KD (Kevin Durant) and all those pros he got,'' Punter said. ''For him to be here, I already knew his background, and all I probably needed was just to talk to him and that pretty much sealed the deal. I already knew what he does for a lot of his players.'' Barnes went 402-180 at Texas and reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of his 17 years before getting fired in March. His teams have earned NCAA bids 19 of the last 20 seasons overall. ''We're not going to shy away from saying what we want,'' Barnes said. ''We want to be part of that tournament and have a chance like anybody else to play for the whole thing.'' Barnes could have a tough time getting back to the tournament this year. Tennessee must replace all-SEC guard Josh Richardson, who led the Vols in points, assists and steals as a senior last season. Freshman Lamonte Turner has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA for the 2015-16 season, leaving Tennessee without any pure point guards as it gets ready for its Nov. 13 opener with UNC Asheville. Barnes said Punter and senior Armani Moore would get the initial opportunities to play point guard. Punter's a natural shooting guard. Moore is listed as a forward but can play a variety of positions. Another challenge for Barnes involves getting accustomed to his new players and figuring out how to get the best from each of them. ''What's their starter button?'' Barnes asked. ''You can't coach them all the same. You can demand the same from all of them, but you can't coach them all the same. Some guys can take whatever. Some other guys are a little more sensitive. It's important for our coaching staff that we do know how to handle each one of them.''
| 1 | 90,908 |
sports
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CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) In the backwaters of Eastern Europe, authorities working with the FBI have interrupted four attempts in the past five years by gangs with suspected Russian connections that sought to sell radioactive material to Middle Eastern extremists, The Associated Press has learned. The latest known case came in February this year, when a smuggler offered a huge cache of deadly cesium enough to contaminate several city blocks and specifically sought a buyer from the Islamic State group. Criminal organizations, some with ties to the Russian KGB's successor agency, are driving a thriving black market in nuclear materials in the tiny and impoverished country of Moldova, investigators say. The successful busts, however, were undercut by striking shortcomings: Kingpins got away, and those arrested evaded long prison sentences, sometimes quickly returning to nuclear smuggling, AP found. Moldovan police and judicial authorities shared investigative case files with AP in an effort to spotlight how dangerous the nuclear black market has become. They say the breakdown in cooperation between Russia and the West means that it has become much harder to know whether smugglers are finding ways to move parts of Russia's vast store of radioactive materials an unknown quantity of which has leached into the black market. "We can expect more of these cases," said Constantin Malic, a Moldovan police officer who investigated all four cases. "As long as the smugglers think they can make big money without getting caught, they will keep doing it." In wiretaps, videotaped arrests, photographs of bomb-grade material, documents and interviews, AP found a troubling vulnerability in the anti-smuggling strategy. From the first known Moldovan case in 2010 to the most recent one in February, a pattern has emerged: Authorities pounce on suspects in the early stages of a deal, giving the ringleaders a chance to escape with their nuclear contraband an indication that the threat from the nuclear black market in the Balkans is far from under control. Moldovan investigators can't be sure that the suspects who fled didn't hold on to the bulk of the nuclear materials. Nor do they know whether the groups, which are pursuing buyers who are enemies of the West, may have succeeded in selling deadly nuclear material to terrorists at a time when the Islamic State has made clear its ambition to use weapons of mass destruction. The cases involve secret meetings in a high-end nightclub; blue-prints for dirty bombs; and a nerve-shattered undercover investigator who slammed vodka shots before heading into meetings with smugglers. Informants and a police officer posing as a connected gangster complete with a Mercedes Benz provided by the FBI penetrated the smuggling gangs. The police used a combination of old-fashioned undercover tactics and high-tech gear, from radiation detectors to clothing threaded with recording devices. The Moldovan operations were built on a partnership between the FBI and a small team of Moldovan investigators including Malic, who over five years went from near total ignorance of the frightening black market in his backyard to wrapping up four sting operations. "In the age of the Islamic State, it's especially terrifying to have real smugglers of nuclear bomb material apparently making connections with real buyers," says Matthew Bunn, a Harvard professor who led a secret study for the Clinton administration on the security of Russia's nuclear arsenal. The Moldovan investigators were well aware of the lethal consequences of just one slip-up. Posing as a representative's buyer, Malic was so terrified before meetings that he gulped shots of vodka to steel his nerves. Other cases contained elements of farce: In the cesium deal, an informant held a high-stakes meeting with a seller at an elite dance club filled with young people nibbling on sushi. In the case of the cesium, investigators said the one vial they ultimately recovered was a less radioactive form of cesium than the smugglers originally advertised, and not suitable for making a dirty bomb. The most serious case began in the spring of 2011, with the investigation of a group led by a shadowy Russian named Alexandr Agheenco, "the colonel" to his cohorts, whom Moldovan authorities believe to be an officer with the Russian FSB, previously known as the KGB. A middle man working for the colonel was recorded arranging the sale of bomb-grade uranium, U-235, and blueprints for a dirty bomb to a man from Sudan, according to several officials. The blueprints were discovered in a raid of the middleman's home, according to police and court documents. Wiretapped conversations repeatedly exposed plots that targeted the United States, the Moldovan officials said. At one point the middleman told an informant posing as a buyer that it was essential that the smuggled uranium go to Arabs. "He said to the informant on a wire: 'I really want an Islamic buyer because they will bomb the Americans,'" said Malic, the investigator. As in the other cases, investigators arrested mostly mid-level players after an early exchange of cash and radioactive goods. The ringleader, the colonel, got away. Police cannot determine whether he had more nuclear material. His partner, who wanted to "annihilate America," is out of prison. ____ On Twitter: Desmond Butler at https://twitter.com/desmondbutler
| 5 | 90,909 |
news
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The New York attorney general began an inquiry Tuesday into the prospect that employees of daily fantasy football sites have won lucrative payouts based on inside information not available to the public, asking two leading companies, DraftKings and FanDuel, for a range of internal data and details on how they prevent fraud. Word of the inquiry came as the revelation that DraftKings and FanDuel allowed their employees many with information not available to customers to play at each other's sites for large amounts of money continued to rattle the sports world. Some of the industry's primary sponsors raised questions or distanced themselves from lucrative advertising and sponsorship deals. On Monday, both companies told The New York Times that they had temporarily prohibited their employees from playing in money games. Major League Baseball, which owns a stake in DraftKings and has a sponsorship deal with it, said in a statement that it had a policy that "prohibits its own players and employees from participating in fantasy baseball games where money or something of value is at stake, and did not know that the situation was different at DraftKings." "We have reached out and discussed this matter with them," it said. ESPN reduced its association with DraftKings as well. On the network's "Outside The Lines" show, the host, Bob Ley, announced that while the network will continue to air regular advertisements for the daily fantasy sites, it will no longer run individual segments sponsored by the sites. The N.F.L., which recently struck a three-year deal with DraftKings to become a partner of the league's International Series in Britain, declined to comment. The attorney general's move may shed light on the inner workings of the sites, which charge a fee and allow participants to build rosters of hypothetical teams and score points against hundreds of competitors based on the actual performance of players. The sites say payouts can reach $2 million. In a letter to both companies, Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman demanded the names, job titles and descriptions of any employees who aggregate and compile a wide range of data that perhaps could be used to gain a personal advantage including ownership percentages and pricing algorithms. Mr. Schneiderman also demanded that the companies turn over details of any internal investigations into their employees, including the one at the center of the current scandal, Ethan Haskell of DraftKings. It was Haskell who admitted last week to inadvertently releasing data before the lineups of all N.F.L. games were locked in for the third week of the season in late September. That same weekend, Mr. Haskell, a midlevel content manager, won $350,000 at FanDuel. The two companies said they had investigated Mr. Haskell and cleared him of wrongdoing. "It's something we're taking a look at fraud is fraud," Mr. Schneiderman said in a radio interview early Tuesday before the inquiry was announced. "And, consumers of any product, whether you want to buy a car, participate in fantasy football, our laws are very strong in New York and other states that you can't commit fraud." Neither DraftKings nor FanDuel would specify how many of their employees competed and won money on other sites. In Washington, Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York and a member of the House Judiciary Committee, called on the panel to examine "whether permitting a multibillion-dollar industry to police itself serves the best interests of the American people" while Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and Representative Frank Pallone Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, asked the Federal Trade Commission to implement safeguards to ensure a fair playing field for enthusiasts of the daily fantasy games. Daily fantasy has its roots in informal fantasy games that began years ago with groups of fans playing against one another for fun over the course of a season. They assembled hypothetical teams and scored points based on how players did in actual games. But companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel have set up online daily and weekly games based on a similar concept in which fans pay an entry fee to a website from 25 cents to $1,000 to play dozens if not hundreds of opponents, with prize pools that can pay $2 million to the winner. Critics have complained that the setup is hardly different from Las Vegas-style gambling that is normally banned in the sports world. Eilers Research, which studies the industry, estimates that daily games will generate around $2.6 billion in entry fees this year and grow 41 percent annually, reaching $14.4 billion in 2020. So high are the potential financial rewards that DraftKings and FanDuel have found eager partners in professional sports teams and leagues and major media companies. Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Robert K. Kraft of the New England Patriots have stakes in DraftKings, which recently struck a three-year deal with the N.F.L. to become a partner of the league's International Series in Britain, where sports betting is legal. In addition, DraftKings has tapped hundreds of millions of dollars from Fox Sports, and FanDuel has raised similar amounts from investors like Comcast, NBC and KKR. Between the tens of millions of dollars in television advertising blitzing the airways and the potential for abuse in an unregulated industry, lawmakers now seem willing to examine whether daily fantasy games are pushing the boundaries of an exemption in a 2006 federal law that has allowed them to operate. The law prohibited games like online poker, but permitted fantasy play, deemed games of skill and not chance, under lobbying from professional sports leagues. The games are allowed in all but five states.
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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Ten months from now, Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and the world's best golfers could be battling on another links-style course. But this time Olympic medals will be up for grabs at a unique setting that is a compelling story in itself. Golf returns to the Olympics next summer after a 112-year absence with 60 of the top men and women competing over 72 holes of stroke play. On Tuesday members of the international media got their first glimpse of the course, designed by well-known American architect Gil Hanse. Most were surprised by how healthy, ready and green the course looked. Organizers were faced with many challenges, including legal wrangling involving a Rio public prosecutor who filed a lawsuit charging that the city government and the golf course developer violated environmental rules. The course is located on a nature reserve. "This has been on some days a nightmare and some days a pleasure," said Neil Cleverly, superintendent of the Olympic course, who has been working on the project from the beginning. He added that getting the materials to build the course at the right time was his biggest challenge. The 7,290-yard course will play to par 71 and will host its first official test event in March. "We haven't made it tough," Cleverly said, "We made it so it fits the environment," while adding that the pros will find it enjoyable to play, particularly the transition from tee to fairway to green. As for the legacy after the Games, Cleverly is hopeful. Recreational golf doesn't really exist in Brazil so it's important to introduce youngsters to the game for it to take hold, he said. The Olympic venue will be a public course after the Games. Construction is under way on buildings across the small dirt road, and the course location is far removed from the bustle of the city. Public protesters have contended the course was built with little regard to the flora and fauna of the reserve. Cleverly disagrees. "We've encouraged wildlife to come back to the area," he said.
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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's message to dozens of House conservatives was succinct: "I'm not John Boehner." McCarthy (R-Calif.) has been desperately trying to distance himself from Boehner (R-Ohio), the man he wants to replace as Speaker of the House. His latest attempt came Tuesday night as he made his pitch to a dozens of conservative lawmakers at the Capitol Hill Club. "I'm not John Boehner. I'm going to run things differently. I'm my own man," McCarthy said, according to one conservative in the room, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas). McCarthy is expected to easily win the nomination for Speaker when House Republicans hold a closed-door vote Thursday. But he's having a tougher time winning over some of the conservative hard-liners he needs to secure 218 votes in a roll call of the entire House set for Oct. 29. McCarthy made his pitch to a joint meeting of the House Freedom Caucus, Liberty Caucus, Tea Party Caucus and the Conservative Opportunity Society, then snuck out a side door, avoiding a crush of TV cameras and reporters. The other Speaker candidates who addressed the groups were Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who joined the race over the weekend. "We're still an underdog. I get that. But we're gonna give it a go," Chaffetz told reporters before the meeting, his wife by his side. "I'm offering myself as an alternative. I still think there is a need and a desire to unify this party. I think I'm uniquely situated to do that." McCarthy didn't make any firm commitments to the groups, but all three candidates said they wanted to see more bills move through committees and to the House floor remarks which were warmly received by the room. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) emerged from the meeting saying he was backing McCarthy. Buck said McCarthy is personable, has good experience as majority whip and leader, and was instrumental in winning the largest House GOP majority in generations. "The party will come together [behind McCarthy], and I think he'll be very successful," said Buck, the freshman class president. Still, McCarthy faced harsh criticism from others in the room. Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), one of a handful of conservatives backing Webster, said he didn't see how the majority leader, Boehner's top deputy, would be any different if he ascended to Speaker. Jones personally told McCarthy he was frustrated that the GOP leader had refused to bring one of his bills, naming a courthouse, to the floor. After Jones complained to The Hill , calling the move petty, a top McCarthy staffer warned Jones's office that he "shouldn't have said that," according to Jones. "You can't tell me that because you're the majority leader today … that you're gonna change when you are Speaker of the House. I don't think that happens," Jones told reporters. "You're not going to change your stripes when you get to a different position. That just doesn't happen."
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The pairings for the Presidents Cup have been released and the Twitterverse is pumped for the highly-anticipated event.
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October 6, 2015: Markets opened lower on Tuesday following August's higher-than-expected U.S. trade deficit of $48.3 billion. The Nasdaq Composite was weighed down again today by biotech weakness and little enthusiasm for the big tech stocks. Oil climbed on comments from OPEC's chief that what goes down will also go up, and soon. WTI for November delivery settled at $48.53, up 4.9% for the day and gold rose 0.8% to settle at $1,146.40. Equities were headed for a mixed close shortly before the closing bell as the DJIA traded up 0.10% for the day, the S&P 500 traded down 0.35%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded down 0.66%. The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Tuesday wasE. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co. (NYSE: DD) which traded higher by 7.18% at $54.96. The stock's 52-week range is $47.11 to $76.59. Trading volume was more than 5 times the daily average of around 6.1 million. The company's CEO announced today that she will retire on October 16th, but the company appointed an interim CEO who started work today. Hmmm. Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) traded up 3.58% at $87.04. The stock's 52-week range is $69.58 to $120.17. Trading volume was about 30% above the daily average of around 11 million. The company had no specific news today, but a 5% bump in the price of crude can't help but boost an oil company's stock. Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) traded up 2.36% at $70.82. The stock's 52-week range is $62.99 to $107.12. Trading volume was about 10% above the daily average of around 7.5 million. The company had no specific news today, but rising oil prices raise prospects for sales of the company's heavy equipment. General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE) traded up 1.96% at $27.34. The stock's 52-week range is $19.37 to $28.68. Trading volume was more about 60% above the daily average of around 37.7 million. The stock is still getting a boost from the $2.5 billion investment made by Nelson Peltz's Trian Management. Of the Dow 30 stocks 15 are set to close higher today and 15 are on track to close lower. ALSO READ: States With the Widest Gap Between Rich and Poor
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Mark Richt is in an all too familiar spot, as the pressure is mounting in Athens to deliver the SEC East title. Having suffered an embarrassing loss at home to Alabama last week, Georgia's coach discussed what his team could have done better in the game. "I think strategically we'd have been better off trying to go downhill more," Richt said Tuesday. "There's some things we tried to do outside and with the wet turf and some matchups we had out there on the edge, I think our best shot would have been to go downhill against them." Hindsight is 20/20, but clearly neither Greyson Lambert nor Brice Ramsey did anything to help the Bulldogs earn a victory against the Tide. Now having to go on the road to a hostile Neyland Stadium, how will the offense perform this week? "When you get beat that way it certainly gets everyone's attention. I think any loss does … Sometimes you get whipped," Richt said. "Our big thing is to grow from it." Senior linebacker Jordan Jenkins also spoke to the media Tuesday. Jenkins was asked if he could recall his memories from playing at Tennessee during his sophomore year. "Just watching guy after guy go down, it was crazy," Jenkins said. "It was down to the wire. Playing in [Neyland] Stadium, it's different. It's a totally different environment." If Georgia can't get the win on the road, they face the danger of falling two games back of Florida in the East race. Would Richt survive the season if first-year Florida coach Jim McElwain wins the division? MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our College Football newsletters.
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There's enough cash sitting in offshore bank accounts to wipe out the federal deficit if only it was subject to U.S. taxes. That's because U.S. companies are saving some $620 billion by parking profits outside the country, according to the latest accounting from Citizens for Tax Justice and U.S. PIRG Education Fund. At least 358 large U.S. companies collectively maintain 7,622 separate overseas subsidiaries holding $2.1 trillion in profits, the group said in a report Tuesday. (The estimated tax bill comes from corporate regulatory filings.) Bermuda and the Cayman Islands are the most popular tax haven jurisdictions; about 60 percent of companies with tax subsidiaries have at least one in those two island nations, according to the report. The Netherlands leads the list in terms of the total number of subsidiaries. Much of the untaxed offshore profit roughly $1.4 trillion is held by a relatively few companies; just 30 corporations held two-thirds of the cash logged by the study. The overall amount of potential tax could be larger. The group said that only 57 companies disclose the amount they would owe if they didn't report profits offshore. Apple (AAPL) topped the list, with $181 billion in offshore profits, a cash pile that would generate nearly $60 billion for the Treasury if subject to U.S. taxes. Pfizer (PFE), the world's largest drugmaker, operates 151 tax subsidiaries that hold $74 billion in offshore profits, the fourth highest among the Fortune 500, according to the report. The report follows a series of recommendations by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, a policy group, to overhaul global tax laws and treaties to better capture untaxed corporate profits. The proposals are aimed at tax strategies that shift money among subsidiaries around the world to avoid paying tax to a company's home country. Those strategies include shifting assets to countries with low tax rates or booking sales in a tax haven that didn't actually happen there. "All too often, corporations' offshore cash isn't offshore at all it's right here in the United States," said Robert McIntyre, director of Citizens for Tax Justice. A Reuters investigation in 2013 found that 74 percent of the 50 biggest U.S. technology groups used such tactics to cut their tax bills. Despite widespread calls for U.S. tax reform including a White House proposal this year for a "tax holiday" for companies that bring cash back home the overhaul remains mired in the complex web of special interests that such an overhaul would require. A similar effort on a global scale would be even more complex. While some of the OECD's recommendations could be implemented by individual governments with changes to their tax laws, others would require new tax treaties between countries.
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Volkswagen will be forced to make painful cuts to cope with the impact of its diesel emissions scandal, ranging from cancellations and delays to budget cuts. Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal will require the sacrifice of far more than just executives and money. It's also going to result in the cancellation of various projects, a process that new CEO Matthias Mueller said "won't be painless." "We will review all planned investments, and what isn't absolutely vital will be canceled or delayed," Mueller said while addressing the embattled company's employees. The former Porsche boss also said the money set aside by the German giant about $7.29 billion won't be enough to cover recall expenses, fines from governments in affected countries, and the expected deluge of lawsuits from disgruntled TDI owners. According to Bloomberg , that figure probably won't even be enough to match the fines Uncle Sam is likely charge, pegged to be around $7.4 billion, according to one analyst. It's expected that VW could delay a further push for share in the North American market, which would include a $1-billion investment in its Puebla, Mexico, factory. But it will take more than cancellations and delays, analysts claim. "It's going to be tough to find projects they could chop that will actually move the needle," JPMorgan Chase's Jose Asumendi told Bloomberg . "What they really need to do is get costs under control." That, according to Bloomberg , is already setting up a showdown between management and labor. The latter wants a reduction in VW's $17.4-billion research-and-development budget the world's largest and more than what Ford and General Motors spend combined while the former wants to slash personnel costs. Bloomberg also spoke to analysts who claimed the company should look into reductions in purchasing costs as well as trimming sponsorships. It's impossible to know just how extreme Volkswagen will need to get with cancellations, delays, and cost-cutting, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the effects of this scandal will likely be felt far longer than the controversies that surrounded other automakers like General Motors and Toyota. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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Fergus Walsh examines the threat of air pollution to public health.
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Former NHL pest Sean Avery was arrested on Sept. 30 by Southhampton Village Police after a routine traffic stop. Avery, who played in 580 NHL games, has been charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Pretty disgusting I even have to do this but unfortunately it's the same old story.Have fun with this one ✌🏻️ pic.twitter.com/OBBzTymwk2 Sean Avery (@imseanavery) October 6, 2015 The two charges stem from two separate instances with the Southhampton Village Police. Avery was charged with criminal mischief after he allegedly threw objects at passing cars. Allegedly, Avery had previously called Southhampton Village Police about speeding cars on David Whites Lane in Southhampton. The second incident involved a routine traffic stop, where authorities allegedly found two prescription drugs, acetaminophen with oxycodone and roxicodone. Avery was transported to police headquarters, but was released on $500 bail. He will appear in court at a later date. As evident with his latest Twitter posts, Avery is not exactly a fan of the Southhampton Village Police Department. Ticket......"Parking in the middle of the St". Hmmmmm smells a little fishy to me 🔫🎪🎯 pic.twitter.com/xu9pt3WTJk Sean Avery (@imseanavery) October 6, 2015 Southampton's finest.....I just happened to drive by and these #Heroes had their machine guns out. pic.twitter.com/y3H63JFsRN Sean Avery (@imseanavery) October 6, 2015 (h/t 27east.com )
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Luxury car maker Ferrari is expected to launch its initial public offering soon. Here are five things to keep in mind when weighing whether to invest in the company. Photo: Getty
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If you listen to the sounds of the Mojave Desert, you might hear wind rustling through twisted, shrubby trees, or the wild screech of a red-tailed hawk. You might even hear the sound of a lizard scuttling up a rock formation. The stones amplify the acoustics. But every 30 seconds, you might also hear the rumble of a plane barreling across the open sky on a flight path from Los Angeles. Occasionally, somewhere in Joshua Tree's 800,000 acres, you'd hear coins jangling in a vending machine, or traffic humming in the parking lot. It's a mash-up of man-made and natural sounds, of wilderness and urban life. Researchers from Arizona State University have set out to chart the aural environment in Joshua Tree, Death Valley, and Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks and in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Since 2013, the Listen(n) team has captured and archived sound in a digital database . They use layered, surround-sound recording techniques to create an immersive environment. The researchers paired the soundscapes with panoramic and spherical images on an Oculus Rift headset to simulate the experience of being situated in the park. A buzzing fly seems to circle your head before flitting away. The airplane starts out as a distant note long and deep, as if bowed on a cello before roaring above you. Later this month, they'll debut new sound compositions containing excerpts from the recordings. The project nods to the importance of sustainability and stewardship and the imprint that human activity leaves behind effects more enduring than contrails drawn across the sky.
