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Getting kicked to the curb by your employer can certainly be demoralizing. But these successful people prove that what may initially feel like failure may just be the launching pad you need for success. From Steve Jobs to Jerry Seinfeld, here are 21 people who turned their termination into an opportunity. 1. Thomas Edison secretly conducted experiments in his office at Western Union that got him fired. Until one night in 1867, when he had a chemical accident at the Associated Press bureau news wire, according to " Famous Americans: A Directory of Museums, Historic Sites, and Memorials ." Edison worked the night shift so he could have more time to spend on his inventions and reading. One night when he was experimenting with batteries, Edison spilled some sulfuric acid that ate through the floor and spilled onto his boss' desk below. He was fired the next morning, but decided to pursue inventing full-time and received his first patent two years later for the electric vote recorder, according to Bio . 2. Before heading to Yale, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was fired from her brief stint at a salmon cannery in Valdez, Alaska. The former New York Senator recounted on the "Today" show on Monday that after graduating from Wellesley College, she and some friends worked their way across Alaska washing dishes, and she eventually wound up working in a fishery scooping out salmon guts. "I was given a spoon and some boots and I was told to take out the insides of the salmon," she said . Clinton didn't last long in that role, however, noting that the Japanese workers who were taking out the caviar yelled at her for working too slowly. "So they literally kicked me out of that job," Clinton said. She says they then placed her on the line packing the salmon head to tail. But when she noticed the salmon were "green and black they looked horrible" and a peculiar stench, she questioned the man running the operation about the salmon's quality. "When I left, I came back the next day and the whole operation was gone," Clinton said. "So I think that was the equivalent of getting fired." During a previous inter viw on Letterman in 2007 , Clinton called her stint at the cannery her "favorite summer job of all time," noting its role in her future success: "Best preparation for being in Washington that you can imagine," she said. 3. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple, the company he cofounded. His second act turned out to be bigger and better than the first. When Jobs was in his 30s, the very company he created fired him. "I was out and very publicly out," Jobs said in a 2005 commencement speech at Stanford University. "What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating." Jobs spent the summer of 1985 in a "midlife crisis" trying to decide what he wanted to do, from entering politics to becoming an astronaut, said Alan Deutschman, author of "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs." During his time away from Apple, Jobs cofounded computer company NeXT, which was later acquired by Apple, and launched Pixar Animation Studios. When he returned to Apple nearly a decade later, he brought the innovation of the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. 4. Walt Disney's newspaper editor told the aspiring cartoonist he wasn't creative enough. In 1919, Disney was fired from one of his first animation jobs at the Kansas City Star newspaper because his editor felt he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas," according to " The Wisdom of Oz ." That wasn't the last of his failures. Disney then acquired Laugh-O-Gram, an animation studio he later drove into bankruptcy. Finally, he decided to set his sights on a more profitable area: Hollywood. He and his brother moved to California and began the Disney Brothers' Studio, eventually creating Mickey Mouse and Disneyland and winning 22 Academy Awards. 5. Carly Fiorina was fired as CEO of Hewlett-Packard. The first female executive of a Fortune 500 company, Fiorina was forced to resign from HP after six years at the helm in 2005 after the controversial decision to buy Compaq in 2002 for $25 billion and subsequent lay off of 15,000 employees at Hewlett-Packard, International Business Times reports . While she's never held elected office, Fiorina announced her candidacy for president in May and currently is a frontrunner in the polls ahead of career politicians like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination. "I was fired in a boardroom brawl. And you know why?" Fiorina told CNN in August . "Because I challenged the status quo. It is what leaders must do. And when you challenge the status quo, when you lead, you make enemies. It's why so few people lead." 6. In the 1980s, Mark Cuban lost his job as a salesman at computer store. That was the last time he worked for someone else. One of Cuban's first jobs out of college was as a PC software salesman. However, he was more interested in cultivating new business than obeying his boss. Cuban wrote in Forbes that, after a few months on the job, he had to opportunity to make a $15,000 sale he just needed a coworker to cover him at the office and to get his boss's approval. After his boss told him not to make the sale, Cuban decided to go through with it anyway, and upon returning to the office with the check was promptly fired. "But being fired from that job was the determining factor in my business life," he wrote. "I decided then and there to start my own company." Shortly after his termination, Cuban started Micro-Solutions and has since earned an estimated $3 billion, according to Forbes . 7. J.K. Rowling spent too much time at work brainstorming story ideas. Rowling worked as a secretary for the London office of Amnesty International, but she dreamed of being a writer. She secretly wrote stories on her work computer and daydreamed about a teenage wizard named Harry Potter. Her employers finally got fed up and gave her the boot, according to " Your Journey from Fired to Hired. " Her severance check helped support her over the next few years, when she finally decided to focus on writing. Today, she's the author of one of the most successful book series of all time . 8. Mayor Michael Bloomberg used his severance check to start his own company. Now he's one of the richest people in the country. Bloomberg was a partner at investment bank Salomon Brothers. In 1998, they were bought out by the company that eventually became Citigroup. Bloomberg was let go , but not before receiving a hefty severance check, he writes in his autobiography, " Bloomberg by Bloomberg ." He used that money to start his own financial services company, originally called Innovative Market Solutions. The company, eventually renamed Bloomberg LP, aimed to make it easier for traders to wade through data and was worth $2 billion by 1989 . Today, the former New York mayor is work an estimated $38.4 billion, according to Forbes . 9. Julia Child was fired from her advertising job for "gross insubordination." In the early 1930s, Child was the advertising manager of home furnishings company W&J Sloane's Los Angeles branch, according to Bio . She was fired for "gross insubordination" a few months after acquiring the position. "I don't wonder," she reportedly wrote on her résumé, according to " Julia Child: A Life ." "One needs a much more detailed knowledge of business ... than I had." Child went on to volunteer as a research assistant for a US intelligence agency during World War II; moved to Paris, where she developed a love for French cooking and attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school; adapted complex French cooking for everyday Americans with her acclaimed cookbook " Mastering the Art of French Cooking "; and become a television icon with her popular cooking shows like "The French Chef" and "Julia Child and Company." 10. Colonel Harland Sanders was fired from dozens of jobs for his temper. According to KFC , Colonel Harland Sanders sold tires in the early 1920s and became the top salesman in Kentucky, but he was fired because of his temper. Times reports he was fired from dozens more jobs before closing his first restaurant and going broke at age 65. He was reportedly fired from two separate railroad jobs , once for insubordination and the other time for fighting a colleague , and as a country lawyer after assaulting his own client . After losing his restaurant, Sanders traveled across the US looking for someone to sell his fried chicken. It wasn't until 1964, when Sanders was 74, that the Colonel had more than six hundred franchised outlets for his chicken and he sold his interest in the company for $2 million to a group of investors, according to Bio . 11. Anna Wintour was fired from her first job as a junior fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar. The Vogue editor started her career in New York as a junior fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar. She made waves for her innovative shoots, but editor Tony Mazalla thought they were a little too edgy. She got canned after a mere 9 months . Getting fired was a great learning experience and never held back her style. "I recommend that you all get fired," she told fashion students . Shortly after leaving Harper's, she became a fashion editor at Viva, and in 1988 she was named Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, a job she has held for 27 years. 12. Jerry Seinfeld didn't know he was fired until he showed up for a read-through and his part was missing from the script. In the early 1980s, before his hit show "Seinfeld," the comedian had a small role on the sitcom "Benson," but, according to the New York Times , Seinfeld and the show's producers clashed over the character's direction, and he was fired after only four episodes. Unfortunately, no one bothered to tell Seinfeld he'd been cut, according to " Jerry Seinfeld: Much Ado About Nothing ." Seinfeld showed up for a read-through of the script one day and found there was no copy waiting for him. The assistant director pulled him aside and told him that they had neglected to inform him he was no longer on the show. Seinfeld was humiliated, but he went right back to performing at comedy clubs. After one performance, a talent scout for the "Tonight Show" was in the audience. Seinfeld landed a gig on the show and his career immediately took off. 13. Sallie Krawcheck, often called one of Wall Street's 'most powerful women,' was fired from Bank of America in 2011. Two years after hiring Krawcheck from Citi, Bank of America fired its former president of the Global Wealth & Investment Management division, Forbes reports . The decision came from Bank of America's struggle in reorganizing its C-level execs after merging with Merrill Lynch. "I got grateful when I got fired," Krawcheck said at the Third Metric conference in June 2013. "I said, 'How many people get to get fired, and it's on the front page of The Wall Street Journal?'" "If you asked me when it happened if I got fired from Citi because I'm a woman, I would have told you absolutely not," Krawcheck later told Fast Company . "But now I'd say, not exactly." "I was invited to leave because I had a fundamentally different business perspective than the powers that be," she said. In 2013, Krawcheck acquired women's networking group 85 Broads , which has more than 30,000 members in 130 countries, and renamed it Ellevate Network . 14. The New Yorker gave Truman Capote the boot after he insulted poet Robert Frost. Capote dropped out of high school to become a copy boy for the New Yorker, according to "Capote: A Biography ." His lifelong dream had been to be published in the prestigious magazine. Two years later, Capote attended a reading by famed poet Robert Frost. Sick with a cold, Capote left in the middle of the meeting. Frost was deeply insulted, and knowing where Capote worked, he demanded that the magazine fire the boy. Getting fired didn't hurt his career. He began to submit short stories to magazines like Harper's Bazaar and Mademoiselle. A few years later, he published his first novel. 15. Robert Redford was a lazy, sloppy manual worker. Turns out, his talents belonged elsewhere. As a teenager, Redford worked in the shipping yard at the Standard Oil refinery in El Segundo driving a forklift and cleaning tanks. According to " Fired Up! " when a supervisor found him asleep in an oil tank, instead of firing him, they moved him to the bottle-washing department in the chemical building. But when he smashed a load of glass bottles, he was terminated. Redford was fired from a number of other odd jobs after that. "I got fired from the jobs I should have been fired from," he said . "I took those jobs to earn money. The lesson I learned was that I wasn't meant to do any of those things. I was never meant to be in the labor market." It wasn't until Redford moved to New York to pursue acting that he found his career path. 16. A Baltimore TV producer told Oprah Winfrey she was "unfit for television news." According to " Become Your #1 Fan ," Winfrey was fired from her evening news reporter gig with Baltimore's WJZ-TV because she got too emotionally invested in her stories. A Baltimore TV producer reportedly told her she was "unfit for television news." As a consolation, though, he offered her a role on a daytime TV show, "People Are Talking." The show became a hit, and Winfrey stayed for eight years, according to Bio . Winfrey eventually became the host of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which aired for 25 seasons. She's currently worth an estimated $3 billion, according to Forbes . 17. Before being named NFL Coach of the Year, Bill Belichick was kicked to the curb by the Cleveland Browns. Since joining the New England Patriots in 2000, the head coach has led the team to six Super Bowl appearances and four wins. But in 1995, Belichick was fired from his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns by team owner Art Modell. Belichick was named NFL Coach of the Year for 2003, 2007, and 2010 seasons and is the NFL's longest-tenured active head coach. He is widely considered one of the best coaches in history, according to Bio . 18. Madonna lost her job at Dunkin' Donuts for squirting jelly filling all over customers. According to " Madonna " biographer Andrew Morton, when the artist dropped out of college and moved to New York to find fame, she had a rough start. Strapped for cash, she took a job at Dunkin' Donuts in Times Square. She didn't even last a day. After squirting jelly filling all over a customer, her managers gave her the boot. The Material Girl went through several fast food and waitressing jobs before she was introduced to the city's punk rock music scene in 1979. 19. Ford didn't want Lee Iacocca, so he brought his ideas to Chrysler. Iaccoca rose to the top of the Ford Motor Company, but he clashed with Henry Ford Jr., the company's then-CEO and chairman, according to " Iacocca: An Autobiography ." After a string of unused and bad ideas (including the Ford Pinto), Iacocca was let go. Iacocca was soon courted by Chrysler, which was in danger of going out of business. He took out a huge loan from the government and used it to revive the company. He brought several of his ignored ideas by Ford over to Chrysler, like the Dodge Caravan and the Plymouth Voyager. He remained CEO of Chrysler until 1992 and is credited with helping the company achieve record profits, according to Bio . 20&21. Right before they started Home Depot, cofounders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank were fired from their jobs. Marcus and Blank were working for Southern Californian home-center chain, Handy Dan, when a corporate raider fired both of them, Entrepreneur reports . The two men decided to start their own home-improvement store based on an idea they'd had while at Handy Dan: an entire store of discounts. They called it Home Depot. In less than a decade, they'd opened more than 100 stores and made over $2.7 billion in sales . Handy Dan shut down in 1989. Vivian Giang and Alana Horowitz contributed to earlier versions of this article.
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This series of GWODs was designed exclusively for Greatist by Bodeefit . For more information about the exercises in this workout, or to see video demos of each movement, follow the links below the graphic. Be sure to note the results of your workout so you can track your progress as you go. Before you tackle this workout, try this quick and effective full-body warm-up . It's just five simple moves but hits every major muscle group and gets your heart pumping. The Wildcat Complete 5 rounds of the following as fast as safely possible. 20 Jumping Squats 25 Mountain Climbers (per side) 50 ft. Bear Crawl Want to kick up the intensity? Just move faster. And don't forget to check back tomorrow for a totally new (but equally awesome) GWOD!
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A photo recently released by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sun with a bright glow except for a dark hole-like patch in the middle which is actually called a coronal hole where the density of particles is lower and where gusty winds blow materials out into space.
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Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI-BE) on Wednesday raised its bid for SABMiller (SAB-GB) , proposing to buy the group for for £42.15 per share in cash and valuing the group at nearly £68 billion ($103.6 billion). The cash proposal represents a premium of approximately 44 percent to SABMiller's closing share price of £29.34 on 14 September. The group said it expected most SABMiller shareholders to accept the higher cash offer. Altria, SABMiller's largest shareholder with a 27 percent stake, said it supported the proposal. SABMiller said its board would meet as soon as possible to discuss the latest offer. "This is a pretty good deal for SAB shareholders. It's a rich premium from the close-end stock price before the deal was rumored," Philip Gorham, senior equity analyst at Morningstar told CNBC. "It represents great value for SAB shareholders and I think it's about as high as AB InBev can go." However, Andrew Holland, European and US beverage research analyst at Societe Generale expected the offer to be upped further to £44 per share. He expected shareholders to back discussions for a deal. "I think we're getting very much closer to the endgame." Shares in SABMiller rose 2.6 percent in early deals, while AB InBev gained 2.8 percent. In a statement announcing the approach, AB-InBev said it had already made two private cash proposals to the SABMiller board: The first at £38 per share and the second at £40 a share. SABMiller brought forward the release of its trading update on Tuesday, highlighting sales growth. Any deal between the two international brewing giants would mean a broader geographical reach into fast-growing emerging markets: AB InBev has a strong presence in Latin America, while SABMiller sells across Africa. "What ABI are building here is a monster of a brewer. It's going to be a phenomenal business," Gorham said. The deal is expected to help the group's long-term growth plans and allow it to move into new markets. However, there are likely to be some regulatory hurdles to be cleared because of overlap between the two companies. SABMiller's joint venture with Molson Coors would be top of the list for sale if the mega-merger went ahead, according to a host of analysts. Unless it is sold off, a merged ABInBev/SABMiller would control close to 70 percent of the U.S. beer market, according to Mintel which is unlikely to make it past U.S. competition authorities. Analysts expect the group to overcome such hurdles however, given the importance of scale in the brewing business. "There may besome smaller markets, like India or certain parts of Eastern Europe where there is an antitrust problem, but I don't think it's so significant that ABI can't dispose of a couple of assets in order to get this deal through. The greater prize is worth it," Gorham said.
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An area transformed into a cemetery of 200 crosses made with charred trees set up by firefighters after a wildfire hit Sant Salvador de Guardiola, near Igualada
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A former wrestler and a television anchorwoman joined Japan's cabinet on Wednesday, as part of a reshuffle by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hopes will refocus the national political agenda on the economy. The premier has switched his focus back to the country's flagging economy after expending political capital pushing unpopular security legislation that could see Japanese troops fighting abroad for the first time in 70 years. With this in mind, Abe promoted his Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, 59, to a newly created portfolio charged with encouraging greater workforce participation. Kato, a former finance ministry bureaucrat and a father of four daughters, is also tasked with tackling the declining birthrate and female empowerment -- a key element of the so-called "Abenomics" reforms unleashed more than two years ago. In the coming decades Japan faces the threat of severe labour shortages and booming welfare costs in a country with a rapidly ageing population and one of the world's lowest birth rates. The Japanese prime minister retained about half of the current 19 cabinet members, including those heading up the key finance, foreign affairs and economics ministries. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced the new line-up after Abe collected letters of resignation from ministers at a noon meeting. Abe has repeatedly said women are a key part of his flagship bid to kickstart the world's number three economy and he has pushed for them to fill more senior roles in politics and business. Yet the premier appointed only three female lawmakers as ministers, down from five appointed in the shake-up in September last year, two of whom are new. Tamayo Marukawa, a 44-year-old former television anchorwoman, was appointed environment minister while 50-year-old Aiko Shimajiri was given the portfolio in charge of Okinawa and the northern territories. The expected reduction in female cabinet members comes less than two weeks after Abe vowed to push initiatives for women's empowerment at a United Nations meeting in New York. Hiroshi Hase, a colourful 54-year-old professional wrestler-turned-politician, was given the education portfolio. His predecessor, Hakubun Shimomura, had offered to resign last month over his involvement in abandoned plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics main stadium after the venue's eye-watering $2.0 billion price tag sparked a public backlash. Abe asked him to stay on until the reshuffle. Yoshimasa Hayashi, a 54-year-old Upper House lawmaker who in 2012 lost the race for the Liberal Democratic Party leadership post against Abe, was replaced as agriculture minister by Hiroshi Moriyama, after serving less than a year in the post.
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Defending champion Kei Nishikori toppled giant American Sam Querrey 7-6, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open despite failing to really catch fire. Second seed Nishikori struggled with a swirling wind in the early skirmishes in Tokyo before discovering his mojo in the first-set tiebreak. He raced through it 7-3 after a dipping forehand forced Querrey into a wild miss. Nishikori then secured an early break in the second set with an exquisite drop shot to afford himself the breathing space required to truly find his range. The homegrown talent finished in style, belting a backhand down the line to set up match point and plunging home the dagger with an acrobatic smash. AFP
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WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama seemed to call Hillary Rodham Clinton's idea of a no-fly zone in Syria "half-baked." Clinton described the president's immigration strategy as "harsh and aggressive." And as Obama tries to rally Democrats around the chief economic proposal of his second term, the party's presidential front-runner has stayed conspicuously silent. With Clinton looking for ways to distinguish her ideas from those of her former boss, their relationship has grown increasingly complicated. No issue presents more potential for friction than trade. For months, Clinton has resisted weighing in on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which has divided the Democratic base. Now that negotiations have concluded, Clinton soon will be forced to choose between supporting the president on a legacy-enhancing issue or siding with labor unions, environmentalists and other liberal constituencies that oppose the deal. "I'm going to be talking to people. They're getting me all the information they can gather so I can make a timely decision," Clinton said Tuesday in Iowa. The awkward dynamic isn't a surprise. Clinton's campaign and the Obama administration have always said the time would come when she would outline her own policies and deliver criticisms, implied and direct, of Obama. "I am not running for my husband's third term or President Obama's third term," Clinton told voters in Davenport, Iowa, repeating a frequent line from her campaign speeches. "I'm running for my first term." While she frequently commends the president, Clinton has been offering critiques of his policies more and more. Last month, she came out against the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast; the administration remains undecided. In August, she said Obama's decision to approve offshore drilling in the Arctic wasn't "worth the risk" to the environment. She subtly resurrected her 2008 primary attack of Obama's approach to world affairs, taking a more hawkish stance toward Russia, Syria and Iran. On both immigration and gun control, she has pledged to use her executive power to do more than Obama. Citing Obama's deportation policy, Clinton said this week, "I'm not going to be breaking up families. And I think that is one of the differences." She added, "But I totally understand why the Obama administration felt as though they did what they did under the circumstances." Campaign veterans in the White House say the impact of Clinton's one-upping is minor and they dismiss some of her proposals as routine campaign fodder. Candidates use policy plans to declare their priorities. Worries over practical implementation come later. Trade falls into a different category. If Clinton opposes Obama's deal, she could undermine his arguments just as the White House is in the final stretch of a deal years in the making. Clinton's main challenger, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, says the accord is "disastrous," so Obama may be in the uncomfortable position of watching a Democratic debate next week in which none of the major candidates is willing to defend the deal. Clinton aides know she must tread lightly when it comes to criticizing Obama, given that much of her strategy relies on the still-loyal coalition of African-Americans, Latinos, women and younger voters that twice elected Obama. But at the same time, they say she must find ways to distinguish herself and undercut Republican attacks that Clinton would simply be a third Obama term. Many of Clinton's top aides joined her campaign from the White House and the two staffs remain in frequent communication. Before Clinton announced her opposition to the Keystone pipeline and gun proposals, campaign staff alerted the White Houses. After Obama last week appeared to deride her proposal for a no-fly zone over Syria, aides called to make sure Clinton understood the criticism wasn't aimed at her, according to a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. The White House doesn't deny that Clinton's new distance has sometimes created awkwardness for the president. On immigration, Clinton's promise to go further than Obama in using executive authority to ease the threat of deportation for immigrants living in the U.S. contradicts Obama's assertion that he's done all he can under the law. Similarly on gun control, just days after Obama said "this is not something I can do by myself," Clinton seemed to think otherwise. On Monday, she promised to close the "gun-show loophole" through executive action. White House spokesman Josh Earnest was quickly asked by reporters whether Obama would beat her to it. Earnest said the White House was looking into its options.
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CHISINAU, Moldova 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 Eastern European 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 the 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 extremists 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; blueprints 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 had 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 targeting 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 samples of 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
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World number five Tomas Berdych was stunned in straight sets by Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas as he became the latest seed to exit the unpredictable China Open. The second-seeded Czech, who won the rain-delayed Shenzhen Open final on Monday, was sent packing 6-4, 6-4 a little over 24 hours after arriving in Beijing and after only 107 minutes on court. "I made one tournament title. The other one didn't go my way," shrugged Berdych after his first-round defeat to the 37th-ranked Cuevas. "It's always a difficult part of the year," he added. "We have to travel a lot. The conditions are always very different, very difficult, week by week here in China. It's not easy to adjust." AFP
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Donald Trump has remained strong in the polls during his run for the Republican presidential nomination. However, as WSJ's Jerry Seib explains, his high negative ratings from GOP voters may pull him down. Photo:AP
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WASHINGTON The super PAC urging Vice President Joe Biden to run for president is launching its first television ad. Draft Biden says it's spending upward of $100,000 to air the 90-second ad on national cable networks. The ad uses audio from a speech Biden gave in May at Yale University. Biden recalls the car crash that killed his wife and daughter just after he was first elected senator in 1972. Biden says he found redemption by focusing on his sons. The ad ends with white lettering that reads: "Joe, run." Biden hasn't announced whether he'll enter the 2016 race. The super PAC is legally barred from coordinating with a campaign. Draft Biden says the ad was created by ad-maker Mark Putnam, who worked on President Barack Obama's 2008 and 2012 campaigns.
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TIRNAVOS, Greece At Statiris Tavern, the patrons' faces are hardened from a life of hard work truck drivers, builders, and farmers who've just ended their grueling grape harvest. There's little talk of difficulties at work or the country's financial crisis. This is a place where friends wander in to share a joke, or snack on a plate of fries and octopus with a late afternoon glass of tsipouro, the potent local spirit. A close relative of the Greek spirit ouzo, tsipouro has become increasingly popular during the recession as an affordable alternative to imported drinks, but is now facing a tax increase under European Union rules that could almost double its price. Coming on top of a raft of other tax increases the government is planning to pay off debts, the news is a disaster for Tirnavos, a farming town in central Greece famous for its production of tsipouro (pronounced TSEE-poo-roh). "If I charge 4 euros for a small bottle of tsipouro and suddenly raise the price to 6 euros, customers will cut back immediately. They have no spare money in their pocket," says Giorgos Tsitsiroulis, who runs the tavern in this town of 20,000 people where many store signs are still hand-painted. "It will affect the entire area, because it's a product that's entirely local. The grapes are from this area, the wood to fire the stills is local, the labels on the bottle are local, everything." Similar to Italian grappa or Turkish raki, tsipouro is a clear and powerful spirit that is produced from twice-distilled grape residue. It is made with and without anise flavoring, the addition making the drink turn cloudy when water is added. The European Union has given Greece two months to double taxes on tsipouro, arguing it does not have the right to keep a reduced duty that is reserved for some traditionally made products. It also wants Athens to crack down on small independent producers who pay a low tax rate that is aimed at helping small producers but is now widely abused for bulk supply to small restaurants nationally. For branded tsipouro, the tax increase would push up the retail price of a 700ml (0.18 gallon) bottle from roughly 10 euros to 17 euros ($19), equaling the price of whisky and vodka. Farmers will also feel the effects of many new government budget measures, with bailout lenders demanding an end to cheaper fuel used in agriculture, higher income tax rates, and larger advance payments on annual tax bills for the self-employed. "It's a double hit for us," said Vagelis Sikalos, manager at the Agricultural Winery Cooperative of Tirnavos, the region's largest single tsipouro producer. "It will hit consumption ... and result in the decline of this rural area, hurting jobs. A huge part of the population works in vineyards. The crisis in Greece will be magnified in Tirnavos." Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' newly re-elected government is pledging to push through a battery of cost-cutting measures over the next six weeks that will affect farmers, the health service, pension system, and public administration, in exchange for continued bailout loan payouts and rescue money for its troubled banks. Tsipras, who needs a vote of confidence from the new parliament at midnight Wednesday, has already warned the country of the tough road ahead with budget forecasts this week forecasting another two years recession and unemployment above 25 percent. Panagiotis Papras, who uses 5 hectares (12 acres) to grow wine grapes, fears the new tax increases could force local farmers to switch from growers to importers. "Grapes are the raw material. If they go, everything else follows: The winery, the jobs there, all the shops that sell tsipouro in the area. Eighty percent of the grapes grown here are used for alcohol production." Papras is the last farmer in the region to finish this year's harvest, and is helped by workers from Albania who sit on beer crates snipping grape bunches off the vines from the local red moschato and white roditis varieties. "Tsipouro is a poor man's drink. The rich would drink the wine and what was left was used to make tsipouro for everyone else. So to tax it this way is really unbelievable," he said. Despite its humble origins the word tsipouro is derived from the Turkish word for grape pomace, dating back to the time of Ottoman rule the drink is a huge source of pride here and owning a still is a symbol of status. Elderly residents often enjoy a pre-noon shot with their coffee, and the drink adds a little wobble to some of the town's cyclists. Patrons at Statiris Tavern keep the tiny bottles coming as they sit by walls decorated with old shipping paraphernalia, religious icons, and two large photographs of the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. Truck driver Constas Parakos insists the town of Tirnavos will never give up its love for the drink. "If someone can't afford three carafes, he'll buy two." he said. "Tsipouro will never disappear from Tirnavos. Elsewhere it might, but not here." __ Follow Gatopoulos at http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos
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Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday it seeks to form an independent fact-finding commission to investigate the deadly U.S. bombing of its hospital in northern Afghanistan for possible war crimes charges. The aid group, also known also as Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF, said the commission would gather evidence from the United States, NATO and Afghanistan. After that, the charity would decide whether to bring criminal charges for loss of life and damage. "If we let this go, we are basically giving a blank check to any countries at war," MSF International President Joanne Liu told reporters in Geneva. But she noted there was no commitment yet on official cooperation with an independent investigation. The U.S. air attack Saturday killed 22 patients and medical staffers, including three children, in the northern Afghanistan city of Kunduz, which had been overrun by Taliban militants. Thirty-seven people were injured, including 19 staff members, the charity said. The strike was not intended to target the hospital, a senior U.S. general said Tuesday, adding to an evolving Pentagon account. Gen. John F. Campbell, who commands U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, said that the U.S. gunship that struck the hospital acted in response to a request from Afghan troops facing a Taliban attack. [ The Pentagon's evolving response to the Afghan hospital attack ] The MSF chief Liu said in a statement that the facts and circumstances of the attack needed to be investigated independently because of "inconsistencies in the U.S. and Afghan accounts of what happened." "We cannot rely on only internal military investigations by the US, NATO and Afghan forces," she said. In the statement, Liu said the attack on the hospital was "the biggest loss of life for our organization in an airstrike" and that "tens of thousands of people in Kunduz can no longer receive medical care now when they need it most." "Our patients burned in their beds," she said. "Doctors, nurses and other staff were killed as they worked. Our colleagues had to operate on each other. One of our doctors died on an improvised operating table an office desk while his colleagues tried to save his life. "Even war has rules," the statement said. Liu said the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit attacks on hospitals in war zones, is not just "an abstract legal framework," but rather the difference between life and death for medical teams working in conflict areas. On Tuesday, General Campbell told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the United States bore ultimate responsibility for authorizing strikes on a civilian compound. "A hospital was mistakenly struck," he said. "We would never intentionally target a protected medical facility." Campbell said a full accounting of the incident would be available after a Pentagon investigation. He declined to give a timeline for that probe. But numerous questions remain about how the strike, in which an AC-130 gunship conducted repeated bombing raids on a building housing the hospital's emergency rooms and intensive care unit, could have happened. Campbell described the incident as a mistake, but he did not specify whether the American pilots had tried to hit another target and missed or whether they intended to strike the hospital building but did not know it was a medical facility. Neither have officials said whether U.S. forces violated their own rules of engagement in Afghanistan, which permit the United States to use air power in three situations: for counterterrorism operations, in self-defense or to protect Afghan forces "in extremis." In a statement released Tuesday, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said he would hold those responsible accountable. "The U.S. military takes the greatest care in our operations to prevent the loss of innocent life," Carter said. "And when we make mistakes, we own up to them." [ Afghan response to hospital bombing is muted, even sympathetic ] U.S. military officials have already revised their account. On Monday, speaking at the Pentagon, Campbell said the attack was authorized after Afghan troops, under attack by the Taliban, requested American air support. That contradicted earlier statements from Pentagon officials that the strike was ordered to protect U.S. forces on the ground who were taking direct fire from the Taliban. According to Pentagon officials, U.S. Special Operations forces were positioned in Kunduz, advising elite Afghan troops nearby, when the strike took place. It now appears that U.S. forces were not facing direct attack from the Taliban. The incident adds fuel to a debate about the future of the limited U.S. mission in Afghanistan as the White House considers further changes to its plan for bringing the U.S. military footprint to under 1,000 troops at the end of 2016. President Obama has linked his legacy to pulling U.S. forces from Afghanistan and ending America's longest war. About 9,800 U.S. troops are stationed in Afghanistan. Almost 7,000 are tasked to a multinational mission to help Afghan forces fight the Taliban, while a smaller number are part of a U.S. effort to hunt down al-Qaeda and other militants. Under questioning by lawmakers, Campbell acknowledged that he believes the current exit plan should be changed, given security conditions on the ground. [ Doctors Without Borders says U.S. airstrike hit hospital in Afghanistan ] Campbell spoke as Afghan forces struggle to fully retake Kunduz. While much of the city is now under government control, the Taliban's ability to seize a major urban area illustrates the militants' resilience despite years of assaults from NATO forces. In Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government did not deny it had requested the U.S. airstrike Saturday but said the matter was being investigated. Sayed Zafar Hashemi, a Ghani spokesman, said it would be common for the Afghan military to solicit air support from the coalition. Hashemi said most of the airstrikes that occurred in Kunduz after the Taliban overran it last week resulted from a specific request from the Afghanistan military. Saturday's incident was among the deadliest U.S. strikes to result in civilian casualties in Afghanistan. In July 2002, more than 40 people were killed and more than 100 were injured when a U.S. aircraft fired on a wedding party. The Afghan Ministry of Health issued a statement expressing its support for an independent probe. The ministry said the strike "threatens the health of millions of Afghans" because private charities are now reconsidering operating in the country. "Staff no longer feel safe in any health facility anywhere in the country," the ministry said. "And some international health organizations are questioning whether the risks of staying in the country are just too high after such an attack." [ U.S. troops dispatched to Kunduz to help Afghan forces ] Some Afghan leaders continue to defend the airstrike. Hamdullah Danishi, the acting governor of Kunduz province, said Taliban fighters had been using hospital grounds as a staging area from which to launch attacks on the provincial capital, Kunduz city. Danishi said he played no role in ordering the airstrike, but he reiterated that the area around the hospital had to be cleared of militants. "We have a military decision-making council that decides such issues," Danishi said. "I don't know if it made the request." "But if it was me," Danishi continued, "I would have ordered the airstrike." Ryan reported from Washington and Deane from London. Tim Craig and Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul and Thomas Gibbons-Neff in Washington contributed to this report. Read more: The bloody history of Kunduz, from Afghanistan's 'Convoy of Death' to now In Kunduz, echoes of a 1988 guerrilla assault after the Soviets withdrew Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
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Rafael Nadal sparked his China Open campaign into life as he stormed into the quarter-finals with a much-improved 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 victory over Canada's Vasek Pospisil on Wednesday. The 14-time Grand Slam winner had his service broken four times in the first round by China's 230th-ranked Wu Di, but he showed better signs against Pospisil, the world number 44. Spain's Nadal, groping for form after a difficult year, will now face America's Jack Sock in the last eight as he looks for a confidence-boosting fourth title of the season. Nadal also avoided joining world number five Tomas Berdych on the sidelines after the Czech, who won the rain-delayed Shenzhen Open on Monday, became the latest big name to fall in Beijing. "Every improvement is important," said Nadal. "Obviously I improved from yesterday. I played a much better match than yesterday." In their first career meeting, Nadal struggled to break down 25-year-old Pospisil in the opening set but he ran away with the tie-break to take the lead. And he never looked like relinquishing it, breaking to go 3-2 ahead in the second set and sealing it on his second match point with a raking cross-court forehand, celebrating with his familiar fist-pump. Air pollution which had hovered at hazardous levels magically lifted by the end of eighth-ranked Nadal's match, and his spirits would have risen too as he aims to fight his way back to the top. "Every victory gives me opportunities to keep practising the things that I need to practice," said Nadal. "Practising outside of the competition is very important, but at the end you have to compete well. Every match is an opportunity for me." - 'Worst season ever' - Earlier, and in much smoggier conditions, Berdych and Caroline Wozniacki both lost their way at a tournament which is proving a graveyard for senior players. Second seed Berdych never hit his stride against Uruguay's 37th-ranked Pablo Cuevas as he was dumped out 6-4, 6-4 to become the rollercoaster tournament's latest upset. "I made one tournament title. The other one didn't go my way," shrugged the Czech. Later former world number one Wozniacki was brutally disposed of by Angelique Kerber 6-2, 6-3 in a defeat which ended her hopes of reaching the year-ending WTA Finals. "I'm going home. I'm trying to catch a flight that is in a couple of hours," said Wozniacki, who was in no mood to hang around after her defeat. Andrea Petkovic was also bundled out by Sara Errani 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, compounding a tough season which has included food poisoning, injury and a first-round defeat last week in Wuhan. "After Wuhan, I said to my coach, this is the worst season I've ever played. That was my assessment after Wuhan. But I guess I was quite emotional after losing in first round," she said. It was a different story for Garbine Muguruza, who retired from last week's Wuhan final against Venus Williams with an ankle problem but bounced back to beat Irina Falconi 6-2, 6-1. The Spaniard, nicknamed "Mushroom" by Beijing fans because her name sounds like "mushroom" in Chinese, will now qualify for the WTA Finals if she wins her next match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska set up a quarter-final with Kerber after Madison Keys retired after their first set, becoming the sixth player to withdraw mid-match.
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Four people were arrested in Australia on Wednesday over the terror-linked murder of a police employee after coordinated raids by more than 200 officers on properties across Sydney. Those seized in the dawn operation were aged between 16 and 22 and face questioning over Friday's killing of Curtis Cheng outside New South Wales state police headquarters in the city's west. Farhad Jabar, 15, who authorities said was born in Iran of Iraqi and Kurdish background and had no previous criminal history, shot the 58-year-old in the back of the head while reportedly shouting religious slogans. The teenager was gunned down in an exchange of fire with police special constables soon after. Reports said the homes of three of the men arrested on Wednesday were previously targeted in Australia's biggest counter-terrorism raids a year ago. New South Wales Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn confirmed some of those detained were known to police but declined to elaborate on their connection to Jabar. "Time will clearly tell about what their associations may have been leading up to the events on Friday," she said, adding that Jabar had not been on their radar. "We have a great deal of information that we have to actually go through. Whether or not they inspired it, I don't know at this particular point in time." Asked if police were working under the assumption that the teenager did not act alone, she replied: "We definitely have our suspicion he did not act alone." On Tuesday, a student who attended the same school as Jabar was arrested and charged over alleged posts on social media threatening police, with his home searched and two laptops seized. He was also charged with assaulting and intimidating police and resisting arrest when he was stopped on his way to Arthur Phillip High School, close to where the shooting took place. The 17-year-old, who has not been named, was given strict conditional bail and will face a children's court on November 9. Earlier police said that five suspects had been arrested, but later changed the number to four. - Horrendous act of violence - Investigators have yet to establish why Cheng, a police accountant, was targeted, although Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said the attack "appears to have been an act of terrorism". Burn confirmed it was being treated as such. "It's difficult because we don't really know the motivation of the 15-year-old," she said. "However, what we are investigating is a terrorism offence. "So what we would suggest and we suspect is that there was some influence, whether it was ideologically, religious or politically motivated, that determined and influenced the 15-year-old to go and commit this horrendous act of violence." Authorities on Sunday searched a mosque Jabar is believed to have attended with police saying some of those arrested Wednesday also used the facility. Canberra is concerned about the prospect of lone-wolf attacks by individuals inspired by groups such as Islamic State, and has cracked down on Australians attempting to travel to conflict zones including Syria and Iraq. The country lifted its terror threat alert to high a year ago, introduced new national security laws and has conducted several counter-terrorism raids to address the concerns. In September 2014, Melbourne police shot dead a "known terror suspect" who stabbed two officers, just one day after IS militants called for Muslims to indiscriminately kill Australians. And in December, Iranian-born self-styled cleric Man Haron Monis and two hostages were killed following a 17-hour siege at a central Sydney cafe. Justice Minister Michael Keenan said the government was working hard to stop young people becoming influenced by radical extremism. "We are working to try and divert people if we think they are falling under the spell of ISIL in the Middle East," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Wednesday, using another name for IS.
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Former NBA All-Star Shaquille O'Neal's two sons showed off their basketball skills with this awesome alley-oop.
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Eleven crew members have been rescued after a cargo ship and a gas tanker collided off the Belgian coast. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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A high school freshman will probably never forget this unbelievable catch from over the weekend.
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STORRS, Conn. A University of Connecticut student faces criminal charges over a confrontation with a campus food court manager who wouldn't let him buy macaroni and cheese with bacon and jalapeno peppers. A 9-minute, obscenity-laced video clip posted online shows freshman Luke Gatti arguing with and eventually shoving the manager inside the university's student union in Storrs on Sunday night. Police and the manager said Gatti had been refused service for carrying an open alcohol container. The video shows the apparently intoxicated 19-year-old questioning why in America he can't have beer in the building. He uses a gay slur against the manager and repeatedly demands, "Just give me some (expletive) bacon-jalapeno mac and cheese." After shoving the manager, Gatti is tackled by another employee, is arrested by a police officer and spits at the manager before being led out of the building. Gatti, who's from Bayville, New York, did not return a phone call or an email seeking comment. He's charged with breach of peace and criminal trespass and is due in court on Oct. 13. Federal privacy laws prevent UConn from commenting on whether Gatti faces any university sanctions, UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said. "Generally speaking," she said, "any UConn student found to have violated the provisions of the Student Code may face penalties imposed by the Division of Student Affairs that range from probation to expulsion." Gatti was previously a student at the University of Massachusetts and was twice arrested last year on disorderly conduct charges, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts. During one of those arrests, he was accused of using a racial slur against a police officer, court filings show.
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Thousands of people joined Yoko Ono in Central Park on Tuesday to try to set a world record for largest group of human bodies forming a peace sign. Lennon would have turned 75 on Friday. (Oct. 6)
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While Air France boss calls violence 'unacceptable', French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said that France was 'in shock' after protesters against a restructuring plan attacked the company's head of human resources.
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The Cowboys have a rough time lately, but owner Jerry Jones has some good news about Dez Bryant.
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It was like someone offering a drink of water right as your thirst begins to overwhelm you in the desert. Dan Campbell was asked for a blueprint of the football team he would build as the Dolphins' new interim head coach, and his response was an emotion-oozing rant that sent chills down the spine. His words were bold, energetic, aggressive, and in your face. He was borderline combative during his introductory news conference Monday. Those words were - and he is - everything former coach Joe Philbin isn't. "My vision is [to have] a bunch of hard-nosed guys," said Campbell, who played tight end for 11 years in the NFL and was primarily known for his blocking. "These are guys that are [going to be] scratching and clawing," Campbell said waving his hands with each syllable. At one point, I thought Campbell was about to begin foaming at the mouth. Someone hand the man his helmet and see if he can serve as the Dolphins' much-needed fullback, too. "Let me not go that far into it," Campbell said, trying to pause his excitement for a second. "A team that's not playing conservative or not holding back worrying about, 'Am I a little too close to the quarterback?' or 'Should I hit him like this?' We're going to play by the rules, but we're going to be much more aggressive. We're going to walk that line," Campbell continued. "I'm not saying we want dirty players, but we are going to walk that line. "I want us pulling the trigger. I don't want us playing conservative. I don't want us playing on our heels. I want us playing on our toes, and we're going forward, and we're going through you. That's the mentality." All of this is refreshing to hear. Problem is, I've got a ton of doubt it can be executed in one week, or one month, much less one season. You don't instantly flip a switch and go from finesse to physical when Campbell oversees his first practice Wednesday morning. Philbin spent years banishing and caging the dogs on his roster, and now Campbell wants them to bite everyone? These Dolphins had become soft, lost their edge under Philbin, who has the personality of a saltine cracker, minus the salt. It's hard to imagine Campbell's Rex Ryan impersonation is all of a sudden going to add some jalapeno kick to this team. But that's clearly his intent, and his aggressive personality is exactly why the franchise's decision-makers chose him over other assistants. Changing that conservative nature is certainly needed, and it starts with instructing the quarterback and offensive coordinator to be more aggressive in the passing game. Nobody is saying Ryan Tannehill should be throwing nothing but deep balls all game long, but it would be nice if his passes went further than 3-yards downfield more than half the time. If Campbell doesn't want the defense to play on its heels, how about unleashing the defensive linemen to get up field instead of having them occupy space on most snaps. I understand that might require a better linebacker roaming the middle on running downs, but there happens to be a pretty decent NFL starter named Brandon Spikes who just finished a four-game NFL imposed suspension and is looking for work. Spikes, who has started 49 games for the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills in his five seasons since leaving the University of Florida, might be a liability on passing downs, and he's potential trouble off the field. But he's also a heat-seeking missile when it comes to sniffing out and destroying the run. The Dolphins could surely use someone like that, considering they're allowing a league-high 160 rushing yards per game. The Dolphins have talked about staying committed to their running game every week, but they have abandoned it early as a result of the team's consistent slow starts. Running the ball effectively has as much to do with mental toughness as it does physical prowess, and the 2015 Dolphins haven't showcased either. What's even more problematic is the fact the offensive guards have struggled in the first month of the season, and the Dolphins haven't explored any alternatives to starting Dallas Thomas and Jamil Douglas. Billy Turner and Sam Brenner haven't been allowed to compete for the starting spots, and that needs to change. Campbell says it will, but it will be interesting to see how he balances that with what management wants, which is to play the young, promising draft picks - like safety Walt Aikens - over the scrappy NFL mutts like Michael Thomas, who can potentially get the job done better. Dolphins owner Steve Ross says he thinks Campbell can run his own show, and he will get whatever resources he needs to turn this franchise around. Maybe this time everyone involved will back up their talk with some action, ending South Florida's thirst for a respectable, and maybe even a winning, football team.
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BOSTON Months after winning a national title, Harvard's debate team has fallen to a group of New York inmates. The showdown took place at the Eastern New York Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison where convicts can take courses taught by faculty from nearby Bard College, and where inmates have formed a popular debate club. Last month, they invited the Ivy League undergraduates and this year's national debate champions over for a friendly competition. The Harvard debate team also was crowned world champions in 2014. But the inmates are building a reputation of their own. In the two years since they started a debate club, the prisoners have beaten teams from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and the University of Vermont. The competition with West Point, which is now an annual affair, has grown into a rivalry. At Bard, those who help teach the inmates aren't particularly surprised by their success. "Students in the prison are held to the exact same standards, levels of rigor and expectation as students on Bard's main campus," said Max Kenner, executive director of the Bard Prison Initiative, which operates in six New York prisons. "Those students are serious. They are not condescended to by their faculty." Students on the Harvard team weren't immediately available for comment, but shortly after the loss, they posted a comment on a team Facebook page. "There are few teams we are prouder of having lost a debate to than the phenomenally intelligent and articulate team we faced this weekend," they wrote. "And we are incredibly thankful to Bard and the Eastern New York Correctional Facility for the work they do and for organizing this event." Against Harvard, the inmates were tasked with defending a position they opposed: They had to argue that public schools should be allowed to turn away students whose parents entered the U.S. illegally. The inmates brought up arguments that the Harvard team hadn't considered. Three students from Harvard's team responded, and a panel of neutral judges declared the inmates victorious. "The fact that we won is nice, but it isn't the most important thing," said Kenner, adding that the club is meant to help students articulate what they've learned. Inmates can earn various degrees through the initiative, which is taught primarily by Bard faculty. About 15 percent of the all-male inmates at the Eastern New York Correctional Facility in Napanoch are enrolled. Graduates of the program have continued their studies at Yale and Columbia universities, Kenner said. While in prison, they learn without the help of the Internet, relying instead on resources provided by the college. "They make the most of every opportunity they have," Kenner said.
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Would you share your home with a robot or work side by side with one? People are starting to do both, which has put the relationship we have with them under the spotlight and exposed both our love and fear of the machines that are increasingly becoming a crucial part of our lives. In Japan they grow so attached to their robot dogs that they hold funerals for them when they "die". Sony, the firm that began making the popular Aibo toys in 1999, decided to stop offering repairs in 2014, meaning once they broke down they were fit only for the scrapheap. But people weren't willing to throw them in the rubbish bin, wanting instead to say goodbye to them in the same way you would to a human or pet. Growing irrationally attached to machines is a common human trait as Kate Darling, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, found out when she started a workshop asking people to torture the loveable robotic dinosaur toy Pleo. "People wouldn't do it. We had to threaten that we'd destroy the dinosaurs if they didn't," she said. She isn't a sadist - the workshop was an experiment to try and unpick why it is that people grow so attached to a machine. In the last year she has conducted more such experiments in the lab, asking people to hit robots with mallets and finding similar resistance. So why do people find it so difficult to be mean to a machine? "We have a natural tendency to anthropomorphise everything and we are hardwired to respond to lifelike movement. We project intent on to it and social robots that mimic our movements, sounds, we subconsciously associate with emotions and feelings," Ms Darling told the BBC. Cute robots It is a trait that those in the robotics industry are keen to exploit and much of the focus of mass-market robots is on making them as cute and non-threatening as possible. Humanoid robots are everywhere. Go along to a robot convention and even the most machine-like bots will be wearing T-shirts or have makeshift faces in order to make them more sympathetic. Pepper, a robotic companion that recently went on sale in Japan, is the ultimate in cute-looking robots. It is also hardwired to understand human emotions. In order to allow it to decode emotions, Pepper is played a video of someone speaking nonsense first angrily and then happily so that it will recognise the different voice patterns. Vincent Clerc, who led the project to design Pepper, told a recent conference in Grenoble: "We want people to be emotionally connected and involved with robots. We don't want a robot to be a simple machine like a vacuum cleaner. If you are tired, you look tired. And you want a robot that recognises when you look tired." Gender worries Making robots more human-like often means assigning them a gender and this could be creating the next big battlefield in the industry, thinks Prof Kathleen Richardson, a robot ethicist from De Montfort University in Leicester. "Male robots tend to be explorer robots or war robots whereas female robots are attractive and play roles in the service industry as receptionists or waitresses," she said. "Ask the scientists behind them why they have assigned a particular gender and they will say there was no deliberate intent but that is not true, it is not innocent. It is a decision taken with their own experience of the world." Ms Darling is similarly frustrated by the gender stereotypes in robotics and AI (artificial intelligence). A recent visit to Austin, Texas to see IBM's cognitive AI platform Watson - named after the male first chief executive of IBM - left her angry. "There was a second AI in the room. It just turned on the lights and greeted visitors and it had a female voice - it drove me crazy," she said. Those who create robots need to think much more about the gender and look of the robots they are designing in order not to "further entrench current stereotypes", she said. Fictional robots The concept of a thinking machine has been around for thousands of years and is something humans seem obsessed with - from the Greek myth of Pygmalion, a statue brought to life, through to the automata of Victorian society, we have long dreamed of putting human characteristics into machines. And when we do - in books, films and TV shows - the machines usually turn bad. From Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey to 2015 film Ex Machina, we clearly have little trust that machines will be loyal to us. So why do we fictionalise robots in our own image and then have them betray us? Jodi Forlizzi, from the US Human-Computer Interaction Institute, puts it down to human nature. "I think we create narratives and stories about everything in the world: people, robots, spirits, zombies, etcetera that set us in opposition to them," she told the BBC. When hitchhiking robot hitchBOT set out on a journey across America to test our relationship with machines, it quickly found out how mean humans can be. Its trip ended abruptly in San Francisco where it was smashed to pieces. Either an example of the human tendency to destroy what it doesn't understand or mindless vandalism, depending on your point of view. Its creators posted after its demise that "its love for humans will never fade" but can we ever reciprocate this loyalty? Ryan Cato, professor of law at the University of Washington, thinks that we will accept robots into our homes, offices and cars because their usefulness will outweigh any doubts we have about them Whether society can draw up rules for how we treat them is less clear, he thinks. "These robots feel like people to us and there is nothing in law to deal with that relationship between a human and a thing. We are in a weird netherworld," he said. Ultimately it could be humans that lose out, he warns. "These devices may make our lives better but they are also always passively listening to you and they have a physiological presence. "They will be in our cars, in our homes and you will never feel alone which is never a good thing, either psychologically or spiritually."
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Before even taking the field on Tuesday for a 4 0 win over Panama, the United States knew it had won its Olympic qualifying group. The result gave the Americans a perfect record in the preliminary round, and they moved on to face the second-place team from the opposite group in a decisive Saturday semifinal. The U.S. scored three quick goals in the second half to seal the result and a nine-point performance in Group A. Gboly Ariyibi induced an own goal from Fidel Escobar in the 51st minute before Jordan Morris and Jerome Kiesewetter, both off the bench at halftime, combined twice in the 53rd and 56th to kill off the game. Luis Gil added a penalty in the 71st minute to cap it. Panamanian goalkeeper Elieser Powell made a couple of important early stops, including an impressive double-save that required him to get up quickly after a save on Maki Tall to tip Gedion Zelalem's follow-up effort over the bar. Panama looked better in possession in the first half, spurred by the knowledge that it needed to win by three or more goals to qualify for the second round. • All of Sports Illustrated's USA Mexico CONCACAF playoff coverage The U.S.'s quick outburst quashed those hopes, as Los Canaleros couldn't score seven goals in the final half-hour to overturn the result. Mexico plays Honduras on Wednesday to decide which team the U.S. will face next; El Tri and Los Catrachos are currently tied with six points atop Group B. Here are three thoughts on the U.S.'s last match before the semifinals: 1. Andreas Herzog's experimental lineup holds its own without impressing With Canada's 2 2 draw against Cuba immediately preceding the U.S.'s match in Denver, the top spot in the group was secure before the ball rolled off the kickoff. As such, the pressure was off the Americans to get any sort of result against Panama, and Herzog played a largely changed lineup from the 6 1 win over Cuba . Of course, he couldn't have known for sure what the result would be, so it's likely he planned the lineup in advance, and it just happened to work out that way. Still, only four players were repeat starters from the Cuba thrashing (captain Gil, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Matt Polster and Boyd Okwuonu), with the other seven hoping to earn their places with the first-choice group for the semifinals and, ultimately, the Olympics. Surprisingly, Zelalem looks to be on the fringe after an impressive U-20 World Cup, not helped by a poor first match and being benched for the second with the U-23s. Herzog also shifted his team from a 4-4-2 with twin strikers Morris and Kiesewetter and toward a 4-3-3 with just Maki Tall as the target man. It didn't quite work out, as the U.S. couldn't string much possession together in the first half despite the dominant final score. 2. Morris and Kiesewetter have been a formidable strike pairing Those aforementioned strikers, Morris and Kiesewetter, immediately changed the game when they came on at halftime. Unlike the tenuous presence the U.S. had in the attack in the first half, with just Tall to occupy the center backs, Morris and Kiesewetter cutting in from the right wing but often occupying central spaces created chances immediately. The U.S. scored three times in the first 11 minutes after the restart, with them playing a role in each goal. Both were available in the penalty area had Ariyibi's cross not been deflected for an own goal, they combined on the second and third and Kiesewetter drew the penalty for the fourth. • USA's road to the Olympics: USA tops Canada in style | USA routs Cuba The creative midfielders were expected to impress, but they have been largely flat, leaving much of the attacking impetus to the front men. Despite the caveats that it's just the U-23s and their opponents haven't been on the level they will face next summer in Rio, Kiesewetter and Morris have been the revelation of the U.S. effort so far, each scoring three goals in the group stage. 3. Winning the group is no guarantee, but it's a great start The U.S. made the 1992, 2000 and 2008 Olympics after winning its group in qualifying (and also qualified as the host in 1996), but that doesn't mean it will waltz through the next match in Salt Lake. Especially if Mexico ends up as the second-placed team from the opposite group, it will be a true battle for one of the automatic spots in next summer's tournament. In 2004, the U.S. won Group A only to meet Mexico in the semifinal and lose by a convincing 4 0 score. However, that tournament was held in Guadalajara, Mexico, giving El Tri the advantage of playing at home. For a couple reasons besides home cooking, the U.S. has more of an advantage this time should they meet again. First is the extra day of rest, as the U.S. and Canada get three full days, while Mexico and Honduras only have two. Also, Mexico's match will be a test and a likely emotionally draining battle between two teams hoping to draw a weaker Canadian side in the semifinals. Whichever team the U.S. ends up playing, it could well work in the Americans' favor that they had such a relaxed match on Tuesday, while the others had to play full-strength lineups and give maximum effort to jockey for optimal positioning. Photos: United States soccer fans throughout the years
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Wedbush Securities analyst Nick Setyan, and Stock Market Mentor President Dan Fitzpatrick, debate whether all-day breakfast has the power to save McDonald's.