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NEW YORK The Yankees still have not led in a postseason game since Derek Jeter sprawled in the dirt three years ago, screaming in pain from a broken ankle. A season-ending 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros in the winner-take-all AL wild-card game on Tuesday night should not have been a surprise. The 2015 Yankees overachieved just by reaching the postseason. A seven-game lead in the AL East in late July caused the Yankees to think they could be a great team. That was forgotten during a slide that ended with an 85-75 record, a six-game deficit behind Toronto and a second-place finish. "The wheels were flying off as the season went on," general manager Brian Cashman said outside the quiet clubhouse. "The longer it went, for some reason, the worse we started to get. Obviously, we lost some key guys, but also some guys just did not play the way they are capable of playing." Manager Joe Girardi started two rookies in his infield during what turned out to be the Yankees' fifth straight postseason loss: first baseman Greg Bird and second baseman Rob Refsynder, who combined for exactly 200 career at-bats coming in. "When we left spring training, it wasn't what I expected," Girardi said. Following Jeter's retirement last fall, the Yankees arrived at spring training with uncertainty, fought through a summer of anxiety and injury and ended their season in misery, a great distance from their first World Series title since 2009. "Maybe we were out of gas. Maybe we were too banged up," injured first baseman Mark Teixeira said. "We just kind of hit a wall at the end of the year." On a night when Yankee Stadium had the red-white-and-blue bunting out for its loudest crowd this season, New York managed just three singles in six innings against Dallas Keuchel, who looked like a bearded lumberjack cutting down the Yankees' offense. New York didn't get any hits off the Astros' bullpen. Masahiro Tanaka allowed five hits in five innings, but two were solo homers to Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez. Dellin Betances gave up an RBI single to Jose Altuve in the seventh. Coming off six straight losing seasons, Houston had more spark and spunk in its first postseason appearance since 2005. By the eighth inning, fans in the crowd of 50,113 started booing the home team's lacking batters. New York reached the playoffs after a rare two-year absence, but in some ways the deforestation of the last great era Yankees' progresses without pause. Among the players swept by Detroit in the 2012 AL Championship Series, only two appeared against the Astros: center fielder Brett Gardner and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez. Teixeira hobbled onto the field with crutches for the pregame introductions, unable to play since he fouled a pitch off his right shin on Aug, 17. Instead of being available out of the bullpen, former ace CC Sabathia checked into an alcohol rehabilitation clinic Monday. Brought in last year at a cost of $153 million as part of the renovation, center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury was dropped from the starting lineup following a second-half slump. Gardner, kept in at Ellsbury's expense, struck out three times against Keuchel. Rodriguez, who revived in the first half following his one-year drug suspension, seemed like he was zapped by Kryptonite around the time of his 40th birthday in late July. "It's been an incredibly fun year overall," he said. Just feel grateful for the opportunity to come back and re-establish myself." There is reason for hope among the younger Yankees. Didi Gregorius settled in as Jeter's successor at shortstop, getting better each month at the plate and in the field. Luis Severino, a 21-year-old right-hander, joined the rotation in August and showed promise, as did Bird and Refsnyder. New York's most conspicuous flaw is its starting rotation: Tanaka, Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Ivan Nova all ailed at times. Yankees starters averaged 5.72 innings per outing, according to STATS, 21st among the 30 major league teams and a reason Betances and Justin Wilson deteriorated as late-inning relievers during the second half. "Physically it's not a very healthy group in there right now at the end of the season. Guys are beat up," Girardi said. "But they never stopped playing. They never stopped playing hard." David Price, who has helped led Toronto into the playoffs for the first time since 1993, is eligible for free agency and would slot in at the top of the rotation. But the left-hander is 30 and would come at the high price of a nine-figure contract that likely will lock the Yankees into his declining years. Zack Greinke, Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto also are on the high-cost, quick-fix free-agent market. Change rarely occurs quickly in baseball, and rebuilding while maintaining a winning record is especially tricky. There are more touted prospects in the farm system now than during the previous dozen years, but the next title still seems a ways away. "Obviously we're not good enough right now," Cashman said, "because we're not playing. So it's all that matters." NOTES: The losing streak ties the Yankees' second-longest in postseason play, according to STATS. They lost eight in a row from 1921-23, around a Game 2 tie in 1922.
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David Beckham believes Manchester United's trophy drought will not end up as bad as rival Liverpool's. United has not won the Premier League since 2013 when Alex Ferguson was still in charge at Old Trafford. Liverpool, however, has not tasted top-flight success for 25 years, but Beckham said he does not feel United will suffer the same fate. "I can't see that happening to Manchester United," he said. "I never think we'll not be in contention to win trophies. There's too much history. "Obviously you have to stay on the ball with that. But there's too much embedded into this club to let it slip away like that." Beckham said it was normal for a club to take a dip in form, but not for a hugely extended period. "There was a couple of seasons where we didn't win things," he added. "We ended up with the FA Cup but not doing well in Champions League and the Premiership. So these things do happen at clubs. "We have been spoilt over the years - over the last 20 years so successful. When the manager leaves and David Gill [the chief executive] leaves and a number of players retire like Scholesy [Paul Scholes] and Giggsy [Ryan Giggs], no matter what club it is, or how much money you have behind you, there is going to be a dip in trophies. "But unfortunately when you are Manchester United you can't really have that." Beckham will captain a Great Britain and Ireland team at Old Trafford against The Rest of the World in a match on behalf of UNICEF next month.
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An Australian cancer survivor Wednesday triumphed in a landmark challenge against medical research companies, with the country's top court ruling they could not patent a gene linked to breast cancer. Yvonne D'Arcy took her case to the High Court of Australia, arguing that the so-called breast cancer gene BRCA1 -- the mutation famously carried by Hollywood star Angelina Jolie -- was a naturally occurring substance. Breast cancer is the leading cancer killer of women aged 20-59 worldwide, and supporters of the case had argued that patenting a gene could stymie medical research and testing. The court found in D'Arcy's favour on the basis that while isolating the gene required human activity, that was not enough to classify it as a manufactured product and so make it patentable. "While the invention claimed might be, in a formal sense, a product of human action, it was the existence of the information stored in the relevant sequences that was an essential element of the invention," the judges said. D'Arcy's case was previously dismissed by Australia's Federal Court, which ruled in favour of the two medical research companies that hold the patent -- US-based Myriad Genetics and Melbourne-based Genetic Technologies Ltd. But the High Court agreed to hear an appeal in February. Cancer Voices Australia, which has said the case was vital to ensure that information about people's genes and genetic make-up was freely available to researchers, said it was delighted with the outcome. "Very happy with High Court decision. Our genes are not for patenting," it tweeted. Carriers of the BRCA1 mutation, in which the BRCA stands for BReast CAncer susceptibility, have a much higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer than those women without it. Breast cancer claims some 458,000 lives every year, with around 1.38 million new cases recorded annually, according to the UN's World Health Organization.
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Wall Street's enthusiasm for the beverage giant is starting to bubble
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A $499 Xbox One bundle, containing a 1TB solid state hybrid drive and an enhanced Elite Wireless Controller, will be made available from November 3rd. Announced during a Microsoft conference on October 6, the Xbox One Elite bundle promises improved storage and pro-level precision from an enhanced Xbox One control pad. The SSHD drive should cut loading times, its storage size doubling capacity over legacy models, while the Elite Wireless Controller features interchangable paddles, thumbsticks and directional pad. The paddles are new and allow owners to program their controllers with intricate combinations activated at the touch of a button, while an Xbox One configuration app makes for a customizable experience. Four paddles, six thumbsticks, 2 d-pads and a USB cable are included, along with a controller carry case, HDMI cable, power supply, and 14 day Xbox Live Gold Trial, though no games are packed in with the standard Xbox One Elite bundle.
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October 6, 2015: Here are four stocks trading with heavy volume among 36 equities making new 52-week lows today. Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS) dropped nearly 47% on Tuesday to post a new 52-week low of $9.86 against a 52-week high of $32.85. The stock closed at $18.53 on Monday night. Volume was about 27 times the daily average of around 1.4 million shares traded. The company's colon cancer screening test did not make an independent panel's list of recommended tests for U.S. patients. Illumina Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN) dropped about 20% on Tuesday to post a new 52-week low at $130.00 after closing at $163.17 on Monday. The stock's 52-week high is $242.37. Share volume was nearly 15 times the daily average of around 1.6 million. The company's stock was hit with a downgrade after it gave weak guidance. Radware Ltd. (NASDAQ: RDWR) posted a new low on Tuesday. Shares dropped about 27% to a low of $12.60 from Monday's closing price of $17.32. The stock's 52-week high is $24.91. Volume was nearly 17 times the daily average of around 350,000. The cybersecurity company warned on third quarter earnings today. Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc. (NASDAQ: BUFF) dropped about 5.1% on Tuesday to post a new post-IPO low of $17.02 against a high of $28.80. The stock closed at $17.94 on Monday night. Volume was about 20% above the daily average of around 1.8 million shares traded. The company had no specific news today. ALSO READ: 10 States Draining the Country's Energy
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Getty Images Adele does not have the best voice in music. Nor does Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, or any other pop superstar you might have pictured in your mind. No, the best voice in music belongs to a woman many probably do not know. She's Robert Plant good. Freddie Mercury good. She's, dare I say, Aretha Franklin good. The best voice on planet earth right now belongs to Grace Potter . Potter recently threw down a two-and-a-half hour rock show for the ages at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. With nary an empty seat in the house, she took to the stage like a hurricane, leaving no one unaffected in her wake. She was a mystical flower child spinning and twirling in a haze of fog in front of a giant screen projecting stars and galaxies behind her. She ran around the stage, jumped up and down with the beat, cajoling the fans onto their feet before settling into position. Getty Images Then, planted firmly at center stage, arms outstretched wide to her sides, she seemed to begin absorbing power from the universe itself, drawing in energy from everyone in the room. Her hand reached to the sky, channeling every last drop of force the ether could muster. You could feel the galactic storm building inside her. The power trapped within her body, yearning to be unleashed. After a deep breath, she opened her mouth and unleashed a tsunami of righteous sound. It was a miracle the speakers didn't instantaneously combust from the force of her voice. With her band creating an often ethereal soundscape as prelude to the sonic detonation, she would repeatedly shatter the auditory dream state with a nuclear explosion of unadulterated vocal power. Fear not for the future of music the Gods of Rock have seen fit to grace us with Grace. The gathering storm Grace Evelyn Potter was born in the small town of Waitsfield, Vermont, to parents involved in the woodworking craft. She went to St. Lawrence University, where she met Matt Burr, a drummer who convinced Potter to form a band with him (they've been bandmates ever since and married in May of 2013 ). After her sophomore year, Potter dropped out of college to pursue music professionally. Getty ImagesFor the first decade-plus of her career, Potter was the frontwoman for the relatively successful and uber-talented Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. The band released three studio albums from 2007 to 2012, with the single " Paris (Ooh La La) " receiving widespread commercial airplay. Their brand of raw, soulful rock struck a chord with audiences across America, and the group began headlining 1,000 to 1,500 person venues. From the beginning, it was obvious Potter had a major-league voice. Their third album, the aptly titled " The Lion, the Beast, the Beat ," showcases the lion's roar within the diva; but, it wasn't until her first solo studio album, " Midnight ," released August 14th of this year, that she uncaged the full fury of the beast within. Midnight On first listen, " Midnight" left me wanting more. As a longtime follower of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and a deep lover of their soulful rock sound I wasn't sold on the turn toward pop rock Potter had taken sans Nocturnals. But, as I got past the pop trappings adorning the album, I discovered the raw power hidden within the tracks. " Hot to the Touch ," " Alive Tonight ," and " Delirious " are raucous dance rock anthems sure to get you moving. " Look What We've Become " and " Instigators " are pop-punk tunes with some dirty grit. Other tracks like " Empty Heart ," " The Miner ," " Low ," " Nobody's Born With a Broken Heart ," and " Let You Go " deliver soulful songs in different musical veins, but all are good to excellent tunes sure to speak to listeners' hearts. But, "Delirious" demonstrates what makes Potter so special. Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/6cEKi_W4Vvg Width: 560px Height: 315px Around the song's three-minute mark , it descends into an experimental, trance-like interlude common to many Led Zeppelin opuses (e.g., " Whole Lotta Love "). At this point, many digging the pop-y vibe of the album so far might be tempted to press fast-forward, but exploding out the other side of the musical meander at 3:57 is a guitar solo for the ages, except it's not a guitar squealing in the upper registers… it's Potter's voice doing the shredding. The producer doubles a soloing guitar with Potter as she reaches stratospheric levels of pitch and volume, and the two instruments sound almost as one. The outro of the song is Potter's voice alone, and you can be forgiven if you thought it was actually a guitar ending the song. I've never heard a voice used like this before because no other voice could do what she just did. Radio City Music Hall After listening to the album on repeat for the two days leading up to the show, I was terrified Potter wouldn't unleash the full force of her voice as heard on " Midnight ." But then I remembered, she's one of the best performers I've ever seen. I had the privilege of attending a Grace Potter & the Nocturnals show at the House of Blues in Dallas, Texas, a few years ago. On the floor it was standing room only, and my friends and I arrived as early as allowed to get a spot right against the stage. I had never seen someone dominate a room the way she did that night. From the moment she walked on stage to the instant the "get the hell out" lights came up after she exited, the audience stood transfixed, completely under her spell. Her combination of sultry sexuality, unbridled energy, deep emotion and raw power took hold of everyone in attendance. Getty ImagesI didn't get quite the same feeling on Saturday. Potter and her band gave every bit the Dallas performance and more, but the room was ill suited to her gifts. As so perfectly described by my girlfriend, "When you see Grace Potter live, you want to be in her aura." With a stage so massive and a floor full of nothing but seats, I felt oddly detached from the virtuoso performance Potter gave. I wanted to be in general admission, standing room only, shoved against the stage, but the classic beauty and dignified luxury of the music hall introduced an unwelcome physical distance between performer and audience. Potter and company gave one of the most impressive performances I've ever witnessed, but I wanted to be closer, enveloped in Potter's presence. My proximity jealousy notwithstanding, Potter turned in the best vocal performance I've ever heard. She is categorically the best vocalist alive right now, and she puts it to good use. Despite the tinge of pop that crept into " Midnight ," it is an excellent album from an unrivaled musician. If you're not familiar with her or her band, get on it. You're missing out on a generational talent you'll one day tell your grandkids about. Potter has that special sauce that great performers all seem to possess. The Bowies and Plants and Mercuries of the world have an aura of sexuality, power, brilliance and otherworldliness. The stage's galactic backdrop suited the performance beautifully because Potter channeled a force beyond this world. In the song "The Lion, The Beast, The Beat," Potter proclaims: "Somebody let the beast out baby!" Did they ever. NOW WATCH: Science explains why we're obsessed with zombies and shows like 'Fear the Walking Dead'
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David Beckham has backed his former coach Carlo Ancelotti to make a successful return to Premier League management. "He'll fit in at any club he goes into because he's a manager who knows how to win games and how to win trophies," Beckham told Sky Sports News. "Whichever club he goes to he will be successful." Beckham played under Ancelotti at AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain during the closing stages of his career, either side of the Italian lifting the Premier League title with Chelsea in 2009-10. A limp defense of that crown saw Ancelotti dismissed from his Stamford Bridge post, paving the way for stints with PSG and Real Madrid where he won the Champions League for a third time as a coach. The 56-year-old has also been linked with the managerial vacancy at Liverpool in the aftermath of Brendan Rodgers' sacking on Sunday but former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp is now the odds-on favorite to take the reins at Anfield. Asked whether he could envisage Ancelotti returning to England, Beckham said: "I can because he's a manager that people want to be in charge of a club. He's a manager that players love playing for. "I was lucky that he brought me in on loan when he was at AC Milan, I played for him at PSG." He added: "So I know what he's all about. The players hold him in high regard and he's a winner."
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FOAM-ROLLER SQUAT Works: Core, Legs Stand on a foam roller with your feet hip-width apart, keeping your arches directly on the center of the roller. Extend your arms in front of you to shoulder height. Lower into a squat, bending your knees 90 degrees. Return to standing without locking your knees; maintain balance. Perform two sets of 15 slow reps. Tip: At the bottom of the move, squeeze through your hamstrings, glutes, and core to return to standing. FLAMINGO CABLE ROW Works: Back, Core, Legs Stand on your left leg holding a cable handle at waist height with your right hand. Lean toward the cable machine, keeping your left knee soft, till your torso, right arm, and right leg are parallel to the floor. Keep your left palm on your thigh and gaze forward. Return to standing, drawing your right elbow toward your right side while bending your right knee in front of you to hip height. Extend your right arm and leg back to the starting position and repeat. Do two sets of 15 reps each leg. Tip: Place your non-working hand lightly on your supporting thigh during the forward lean. KNEELING BOSU L-RAISE Works: Shoulders, Core Grasp the dumbbells with your left hand in front of your left thigh and your right hand at your right side. Kneel on the round side of a Bosu ball, keeping your torso tall and your shoulders in line with your hips and thighs. Lift the left dumbbell to shoulder height in front of you while simultaneously lifting the right dumbbell out to the right side at shoulder height; keep both arms straight throughout. Lower the dumbbells back to the start, then lift the right dumbbell in front of you and the left dumbbell out to the side. Do two sets of 16 reps. Tip: Don't sit on your heels or let the dumbbells touch your thighs during the exercise. UNSTABLE UPCHOP Works: Shoulders, Core, Legs Stand balancing on the flat side of a Bosu ball with your feet hip-width apart, holding a medicine ball in front of your thighs. Squat down, bringing the ball slightly past the outside of your left foot. Keeping your arms straight, stand up from the squat and twist your torso until the ball is at a 45-degree angle over your right shoulder. Keep your eyes on the ball. Lower back down into a squat while again bringing the ball past your left foot, keeping your arms straight. Do two sets of 20 reps each side. STABILITY BALL SINGLE-ARM PLANK Works: Core, Glutes Lie facedown on a stability ball with your waist directly at the center of the ball. Place your hands on the floor with your wrists under your shoulders. Extend both legs behind you until they're parallel to the floor, keeping your feet hip-width apart and your glutes engaged. Lift and extend your right arm forward until it's parallel to the floor. Hold the position for 15 seconds. Return your right hand to the floor and repeat the movement with your left arm, again holding the pose for 15 seconds. Do two sets of 6 holds with each arm. Tip: For added resistance, use wrist and ankle weights.
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Right now, NASA is building a monster rocket to shuttle astronauts to Mars called the Space Launch System, or SLS. When finished, this rocket will be able to launch up to 2.16 million pounds into space. That kind of weight requires a powerful engine four of them, to be precise. NASA will use four RS-25 engines along with two rocket boosters to get the SLS from ground to space and on its way to Mars. Combined, the engines and boosters will make the SLS the most powerful rocket ever built , which is what you want when you're trying to travel farther than any human has dared to before. These engines powered the Space Shuttles and a modified version of them will now usher us into the next generation of space exploration. Learn more about these impressive feats of engineering in the graphics to follow: Why NASA has its eyes set on Mars: Why use the same engines that powered the Space Shuttles? NASA has two different testing grounds for the RS-25: You won't see any greenhouse gases coming out of this rocket engine: A single engine alone weighs over 7700 lbs: You need a lot of thrust to get a 2-million-lb rocket into space: How the RS-25 engine will power the SLS from Earth to Mars: Now, check out some information about the boosters that, together with the RS-25 engines, will make the SLS the most powerful rocket in the world:
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As is his wont, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk was Tweeting up a storm Friday afternoon, following the Wednesday-night debut and hand over of the first "Founder" edition Model X crossovers. Among the missives was this little gem, now deleted, which read, "there will be a Model 3 and a Model Y. One of the two will." Since the Tweet was in response to "Not gonna lie, I'd sell my soul to @elonmusk for one. Please tell me the Model III crossover will have these doors!", from @AwesomelyOZ, we know he was talking about the unique rear portals. Considering we know the Model 3, which is to be denoted with the stylized "≡", will be a sedan though perhaps with a hatch à la Model S, rather than a traditional trunk and that there will be also be a crossover built on this smaller, more affordable platform, it seems quite probable it will be called the Model Y (which Tesla has already trademarked). It also seems likely it will also feature the somewhat controversial "falcon wing" rear passenger doors. Now, as we mentioned, Musk deleted this tweet. This could mean that he misspoke or, more likely, that he revealed something he wasn't supposed to quite yet. It does seem to confirm, though, that the Tesla lineup will consist of Models S,≡,X,Y, and Roadster, remaining true to the company's propensity for humorous touches, like a stereo volume that goes to 11, "Ludicrous" mode, and the new "Bioweapon Defense Mode" in the Model X. It wasn't the only Tweet he deleted from that session either. Another one, in response to to a question about a future Model X with a smaller, less expensive 70-kWh battery, elicited the response, "something like a 70, but probably around 12 months from now," indicating that there will be a less-expensive Model X option in the future. Tweets that remain from the afternoon social-media frenzy? One that claims the falcon wing doors can act as an umbrella and that parts of the interior have a hydrophobic coating. Also, contrary to a (now magically-corrected) Google error, his height is not five-foot-ten, but, rather, six-foot-two. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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autos
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Spoilers through Season 2 of 'The Flash' follow. Well The Flash is back and off to the races. The first episode of Season 2 The Man Who Saved Central City is an excellent start to the sophomore season of the CW's best super hero show. The episode opens to a dream, though we don't know it yet. Barry's fantasy of a successful salvation of Central City melts away to the reality. To lives lost and to Barry's own perceived failure. It's a strong intro, and reminds us exactly where things left off last season. Probably my favorite thing about the Season 2 premiere of The Flash is how quickly it resolves so many issues. Rather than letting Barry's guilt and need to be a loner shuffle on for a half dozen episodes or more, the people in his life confront him head on and snap him out of his guilt-fueled funk. This means we can dispense with overwrought character drama I hope and just get to the good stuff. The mystery, the meta-humans, and the fun character interaction. The Flash - Season Two The Season 2 premiere introduces us to the Atom Smasher, played by pro-wrestler Atom "Edge" Copeland. There's some very nifty special effects to make this radiation-sucking meta-human grow to unnatural proportions. And at first, Atom Smasher is too powerful for The Flash. He's fast, strong, and impenetrable. But through the power of teamwork yay team! and some serious radiation overdose, they kill him. Wait, what? They don't just lock him up? Nope, they kill him dead, and that's probably for the best given how powerful Atom Smasher is. But before he dies, Atom Smasher tells Barry something very important. This was a hit-job. Atom Smasher was told he'd be taken back home wherever that is if he killed The Flash. This season's big bad, Zoom, hired him to do the deed. Zoom is another evil speedster who's supposed to be even more evil and more terrifying than last season's Reverse-Flash. Honestly, though, I'm just wondering how anyone can top the incredible performance of Tom Cavanagh as Harrison Wells. Speaking of Wells, we do get a glimpse of him in the premiere. He leaves Barry Star Labs and a video confession of his murder of Barry's mother, further confusing all of our feelings about the villain. Seriously, has there ever been another super villain so hard to hate? So Barry frees his dad at last, but the elder Allen doesn't stick around. He tells Barry that he doesn't want to get in his way, that being The Flash is too important. That seems a little cold to me. If I had to guess, Henry Allen just wants to get the hell out of Central City where's been held prisoner for over a decade and see the world. Either way it's one less loose end. When the episode draws to a close, one last surprise awaits. Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears) shows up to warn the team that their world is in danger. Garrick is the original Flash, and in the modern DC Universe he's still the Flash, only in an alternative earth. So we're getting two Flashes for the price of one. 'The Man Who Saved Central City' reminds us all why we love The Flash so much, but at the same time we're reminded of what we'll miss barring some crazy alternative earth crossover stuff. Harrison Wells was a very big part of Season 1. In a lot of ways, that mystery and that character were the reason Season 1 was so incredible. The remaining cast is great especially Cisco Ramon but a very big piece of what made The Flash what it is today is gone. Note: World crossover stuff could be pretty interesting here. We could see Reverse-Flash again. Or Eddie Thawne. Even dead again Ronnie Raymond (who, wow, they barely brought him back from the dead before killing him off) could come back from this alternative timeline. And you know what else could happen? A total reset as multiple alternative realities collide. A Flashpoint, resetting events in both Barry's world and the Arrow series, which has gone so far off the rails that I'm rooting for a reset at this point. I guess we'll see. What did you think of the season 1 premiere? And are you looking forward to tomorrow's premiere of Arrow ?
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ARLINGTON, Texas Chants of "Nap-o-li!, Nap-o-li!" echo in Texas just like 2011 all over again. Expect them to only get louder and more frequent now that the Rangers are back in the playoffs again, two months after the return of Mike Napoli, who had 10 RBIs in their last World Series. Even though first-year manager Jeff Banister wasn't in Texas for Napoli's first stint, he has said the right-handed power bat "might be the human victory cigar." After a breakout season in 2011 as a catcher-first baseman with the Rangers, and being an All-Star the next season when they made it to the American League wild-card game, Napoli left in free agency and was part of the 2013 World Series championship in Boston. With the Red Sox headed to another last-place finish, they traded him Aug. 7 to Texas and Napoli immediately settled back into the clubhouse, almost like he had never gone, even with a lot of other changed players. "In the two years I was here, it was pretty special too. It has that same kind of feeling," Napoli said. "It's just a group that has a lot of different personalities, but we all click in some kind of way." The Rangers, who started August eight games back of the division lead, cinched the AL West title on the final day of the regular season. They open their first division series since 2011 on Thursday in Toronto. Napoli is one of only three players in the postseason for the seventh time the past nine seasons, joining St. Louis outfielder Matt Holliday and Toronto catcher Russell Martin this fall. Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia would have been there as well before this week revealing that he is checking into an alcohol rehab center and will miss the postseason. Those American flag shorts the Rangers wear often during batting practice and workouts, with the team logo and motto #NeverEverQuit on them, were courtesy of Napoli. He was initially in the clubhouse wearing similar shorts from the Red Sox and wanted to adapt them for his teammates in Texas. "He was a player that as a team we really liked him and loved him when he was here," shortstop Elvis Andrus said. "As soon as he got back, I don't think it took him too long to adapt to the team again." Josh Hamilton, part of the Rangers' 2010 and 2011 World Series teams who like Napoli left in free agency after 2012, was traded back from the Los Angeles Angels in late April. The 2010 AL MVP was back in the Texas lineup a month later. "It's just nice to have those guys back, because the chemistry in this clubhouse is unbelievable," third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "It's fun to kind of be a part of, and watch as moves were made this year, guys come up filling spots or whatever," Hamilton said. "That chemistry kept getting better and better, and that's difficult to do." The week before reacquiring Napoli, the Rangers made deals to get ace left-hander Cole Hamels and reliever Jake Diekman from Philadelphia and right-handed reliever Sam Dyson from Miami. Napoli hit only .207 in 98 games with the Red Sox. In Texas, playing primarily against left-handers, and even playing left field for the first time in his 10 major league seasons, he has hit .296 with five homers and 10 RBIs over 35 games. "They were starting to play good ball before I got here. Just try to keep it going," Napoli said. "Everybody wants to say I'm a veteran and I've been there before, but this group kind of had it, that fight in them." But they now again can hear, "Nap-o-li!, Nap-o-li!"
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Car accidents don't typically produce feel-good stories, but thanks to a deputy in Alabama, a collision in Jefferson County has done just that.
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NEW YORK ( TheStreet ) -- Sorry Donald, you didn't make the list. Pope Francis topped Worth's list of the 100 most powerful people in global finance, beating out President Barack Obama for the top spot. Richard Bradley, Editor-in-Chief of the Worth Group, said Pope Francis led the pack because people of all religions are listening as he speaks from the world's biggest pulpit. "He can reach an audience all over the world and he is using his pulpit to speak to economic issues like climate change , poverty, global capitalism and immigration," said Bradley. Bradley said assembling the Worth " Power 100 " is a year-long effort, with the magazine's editors reviewing thousands of suggestions, selecting an initial list of 1,000 nominees and ultimately whittling it down to the final 100 names. And while Wall Streeters might see Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen as more powerful than the President when it comes to moving markets, Yellen comes in seventh on the list while the President takes the second position. Bradley said the President's lame duck status in the coming year does not take away from his current powerful position. "We can expect President Obama to drop next year, but right now he is presiding over what is probably the healthiest economy in the world," said Bradley. "Like him or not, the history books are probably going to give him credit for that." German Chancellor Angela Merkel comes in third on the list. Bradley said "if you don't think she is powerful just ask the Greeks." In the emerging markets, China showed its ascendancy, placing a pair of its citizens in the top 10, President Xi Jinping (4) and Alibaba founder Jack Ma (10). As for who is less powerful than last year, Bradley said Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Mary fell from number 15 in 2014 to 38 in 2015. And U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara dropped from number one to number 48. "He had a terrible year in terms of poor decisions that threaten to undermine all of his insider trading convictions," said Bradley. At least Bharara fared better than billionaire property owner and Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. The Donald didn't even rank in the top 100. "We don't think he is that financially powerful," said Bradley. "As a businessman his success is much debated and in terms of his effect on financial policy, it's an open question."
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The world's fastest man, Usain Bolt, took a visit to Los Angeles and chilled out with two of USC's fastest men: Andre De Grasse and Adoree' Jackson. De Grasse, a Canadian track star, is a student-athlete at USC but has competed against ( and interacted with ) Bolt in the past. Jackson, a football star for the Trojans, also runs track for USC . The Daily Trojan reports that Bolt was on campus because he was shooting a commercial on Cromwell Field. The world's fastest man, Jamaica's @usainbolt with USC speedsters @De6rasse & @AdoreeKnows . #OnlyAtUSC #FightOn pic.twitter.com/XVAYEv3e6Z USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) October 6, 2015 A photo of their interactions can be viewed above, or by clicking here . (h/t USC Athletics ) MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our College Football newsletters.
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Pete Docter gives ET some Pixar secrets!
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Bindi Irwin was just 8 years old when her dad, wildlife expert Steve Irwin, passed away in a tragic accident. Now 17, Bindi is preserving her famous father's legacy by working as a conservationist and having some fun as one of the castmates of Dancing With the Stars' 21st season. On Monday, Bindi received the highest score of the night on the show for her heartbreaking performance to a cover of "Every Breath You Take" with her partner, Derek Hough. The song and dance were a tribute to Bindi's late father, and Bindi reflected on her father's tragic death in a prerecorded interview, saying, "What shaped me the most would probably be when my dad passed away. It's been nine years and I've never really dwelled on that point. I think I'm ready to tell that story."
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Tom Hanks is standing behind his son. The actor is speaking out for the first time since his son Chet Hanks revealed he was a drug addict.
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âI put a lot of work into it. Youâre not supposed to say that.â
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"Who am I gonna play leap frog with?"
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Houston is 4-0 under first-year head coach Tom Herman, and the Cougars face in-state rivals SMU this weekend. The Mustangs are just 1-4, and the Cougars aren't offering them much respect it seems, at least based off of some decorating they did to the team's athletic facility. Houston taped SMU jerseys to the floor of the facility so Cougar players could walk on them all week. Joseph Duarte, the UH beat writer for the Houston Chronicle , has video documentation. Areas that @UHCougarFB will walk through (over) this week in preparation for Thursday game vs. SMU pic.twitter.com/MnFVGd9xRv Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) October 5, 2015 Ouch, that's cold. We'll see if it is enough to motivate SMU to an upset victory.
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They are not political counterparts. One is commander in chief of the world's last remaining superpower. The other fulfills merely a ceremonial function in Europe's leading nation. Elevated above politics, President Joachim Gauck exercises a moral authority that President Barack Obama, who wields real power in all its lethal and morally ambiguous dimensions, does not have. The two men will meet on Wednesday. It's been 18 years since a German president set foot in the White House. The timing is no coincidence of course. President Gauck has arrived in America to celebrate the 25th anniversary of German re-unification, a seminal historical event in which the United States played an instrumental role. Gauck helped write that history as a Protestant pastor, political dissident and civil rights activist in East Germany. After the fall of communism, he served as the curator of the Stasi archive, which contains decades of records gathered by the East German secret police on the daily lives of average citizens. The archive - which is open to journalists, historians and not least of all the victims of surveillance - has become a testament to the importance of government transparency and the right to privacy. According to Jeffrey Anderson, Gauck's meeting with Obama presents an occasion to speak about the importance of privacy, not from a policy perspective, but from a moral and philosophical standpoint. "It would be an opportunity for him to underscore the historical underpinning of this mistrust of centralized authority and the cherished value that is attached to privacy in Germany, and how that sets it apart from the United States where there is a bit more laissez-faire attitude about privacy," Anderson, director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies, told DW. 'Democratically uncontrollable' From the president's podium, Gauck has frequently drawn on his life experience to speak about the importance freedom. It's not surprising that he chose Philadelphia, with all its symbolism, as the first stop of his visit to America. The city was the first capital of the United States, the site where independence was declared from Great Britain and the constitution was written. During his address at the University of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, the German president expressed admiration for the democratic aspirations and institutions articulated in America's founding documents. "He gave the speech in Philadelphia today also looking at a home audience," Cornelius Adebahr, an expert on German foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told DW. "This should remind people in Germany today that the US is not all about the NSA and Afghanistan and the wars of these days," Adebahr said. "There's an idea behind America which is very close to the enlightenment and to European ideals." But Gauck did not seek only to flatter his American hosts. He expressed frank concern about "the image of America emerging in parts of Europe and certainly in Germany." The German president called out the National Security Agency and asked why US intelligence services record the phone numbers of German cabinet ministers, even the agricultural minister. "What does that have to do with countering terrorism?" Gauck asked. "And why do German citizens get the impression that incursions into their private sphere are a democratically uncontrollable result of fending off a terrorist threat?" NSA scandal unresolved Gauck's speech came on the same day the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Brussels overturned the Safe Harbor treaty between the EU and US, which had been in place for 15 years. The treaty allowed American companies, which meet minimum privacy standards, to transfer the personal data of European customers to servers in the US. Tuesday's ruling struck down the treaty over questions about whether the US truly is a safe harbor for the data of EU citizens. The court cited NSA surveillance programs documented in the leaks by whistleblower and former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden as cause for concern. It's been more than two years since Snowden first revealed NSA mass surveillance to the public. Based on Snowden's leaks, newsmagazine Der Spiegel reported that US intelligence collected Germans' metadata in bulk and had also tapped Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone. The German government subsequently called for a no-spy agreement with the US, but there was little interest in Washington. "The NSA scandal hasn't really been resolved, it's just lingering around," Adebahr said. "We haven't seen anything in terms of fundamental changes." "The NSA scandal seems to be a very special German thing," he said. "It's not a scandal here [in the US], the spying on foreigners, and it's not a scandal in most of the other European countries." 'Win back lost trust' Nevertheless, Gauck made clear to his American audience on Tuesday that some Germans, in the wake of the NSA scandal, question what the US stands for. "They are wondering whether a community of shared values still exists at all between our two countries, or indeed whether the United States has cut itself loose from our shared foundations," the German president said. "It seems to me that we have not yet arrived at a viable balance of interests here," he continued. "This would be a good opportunity for the United States to win back lost trust." Author: Spencer Kimball
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"My feet hurt"
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lifestyle
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The U.S. military took responsibility on Tuesday for a deadly air strike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz, calling it a mistake and vowing to hold people accountable. Saturday's strike on an Afghan hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), killed 22 people and deeply angered the medical charity. MSF officials have blamed the United States, demanding an independent investigation into an attack it called a war crime. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the Pentagon "deeply regrets" the loss of life. "The U.S. military takes the greatest care in our operations to prevent the loss of innocent life, and when we make mistakes, we own up to them. That's exactly what we're doing right now," Carter, who was traveling in Europe, said in a statement. "We will do everything we can to understand this tragic incident, learn from it, and hold people accountable as necessary," he said. Earlier in Washington, the American commander of international forces in Afghanistan, Army General John Campbell, called the strike a mistake made within the U.S. chain of command. The comments by Carter and Campbell were the most direct acknowledgement yet by the U.S. government that the strike on the hospital was carried out by U.S. forces. On Monday, Campbell said only that U.S. forces had responded to a request for support from Afghan forces. In testmimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Campbell also made clear he favored a rethink of a plan to withdraw almost all U.S. troops by the end of next year. He said rising threats in Afghanistan from the Islamic State and al Qaeda were among factors informing his recommendations to the White House on future troop levels. Campbell said U.S. forces had responded to a request from Afghan forces and provided close air support as they engaged in a fight with Taliban militants in Kunduz, a provincial capital that the Taliban captured late last month. "To be clear, the decision to provide aerial fires was a U.S. decision made within the U.S. chain of command," Campbell said. He added that U.S. special forces nearby were communicating with the aircraft that delivered the strikes. "A hospital was mistakenly struck," Campbell said. "We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility." President Barack Obama expected steps to be taken to prevent such an incident from recurring, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday. The government of President Ashraf Ghani, heavily dependent on Washington for military support and far less critical of the United States than his predecessor Hamid Karzai, has held back from directly criticizing the United States. But an Afghan military officer took issue with the idea that Afghan forces had called for a strike against the hospital. Abdullah Guard, commander of Afghan special forces in Kunduz, said his men had been under heavy fire in the area near the hospital, fighting a Taliban force estimated at around 500 men. "It is possible our forces might have called for an air strike to hit the enemy position, but that doesn't mean to go and bomb the hospital," he told Reuters. He was speaking before Campbell's testimony on Tuesday, in which the American general made clear the decision to conduct the strike was a U.S. one. Campbell said on Tuesday he had directed forces under his command to undergo training to review operational authorities and rules of engagement to prevent further incidents like Kunduz. RENEWED ATTENTION ON MISSION The incident, along with the Taliban's capture of Kunduz, has cast renewed attention on the 14-year U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Many members of Congress are deeply concerned about Obama's plans for a final withdrawal of U.S. forces. The president is reassessing the timetable for a drawdown that currently envisages removing all but about 1,000 U.S. soldiers by the end of 2016. "The world walked away from Afghanistan once before and it descended into chaos that contributed to the worst terrorist attack ever against our homeland," said Senator John McCain, the Republican chairman of the armed services committee, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that were planned by al Qaeda militants sheltered by the then-ruling Taliban in Afghanistan. "We cannot afford to repeat that mistake," McCain said. Campbell said counterterrorism missions would be less effective if the U.S. presence in Afghanistan was limited to a small force based in the capital. He said there were some 1,000-3,000 Islamic State members in Afghanistan, although many of them were disaffected Taliban members who were "rebranding" themselves. He declined to provide specifics about recommendations he had made to the White House about force levels, but said they included an option for more troops than just a small embassy-based force. There are currently around 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan. When asked by Senator Angus King whether his judgment was that conditions in Afghanistan would require revision of the withdrawal plan, Campbell responded: "Yes, sir." (Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati, Patricia Zengerle and Doina Chiacu, Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi in Kabul; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -- Jim Caldwell wants to turn his focus to Detroit's next game -- and he's insisting his players do the same. No more talk about the controversial ending in Monday night's loss at Seattle. "I'm going to tell them not to talk about it," Caldwell said Tuesday. "We can't be hanging on something that happened a night ago that we can do nothing about." Caldwell says he doesn't want the Lions to be distracted by more discussion of Calvin Johnson's fumble on Detroit's final possession Monday. The ball was knocked out of the back of the end zone by the Seahawks' K.J. Wright. Rather than flag him for illegally batting the ball, officials ruled the play a touchback. Caldwell said he spoke with NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino on Tuesday, but the Detroit coach would not go into detail about that conversation. Lions players were not available to reporters Tuesday. Caldwell began his news conference by talking a bit about the disputed play, but was unwilling to say much more about it. "I don't want it to linger. I don't want our guys talking about it because it's over and done with," Caldwell said. "As we looked at it from the sideline, we saw Calvin with the ball in his hand. The ball comes out and then I actually saw the young man bat the ball out." Johnson fumbled just before reaching the end zone, but Blandino told NFL Network that Wright should have been called for illegally batting the loose ball, a penalty that would have given the ball back to Detroit at the Seattle 1-yard line. "You can take that situation and drag it out through the week where your players are more focused in on that particular play than on the opposition that we have to face in just a few days," Caldwell said. "You can act, `Woe is me, that's a bad call, that went against us,' and look at all those kinds of things. That'll distract you and you'll get your ears kicked in come Sunday afternoon." The Lions (0-4) are the only winless team in the NFL, and they face another tough opponent this weekend when they host Arizona. The bad news continues to mount for Detroit -- Caldwell said defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker is out for the season with a dislocated ankle and broken leg. Caldwell may not want his players to dwell on Monday night's questionable call, but it will be hard for Detroit fans to let this go. This is hardly the first time the Lions have felt aggrieved after a crucial call. In 2010, Detroit lost a game at Chicago when what initially looked like a game-winning touchdown catch by Johnson was ruled incomplete. Johnson got both feet and a knee on the ground before putting the ball on the grass and beginning to celebrate. It was ruled incomplete because he didn't maintain possession of the ball throughout the entire process of the catch. On Thanksgiving in 2012, Houston's Justin Forsett scored on an 81-yard run against the Lions, even though replays clearly showed his knee and elbow touched the turf. The play almost certainly would have been overturned by replay -- all scoring plays are subject to review -- but Detroit coach Jim Schwartz had thrown his challenge flag. Thanks to a quirk in the rules, that meant the original play actually couldn't be reviewed and the touchdown stood. Last season, Detroit lost a playoff game at Dallas after officials reversed themselves, negating what was initially announced as a pass interference call on the Cowboys in the fourth quarter. Caldwell said after that game that it might be time to allow more plays to be reviewed with instant replay. That loss to Dallas ended Detroit's season, so if there's any solace the Lions can take now, it's that they still have 12 games to try to turn things around. After dropping their first four games, they look like a longshot to make the playoffs, but Caldwell obviously feels their best chance of bouncing back from Monday's loss is to forget about the way it unfolded. "It can work two ways, you can keep dwelling on it and feel sorry for yourself," Caldwell said. "Or you can get by it and move on and start focusing on your next opponent, and that's what we plan to do." --- AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL
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10. Georgia > Gini coefficient: 0.480 > Median household income: $49,321 (17th lowest) > Households earning $200,000+: 4.4% (20th highest) > Poverty rate: 18.3% (7th highest) Georgia has the 10th worst income equality. While many wealthier Americans do not rely exclusively on wages for earning income, the vast majority of American workers do, and a high unemployment rate contributes to lower incomes overall. At 7.2%, Georgia's unemployment rate is the sixth highest nationwide. According to researchers at nonprofit research organization the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, wages for the average worker in Georgia have slid 12% from 2009 the Institute advocates for raising the minimum wage to $10.10 over three years. Meanwhile, 18.3% of Georgians live in poverty, and 15.7% of households rely on food stamps, each some of the highest percentages in the country. 9. Tennessee > Gini coefficient: 0.481 > Median household income: $44,361 (6th lowest) > Households earning $200,000+: 3.2% (15th lowest) > Poverty rate: 18.3% (7th highest) Tennessee is the poorest among the 10 top states for income inequality. A typical household earns $44,361 annually, the sixth lowest nationwide. No state has a higher proportion of its employed population paid at or below the minimum wage than Tennessee, where 6.8% of workers receive such low wages. Tennessee has above-average shares of its employed population working in retail trade, transportation, warehousing, and utilities occupations, which are generally low paying. According to The Tennessean, a newspaper produced by the publisher Gannett, the plight of low-income Tennesseans is particularly acute for low-wage workers in Nashville, which is undergoing a construction boom and a surging hospitality sector. Since the summer, Nashville construction workers have staged several strikes over long hours, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. At the same time, the wealthiest 5% of state residents earn 23.3% of all income earned in Tennessee, the fourth highest income takes among the top 5% nationwide. 8. Texas > Gini coefficient: 0.483 > Median household income: $53,035 (23rd highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 5.5% (16th highest) > Poverty rate: 17.2% (12th highest) While a number of the states with the widest income gaps are, as a whole, quite wealthy, the median annual household income in Texas is $53,354, in line with the national figure of $53,657. The state also has one of the higher poverty rates in the nation, at 17.2%. Nearly 6.0% of hourly workers in Texas are paid at or below the minimum wage, the seventh highest such share in the nation. Whether a higher minimum wage would lead to economic prosperity is debated among researchers, but the state is unlikely to raise the minimum wage in any case. This past summer, the Texas House of Representatives rejected by a large margin a proposal to let state residents vote on whether the minimum wage should be increased to $10.10. Unlike most states with poor income distribution, the unemployment rate of 5.1% in Texas is relatively low, in contrast with the national jobless rate of 6.2%. 7. Rhode Island > Gini coefficient: 0.483 > Median household income: $54,891 (19th highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 5.9% (11th highest) > Poverty rate: 14.3% (24th lowest) Incomes among poorer Americans have increased slower than incomes of wealthier Americans from 2006 through last year. In Rhode Island, the average income of the poorest 20% of households actually decreased over that period, while incomes among the richest 20% of state household increased faster than the nation one of only a handful of states where this was the case. Perhaps as a result, households earning more than $200,000 make up 5.9% of Rhode Island's homes, while those earning less than $10,000 make up 8.4%, each the 11th highest such share in the country. Rhode Island is one of only two states where both of these measures exceeded the corresponding national shares. 6. Florida > Gini coefficient: 0.483 > Median household income: $47,463 (12th lowest) > Households earning $200,000+: 4.0% (22nd highest) > Poverty rate: 16.5% (16th highest) Like the nation as a whole, Florida is divided in two. In addition to wealthy retirement homes and luxury hotels on pristine Miami beaches, Florida is home to some of the poorest areas in the nation. Florida's wealthiest 5% of households earn 24% of all income earned in the state, the highest income share held by a state's top 5% after only New York and Connecticut. Since 2006, incomes among the richest 5% of households in Florida increased by 11.8% to $323,954, one of the slowest growths among top earners. Meanwhile, however, average income among the poorest 20% of households in the state decreased by 1.7% over that period to $11,022. ALSO READ: The Most Dangerous Cities in America 5. Massachusetts > Gini coefficient: 0.486 > Median household income: $69,160 (6th highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 9.3% (3rd highest) > Poverty rate: 11.6% (10th lowest) Massachusetts is one of the most unequal states in terms of income, but overall, the state is also one of the wealthiest. A typical Massachusetts household earns $69,160 annually, and 9.3% of households earn more than $200,000, each among the highest such figures in the country. There is strong positive relationship between education and income, and high wages in Massachusetts are likely due to the state's well-educated population. More than 41% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, the highest percentage nationwide. Since the recession, the average income among the poorest 20% of households increased by 8.5%, faster than the comparable national growth. However, among the state's wealthiest 5% of households, incomes increased by more than 30%, the seventh largest growth in the country. 4. California > Gini coefficient: 0.489 > Median household income: $61,933 (9th highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 8.1% (5th highest) > Poverty rate: 16.4% (17th highest) California, home of Hollywood mansions and the impoverished Central Valley, is sharply divided along income lines. The state's median home value of $412,700 is the second highest in the country, and roughly one in 10 California homes are worth more than $1 million, the highest such proportion nationwide. The Fresno, Modesto, and Bakersfield-Delano metro areas make up the Central Valley one of the nation's largest sources of food and among the poorest areas in the country. While the state's poverty rate of 16.4% is only slightly higher than the national poverty rate of 15.5%, the level of poverty in California may be higher when living costs and other factors are taken into account. Using the supplemental poverty measure, which factors in government benefits and certain living expenses, California's poverty rate is closer to 25%, or one of the highest in the country. Many Californians on the low end of the income spectrum are likely among those who did not complete high school. Just over 82% of adults have a high school diploma, the lowest percentage in the country. ALSO READ: America's Most and Least Educated States: A Survey of All 50 3. Louisiana > Gini coefficient: 0.490 > Median household income: $44,555 (7th lowest) > Households earning $200,000+: 3.6% (25th lowest) > Poverty rate: 19.8% (3rd highest) Nearly one in five Louisiana residents live in poverty, the third highest proportion. The high rate is at least partially attributable to Louisiana's poor income distribution, which is third worst nationwide. While 3.9% of U.S. workers earn the minimum wage or less, 6.3% in Louisiana workers earn so little, also the third highest proportion. The prevalence of minimum wage jobs is likely because of the prevalence of low-paying retail trade jobs the sector employs 12.3% of workers statewide, the 10th highest share compared to other states. 2. Connecticut > Gini coefficient: 0.500 > Median household income: $70,048 (4th highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 10.0% (2nd highest) > Poverty rate: 10.8% (3rd lowest) Connecticut trailed only New York in income inequality. The wealthiest 5% of Connecticut residents earned more than one-quarter of all income earned in the state, the largest share of income earned by the top 5% after only New York. The share of total income held by Connecticut households in each of the bottom four quintiles are all nearly the lowest compared to other states. Even with the disparities in income, Connecticut residents are relatively well off. A typical household in the state earns more than $70,048 annually, nearly the highest median household income nationwide. Only 10.8% of people live in poverty, and 6.0% of households have incomes less than $10,000, each among the lower rates compared to other states. ALSO READ: 10 Cities Where You Don't Want to Get Sick 1. New York > Gini coefficient: 0.511 > Median household income: $58,878 (16th highest) > Households earning $200,000+: 7.6% (7th highest) > Poverty rate: 15.9% (19th highest) Income is distributed less evenly in New York than in any other state. The percentages of households earning less than $10,000 and more than $200,000 annually, at 8.1% and 7.6% respectively, are each well above the national shares, one of only two states where this was the case. New York was also one of only two states where more than one-quarter of all income belongs to the wealthiest 5% of residents. Nearly 54% of all income is earned by the wealthiest 20% of income earners, while the poorest 20% earn just 2.6% the highest and lowest percentages of income earned by the two income groups, respectively. Massive wealth gaps in New York City, which is home to 43% of New York residents, likely accounts for the state's nation-leading Gini coefficient. The city is both the largest and most unequal in the United States.