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ORLANDO, Fla. George Zimmerman has posted a letter on his Twitter account claiming that he didn't intentionally retweet a photo of Trayvon Martin's dead body. Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in 17-year-old Martin's shooting death, so when a crime scene photo of the dead teen appeared on his Twitter profile in late September many people online were outraged. In a letter posted Monday, Zimmerman says that the photo in the original tweet was marked as "sensitive" so it didn't automatically display and he retweeted the message, which said "Z-man is a one man army," without seeing the image. "The image of the body was blocked on my twitter feed and all twitter feeds," the letter, embedded below, reads. "Until the user chose to click on the blocked image warning it does not show the image. I did not click on the blocked image and preview it prior to re-tweeting it." A Twitter representative told The Daily Dot that his explanation is plausible. He doesn't apologize in the letter, but Zimmerman does say he doesn't want to relive the night he killed Martin and that he will never tweet images of him or his family. "As many have learned about me throughout my trial and subsequent events, I hold my Christian values very close," Zimmerman writes. "I believe that me knowingly re-tweeting that image, would not be looked upon favorably by God; therefore I would not do it." While his profile doesn't show pictures of Martin, he does often mock the time President Barack Obama said "if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." Zimmerman has made headlines several times since his acquittal in July 2013. Aside from run-ins with the law, he's known for tweeting controversial remarks, trolling his critics and posting racially insensitive material.
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Masses of fire ants have been seen alive and well, floating atop the flood waters in South Carolina.
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This just in! Retail therapy actually works! We love to give you tips and tricks to make sure you are the happiest & healthiest you can be. So here is one more, and it just may be our favorite. In this brand new episode of You Should Know, Lucia explains how shopping really can improve your well being. Even if you don't buy anything, the positive effects are still there. So tell your husband or wife you don't necessarily have to spend money... even though it's more fun that way :) 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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Most of us think of germs as 'dirty' and dangerous. But as you've probably heard, you're crawling with bugs, and these microbes are crucial for digestion, skin health, and immunity. People now know to take it easy on antibiotics and eat lots of fermented foods, but our squeaky-clean lifestyle is still a big problem, says Robynne Chutkan, MD, the founder of the Digestive Center for Women in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and author of The Microbiome Solution . Why? Regular contact with dirt and grime teaches your microbiome how to recognize friendly germs versus foes, Dr. Chutkan explains. She gave us some tips for swapping out our super clean lifestyle for one that's filled with more bugs. RELATED: 13 Best Foods for Your Gut Health First things first, what's wrong with soap? There's a role for the occasional bar of soap when we're particularly grubby, but a mild soap made from organic ingredients, rather than anti-bacterial soaps that are often full of harsh chemicals, is definitely the way to go. By scouring ourselves in the shower every day, we are actually stripping our skin of bacteria that keep us acne- and eczema-free. Unless you've just finished a Mud Run, the only places that need daily soaping are your armpits and groin. The rest of your body does fine with a rinse even after a sweaty workout. Dirt doesn't cause disease but repeatedly killing off the good bacteria on our skin may actually harm our immunity. Think about that the next time you swap a little bit of dirt for some body wash. RELATED: 9 Probiotic Foods That Aren't Yogurt What is one thing that most people do in terms of cleanliness that is unnecessary? Harsh hand sanitizers! Unless you've been hanging out on an Ebola ward, the vast majority of microbes on your skin and hands are not virulent germs that cause serious infection; they're harmless bacteria that won't hurt you. Even during cold and flu season? Yes, you should take a bit more precaution when your co-workers are coughing and sneezing non-stop. But you still don't need anti-bacterial soaps and cleansers; those work against bacteria, and the common cold and flu is caused by a virus. All that's necessary during cold and flu season is regularly washing hands with all-natural soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. This dislodges viruses and bacteria, so they wash down the drain, whereas antibacterial soaps expose you to antibiotics you don't need in your life. What are some other ways we can "live dirty" in our everyday lives? Like I said before, rinse with just water in the tub or shower, and skip the antibacterial soaps and shampoos. Also, spending just one day on a farm can better your microbiome. So volunteer at a community garden, or simply sit in the grass at the park. Even little things can do a lot over time. Open a window in your house or car to let some good microbes in. Buy food from the farmer's market that you know is grown in real soil, rather than produced in a factory. Try to keep in mind that in general, soil-derived microbes are good! RELATED: The Gentler Way to Kill Germs
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Several common drugs used to treat psychiatric disorders have been found to greatly increase a person's risk of developing dementia. In their new study, clinicians from the American College of Osteopathic Neurologists and Psychiatrists found a substantial body of evidence linking benzodiazepines to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline. Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that affect the central nervous system and are often used to reduce anxiety, panic disorders, insomnia, and prevent seizures. The most common forms on the market now are Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, and Xanax , which were first approved in the 1960s as a safer alternative to barbiturates. Since then, benzodiazepines have been linked to a multitude of adverse effects, including respiratory depression, slowed heart rate, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypotension. New psychiatric protocols dictate that physicians should not prescribe benzodiazepines as a primary treatment for insomnia, anxiety , post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, some physicians continue to prescribe these drugs for prolonged periods, despite evidence suggesting that the longer a patient is on this medication, the greater their chance of developing dementia or Alzheimer's. "Current research is extremely clear and physicians need to partner with their patients to move them into therapies, like anti-depressants, that are proven to be safer and more effective," said Dr. Helene Alphonso, director of Osteopathic Medical Education at North Texas University, in a recent press release . For their study, the researchers looked at existing evidence about benzodiazepines' link to dementia. One of the studies they looked at comprised 9,000 elderly Canadian patients prescribed the class of drugs for certain periods of time. The researchers ultimately found that those who took benzodiazepines for three months or less had the same risk of developing dementia as those who never took the drug before. However, when three months extended to six, the risk of developing Alzheimer's increased by 32 percent. And any time over six months increased risk to 84 percent. Alphonso's team also observed similar results in a French study looking specifically at more than 1,000 elderly patients. In light of the team's findings, Alphonso cautions that benzodiazepine use in adults 65 and older must be limited because this group is especially prone to falls, injuries, and accidental overdose when prescribed the medication. The study also notes that the American Geriatric Society labeled the drug an "inappropriate" treatment for insomnia, agitation, and delirium. "It's imperative to transition older patients because we're seeing a very strong correlation between use of benzodiazepines and development of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias," Alphonso said. "While correlation certainly isn't causation, there's ample reason to avoid this class of drug as a first-line therapy." Source: Alphosno H, et al. American Osteopathic Association OMED 2015 meeting.
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The mother of the Oregon shooter bragged online about her stash of guns. CNN Sara Sidner reports.
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More than 500 million people have been lifted out of poverty since China's economic reforms began in 1978.
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Kylie Jenner with Caitlyn Jenner Kylie Jenner wishes Caitlyn Jenner could have attended her high school graduation party. The 18-year-old reality TV star was disappointed that the former Olympian, who was known as Bruce Jenner before undergoing gender transition in May, wasn't invited to the lavish bash at her mother Kris Jenner's house in Calabasas, California in July to celebrate her and sister Kendall Jenner completing their education, but insists she "respected [her] mom's decision" to host the event alone. In a new post on her website and app, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star wrote: "Some people made a big deal about the fact that my dad wasn't included in that graduation party my mom threw for Kendall and I, and I did miss Caitlyn being there." Kylie admits Caitlyn, 65, "was a huge part" of her school life and "would drive me 45 mins to and from every day." While she wishes Caitlyn, who split from Kris in 2013 after 22 years of marriage, "could have been there" for the party, she added: "It's understandable why she wasn't [at the party] and I respected my mom's decision about it." Caitlyn recently admitted to Kris during a clip for their E! series that it felt like a "slap in the face" to be excluded from the party. But her ex-wife, 59, responded: "Listen, usually people who get a divorce don't do everything together. It wasn't malicious."
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Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were not invited to her daughter's secret wedding, even though Tom paid for it!
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Lady Gaga confessed she likes to watch her sultry sex scenes in "American Horror Story: Hotel" so she can make them look more authentic. The singer is among the newcomers joining the cast for the latest installment of the TV thriller franchise, and in addition to her role as the owner of the cursed hotel, she also shares steamy love scenes with multiple characters. But Gaga says baring it all was not a big deal for her, especially if she could learn from watching herself on screen and work to make the scenes more believable, Gaga also revealed "Those scenes, it's an opportunity to be fearless."
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PHILADELPHIA - So many of the offensive line's breakdowns through the first quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles' season have been mental, not physical. That's what's so maddening to the players, whose frustrations have been compounded by the fact that on some plays they just can't find someone or the right opponent to thump. As a result, you see one or two of them in the open field, looking around to see what happened behind them. Every game has started this way, until adjustments are made and most of the mistakes up front are eliminated, which explains how much better the Eagles offense has been in the second half in three of their four contests. Now, as they enter the second quarter of this marathon war of attrition known as the NFL regular season, it threatens to become a recreation of the Bataan Death March for the offensive line. Already dangerously thin to start the season, the Eagles lined up in practice on Tuesday with just one starter, center Jason Kelce, left from opening day less than a month earlier. Sidelined indefinitely are starting tackles Jason Peters (quad) and Lane Johnson (knee) and left guard Allen Barbre (ankle). Sidelined for the season is right guard Andrew Gardner (foot). Malcolm Bunche, a rookie out of UCLA who is on the practice squad, was the first-team right tackle for Tuesday's practice. Matt Tobin was on the other side, with Dennis Kelly and Josh Andrews manning the guard spots. So thin has this line become that the Eagles might actually have to make two roster moves to give themselves seven healthy players, the basic minimum requirement for this position group, for Sunday's home game against the New Orleans Saints. When Peters was forced out of last Sunday's game after only six plays, it affected two positions because the coaching staff believes Tobin, who had originally replaced Gardner at right guard, was best-suited to play left tackle. So he moved there while Kelly was plugged in at right guard. New players in new spots no doubt added to the confusion. "It's definitely hard to [adjust] in the middle of a game," Johnson said, "but that's part of it. Moving forward, we only have a slight few guys, so we're going to have to roll with it." Plus, the problems with not being on the same page existed long before the first injury, according to Kelce. "That's a little bit of it, but I mean we've struggled all season long," he said. "We struggled with the guys we planned to be out there starting in the very first game. ... I don't think [injuries are] anything to put blame on. I think that, quite frankly, we just haven't gotten it done." What Kelce and everyone else in the locker room knows is that if the offensive line can become at least adequate again, the Eagles should have no trouble getting back into winning habits, despite a lengthy injury list that continues to grow on defense. "The defense is doing an outstanding job for us," he said. "The special teams, for the most part, are doing a great job for us. Really the only reason we're losing football games right now is because of offensive mistakes, penalties and not being able to run-block well. "I don't think there's any one reason why it's not getting better. I just think that everybody needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror, focus on what you need to get better at and come out here with a purpose during the week to get better." Now they're facing more adjustments with presumably lesser talent as they prepare for the Saints, who also are 1-3. However, their one win came Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. That's no easy task. "You go through a whole week of training, you get in a rhythm with playing with everyone," Kelly said. "But fortunately [Peters' injury] happened early in the game. It is unfortunate because you have to change your focus, like, 'OK, I have to work with this guy now.' And you have to understand how different guys work together, different types of players." Another part is adjusting technique within the game. Last Sunday, for instance, the plan was for Johnson to jump athletic linebacker Ryan Kerrigan as much as possible in pass protection instead of playing vertical sets. But the Redskins anticipated that and made them pay early. "They saw me do it in the Jets game [the week before]," Johnson said. "The whole Jet game, I got on my guy so quick, he couldn't do nothing. So I think they were taught as soon as, in play-action, any time I was to step out, they were taught to cut in. They did the same thing to Tobin on the other side." It forced the Eagles to adjust back, but the bottom line was that they went to the break trailing 13-0 and now are desperate to put together a complete game for the first time since last November, when they demolished the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. An offensive line that plays with better cohesion would be the biggest component. But given all the injuries, that might be too much to ask until all the new players can get their feet under them and then adjust their heads accordingly.
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The Turkish government has entered damage control mode after the release this weekend of images that appear to show authorities dragging the body of a dead Kurdish man by the neck behind an armored vehicle. The disturbing images have garnered coverage in top international news outlets . And the Turkish government's response has been nearly as disquieting as the images themselves. Pro-government media in the country initially questioned the authenticity of the images and video, which have spread widely on social media in recent days. But many media sources eventually abandoned that line of argument, instead suggesting that dragging Kurdish people through the street is an acceptable way of making sure there are no bombs on the bodies -- implying that handling corpses in such a way is justified at a time when the government has renewed hostilities with the armed, outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkish pro-gov't accounts and media went from denying the initial pic to claiming it was photoshop to body was being "checked for bombs". + Zeynep Tufekci (@zeynep) October 5, 2015 That rationale is absurd even on its own terms: If there was a bomb on the body, dragging it through the streets would presumably be the last thing a government would want to do, unless the goal was to injure the people in the streets or the officers in the vehicle. Now, though, Turkish leaders are promising an investigation -- just not the kind you might expect. "It is unacceptable to treat any corpse this way, even if it is a dead terrorist," Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told Turkish media Monday . "Our interior ministry... will conduct a comprehensive investigation, not into the incident itself, but into the way in which this incident was reflected to the world." (The Guardian notes that Davutoglu did "not explicitly [confirm] the veracity of the video and photographs" of the body.) Photos first began surfacing on Twitter from pro-Kurdish accounts over the weekend. (Note: Some readers may find these images upsetting.) TURKISH RACIST HATRED of Kurds. Last night in Sirnak dead body dragged through the streets by the army. @alextomo pic.twitter.com/ihFXquZrej @Hevallo (@Hevallo) October 4, 2015 According to Turkish media , the victim was Haci Lokman Birlik, a Kurd with family ties to the pro-Kurdish HDP party. Violence in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast has reached devastating levels since the latest government-PKK conflict, recalling the bloodbaths of the 1990s. Fighting between security forces and PKK fighters erupted anew in July, as a two-year cease-fire crumbled after the PKK killed two police officers in apparent retaliation for an Islamic State-linked attack on volunteers hoping to bring aid to Syrian Kurds. Ankara has since launched air strikes against the PKK in Turkey and Iraq as the PKK has killed dozens of police officers and soldiers. The clashes have squelched any hope of a peace process between Ankara and the PKK in the near future. Turkish President Recep Erdogan's allies suffered a stinging defeat in recent elections, as some typically conservative Kurdish voters joined with secular Turks to rebuke Erdogan's party, the AKP. Erdogan has since used the specter of the PKK to wage war against the Kurdish region of the country, in a move that Turkey watchers say is intended to win him votes from ultra-nationalist Turks and fracture the nascent coalition of urban Turks and rural Kurds that routed him at the polls. After launching his assault, Erdogan called for new elections, which will be held Nov. 1. Max Hoffman, a Turkey analyst at the Center for American Progress, told The WorldPost he believes the controversy over the images spells trouble for Erdogan's hopes to bolster anti-Kurdish sentiment and win a November victory. "While many Kurds will tell you this sort of thing happens all the time and just doesn't get out, images do tend to take on more power than mere verbal/written accounts," Hoffman wrote in an email. "I think this is a meaningful moment." He noted that the photograph suggests an ugly racial aspect to the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government. "I think most reasonable Turkish citizens (Kurdish or not) see that image and are sickened," Hoffman wrote. "We don't yet know the full story of how the man died, but the image undermines the government claims that they are conducting a professional and proportionate counter-terrorism operation. The image looks like a lynching and, indeed, it's hard not to see a racial component to that sort of action -- it wasn't enough to kill the man for security or political reasons, they had to desecrate his body." Turkey's concerns over the Kurds have proven challenging for the U.S., which seeks to work with Kurds in Iraq and Syria to combat the Islamic State group -- but can hardly back away from its NATO ally Turkey. Sophia Jones contributed to this report from Istanbul.
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He was later fired from his job.
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Thanks to six scoreless innings from Dallas Keuchel and homers from Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez, the Astros got a 3-0 win over the Yankees in Tuesday's Wild Card matchup.
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The weather is cooling just as futbol is heating up. With fall upon us we update the Power Rankings and full season projections for the top five European soccer leagues as well as the MLS English Premier League The Blues are on top again. Man City has a chance to extend its Premier League lead with four consecutive homes games. Manchester City is the favorite to win it all and by double-digit points. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Manchester City 2 Arsenal FC 3 Manchester Utd 4 Southampton FC 5 West Ham Utd 6 Tottenham Hotspur 7 Chelsea FC 8 Crystal Palace 9 Everton FC 10 Leicester City 11 Liverpool FC 12 Swansea City 13 Stoke City 14 West Bromwich Albion 15 Aston Villa 16 Newcastle Utd 17 Sunderland AFC 18 Bournemouth AFC 19 Norwich City 20 Watford FC Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Manchester City 27.1 5.1 5.8 87.1 Arsenal FC 22.1 8.7 7.2 73.5 Manchester Utd 20.9 9.4 7.8 70.5 Southampton FC 19.8 10.2 8 67.4 West Ham Utd 19 11.7 7.3 64.3 Tottenham Hotspur 18.5 11.6 8 63.5 Chelsea FC 18.5 12.1 7.4 62.9 Crystal Palace 17.4 12.4 8.2 60.4 Everton FC 17.4 12.6 8.1 60.3 Leicester City 17.6 13.2 7.2 60 Liverpool FC 15.6 13.7 8.7 55.5 Swansea City 15.5 14.2 8.3 54.8 Stoke City 14.9 14.6 8.5 53.2 West Bromwich Albion 10.4 18.7 8.9 40.1 Aston Villa 10.4 19.1 8.5 39.7 Newcastle Utd 9.1 21 7.9 35.2 Sunderland AFC 8.7 21.7 7.6 33.7 Bournemouth AFC 7.6 24.7 5.7 28.5 Norwich City 7.3 25.3 5.4 27.3 Watford FC 6.8 24.7 6.5 26.9 Spanish Primera Division Cristiano Ronaldo is about to set the club scoring record for Real Madrid. Los Blancos trail leaders Villarreal but by seasons end will finish on top. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Real Madrid 2 FC Barcelona 3 Villarreal CF 4 Atletico Madrid 5 Celta de Vigo 6 Valencia CF 7 Sevilla FC 8 Deportivo La Coruna 9 Athletic Bilbao 10 Real Sociedad 11 Malaga CF 12 Getafe CF 13 SD Eibar 14 Espanyol de Barcelona 15 Levante UD 16 Rayo Vallecano 17 Sporting Gijon 18 Granada CF 19 Betis Sevilla 20 Las Palmas UD Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Real Madrid 30.4 2.9 4.7 95.9 FC Barcelona 26.8 5.1 6.1 86.5 Villarreal CF 25 5.9 7.1 82.1 Atletico Madrid 24.1 6.5 7.4 79.7 Celta de Vigo 18.9 10.8 8.3 65 Valencia CF 16.3 11.6 10.1 59 Sevilla FC 16.8 13.7 7.5 57.9 Deportivo La Coruna 15.6 13.8 8.6 55.4 Athletic Bilbao 15.6 14.6 7.9 54.7 Real Sociedad 14.8 13.9 9.3 53.7 Malaga CF 14.5 13.8 9.7 53.2 Getafe CF 13.8 14.7 9.5 50.9 Espanyol de Barcelona 13.3 16.9 7.9 47.8 SD Eibar 12.7 15.7 9.6 47.7 Levante UD 7.9 22.3 7.8 31.5 Sporting Gijon 8.3 23.9 5.9 30.8 Rayo Vallecano 7.6 22.4 8 30.8 Granada CF 7 22.9 8.1 29.1 Betis Sevilla 6.8 25.7 5.5 25.9 Las Palmas UD 6.6 25.7 5.7 25.5 Italian Serie A Fiorentina remains on top and extended its lead with a win over Atalanta and a draw by Inter Milan. Defending champions Juventus only has two wins on the season but Juve is still projected as the most likely Serie A champion despite the slow start. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Juventus Turin 2 SSC Napoli 3 AS Roma 4 AC Fiorentina 5 Lazio Roma 6 Inter Milan 7 AC Milan 8 Genoa FC 9 Sampdoria Genoa 10 Turin FC 11 US Palermo 12 US Sassuolo 13 FC Empoli 14 Hellas Verona 15 Udinese Calcio 16 Atalanta Bergamasca 17 AC Chievo Verona 18 Bologna FC 19 Carpi FC 20 Frosinone Calcio Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Juventus Turin 23.8 6.7 7.5 78.9 SSC Napoli 21 10.1 6.9 69.9 AS Roma 20.1 9.6 8.3 68.6 Lazio Roma 20.1 10.4 7.5 67.8 AC Fiorentina 20 10.4 7.6 67.6 Inter Milan 18.5 11.5 8 63.5 Genoa FC 17.5 12.5 8.1 60.6 AC Milan 17.5 12.4 8.1 60.6 Sampdoria Genoa 17.2 12.4 8.4 60 Turin FC 16.7 12.9 8.5 58.6 US Palermo 16.8 13.2 8 58.4 US Sassuolo 16.5 13.5 8 57.5 FC Empoli 13.5 16.1 8.4 48.9 Hellas Verona 12.6 17.4 7.9 45.7 Udinese Calcio 11.7 17.6 8.6 43.7 Atalanta Bergamasca 9.4 20.1 8.5 36.7 AC Chievo Verona 8.8 20.7 8.5 34.9 Bologna FC 7.2 24.5 6.3 27.9 Carpi FC 7 25.2 5.8 26.8 Frosinone Calcio 6.6 25.3 6.1 25.9 German Bundesliga Bayern Munich equaled a league record with eight wins in eight matches. The Bavarians have opened a sizeable lead that is only going to expand. It won't even be close in the Bundesliga this season. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Dortmund 3 VfL Wolfsburg 4 Bayer Leverkusen 5 FC Schalke 04 6 Eintracht Frankfurt 7 1899 Hoffenheim 8 Hertha BSC 9 Monchengladbach 10 1 FC Cologne 11 VfB Stuttgart 12 1 FSV Mainz 05 13 FC Augsburg 14 Werder Bremen 15 Hannover 96 16 Hamburger SV 17 FC Ingolstadt 18 SV Darmstadt 98 Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Bayern Munich 30.3 1 2.6 93.5 Borussia Dortmund 18.6 9.4 6 61.8 VfL Wolfsburg 17.2 9.7 7.1 58.7 Bayer Leverkusen 16.9 9.9 7.2 57.9 Eintracht Frankfurt 16 11.7 6.3 54.3 FC Schalke 04 15.5 10.7 7.8 54.3 1899 Hoffenheim 15 12.3 6.7 51.7 Hertha BSC 14.6 12.2 7.2 51 Monchengladbach 14.4 12.6 7 50.2 1 FC Cologne 12.6 14.3 7.2 45 VfB Stuttgart 13 15.1 5.9 44.9 1 FSV Mainz 05 12.4 14.6 7 44.2 FC Augsburg 11 15.4 7.6 40.6 Werder Bremen 9.5 17.7 6.8 35.3 Hannover 96 9.4 18 6.6 34.8 Hamburger SV 7.7 18.8 7.6 30.7 FC Ingolstadt 7 20.5 6.5 27.5 SV Darmstadt 98 6.1 23.2 4.7 23 French La Ligue 1 Zlatan Ibrahimovic became Paris St Germain's all-time top scorer. PSG sits atop the league with 23 points through nine games. The French champions are once again the most likely champions. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Paris St Germain 2 Olympique Lyon 3 OGC Nice 4 Stade Rennes 5 Olympique Marseille 6 Stade Reims 7 AS Saint Etienne 8 FC Lorient 9 AS Monaco 10 SC Bastia 11 SM Caen 12 FC Girondins Bordeaux 13 Lille OSC 14 FC Nantes 15 Toulouse FC 16 EA Guingamp 17 SCO Angers 18 Montpellier HSC 19 Gazelec Ajaccio 20 Troyes AC Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Paris St Germain 27.2 4 6.8 88.4 Olympique Lyon 23.3 6.6 8 77.9 OGC Nice 21.6 9.5 6.9 71.7 Stade Rennes 20.2 9.4 8.4 69 Olympique Marseille 20.1 9.8 8 68.3 Stade Reims 18.5 10.7 8.9 64.4 AS Saint Etienne 18.3 10.7 9 63.9 FC Lorient 18.3 12.3 7.4 62.3 AS Monaco 17.6 12.3 8.1 60.9 SC Bastia 15.2 14.3 8.5 54.1 SM Caen 15.0 14.5 8.5 53.5 FC Girondins Bordeaux 14.1 16.1 7.8 50.1 Lille OSC 11.2 15.5 11.3 44.9 FC Nantes 10.6 17.5 9.9 41.7 Toulouse FC 11.1 18.6 8.2 41.5 SCO Angers 11.3 19.3 7.4 41.3 EA Guingamp 11.0 18.8 8.1 41.1 Montpellier HSC 9.5 20.1 8.4 36.9 Gazelec Ajaccio 3.4 30 4.6 14.8 Troyes AC 3.3 30.6 4 13.9 Major League Soccer All the power is in the West. Four of the top five teams are from the Western Conference. The Sounders are fifth out West but still project to as the top dogs in the MLS. Power Rankings Rank Team 1 Seattle Sounders 2 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3 LA Galaxy 4 Toronto FC 5 Sporting Kansas City 6 DC United 7 NY Red Bulls 8 San Jose Earthquakes 9 Houston Dynamo 10 Orlando City SC 11 New England Revolution 12 Columbus Crew 13 Portland Timbers 14 FC Dallas 15 Montreal Impact 16 Real Salt Lake 17 Colorado Rapids 18 New York City FC 19 Chicago Fire 20 Philadelphia Union Full Season Projections Team Proj. Wins Proj. Losses Proj. Draws Proj. Points Seattle Sounders 16.8 8.6 8.6 59 Toronto FC 16 10 6.9 54.9 LA Galaxy 15.3 10.4 8.3 54.2 DC United 15.2 10.5 8.3 53.9 Sporting Kansas City 15.3 11 7.7 53.6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 15 9.5 8.5 53.5 NY Red Bulls 14.4 12 7.6 50.8 Houston Dynamo 13.6 12.4 8 48.8 Orlando City SC 13.5 12.8 7.7 48.2 New England Revolution 13.4 13 7.6 47.8 Columbus Crew 13.4 13.4 7.2 47.4 San Jose Earthquakes 12.6 12.3 9.1 46.9 Montreal Impact 12.2 14.6 7.2 43.8 Portland Timbers 11 13.9 9.1 42.1 FC Dallas 11.1 13.8 8.1 41.4 New York City FC 10.8 15.3 7.9 40.3 Chicago Fire 10.4 16.2 7.4 38.6 Real Salt Lake 9.7 15.2 9 38.1 Colorado Rapids 8.9 14.6 9.5 36.2 Philadelphia Union 9 18 7 34 ]]>
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The Houston Astros advanced to the American League Division Series on Tuesday with a 3-0 win over the Yankees in New York. The Astros will look to return to the World Series for the first time since 2005 and secure the first world championship in franchise history. They will open a five-game series against the Royals on Thursday in Kansas City. Here are nine awesome things about the Houston Astros: 1. That guy you just watched Tuesday's winner Dallas Keuchel led the American League with 232 innings pitched in 2015, then pitched on short rest in the Wild Card game and held the Yankees scoreless for six innings. Keuchel looks like he'll probably win the AL Cy Young Award this year after fronting a strong pitching staff all season and finishing 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA. He's quite good. 2. Carlos Gomez's "rich people conversations The above story comes from a 2014 Sports Illustrated feature during Gomez's tenure with the Brewers. It is one of the best stories. 3. Youth The Astros actually have one of the Majors' older pitching staffs, but their offensive players were on average the youngest in the game in 2015 . It's an athletic club that plays good defense, steals bases, and hits homers, and the Astros are set up to be good for a long time. In no small part because of… 4. Carlos Correa's future The 2012 first-overall draft pick jumped to the Majors in 2015 after only 53 games above Class A ball, and Correa immediately established himself as one of the very best players in the game. As a big-framed, righty-hitting shortstop and former top pick, he draws comparisons to Alex Rodriguez. But only in the good ways. Correa looks like a potential megastar. 5. They're out here doin' stuff Every MLB team in 2015 employs analytics, but the Astros seem to do it a bit more brazenly and successfully than most. Remember: This is the club the Cardinals hacked. Their frequent defensive shifting will draw some attention in the division series, but the Astros' quest for competitive advantages goes far beyond that. One example: They signed pitcher Collin McHugh after unsuccessful stints with the Mets and Rockies because they noticed the impressive spin rate on McHugh's curveball . Now McHugh's an important part of the Astros' rotation. 6. Jose Altuve Altuve is so good that his diminutive stature is no longer anywhere near the most interesting thing about him. The 5'6″ second baseman led the AL in hits and stolen bases for the second straight year in 2015. He's also one of baseball's best and most entertaining defenders at second base. 7. Home runs Home runs rule, and the Astros hit a bunch of them. The club ranked second in the Majors with 230 longballs in the regular season even though no individual player finished the year with more than 27. But five guys hit 20 or more, and practically every dude on the team is apt to hit one out with some frequency. 8. El Oso Blanco Slugger Evan Gattis has one of baseball's most fascinating stories: Gattis walked away from baseball and wound up working a series of odd jobs around the country ski-lift operator, janitor, parking valet, etc. while struggling with depression and addiction. He returned to the sport playing Division II ball in Texas, where he hit the bejeezus out of the ball until the Braves took him in the 23rd round that same year. Before reaching the Majors in 2013, Gattis spent time playing in the Venezuelan Winter League, where his massive power earned him the nickname "El Oso Blanco," or "The White Bear." 9. Smart guys The Astros have so many of the game's most interesting and intelligent players that it almost seems like the front office could be targeting them intentionally. Brainpower is the new market inefficiency, or something. Maybe it explains why they seem to have so little trouble getting guys to buy into their strategies , or maybe it's just a coincidence. But there are a lot of smart guys about one way or the other.
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For what NATO's secretary general described as a "long time" and Russia's Defense Ministry characterized as just "a few seconds," a Russian fighter jet violated Turkey's airspace on Saturday, increasing tensions and raising concerns about Russian aggression beyond mere saber rattling. NATO said that a Russian aircraft also violated Turkish airspace on Sunday. The response was swift from Western powers that were already anxious about Russian warplanes flying near their own aircraft in Syria and near their own sovereign airspace. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that a pilot flew into Turkish airspace on Saturday by mistake, because "of unfavorable weather conditions in that area," according to Tass, Russia's government-owned news agency. But Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general, said "it doesn't look like an accident," and there have been a number of other instances recently of Russian military flights entering the airspace of NATO members or coming very close, prompting interception by Western military aircraft. The presumed purpose of such incursions is to gauge the target country's reactions. Which radar systems and which missile batteries are activated and reveal themselves? Which planes are scrambled from which bases, and how quickly? How loudly and publicly do leaders complain, and how much backing do they get at home and from international allies? In February, as tensions mounted in Ukraine, the Royal Air Force scrambled warplanes to intercept Russian bombers flying off the coast of Cornwall in southwest England. The incident carried echoes of the Cold War, when Soviet aircraft would routinely test Western defenses in this way, and NATO would do the same to the Soviet bloc. The February encounter was the closest to occur near England in decades. British researchers noted at the time, citing NATO officials, that the number of Russian aircraft intercepted as they approached Western airspace had tripled from 2013. In 2014, Norway scrambled F-16 fighters to intercept Russian warplanes off its coast 74 times, a 27 percent increase from 2013. The Russians did not actually violate Norwegian airspace, but they have done so in the Baltic nations, which were once part of the Soviet Union. In October 2014, NATO reported an "unusual" spike in Russian military flights across Europe, according to The Associated Press. The alliance observed large-scale maneuvers in international airspace involving Tu-95 Bear H strategic bombers, MiG-31 fighters and other Russian warplanes. Norway, Britain, Portugal, Germany, Denmark and Turkey scrambled fighters in response; so did two non-NATO countries, Finland and Sweden, according to The A.P. Russia's involvement in Syria is the first time in a generation that it has conducted military operations outside the former borders of the Soviet Union. Though it maintains that its airstrikes target the Islamic State militant group, just as the American-led coalition's airstrikes do, Western officials say Russian forces have actually been attacking other rebel groups instead, including some that receive assistance from the United States. Though the Russians have so far mounted most of their airstrikes far away from areas where the American-led coalition mainly operates, the skies over Syria are now crowded with military aircraft. The risk of accidents and unplanned confrontations has risen, prompting calls from Western countries for greater coordination between the United States and Russia.
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ATLANTA A handcuffed man seeking to avoid arrest died after crashing head-first through the third-floor window glass of a downtown Atlanta office building and falling 40 feet to the ground, authorities said Tuesday. The man reported Tuesday to a pretrial services program of Atlanta's Fulton County Superior Court when authorities determined he had a gun nearby and they were preparing to arrest him, court spokeswoman Tiffany Russell said. Fulton County Sheriff's spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said the man jumped from the window after he had been handcuffed and seated. He later died of his injuries at a hospital. A hole could be seen in window glass where he exited the building. Investigator Clint Harbin at the Fulton County Medical Examiner's office identified the man as 22-year-old Tyquan Richardson. Flanagan said the gun was found concealed in paperwork with the man's name on it outside a security checkpoint. Authorities did not immediately disclose any information as to why the gun was in the paperwork. Flanagan said Richardson had told deputies after the gun was discovered that he didn't want to go back to jail. Richardson later ran headfirst toward the window and fell 40 feet, according to the sheriff's spokeswoman. Richardson had been arrested on drug charges and was released Friday, according to Fulton County jail records. Richardson had also been arrested in 2013 on aggravated assault and battery charges, those records also showed. The leap occurred at the Atlanta offices of a pretrial services program that gathers information on people who face criminal charges, those booked into jail and others. It also monitors defendants out on bond while awaiting trial, its website shows.
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Airbus () quashed expectations of a possible tie-up with Bombardier (BBD.B-CA) late on Tuesday, hours after the latter reportedly offered Airbus an investment into its C series jet program. In an official statement after Tuesday's market close, Airbus acknowledged it was exploring business opportunities with the Canadian plane maker but said "such discussions are no longer being pursued," adding that it will refrain from further comments. Earlier on Tuesday, media outlets reported that Bombardier asked Airbus for help on completing its troubled C series aircraft in exchange for a controlling stake. Analysts said that would help the Toronto-listed company enter the global airplane market as it struggles with dwindling cash reserves. Shortly following Airbus' statement, Bombardier said it would continue to "explore initiatives, such as a potential participation in industry consolidation," according to Reuters. Bombardier shares ended Tuesday 15 percent higher, and all eyes will be on how the stock fares on Wednesday's open.
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Fire ants in South Carolina found a way to survive the heavy rain and flooding.
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Alex Ferguson and David Beckham will return to Old Trafford togther for the first time in 11 years.
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Shares of AirAsia Bhd (AIRA.KL) rose as much as 5.6 percent on Wednesday after Reuters reported that the founders of Asia's largest budget airline are sounding out investors to take the company private. The gain outperformed the 0.12 percent drop in the benchmark index (.KLSE). Reuters reported on Tuesday that AirAsia's co-founder Tony Fernandes is talking to banks to secure financing for the transaction, which could be launched over the next few months, citing sources familiar with the matter. An AirAsia spokeswoman declined comment. (Reporting By Yantoultra Ngui and Anshuman Daga; Editing by Miral Fahmy)
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finance
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We are all obsessed with dry shampoo - it's every Second Day Hair's savior. But you may want to think twice before you pick up that bottle again... educate yourself on the side effects of dry shampoo and how to avoid them here!
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According to The Advocate , it appears as if it's Columbia or bust for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Earlier on Tuesday, there was a thought the contest between Steve Spurrier's team and Les Miles' squad would be played at a neutral site. As of now, it seems as if the idea has been abandoned. If South Carolina isn't able to host the game, it looks likely the contest will transition over to Baton Rouge. The latest: Neutral site possibilities have diminished. #LSU or USC will host game. Alleva: "Ball's in their court." http://t.co/IKB1XFbl4h Ross Dellenger (@DellengerAdv) October 7, 2015 "The ball is in South Carolina's court. They make the decision. If they feel they can host the game, it will be played there," said LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva. "If they feel they can't host it because of the tragedy they've had, then Baton Rouge is a possibility." The feasibility of hosting a game on the fly isn't exactly ideal by any stretch. However, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette is confident LSU can pull off such a feat. #LSU SID Michael Bonnette reiterates Tigers not politicking to host South Carolina game."This is their game and decision. Not ours." Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) October 7, 2015 "If we're asked to host the game in the next 24 hours, it's something we can certainly do. It's not going to be easy by any means," said Bonnette. "Our stadium is ready. We're in that in-season mode. It can be done." A decision as to where the game will be played is expected to be made Wednesday afternoon. ( h/t The Advocate )
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There were any number of ways that David Wright could have downplayed the latest Matt Harvey drama, and over the years the Mets' captain has learned how to put out such brush fires perhaps more adeptly than any other high-profile New York athlete. So the fact that Wright instead made such pointed remarks on Tuesday, saying he was only concerned with the players who actually showed up for the team workout, reflected a certain level of Harvey fatigue that probably extends to others in the Mets' clubhouse. In other words: It's always something, isn't it? The Mets just went through the emotional wringer with Harvey over the innings-limits controversy, and this isn't to say that he doesn't have a right to be concerned about his future. But players clearly were irritated that it became such a public matter, and perhaps more so that Harvey seemed to suddenly put his own concerns ahead of the team after presenting himself as the guy who would stop at nothing to lead the Mets to a championship. Terry Collins told me after the Mets clinched the NL East in Cincinnati that "some guys got turned off" by the uncertainty Harvey created, and some Mets people believe the righthander changed his stance to accept more of a workload at least partly because of that clubhouse vibe. With that in mind, you'd think Harvey would make it a point to avoid missteps such as being so late as to miss a two-hour workout in the middle of the day on Tuesday. Not that it's the baseball crime of the century, but for Harvey in particular it looks bad, and perhaps especially to teammates. Give him credit for showing up to apologize to the team and admit publicly that "I screwed up," as he put it, though he should have answered questions from reporters to clear up the mystery. Whether refusing questions was his call or the Mets', it only made the story bigger, especially when differing versions surfaced throughout the day. First he was supposedly stuck in tunnel traffic, though which tunnel was never clear, but later in the day Collins told ESPN that Harvey simply lost track of time and missed the noon workout. "I was doing some stuff," Harvey said, according to Collins, "and I looked up and it was 1 o'clock and I said, 'Oh, s.---.'" What? If that were really the case, Harvey would have been better off going with some version of the old dog-ate-my-homework excuse. Lost track of time? Wow. That's asking for even more trouble with teammates. Ask Geno Smith. Collins tried to downplay it, saying this isn't college football, and it's not like he would be sitting his star player for the first quarter. But, in truth, it's hard to believe the manager wasn't furious about Harvey's latest misstep. After all, Collins had Harvey's back throughout the innings-limit controversy, repeatedly making the point that the pitcher was caught in the middle of a problem created by agent Scott Boras, and that his respect for him as a competitor and teammate never wavered. And now Harvey turns the most routine of workout days into a fiasco. I mean, I know it's practice, but how could it not be a priority for Harvey as he prepares to make the first post-season start of his career? Privately, Mets people were asking the same question. "I just don't get it," one person said. "The guy is an ultra-competitor, I don't have any doubt about that. But you just wonder about some of the decisions he makes. It's not like he's a kid anymore. He's been around the block. Some of the stuff in the past you could understand. But there's no excuse for something like this." To be fair, the Mets asked for some of the problems with Harvey last year by pretending as if he didn't exist while injured, putting his spring training locker practically in the shower to discourage contact with the media. Perhaps that explained Harvey rebelling, refusing to rehab in strictly in Port St. Lucie, doing a radio interview on another station while the Mets were playing a game and going to see Derek Jeter play at Yankee Stadium again, while the Mets were playing. I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on a lot of that stuff because I thought the Mets needed someone as strong-willed as him to change a clubhouse that had become too accepting of losing, but that's no issue now, so maybe it's just a case of being too self-absorbed. I don't think all of this affects the Mets' playoff chances against the Dodgers one way or the other, but it does put Harvey under even more of a microscope as the starter in Game 3. Maybe he'll thrive on it and deliver a gem, and all will be forgotten. But at what point does all the drama take a toll?
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A controversial measure that would allow Floridians with concealed-weapons permits to carry those items openly in public easily cleared its first hurdle on Tuesday, but the legislation still faces several more tests before it could become law. Florida has prohibited the open carry of firearms for nearly 20 years, and efforts in recent years by gun-rights lobbyists to change that status quo haven't been successful. The latest attempt, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, got off to a promising start Tuesday when the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee passed HB 163 by an 8-4 vote despite resistance from critics. Gaetz said the bill "restores and vindicates" Second Amendment rights and promotes public safety. But those with concerns said the proposal should, at a minimum, include better training requirements and also better shield property owners' rights if they don't want weapons in their homes or businesses. 5 states and the District of Columbia prohibit openly carrying weapons: Florida, California, Illinois, New York and South Carolina. Vehement opponents said an open-carry law in Florida would instill fear, rather than calm. "When I am out at Starbucks and there's a cop there with his gun, it's intimidating and it's scary," said Shawn Bartelt, a retiree and mother of two teenagers from Orlando. "I do not want to walk around when I walk my dogs and know that somebody's carrying a gun out there. ... I don't want my kids raised in a world where we're being less civilized." Gaetz argued that fighting for gun-owners' rights has the opposite effect, and he said federal crime statistics are on his side. "While we will certainly hear from shrill voices on the left that open carry will lead to the wild, wild west, that is not borne out by any of the data we have," Gaetz said. He said U.S. Department of Justice statistics from 2012 actually show less violent crime in states with open-carry laws. The debate over open-carry comes as House and Senate committees last month advanced a separate proposal to allow concealed weapons on college campuses. Should both of these gun measures become law, permit-holders could - by default - openly carry on college campuses, too. Republican Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday, while visiting a Pasco-Hernando State College campus in Wesley Chapel, that he "fully supports" the Second Amendment but would need to review both gun proposals before forming an opinion. Public opinion - according to one poll - is against allowing, at least, concealed guns on college campuses. A statewide poll released Monday by University of South Florida researchers found 73 percent of adult Floridians want to keep banning concealed weapons on college campuses. The poll did not gauge support for openly carried weapons. Florida is one of only five states and the District of Columbia to prohibit openly carrying firearms and other restricted weapons. "I like to see Florida on the list of states that enhances people's rights and makes people stronger, not on the list of states that restricts the choices and the rights of our citizens," Gaetz said during a news conference prior to Tuesday's hearing. The proposal has yet to be considered by two other House committees or three Senate committees to which it has been assigned. Gaetz's father, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, introduced the Senate companion, SB 300, which was referred to three committees just hours after Matt Gaetz's bill secured its first favorable vote. Two other House committees have yet to schedule hearings on Matt Gaetz's bill. The 8-4 vote Tuesday fell largely along party lines. Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, joined three Democrats in opposition. Democrats said the bill should include "sensible measures" to try to keep firearms out of the hands of those with mental health problems, and it also should include additional training requirements for permit-holders. "If you think for a second that because you have a concealed-weapon permit that you are capable and knowledgeable about maintaining your weapon in a fight, you are wrong. This is a striking and frightening concept to have an open-carry policy in the state of Florida without any mention of how to safely protect and maintain your weapon," said Rep. David Kerner, D-Lake Worth. "It's unconscionable." The Florida Sheriffs Association has not taken a position on the bill, but Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, speaking for himself, praised it as a helpful tool in crime prevention. "This comes down to giving our citizens the immediate ability to protect themselves," he said. The Florida Chamber said it supports the bill so long as lawmakers add more assurances in it to protect private property rights. Gun-rights advocates said the bill doesn't prohibit private property owners from banning guns on their own land as they're able to do now. "This doesn't change who carries or where they carry, only how they carry," said Eric Friday, a lobbyist for the gun-rights group Florida Carry. Aside from granting the right to openly carry, the legislation also changes the standard by which police can make an arrest if they suspect someone is unlicensed while carrying a weapon, either concealed or openly. "Reasonable grounds" would no longer be a sufficient option; police would need to have probable cause. Any government official who infringes on the rights of a licensed gun-owner to openly carry without having probable cause would be subject to a civil fine of $5,000, and municipalities could be sued for $100,000 under the bill. Tampa Bay Times reporter Josh Solomon contributed to this story. Kristen M. Clark: 850-222-3095 , [email protected], @ByKristenMClark
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A capsule look at Wednesday night's National League wild-card game pitting the Chicago Cubs against the Pittsburgh Pirates: Time/TV: 8:08 p.m., TBS Matchup: Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60 ERA) This season: The Cubs won the season series 11-8, going 6-4 at Pittsburgh's PNC Park. Arrieta vs. the Pirates: The Cubs' Cy Young Award candidate was nails against just about everybody this season and especially the Pirates, who batted just .151 with a .368 OPS against him. In five starts vs. Pittsburgh, Arrieta had a 3-1 record and an 0.75 ERA, allowing 18 hits in 36 innings. At PNC, he had an 0.82 ERA in three starts. Cole vs. the Cubs: Arrieta's otherworldly numbers may overshadow Cole's, but the Pittsburgh ace made life miserable for the Cubs as well. They batted .225 with a .504 OPS against Cole, who had a 2-1 record with a 2.13 ERA in four starts vs. Chicago, striking out 32 in 25 1/3 innings. Trending up: In what projects as a classic pitchers' duel, factors such as fielding and baserunning could make a huge difference. The Cubs, who improved defensively when they moved rookie Addison Russell from second to shortstop, ranked third in the National League in Defensive Runs Saved (17.4) and Ultimate Zone Rating (23.4). The shift-heavy Pirates ranked 13th and 11th, respectively, and they have one of the majors' worst defenders in first baseman Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates had a slight lead in stolen bases 98-95 but their success rate of 68.5% percent trailed Chicago's 72%. Arrieta went 16-1 with an 0.86 ERA in his last 20 starts and posted the lowest second-half ERA (0.75) of any pitcher ever with at least 10 starts. Cole finished strong too, winning four if his final five decisions, but his 3.29 ERA in that spell seems stratospheric compared to Arrieta's. … The Cubs went 46-19 in their last 65 games the most wins in majors in that stretch getting a major boost from their rookies, who accounted for 66 homers. That total is tied for the fourth-largest in NL history. … Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle suggested his club will try a small-ball approach against Arrieta, joking that in seeking a way to beat the dominant right-hander, "I put on 15 pounds looking at pie charts the last two days.'' The Pirates do have speed toward the top of the lineup in their outstanding trio of outfielders, Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco, who combined for 68 stolen bases. Trending down: The Pirates had designs on the division title until stumbling to a 3-4 finish and nearly getting caught by the hot Cubs at the end. They finished a game apart. The biggest point of discussion in Pittsburgh ahead of the game is who will start at the corners. Fielding concerns and the offensive approach against Arrieta may determine whether Hurdle starts Alvarez, who led the club with 27 home runs, or opts for the better-fielding Sean Rodriguez at first base. The Pirates could also shift Aramis Ramirez to first and start Josh Harrison at third. Harrison hit .373 with a .940 OPS in his last 28 days, so he's likely to play somewhere. The Cubs have some lineup decisions of their own to make. Manager Joe Maddon is not averse to experimenting, and with runs likely at a premium, he may tinker with his batting order. Lefty-swinging infielder Tommy La Stella has seen some action recently at third base and could get the call there, with Kris Bryant moving to left field and fellow rookie Kyle Schwarber who wields a potent left-handed bat starting in right in place of Jorge Soler. Close and late: Mark Melancon, who led the majors with a Pirates-record 51 saves, anchors a stellar bullpen. Pittsburgh relievers registered the NL's best ERA at 2.67 and had the second-most wins (31), behind the Cubs' 37. Tony Watson, who finished second on the team behind Melancon with 77 appearances, was a trustworthy setup man all season, and fireballer Arquimedes Caminero is a fine option when the Pirates need a strikeout. Watson and Antonio Bastardo are the main lefties. The Pirates' 36-17 record in one-run games was the majors' best. Hector Rondon took over as Chicago's closer in 2014 and improved on most of his key stats this past season, becoming the only Cubs reliever other than Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter ever to save 30 games with an ERA of 1.67 or below. Pedro Strop fashioned a 2.91 ERA as the top setup man, and veteran Fernando Rodney was effective after being acquired from Seattle in late August. Former starter Travis Wood is the top lefty. In the end: How do you pick against a team that won its last eight games and is starting a pitcher who allowed a total of four earned runs in the last two months of the season? You don't. The Pirates had the second-best record in the majors, but they have the misfortune of landing in a one-game elimination against the hottest team and pitcher in baseball. Not that the Pirates are helpless. This is the third year in a row they host the wild-card game, so many of their players know what to expect in this environment. That's in stark contrast with the youthful Cubs, who start rookies at short and third and don't have a regular infielder older than 26. If the nerves don't get to the Cubs, though, they look like the probable winners.
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These were the surprise stars of previous postseasons. 1960: Bill Mazeroski, Pirates Now a Hall of Famer, Mazeroski probably wouldn't be there if not for his walk-off home run to beat the Yankees in the 1960 World Series. He hit 138 homers in 17 MLB seasons. 1969: Al Weis, Mets After hitting only .215 during the regular season, Weis sparked the Mets during the 1969 World Series by hitting .455 with a 1.290 OPS. New York won the Series in five games. 1972: Gene Tenace, A's Tenace hit only .225 in 1972 for Oakland, but won World Series MVP after notching four homers and nine RBIs. He went on to become an offensive force the following season, hitting 25 homers for Oakland. 1978: Jim Beattie, Yankees Beattle had a career ERA above 4.00, but he was spectacular for the Yankees during the 1978 playoffs. He started two games during the playoffs, including a complete game win in the World Series. 1978: Bucky Dent, Yankees The light-hitting Dent hit an improbable home run in the one-game playoff against the Red Sox in a game to determine the AL East champion. The Yankees went on to win the World Series in 1978. 1985: Don Denkinger Denkinger's long umpiring career will forever be defined by his bad call in the 1985 World Series. Umpiring at first base, he called Royals DH Jorge Orta safe at first base in the ninth inning with the Cardinals leading the game 1-0 and the series 3-2. The Royals went on to win the game and the series. 1985: Jim Sundberg, Royals Sundberg didn't pile up stats in the 1985 playoffs, but he played a pivotal role in the ALCS vs. the Blue Jays and slid into home to help the Royals win Game 6 of the World Series. 1985: Ozzie Smith, Cardinals Smith is now a Hall of Famer, but that certainly wasn't for his power, because he finished with 28 career home runs. However, Smith won Game 5 of the NLCS for the Cardinals with a homer in the ninth inning and was named series MVP. 1988: Kirk Gibson, Dodgers Unlikely to play in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, Gibson emerged from the tunnel at Dodger Stadium to pinch-hit and become the hero. He hit a game-winning home run off Dennis Eckersley in a series the Dodgers went on to win in five games. 1990: Billy Hatcher, Reds Hatcher made an incredible contribution for the Reds in the 1990 World Series, catching fire to hit .750 in four games after hitting only .276 with four homers during the regular season. 1992: Ed Sprague, Blue Jays Sprague didn't contribute much for Toronto during the 1992 season until Game 2 of the World Series. He launched a two-run game-winning homer vs. the Braves. 1996: Jeffrey Maier In Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS, a 13-year-old fan sitting in the right field stands reached over the wall to pull an apparent home run ball away from Tony Tarasco. The Yankees went on to win the game and eventually the World Series. 1996: Jim Leyritz, Yankees Leyritz hit a game-tying homer in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series. The homer eventually allowed the Yankees to tie the series at two games, and win it in six games vs. Atlanta. 2002: Adam Kennedy, Angels A 26-year-old second baseman at the time, Kennedy hit only seven home runs in 144 games during the 2002 season. He almost singlehandedly won Game 5 of the ALCS by hitting three homers. 2002: Francisco Rodriguez, Angels A relatively unknown 20-year-old relief pitcher, Rodriguez had only five appearances late in the 2002 season. He was lights out during the postseason, however, allowing four earned runs in 18.2 innings with 28 strikeouts. He went on to become an elite closer by 2005. 2003: Steve Bartman Considered more as a scapegoat for the Cubs' failures in the 2003 NLCS, Bartman is legendary in Chicago. The poor guy reached over in left field foul ground to take an out from Cubs outfield Moises Alou. Ahead 3-2 in the series, the Cubs went on to give up eight runs in the inning and eventually lose the series to the Marlins. 2003: Aaron Boone, Yankees Red Sox fans aren't fond of Boone after he ended the ALCS in 2003. Boone launched a walk off homer to win Game 7 in the 11th inning. 2004: Dave Roberts, Red Sox Roberts had possibly the most important stolen base in baseball history. He swiped second base off Mariano Rivera in Game 4 of the ALCS with the Red Sox facing elimination, down by one run in the ninth inning. Roberts eventually came around to score, and the Red Sox won four straight games before knocking off the Cardinals in the World Series. 2005: Geoff Blum, White Sox Blum had a long career as a utility infielder with a sub-.700 OPS for his career. He had only one at-bat during the 2005 World Series, but it was a big one with a home run to win Game 3. 2006: David Eckstein, Cardinals Playing in his second World Series, the scrappy Eckstein was a catalyst for the Cardinals. He hit .364 and won World Series MVP. 2006: Jeff Suppan, Cardinals The 2006 Cardinals were arguably the worst team to ever win the Series, and they wouldn't have done it without Suppan. He was the NLCS MVP, hurling two great starts vs. the Mets and allowing only one run in 15 innings. 2007: Mike Lowell, Red Sox Lowell had one of his best seasons in 2007, but he still wasn't the centerpiece of Boston's lineup. He went on an incredible run in the 2007 World Series, posting a 1.300 OPS and winning World Series MVP. 2010: Cody Ross, Giants Giants fans will always have fond memories of Ross during his one-plus years in San Francisco. Ross hit five homers during the team's playoff run in 2010 and won NLCS MVP. 2011: David Freese, Cardinals Freese came up big in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, arguably the greatest game in World Series history. Freese tied the Rangers in the ninth inning with a two-run triple before hitting a walk-off homer in the 11th inning. He went on to win World Series MVP. 2012: Daniel Descalso, Cardinals The Cardinals shocked the Nationals during the 2012 NLDS with a come-from-behind Game 5 win, and Descalso made a big contribution with a home run and game-tying single.