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In the science fiction thriller "Minority Report," a police force known as PreCrime uses mutated human psychics to identify criminals before they act. The U.S. Army is working toward a similar goal not by reading minds but by crunching data. Using the military records of all 975,057 soldiers who served during a six-year period, researchers have developed an algorithm they hope can help prevent severe, violent crimes by identifying those at greatest risk of becoming perpetrators. They would not be pre-arrested, but rather given counseling or other interventions aimed at heading off violence. The researchers drew on 38 databases containing information on 446 variables for each solider who served between 2004 and 2009. During that period, 5,771 soldiers committed murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, robbery or other violent felonies. (Domestic violence and sex crimes were not included in the study because research suggests that they follow risk patterns that are distinct from other types of offenses.) Using a technique known as machine learning, researchers looked for patterns among the violent offenders and used what they found to create a risk model. About a third of the soldiers fell into the algorithm's highest-risk group, based on their demographic characteristics, health histories, career details and other factors predating their crimes. For men, who accounted for the vast majority of both soldiers and offenders, 24 factors were found to be at play. Those most at risk were young, poor, ethnic minorities with low ranks, disciplinary trouble, a suicide attempt and a recent demotion, according to a report published Tuesday in the journal Psychological Medicine. The highest-risk group just 5 percent of the total population of male soldiers accounted for 36 percent of the crimes perpetrated by men, the researchers found. Each year, on average, 15 of every 1,000 of those men committed a violent offense. That was more than seven times the overall rate for male soldiers. The highest-risk female soldiers were responsible for 33 percent of crimes perpetrated by women, who overall were about half as likely as men to commit violent offenses. The algorithm developed to assess their risk differed slightly from the one for men. To test their model, researchers applied it to a sample of 43,248 soldiers who served between 2011 and 2013. They found that the 5 percent identified as most at-risk were responsible for 51 percent of the violent crimes committed by those soldiers. The tool gives the Army the ability "to identify high-risk soldiers without carrying out expensive one-on-one clinical assessments," said Harvard psychologist Anthony Rosellini, the study's lead author. While violence prevention training is standard for all soldiers, the algorithm could allow the Army to determine who should receive more intensive risk evaluations or interventions, the researchers wrote. If the new analytical tool can be validated in more tests, the Army still will have to figure out how to use it. There is still much debate about how to redirect people prone to violence. Even in the highest-risk group, most people do not become offenders. An intensive violence-prevention program "would make sense only if the interventions are shown to be highly efficient something that has not yet been demonstrated," said study co-author John Monahan, a law professor at the University of Virginia. The study, part of a massive research effort funded by the Army, builds on a paper published last year that used the same method to create a tool for identifying soldiers at greatest risk of suicide. Ronald Kessler, a Harvard sociologist and co-author, said the team also is working on an algorithm for determining who is most likely to commit sexual assaults and who is at the greatest risk of becoming a victim. "The military has extraordinary data systems," he said. "There is an ability to do this targeting in a way that can't be done anywhere else."
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It's amazing how just a few simple words can change someone's day for the better when things are not going as planned. A smile, vote of confidence, or a compliment can make their gray skies blue again and that is exactly what the Happiness Sprinkling Project is all about: making someone feel good, reminding them that they matter. Through the help of signs and smiles the Happiness Sprinkling Project wants everyone to feel encouraged, inspired, and, most importantly, happy. "It's so easy to do and it makes such a huge difference," said founder Laura Lavigne. Watch as "sprinklers" in Seattle, WA help bring a little joy to The Emerald City and, maybe, you'll get a few ideas on how to cheer up a friend. Get more feel good video clips at http://www.hooplaha.com Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/hooplaha Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hooplaha
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lifestyle
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Airbus files patent for a cabin design that stacks passengers on top of each other
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travel
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There isn't much that fazes Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. Coach Steve Kerr out indefinitely with an injured back? Not a problem. Green, interim head coach Luke Walton, Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala will just step up and make up for Kerr's absence. There's no telling how long Kerr will be out -- he was at practice the next day , and will reportedly be around the team as much as he physically can -- but any time he misses could affect the Warriors, obviously. Green sees the trap, and knows he and his teammates need to make the necessary adjustments. "It's like if your boss leaves work, everyone relaxes," Green told the Contra Costa Times . "It's like a weight off your shoulders. When your boss checks out, it's like, 'Oh, man, what's up, now we can chill.' It's just human nature. So it's a challenge for us to not do that." It's a challenge the Warriors are more than capable of overcoming, though. With the tight-knit locker room and the outspokenness of the roster, there is no reason why the team shouldn't be able to hold each other accountable during Kerr's temporary departure. "That's myself, that's Steph (Curry), that's (Andrew) Bogut, that's Andre (Iguodala), that's us as leaders," Green said. "If something isn't going right, we have to step up. At the end of the day, Luke can do it and he will do it, but anytime you can get something from another player, it's better. Coach Izzo always had a saying, 'A player-coached team is always better than a coach-coached team.'" That may be a stretch, given just how good coaches like Kerr are, but the gist is that the Warriors know what they need to do even if Kerr isn't there to guide them. Warriors star Stephen Curry echoed that sentiment, saying that while the team will certainly miss Kerr, they can't use his absence as an excuse or distraction from their goal: to repeat as champions. We can't let the level of practice drop," Curry said. "When Coach Kerr's not here, you can't lose your focus. We're still building. He set a great foundation for us, and obviously if this had happened last preseason, we might have been a little lost ... a lot lost. But we've set the foundation for how we play, so we as players have to push ourselves to continue to get better, even in his absence." If Kerr is out for an extended period of time, the road ahead will be difficult. But, in the end, if they are able to weather the storm together, when Kerr gets back they'll be that much stronger. That's a scary thought.
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sports
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Microsoft unveils new smartphones, tablets and a fitness tracker. Bobbi Rebell reports.
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finance
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Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who got rich making wagers, is now betting that former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will run for president of the United States in 2016 and win. "My view is Michael Bloomberg is going to run for president and my view is he is going to win," Ackman said to Stephanue Ruhle of Bloomberg TV. "I would do everything in my power to get this guy elected," Ackman said at a Bloomberg Markets conference in Manhattan. The billionaire investor said he is speaking from the heart and not because he was at a Bloomberg-hosted event. He also insisted it is more than just wishful thinking that Bloomberg, who founded and runs data and media empire Bloomberg L.P., will enter the 2016 election. "I have some feeling of what it's like to be Michael Bloomberg," Ackman said when asked why Bloomberg would run. "The answer is because he is going to die," Ackman said of the 73-year-old Wall Streeter turned politician. "He will regret not running," said the hedge fund manager, who talked passionately about what he thinks Bloomberg thinks about when he thinks about dying. "This is his chance," he said of Bloomberg's ability to win the White House. To be sure, Wall Street players were supporters of Bloomberg when he was Mayor of New York City, and they helped get him elected to a controversial third term in 2009. The Boston native worked at securities firm Salomon Brothers before starting his own firm, which also caters to banks and brokerage houses like Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers. "I think the country is ready for a business-oriented, philanthropic, straight-talking business guy to run for office," Ackman said. But he dismissed real-estate developer Trump as well as Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton, saying "Hillary has proven not to be a strong candidate." Others people who have suggested Bloomberg would make a good presidential candidate include media mogul Rupert Murdoch and writer Michael Wolff in a column for USA TODAY. Ackman also defended drug-maker Valeant, which has seen its stock plummet amid concerns about how it prices its drugs. Shares of the Canada-based drug-maker tumbled last month on news that Democrats on the House oversight committee have been pushing for subpoenas seeking documents related to price hikes earlier this year of 525% and 212% in two of its heart drugs. The stock losses have hurt Ackman's hedge fund performance, as well as a slew of other hedge fund that have piled into the stock behind him. Ackman called certain drug price hikes "egregious" but said he does not support price controls. "I don't defend that kind of behavior, but I do think it's important that it doesn't lead to regulation that will stifle innovation," he said. Valeant acquires most of its drug portfolio through serial acquisitions of smaller companies. Research and development makes up just 3% of spending a position Ackman defended as smart business sense. "Valeant believes they are not good at drug development," he said. "They are making a massive contribution to drug development" by acquiring drugs rather than making them, he said. Follow Kaja Whitehouse on Twitter: @kajawhitehouse .
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finance
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Researchers have discovered that one form of pitcher plant uses the energy of rainfall to catch its prey.
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video
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Work lunch doesn't have to leave you feeling hungry before dinnertime hits. You're at your desk focusing on the computer screen when your eyelids begin to droop. It's about 3 p.m. and your stomach begins to pang its incessant hunger signal right on cue. Lunch was just hours ago, but it has quickly become a distant memory. There are a number of physiological reasons why the infamous three o'clock hunger hits. The body is set up with a system that carefully calculates how much energy (calories) it needs to carry out basic functions, like keeping your heart beating, lungs pumping, and brain thinking. Basal metabolic rate (BMR), the key to this whole system, regulates how the body expends energy and at what pace. An individual's BMR is based on a number of factors, including the body's fat-to-lean muscle ratio, exercise frequency, number of calories, and genetics. Why 3 p.m. Hunger Happens Most of the food and drinks a person consumes is turned into glucose, the sugar that's circulating in the blood. When a person overeats, the extra glucose is stored in the body's fat so that it can be used later on, if needed. However, when the body senses it isn't receiving, or at least maintaining, the calories it needs, BMR slows down by up to 45 percent so that it can conserve energy. Once blood sugar levels start to drop off, the liver sends a signal to the brain telling it to start eating again. As the body finishes digesting a 200- to 500-calorie lunch and turning it into glucose for immediate energy, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which signals hunger and converts stored glucose into fat. After the lunch is fully digested, it uses up some of that stored fat as energy, but the liver also sends a signal to the brain's hypothalamus to stop the body from releasing all of its energy stores. In response, the hypothalamus releases hunger-triggering hormone orexin while the stomach produces another hunger hormone ghrelin, which stimulates the hippocampus, a brain region responsible for learning and memory just in case you forgot where to find food. Packing A Better Lunch Box A daily balanced meal of just the right blend of fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals are necessary to keep the body running at top efficiency, but there are a few meal choices that can help a person stay feeling satisfied until dinner and skip the slump. Fortunately, there are a few key nutrients that can help you the body maintain a sense of fullness and avoid spiraling into a pit of hunger spurred by the secretion of hormones and signals designed to send you to the vending machine or office fridge. Here are three nutrients known to help keep the body full between meals, and a few easy-to-follow recipes that can help guide you toward eating a better, healthier lunch. Fiber By eating larger portions of low-energy-dense foods, you'll be able to eat fewer calories in a larger meal, which will help you stay fuller for longer. According to the Mayo Clinic , high-fiber foods also take longer to digest, which keep the stomach from releasing hunger signals to the brain. Air-popped popcorn is full of fiber and whole grains, but low in calories. It could be used as an additional side snack. 1. Grilled Eggplant & Portobello Sandwich 2. Mediterranean Tuna Wrap 3. Turkey and Pepper Tacos Protein While fiber makes a person feel full right away, protein maintains the feeling for longer. Animal and plant-based proteins each have their own pros and cons, with animal protein having more naturally occurring saturated fats and plant-based proteins providing fewer protein calories. Protein is a necessary part of a person's diet because it's used to build and repair cells for healthy muscles, organs, glands, and skin maintenance. The Institute of Medicine recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. 1. Three-Bean Chili 2. Chickpea and Kale Stew 3. Mexican Quinoa Salad Good Fat It may surprise you, but fat is the last key to staving off hunger. While fiber and protein work together to keep the body feeling full, fat works with the body's hormones, signaling it to stop eating. Fat, unlike fiber, is high in energy density. If there happens to be a large gap between lunch and dinner because of date night reservations or plans after a show, a mix of almonds, walnuts, cashews, and sunflower seeds can provide a good blend of fat and protein to keep the body from ruining its appetite. 1. Avocado Chicken Salad 2. Vegetable Egg Frittata 3. Caesar Salmon Pita Pockets If It's Not Your Diet, It Could Be… If bouts of hunger between meals still persist despite making alterations to your diet, then your sleep cycle may be to blame. Sleep is intricately responsible for the proper functioning of so many brain and body processes, including having a strong immune system, respiration, cardiovascular health, blood pressure, appetite, and mental health. According to the National Sleep Foundation 's most recent recommendations, written by a panel of medical experts, adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should get at least seven to nine hours of sleep. Failing to clock in those hours can lead to an increase in ghrelin, the appetite-stimulating hormone, and a decrease in leptin, the appetite-suppressing hormone. When the body is short on sleep, the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that controls impulses and weighs consequences, doesn't work at full capacity and can lead a person to give in to their cravings.
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health
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An orphaned baby possum is refusing to let go of its favorite toy kangaroo as an Australian zoo nurses her back to health. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) has the adorable video.
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video
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A 25-year-old model has sued US comedian Bill Cosby, alleging he sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles in 2008. Chloe Goins claims Mr Cosby drugged and molested her when she was 17. The civil lawsuit accuses Mr Cosby of "childhood sexual abuse" and demands damages of at least $75,000 (£49,000). Ms Goins is also seeking a jury trial. Mr Cosby, 78, is facing a series of sexual assault accusations dating back decades. He has denied the claims. The star is due to testify on Friday in a separate lawsuit brought by Judy Huth, who accused the comedian of sexually abusing her at the Playboy Mansion in 1974, when she was 15 years old. More than 50 women have come forward publicly over the past year with allegations including drugging, sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape - all of which Mr Cosby denies. In most cases, the alleged incidents date back decades, meaning they fall outside the time limit for legal action. But Ms Goins' allegations do fall within California's statute of limitations, and prosecutors are also now reviewing the evidence for possible criminal charges. The model told reporters: "Today I recognise that I've taken legal action that many of the other victims of Bill Cosby will never be able to take. This has gone on long enough, it's time Bill Cosby was held accountable for his crimes." Ms Goins' lawyer Spencer Kuvin said the alleged assault happened before her 18th birthday in May 2008. Cosby's lawyer Marty Singer has previously claimed she was referring to an event at the Playboy Mansion that August. Mr Cosby's spokesman Andrew Wyatt declined to comment to the Reuters news agency on Tuesday about Ms Goins' lawsuit.
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entertainment
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In this episode, Christine Hunsicker discusses her latest venture Gwynnie Bee - an innovative fashion retailer whose focus on service and community is changing the lives of millions of plus-sized women across the United States.
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lifestyle
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) It could take until the weekend for the threat of flooding to ease in storm-tattered South Carolina, where a senator warned of a potential billion-dollar cleanup bill, two more people died in the floodwaters and the flagship university sent a home football game 700 miles away. Rivers rose and dams bulged as storm water from days of heavy rains made its way to the Atlantic Ocean, causing a second round of flooding downstream. Gov. Nikki Haley paid a visit to the coast, which she said would still be in danger for another 24-48 hours. "We're holding our breath and saying a prayer," she said. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham warned the disaster could "break the bank" of federal emergency funds, possibly topping more than $1 billion. In another image of the storm's otherworldly toll, state officials said caskets have popped out of the ground in 11 instances in six counties. At least 19 people in South Carolina and North Carolina have died in the storm, while many survivors returned home to discover they'd lost everything. Wendy Dixon burst into sobs after realizing her wedding album and dozens of photos of her two sons and three grandchildren were destroyed. Overcome with emotion and barely able to walk across her waterlogged carpet, Dixon grasped the arm of a niece inside the Columbia apartment. "Everything is gone!" she wailed. "My clothes and all can be replaced. But my little things, my pictures, are all gone." It was another anxious day of waiting for floodwaters to recede around the capital city. About 1,000 residents near the compromised Beaver Dam were told to evacuate Wednesday morning, though the order was lifted several hours later when crews shored up the dam. Haley said 62 dams across the state were being monitored, and 13 had already failed. However, she said South Carolina was fortunate that those represented only a small fraction of 2,000 or so dams regulated by the state. At a news conference, Haley and other officials were asked repeatedly about whether the state had spent enough in previous years to maintain dams and other infrastructure. "I think the analysis of this can be done after" the danger from the floods passes, she said in one testy response. But Graham said the federal lifeline must be treated with care to avoid a "pork-laden monstrosity" like the federal government's aid package to the Northeast after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. He warned state and county officials not to use the disaster as an opportunity to ask for money unrelated to flood damage. He also said it would take weeks to get a reliable damage assessment. "We're talking hundreds of millions (of dollars), maybe over a billion," he said while visiting a shelter in Columbia. As they waited for floodwaters to drop, officials also struggled to preserve Columbia's water supply. That supply was threatened earlier this week when a portion of the Columbia canal collapsed. Workers have been trying to build a dam and have dumped giant sandbags into the water to plug the breach. But when a second portion of the canal collapsed Wednesday afternoon, they were forced to look at other options, Mayor Steve Benjamin said. Benjamin said contingency plans include pumping water from the canal to the reservoir that feeds the water plant and working with the National Guard to pump water directly from the Broad River. In the meantime, he asked the city's 375,000 water customers to conserve water. And in an extraordinary move for the football-crazy South, the University of South Carolina announced it was moving Saturday's football game against No. 7 LSU some 700 miles to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university said more than 80,000 fans expected for the game in Columbia would have put too much stress on weakened infrastructure. In the most recent storm-related deaths, a group of five railroad workers were in a pickup truck when it drove past a barricade and plunged into the water where pavement was washed out. Three men in the pickup managed to get to safety around 3 a.m. Wednesday and divers later found the bodies of two men, authorities said. The workers were in town to help repair washed out tracks. Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Curtis Wilson said the barricade was in the wrong lane, but regardless, the railroad workers should not have been out because there was a city-wide curfew in place. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said all nine deaths in the county have come from people trying to drive in flooded areas. Officers have located the cars belonging to several other missing people. "I'm fearing the worst on that," Lott said. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jay Reeves, Jeffrey Collins, Jack Jones and Susanne M. Schafer in Columbia, South Carolina; and Bruce Smith in Conway.