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TUCSON, Ariz. -- For three years, Kaleb Tarczewski has played a supporting role in a cast made up of NBA draft picks. But Tarczewski is set to complete his Arizona playing career this spring with a chance to do something none of his more heralded teammates has done -- become the program's all-time leader in career victories. Tarczewski has built an impressive three-year resume with the Wildcats including a 94-17 overall record, one Sweet 16 an two Elite Eight appearances. And for all of his hard work on and off the court, there is still a stigma that Tarczewski has something to prove in Tucson. "Part of the reason I'm coming back is because I feel like I have stuff left on the table that I need to take care of," Tarczewski says. "Every game is an opportunity to prove myself this year, and I have one last shot to do it." Last season Tarczewski started 37 of 38 games and averaged 9.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 26 minutes per game. He ranked fourth in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage at .572, but for "Zeus," and seemingly anyone who has followed his career, it doesn't ever seem to be enough. Maybe the 7-footer is questioned because he only had three double-doubles last year or because he was only able to muster 0.6 blocks per game in his junior campaign. Maybe it's because the three-year starter has never earned a conference honor higher than a Pac-12 All-Freshman team honorable mention. But Tarczewski shines in the areas that the stat sheet overlooks. He took a team-high 10 charges last year. His defensive presence is what coach Sean Miller believes is the anchor of a defense that ranked in the top 25 nationally for points allowed and defensive rebounds per game last year. But questions are continually being asked of Tarczewski's seemingly unfulfilled potential. And some have even questioned his decision to return for a fourth season of college basketball. On Friday, Miller made it clear in his opening statement of a roughly 45 minute media-day press conference how valuable it is to have a four-year college player in today's one-and-done style college hoops landscape. "I want to focus on Kaleb for a second," Miller said. "I've answered so many questions about him returning for his senior year and I almost feel that we all, including Kaleb, are made to feel like you have to apologize for showing up a fourth time." Miller added, "It wasn't too long ago when that type of player would have been bombarded with positive questions . . . It's really sad." Perhaps that's the state of college basketball today. It's unrealistic to imagine a top-five recruit sticking for four years. Tarczewski and Texas' Cameron Ridley are the only top-10 players from the 2012 recruiting class who haven't left school early to go pro. Seven of the 10 are currently on NBA rosters. "I don't think it's negative at all," Tarczewski says. "I think it's a positive thing 100 percent." Miller expressed how Tarczewski's success in academics helped shape his decision to stay in school, providing the opportunity to graduate from the University of Arizona's prestigious Eller school of Business. "To be able to go out there and enjoy my senior year, step away with a degree, and hopefully win a ton of basketball games, I think that is the most important thing for me," Tarczewski says. Tarczewski believes he made big strides with his game in the offseason, highlighted by his involvement as one of seven college players picked to play with the U.S.A Pan American team over the summer in Canada. He helped team U.S.A win a bronze medal and says he gained valuable experience playing alongside professional players. "That was one of my favorite experiences that I've ever been a part of," he said. Tarczewski believes with the return of fellow 7-footer Dusan Ristic, and newcomers like Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson and San Francisco transfer Mark Tollefsen, the Wildcats will have an imposing front court. "I'm going to say this right now, we are the best front court in the country," he said. "We are incredibly talented on the block." Arizona lost its floor leader from last season in T.J. McConnell. Tarczewski says he is looking forward to stepping in and filling the leadership void. "It's definitely a different role," Tarczewski says. "I have been through so many experiences here at UA, and I have kind of seen it all." "It's an opportunity for me to come back and help the younger guys along and hopefully make their experience a lot easier." Tarczewski says he hopes to enjoy some of the emotional moments that guard McConnell experienced last season playing for Arizona -- most notably kissing Arizona's block A logo at half-court in his home finale last year. "I hope that I can have a few of those T.J.-like moments," Tarczewski says. "It's funny, when you become a senior you start to realize how blessed you are to be in a situation like this. It's your last time down this road, and you really just want to make the most of it. "I think we are going to do something special this year," he said. "This is my last year in college, I'm never going to get to do it again."
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As one Twitter user put it: maybe they should bring it back for St. Patrick's day instead?
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Turning a year older is always exciting, especially because of the cool birthday gifts you get! After opening a present containing a male doll, the adorable child hilariously yells, I need a man! to all of her guests. Kids really do say the darndest things!
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Jim Cramer watched as the hatred of drug stocks has become so strong on Tuesday that it finally brought down the entire market. Now the question remains, will the sickness of the drug group that is infecting other stocks ever get better? "There are many sectors that matter to a market, sectors that can take down everything if their declines are violent enough," the " Mad Money " host said. The brutal market sell-off that began back in August has not only hit the biotech stocks, but has also created some of the worst carnage out there in the cybersecurity group. This group was once one of the sexiest plays out there, and has gone downhill in record time with the PureFunds ISE cybersecurity ETF down 24 percent from its late-June all-time highs. And even as several individual cybersecurity names have fallen ever further, Cramer wonders if they have now hit levels so low that it could be time for investors to circle back to the group to pick up some discounts. "That's right, at these levels I think it is possible that the once high-flying cybersecurity stocks might actually represent value, even as they are still fairly expensive on an earnings basis," Cramer said. Cramer considers Palo Alto Networks to be the gold standard, but for a higher risk higher reward play he blessed FireEye and CyberArk, even as they are long-term volatile plays only. He recommended to use a deep in the money call option strategy with these stocks to curb the downside and magnify the upside. However to have a cybersecurity play that is truly safe, Cramer is sticking with Cisco. In Cramer's perspective, this sickness in the biotech group is a lesson to investors that one of the great leaders of this period, medicine and biotech, can behave just as badly as oil stocks sometimes. Even worse, the illness in the biotech group is no longer restricted to just high growth members of the group. "In short, biotech has become a pariah and it is infecting everything," Cramer said. (Tweet this) Many of the drugs that cost a lot of money are called orphan drugs. They are created for a small group of people suffering from rare diseases. However, these medications are often alternatives to either death, or an extremely expensive lifetime maintenance that would be far more expensive than these high priced drugs. So is the era of high priced drugs over? At this point, Cramer thinks the downdraft of biotechs that are crushing companies not related to high drug prices is getting a little absurd. "This kind of selling is way overdone, and it smacks of wholesale liquidation of anything that has higher growth than other cohorts," Cramer said. Ultimately Cramer says that the biotech infection is just a localized infection and nothing more. That doesn't mean it won't do damage, because it can. However, it also does not mean investors won't make money if they start buying health care stocks now. One company that has been hit hard among the biotech wrath, even though it has nothing to do with drug prices, is the health care company Premier. Premier is a company that allows doctors and hospitals to save money on medical supplies, while also helping them to improve the quality of their care and produce better patient outcomes. Premier serves more than 3,600 hospitals and 120,000 alternative care sites in the U.S. The company also has a data analytics business, to help customers make cost and quality improvements. It also basically uses the collective purchasing power of its clients to help get drugs and supplies at cheaper prices. In fact, Cramer thinks it could actually benefit politicians in Washington by forcing down the cost of high-priced drugs. So then why the heck did the stock sink on Tuesday? To learn more, Cramer spoke with Premier's CEO Susan DeVore. "We actually try to create competitive friction between companies so they drive the price down. We actually have $44 billion of spend that runs through our purchasing organization. And what we are able to do uniquely is bring clinical information together with pricing information to really figure out what is appropriate," DeVore said. Sometimes Cramer can only explain a stock's performance with numbers. It all comes down to the numbers it's as simple as that. PepsiCo (PEP) , led by Indra Nooyi , delivered spectacular numbers Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Ellen Kullman at DuPont (DD) produced hideous results on Monday night. The result? Kullman is out, and Nooyi is now considered a best-in-class CEO in the entire consumer packaged goods sector. "Sure, DuPont is a chemical company and PepsiCo sells snacks and sodas, but they do have one big thing in common, and on that front, the contrast couldn't be more stark. That's because Trian Partners, the activist fund run by Nelson Peltz , tried to effect change at both companies," the " Mad Money " host said. In the end, Cramer thinks Nooyi won because she puts up better numbers, and Kullman lost because she didn't. However, he does wonder if Kullman hadn't been so stubborn in fighting Peltz, could there have been a better outcome for both her and DuPont shareholders? Just as the highest growth stocks in the market started to roll over, Cramer was surprised to see that one of the slowest growing sectors out there has started to flying. Believe it or not, the old tech stocks are making a comeback. "After weeks of turmoil, we can not only spot the stocks that money is flying out of, we can also see the areas where money is flowing in, and old tech has been providing new but uncertain leadership in this tumultuous period," the " Mad Money " host said. (Tweet this) But is this real, or are the old tech stocks back for the long term? To find out Cramer turned to Bob Lang, a technician and founder and senior strategist at ExplosiveOptions.ne t and colleague of Cramer's at RealMoney.com . Lang also agreed with Cramer that some of the boring old-line tech names are now suddenly rising from the ashes. Two of the bigger names that Lang liked are Intel (INTC) and Microsoft (MSFT) , the two best performers of the Dow Jones Industrial average (.DJI) since the market collapse on August 24th. So if the market gets another big downdraft, Lang's charts show both Intel and Microsoft can keep roaring. These are exactly the kind of stocks to buy on that downdraft, or even if there isn't. In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller favorite stocks: Linn Energy: "They just suspended their distribution, so sell sell sell." Teladoc Inc: "Teladoc kind of lost that contract after they were on, so that was uninspiring and sub-optimal. So I think you have to keep doing some work on that one."
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"You're so fun!"
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An Idaho family's night out turned upsetting when fellow diners gave them a nasty note claiming their 10-month-old son was "ruining" their dinner with his screaming. Katie Leach admits that her son Drew's favorite "new thing" is yelling, adding he sounds like a dinosaur. "He will yell when I tell him no, when he's super excited and happy, or just for no reason at all," the Nampa, Idaho, mom wrote in a Facebook post to news station KTVB-TV . "I'm doing my best to teach him indoor voice and to not yell back at me when telling him no, etc." While her extended family ate at Texas Roadhouse - which, she adds, they frequent because it's a loud, lively restaurant - Leach says her son yelled off and on. Soon after they got their food, two customers ("Women in their late 50's or early 60's," she writes) walked over and "slammed" a note next to her, then returned to their table, "chuckling." The note read: Thank you for ruining our dinner with your screaming kid! Sincerely, the table behind you. Leach was "shocked, outraged, and speechless" but tried to explain to the women that her son is only a baby and still learning. The women replied that their grandchildren still would never have behaved like that. Stunned, Leach then spoke to the restaurant manager, who she says apologized for the women's behavior, paid for her family's meal, and said they are welcome at Texas Roadhouse anytime. He spoke to the two offended women and told them that after they finished their meal, they had to leave the restaurant quietly. "We were voted one of the loudest restaurants by Consumer Reports ," Texas Roadhouse spokesman Travis Doster told KTVB . "We are proud to be loud. If you want to hear clinking wine glasses and clinking forks, then this probably isn't the place for you." And Leach had a final message for the "two extremely rude, disrespectful women who think they have perfect children and grandchildren" in her post: "From seeing you while waiting outside and giving me dirty looks out there to writing that note and being the lowest kind of women you could be, I hope you feel embarrassed and you learn to not judge others as horrible as you did to me tonight." Follow us on Twitter.
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CHICAGO The mass shooting at an Oregon community college last week thrust the debate over the nation's gun laws to the center of the presidential race. At least some of the Republicans who are running have pointed to Chicago as proof that gun control doesn't work. The city has a reputation for having some of the country's strictest gun laws yet it has experienced an increase in homicides and shootings this year, which Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump, Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina say proves their point. "If you look at places like Chicago ... it's got some of the single toughest gun laws in the United States and it's a disaster," the billionaire businessman Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," in August. Christie, who is New Jersey's governor, echoed the sentiment Sunday, telling ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that homicides are up in cities like Chicago and New York, which he said have "some of the most aggressive gun laws." Meanwhile Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, said last month that "Chicago would be an example" of how places with some of the most "stringent gun control laws" also have the "highest gun crime rates in the nation," according to Factcheck.org. But Chicago's gun laws aren't as tough as their reputation suggests. They once were, but courts have overturned or gutted many of them in recent years, forcing a city that once banned handguns and gun shops to allow them both. CHICAGO'S VANISHING GUN RESTRICTIONS Former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley was determined to keep handguns out of residents' hands and he fought every legal challenge to Chicago's gun restrictions during his 22 years in office. But the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a big blow to Chicago's gun laws in 2010 when it struck down the city's handgun ban. Chicago quickly enacted a gun ordinance that proponents said included some of the nation's toughest regulations, but it was forced to scrap some of the provisions that most angered gun rights advocates. Then after a federal appeals court struck down Illinois' last-in-the-nation concealed carry ban in 2012, gun rights advocates took aim at Chicago's decades-old ban on gun stores. The city lost that fight, too, and last year passed an ordinance allowing gun stores. WHERE ARE TODAY'S GUNS COMING FROM? Even though gun shops can operate within Chicago's city limits now, none have opened up yet. That means that every gun that is owned legally or illegally in Chicago came from somewhere else. Just how many is unclear, but Chicago's police department seizes more illegal weapons than any other in the nation nearly 20 a day for a total of 5,500 so far this year. So, when Mayor Rahm Emanuel proposed an ordinance to allow once-banned gun stores in the city, he simultaneously released a city report that blames gun sales elsewhere for much of Chicago's street violence. According to the report, nearly 60 percent of recovered guns that were used to commit crimes in Chicago from 2009 through 2013 were first sold in states with more lax gun laws. Neighboring Indiana was far and away the biggest source, with 19 percent of all recovered guns having been sold there first. But they came from far and wide, with Mississippi being the second biggest source, at 6.7 percent. The pipeline of guns from other states remains open, despite the lifting of many Chicago gun restrictions. Just days ago, a Chicago man who pleaded guilty to helping purchase 43 firearms from gun shows and individuals in Indiana to sell them on Chicago's South Side was sentenced to nearly three years in prison. Angry about what they describe as a flood of illegal guns into the city, several Chicago residents filed a lawsuit this summer against three Chicago suburbs accusing them of lax oversight of local gun shops that they say have been an easy source of weapons for criminals who bring guns into the city. CRIME, BUT ENOUGH PUNISHMENT? Anyone who has attended one of Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy's news conferences about gun violence knows it drives him crazy to hear about how Chicago has some of the toughest gun laws in the U.S. He says it simply is't true. What is true, he says, is that even when people are arrested for possession of illegal guns, they don't stay locked up for long. McCarthy, who spent the bulk of his career on New York City's police force, points out that former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was sentenced to 20 months in prison after he accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegal gun. By contrast, he says the sentences being meted out in Chicago courtrooms are typically no more than six months. An analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times bolsters McCarthy's argument that courts in Cook County, where Chicago is located, aren't nearly as tough on illegal gun possession as they might be. For example, the mandatory minimum prison sentence for illegal gun possession in New York is 3½ years, but such a conviction in Cook County carries a minimum sentence of a year in prison and judges stick to that minimum term most of the time, the paper found. That may not change anytime soon, either. Two years ago, several black Illinois state lawmakers blocked a bill backed by McCarthy and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel that would have imposed stiffer prison sentences on those convicted of illegal gun possession. The lawmakers viewed it as little more than a recipe to lock up more blacks and Latinos.
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Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) Chief Executive Matthias Mueller said in an interview with a German newspaper that the company would launch a recall for cars affected by its diesel emissions crisis in January and complete the fix by the end of next year. "If all goes according to plan, we can start the recall in January. All the cars should be fixed by the end of 2016," Mueller told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). The newspaper provided a copy of the interview prior to publication on Wednesday. Mueller told the FAZ that he believed only a few employees were involved in the diesel emissions rigging that has hammered the company's stock and done severe damage to its reputation, refuting the notion that his detail-oriented predecessor Martin Winterkorn must have known about it. He said the VW would have to become smaller and less centralized, adding that every model and brand would be scrutinized for its contribution to the company and singling out Bugatti. But he said an "evolution" rather than a "revolution" was needed to get VW back on track, predicting that the company could "shine again" in two to three years. "This crisis gives us an opportunity to overhaul Volkswagen's structures," Mueller said. "We want to make the company slimmer, more decentralized and give the brands more responsibility. Mueller rejected the suggestion that VW had informed financial markets too late about the diesel problems despite having told officials at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) weeks before it went public. "Based on our understanding of the law, we informed in time," he said. (Writing by Noah Barkin)
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Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges sent alerts to students and faculty members this past weekend informing them that a posting on social media had threatened violence at an unspecified Philadelphia-area college or university, just days after the killings at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. On Tuesday, after a report of a man brandishing a handgun on the campus of Community College of Philadelphia, the police immediately sent SWAT teams to search buildings room by room. As helicopters hovered, students and faculty were put on lockdown for several hours. While the Oregon shootings have created fresh worries, for most colleges and universities mass shootings are now on the list of hazards from fires and bombings to natural disasters like earthquakes in the West and tornadoes in the South for which they must prepare. Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter Ever since the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech in 2007, colleges have been strengthening their security measures. About two-thirds of four-year colleges or universities with more than 2,500 students have dedicated armed officers on campus, according to the Department of Justice . But many rural or small campuses cannot afford a full-time police force and rely on relationships with the local police. Colleges have also beefed up high-tech communications systems to send emergency instructions to students and staff members, and added features like automatic locking mechanisms for dormitory and classroom doors. Even with such preparations, things can go awry; at Umpqua last week, some faculty members and students reported to the college that they had not received any emergency notifications at all. Across the country, security officers fret that the most difficult part of preparing for and trying to prevent a mass shooting is how idiosyncratic it can be. And so an increasing number of training programs advise students to evaluate their own options to run, hide or fight. "Every time something happens, you kind of reflect back and say 'what did we know, what could we have known, were there any signs and what can we hope to learn from those experiences?'" said Kevin Kruger, president of Naspa-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education , an organization with about 16,000 members on campuses across the country. "Is there something that's transferable to another situation?" he added. "Generally we find that there's not. There's not a single predictive event or series of events that would have helped all of us." In schools as well as colleges, there is a sense of high alert. In Portland, Ore., on Tuesday a local businesswoman saw a young man walking through the neighborhood with what appeared to be a gun, and notified the police and the principal of a nearby high school, which went into immediate lockdown. Once the police found the young man, it turned out he had an air gun, and the lockdown was lifted. "Unfortunately we're learning from a very sad situation," said Christine Miles, spokeswoman for the Portland school district. "But it takes a community to watch out for one another." Security plans have changed over time as officials examine the details of each new episode. After the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, for example, security experts reconsidered their advice that students hide in one place during an active shooting. During that tragedy, several students hunkered in the library instead of escaping out a back door and were ultimately killed. At West Virginia University, a campus of about 30,000 students, for example, regular training programs specifically describe the decisions students or staff members might have to make if someone shows up on campus with a gun. "Obviously if you get the chance to flee, that's the first option," said Bob Roberts, chief of the university's police force of 56 armed officers. "We would prefer people to get out of those situations. If you can't, barricade yourself in, and the bottom line is you have to make a decision. If you're in a situation where you're going to possibly lose your life you're going to have to make a decision of whether you're going to fight, and if you are going to fight, you need to fight to the end." Training videos offer suggestions like throwing potted plants or books, or getting a group of people to rush the gunman. Chief Roberts said that after the Virginia Tech shootings, the campus police force added long rifles, shotguns and automatic rifles to its arsenal and officers specifically run exercises on how to handle a gunman on campus. One of the biggest challenges for colleges is how open their grounds tend to be. "There's very few campuses that have walls and fences where they can control who comes and goes," said William F. Taylor, chief of police at San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Tex., and the president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. And unlike in a fire or tornado, where officials can send students to designated safe spots, "it's totally contingent on where you are" on campus when a shooting begins, said Tom King, director of campus safety for Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges in neighboring suburbs of Philadelphia. Anxiety rose on those campuses on Monday after the Federal Bureau of Investigation put out a warning about the Internet threats of violence in the area. The night before the Umpqua shootings, a chain of messages posted to an anonymous chat board had warned students not to go to school the next day "if you are in the northwest." At Community College of Philadelphia on Tuesday, the city's police commissioner, Charles H. Ramsey, said the episode stemmed from a dispute between two men and apparently had nothing to do with the Oregon shooting or the threats that have circulated. Many colleges have bought sophisticated communications systems that allow them to send multiple messages to every member of the campus community through text, email and phone calls. In addition to students and staff members, some systems will send messages to parents as well. "If parents hear that there is an incident, there is nothing worse than not being able to get in touch with your student," said Imad Mouline, chief technology officer at Everbridge, an emergency communications company that has about 150 clients on college campuses around the country. Mr. Mouline said an increasing number of colleges are asking for the ability to tailor messages depending on where students are on campus, using tracking software based on where students or staff check in to university wireless networks. "So, for example, I might send a slightly different message to the students who are in the building where I know the active shooter is," Mr. Mouline said, "versus the students who are a mile away." Ron Paradis, a spokesman for Umpqua, said the college had heard that its system "didn't work perfectly" last week during the shootings, but had not yet conducted an investigation. At University of New Haven, a campus of about 4,000 students in West Haven, Conn., Ronald M. Quagliani, associate vice president for public safety, said students and staff members can download an app onto their phones so that if they are stuck in a location but cannot make a call, the app will activate their microphones and video cameras and send location coordinates to security officers. In contrast to elementary and high schools, where lockdown drills have become increasingly common , officials say it is difficult for colleges to conduct campuswide drills, with students on varying schedules and in many cases, commuting from off site. At Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, N.C., Gary M. Green, the president, said the college's police force regularly conducts training and drills with faculty and staff members, but not with students. But instructions for what to do in the case of an active shooting are posted in every classroom: lock doors, turn off lights, close blinds, block windows, turn off computer monitors, take cover. Other measures that might work in more contained situations, like metal detectors, are impractical in college settings, security officials say, where there are so many buildings. "It would be awfully expensive," said Chief Roberts at West Virginia University. "It's kind of a quandary, too, when you start thinking about educational facilities. What kind of environment do we want our young people going to school in? We don't want to replicate a prison in a college campus, I don't think."
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PITTSBURGH -- Go ahead, keep talking about Jake Arrieta and his historic second half. Keep dreaming about the Chicago Cubs' magical season and their quest to break that 107-year curse. It might surprise the folks watching back home or everyone who lives within 100 miles of Wrigleyville, but there happens to be another stud pitcher taking the mound Wednesday in the National League wild-card game. His name is Gerrit Cole, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have every bit of confidence that Cole will shut down the Cubs, just as the Cubs think Arrieta's dominance will continue. "He's the most competitive guy that I've ever been around," Pirates second baseman Neil Walker said of Cole. "Having watched him, he loves being the guy that has the ball in his hand in a big situation. "He expects a lot out of himself." Let's be honest, Cole fully expects to win and be packing his bags for St. Louis, where the Pirates would face the Cardinals in the NL Division Series. Cole might have just turned 25, but he hardly lacks for confidence. This is the same guy who was drafted out of high school in the first round by the New York Yankees. The Yankees were prepared to offer him about $3 million, but Cole passed, wanting to go to college and thinking he'd be worth even more in three years. He was the first pitcher in seven years drafted in the first round who didn't sign. Three years later, pitching for UCLA, he was the No. 1 pick in the country, receiving a franchise-record signing bonus of $8 million and proving to be worth every penny. He is 40-20 in his career, winning more games since his debut than every NL pitcher but Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Madison Bumgarner. "He respects everything about the game, and he fears absolutely nothing about the game," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. That means facing Arrieta and the Cubs. Why, ever since the Pirates mapped out this scenario by skipping Cole's start in early September, he has envisioned this moment. Cole, in his last four starts, faced the Cubs twice, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cardinals. He went 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA, yielding just 25 baserunners in 271/3 innings, ensuring the Pirates would at least win home-field advantage for the wild-card game. "He doesn't want to be the No. 1 guy," Pirates catcher Chris Stewart told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week. "He wants to be one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game." Now, pitching the biggest game of his life, in his first postseason game at PNC Park, Cole is embracing the moment, thinking he can match Arrieta pitch for pitch and inning for inning. "I feel like when you're in these situations, you want to face the best," Cole said. "You work so hard to put yourself in position to have these opportunities, and it doesn't feel any better than going up against the best." Yes, and let's face it, he's going up against the hottest pitcher on the planet. Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) has gone 16-1 with a 0.86 ERA in his last 20 starts, striking out 147 and walking 27 in 147 innings. Since the All-Star break, he has yielded a record-low 0.75 ERA, and he has a mind-boggling 0.41 ERA since August. No pitcher in the history of baseball has ever had a better second half, and no one is pitching these days with more confidence. "I feel confident that I can neutralize a lot of their power, a lot of their speed guys with different sequences," Arrieta said. "You know, I intend to have some good success (Wednesday)." Arrieta has even been toying with Pirates fans since his arrival into town, taunting those on Twitter who think the crowd noise will unnerve him. He felt no need to remind them of his 3-1 record and 0.75 ERA against the Pirates this year, but he did plead with them to make PNC Park as noisy as possible. "Bring out all the reinforcements. I need it loud." "Whatever helps keep your hope alive, just know, it doesn't matter. "It's all in good fun," Arrieta said. "I don't mean anything negative towards anybody. Just, it's kind of the buildup to the game." Just try to pretend the Pirates' sold-out crowd, wearing all black, standing and screaming from the top of their lungs for nine innings, Cole said, smirking, won't make a difference. Ask Johnny Cueto, who became unglued on the mound two years ago, when he started for the Cincinnati Reds in their wild-card game at PNC Park. "It's an advantage for sure," Cole said, "especially when you have fans that can make noise like these ones can. It can rattle some people. That's no joke. I think we saw that a couple years ago." Maybe the atmosphere won't rattle Arrieta or his young teammates, Cole says, but he thinks it will only fuel him, knowing he has the chance to knock off the king of the hill, with the baseball world watching. Cole has a career 7-1 record in nine starts against the Cubs, including 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts this year. "The key for Cole is not to get too fired up just because he's facing Arrieta," said Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart, who dominated Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens as an Oakland Athletic, going 8-0 with a 1.80 ERA. "You've got to stay calm. You've got to stay focused. The good ones control their emotions. If you don't, that can be your biggest enemy. "When I pitched against him, I was just determined that when the last out came I would be the one standing on the mound." Cole plans on being that guy Wednesday, and if you listen to his teammates, they're convinced the baseball world could soon be talking about another pitcher besides Arrieta who can suffocate an offense and prematurely terminate a team's season. "The Cubs have been the hype all year," Pirates All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. "They haven't been winning a whole lot, and now they've opened a lot of eyes. It's, 'Let's talk about the Cubs.' "They're the new team now. It's all about the hype. It's all about Kris Bryant, who just got there. It's all about (Kyle) Schwarber, who just got here. It's all about what's new. Honestly, that's all the media cares about, is what's new. And now, all eyes are on Arrieta. Not necessarily the Cubs, but Arrieta. "So (Cole) is just sitting back and chilling, you know. He can be that snake in the tall grass. He can hopefully be able to look back and own the 'W.' "I look forward to him going out and really doing well." If you know Cole's fiery demeanor, you can count on it.