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Oil prices have bounced off lows and are beginning to rise again does this indicate that it is time to invest in oil stocks? Here are three stocks that may well be the best performers if oil prices continue to rise. Tullow Oil Tullow Oil (LSE: TLW) has been hammered since 2012, down a whopping 85%. The recent news that lenders have agreed to hold the current credit facility at $3.7bn is extremely important and cannot be underestimated. It gives the company breathing space to spend money on further development of the TEN field. When TEN comes online, production will nearly double, which will enhance cash flows and allow for repayment of debt, thus improving the balance sheet. The share price has performed terribly but market sentiment with stock seems to be changing, and now could be a good time to buy as it will definitely be a top performer in the sector if oil prices recover. Rockhopper Exploration Rockhopper Exploration (LSE: RKH) burst onto the international E&P scene when it discovered the Sea Lion field in the Falklands. Shares rocketed up and peaked close to 500p but have now retreated back to 41p, which may represent a buying opportunity for investors with a higher risk profile. The company had a successful start to the current exploration campaign in the Falklands, and if oil prices recover then Sea Lion development could well push Rockhopper back towards 500p. Sea Lion will cost close to $2bn but if Rockhopper and partners do get to first oil then it will transform the company and the region. Companies like Falkland Oil & Gas will also be boosted if Sea Lion gets to first oil, as it will illustrate to the world that the region is worth exploring. Ophir Energy Ophir Energy (LSE: OPHR) has gone under much change in the last year having made a very clever acquisition. The company recently acquired Salamander Energy to create a fully integrated oil and gas company instead of a pure exploration company. This has heavily decreased the risk profile of the stock as now it is producing close to 15,000 boepd and has 59 mmboe of 2P reserves on its books. It has a net cash balance of over $393 million, a market cap of only $980 million and a book value of 160p a share, which illustrates how undervalued the stock is. Operating primarily in SE Asia, Ophir is able to receive material higher prices for its oil and gas than elsewhere in the world. It looks like that demand for energy will grow exponentially in the next decade, and Ophir is well placed to capitalise on this demand. All three companies here offer good returns if the oil price increases back to previous levels, and I would expect all three to at least double. The sector has been so unloved in the last few years that it's hard to see that changing, but for a brave investor, now may be the time to start building positions in companies like the three mentioned above. If you're looking for something to help you get ahead in the markets then this is a must-read report, provided for free by the Motley Fool: 7 Steps To Make You Seriously Rich . It's been written for investors just like you, containing many steps to help make you a better investor and make you money. It's an extremely informative guide available for free and all you have to do is click here! Jack Dingwall has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Tullow Oil. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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Kenzlee Mae Cushman the 9-month-old girl who was revived by a police officer on the side of an interstate in Maryland four days ago is home and doing well. "Nothing happened to her, it seemed like. That's how she acted," her mother, Jessica Kane, said Wednesday evening from their home in West Virginia. "She was happy and fine all day," Kane said. When Kenzlee Mae arrived home Tuesday, she crawled around and polished off some applesauce-berry baby food. Her family also returned to its routine. Her maternal grandmother came over to care Wednesday for her while her parents were at work. That's quite a sedate shift from their dramatic Sunday afternoon. Kenzlee Mae Cushman and her parents, Jessica Kane and James Cushman, in Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. (Courtesy of James Cushman) While riding with family through Maryland on Interstate 270, Kenzlee Mae who six months earlier had undergone open-heart surgery suffered a seizure in her car seat. The driver pulled the car over as the family tried to tend to her. In front of them, by chance, was a Montgomery County police officer, Jim Herman, who had just pulled over a driver for speeding. Herman switched his attention and soon was giving the child chest compressions. [ Police officer didn't expect he'd help save a baby during a traffic stop ] "She's a tough little girl," Kane said. "She's our trouper." In an interview, one of the physicians who treated Kenzlee Mae offered his insights into what happened and what remains unknown. From the interstate, Kenzlee Mae was taken by ambulance to Shady Grove Medical Center, where she stayed for about four hours before being transported to the pediatric intensive-care unit at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. During that time, her heart monitoring showed as normal, according to Charles Mullett, a critical-care pediatrician who treated Kenzlee Mae at Ruby Memorial and talked about her care with the permission of her parents. Mullett's first impression of his patient: a happy, alert child sitting upright on her mother's lap. Kenzlee Mae smiled and tracked the adults moving around her with her eyes. "Cutest kid in the PICU," he said. Officer Jim Herman possibly saved 9-month-old Kenzlee Mae Cushman's life after she had stopped breathing along I-270. (Courtesy of Montgomery County Police Department) The girl's smiling disposition was an encouraging sign medically. "She is very high-energy for her age. Totally socially interested," Mullett said. "That requires all your neurons to be talking to each other." He and his colleagues checked for brain damage that could have resulted if her heart had stopped. Flat metal sensors were attached to Kenzlee Mae's head for 45 minutes to measure brain waves. All clear. Kenzlee Mae had spent time at Ruby Memorial before. She was born with two heart problems: a hole between the two pumping chambers and a valve that was too tight, Mullett said. A surgeon patched the hole and loosened the valve, according to Mullett. The operation greatly reduced a murmur in her heart. On Monday, Mullett and his colleagues tried to learn what had caused the seizure. One big concern was that something about her heart had triggered it. But the girl's electrocardiogram and other tests were normal. "Her heart checked out A-okay," Mullett said. Perhaps it was a febrile seizure, relatively common in children, which can be induced by a fever. Kenzlee Mae had a fever of 101 degrees at Shady Grove. Another possibility is that she has a chronic seizure condition. She is set to have more brain tests, principally a video electroencephalogram that lasts 12 to 24 hours. "We really don't know what caused the seizure," Mullett said Tuesday. "The best thing to root for is probably the febrile seizure." Doctors wrote a prescription for medication that can be given to Kenzlee Mae if she has another seizure. But after Sunday, the medication isn't enough to relieve her mother's worry. Kane said she is such a sound sleeper that she frets the baby could have a seizure in the middle of the night in her crib and she might not know it. "I'm terrified this is going to happen again," Kane said. "She's sleeping with me from now on."
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REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen Air France executives had their shirts literally ripped off their backs this week, when protesting workers stormed the company's airfield HQ and burst into a senior management meeting. One Dutch company is wasting no time in taking advantage of the company's drama, by using it as an opportunity to advertise a tongue-in-cheek discount for customers flying to France. On Twitter and Facebook New Tailor posted this image. The top text says: "Meeting in France? Take extra shirts!" The image is of Air France human resources director Xavier Broseta, who had to be ushered through by security and police, and was forced to vault a security fence. The firm is offering €15 ($16.86 or £11.02) off custom shirts for anyone with a boarding pass who's flying with a French airline on the basis that "you never know how a meeting with the French might turn out."
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A year after oil sank into a bear market, the industry is still hunkering down for a long period of low prices, with Europe's biggest producer seeing only the first glimpses of a recovery. In the past five months, U.S. production sank by 590,000 barrels a day, or more than 6 percent. The bad news: Drillers are cutting costs with a speed and brutality not seen in decades, enabling many oil producers to maintain output even as prices remain low. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. sees crude falling a further $10 a barrel as storage tanks fill up in the coming months. Royal Dutch Shell Plc is planning for a long stretch of low prices, Chief Executive Officer Ben Van Beurden said at the Oil & Money conference in London. While he sees "the first mixed signs for recovery," the resilience of the U.S. shale industry and ample stockpiles suggest it'll take more time to rebalance demand and supply, the CEO said. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, slumped by almost half in the past year and traded at $48.12 a barrel at 11:54 a.m. in New York on Wednesday. The world has been awash with crude since the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries decided last November not to reduce output, focusing instead on protecting its market share from rising shale supplies. "We see some light at the end of the tunnel," OPEC Secretary-General Abdalla Salem El-Badri said at the conference. With industry spending cuts totaling $130 billion, the market is now improving and prices may rise in the coming months, yet the supply overhang means the current situation could last as long as two years, he said. Total SA, France's largest oil producer, said the industry continues to endure "challenging" times amid volatile prices. Nevertheless, the company's traders expect demand growth of 1.8 million barrels a day this year, beating the International Energy Agency's forecast of 1.7 million barrels a day, Total's President of Refining and Chemicals Philippe Sauquet said at the summit. Shale Cutbacks Oil companies worldwide will cut investments in oil exploration and production by a record 20 percent this year, which will eventually reduce or eliminate oversupply, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. The industry will defer more major projects again next year, according to Ali Moshiri, Chevron Corp.'s president of exploration and production in Latin America and Africa. Cutbacks may be particularly noticeable in the U.S. shale industry, according to Mark Papa, a partner at private-equity firm Riverstone Holdings LLC. A price of $45 a barrel is too low to spur shale producers to invest in new production, according to the man who built EOG Resources Inc. into the biggest U.S. shale producer as CEO from 1999 to 2013. "We are about to see a pretty dramatic decline in U.S. production growth," Papa said. Iran's Return The world saw the first signs of reduced oil output in May and June, according to Shell's Van Beurden. "This could entail higher prices, if OPEC at the same time can come to an agreement on how to accommodate the aspirations of Iraq and Iran, in particular, to grow their oil production," he said. Iran is preparing to bounce back from sanctions that choked off investment in its oil and gas industry. Successful implementation of a July deal to curb its nuclear program would allow the country to ramp up production. The nation will pump 4 million barrels a day within a year of the end of sanctions, said Mehdi Hosseini, the chairman of Iran's oil contracts restructuring committee. It produced 2.8 million barrels a day last month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Iraq boosted crude production last month by 17 percent from a year earlier to 3.9 million barrels a day, according to Oil Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. OPEC has pumped more than its 30 million-barrel daily output quota for 16 months, data on Bloomberg show. Additional output from OPEC members Libya, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait may also swell global supplies, according to Jeff Currie, head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs. $20 Oil "Our baseline forecast is for $45 with a trough of $38 during the autumn," he said Tuesday. The bank said last month that prices may even fall as low as $20. "What's driving that trough, and what was the genesis of our $20 scenario, is essentially blowing out storage capacity," Currie said. U.S. crude stockpiles were already about 100 million barrels above the five-year average even after the nation's production fell 5 percent from a peak of 9.6 million barrels a day in June. They expanded by 3 million barrels last week, adding to a gain of 4 million in the prior period, according to EIA data. Total inventories in rich industrialized countries were a record 2.9 billion barrels in July and preliminary data suggest they rose again in August, according to the IEA. OPEC alone can't clear this surplus because it was created by producers outside the group, El-Badri said. The supply adjustment involving canceled projects, idled drilling rigs and fired workers has some way to run and more pain to inflict on the industry. Companies have already made the deepest cost cuts in 16 years, said Bernard Duroc-Danner, CEO of Weatherford International Plc, the world's fourth-largest oil- services provider. "The brutality of the cost side, I haven't seen anything like that since perhaps 1999," he said. "Although North America took the brunt of the pain, the pain is spreading internationally fast." To contact the reporters on this story: Rakteem Katakey in London at [email protected]; Javier Blas in London at [email protected]; Grant Smith in London at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Herron at [email protected] Amanda Jordan
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Next time you upload a photo on Facebook via the iOS or the Android app, you'll see a "Doodle" option at the bottom right next to another fun feature called Stickers . It's identical to the doodle icon you see on Messenger when you attempt to send an image, giving you an easy way to scribble and draw on pictures before uploading them to your account. You can choose colors by tapping the rainbow slider at the edge of the display and adjust the width of the pen by dragging a finger from the slider towards the middle of the screen. We don't see a new update on iTunes or Google Play, and we didn't have to download and install anything to get the feature either. You'll likely just find the button on your app these coming days as a nice surprise.
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Many investors could be forgiven if they have been left feeling disappointed by the performance of HSBC (LSE: HSBA) shares during recent years, as they have featured consistently among the banking sector's worst performers. Key to HSBC's weakness has been a significant expansion in the value of household and corporate debt within emerging markets, which has coincided with a slowdown in the Chinese economy. Given the exposure to emerging markets within HSBC's loan book, it is perhaps understandable why the market has continued to re-rate the stock during the last 24 months. This begs the question, why do analysts now appear to hold such a bullish outlook for the shares? Regulatory capital drives brighter analyst consensus While HSBC has long held one of the strongest capital buffers among the UK listed banks, it is the after-effects of a robust capital policy that seem to have driven a brightening consensus among the investment banking industry heavyweights. HSBC's CET1 capital ratio currently sits just shy of 11%, while in 2017 it is projected to reach 14%. This should provide the group with a sufficient enough buffer to meet any challenges that further China-induced turmoil could potentially throw at it. Furthermore, with management having suggested that they will take little further action in terms of capital buffers for the current year, it now seems safe to assume that the dividend should at least remain flat with that of the previous year. As of the end of September, Citi Group, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Investec and Societe Generale had all rated the shares as a buy within the preceding eight weeks, while Berenberg has also reiterated its 750p price target for the stock. Cheap, Undervalued Or Just Fairly Valued? While, at 520p each the shares are at multi-year lows, the most striking thing about HSBC at present is the valuation. This is as the group currently trades at 0.9x net asset value per share, 1x tangible book value and on a forward P/E of 9.8x the consensus for 2015 earnings per share. In addition, if consensus estimates for total dividends of 33 pence per share are correct, the shares will offer a yield of 6.4% that is covered 1.5x over by EPS. Summing Up It is possible that the current slowdown in emerging markets could still prove to be a headwind to earnings during the coming years, which may form a weight around the ankles of the shares. However, it is also possible that HSBC's actions on regulatory capital and costs in recent times could still provide it with the ability to improve shareholder returns during the coming years. At the very least, the likelihood of lower provisions toward regulatory capital buffers in the current year implies a fair chance of HSBC meeting consensus expectations for dividends in 2015 and, with the analyst community now beginning to upgrade estimates for the shares, I can't help but think that HSBC investors may still have their day yet. If HSBC's low valuation and long-term potential are not quite what you are looking for, but future dividends and portfolio stability are playing on your mind, then you may find one of our latest guides of interest. This free report will provide you with a step by step guide to building an income stream for life, while also revealing some of our analyst team's most successful investments. It is completely free and comes without any further obligation, which means that you can read your free report here and begin building Dividends For Life today. James Skinner has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended HSBC Holdings. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Francois Hollande will address the European Parliament on Wednesday to make a fresh appeal for a common strategy to handle this year's surge of asylum seekers in Europe. "This is a historic visit for historically difficult times," said the president of the parliament, Martin Schulz, a center-left German politician who supports closer bonds between Paris and Berlin. "The EU is facing immense challenges and requires strong commitment from its leaders." The two leaders hope to channel the sense of destiny contained in the now-famous 1989 address by then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl and President Francois Mitterrand. At the time Germany was still divided and the map was in disarray as the Soviet bloc unraveled. But the two leaders spoke of the need of a strong European community in the face of the adversity, and the EU's vast expansion 25 years later stands in testament to their vision. Domestic rumblings strain EU resolve The German cabinet will also meet to contain rising public nervousness over the situation. A poll released on Monday by research group Initiative Markt- und Sozialforschung found that 59 percent of Germans said Merkel's decision last month to allow Syrian refugees to enter Germany from Hungary unregistered was wrong. This has coincided with political tensions in the chancellor's conservative-led coalition over her refusal to place an upper limit on the number of refugees. State leaders have also complained that resources to care for the new arrivals is inadequate. Following two 30-minute addresses to the Parliament scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. (1300 UTC/GMT), the leaders will face questioning from leaders of the main party blocs, including euroskeptics and right-wing parties hostile to refugees. Included on the list is the UK Independence Party which is openly hostile to the EU as it exists and the anti-immigrant National Front of France, currently polling higher than Hollande's Socialists and the rival Republicans. EU offers Turkey aid to contain refugees Meanwhile, the EU has offered Turkey a plan that would resettle more refugees, but only if Ankara establishes new camps and restricts the flow of EU-bound boats crossing to Greece. Brussels appears ready to give Turkey more money to deal with the burden of its 2.2 million Syrian refugees under a plan European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday. "It is clear that we need Turkey. The Commission will come to its aid," Juncker told the European Parliament before publicly unveiling the proposals through the commission. The plan announced contained no public figures. But the EU has pledged to increase the numbers of refugees it resettles from Turkey, above the the 22,504 Syrian refugees it had already agreed to take in July from camps in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. Turkey has yet to indicate whether it will accept the proposal. jar/msh (dpa, AFP)
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Six European Union warships have started military operation, patrolling international waters in the Mediterranean Sea to catch human traffickers who bring refugees to Europe. The mission off the coast of Libya - the departure point for many of the refugees - launching on Wednesday includes an Italian aircraft carrier, a French frigate and one British, one Spanish and two German ships. On board the Werra, one of the German ships taking part, the 100-person strong crew has already carried out several exercises, including a simulation of an attack carried out by traffickers, to which they responded by opening fire. For this mission, the team includes sailors trained in boarding ships on the high seas, the Werra's captain Stefan Klatt told AFP news agency. The EU gave the go-ahead for the operation in international waters in September, but its ships are not, for now, allowed to pursue traffickers into Libyan waters. "We follow the traffickers and want to arrest them and seize their ships," the captain said, adding that he'll get as close to Libyan waters as he can. At least three other vessels supplied by the Belgian, British and Slovenian navies are expected to arrive in the area at the end of October to complete the force, which also include four aircraft and 1,318 personnel. The planning of the mission - EUNAVFOR MED - started in June with the first phase focusing on compiling and analysing information on the trafficker networks. RELATED: Why Al Jazeera will not say Mediterranean 'migrants' Over the past few weeks, it has identified 20 "escort" boats - the type used by traffickers who take people out to sea in fishing boats and dinghies before leaving them and returning to Libya in the escort boat. It could have taken action against all of the 17 Libyan and three Egyptian "escort" boats spotted, had phase two of the operation already been up and running. On the map, the operation will patrol over 10 areas off the Libyan coast: four along the 12-nautical mile mark which separates international from Libyan waters, and the others further out to sea. The whole of the northwestern coast of Libya from the Tunisian border to Sirte will be on lockdown, apart from an area directly in front of Tripoli, left open to prevent a total maritime blockade. Traffickers hoping to take people out of the area by boat will still run into EUNAVFOR MED once they get into international waters. But the operation will need a green light from the UN Security Council and Libyan authorities to venture into Libyan waters - authorisation which appears to be still some way off.
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Hong Kong panda Ying Ying has lost the long-awaited cub she was expecting, vets said Wednesday. It would have been the first ever giant panda born in the city. After years of trying, 10-year-old Ying Ying began to show signs of pregnancy in July and was due to give birth this week. The pregnancy came after several attempts, both natural and artificial, at insemination. But animal carers at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, where Ying Ying lives, announced Wednesday that she had miscarried the cub. "Unfortunately we have sad news to share," Ocean Park vet Lee Foo Khong told reporters. "Based on recent scans, the pregnancy is no longer viable." Lee said that scans taken Wednesday morning showed the foetus had stopped developing. "The structure was no longer distinct... it was breaking down," Lee said. He added they had not determined the reason for the failed pregnancy. Panda pregnancies are fragile and vets had already warned when the imminent birth was announced last week that it was possible Ying Ying could reabsorb or miscarry the foetus. A team of specialists had been assigned to keep an eye on her around the clock and park managers had sought to protect her from noise and disturbance. Female pandas are only interested in mating for three days a year, and have a gestation period of three to five months.
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WASHINGTON Many Americans buying new cars these days are baffled by a torrent of new safety technology. Some features will automatically turn a car back into its lane if it begins to drift, or hit the brakes if sensors detect that it's about to rear-end someone else. There are lane-change and blind-spot monitors, drowsiness alerts and cars that can park themselves. Technologies once limited to high-end models like adaptive cruise control, tire-pressure indicators and rear-view cameras have become more common. The features hold tremendous potential to reduce deaths and injuries by eliminating collisions or mitigating their severity, safety advocates say. But there's one problem: Education on how to use them doesn't come standard. Bewildered drivers sometimes just turn them off, defeating the safety potential. "If people don't understand how that works or what the car is doing, it may startle them or make them uncomfortable," said Deborah Hersman, president of the National Safety Council. "We want to make sure we're explaining things to people so that the technology that can make them safer is actually taken advantage of." The council and the University of Iowa, along with the Department of Transportation, are kicking off an education campaign Wednesday to inform drivers on how the safety features work. The effort includes a website, MyCarDoesWhat.org, with video demonstrations. In a survey by the university, a majority of drivers expressed uncertainty about the way many of the safety technologies work. About 40 percent reported that their vehicles had behaved in unexpected ways. The least understood technology was adaptive cruise control, which can slow or speed up a vehicle in order to maintain a constant following distance. That technology has been available in some models for at least a decade. The features vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, from model to model and from one options package to another. Joe Kraemer, 70, a retired accountant from Arlington, Virginia, said the first time he drove his wife's 2015 E-Series Mercedes he nearly jumped out of his seat. He was beginning to change lanes when suddenly there was a piercing "beep beep beep beep. ..." Now when that happens, his wife tells him: "Relax. It's just that you have somebody in your blind spot and you're about to kill us." Kraemer's wife, who has been driving for 50 years, has been back to the dealer twice for hour-long lessons on how to use the car's features. "She's really learning a computer," he said. But as the technologies become more available in lower-priced models, dealers may not be willing to spend as much time with drivers as Mercedes has with Kraemer's wife. Owner's manuals are also falling short, safety advocates say. They have become "documents written by lawyers for lawyers," said Clarence Ditlow, executive director at the Center for Auto Safety. "From perhaps a 50-page understandable document 20 years ago, they have gone to a 500-page opus that is intimidating to all but the most studious car buyer," he said. Some manufacturers offer CDs or DVDs on how to use safety systems, but "most of the time drivers don't actually take the time to review them," said Peter Kissinger, president of the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. A study by the foundation of early safety technology adopters found that some drivers believed collision warning systems would brake to stop their vehicles for them, when actually the systems only alert drivers to an impending collision. It's still up to the driver to hit the brakes. "That's a dangerous scenario," Kissinger said. Some collision mitigation systems, increasing in availability, do more than warn, actually applying the brake if the driver doesn't act quickly enough. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced last month that it has reached voluntary agreements with 10 automakers to make automatic braking standard in their cars, although there is no timeline yet. Ray Harbin, 67, AARP's state volunteer coordinator for driver safety courses in Montana, said the frustration seniors experience learning new-car technology is similar to what they feel when they are forced to adapt to software changes in computers like a new version of the operating system. "I'm confident that we're never going to get people to understand all the things their cars can do," he said. "It's just like buying a new computer. You're never going to understand all the capabilities of your computer. The cars are made now for the very best and most intuitive drivers, and we're not all that way." Tom Pecoraro, a retired police officer who owns "I Drive Smart" schools in California, Maryland and Virginia, said the state-required curriculums taught in driving schools are typically about 15 years behind the latest technology. Classes introduce students to anti-lock brakes and airbags but are unlikely to mention adaptive cruise control and automatic braking. "Most people don't even know how to get to their spare tire, let alone understand the technology," he said. "People want to get in their cars and drive. They want to turn the key and have it all work."