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The 18 year old reality star shared a little beauty secret with her fans last night, but fans on twitter were quick to speculate that Kylie was wearing butt pads to give her derrière a more round appearance.
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Carly Fiorina took the stage at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to introduce a new camera from Hewlett-Packard Co., joined by singer Gwen Stefani, who shot a selfie with the beaming chief executive. "I can't believe I'm on stage with this woman," said Ms. Stefani, who was introduced by Ms. Fiorina as H-P's "hippest product engineer" for the singer's help designing the camera's case and accessories. The moment celebrated a marriage of technology and popular culture that Ms. Fiorina had cultivated through 5½ years at the helm of H-P. "What is our ambition for 2005? To be at the intersection of simplicity, innovation, personalization at affordable mass-market prices," she told the crowd. Ms. Fiorina wasn't around long enough to see the camera ship to stores. She was fired a month later by the H-P board of directors. As Ms. Fiorina campaigns for the Republican Party nomination, she presents her tenure at H-P from July 1999 to February 2005 as evidence of a business-based competence she would bring to the White House. Interviews with former employees and board members, as well as an examination of H-P's financial performance during that period which included a $25 billion deal to acquire Compaq Computer Corp. suggest Ms. Fiorina's vision and marketing talent overshadowed her ability to deliver results. "Carly is a brilliant sales person, and she did an exquisitely good job of selling the Compaq merger to a cynical market," said George Keyworth, a former H-P board member. "But what she could not do was execute." H-P's stock price fell 55% on Ms. Fiorina's watch, more than peers in the technology industry, even those hammered by the 2001 downturn. Dell Inc.'s stock dropped 5% over the same period; Cisco Systems Inc.'s fell 45%; IBM dropped 31%. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell by 27%. Ms. Fiorina declined to be interviewed for this article. Her press secretary, Anna Epstein, said Ms. Fiorina's tenure coincided with an economic downturn that hurt many companies: "As of Oct. 31, 2001 after the height of the dot-com bust H-P had over 86,000 employees world-wide. Carly's leadership saved H-P, and those jobs, during the worst technology recession in the last 25 years." Ms. Fiorina indeed saved jobs by keeping H-P afloat, but had to trim the company's workforce by about 30,000. Dell, about a third the size of H-P in 2005, cut roughly 1,700 jobs during the same period, according to people familiar with the matter. H-P's workforce grew from 84,400 to 150,000 during her tenure, taking into account Compaq and other acquisitions. The September 2001 Compaq deal was central to Ms. Fiorina's strategy as she tried to resurrect the Silicon Valley icon by restoring its reputation for innovation. Her pitch: The deal would increase computer sales and gain enough market heft to steer software development to H-P platforms. After an acrimonious battle that alienated Ms. Fiorina from the founders' family, the vote was 838 million shares in favor, 793 million opposed. Ms. Fiorina's supporters, who include former H-P chief financial officer Bob Wayman, said the acquisition gave the company an advantage over its fastest-charging rival at the time, Dell, and set up H-P to survive the tech carnage of the early 2000s. "If Carly had survived another six-to-nine months, I think she wouldn't have been fired," he said. The board ousted Ms. Fiorina as the deal was about to bear fruit, according to Mr. Wayman and other supporters. Among those who have since been persuaded to that view is Tom Perkins, a venture capitalist who had retired from the H-P board while Ms. Fiorina was CEO but returned to vote for her ouster. Others say the acquisition doomed H-P to low margins that plague it still. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at Yale School of Management, is one of Ms. Fiorina's biggest critics. In 2005, he rated her among CEOs as "the worst because of her ruthless attack on the essence of this great company." Whatever the merits of the Compaq acquisition, Ms. Fiorina failed to fulfill the promises she used to persuade directors and shareholders to back the deal. She predicted H-P would boost profit margins from 4.5% in 2001 to 8.6% in 2003 with the efficiencies of scale Compaq would bring. Instead, margins were 6.2% in 2003. A year later, they were 6.3%. Ms. Fiorina's successor, Mark Hurd, eventually achieved the profitability she promised, but it took some work. "H-P needed to start growing revenue and market share," Mr. Hurd said. "That required a significant amount of realignment and a lot of attention on the day-to-day operations." While Ms. Fiorina was chief executive, for example, the company had a bloated product inventory, much of which wasn't generating much revenue, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr. Hurd cut the product lines in half. Also, more staffers were working in IT than in sales, and technology spending dwarfed research and development. Mr. Hurd doubled the sales staff and focused R&D spending on higher-margin product lines, increasing the company's research and development yield. Before her arrival at H-P, Ms. Fiorina had cemented a reputation as a world-class salesperson during a 15-year career at AT&T and its networking equipment spinoff, Lucent. She headed sales during a period of highflying growth: Lucent's revenue grew 20% her last year. Ms. Fiorina, however, had a gap in her résumé. "I managed all of our sales and services resources but none of the product development or manufacturing," she wrote in "Tough Choices," Ms. Fiorina's autobiography. "She was not prepared to take on the job as CEO of Hewlett-Packard," said Bill George, a former CEO of Medtronic Inc., now a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School, who has written extensively about H-P. "It was one of the great corporations of the world at the time, and she'd had a limited amount of germane management experience." After Ms. Fiorina joined H-P, she began a yearslong process to reinvent the company. In her book, she described how the company before her arrival had missed nine consecutive earnings targets and flubbed the Internet boom. H-P in 1999 was broken into 83 separate business units. "When I first arrived at HP, I'd asked how I could communicate with all our employees at once," she wrote. "I was met with dumbfounded silence." Over the next two years, Ms. Fiorina became a celebrated CEO, a woman with Stanford degrees in philosophy and medieval history who made headlines saying, for example, "The glass ceiling doesn't exist." Ms. Fiorina was the first tech CEO to be known by her first name. Female employees bought versions of the "Carly suit," a business pantsuit in bold colors instead of conventional black. "This was exciting," said Amy Stroud, a 16-year H-P manager who recalled buying a green ensemble for work. "When Carly came in, she publicly stated that she wanted to reinvent H-P, which was interpreted as an expression of dissatisfaction with employee behavior," said Ms. Stroud, who went on to write a business school analysis of how H-P alienated its workforce. In one TV commercial, Ms. Fiorina appeared to appropriate the iconic Palo Alto garage where H-P was founded in 1939 by Stanford engineering grads William Hewlett and David Packard. Before long, her approach irritated some H-P engineers whose idea of a public performance was a singalong at the pianos scattered across the company's Palo Alto campus. As Ms. Fiorina steered the company deeper into hardware, H-P software engineer Peter Hagelund said he and colleagues in the middleware division which created software allowing servers to communicate spent idle months churning out hundreds of ideas for a company innovation program. In early 2002, for example, Mr. Hagelund said he came up with chopsticks that dispensed soy sauce. The company program paid $100 for every idea, requiring only that they be approved by another H-P employee of any rank. The chopsticks were perhaps the most far-fetched idea cooked up by the engineers, who submitted hundreds of proposals and shared the proceeds. Mr. Hagelund, who changed his last name from Petersen, said he netted thousands of dollars by the time he left the company that year. He later worked at IBM, where he earned several patents. "If I had put forward the chopsticks idea at IBM, they would have laughed at me or walked me out the door," Mr. Hagelund said, adding that at H-P, the idea helped pay for a red Jeep Liberty. As late as 2004, two years before the launch of Amazon.com's cloud-computing business and three years before Apple Inc. kicked off the mobile computing boom, Ms. Fiorina believed the tech industry had entered a time of slow growth and consolidation. Critics say this miscalculation allowed IBM, rather than H-P, to acquire high-margin businesses in information-technology services from PricewaterhouseCoopers. While H-P struggled to digest the Compaq acquisition, IBM expanded its software business, buying such companies as database vendor Informix Corp. and Rational Software Corp., a seller of software development tools. H-P missed its earnings guidance in 2003 and 2004, and by early 2005, with H-P's stock flatlining, the board of directors were about done with Ms. Fiorina. "It was so bad that experts were advising us that we were potentially a target for private-equity takeover," recalled a former board member. The board's discontent led to a standoff that Ms. Fiorina lost. In 1999, H-P had been a highly decentralized company with dozens of autonomous entities, each responsible for their own profit and loss statements. By 2005, Ms. Fiorina had centered power in the CEO's office. The board wanted her to give some of it back: Shane Robison, the company's chief technology officer, would head up a business technology group. Printer chief Vyomesh Joshi would be given more control as head of a PC and printer group, as would Anne Livermore, head of the company's services division. Neither Mr. Robison nor Mr. Joshi responded to requests for comment. Ms. Livermore, now a director with H-P, declined to be interviewed. Ms. Fiorina put her foot down. "The board decided that if she wouldn't yield on these things, she would have to go," said Mr. Perkins, the former H-P board member. "But Carly demanded that she be fired." Since voting to fire Ms. Fiorina, Mr. Perkins has transformed into a supporter, contributing $25,000 to the Carly for America super PAC and planning to host a fundraiser for her presidential bid at his San Francisco penthouse. He now blames H-P's board for the company's troubles, and said Ms. Fiorina deserved credit for improvements that Mr. Hurd achieved as CEO. "He did a very good job of implementing the structure that Carly had put in place," Mr. Perkins said. "He was more acceptable to the mass of Hewlett-Packard employees than Carly was. I mean, Carly was a glamour figure." Write to Robert McMillan at [email protected]
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It's raining champagne Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer sprays champagne in the clubhouse to celebrate after defeating the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Royals advance to the World Series where they will face the Mets. Raising the bar Alcides Escobar of the Royals receives the ALCS MVP trophy after winning Game 6 against the Jays on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Royal celebration Royals players celebrate on the field after defeating the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. No more blues Royals relief pitcher Wade Davis and catcher Salvador Perez celebrate after defeating the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Sure footed Royals' Lorenzo Cain scores a run in the eighth inning during Game 6 of the ALCS against the Blue Jays on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Doing it with the long ball Royals' Ben Zobrist (18) celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Blue Jays in Game 6 of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Solo shot Jose Bautista of the Blue Jays watches his solo home run against the Royals during game six of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Gave it his all Yordano Ventura of the Kansas City Royals reacts during game six of the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 23 in Kansas City, Mo. Up against the wall Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Ben Revere catches a fly ball at the wall hit by Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez during game six of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City, Mo. An RBI for Rios Kansas City Royals right fielder Alex Rios hits a RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays in game six of the ALCS on Oct. 23 in Kansas City. Mo. Mets advance to the World Series The New York Mets celebrate after Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 21 in Chicago. The Mets won 8-3 to advance to the World Series. Heartbreak city A Chicago Cubs fan watches during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the New York Mets on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Murphy makes the rounds New York Mets' Daniel Murphy celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Bryant gives hope to the faithful Chicago Cubs' Kris Bryant hits a two-run home run during the eighth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the New York Mets on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Can't snag it Chicago Cubs' Kyle Schwarber can't catch a ball hit by New York Mets' Wilmer Flores during the sixth inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Hammel's early exit Chicago Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel wipe his face after being relieved during the second inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the New York Mets on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Early Mets magic New York Mets' Lucas Duda is congratulated by Yoenis Cespedes, left, and Curtis Granderson, right, after hitting a three-run home run during the first inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Getting to second base New York Mets' Curtis Granderson, right, steals second with Chicago Cubs' Starlin Castro covering during the first inning of Game 4 of the National League baseball championship series on Oct. 21 in Chicago. Tulo drives in three Toronto Blue Jays' Troy Tulowitzki hits a three-RBI double against the Kansas City Royals during the sixth inning in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 21 in Toronto. The Blue Jays won 7-1. Masterful on the mound Marco Estrada of the Toronto Blue Jays throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game 5 of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 21 in Toronto. Frustration at the plate Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 5 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre on Oct. 21 in Toronto. Solo shot Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello hits a home run during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals in Game 5 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre on Oct. 21 in Toronto. Royally good defense Alcides Escobar, left, of the Kansas City Royals turns a double play over Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays to end the fourth inning during Game 5 of the American League Championship Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on Oct. 21 in Toronto. Perez pumped as Royals roll Salvador Perez of the Royals reacts after scoring a run in the seventh inning against the Blue Jays during Game 4 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre on Oct. 20 in Toronto. The Royals won 14-2 to take a 3-1 series lead. Mets down Cubs Mets center fielder Juan Lagares (12) and second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) celebrate after defeating the Cubs in Game 3 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 20, in Chicago. Dickey done early Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, left, takes out starting pitcher R.A. Dickey (43) during the second inning against the Royals in Game 4 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre on Oct. 20 in Toronto. Yoenis hits Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits an RBI double in the first inning against the Cubs in Game 3 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 20, in Chicago. Up for the double play Royals second baseman Ben Zobrist, left, turns a double play in front of Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista during the sixth inning in Game 4 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre on Oct. 20 in Toronto. Taste of his own medicine Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) moves away from an inside pitch in the second inning against the Cubs in Game 3 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 20, in Chicago. Play at the plate Royals' Lorenzo Cain, left, scores past Blue Jays starting pitcher R.A. Dickey during the first inning in Game 4 of the ALCS on Oct. 20 in Toronto. The Royals won 14-2 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. Zobrist goes long Ben Zobrist of the Royals hits a two-run home run in the first inning against the Blue Jays during Game 4 of the ALCSeries at Rogers Centre on Oct. 20 in Toronto, Canada. Off the bag Blue Jays second baseman Ryan Goins, left, tags out Royals' Alex Rios after an attempted steal during the fourth inning in Game 4 of the ALCS on Oct. 20 in Toronto. Blue Jays pour it on Troy Tulowitzki of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates after hitting a three-run home run in the third inning against the Kansas City Royals during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 19 in Toronto. The Blue Jays won 11-8. Ball watching Toronto Blue Jays' Ryan Goins watches his two-RBI single against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 19 in Toronto. Short outing Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez, right, walks starting pitcher Johnny Cueto back to the mound after giving up two runs against the Toronto Blue Jays during the second inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 19 in Toronto. Not the kind of hit he wanted Toronto Blue Jays' Russell Martin gets hit by a pitch during the second inning in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals on Oct. 19 in Toronto. Royals strike first Alcides Escobar, right, of the Kansas City Royals celebrates with Eric Hosmer after scoring a run in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 19 in Toronto. Murphy goes deep New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy, right, celebrates with first baseman Lucas Duda after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during Game 2 of the NLCS on Oct. 18 in New York City. The Mets won 4-1. Keep it in the park New York Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson makes a leaping catch at the wall to catch a ball hit by Chicago Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan during Game 2 of the NLCS on Oct. 18 in New York City. Safe on the play Curtis Granderson of the New York Mets steals second base against Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18 in New York City. Almost out of room Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs makes a leaping catch on a ball hit by Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18 in New York City. Mets take first game against Cubs New York Mets' Daniel Murphy is congratulated by teammate Travis d'Arnaud after hitting a home run during the first inning of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 17 in New York. Pick off, picked off Chicago Cubs' Anthony Rizzo is hit in the hand as he slides safely back to first in front of New York Mets' Lucas Duda on a pick-off attempt during the seventh inning of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 17 in New York. Under the tag New York Mets' Juan Lagares slides safely under the tag of Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero during the seventh inning of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 17 in New York. Lagares scored from third on a sacrifice fly by Curtis Granderson. Can't dodge it Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs gets tagged out at home plate by Travis d'Arnaud of the New York Mets after a single hit by Javier Baez in the fifth inning during Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Citi Field on Oct. 17 in New York City. Yordano on the mound Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura throws against the Blue Jays during the first inning in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 17 in Kansas City, Mo. Royal celebration Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson of the Royals celebrate a win over the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Kauffman Stadium on Oct. 17 in Kansas City, Mo. A miss at home plate Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin misses the throw to home plate as the Royals' Eric Hosmer comes in to score during the seventh inning in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Oct. 17 in Kansas City, Mo. Sliding score The Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson scores in the sixth inning on a single by Edwin Encarnacion against the Royals during Game 2 of the ALCS at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 17. One-handed grab Royals catcher Salvador Perez makes a one-handed grab of a foul ball as plate umpire Laz Diaz rules it a dead ball during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series on Oct. 17 in Kansas City, Mo. Diving for a double Royals right fielder Alex Rios dives for an RBI double by the Blue Jays' Troy Tulowitzki in the sixth inning during Game 2 of the ALCS at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 17. Dominant performance Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez throws against the Blue Jays during Game 1 of their American League Championship Series on Oct. 16 in Kansas City, Mo. Edinson threw six scoreless innings for the Royals. Royals go deep Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals celebrates his home run during game one of their American League Championship Series against the Toronto Blue Jays on Oct. 16 in Kansas City, Mo. Gotcha Alcides Escobar, right, of the Kansas City Royals is tagged out after being caught in a rundown by Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays during game one of their American League Championship Series on Oct. 16 in Kansas City, Missouri. No one's catching it Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Ben Revere can't reach a home run from Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals in game one of their American League Championship Series matchup on Oct. 16 in Kansas City, Mo. Solo homerun New York Mets' Daniel Murphy watches his solo home run during the sixth inning in Game 5 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 15, 2015, in Los Angeles. Celebration time Jeurys Familia of the New York Mets celebrates after the Mets 3-2 victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. High fives for Daniel Murphy New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy (28) celebrates after scoring a run in the fourth inning against Los Angeles Dodgers in game five of NLDS at Dodger on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. Zack Greinke with the pitch Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke pitches the first inning against New York Mets in game five of NLDS at Dodger Stadium Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. Justin Turner steals third Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers steals third base in the third inning against the New York Mets in game five of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. Royals clinch Kansas City Royals' Ben Zobrist, left, celebrates with starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) after their 7-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 5 in baseball's American League Division Series on Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. Head over heels Kansas City Royals center fielder Jarrod Dyson does a backflip on the field as he celebrates his team's 7-2 win over the Houston Astros in Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series on Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. Thank heavens Houston Astros' Luis Valbuena reacts at home plate after hitting a two-run home run during the second inning of Game 5 in baseball's American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals on Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. Over the fence Kansas City Royals right fielder Alex Rios hits the wall while trying to catch a two-run home run by Houston Astros' Luis Valbuena during the second inning of Game 5 in baseball's American League Division Series on Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. Snagging the foul ball Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon, left, catches a foul ball hit by Houston Astros' Jose Altuve during the sixth inning of Game 5 in baseball's American League Division Series on Oct. 14 in Kansas City, Mo. And it's gone Jose Bautista #19 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws his bat up in the air after he hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 14 in Toronto, Canada. Pile on The Toronto Blue Jays celebrate the 6-3 win against the Texas Rangers as Ben Revere #7 jumps on top of the pile in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on Oct. 14 in Toronto, Canada. Great grab Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar catches a ball hit by Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Hamilton (not pictured) in the fourth inning in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Oct 14. Speedster Delino DeShields #7 of the Texas Rangers slides into home safely ahead of the tag by Russell Martin #55 of the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Oct 14. Well, this is embarrassing Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello falls over after swinging and missing at a pitch against the Texas Rangers in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Oct 14. Big blast Texas Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo hits a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the third inning in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Oct 14. Big hit Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez hits an RBI single against the New York Mets during game four of their National League Division Series matchup on Oct. 13 in New York City. The Dodgers won 3-1. Bad inning for Matz and the Mets New York Mets pitcher Steven Matz walks off the field after giving up three runs in the top of the third inning during game four of the NLDS the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 13 in New York City. The Dodgers won 3-1. Kershaw comes through Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws against the New York Mets during game four of the NLDS on Oct. 13, 2015, in New York City. The Dodgers won 3-1. Locker room celebration The Chicago Cubs celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4 on Oct. 13. We won Chicago Cubs celebrate after the 6-4 victory against St. Louis Cardinals to win the NLDS at Wrigley Field on Oct. 13, 2015. Monster home run Kyle Schwarber of the Chicago Cubs hits a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the second inning of game three in the NLDS on Oct. 12 in Chicago. The Cubs won 6-4 to win the series. Game-saving tag Tony Cruz, right, of the St. Louis Cardinals is tagged out by Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Montero (47) during the sixth inning of game four of the NLDS on Oct. 13 in Chicago. The Cubs won 6-4 to win the series. Cespedes celebration Travis d'Arnaud, left, of the New York Mets greets teammate Yoenis Cespedes after Cespedes hit a three-run home run during game three of their National League Division Series matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Oct. 12 in New York City. The Mets won 13-7. Mets pound the Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson reacts as Travis d'Arnaud of the New York Mets rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during game three of their National League Division Series matchup on Oct. 12 in New York City. The Mets won 13-7.
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Chef Michael Björklund studied the art of cooking with world-reknowned French master chef Paul Bocuse, used to be a popular TV cook in Finland and now has his own restaurant on the island of Fasta Åland. He prepares freshly caught perch filet for us.
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Back in December 2014, the Houston Astros sent out an innocent tweet about their upcoming season's home schedule. It stated, simply, that the date of a Taylor Swift concert scheduled for Minute Maid Park on October 13 was subject to change, should Houston find itself in the postseason. Naturally, considering the Astros finished 51-111 in 2013 and 70-92 in 2014 and hadn't reached the postseason since 2005, snark came from all directions. The thought of the Astros being in the playoffs seemed like a joke. Note: the date of the Taylor Swift 1989 tour show at #MMP is subject to change if it conflicts with an #Astros postseason home game. Houston Astros (@astros) December 11, 2014 And yet, the 2015 club DID make the postseason...as the second Wild Card team. Their convincing 3-0 blanking of the New York Yankees in Tuesday night's AL Wild Card Game not only catapulted them into an ALDS showdown with the Kansas City Royals, but it made the giggles directed at that T-Swift tweet all the more amusing. As an aside, here are some images from the Astros' postgame celebration at Yankee Stadium after taking down the Bronx Bombers on Tuesday night (as shared on Twitter by Evan Drellich and Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle and MLB.com's Brian McTaggart): This is the best I've had yet pic.twitter.com/iiavCyo7Y7 Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 7, 2015 Springer pic.twitter.com/pYyDJIvX0Y Brian McTaggart ⚾️ (@brianmctaggart) October 7, 2015 Keuchel: pic.twitter.com/aOZqaPH8tT Jose de Jesus Ortiz (@OrtizKicks) October 7, 2015 Correa pic.twitter.com/2K8e09YYiy Brian McTaggart ⚾️ (@brianmctaggart) October 7, 2015 Colby Rasmus. The. End. #Astros pic.twitter.com/i6bFP62M2D Jerome Solomon (@JeromeSolomon) October 7, 2015 Considering how far the Astros have come, this tweet situation is more or less a pretty on-point example of the remarkable work first-year manager A.J. Hinch has done with his club. Now, thanks to the capable arm of ace Dallas Keuchel, the 'Stros have a chance to do even more damage in October...oh, and that Swift gig was rescheduled to September 9 . As it turns out, the Astros won't have a home game on October 13, but a potential Game 4 of the ALDS is set for the previous day at Minute Maid Park. If the game happens, maybe the club should play Swift tunes all night as a tribute...