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Arnold Schwarzenegger The 'Terminator' franchise is "re-adjusting" after 'Terminator: Genisys' disappointing box office returns. The movie series - starring Arnold Schwarzenegger - failed to impress with its recent fifth instalment and Skydance Productions admitted some changes need to be made. While speaking at The Wrap's annual media leadership conference, TheGrill, Skydance Media Chief Creative Officer Dana Goldberg said: "I wouldn't say on hold, so much as re-adjusting. "We're ultimately happy with overall worldwide numbers. Do I wish we would have done better domestically? Absolutely. Happily, we live in the world where the domestic number had a level of importance 10 or 15 years ago - I'm not saying it's not important, it is - but we have to play to a worldwide market. In terms of 'Terminator', the worldwide market paid attention, but we're not taking the domestic number lightly." The movie only made a disappointing $90 million in the United States. And she admitted that the company will not be rushing into making a new movie, explaining: "We are not going to begin production at the beginning of next year. It would be silly to not have to worry about what audiences have to say."
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A ping pong playing robot, a flying origami bird and a mirror that some might find a little too honest for comfort were on display at a huge tech show in Japan on Wednesday. The gadgets are all part of this year's Cutting-edge IT & Electronics Comprehensive Exhibition (CEATEC), Asia's largest electronics fair, outside Tokyo. Prominent among the pack was a robot arm made by automation parts maker Omron that can play -- and coach -- humans at ping pong. "Immediately after the player hits the ball, the location of the robot's return ball is displayed on the table-tennis board, helping the player's next return," spokesman Masayuki Atsumi told AFP. The robot uses both a camera and an array of sensors to detect the balls movement and play a near flawless rally. The same technology can be used in vehicles to avoid collisions, said the company, which is known for its healthcare products. High above attendees, the sound of flapping wings could be heard. Rohm, a major maker of semiconductor devices and other electronic parts, had managed to create a foot-long origami crane bird, weighing just 31 grams, that can fly thanks to an ultra-light motor. "Making everything light was a difficult part in developing this," spokesman Takumi Furukawa told AFP. The same company has also invented a sensor which can be placed in luggage to reveal whether suitcases get bashed around by handlers during flights -- and reveal a suitcase's location should it get lost in transit. Furukawa said the sensor was a prototype that they hoped could be commercialised by a luggage manufacturer. Electronics giant Panasonic also displayed their vision of what a hi-tech home could look like, complete with a variety of gadgets and appliances that communicate with each other. That includes a mirror which, when hooked up to the rest of the gadgets in the home, can display your body mass index (BMI) -- a measure of body fat based on height and weight -- when a user sits down in front of it. The mirror can also gauge how healthy your skin is as well as overlay virtual cosmetics on a user's face to help guide their morning make-up routine after a regret-tinged night on the tiles. The same home also boasted a dining room table and window which can react to conversations -- displaying, for example, images of a recent trip a family might have taken once they start talking about it. Company spokesman Daisuke Uehara said their presentation was an idea of what a home might look like in 2018-20. "There are no concrete commercialisation plans but we already have this technology to realise if customers wanted it," he said. About 530 companies are taking part in the trade show, around one quarter foreign exhibitors from 19 countries and regions, led by China, Taiwan and the United States.
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Displaced people in South Sudan see few signs of peace despite the new peace agreement. More than 200,000 South Sudanese are sheltering in six UN camps in Juba, Bor, Bentiu, Malakal abd Wau, leaving behind their farms and future food security.
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If your name is Lauren, you'll want to give Tom Hanks a call, he has your student ID card. Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more.
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Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, said on Wednesday that any negotiations with the United States were banned because they brought endless disadvantages that could harm the Islamic Republic. Khamenei was quoted by his website as saying to Revolutionary Guards Navy commanders, "Through negotiations Americans seek to influence Iran ... but there are naive people in Iran who don't understand this."
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One year isn't enough to assess a head coach's long-term prognosis at a new job. One-third of one year is even less fair. But it's also true that first impressions are lasting ones. Some new FBS bosses have already made their presence felt. There are eight first-year head coaches in the power five conferences. We'll get to those tomorrow. Today, we'll rank the immediate impact made by the first-year leaders of programs in the group of five leagues. Again, this is not a prediction of future success or failure. It is simply a quick evaluation of which new coaches have had the biggest impact thus far after a month on the job. Tom Herman, Houston: A 4-0 start is a good way to win over a fan base. Add in the fact that one of those victories came at the expense of a major conference member, Louisville, and Herman is the easy choice to top the list. There's also mounting evidence that the former Ohio State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach is missed at his previous job. John Bonamego, Central Michigan: Amid all the high-profile contests last weekend, one result might have slipped under the country's radar. But CMU's 29-19 takedown of defending Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois certainly made the new man in Mt. Pleasant very popular. Tony Sanchez, UNLV: The Rebels' hire of a high school coach raised a few eyebrows, but beating your in-state rival in your first encounter is a good way to quiet the skeptics. UNLV staved off Nevada 23-17 in Reno on Saturday, also giving Sanchez his first Mountain West Conference victory. Philip Montgomery, Tulsa: Early indications are fairly positive for the Golden Hurricane, like winning their first two games. Oklahoma and the aforementioned Houston Cougars provided a bit of a reality check, but Tulsa was at least competitive in both those 14-point losses. Some tough games remain on the slate, but bowl eligibility isn't out of the question. Lance Leipold, Buffalo: Leipold might have taken the biggest career risk of any of the FBS hires, leaving his hugely successful gig at Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater for a MAC school where it can be hard to make headway. His Bulls dropped their conference opener last week but came within six points of East Division favorite Bowling Green. Mike Bobo, Colorado State: With three-point losses to Minnesota and Colorado, the Rams have been agonizingly close to getting that breakthrough win for Bobo, who had some rather large shoes to fill. Boise State is on deck, so things might not get better right away. But CSU's schedule eases a bit in the season's second half, keeping bowl eligibility a realistic goal. Chad Morris, SMU: Morris inherited arguably the most challenging schedule of any Group of Five school. James Madison is a very good FCS program, but you're still not supposed to lose to FCS programs. Unfortunately for Morris and the Mustangs, that game followed encounters with Baylor and TCU. In addition to Thursday night's date with Houston (There are those Cougars again), SMU's remaining slate includes three other squads who haven't lost yet Temple, Navy and Memphis. Neal Brown, Troy: There haven't been many opportunities yet to move the needle for Brown, still seeking his first win against an FBS opponent with the Trojans.
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Kaka is on the verge of becoming Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup qualifying, but he believes Neymar will break the record sooner rather than later anyway. The Orlando City midfielder has been called up for Brazil's upcoming qualifiers after Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho sustained an injury. Kaka currently has 10 goals in World Cup qualifiers and just needs two more to overtake current holders Romario and Zico, who have 11 each. "It will mean a lot to me," Kaka said. "If I score two goals now and become the all-time scorer of the qualifiers, in a team with so many great players at a high level, it will mean a lot to me. "I have been aware of this feat since the 2010 qualifiers but didn't know how many I needed. Now I know I need two, but then Neymar will come and run away with it anyway." Despite scoring 46 goals for the national team since his debut in 2010, Neymar has never played in a World Cup qualifier thanks to Brazil's automatic qualification for hosting the 2014 tournament. Even if Kaka breaks the record in the games against Chile and Venezuela, Neymar will still have a long way to go before reaching the feat.
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Women in pop music reign supreme on Instagram, according to the social media platform, which celebrated its fifth birthday this week by unveiling its first-ever top-five ranking. Taylor Swift (perhaps unsurprisingly) came in first, with 49.6 million subscribers, followed closely by Kim Kardashian and three other big-name female singers. "The type of content we see from these people is authentic and oftentimes really fun ," Instagram's head of global creative programs, Charles Porch, said, according to Reuters . " It's a view people haven't really had before, especially in real time. ... What Instagram is doing is giving all these ladies a direct line to their fans, and, by having a direct line, they're controlling their message ." Here's how that top five breaks down: Taylor Swift: 49.6 million Kim Kardashian: 48.1 million Beyoncé: 47.2 million Selena Gomez: 45.9 million Ariana Grande: 44.6 million (The closest guy is Justin Bieber, with 40.3 million.) Instagram notes that Gomez has the most interactive account, and that all five are most popular with the under-34 age demographic. The recipe for success? Squad goals and cats, obviously. Oh, and song suggestions, maybe? Thanks. Congrats, Tay Tay.
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WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama on Wednesday apologized to Doctors Without Borders for the American air attack that killed at least 22 people at a medical clinic in Afghanistan, and said the U.S. would examine military procedures to determine whether changes could prevent such incidents. Obama's apology came four days after the facility in the northern city of Kunduz came under fire from what was later determined to be a U.S. aircraft. The attack outraged aid groups and complicated U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Obama called the organization's international president, Joanne Liu, and offered condolences to the group's staff. "When the United States makes a mistake, we own up to it, we apologize where appropriate, and we are honest about what transpired," Earnest said. A day earlier, the White House had stopped short of an apology, waiting to learn more even while acknowledging the attack was a U.S. mistake. Obama told Doctors Without Borders that the U.S. would review the attack to determine whether changes to U.S. operating procedures could reduce the chances of a similar incident, and that those responsible for the Kunduz attack would be held accountable, if appropriate, Earnest said. Obama also spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to convey condolences and pledge continued cooperation, the White House said. Investigations by the U.S., NATO and the Afghan government are underway, but Doctors Without Borders has said more are needed. Doctors Without Borders wants a fact-finding mission to determine whether the attack violated the Geneva Conventions. Obama restated his commitment to a thorough and transparent investigation by the Defense Department, Earnest said. He didn't specifically address the group's call for an independent probe.
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New research has found that a certain type of South African plant appears to trick dung beetles into dispersing its seeds by making them look and smell like the poop the insects rely on for food and nesting.
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It is a critical time for the global economy. On the one hand, countries are seeing higher unemployment and lower growth. On the other hand, some economists believe we might be on the edge of the "fourth industrial revolution," with new developments and new ways of consuming. "Whether economies get trapped in the new normal or harvest the benefits of the latest innovations for their societies will crucially depend on their levels of competitiveness," writes Richard Samas of the World Economic Forum. With that in mind, the World Economic Forum's founder, Klaus Schwab, and Columbia University professor Xavier Sala-i-Martin put together its 2015-2016 Global Competitiveness report , ranking the competitiveness of 140 countries. Countries were ranked according to the "12 pillars of competitiveness," such as infrastructure and innovation. We put together a list of the top 33 most competitive countries in the world, including various scores. Each number represents the country's rank in the world out of 140. 33. Spain How Spain holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 65 Infrastructure: 10 Macroeconomic environment: 116 Health and primary education: 32 Its standout factors: Infrastructure (10) and market size (15) The most problematic factor for doing business: Access to financing 32. Thailand How Thailand holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 82 Infrastructure: 44 Macroeconomic environment: 27 Health and primary education: 67 Its standout factors: Market size (18) and macroeconomic development (27) The most problematic factor for doing business: Government instability and coups 31. Czech Republic How Czech Republic holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 57 Infrastructure: 41 Macroeconomic environment: 21 Health and primary education: 27 Its standout factors: Macroeconomic environment (21) and financial-market development (24) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inefficient government bureaucracy 30. Estonia How Estonia holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 25 Infrastructure: 33 Macroeconomic environment: 15 Health and primary education: 22 Its standout factors: Labor-market efficiency (15) and macroeconomic environment (15) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inadequately educated workforce 29. Iceland How Iceland holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 18 Infrastructure: 19 Macroeconomic environment: 42 Health and primary education: 8 Its standout factors: Technological readiness (6) and health and primary education (8) The most problematic factor for doing business: Foreign-currency regulations 28. China How China holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 51 Infrastructure: 39 Macroeconomic environment: 8 Health and primary education: 44 Its standout factors: Market size (1) and macroeconomic environment (8) The most problematic factor for doing business: Insufficient capacity to innovate 27. Israel How Israel holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 41 Infrastructure: 32 Macroeconomic environment: 50 Health and primary education: 39 Its standout factors: Innovation (3) and technological readiness (20) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inefficient government bureaucracy 26. South Korea How South Korea holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 69 Infrastructure: 13 Macroeconomic environment: 5 Health and primary education: 23 Its standout factors: Macroeconomic environment (5) and market size (13) The most problematic factor for doing business: Policy instability 25. Saudi Arabia How Saudi Arabia holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 24 Infrastructure: 30 Macroeconomic environment: 4 Health and primary education: 49 Its standout factors: Macroeconomic environment (4) and market size (17) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 24. Ireland How Ireland holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 12 Infrastructure: 27 Macroeconomic environment: 87 Health and primary education: 12 Its standout factors: Goods-market efficiency (7) and health and primary education (12) The most problematic factor for doing business: Access to financing 23. Austria How Austria holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 21 Infrastructure: 15 Macroeconomic environment: 45 Health and primary education: 19 Its standout factors: Business sophistication (8) and infrastructure (15) The most problematic factor for doing business: Tax rates 22. France How France holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 29 Infrastructure: 8 Macroeconomic environment: 77 Health and primary education: 16 Its standout factors: Market size (8) and infrastructure (8) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 21. Australia How Australia holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 19 Infrastructure: 16 Macroeconomic environment: 28 Health and primary education: 9 Its standout factors: Financial-market development (7) and higher education and training (8) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 20. Luxembourg How Luxembourg holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 6 Infrastructure: 17 Macroeconomic environment: 14 Health and primary education: 34 Its standout factors: Technological readiness (1) and goods-market efficiency (4) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inadequately educated workforce 19. Belgium How Belgium holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 22 Infrastructure: 21 Macroeconomic environment: 65 Health and primary education: 3 Its standout factors: Health and primary education (3) and higher education and training (5) The most problematic factor for doing business: Tax rates 18. Malaysia How Malaysia holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 23 Infrastructure: 24 Macroeconomic environment: 35 Health and primary education: 24 Its standout factors: Goods-market efficiency (6) and financial-market development (9) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inefficient government bureaucracy 17. United Arab Emirates How the United Arab Emirates hold up in basic requirements: Institutions: 9 Infrastructure: 4 Macroeconomic environment: 7 Health and primary education: 38 Its standout factors: Goods-market efficiency (3) and infrastructure (4) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 16. New Zealand How New Zealand holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 3 Infrastructure: 28 Macroeconomic environment: 22 Health and primary education: 5 Its standout factors: Financial-market development (1) and institutions (3) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inadequate supply of infrastructure 15. Taiwan How Taiwan holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 27 Infrastructure: 12 Macroeconomic environment: 13 Health and primary education: 14 Its standout factors: Innovation (11) and infrastructure (12) The most problematic factor for doing business: Policy instability 14. Qatar How Qatar holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 4 Infrastructure: 18 Macroeconomic environment: 2 Health and primary education: 28 Its standout factors: Macroeconomic environment (2) and institutions (4) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 13. Canada How Canada holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 16 Infrastructure: 14 Macroeconomic environment: 39 Health and primary education: 7 Its standout factors: Labor-market efficiency (7) and health and primary care (7) The most problematic factor for doing business: Insufficient capacity to innovate 12. Denmark How Denmark holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 15 Infrastructure: 22 Macroeconomic environment: 11 Health and primary education: 21 Its standout factors: Technological readiness (9) and higher education and training (9) The most problematic factor for doing business: Tax rates 11. Norway How Norway holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 5 Infrastructure: 31 Macroeconomic environment: 1 Health and primary education: 10 Its standout factors: Macroeconomic environment (1) and institutions (5) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 10. United Kingdom How the United Kingdom holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 14 Infrastructure: 9 Macroeconomic environment: 108 Health and primary education: 18 Its standout factors: Technological readiness (3) and labor-market efficiency (5) The most problematic factor for doing business: Access to financing 9. Sweden How Sweden holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 11 Infrastructure: 20 Macroeconomic environment: 17 Health and primary education: 20 Its standout factors: Technological readiness (4) and innovation (7) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 8. Finland How Finland holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 1 Infrastructure: 25 Macroeconomic environment: 36 Health and primary education: 1 Its standout factors: Institutions (1) and health and primary education (1) The most problematic factor for doing business: Taxes 7. Hong Kong How Hong Kong holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 8 Infrastructure: 1 Macroeconomic environment: 16 Health and primary education: 29 Its standout factors: Infrastructure (1) and goods-market efficiency (2) The most problematic factor for doing business: Insufficient capacity to innovate 6. Japan How Japan holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 13 Infrastructure: 5 Macroeconomic environment: 121 Health and primary education: 4 Its standout factors: Business sophistication (2) and market size (4) The most problematic factor for doing business: Tax rates 5. Netherlands How Netherlands holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 10 Infrastructure: 3 Macroeconomic environment: 26 Health and primary education: 6 Its standout factors: Infrastructure (3) and higher education and training (3) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 4. Germany How Germany holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 20 Infrastructure: 7 Macroeconomic environment: 20 Health and primary education: 13 Its standout factors: Business sophistication (3) and market size (5) The most problematic factor for doing business: Complexity of tax regulations 3. United States How the United States holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 28 Infrastructure: 11 Macroeconomic environment: 96 Health and primary education: 46 Its standout factors: Market size (2) and innovation (4) The most problematic factor for doing business: Tax rates 2. Singapore How Singapore holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 2 Infrastructure: 2 Macroeconomic environment: 12 Health and primary education: 2 Its standout factors: Higher education and training (1) and goods-market efficiency (1) The most problematic factor for doing business: Restrictive labor regulations 1. Switzerland How Switzerland holds up in basic requirements: Institutions: 7 Infrastructure: 6 Macroeconomic environment: 6 Health and primary education: 11 Its standout factors: Labor-market efficiency (1) and innovation (1) The most problematic factor for doing business: Inefficient government bureaucracy
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NEW YORK The first day of the Yankees' off-season had officially begun, and as Tuesday night tipped into Wednesday morning, one of the men who had arrived just as a previous generation of the team's heroes was leaving put down his can of root beer and surveyed his cavernous and quickly emptying home clubhouse. "This is probably the last time all these guys will be together," said third-year relief pitcher Adam Warren. "It felt like a family this year more than any other. It's sad to see it end." RELATED: ASTROS 3, YANKEES 0 Indeed, a season that once had so much promise "there were times this year when it looked like this team had a chance" to win a World Series, said general manager Brian Cashman afterward reached a thudding conclusion with a 3 0 loss to the Houston Astros in the American League wild-card game. If 2015 will be remembered as the season in which New York officially moved on from the Core Four era this was the first season the team had played without Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte since 1994, when Warren was a six-year-old in North Carolina it will also be remembered as one in which the Yankees proved to be a team in transition, still searching for an identity. On Tuesday, New York included two players in its starting lineup first baseman Greg Bird, 22, and second baseman Rob Refsnyder, 24 who made their major-league debuts earlier this season, offering a glimpse of a farm system brimming with possibility. The pitching staff was bolstered midseason by the arrival of another rookie, 21-year-old Luis Severino, who joins 25-year-old Nathan Eovaldi, 26-year-olds Michael Pineda and Masahiro Tanaka and 28-year-old Ivan Nova in giving New York an enviously youthful staff. • 2015 MLB postseason schedule: Start times, TV listings, recaps Yet the biggest news down the stretch in the Bronx involved a pair of 35-year-olds who are two of the four remaining players from the team's most recent World Series title in 2009. In mid-September it was announced that first baseman Mark Teixeira, in the midst of a bounce-back season that took even his front office by surprise, would be lost for the year because of a broken shin . On Monday, former ace CC Sabathia revealed that he would miss the postseason to enter rehab to treat an alcohol problem. And on Tuesday the Yankees' season ended with three aging sluggers who still fill the 3-4-5 spots in their order and are still owed huge salaries 38-year-old Carlos Beltran, 40-year-old Alex Rodriguez and 31-year-old Brian McCann making the final outs in feeble fashion, two with strikeouts and the last via a harmless ground ball, to complete a night in which they went a combined 1 for 12. Afterward, Cashman optimistically ran through his roster, praising the emergence of shortstop Didi Gregorius, the effectiveness of his bullpen, the resurgence of Rodriguez (the GM called A-Rod's 33-homer season after sitting out 2014 because of a PED suspension "pretty damn impressive") and the promise of his starting staff. Still, he said, "We have to add more weapons." Which weapons they choose will be the topic that consumes the off-season. "The easy answer is pitching, pitching, pitching," said Cashman, but the offense must also be addressed. Over the first two-thirds of the season the Yankees ranked second in the majors in runs scored and fourth in OPS. Over the final third, they were 11th and 20th in those same categories. Cashman had infamously stood pat at the trade deadline he said he passed on a chance to acquire second baseman Ben Zobrist, who wound up being traded from Oakland to Kansas City, because the asking price of Warren and Refsnyder was deemed too high but he said Tuesday he had no regrets about that because, he said, "I didn't have a place to put anybody." Similar inaction hardly seems likely this winter. For one, Zobrist is a free agent who may yet wind up in pinstripes. The same goes for slugging outfielder Justin Upton, who would supply the righthanded power New York so desperately needs. The switch-hitting Teixeira might help, but he hasn't played a full season since 2011. With Teixeira, Beltran and Rodriguez still under contract and Bird making clear during his 11-homer debut in just 46 games that he belongs in the majors, it's hard to see a clear roster spot for even for one of the team's most promising young stars. Cashman admitted that it "would create a problem" to have too many players with not enough room to play them all. A similar problem exists among the team's pitching staff. Its youth and potential depth masks the struggles it endured. No one on the staff made even 30 starts and Tanaka, with an ERA+ of 114, was the only starter aside from Severino, a summer call-up, who had a mark better than league average. Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke will be available as free-agents but the Yankees may be cautious about offering nine-figure contracts to pitchers, given that the last two men they did that for, Sabathia (a 4.81 ERA the past three seasons) and Tanaka, who has been pitching with a slight tear in his UCL, demonstrate the dangers of such a strategy. Never was the club's lack of a shutdown ace more apparent than on a night in which Tanaka, its $155 million import, couldn't keep pace with the dominating performance of Houston's Dallas Keuchel, a 27-year-old who makes barely half-a-million dollars but yet has already established himself as one of the game's best pitchers. Tanaka was good on Tuesday, allowing two runs on a pair of solo home runs while striking out three and walking three in five innings. Keuchel was superb, holding New York to three hits and one walk while striking out seven in six innings on just three days' rest. It was the third time this year Keuchel had silenced New York's bats, and it was the last in a two-month stretch of play that revealed the Yankees' season to have been more mirage than magic. They went just 30 33 after peaking at 15 games over .500 and seven games up in the AL East on July 28, and their total of 87 wins was just three more and two more than the two previous seasons, respectively, which ended after Game 162. "It felt like we were 10 to 15 wins better than previous years, but we weren't," said Warren. After the last out, the Astros rushed to the mound to celebrate. Brett Gardner, one of the four remaining players from New York's last world championship, stared out at the field with envy. "You almost want to wake up and have that not be the reality," he said later. The reality for the Yankees is that the shortest October in franchise history had ended as soon as it began. Whatever comfort there was in the fact that at least there had been an October in the Bronx after two playoff-less seasons was quickly muted by the uncertainty of when the next October might arrive.