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At least ten people were taken hostage by rioting inmates who beat and threatened them after taking to the roof of a Brazilian prison. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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What does Week 6 have in store for all you college football enthusiasts? From Big 12 offensive fireworks to Big Ten slobber-knockers, to statement games that could determine whether or not folks get to keep their jobs, we've got you covered with the most interesting storylines for the upcoming weekend of college football. 1. Cody Kessler tries to stay hot at home against Washington USC (No. 19) isn't getting a lot of national hype right now, and neither is Kessler, who has quietly put together a phenomenal campaign to date. The Trojans will be front and center in a prime-time matchup at home against Washington on Thursday, though, and it's a perfect platform for Kessler to showcase his mastery in front of a national audience. Even in the game in which Stanford shocked USC, Kessler was stellar. Thanks in part to the outstanding play of receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the senior quarterback has completed 73 percent of his passes, averaging 10.63 yards per attempt, and has 15 passing touchdowns compared to just one interception. Washington's defense is pretty darn good, though, so it's not a given Kessler and the USC offense will stay hot at home this Thursday night. The Huskies have allowed just two passing touchdowns, forced five interceptions, amassed eight sacks, and opposing quarterbacks have completed just 56.1 percent of their passes against them. When discussing the challenge of facing this stout defense, USC offensive coordinator Clay Helton remarked on the team discipline the Huskies have shown. "They don't blow assignments," Helton said, per ESPN.com. "They make you go the long way. It'll be a tough challenge for us ." Conference battles are always hard to predict. As we saw when Stanford went into the Coliseum and dominated the Trojans in Week 3, the rankings rarely have much to do with the outcome. This contest will be nationally broadcasted on ESPN starting at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday night. 2. Will Leonard Fournette run away with the Heisman against South Carolina At this point, the Heisman Trophy is still sort of up for grabs as we near the midway point of the 2015 season, but Fournette is pulling away from the field at a breakneck pace. The sophomore broke an SEC record last weekend by posting his third straight 200-plus-yard game, and he's already being hailed by many NFL scouts as the next Adrian Peterson. Head coach Les Miles knows his star running back is capable of making an explosive play at any given moment. "There's not a time where you hand him a ball that he doesn't have an opportunity to hit a home run ," Miles said, via Fox 8 in New Orleans. The Gamecocks could be victim No. 4 for the relentless running back to go over 200 yards. South Carolina's defense hasn't been much of a brick wall this year for opposing ground attacks, allowing 170 yards per game, 4.9 yards per carry and nine rushing touchdowns on the season. This is a game LSU (No. 7) should win handily on Saturday. Stopping Fournette will be item No. 1 on the to-do list for South Carolina, but there's a good chance head coach Steve Spurrier won't get to check off that box in this contest. 3. Will Ohio State finally look like a No. 1-ranked program against Maryland? Ohio State (No. 1) does not deserve the top spot in the rankings . But with the other top teams from last weekend also failing to make any kind of a statement, or losing altogether, the voters kept the Buckeyes at No. 1. A close examination of the tape, though with no preconceptions and tossing out last year's national championship would lead you to the conclusion that Urban Meyer's program isn't up to snuff. Not since Week 1 have we witnessed the excellence you would expect out of a top team. In the four games since, Ohio State's offense has sputtered like a Model T, rather than the Lamborghini Gallardo it's supposed to be. Neither Cardale Jones nor J.T. Barrett has been able to get the thing out of second gear, and former quarterback turned receiver Braxton Miller has been a ghost since Week 2 in the passing game. Perhaps we'll see a wrinkle near the goal line this week, as Meyer has suggested Barrett might be in line for some snaps in that area of the field. Maryland shouldn't offer much resistance this weekend, especially considering the Buckeyes are at home. Jim Harbaugh's Michigan Wolverines handled the Terrapins with ease last weekend, and Ohio State should do the same. If the team's struggles continue, however, then the Buckeyes absolutely must not retain the top spot heading into Week 7. This game is being broadcast on the Big Ten Network starting at noon ET. 4. Holy Toledo! It's been three years since we've had a Toledo (No. 24) sighting in the top 25, and this is only the third time it's happened since 2001. The Mid-American Conference leader is 4-0 heading into Saturday's home game against Kent State. The Rockets burst onto the national stage by downing Arkansas by a score of 16-12 in Week 3, as ex-Alabama quarterback Phillip Ely threw for 237 yards and showed excellent composure against the tough defense of the Razorbacks. The Toledo defense swarmed to the ball and did an excellent job executing the "bend but don't break" philosophy, allowing just one touchdown in that contest. In the weeks since that shocking victory, the Rockets have continued putting points on the board on offense and have been dominating opponents on the defensive side of the ball. The Golden Flashes have gone the opposite direction this year and enter the contest with a record of 2-3. This MAC battle will be streaming live on ESPN3 starting at 3 p.m. ET. 5. Plenty of high-flying Big 12 action If you've been keeping track of the college football action from week-to-week, then you're well aware of the offensive prowess of the Big 12. Featuring TCU (No. 2), Baylor (No. 3), Oklahoma (No. 10), Oklahoma State (No. 21), and Texas Tech, this conference features must-see TV every weekend for fans who love to see touchdown after touchdown after touchdown. Coming up in Week 6, Baylor is visiting Kansas, which features the 103rd-ranked defense in the nation. Don't blink watching this one, because the Bears are going to go bananas against the Jayhawks. This contest will be broadcast nationally beginning at noon ET on FOX Sports 1. Oklahoma should tee off on Texas, much like TCU did last weekend. The Longhorns don't put up much of a fight defensively, and their special teams has been the bane of Charlie Strong's existence the past few weeks. Fans eager to watch this likely blowout can tune in to ABC on Saturday at noon ET. Texas Tech might exact some bitter revenge against Iowa State after being denied victory against TCU by the football gods and then getting hammered by the Bears last weekend. The Cyclones have been stout on defense this year but don't exactly feature an offense that can trade blows with Patrick Mahomes and Co. Perhaps the most intriguing battle features TCU heading to Kansas State, which has been doing a fine job defensively this year allowing just 18 points per game while shutting down opposing rushing attacks to the tune of just 71 yards per game (No. 3 in the nation). This game is being broadcast nationally on FOX starting at 7:30 p.m. ET. 6. How will Georgia respond after getting blasted by 'Bama? It's hard to gauge how the Bulldogs (No. 19) will respond after they were picked apart to the point of embarrassment last weekend at home against the Alabama Crimson Tide, 38-10. Georgia came into the contest ranked No. 8 and tried to intimidate the Tide even before the game started as dozens of players went over and "greeted" their rivals as they ran onto the field. A minor scrum ensued before the refs put an end to the mayhem. In the end, it was clear which program was superior, and it's not hard to imagine the Bulldogs suffered through some emotional doldrums in the days since. The Volunteers haven't been exactly dominant this year, too, meaning Mark Richt's reeling program could be walking right into a trap game. For that reason, the head coach has issued a strong message to his team, as conveyed by defensive back Quincy Mauger: "You can't let one loss determine who Georgia football is. You've got to keep fighting ," he said, per the Athens Banner-Herald. Safety Dominick Sanders added: "We're keeping our heads straight. We're not going to let one loss bring us down. We're going to maintain our work ethic." One way to ensure there is no let-down is to feature Nick Chubb more frequently than he was utilized in the bad loss to 'Bama. Richt admitted he made a mistake by not calling Chubb's number more frequently, and you can be sure that will be remedied against Tennessee especially after watching him go 83 yards in a heartbeat . This game will be televised nationally on CBS starting at 3:30 p.m. ET. 7. Slobber-knocker extraordinaire as Northwestern visits Michigan This contest is the antithesis of what the Big 12 is all about, as these two Big Ten teams feature a rough-and-tumble identity that is predicated on stifling defense and running the ball down opponents' throats. Michigan (No. 18) features the No. 2 defense in the nation, while Northwestern (No. 13) is ranked No. 10. Both teams also average more than 200 yards per game on the ground offensively. Barring random crazy plays, nobody should be surprised if the two teams fail to combine for 25 points. Both programs are undefeated so far, but the slight edge must be given to Michigan, which has shut out its opponents the past couple of weekends not to mention the home-field advantage. This slobber-knocker in the making will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. 8. Gators rising in the SEC East Florida (No. 11) has surprised many by going undefeated so far. The real kicker came last weekend when the Gators found a way to suck the life out of Ole Miss, which had been one of the hottest teams in the nation and was No. 3 heading into Week 5. The undefeated record came with a bit of magic as well. If you remember, Tennessee should have really won in Week 4 at home, but head coach Butch Jones' head-scratching decisions at the end of the game paved the way for a Gators victory. The team's next challenge on Saturday is Missouri, which is reeling right now. Starting quarterback Maty Mauk has been suspended indefinitely for undisclosed disciplinary reasons, and starting in his place is freshman Drew Lock. Lock completed a high volume of his passes last weekend but only managed to pass for 136 yards, throwing no touchdowns and an interception. The opportunistic Gators defense will likely feast on his mistakes on Saturday. This game will be televised on the SEC Network beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET. 9. Al Golden's statement game against Florida State Miami head coach Al Golden has been hearing fans call for his job since the beginning of the season. Disgruntled fans have been flying " Fire Al Golden " banners around stadiums since early September, and the outcry only intensified last weekend when the Hurricanes lost to Cincinnati 34-23. Making matters worse, the upcoming contest against Florida State (No. 12) carries with it some deep-seeded implications. Miami has lost five straight against its in-state rival, and another loss could seal Golden's fate. Andrea Adelson of ESPN put it like this as it concerns Golden and the upcoming contest: "A sixth straight loss to the Seminoles will be met with a disdain that even the much-maligned Golden has yet to experience in South Florida with the majority of its schedule remaining (including a game against No. 6 Clemson on Oct. 24). Tension could reach combustible levels." Winning won't be easy, either. The Seminoles feature the nation's No. 5-ranked defense in terms of yards allowed and is only giving up 11.5 points per contest. Offensively, Florida State's engine is powered by running back Dalvin Cook, who is questionable with a hamstring and who has yet to practice this week . If he can't go, then quarterback Everett Golson will need to step up his game. This rivalry game will be televised in prime time on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET. 10. Jared Goff's first true test against Utah Many a football geek is already amped up for this Pac-12 battle, featuring the top pure passer in the nation going up against one of the best all-around teams. Cal has engineered an undefeated season to this point, and the past three games have come down to the wire with Goff performing admirably under pressure. Goff is a pleasure to watch. He routinely pulls off plays you'd normally only see at the next level by the top passers in the league. When you're drawing up a prototypical NFL franchise passer, he checks off all the boxes except for his rather slight build, which hasn't been a deterrent to success for others such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady in recent history. He's been most compared to Rodgers, who also played at Cal. Here is another thing he has in common with the Green Bay Packers star he's immune to pressure. " According to ESPN Stats & Information , over the last two seasons, Goff has thrown 16 touchdowns and no interceptions when blitzed," per Ivan Maisel of ESPN.com. Goff is likely to face plenty of pressure on Saturday night in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Utes feature a bully of a defense that has dominated the likes of Michigan and Oregon already this season. Fans should expect a heavy dose of running back Devontae Booker as the Utes attempt to keep the ball out of Goff's hands as much as possible. This contest will be televised nationally on ESPN starting at 10 p.m. ET.
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A Japanese climber with only one finger due to frostbite, who last month failed to reach the top of Mount Everest, will make his final push for the summit late Wednesday, organisers said. Nobukazu Kuriki, who lost nine fingers on the mountain in 2012, is the only climber trying to scale the world's highest peak this year after an earthquake-triggered avalanche killed 18 people at base camp. The April disaster saw hundreds of climbers abandon their bids to ascend the 8,848-metre (29,029-foot) mountain, marking a second spring season with virtually no one reaching the summit. An avalanche in 2014 that killed 16 Nepali guides also sparked a shutdown that year. "He has reached the last camp and will start his climb to the summit tonight," said Tikaram Gurung, managing director of Bochi-Bochi Trek, which is handling Kuriki's expedition. He will ascend overnight into the "death zone" -- located above 8,000 metres, notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air -- and summit around dawn on Thursday, Gurung told AFP. Mountaineers usually begin their summit attempts late at night, which allows them to descend in daylight, lowering the risk of them falling to their deaths due to exhaustion. Kuriki, who plans to summit alone without the aid of bottled oxygen, is making his fifth attempt to climb Everest, at a time when the risks are higher than usual because of regular aftershocks that increase the chance of avalanches. Mountaineering experts say climbing in autumn is more dangerous than spring due to high winds and lower temperatures. The 33-year-old was forced to abandon his bid last month because deep snow made it difficult for him to climb quickly during the final stretch. Mountaineering is a major revenue-earner for impoverished Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000 metres. But the April 25 earthquake which killed nearly 8,900 people raised fears for the immediate future of the tourism industry.
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The morning the Pakistan earthquake struck 10 years ago, Nazish Naz had been reluctant to go to school, telling her elder sister the day felt cursed. Less than an hour after the 16-year-old left home, disaster struck. The 7.6 magnitude quake near the city of Muzaffarabad in the Pakistani administered part of Kashmir killed more than 73,000 people, wounded 128,000 and left around 3.5 million homeless -- but a decade on the region has yet to recover. Naz's family remains unable to accept her death. Other than a lone photograph showing her injured in a hospital which appeared in a newspaper shortly after the disaster, there has been no trace of her: She has simply vanished. Her family are among hundreds of relatives struggling to trace loved ones lost in the earthquake, as all records of whether they survived were destroyed in the chaotic aftermath. Ten years on and this state of limbo pervades the area. Despite government vows of reconstruction, the promised housing and infrastructure development simply never happened. Instead, derelict construction sites, half-built roads and piles of building material occupy the spaces where thriving towns and cities should exist. - 'No proof she is dead'- Naz's parents' grief is growing as the 10-year anniversary of the October 8, 2005 tragedy approaches. They have searched for their daughter in hospitals, schools, morgues, train stations, bus stops -- and even in brothels -- and have found no sign. Still, they refuse to accept she is dead, citing the photograph that appeared in a local newspaper weeks later apparently showing Naz with a head wound in a hospital in Islamabad. The injury did not appear serious enough to be fatal, they said, and there was no other information. "My daughter was very intelligent. She would have contacted us had she been in her senses, no matter wherever she was," said Abbasi, who works as a driver in a government department. "What we believe is that she might have lost her memory because of the head injury and has been stranded somewhere. "There is no clue about her existence, but there is no proof of her death as well. How can we accept she is dead without her grave existing?" he asks. The International Committee of the Red Cross says a total of 576 people were registered as missing after the earthquake but authorities failed to maintain proper records tracking where patients were sent and whether victims lived or died in the wake of the disaster. Nearly 350 were traced later on, but 228 people, including Naz, were never found. - Broken promises - Shazia Haris, a spokeswoman for the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA), says the government no longer considers them missing. "There were people who died and there were people who were injured in the earthquake. If somebody hasn't returned to his or her home after 10 years... it means they are surely dead and not missing," Haris says. But Naz's parents refuse to give up. "God willing we will continue our efforts to trace her as long as we are both are alive," says Abbasi. "Whether it is a matter of tracing the missing persons or reconstruction, nothing has gone according to the promised plans," says Zahid Amin, chief of the Muzaffarabad City Development Foundation. In the aftermath of the quake the government promised to help the families of dead and injured, and to build new towns a safe distance from the fault line. But construction has stalled, with authorities blaming the weather and administrative problems. Accusations of corruption have also dogged redevelopment efforts. "The majority of the projects have been delayed," says Amin. In some cases people have rebuilt their homes along the quake fault line, despite warnings from experts that another, bigger quake may yet come. "The seismic codes and regulations have been violated for new constructions and the government doesn't care about anything," Amin says. Even those projects that have been completed have not been handed over to residents due to red tape, he says. ERRA's Haris blames administration issues and the weather. "Locals in most regions have refused to hand over land for development of new cities," she says, adding that due to rain and snow construction can only be carried out for five months a year. For Naz's family, even if the area can be rebuilt, the tragedy has destroyed their whole world. "I still dream that she is coming back to us," Naz's mother Gulnaz told AFP, sobbing as the rain fell outside her small house on a mountain in the outskirts of Muzaffarabad. "I see her in my dreams wearing her school uniform. "Our lives have been changed after her... We always remember her."
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Spiders don't typically jump off ledges without some sort of plan. Many species of jumping spider (family Salticidae) will affix themselves to their perch with a silken thread that acts as a safety tether. Researchers at the University of Cape Town in South Africa have given their own robotic "spider" a similar capability . This robot, named the LEAP (Line-Equipped Autonomous Platform), is made mostly from LEGO Technics pieces with a spool of nylon yarn acting as its safety line. As the robot falls, it adjusts the tension of the unwinding line using a DC motor. By adding or reducing its drag on the line, the LEAP can change its flight path. This doesn't work (yet) for controlling its yaw or pitch but the research team hopes to address these issues in a future iteration and, eventually, create a robot that can competently leap from its perch and still land on its feet. This isn't the first time that spiders' natural abilities have been repurposed for the benefit of mankind. They could hold the key for ultrasensitive electronics , controllable drone swarms , and creepy-crawly 3D printing . Fingers crossed they incorporate this tethering technology into future high-rise fire escape systems -- no chutes or ladders, just climb onto a tethered platform that throws itself off the roof. IEEE
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Yes, you can get food that's nutritious (and filling!) at fast-food places like Chipotle and Papa John's. And while eating pizza and burgers everyday is probably not a great idea , you don't have to completely swear off joining your friends for a quick bite every once in awhile. We've compiled a list of fast-food items from our favorite chains that'll fill you up and keep you energized without weighing you down. 1. Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl with brown rice & pinto beans, no cheese or sour cream 500 calories Chipotle has lots of fresh, healthier options. In general, nix the cheese and sour cream (an occasional dollop of guac is fine, since it's packed with healthy fats), and go for deconstructed alternatives to their burritos, like this one, which has: 500 calories not too low, not too high 42g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 13.5g of fat a little on the high side 57g of carbs roughly a third of your recommended daily allowance 805mg of sodium a little less than half your recommended daily allowance 2. In-N-Out Cheeseburger with onion, ketchup & mustard instead of spread 480 calories You don't have to turn to the secret menu (we're lookin' at you, Protein-Style fans) to get a lighter option at In-N-Out. Swap the special sauce for some ketchup and mustard to slash some fat and calories, and opt for a regular burger instead of a Double-Double. 480 calories not too high, not too low 22g of protein a good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 27g of fat on the high side (a little less than half your daily allowance) 41g of carbs roughly 14% of your recommended daily allowance 1080mg of sodium close to half your recommended daily allowance 3. Chick-Fil-A Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap 340 calories The "home of the original chicken sandwich" spiced up their menu last year , adding a smattering of healthy fare like this, which has: 340 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 36g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 13g of fat not too low, not too high 30g of carbs on the low side 900mg of sodium about half your recommended daily allowance 4. Shake Shack Single Hamburger or Chicken Dog 360 or 300 calories While they're known for their towering Shack Stacks and crispy fries, this chain has lighter options too. Notably, their vegetarian 'Shroom Burger isn't one of them. Hamburger: 360 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 26g of protein a good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 17g of fat on the higher side, but not a deal-breaker 25g of carbs pretty low 460mg of sodium pretty low Chicken Dog: 300 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go 26g of protein a good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 11g of fat not too high, not too low 32g of carbs not too high, not too low 970mg of sodium a little under half your daily allowance 5. Taco Bell Fresco Chicken Burrito Supreme 340 calories No longer solely the land of Chalupas and Crunchwrap Supremes, Taco Bell has expanded their healthier offerings with its "Fresco" menu, which essentially swaps the sour cream and cheese in popular items for salsa. Here's how the Fresco Burrito with Chicken shapes up: 340 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 19g of protein a pretty good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 8g of fat not too low, not too high 49g of carbs roughly 16% of your recommended daily allowance 1060mg of sodium close to half your recommended daily allowance 6. Panera Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich on Country 430 calories Panera has loads of yummy nutritious items, at least when it comes to lunch. Order from the 'You Pick Two' menu to try a half-sandwich and small salad, or a get a full sandwich, which has: 430 calories not too high, not too low 33g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 3.5g of fat pretty low 67g of carbs on the higher side, watch your snacks 1790mg of sodium higher than any other item on this list 7. Wendy's Asian Cashew Chicken Salad, full size 380 calories Not all of Wendy's salads are on the healthier side (the Spicy Ceasar Chicken Salad , for example, packs 790 calories and 51 grams of fat), but a couple are winners, including this cashew chicken salad, which has: 380 calories on the low side 36g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 14g of fat on the higher side, but not a deal-breaker 32g of carbs pretty high and largely from sugar; watch your snacks 1070mg of sodium roughly half your daily allowance 8. Papa John's Garden Fresh Pizza, two medium slices 400 calories One of the least-healthy things about most pizza chain fare is their high sodium content, which research suggests may be bad news for your heart. If you're a pizza fan, keep an eye your salt intake the rest of the day after you've indulged in a few slices. 400 calories on the lower side 16g of protein a pretty good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 14g of fat not too low, not too high 54g of carbs pretty high; replace sugary or carb-heavy snacks with protein-rich ones 980mg of sodium just under half your daily allowance 9. McDonald's Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich 360 calories While I wasn't incredibly impressed by taste of the Artisan Grilled Chicken, it's definitely one of the healthier choices McDonald's offers. Opt for a sandwich with grilled rather than fried meat, and hold the mayo to curb your fat intake. Here's how the sandwich stacks up: 360 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 33g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 6g of fat not too low, not too high 43g of carbs roughly 14% of your daily allowance 960mg of sodium a little under half your daily allowance 10. Burger King BK Veggie Burger, no mayo 310 calories My vegetarian friends were ecstatic when Burger King announced its veggie option. Overall at this restaurant, the same rules as McDonald's apply: avoid mayo and fried options and go for sandwiches instead of meals. Here's the BK Veggie low-down: 310 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 22g of protein a hefty amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 7g of fat not too low, not too high 42g of carbs roughly 14% of your daily allowance 990mg of sodium close to half your daily allowance 11. Subway 6-inch Turkey Breast Sub, no cheese, add avocado 340 calories "Eating fresh" is pretty easy at this chain, where you can get lean meats or just fresh veggies on whole wheat bread with a variety of low-calorie, low-fat dressings. Turkey and avocado, my personal favorite, has: 340 calories pretty low as far as lunch items go; you might want to pair this with a yogurt, small salad, or some fresh fruit 18g of protein a pretty good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 9g of fat not too low, not too high 49g of carbs roughly 16% of your daily allowance 670mg of sodium not bad; much lower than competing items at Chipotle or Taco Bell 12. Pizza Hut Garden Party Thin Crust Pizza, two medium slices 460 calories As part of its recent attempt to overhaul its brand , Pizza Hut began offering several options with more fresh veggies and popular toppings like Sriracha. But like other pizza chains, one of the restaurant's main health drawbacks is the high sodium and carb content of its offerings. The Garden Party pizza has: 460 calories not too high, not too low 18g of protein a pretty good amount to strengthen muscles and fill you up 18g of fat on the higher side, but not a deal-breaker 60g of carbs pretty high; watch your snacks 900mg of sodium a little under half your daily allowance
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"Hold my hand for ten seconds and I'll take a picture of you." That's what you get to say to people when you're wearing Touchy . The idea's simple: You put on this camera-shaped helmet, and the shutters will keep you blind until you get help from someone by just touching him or her. As a bonus, if you manage to hold onto your new -- and maybe slightly terrified -- friend for ten seconds, the helmet will then automatically take a photo and display it on the back. This is the work of Hong Kong artist Eric Siu, who created Touchy in 2012 as a way to heal social anxiety, though we can't say we were entirely convinced when Siu approached us at CEATEC. That said, we now have a new idea for our Halloween costume.
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TestDriveNow.com Video Review of the all-new 2015 Lexus NX 300h AWD by automotive critic Steve Hammes. http://testdrivenow.com/2015-lexus-nx-300h-video-review/
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Under mounting pressure from seniors and labor groups, congressional leaders and the Obama administration are rushing to find a way to avert a huge Medicare premium increase of 50 percent or more for nearly a third of the 50 million elderly Americans who are reliant on Medicare for their physician care and other health services. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and White House officials have been scrambling behind the scenes to spare millions of seniors the expense of huge Medicare Part B premium hikes. While the problem pales in comparison to the larger budget issues, including highway spending and debt ceiling challenges, lawmakers are super sensitive to the concerns of seniors heading into the crucial 2016 election year. "Congress has a responsibility to act," Pelosi said in a statement this week. "If we do nothing, millions of American seniors will suffer. Democrats continue to press the Republican leadership to bring a fix to the floor so we can prevent the serious harm this increase will have on states and low-income seniors across the country." Some 70 national organizations, including AARP, labor groups and health insurance company trade associations, sent a letter to Republican and Democratic congressional leaders last week urging prompt action to block or mitigate the looming premium increases. "Older adults and people with disabilities cannot shoulder these unprecedented increases," Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, told The New York Times . The pending sharp premium increase, reported in August by The Fiscal Times , was prompted by a strange twist in the law that effectively penalizes wealthier beneficiaries and others any time the Social Security Administration fails to approve an annual cost of living adjustment. This will be only the third time since 1975 that Social Security will not increase the cost of living benefit, simply because the Consumer Price Index used by the government has remained relatively flat. Medicare Part B and the Social Security trust fund are intertwined, and most seniors on Medicare have their monthly premiums deducted from their Social Security checks. Because the federal law for various reasons "holds harmless" about 70 percent of Medicare recipients from premium increases to cover unexpected rising healthcare costs, the remaining 30 percent of Medicare Part B beneficiaries suffer the consequences by being made to pay higher premiums. Medicare officials are expected to announce a final decision on 2016 premiums later this month after reviewing federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data on consumer prices. However, many are assuming the premiums will go up. Short of congressional or Department of Health and Human Services intervention at this point, roughly 15 million seniors, first-time beneficiaries or those currently claiming both Medicare and Medicaid coverage will see their premiums jump from $104.90 per month to $159.30 for individuals, according to an analysis by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Higher-income couples would pay multiples of that increase. The cost to Congress of averting such a premium hike is substantial ranging from $2.8 billion to $7.5 billion, depending on calculations and budgetary baselines used in the computations. An aide to Boehner said on Tuesday that the speaker who retires from Congress at the end of the month and is trying to complete a lot of budget business is insisting that the cost of the bailout be offset by cuts in other programs. Pelosi had urged Boehner to include the funding in the short-term continuing resolution approved late last month that will keep the government operating through December 11, according to a source. Now she is pressing him for a stand-alone bill to pass this week before the premium increase is likely to take effect. According to an aide, the longer Congress takes to act, the more expensive it becomes. Pelosi has scheduled a press conference with other Democratic leaders on Wednesday to call on Boehner and House Republicans "to take urgent action to keep Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles affordable for millions of America's seniors."
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September was an ugly month. But could October kill fears about a stock market bear? Experts expect a 2% rise from where stocks are now to end the year.
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NEW YORK JetBlue Airways is trying to bring a little bit of country to the city opening its own "farm" at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The 24,000 square-foot space less than half the size of a football field outside JFK's Terminal 5 is meant to educate travelers more than actually feed them. Although eventually JetBlue would like to serve items grown there in terminal restaurants and even make some blue potato Terra Chips that are served on flights. One day, if the airport allows it, there might even be animals, such as bees and butterflies. The goal is to try and teach people about farming and to improve the appearance of the terminal's exterior. "We know people like green space. It's what they have at home. Why not put that at an airport if that's what they love and want?" says Sophia Leonora Mendelsohn, the New York-based airline's head of sustainability. "Your flying experience starts on the ground." Building a farm at an airport is not simple: It took JetBlue three years to get approval. Airports are concerned about anything that would attract wildlife, especially birds. That means no growing tomatoes, corn, berries, seeds or sunflowers in its new garden. (The airline originally wanted to grow wheat and use it to make its own JetBlue JFK beer.) So instead, JetBlue is focusing on potatoes, chives, basil, carrots and other plants deemed safe. The airline expects to grow 1,000 potato plants, yielding more than 1,000 pounds of spuds every four to six months, along with an additional 1,100 plants such as mint, arugula, beets, garlic, onions and spinach. The project is in partnership with GrowNYC, a non-profit environmental group that focuses on improving New York City block by block. Students will be brought in from local schools to learn about gardening. Some of the herbs and produce will be used by restaurants in JetBlue's terminal, others will be donated to local food banks. All of the plants are grown in plastic milk crates that are bolted together and then tied to hooks in the cement floor. The structure is designed to withstand 160 mph hurricane-force winds, another requirement of the airport's operator, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. For its first few months, the farm will be closed to the public. Then in the spring, pending approval from various regulators, JetBlue hopes to have educational programs for local students. Eventually, the airline envisions allowing some of its fliers to sign up in advance for visits. One of JetBlue's sponsors in the project is Hain Celestial, which makes Terra Chips and other natural food brands including Arrowhead Mills, Earth's Best, Health Valley and Walnut Acres. Jared Simon, senior director of marketing for the company, says right now they are growing Adirondack blue potatoes at JFK to raise awareness of farming. "Most people have probably not been to a potato farm," Simon said. "It's really about the education. There's such a desire from consumers to connect what they are eating with where it is from." Eventually, the potatoes might be used to make the blue chips served on JetBlue flights, but not until the company figures out if the crop has the right amount of starch, sugar and moisture. Terra Blues can be found on all JetBlue flights and have been the official snack of JetBlue Airways Corp. since the airline launched in February 2000. Last year, the airline handed out more than 5.7 million one-ounce bags of the chips. It takes one to three potatoes to make each bag. There's no way this tiny airport farm will ever supply enough potatoes. Maybe, if lucky, it will yield enough for less than 1 percent of demand. The majority will continue to come from a farm in Van Buren, Maine. ___ Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott
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St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke may be trying to move his team to Los Angeles, but the team's current home is not going down without a fight. Sports Business Journal's Daniel Kaplan reports that a prospective NFL stadium in St. Louis agreed to a 20-year, $158 million naming rights deal with National Car Rental. The stadium would be called National Car Rental Field. The deal with National Car Rental could dispute the notion that St. Louis is not a viable market for an NFL team. Owners looking to move a team must prove to the other owners voting on a potential move that they made a good-faith effort to make things work within their market. If the market shows willingness like this to support the team, it could counter Kroenke's effort. There are three NFL teams seeking new stadiums and hoping for a move to LA: the San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and the Rams. The league is expected to decide the future of a team in Los Angeles by the first few months of 2016, if not earlier. It's a smart move for National; the deal may not come into play at all, and in the meantime they're getting a lot of brand exposure.