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Save money by shopping a Halloween costume sale. There are plenty of great Halloween costume deals online and at retail stores in your area. Dozens of stores are already marking down Halloween items and have a variety of cheap Halloween costumes available for everyone in the family. Inventory might be limited as Halloween approaches, so it's a good idea to start shopping for that perfect costume sooner than later. Check out these stores for a great selection of cheap Halloween costumes. And if you don't find something that you like, remember: You can always go the DIY route and save more money . Target Head to Target for one of the largest selections of cheap Halloween costumes for all ages (and pets). You'll find everything from superhero costumes to group costumes at your neighborhood Target location and on its website. Just make sure you don't end up buying the whole store . Pick up a Disney Villains Evil Queen Costume for women for $35.99 or a deluxe red Power Ranger costume for boys for just $20. If you don't feel like waiting for a delivery to get to your door, Target offers free order pickup at your local store on select orders. Walmart If you're trying to do Halloween on a budget , Walmart might be your best bet for cheap Halloween costumes, decor and candy. You'll find dozens of adult costumes for less than $15 and you can choose from a selection of classic, superhero, TV or movie characters, and humorous costumes. The Storybook Sorceress adult Halloween costume is part of its holiday sale and costs $13 or less, depending on size. "The Star Wars" Darth Vader Child Jumpsuit is $15 or less, depending on size. Walmart also has a large selection of accessories to complete the look of any costume. Sam's Club Don't miss the chance to shop the Halloween costume sale at your local warehouse club. Sam's Club is just getting its Halloween costume inventory in for the season and currently has a selection of kids' costumes under $25. You can pick up the Paw Patrol Marshall costume for your toddler for $16.98 or the Wonder Woman Tutu Dress for a young girl for $22.98. Running Out of Time? Last-Minute DIY Halloween Couples Costumes for Under $20 Party City You don't have to wait for the end-of-season Halloween costume sale when shopping at Party City. This store already has a clearance section with kids' costumes starting at $4.99. You'll find a large selection of classic costumes, superhero costumes and fun character costumes here. Party City also has plus-size costumes and baby costumes if you need special sizes on your desired styles this year. Pick up an Adult Batgirl Costume or Adult Classic Supergirl Costume for $49.99. If you're looking for an inflatable character this Halloween, Party City has the Boys Inflatable Stuart Costume from "Despicable Me 3" for $49.99. Costume SuperCenter If you don't have time to run to the store this year, shop online and take advantage of free shipping on $75 orders and other discounts on your order at Costume SuperCenter. This online retailer has a large inventory of costumes for adults, kids and pets. Costume SuperCenter has listed items like the Kids "Transformers" Bumblebee Muscle Costume for just $22.39 and a women's Goldilocks Costume on sale for just $25.99. Take your pick of classic horror costumes, character costumes and sexy costumes to make this Halloween one to remember. Costco This year, make the most of your Costco membership to get some great deals on Halloween costumes for kids, teens and adults. Pick up the Queen of Hearts Costume for a young girl for $24.99 or a Skeleton Pirate Costume for boys for $24.99. Costco also sells plastic pumpkins, skeletons and more decor for Halloween parties and decorating. Spirit Halloween You might see a Spirit Halloween store popping up in your neighborhood, but you can also shop hundreds of costumes on its website. Take advantage of coupon codes for the month and seasonal sale items to get the biggest discounts on your order. This store offers more options in deluxe costumes, so you don't have to shop around for accessories for many Halloween outfits. Pick up the Adult Captain Jack Sparrow Costume, complete with a faux fur tail and sash, for $69.99. If that doesn't float your boat, you can also pick up a Tween Queen of Hearts Costume, complete with matching tights, for $39.99. Costume Express If you're looking for some great deals, shop the Halloween costume sale at Costume Express for last season's items and some new markdowns. The online-only store also has a large selection of trendy costumes and styles, including costumes from different decades, occupational costumes and steampunk costumes. Pick up the "The Dark Knight Rises" Muscle Kids Costume for $37.99 or a Gypsy Women's Adult Costume for $56.99. BuyCostumes.com Another online retailer hosting a Halloween costume sale is BuyCostumes.com. You'll find some unique costume themes and ensembles that can also work great for non-Halloween costume parties or events throughout the year. Pick up the Killer Whale Adult Costume, complete with fabric fins and a tail, for just $25. The Zombie Girl Costume with a ragged skirt and rotting skin is $35.99 online. And if you're going all in this year, you can also pick wigs, shoes and makeup at this online outlet. Halloween Express Whether you want to be a Gatsby character or play the role of a horror movie character, Halloween Express offers a large selection of cheap Halloween costumes and accessories online and at local stores. The company also makes exchanges easy if you need a different size or change your mind on the type of costume you wanted. Pick up the Women's Flapper Costume for $35.99 or the Boy's Emperor of Darkness Costume for $21.39. Shop the sales and specials section for closeouts and deep discounts on costumes and accessories from past seasons. Up Next: 10 Outrageously Expensive Halloween Costumes for Pets
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Samsung Electronics announced it would post its first quarterly operating profit gain in two years in its Q3 guidance despite gloom in the mobile division. Meg Teckman reports.
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The private race to the moon is really starting to heat up. A team from Israel called SpaceIL has signed a contract to launch its robotic lunar lander toward the moon aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the second half of 2017. SpaceIL is therefore a strong contender to win the $20 million top prize in the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP), contest organizers said. "We are proud to officially confirm receipt and verification of SpaceIL's launch contract, positioning them as the first and only Google Lunar X Prize team to demonstrate this important achievement thus far," X Prize Vice Chairman and President Bob Weiss said in a statement. [ Google Lunar X-Prize: The Private Moon Race Teams in Pictures ] "The magnitude of this achievement cannot be overstated, representing an unprecedented and monumental commitment for a privately funded organization, and kicks off an exciting phase of the competition in which the other 15 teams now have until the end of 2016 to produce their own verified launch contracts," Weiss added. "It gives all of us at X Prize and Google the great pride to say, 'The new space race is on!'" SpaceIL is not the only GLXP team with firm plans to head to the moon. For example, California-based Moon Express announced its own launch deal with the spaceflight company Rocket Lab last week, and Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic signed a contract with SpaceX back in 2011. Moon Express aims to launch its robotic MX-1 lander to the moon for the first time in 2017, while Astrobotic team members have said they plan to loft their Griffin lander atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sometime next year. But SpaceIL is the only team so far to initiate the verification process, in which contest organizers review and assess the launch contract and supporting documents, X Prize representatives told Space.com. This milestone is a big deal: At least one GLXP team had to announce a verified launch contract by the end of 2015 for the competition to be extended through Dec. 31, 2017. The Google Lunar X Prize was created in 2007 to encourage the development of the private spaceflight industry, and hopefully help usher in a new era of affordable access to the moon and other space destinations. The first privately funded team to successfully land a robotic craft on the moon, have the lander move at least 1,650 feet (500 meters), and beam high-definition video and photos back to Earth by the end of 2017 will win the $20 million grand prize. The second team to accomplish these goals will get $5 million; another $5 million is set aside for other milestones, bringing the total purse to $30 million. Sixteen teams remain in the competition. SpaceIL signed its launch deal with Seattle-based Spaceflight Industries, which recently purchased a Falcon 9 launch from SpaceX. (Falcon 9 flights currently sell for about $60 million.) SpaceIL's lunar lander will get a "co-lead spot" on the launch, sitting inside a capsule among a number of secondary payloads, GLXP representatives said. SpaceIL team members announced the contract today (Oct. 7) at a press conference in Jerusalem, Israel, during which they also revealed the new design of their 1,100-lb. (500 kilograms) lander, which is about 5 feet high by 6.6 feet wide (1.5 by 2 m). "Last year, we made significant strides toward landing on the moon, both in terms of project financing and in terms of the engineering design, and now, we are thrilled to finally secure our launch agreement," SpaceIL CEO Eran Privman said in the same statement. "This takes us one huge step closer to realize our vision of recreating an 'Apollo effect' in Israel: to inspire a new generation to pursue science, engineering, technology and math." To date, only three entities have succeeded in soft-landing a spacecraft on the lunar surface the governments of the United States, the former Soviet Union and China. Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com . Why Go Back To The Moon? Retracing The Last Footsteps | Video Wildest Private Deep-Space Mission Ideas: A Countdown Private Spaceflight News on Private Space Companies???
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On 29 April last year Amanda Kimbrough sat down in her cell inside the notoriously tough Tutwiler women's prison in Wetumpka, Alabama and began writing a letter in which she described her feelings of loss and remorse. It was a poignant moment, as six years earlier to the day her only son Timmy had been born prematurely and had died from complications at birth after only 19 minutes. "Tim Jr would be six years old [today]," she wrote, "and not a day goes by I don't think of him. While I was out we keep his grave decorated and kept up, my husband and family do while I'm here." That Kimbrough Alabama offender 287089, as the state branded her should be thinking of her son on the anniversary of his death needs no explanation. But the poignancy of the letter is heightened by the knowledge that it was because of Timmy's stillbirth at 25 weeks that she was locked up in the first place. Kimbrough was prosecuted for the "chemical endangerment" of her fetus relating to her on-off struggle with drug addiction. The case was pursued so forcefully by the state of Alabama that she was charged with a class A felony equivalent to murder and taken all the way to trial, in what is thought to be the only full trial hearing of its sort in the country. Later, the profound legal issues raised by the case would rise up through appeals all the way to the Alabama supreme court, the highest judicial panel in the state, where it would set a new precedent. In effect, it renders all pregnant women vulnerable to prosecution for any harm they might cause their fetus at any time after the moment of conception. At her trial, Kimbrough was warned that if she was found guilty, she would face a mandatory sentence of 10 years to life in prison. In the end, though, she felt the deck was too stacked against her to take that risk. When her trial lawyer asked the court to be allowed to call an expert medical witness to testify that Kimbrough's drug problems were not responsible for her son's stillbirth, the request was denied. So she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years. Kimbrough was released from Tutwiler, an institution that the federal government has castigated for being rife with abuse of prisoners, earlier this month. She had spent more than three years in prison. Over the past two years of her sentence, Kimbrough has engaged in a dialogue with the Guardian, exchanging letters from her prison cell. In the letters, she discusses in moving detail her son's death, her thoughts about Alabama's decision to prosecute her, and the impact of her imprisonment on her remaining three daughters. In the letter written last year on the anniversary of Timmy's death, Kimbrough revealed one of the great ironies in her case she is herself firmly opposed to abortion. "I am against abortion, I was going to keep my baby no matter what … It's my baby. I'd do any and everything I could for my kids," she said. In an earlier letter to the Guardian, written from Tutwiler in February 2014, she spelled out what occurred. Early in her pregnancy, she said, she had been tested for Down's Syndrome and was advised by doctors to travel to Birmingham, Alabama for an abortion at 20 weeks. "I refused," she wrote bluntly. Five weeks later, she began having difficulties with her pregnancy. She knew she was high risk in any case her first two children, Kimberly "Nicole", now 16 and Kailey, 13, had both been born prematurely at seven and eight months respectively. At 25 weeks and five days into her third pregnancy, Kimbrough went into labor. She rushed into the hospital and was given an emergency Caesarian. "I never heard my son cry and I panicked, asking why," she said. Timmy Wayne Kimbrough was not breathing when he was born, and his body was blue. "I got to hold my son. He was big for his size at 21 weeks he weighed 2 lbs 1 ounce, 12 ins long. It's the worst thing I've ever been through," she wrote. After the stillbirth, Kimbrough's obstetrician diagnosed "occult cord prolapse" the umbilical cord had descended through the birth canal ahead of the fetus, cutting off blood flow. Yet the authorities chose to ignore that finding, focusing instead on another detail that emerged after the death that a urine sample taken from Kimbrough had shown traces of the drug methamphetamine. At that point, the cogs of Alabama's justice system began to turn. In 2006, state legislators passed a "chemical endangerment" law. It was initially conceived as a way to protect young children exposed to noxious fumes or explosions when their parents ran improvised meth labs from their kitchens. But soon after the law was enacted, state prosecutors began applying it in a way that had never been intended against pregnant women. The investigative website ProPublica and AL.com have calculated that since 2006 at least 479 pregnant women have been prosecuted for "chemical endangerment" of their fetuses, most commonly for smoking marijuana. One of those 479 was Amanda Kimbrough. In September 2008 she was charged with the chemical endangerment of a child with a bond set at half a million dollars. The indictment said that she "did knowingly, recklessly, or intentionally cause or permit a child, Timmy Wayne Kimbrough, to be exposed to, to ingest or inhale, or to have contact with a controlled substance, to wit: methamphetamine". Kimbrough, who declined to be interviewed by the Guardian following her release from prison, is an example of a trend that in recent years has swept across not just Alabama but several other states from Tennessee and South Carolina to Wisconsin. Hundreds of women have been prosecuted some for murder for harms allegedly inflicted on their fetuses, even though in many cases their pregnancies have ended with the birth of healthy babies. Lynn Paltrow, an authority on the subject who is executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, says that the spread of aggressive new tactics by prosecutors across several states has led to the effective criminalization of pregnancy in the US. "States are saying that they know what is best for fertilized eggs, and because they know best they can tell a pregnant women that she's a criminal and that she must do whatever her doctor or a social worker, or law enforcement officer, or lawyer appointed to represent her fetus says." In 2013, Paltrow's organization compiled a peer-reviewed study that documented more than 400 arrests or equivalent actions depriving pregnant women of their physical liberty between 1973, when Roe v Wade legalized abortion, and 2005. In the 10 years since 2005, the group has identified a further 800 cases and Paltrow said she believes the true figure is significantly higher. A 'personhood' agenda Kimbrough's prosecution has not only had devastating consequences for her personally, it has also set a precedent that will affect countless other women following her. Two years ago, her case rose all the way to the supreme court of Alabama, the highest judicial panel in the state. The judges ruled that the word "child" in the chemical endangerment law could be applied equally to unborn fetuses. To the astonishment of experts in reproductive health, the court went further and said that the law did not have to be restricted to viable fetuses the standard set for abortion in Roe v Wade but could in effect be used to prosecute pregnant women from the moment of conception. Brian White, Kimbrough's attorney, said that in his view her prosecution was a "backdoor way to promote the 'personhood' agenda - the idea that at any time after conception the fetus should be considered a person with full legal rights". Lynn Paltrow said that the impact of such a "personhood" approach was that an entire system of separate and unequal laws had been created for pregnant women. "They say this protects unborn fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses which have as much right to state protection as children. But there is no way to recognize the separate rights for fetuses without removing women from the protection of the federal constitution." She went on: "It creates a burden on all fertile women because once there is a fertilized egg something they did yesterday that wasn't a crime could be a crime today. So if they are taking painkillers for a painful back, they are now guilty of a crime." Medical and other authorities including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have spoken out vociferously against the proliferating laws criminalizing pregnancy. They warn that such a penal approach could frighten women away from seeking prenatal care which in turn could put both them and their fetuses in danger. Threatening addicts with imprisonment can also be counterproductive, dissuading them from going to rehab and steering them away from safe medical treatment for their babies, who may themselves be addicted in the womb to their mother's drugs. And then there's a question of where will it all end where do you draw the line? As Chuck Malone, then chief justice of the Alabama supreme court, put it in a dissenting opinion in the Kimbrough case , what would happen to a "woman who has conceived, but who is without knowledge that she is pregnant, and who thereafter has a glass of wine"? 'I'll always blame myself' Kimbrough in her letters to the Guardian explained that she had wrestled with meth addiction for about five years after the birth of her first two children. She was adamant, however, she had been clean for about two years before she became pregnant with Timmy. Then she momentarily let her guard down. "One day, a friend came by and had some meth. I don't know why but I did a line," she wrote in the letter on the anniversary of her son's death. Asked whether she believes the meth harmed her unborn child, she said: "Maybe, maybe not." But she added: "I should've been offered help to start with." In the letters, Kimbrough expressed conflicting views about what had happened. She said: "I'll always blame myself." But she also said that "a lot of other factors" were involved in the stillbirth, including her propensity to have premature deliveries. She also felt deeply that her remaining children Kimberly, Kailey and Josie, who was only two when Kimbrough was arrested had been punished by the state of Alabama for something they had nothing to do with. In March last year, when she was about halfway through her sentence, Kimbrough wrote to the Guardian and said: "The kids are doing alright I guess. But they're ready for me to get home to them. Of course I worry about my girls, what mother wouldn't? We write every week, we talk on the phone, and we visit once a month for two to three hours." Then she said: "I think it's wrong that I've been taken away from them. I think they should've offered me some type of drug rehab. People make mistakes in life every day. I made mine, but my children shouldn't be punished for it." Her lawyer Brian White agreed. "I don't believe that the problem of drug use by pregnant women ought to be dealt with by putting them in prison and depriving children of their mother." White currently has three other "chemical endangerment" cases on his client list, all involving women who were subjected to drug tests in the hospital at birth and found to have consumed marijuana. All three had given birth to healthy babies, but now face prosecution and possible criminal records that could impair their employment and other chances for the rest of their lives. White said that it was no coincidence that women facing such charges were offered the possibility of enlisting in pre-trial intervention programs as a means to avoid conviction, but at a cost that could run into thousands of dollars. "The way I look at it, Alabama is bankrolling itself by extracting a tax on poor pregnant women." Since Timmy's death Kimbrough has been free from drugs. "I never had tried drugs with any of my three girls," she stressed, adding: "A person can change. I know I have. People (myself included) deserve a second chance to prove theirselves." Kimbrough took the trouble on Thanksgiving day last year to write another letter to the Guardian. "I continue to give a lot to God and just hang on," she said. "I know I made a mistake, a fatal one I have to live with every day. I just take it one day at a time. God has a reason for everything even if I don't know."
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There's no better way to start off the day right than with breakfast, and all the better if your first meal of the day helps get your body back on track from any less-than-healthy transgressions from the day before! If you're looking for healthy ways to detox, read on for seven breakfast drinks and recipes to help you feel your best. Drink Green Tea Switch your normal cup of coffee for a mug of green tea, and you'll benefit from green tea's high levels of catechins, which help keep your liver healthy while also speeding up your body's production of detoxifying enzymes. Grab a Bowl of Oatmeal Whole grains are proven to help you detox by keeping your gut happy. There's no end to the ways you can jazz up your next bowl of oatmeal (check out these oatmeal recipes for ideas ), but if you're tired of oats, here are more hot whole-grain breakfast ideas to help you detox. Add Asparagus Asparagus contains both prebiotics and probiotics, which are important for keeping your digestive tract healthy and working properly. Plus, asparagus is full of debloating fiber to help flatten your belly. Start the day with a side of steamed asparagus, a poached egg, and whole grain toast for a filling and flavorful detox breakfast. Daily Juice Juicing's all the rage, and while the benefits of all-juice detoxing haven't been scientifically proven, drinking a green juice or smoothie can help you get the daily nutrients you need. Bonus if your green juice includes a bevy of detoxing produce - including watercress, spinach, and lemon - like this detoxing green juice recipe does. Wake Up With Chia Seeds High in omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, chia seeds help keep your heart healthy and your belly full while also helping you debloat. Whether you drink this debloating chia seed and supergreen drink recipe right after you wake up or with your breakfast, the ingredients will keep you energized while also helping you detox. Make a Fruit Salad Fresh fruits have natural detoxing properties, so grab a bunch and make a deliciously refreshing bowl for breakfast. This fruit salad recipe includes pineapple and a drizzle of maple syrup - both of which are known for their anti-inflammatory and detoxing properties. Drink Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar has been shown to help aid digestion and boost energy; this apple cider vinegar and cranberry drink is more palatable than downing the stuff straight.
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Researchers hailing from the US, Indonesia, and Australia recently confirmed the discovery of a new species of rat on Sulawesi Island.
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Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said Wednesday that he would like nothing better than to see Jordan Spieth battle Jason Day in Sunday's Presidents Cup singles on the course that bears his name. A match-up of the two best players in the world who have carried off three of the season's Majors is a mouth-watering and likely prospect, said Nicklaus, who himself won 18 majors and has captained the US side four times in Presidents Cups. "Put it this way, if they want to play each other there's ways it can be made to happen," the 75-year-old told AFP on the eve of the US versus International team match play event at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea. Unlike the Ryder Cup, where playing lists are submitted "blind" and then matched up in order, the Presidents Cup system sees each captain name a player in turn making a Spieth-Day showdown a real possibility. AFP
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Assisted suicide is to become legal in California from January but not everyone's happy about the decision. Paul Chapman reports.
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The 'Terminator' franchise is ''re-adjusting'' after 'Terminator: Genisys' disappointing box office returns. The movie series - starring Arnold Schwarzenegger - failed to impress with its recent fifth installment and Skydance Productions admitted some changes need to be made. While speaking at The Wrap's annual media leadership conference, TheGrill, Skydance Media Chief Creative Officer Dana Goldberg said: ''I wouldn't say on hold, so much as re-adjusting. ''We're ultimately happy with overall worldwide numbers. Do I wish we would have done better domestically? Absolutely. Happily, we live in the world where the domestic number had a level of importance 10 or 15 years ago - I'm not saying it's not important, it is - but we have to play to a worldwide market. In terms of 'Terminator', the worldwide market paid attention, but we're not taking the domestic number lightly.'' The movie only made a disappointing $90 million in the United States. And she admitted that the company will not be rushing into making a new movie, explaining: ''We are not going to begin production at the beginning of next year. It would be silly to not have to worry about what audiences have to say.'' This article was from BANG Movies and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
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In a surprising trend, American cigarette use appears to be back on the rise. The big question is why. On Monday, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau reported that cigarette shipments for the first half of 2015 have increased from the same period the previous year. If this trend holds, it would mark the first year-over-year increase in cigarette shipments since 2006. This is a big difference from the average year of late, when a 3 to 4 percent volume decline has been the norm. According to Vivien Azer, consumer analyst at Cowen & Co., the spike in cigarette shipments is largely due to lower gas prices. As the price of gasoline has fallen alongside crude oil (@CL.1), consumers have been granted more disposable income. That is especially important for buyers of cigarettes, since the average smoker tends to earn less than the average American, Azer said. Further, she points out that one of the most popular spots for cigarette purchases are gas station convenience stores precisely where the savings are realized. If retail gas prices stay low, Azer expects to see "better-than-trend cigarette volumes" in both 2015 and 2016. Reynolds American (RAI) and Altria (MO) are up more than 40 percent and 12 percent, respectively, in 2015. Azer has a price target of $47 for Reynolds American, a 4 percent increase from its closing price Tuesday, and a target of $62 for Altria, a 12 percent rise from Tuesday's close. The increase in sales "is dismaying to see," commented Anna Song, a health psychologist and associate professor at the University of California, Merced Health Sciences Research Institute. Song has a different theory than Azer; she posits that rising use of e-cigarettes may be inspiring a more relaxed attitude around smoking in general. "There's a lot of literature suggesting there's a link between e-cigarette use and smoking actual cigarettes," Song said. And indeed, "if you think e-cigs are not harmful and are fine, then is it really a big leap to saying that cigarettes are OK?" Nonetheless, Song remains optimistic. "It's the only legal product that, if used as intended, can kill you," Song said. "I do think that we can get use down to zero." Want to be a part of the Trading Nation ? If you'd like to call into our live Wednesday show, email your name, number and a question to [email protected]
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A wrap up of the day in sports with the best images from around the world Astros shut out Yankees The Houston Astros celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card playoff baseball game on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Houston won 3-0. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS D'Angelo crashes Teammates look over D'Angelo Russell, center, after he crashed to the ground against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday, in Honolulu. Good luck Novak Djokovic writes Chinese character 'Fu' (Luck) on a glass on the TV camera after winning against Simone Bolelli during their men's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament on Tuesday, in Beijing. Locker room celebrations The Houston Astros celebrate in their locker room after defeating the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday in New York City. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS Tanaka disappointed Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees reacts after a pitch in the second inning against the Houston Astros during the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, in New York City. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS Venus crashes out Venus Williams reacts after losing the point against Ana Ivanovic during a second round match on day four of the 2015 China Open on Tuesday, in Beijing. Ivanovic defeated Venus in straight sets 7-6(7-3), 6-2 Tripped USA midfielder Gboly Ariyibi (20) flies through the air after being tripped by Panama defender Kevin Galvan (3) during the second half at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Tuesday, in Colorado. The United States won 4-0. Make way Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley drives against Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard on Tuesday at FedExForum, in Memphis. Brodeur's jersey retired New Jersey Devils co-owner Josh Harris (L) and Devils former goaltender Martin Brodeur display his jersey during the New Jersey Devils announcment to retire Martin Brodeur's number at Prudential Center on Tuesday in Newark. For Mike A Kansas City Royals fan holds up moose antlers in reference to third baseman Mike Moustakas during baseball practice on Tuesday, in Kansas city. Pumped up Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx celebrates scoring the go ahead basket against the Indiana Fever during the third quarter in Game Two of the 2015 WNBA Finals on Tuesday at Target Center in Minneapolis. Home ground David Beckham poses for photographers at Old Trafford, ahead of his upcoming charity soccer match against a Rest of the World team led by Zinedine Zidane at Old Trafford, on Tuesday, in Manchester, Britain. Who let the carts out U.S. team members take a rest on their golf carts on the 18th green during the 2015 Presidents Cup golf tournament at The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club on Tuesday, in Incheon, South Korea Missy hit's Laureus Ambassador and Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin plays cricket during the Missy Franklin Sri Lanka Project Visit at Sport Academy of Foundation of Goodness on Tuesday in Seenegama, Sri Lanka. Wait and watch Jason Day of the International Team waits on the practice ground during a photo call prior to the start of The Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club on Tuesday, in Incheon City, South Korea. Different ball game A woman plays table tennis with Japan's Omron Corp's table tennis playing robot at CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies) JAPAN 2015 on Tuesday, in Makuhari, Japan. It's a slugfest Canada's Daniel Tailliferre Hauman van der Merwe scores their first try against Romania in a pool D IRB Rugby World Cup game on Tuesday in Leicester, England. Slapped hard Anita Punt shoots for goal during the International hockey Test match between New Zealand and Argentina on Tuesday, in Nelson, New Zealand. Exchanging blows Joseph Rodriquez (L) exchanges punches with Jesus Sandoval in their Superfeatherweight bout at Cowboys Dance Hall on October 6, 2015 in San Antonio,Texas. Elegant on ice Wan Yi Liu in action during the Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge 2015 on Tuesday, in Hong Kong. IMAGES PREVIOUS DAY'S PHOTOS
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Autumn is no time to give up in the garden. While the long sleep of winter lurks, gardeners do not go gentle into the horticultural night. Even in the smallest garden you can have colorful fall foliage. We've chosen nine shrubs that rage against the dying of the light. Aronia Above: In late fall the Aronia's foliage turns plum-colored and scarlet. All three species of chokeberries are covered in clusters of white or pink blossoms in springtime, followed in late summer by edible red and black fruit (the juice is very tart but makes wonderful jelly). These indigenous shrubs grow naturally under taller trees and on damp woodland edges. They are beautifully suited to small gardens where they provide three seasons of interest in one package. Bayberry Above: Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) is a hardy seashore native which has evolved to withstand extreme conditions, from salt-drenching to high winds and drought, qualities which suit it perversely well to container gardens on windy city rooftops. The fragrant leaves (use them in the kitchen as if they were bay) turn burgundy in cold weather and are very effective massed in a hedge. Blueberry Above: North American blueberries (Vaccinium), from the tiniest wild species to highbush, are a blaze of crimson in the fall. They require acidic soil to thrive, but if you cannot successfully lower your garden's pH, grow blueberries in pots, which are much easier to amend. Their fall performance is a spectacular bonus in a shrub whose dainty spring flowers and much-loved fruit make it a must-have in any garden with four or more hours of sun. Blueberries are especially valuable where space is tight and bang for the buck a high priority. Beautyberry Above: Planted in full sun, American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a showstopper in late fall, sparkling unapologetically in lilac like a showgirl gate-crashing a civilized gathering of fall reds and yellows. The startling berries persist through winter, but if gathered in fall are an interesting spice flavor and make a stunning and unusual jelly. Rose Perhaps the most famous shrub of all, roses delight with form and fragrance of flower. But their autumn show is in their hips, if you are clever enough not to deadhead repeat-bloomers after late summer. Choose your rose wisely. Rosa multiflora, which festoons roadways and forests in spring with its confetti branches, is highly invasive and has upset local ecologies. The same goes for the popular beach rose, Rosa rugosa. But not all roses are as aggressive, and many hybrids are better behaved. Also ask at native nurseries for indigenous American roses (e.g. Rosa virginiana, R. blanda, R. californica), whose qualities are becoming better appreciated. Smoke Bush Above: The spring and fall leaves of the North American native smoke bush (Cotinus obovatus) are show stealers. Early in the year the foliage is delicately pink, turning blue-green in summer and red-hot in autumn. The flowers are tiny but the wispy hairs that cling to the spent blooms create the characteristic puffs of smoke that give the shrubs their common name. Smoke bush needs full sun and very good drainage, and can withstand dry conditions. Salt Bush, Sea Myrtle Above: Baccharis halimifolia saves itself for cool weather, when this large member of the daisy family becomes an enormous cotton ball focal point, with thousands of flowers on the female plant turning to fluff. The native shrub is salt- and wind-tolerant but does not like to dry out. It is an excellent choice for large, sunny gardens and for native sidewalk gardens that need to withstand winter road salting. Sumac Above: Sumacs (Rhus species) come in suitable sizes for all gardens. Smooth and staghorn sumacs are tall and rangy, with gorgeously red conical fruit heads (tarty and delicious) appearing in late summer. Fragrant sumac is more compact (the fragrance is in its spring flowers) and the fruit drupes larger and looser in form. All sumac foliage turns intensely scarlet in fall. (Rhus species are not related to poison sumac, Toxicodendron radicans.) Winterberry Above: Not all hollies are prickly. Deciduous winterberry (Ilex verticillata) loses its leaves in late fall, revealing its greatest asset: holiday-red berries clustered tightly along the length of its branches. Bring them indoors for their cheer or leave them to glitter in the snow.
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My husband is a dream when it comes to cooking, loading the dishwasher, wiping down the countertops, scrubbing the toilets, taking out the trash. No matter how buried, frazzled and torn I am between having to get a zillion things done at once for three different people (four including myself), I don't have to ever lift a finger. I'm kidding. Big time kidding. My husband is an incredible and thoughtful guy (he is, no sarcasm there) but my friends and I frequently complain talk about how we've all somehow found ourselves in these super-traditional, gender-role-specific marriages and how we can't seem to do much of anything to reverse it, no matter how worn out we might obviously be from trying to do everything. (Maybe it's because we're Armenian? Many Armenian men are raised to be kings, you know...) So I've come up with a few sassy ways to shake things up and get husbands to pitch in. 1. Go on strike Cold turkey. With no explanation. Smoke him out. Stop cooking, cleaning, picking up Legos off the floor, flushing the toilet. Stop everything all at once. Things most likely WILL turn very disgusting, but maybe that's the emergency situation he needs to kick into gear. 2. Unexpectedly leave the house to run "errands" while obnoxiously announcing that you "have to get out of here, I'm losing it!" as you huff and puff your way out the door. Then slam the door. Do this when you know he's going to be home to supervise the kids so that everyone's safe, at least. I've skipped out like this with a big attitude and have returned to a clean(er) kitchen . 3. Get your kids to ask him why he doesn't help Mommy when she's so tired. And try not to laugh when he looks at them like, "Who the hell told you to ask me that?!" 4. Hit him where it hurts For instance, my husband is a clean freak when it comes to the kids being bathed. From time to time, I'll just say, "I'm skipping bath for the kids tonight," and he can't help but give them a bath because the thought of them not being clean before bed drives him crazy. 5. Keep a grevience list Document everything the things you do around the house, what you handle regarding the kids and all things you deal with concerning him and yourself from the moment you wake up to the moment you go to bed. Try doing this for a few days. Your temper will then surge to a boiling point when you see everything you do (unappreciated and unaccounted for) in black and white. It is then time to rub it in his face and demand an explanation. You may scream at this point. 6. Hit him in the pocketbook If you're still getting nowhere fast, consider hiring babysitters, housecleaners and/or extra help for everything you can think of for a finite period of time (a week or so). Then, tell him that you need cash to pay for all the help you need to keep things running smoothly. Since he's unable to help you himself, he can pay for it. The alternative? You could just be an adult, explain that you're feeling a bit worn down with all this supermom stuff lately and have a grown up and honest conversation about life, love and for better or for worse. But that's not as fun now, is it?
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Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann calls for European solidarity over the migrant crisis on a visit to the Greek island of Lesbos.
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NEW YORK The clock struck midnight, and where was Cinderella? Not crawling through the Bronx, looking for a glass slipper. No, Cinderella was gathered on the mound at Yankee Stadium, posing for photos, hooting and hollering, spraying champagne. Cinderella, the tanking, 100-game-losing, No. 1-drafting Houston Astros, had just vanquished the New York Yankees. 🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐 pic.twitter.com/2pUAkFv5ke Hank Conger (@PandaCrusher35) October 7, 2015 Cinderella will move on from its 3-0 victory in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday night, on to the Division Series to face the defending AL champion Kansas City Royals. The Astros will be underdogs, just as they were in theory against the Yankees. But who expected them to make it this far? Who expected a team that Sports Illustrated proclaimed 2017 World Series champions to make even a sliver of an impact in '15? BOX SCORE: ASTROS 3, YANKEES 0 Well, here they are, led by a bearded pitcher, Dallas Keuchel, who looked utterly comfortable pitching six scoreless innings on three days' rest and a passionate center fielder, Carlos Gomez, who looked clearly uncomfortable playing with a left intercostal strain, but still hit a home run to give the Astros a 2-0 lead. Actually, the Astros had many heroes on this night. They scored their first run on a homer by Colby Rasmus, whom general manager Jeff Luhnow drafted with the Cardinals, then signed as a free agent for the Astros. They scored their third run on a body-bending single by Jose Altuve, who contorted his 5-foot-6 frame downward to hook a fastball down-and-away from Dellin Betances. They closed out the game with three scoreless innings from relievers Tony Sipp, Will Harris and Luke Gregerson. Keuchel, though, was the player who gave the Astros their best shot, the pitcher at the center of it all. Pitchers historically wilt on three days' rest in October; Keuchel delivered the longest scoreless outing in the postseason on short rest since the Marlins' Josh Beckett beat the Yankees in the clinching game of the 2003 World Series. RELATED: Astros' Taylor Swift concert tweet comes full circle after Wild Card win Oh, Keuchel was erratic early, but he quickly settled in, at one point retiring 10 straight hitters. His performance evoked that of another left-hander from the University of Arkansas in Yankee Stadium Cliff Lee, who pitched a complete-game victory for the Phillies in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series. Keuchel, the Astros' seventh-round pick that year, has the same agent as Lee, Darek Braunecker. He recalls watching Lee's masterpiece in the Series. And he mentioned that game to Braunecker in New York on Monday night, explaining later, "I was just hoping to mimic what he did." Then came the sixth inning, two on and two out, Alex Rodriguez at the plate, Astros leading, 2-0. The new Yankee Stadium, so lifeless for much of its seven-year existence, was loud from the start, and never louder than at that moment. Astros manager A.J. Hinch, walking to the mound to visit Keuchel, would say, "That's probably the most adrenalin I've had in this chair in my short managerial career." Hinch wasn't about to remove Keuchel, not when the lefty had allowed only three hits and one walk, not when he is the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award. No, the manager just wanted to "check (his) heartbeat, look in his eyes a little bit ... gather a little bit of information." Said Keuchel, "The stadium was rocking, that's for sure. A-Rod's coming up. Doesn't get any more exciting than that. The job that he's done throughout his career in Yankee Stadium ... I just tried to calm myself down and make as good a pitch as I could." In the fourth inning, Rodriguez had drilled Keuchel's first pitch, an 89 mph fastball, down the right-field line, only to see it run down by George Springer. Keuchel figured that he might induce a popup if he threw Rodriguez a cutter up or middle in. Good idea. Again, Rodriguez swung at the first pitch and popped out to center field. "I was playing blackjack there," Keuchel said, "and it paid off." He appeared afterward in the interview room with Gomez, saying, "The taste of the champagne and the beer in your eyes, I want more of it." Gomez nodded, smiled and said quietly, "Tastes good." Earlier, Gomez had called Keuchel the best pitcher in the AL, said he had proven it on this night. Keuchel slapped him twice on the thigh in appreciation. Gomez, of course, had taken a circuitous journey to this point, nearly getting traded from the Brewers to the Mets, who backed out because of concerns about his hip, then then getting sent to the Astros the next day. He had batted only .242 with a .670 OPS in 163 plate appearances after joining the Astros, started just one of the team's final 20 games due to his injury. But when Hinch called him Tuesday and asked if he was ready, Gomez replied, "Write my name in the lineup. You're going to have me for sure." Before the game, Hinch worried that Gomez might aggravate his condition, just as he did making a game-ending throw in Seattle last Wednesday. Hinch knew that Gomez loved the stage, but had a vision of walking to the outfield or the batter's box to remove him. It didn't come to that, but Gomez was in obvious pain during his third plate appearance. Hinch did not allow him to get another, inserting Jake Marisnick into the game. "Every time I swing, swing and miss, I feel it," Gomez said. "But when you step on the field and you've got all the adrenalin and you hear those fans, it's a lot of things that come through your body and push you in a situation like that. It's not time to be a hero, because I understand my body. I know my body really good. And I say let me stay in, let me stay in, I can handle this." He handled it. They all did. The team with the lowest Opening Day payroll in the AL beat the team with the highest. The team that averaged 108 losses from 2011 to '13 is seven victories away from the World Series. The clock struck midnight. Cinderella drank champagne.
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Joe Girardi discussed his team's season after Tuesday's loss. Did the Yankees overachieve or underachieve in 2015?
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You can tell a lot about a country from what its citizens are reading. Take Poland. Sure, you've got popular daily newspaper Fakt and weekly magazine Polityka . And then there's the monthly magazine Egzorcysta. Which means and we're not kidding "The Exorcist." It's a primer on Satan and the fight against him, with articles mulling pressing issues such as: Can yoga open the door to the devil? (Yes.) Is Hello Kitty the work of Satan? (No.) These days, Poland is widely known for popes and pierogis. Well, add exorcists to the list. Once as rare there as anywhere, demon expellers are having their day, with just one exorcist in the 1970s, 60 a decade ago and … 130 today. That's roughly three exorcists per diocese. None of this is an accident: According to the Rev. Slawomir Sosnowski, a priest and exorcist who serves the Łódź Archdiocese, the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, in accordance with a 2008 Vatican decree, has been steadily appointing them to meet the country's demand. And every trend needs a glossy magazine. In this case, Egzorcysta , which launched three years ago, now has a run of 40,000 copies per month. The music of John Lennon, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley? Will make you vulnerable to Satan. Sosnowski's theory for the steady growth in demand: Nowadays, people strive for self-development, he says, often not caring how they do it. "It could be with another religion or certain magic rituals. It can leave them open to evil." Another possible explanation, albeit a slightly more cynical one, is that in Poland, the church issues dire warnings about Satan that scare more sensitive souls into thinking they are possessed. It is similar to how hypochondriacs only have to hear the symptoms to be convinced they have the sickness. Science has come up with yet another explanation: American psychologist Elizabeth Loftus discovered how books and films about exorcisms provoke hysterical reactions in some viewers and can even create false memories. The Diocese of Warszawa-Praga provides one example of how the church allegedly whips up fear of Satan. It distributed a 60-point "Are you possessed?" questionnaire, including: Have you practiced yoga or martial arts? Have you spoken the names of other gods? Did you celebrate Halloween? Anyone answering one or more of the questions with a "yes" is considered in peril. (New York and San Francisco: You may need professional help.) The questionnaire is also bad news for movie fans, since it brands classics including Star Wars and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom as "evil films" that make viewers susceptible to the devil. The music of John Lennon, Michael Jackson and Bob Marley? Will make you vulnerable to Satan. Everyone from Facebook users to other priests ridiculed the questionnaire. (The Warszawa Archdiocese did not reply to request for comment.) Nevertheless, some of the Catholic media produced serious reports based on the controversial material. And Sosnowski says it's actually in vogue among certain groups in Poland "to see evil everywhere." As a result, fear gets exaggerated. Although Sosnowski firmly believes in the devil's existence, he does not think every one of his clients is truly possessed. Most of them just need a conversation or a prayer, he says, adding that he also sends them to see therapists or psychiatrists. It is rare for an exorcist to think demons are the only thing torturing a client. Signs that a person may be possessed, according to Malachi Martin's 1976 book Hostage to the Devil: The Possession and Exorcism of Five Contemporary Americans , are "a peculiar revulsion to symbols and truths of religion" and things like terrible stench and cold, and the classic levitation. "The most dramatic and sensational signs of possession," says author Benjamin Radford, research fellow with the nonprofit educational organization the Center for Inquiry, "have never been scientifically authenticated and only appear in movies like The Exorcist ." But Sosnowski says he has frequently experienced people throwing themselves to the ground and screaming furiously at him. It is why the priest never goes to perform an exorcism alone if the case is especially difficult. He does not want to restrain his clients with belts, like some exorcists in Italy are said to do, because he finds it too violent. Instead, he asks community members to restrain the person suspected of being possessed during the ritual, if necessary. Sosnowski refuses to go into detail about such cases, saying only that he's seen "unbelievable human suffering" in his 10 years as an exorcist. And he sees no contradiction between his work and that of a psychologist. He explains why his methods often go hand in hand with a therapist's. If a person was badly hurt during childhood, it leaves them open to evil, he explains. Someone who needs help often needs therapy as well as prayers to release their demons. Work like this seems to combine the practice of exorcism with 21st-century medicine and psychology. However, Egzorcysta 's content doesn't indicate that every exorcist strikes the same balance. The latest issue of the magazine includes an interview with the Rev. Andrzej Kowalczyk, an exorcist from the Gdańsk Archdiocese. His pearls of wisdom include: "The rosary is a cannon [in the battle against evil spirits]" and "Entire political parties are possessed by Satan." Kowalczyk even has an opinion about Germany, where he says Satan is on the rampage. To prove this point, he tells the story of a female acquaintance who felt very sick in Berlin but recovered as soon as she returned to Poland. And no wonder, since Germany is an infamous hotbed of … yoga.
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