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Plans by the Hong Kong post office to cover up British royal insignia on historic mail boxes have sparked a backlash from conservation campaigners and accusations of a push to erase the city's colonial past. A crown and cypher -- a monogram of the British monarch at the time -- features on 59 post boxes around the city, mostly the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. But Hongkong Post described them as "inappropriate" in a city which reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. It said in a statement it planned to cover up the insignia but would not damage them in the process. There are more than 1,000 street post boxes around the city and all would display the post office's hummingbird logo to make them "easily identifiable", it said. The move comes weeks after former Beijing official Chen Zuo'er called for the semi-autonomous city to shake off its colonial past. Under a "one country, two systems" agreement, Hong Kong has far greater freedoms than the mainland, but there are fears that these are being eroded by increased influence from Beijing. Hong Kong remains deeply divided over its political future in the wake of mass pro-democracy protests at the end of last year. British colonial flags have been waved by some anti-government protesters. Local activist David Webb said the move by Hongkong Post was "political interference". "This has not been a problem for the post office since 1997, so why now?" he told AFP. "It can only be because pressure has been brought to bear on them to remove these colonial symbols." Hong Kong's Conservancy Alliance has also called for the insignia to be left alone and launched a Facebook page asking contributors to post pictures of the mail boxes.
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You put off filing your Form 1040 until the Oct. 15 extended deadline. Now make sure that you didn't waste this extra filing time by overlooking some common tax breaks. Here are 10 tax breaks -- some for itemizers only, others that any filer can claim -- that often get overlooked but could save you some tax dollars. 1. Additional charitable gifts Everyone remembers to count the monetary gifts they make to their favorite charities. But expenses incurred while doing charitable work often aren't counted on tax returns. You can't deduct the value of your time spent volunteering, but if you buy supplies for a group, the cost of that material is deductible as an itemized charitable donation. Similarly, if you wear a uniform in doing your good deeds -- for example, as a hospital volunteer or youth group leader -- the costs of that apparel and any cleaning bills also can be counted as charitable donations. So can the use of your vehicle for charitable purposes, such as delivering meals to the homebound in your community or taking the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts troop on an outing. The IRS will let you deduct that travel at 14 cents per mile. 2. Moving expenses Most taxpayers know they can write off many moving expenses when they relocate to take another job. But what about your 1st job? Yes, the IRS allows this write-off then, too. A recent college graduate who gets a 1st job at a distance from where he or she has been living is eligible for this tax break. This tax break is found in the adjustments to income section at the bottom of Form 1040. 3. Job-hunting costs While college students can't deduct the costs of hunting for that new job across the country, already-employed workers can. Costs associated with looking for a new job in your present occupation, including fees for resume preparation and employment of outplacement agencies, are deductible as long as you itemize. The one downside here is that these costs, along with other miscellaneous itemized expenses, must exceed 2% of your adjusted gross income before they produce any tax savings. But the phone calls, employment agency fees and resume-printing costs might be enough to get you over that income threshold. 4. Military reservists' travel expenses Members of the military reserve forces and National Guard who travel more than 100 miles and stay overnight for the training exercises can deduct related expenses. This includes the cost of lodging and half the cost of meals. If you drive to the training, be sure to track your miles. You can deduct them on your 2014 return at 56 cents per mile, along with any parking or toll fees for driving your own car. You get this deduction whether or not you itemize; it's one of the above-the-line deductions found directly on Form 1040. But you will have to fill out Form 2106. 5. Child care credit, and more Millions of parents claim the child and dependent care credit each year to help cover the costs of after-school day care while Mom and Dad work. But some parents overlook claiming the tax credit for child care costs during the summer. This tax break also applies to summer day camp costs. The key here is that the camp is a day-only getaway that supervises the child while the parents work. You can't claim overnight camp costs. Remember, too, the dual nature of the credit's name: child and dependent . If you have an adult dependent who needs care so that you can work, those expenses can be claimed under this tax credit. 6. Mortgage refinance points When you buy a house, you get to deduct the points paid on the loan on your tax return for that year of purchase. But if you refinance your home loan, you might be able to deduct those points, too, as long as you use refinanced mortgage proceeds to improve your principal residence. 7. Many medical costs Taxpayers who itemize deductions know how difficult it often is to reach the adjusted gross income threshold required before you can claim any itemized medical expenses on Schedule A. It might be easier to clear that earnings hurdle if you look at miscellaneous medical costs. Some of these include travel expenses to and from medical treatments, insurance premiums you pay for from already-taxed income and even alcohol- or drug-abuse treatments. Keep good records of all your medical-related expenses. They could help you clear this tax deduction hurdle. Changes made with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act mean that taxpayers age 65 or younger must have qualifying medical expenses in excess of 10% of adjusted gross income in order to deduct them. And self-employed taxpayers take note. If you are not covered by any other employer-paid plan, for example, one carried by a spouse, you can deduct 100% of health insurance premiums as an adjustment to income in the section at the bottom of Page 1 of Form 1040. 8. Retirement tax savings The retirement savings contribution credit was created to give moderate- and low-income taxpayers an incentive to save. When you contribute to a retirement account, either an individual retirement account (traditional or Roth) or a workplace plan, you can get a tax savings for up to 50% of the first $2,000 you put into such accounts. This means you get a $1,000 tax credit, which is a tax break that directly reduces dollar for dollar any tax you owe. 9. Educational expenses The Internal Revenue Code offers many tax-saving options for individuals who want to further their education. The tuition and fees deduction can help you take up to $4,000 off your taxable income and is available without having to itemize. The lifetime learning credit could provide some students (or their parents) up to a $2,000 credit. Don't forget the American opportunity tax credit, which offers a dollar-for-dollar tax break of up to $2,500. This education tax break was created as part of the 2009 stimulus package as a short-term replacement for the Hope tax credit, and was extended through tax year 2017 as part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, also known as the "fiscal cliff" tax bill. 10. Energy-efficient home improvements Tax breaks for some relatively easy energy-efficient home improvements still can be deducted on 2014 taxes, but this might be the last chance. It's part of the tax extenders package for 2015 and 2016 tax years, but Congress has not yet approved the bill. That makes it all the more important to take advantage of the Nonbusiness Energy Property Credit, worth up to $500, when you file your 2014 tax return. To claim this credit, found on part 2 of Form 5695, you must pay attention to specific spending limits, such as $150 for high-efficiency furnaces and boilers, $300 for air conditioners and heat pumps and $200 for replacement windows. These home upgrades must have been installed at your main residence by Dec. 31, 2014. Note also that the overall $500 tax credit cap applies to anyone who received any previous energy tax credit since Jan. 1, 2005. Yes, this tax break does require record keeping and filling out some work sheets. But if you qualify, it is a tax credit, giving you a dollar-for-dollar reduction of your tax bill. And when it comes to taxes, every dollar saved helps.
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STOCKHOLM (AP) Three scientists from Sweden, the U.S. and Turkey won the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for showing how cells repair damaged DNA, work that's inspired the development of new cancer treatments. Swedish scientist Tomas Lindahl, American Paul Modrich and U.S.-Turkish national Aziz Sancar shared the 8 million Swedish kronor (about $960,000) award for research done in the 1970s and '80s. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said their work on DNA repair had provided "fundamental knowledge" about how cells function and shed light on the mechanisms behind both cancer and aging. Lindahl, 77, is an emeritus group leader at Francis Crick Institute and Emeritus director of Cancer Research UK at Clare Hall Laboratory in Britain. Modrich, born in 1946, is an investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. Sancar, 69, is a professor at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is the second Turk to win a Nobel Prize after novelist Orhan Pamuk was awarded the literature prize in 2006. "I'm sure there will be (celebrations in Turkey)," Sancar said in an interview published on the Nobel Foundation's website. "Yes, they've been asking over the years and I was tired of hearing 'when are you going to get the Nobel Prize?' so I'm glad for my country as well." Speaking by phone to a news conference in Stockholm, Lindahl said "it was a surprise" to win the award. Paul Modrich's wife, Vickers Burdett, told The Associated Press by phone that they were on vacation in New Hampshire. "Wow! I can't express it any better than that. Awesome!" she said in reaction to the announcement, which she called "a total shock." The laureates broke new ground by mapping and explaining how a cell safeguards its DNA the molecule that contains our genes. Our DNA is constantly under assault from ultraviolet rays from the sun and carcinogenic substances. But it was thought to be a stable molecule until the 1970s when Lindahl showed that it decays at a rate that seemed incompatible with human life. He realized that there must a repair mechanism, opening a new field of research, the academy said. Working at Yale University, Sancar mapped the mechanism that cells use to repair UV-damaged DNA. Modrich showed how the cell corrects errors when DNA is replicated during cell division, a process known as mismatch repair. The findings are significant for cancer research, because cancer cells are kept alive by DNA repair mechanisms. Researchers are now looking at ways to destroy the repair mechanisms within the cancer cells to kill them, academy member Peter Brzezinski said. The academy highlighted one such drug that's already on the market: olaparib, which is used to fight ovarian cancer. The award will be handed out along with the other Nobel Prizes on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death in 1896. This year's medicine prize went to scientists from Japan, the U.S. and China who discovered drugs to fight malaria and other tropical diseases. Japanese and Canadian scientists won the physics prize for discovering that tiny particles called neutrinos have mass. The Nobel announcements continue with literature on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday and the economics award on Monday. ___ AP Science Writer Malcolm Ritter in New York and AP journalists David Keyton in Stockholm and Jack Jones in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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A toddler is expected to make a full recovery after a near-fatal car accident caused his head to detach from his spine.
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While the FTSE 100 may reverse its gains of the last week and post falls in the coming weeks, the reality is that for long-term investors the present time is a buying opportunity. The world economy is in relatively good shape and, while the future of the Chinese economy is uncertain, a 7% GDP growth rate is still very impressive. And, while US unemployment figures were disappointing last week, the world's largest economy is still in strong shape and appears ready to tighten its monetary policy. As such, buying high-quality stocks now could prove to be a sound move. One stock which has been hurt in recent months is oil services business Petrofac (LSE: PFC). Its shares have fallen by 14% in the last six months and, with the price of oil seemingly unlikely to rise in the coming months, further cutbacks to capital expenditure and exploration spend may be on the horizon. This would hurt Petrofac's bottom line and could further affect investor sentiment in the stock. However, Petrofac appears to be well-placed to cope with the challenges faced within the oil industry. It is financially sound and has attempted to generate efficiencies (for example in becoming less capital intensive and improving its cash collection) so as to provide a leaner and more profitable business which, looking ahead to next year, is expected to increase its bottom line by 75%. This puts it on a forward price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.1, which is difficult to justify even with sub-$50 oil. Similarly, Santander (LSE: BNC) is dirt cheap at the present time and, with the outlook for Europe perhaps being the most positive in a number of years, now could be a good time to buy a slice of it. Clearly, Europe is still struggling to post positive GDP growth numbers, but a shift in stance from the ECB appears to have provided a degree of confidence in the region's future, with a looser monetary policy likely to aid its recovery. This is good news for Santander and, with operations across the globe being secured via its recent placing, it appears to be worth far more than its current rating of 10.2. And, with Santander expected to yield 4.2% next year, it remains a top notch income play, too. Similarly, fashion designer Ted Baker (LSE: TED) also has high appeal at the present time, with its recent trading update indicating that it continues to make encouraging progress. In fact its sales were up by 25% versus the same quarter from the previous year and, with growth in Asia being 31%, it indicates that the Chinese economic slowdown may not be as severe as has been reported. Looking ahead, Ted Baker is expected to grow its bottom line by 19% this year and by a further 16% next year. This puts it on a price to earnings growth (PEG) ratio of just 1.8 which, for a company with such a reliable track record of growth (net profit has increased by at least 15% per annum in each of the last five years), seems to be a very appealing price to pay. Of course, finding great value stocks is never an easy task. That's why The Motley Fool has written a free and without obligation guide called 7 Simple Steps For Seeking Serious Wealth. It's a step-by-step guide that could make a real difference to your portfolio returns in 2015 by helping you to find the best stocks at the lowest prices. Click here to get your copy - it's completely free and comes without any obligation. Peter Stephens owns shares of Petrofac. The Motley Fool UK owns shares of and has recommended Petrofac. 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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A noisy yellow machine laying down railroad track near Alva, Oklahoma -- as much as a mile a day of concrete and steel -- is Warren Buffett's solution to the industry's dwindling coal traffic. After this year, BNSF Railway Co. will be more than 99 percent finished with a second, parallel line to its 2,200-mile (3,500-kilometer) Los Angeles-to-Chicago route. Doubling up will create a rail superhighway speeding deliveries of toys, electronics, autos and other goods, because trains won't have to yield to each other on sidings as they do on single tracks. The goal: help the unit of Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. grab cargo now going by road. "If the rails can improve the reliability of the transit time," shipping consultant Satish Jindel said, "it helps them compete with the trucks." Snatching consumer products and other freight from big rigs is more crucial than ever. Coal, once a pillar of U.S. rail traffic, is fading as utilities burn cheaper and cleaner natural gas. Average weekly carloads are down 20 percent from five years earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Viable Option The Los Angeles-to-Chicago route links the busiest U.S. container port to the biggest mid-continent rail hub, giving BNSF a leg up in the race to find alternatives to those dwindling coal cars. And there's room to grow: consultant FTR Transportation Intelligence estimates that trains now move only about 19 percent of the 71 million trailer loads that travel 550 miles or more, a rough threshold for where rail becomes an viable option. "We have significant opportunities to convert" truck cargo to rail, said Katie Farmer, chief of BNSF's consumer group. "We've really narrowed the gap now between what was traditionally rail service and over-the-road trucking." That's where the dual tracks come in. More and longer trains can be run on two tracks than on a single line. Once the double-tracked section in Oklahoma is completed at the end of October, BNSF will have just seven more miles of line to build - - involving three costly bridges -- and will be able to run 78 trains a day in that region, up from 62 now. Faster Speeds With no need to pull over, they can also go faster. A BNSF train laden with truck trailers now can make the Los Angeles- Chicago run in 64 hours, said consultant Jindel. Completing the twin-tracking will shave off as much as three hours, he said. XPO Logistics Inc., an arranger of shipments for customers such as Costco Wholesale Corp., figures that about a third of the long-haul freight that it now sends by truck is a candidate to switch to train, Chief Strategy Officer Scott Malat said. If that rule of thumb were applied across the industry, there could be more than $100 billion of business up for grabs by railroads, he said. "Rails have realized that, and that's one of the main reasons they've been investing so much in their capacity, service and efficiency," Malat said. Direct Shot In the eastern U.S., CSX Corp. is reconstructing a Washington tunnel with twin tracks and enough height to handle two containers stacked atop one another. In the west, Union Pacific Corp. is laying a second track on its 760-mile line between Los Angeles and El Paso, Texas. It has about 150 miles to go. Buffett's railroad has a key advantage over Union Pacific: the most direct shot between Chicago and Los Angeles, where the region's two ports handle about 40 percent of U.S. imports shipped in containers. Those boxes, holding finished goods like shoes, furniture and auto parts, leave ships to be hoisted onto trains or trucks. Railroads are already winning more of this so-called intermodal business. Rail shipments of containers grew 15 percent over the last decade while other cargoes, such as coal and chemicals, dropped 11 percent. But persuading shippers to switch still isn't easy. While it's cheaper to send freight by rail, it takes longer. The cost of transferring containers to trains and then back to trucks for final delivery makes it difficult to compete on trips of less than 550 miles, said Larry Gross, a partner at FTR Transportation Intelligence. Trucks are more punctual and flexible. This is why Kiera Adams's job in Oklahoma is crucial for BNSF. Sporting an orange vest, white hardhat and a two-way radio on her hip, the 25-year-old is project manager for the 10-mile stretch of new line going in alongside the Southern Transcon route, which was completed in the early 1900s to bypass steep mountains in northern New Mexico. Adams, tramping along on foot behind the clanking track layer and dispensing instructions, revels in taking out the bottleneck in the midst of the farmland outside Alva. "You see the fruits of your labor when they start running the trains double once you're done," Adams said.
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NATO on Tuesday rejected Moscow's explanation that its warplanes violated the air space of alliance member Turkey at the weekend by mistake and said Russia was sending more ground troops to Syria. With Russia extending its air strikes to include the ancient city of Palmyra, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he was losing patience with Russian violations of his country's air space. "An attack on Turkey means an attack on NATO," Erdogan warned at a Brussels news conference.
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Another four people are being questioned over the killing of a civilian police worker by a 15-year-old boy in Australia. Paul Chapman reports.
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A senior UAE politician has promised that Yemen's rebel Houthi group will be "destroyed" after 15 coalition soldiers, including four Emiratis, were killed in a rocket attack in Aden. UAE news agency WAM said that a series of missiles launched by the Houthis hit the Al Qasr Hotel in the Yemeni port city, which was serving as the headquarters for Cabinet members of Yemen's exiled government and a number of military personnel from the Saudi-led coalition. Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said yesterday's attack was "the latest proof" that the Houthis are out to destroy Yemen. "The attack today on the [Al] Qasr reinforces our need to destroy the forces of rebellion and destruction," he said on Twitter. "We will continue until victory. And it is close." The UAE Armed Forces said several other Emirati soldiers were injured. "The reality on the ground is the Houthis are fighting a losing battle," Gargash tweeted. "Their role on the ground has been reduced so they resort to mines, ambushes and rockets." Yesterday's attack brings to 65 the number of UAE troops killed in the Yemen conflict. Yemeni government spokesman Rageh Badi told Abu Dhabi TV that no Yemeni government officials were injured in the attack. "There were three explosions in the hotel where all the government members were staying," he said. "They were all safe and we think they were targeting the government. "We will have a meeting to discuss the attack and we will stay in Aden. It [the attack] will not terrorise us. The Houthis wanted to send a message full of blood to us." Meanwhile, Yemen's foreign minister Riad Yassin, who described the attack as "barbarous", expressed his condolences to the UAE over the deaths of the Emirati soldiers. "It shows how the Houthis are cowards, but we will keep up the fight," Yassin told Abu Dhabi TV. "We will make necessary procedures to prevent such incidents in the future." The war has taken a heavy toll on Yemen. More than 4,000 people have been killed, and the humanitarian crisis has left the impoverished country on the brink of famine. [email protected]
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A new poll shows Hillary Clinton remaining on top in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, a stark difference from her struggles in Iowa and New Hampshire.
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If you're entertaining this fall, there's plenty of treats to indulge in. Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has a few delicious options to celebrate the flavors of the season!
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Check out the most ridiculous plays from Tuesday, including Dallas Keuchel's scoreless outing, Chase Headley's barehanded play and Brett Gardner robbing Evan Gattis.
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Police say the killing of civilian police employee Cheng by 15-year-old Iranian Farhad Jabar was politically motivated and could thus be related to terrorism. Jabar was shot dead by police who believe he may have had accomplices. Two hundred officers were involved in dawn raids on four homes, with those arrested including a 16-year-old and four men aged between 18 and 24, police said. Some of those arrested had previously been detained as part of an investigation into an alleged 2014 plot to behead a random member of the public. But police are not yet sure what, if anything, links them to Jabar. Police also said that Jabar, who was born in Iran and lived with his family in the Parramatta area, had not been on their radar before Cheng was shot and that they had no idea he might be a threat despite his alleged association with those investigated during extensive terror raids last September. He does not appear to have been part of any terrorist group and his motivation remains unclear. Australia has been grappling with homegrown terrorism with many crimes involving teenagers. In September 2014, an 18-year-old was shot dead by police after stabbing two counter-terrorism police officers in Melbourne. In April, several teens were arrested on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack at a Veterans' Day ceremony. And in May, police arrested a 17-year-old in Melbourne and accused him of plotting to detonate three homemade pipe bombs. ng/msh (AP, dpa)
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Volkswagen vehicles affected by the company's emission scandal will begin being recalled in January. All of them will be repaired by the end of 2016. Millions of diesel vehicles were programmed with software to cheat pollution tests, including more than one million in the UK. Richard Westcott reports.
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A couple retiring this year, both age 65, should expect to spend an estimated $245,000 on health care in retirement, according to Fidelity's 2015 Health Care Cost Estimate. That's present value, after-tax money you would need at age 65, sitting in an investment account, earning 4% after-tax going forward. What if you're single? A male retiring this year at age 65 and living to 85 needs an estimated $115,000. A woman retiring at age 65 and living to 87 needs an estimated $130,000. (Because the assumption for life expectancy is different for men and women, you can't cut the couples' estimate in half; women need to save more.) The $245,000 couples' estimate is up from $220,000 last year. There are two main reasons for the jump: updated mortality assumptions and increasing medical and prescription drug costs. "Increasing drug costs is something everyone is keeping an eye on," says Sunit Patel, senior vice president, Benefits Consulting, Fidelity Investments who worked up the estimates. Of course, your actual expenses will vary based on your health, where you live, and how long you live. The estimates assume you don't have employer-provided retiree health coverage (that's a pretty good assumption) and you take the appropriate steps to enroll in Medicare (that burden is on you). "A lot of people think Medicare is there and it's going to cover their expenses; they don't know the details: there are all these different parts of Medicare, and they'll have to buy a Medicare supplemental policy or Medicare Advantage," Patel says. That still doesn't cover everything. What makes up the $245,000? A third of it is for Medicare Part B (doctor visits) & Part D (prescription drugs) premiums. A quarter is for out of pocket prescription drug costs. And the rest is for things that Medicare doesn't cover like co-pays, deductibles, vision exams, and hearing aids. What's not included? Over-the-counter drugs. Dental expenses. Medicare premium surcharges if your income is over a certain threshold. And long-term care coverage. You really need to look at long-term care expenses separately. The takeaway is that these are real costs that you really can't ignore. "It's hard to dial up or down," says Patel. "You can adjust your choices in food or shelter; that's difficult to do in the health care space." For at least some folks, those with high deductible health insurance plans, there is an immediate action step they can take to build a nest egg for retirement health care: establishing a health savings account. It's a triple tax play: The money you contribute to an HSA is tax-deductible (for someone in the 33% tax bracket, that's like getting a third off on your healthcare expenditures right off); the money grows tax-free; and you can withdraw it tax-free for out-of-pocket medical expenses, including Medicare premiums. To the extent your invested HSA dollars grow, that means even more tax savings. Some savvy HSA investors have accumulated $150,000 and up. The average HAS balance at year-end 2014 was a $1,933, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute. "They're underappreciated by most people," Patel says, adding, "As individuals think about how high these expenses are, they should try to use these accounts for long-term savings."
| 3 | 91,097 |
finance
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Crude oil prices climbed higher in Asia trade Tuesday on signs of ebbing U.S. production and increasing willingness among the major oil producers to collectively jumpstart the market amid the prolonged price slump. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in November traded at $49.36 a barrel, up $0.59 or 1.7%, in the Globex electronic session. November Brent crude on London's ICE Futures exchange rose $0.55, or 1%, to $52.47 a barrel. On Tuesday, the Energy Information Administration said in its monthly outlook that U.S. crude production fell 120,000 barrels a day in September from a month earlier. At 9 million barrels a day, it marks the lowest level since September 2014. Crude oil production is forecast to decrease through mid-next year before resuming near year end, the report said. The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, also reported that U.S. crude-oil inventories are likely to have shrunk by 1.2 million barrels in the latest week. The official data by the Energy Department will be released later Wednesday. A survey by The Wall Street Journal showed U.S. oil inventories are projected to have increased by 2.5 million barrels, on average, in the week ended Oct. 2. Oil prices have been hit hard this year as supply consistently outpaces demand. Nymex and Brent prices are down around 50% since last year. While some market observers say there are indications that prices are likely bottoming, others say it would be difficult for prices to pick up when there is still an ample amount of supply. "The market is comforted to see there appears to be more willingness among the major oil producers in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to work together, especially with the smaller players, but a rebalancing is still quite a distance away," said Vyanne Lai, an energy analyst at National Australia Bank, saying given the vulnerability of the market, prices could still drop near the lower 40s at any sniff of bad news. Since the beginning of the week, oil prices have been supported by reports that Russia, one of the top crude producers in the world, has expressed willingness to meet with nonmembers and members of the OPEC bloc to discuss market conditions. Analysts say the meeting, if happens, will likely be focused on the influx of Iranian oil back to the market once the export sanction is fully lifted, possibly later this year. Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock for November the benchmark gasoline contract fell 74 points to $1.4288 a gallon, while November diesel traded at $1.6186, 71 points higher. ICE gasoil for October changed hands at $490.25 a metric ton, up $4.00 from Tuesday's settlement.
| 3 | 91,098 |
finance
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A look at the fashionable rise of Cara Delevigne. A look at the fashionable rise of Cara Delevigne. German designer Karl Lagerfeld and model Cara Delevingne appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel in Paris German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France, October 6, 2015. Model Cara Delevingne arrives to attend German designer Karl Lagerfeld's Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection show for Chanel in Paris Model Cara Delevingne is surrounded by photographers as she arrives to attend German designer Karl Lagerfeld's Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France, October 6, 2015. Model Delevingne kisses model Giabiconi as Jenner looks on during German designer Lagerfeld's Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for French fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne (C) kisses model Baptiste Giabiconi (R) as Kendall Jenner (2ndL) looks on during German designer Karl Lagerfeld's Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for French fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week March 10, 2015. Model Delevingne presents a creation by German designer Lagerfeld as part of his Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for French fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by German designer Karl Lagerfeld as part of his Autumn/Winter 2015/2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for French fashion house Chanel during Paris Fashion Week March 10, 2015. Models Cara Delevingne and Joan Smalls present creations by British designer Stella McCartney as part of her Fall/Winter 2014-2015 women's ready-to-wear collection show during Paris Fashion Week Models Cara Delevingne (L) and Joan Smalls (R) present creations by British designer Stella McCartney as part of her Fall/Winter 2014-2015 women's ready-to-wear collection show during Paris Fashion Week March 3, 2014. German designer Lagerfeld and model Delevingne appear at the end of his Fall/Winter 2014-2015 women's ready-to-wear collection show for French fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais transformed into a "Chanel Shopping Center" during Paris Fashion Week German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne appear at the end of his Fall/Winter 2014-2015 women's ready-to-wear collection show for French fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais transformed into a "Chanel Shopping Center" during Paris Fashion Week March 4, 2014. Cara Delevingne leads models in the finale of the Topshop Unique Spring/Summer 2015 collection presentation during London Fashion Week Cara Delevingne leads models in the finale of the Topshop Unique Spring/Summer 2015 collection presentation during London Fashion Week September 14, 2014. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by designer Hedi Slimane during Paris Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by designer Hedi Slimane as part of his Spring/Summer 2015 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Saint Laurent during Paris Fashion Week September 29, 2014. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York, November 13, 2013. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from Issa Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from Issa Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week February 16, 2013. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from the Matthew Williamson Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from the Matthew Williamson Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week, February 17, 2013. Delevingne leads models as they present creations from the Burberry Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2014 collection during London Fashion Week Cara Delevingne leads models as they present creations from the Burberry Prorsum Autumn/Winter 2014 collection during London Fashion Week February 17, 2014. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel's Cruise 2013/2014 Collection during a fashion show in Singapore Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by Karl Lagerfeld during Chanel's Cruise 2013/2014 Collection fashion show in Singapore May 9, 2013. Issa designer Daniella Helayel with model Cara Delevingne accept applause from guests after presenting the Issa Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week Issa designer Daniella Helayel (R), with model Cara Delevingne, accepts applause from guests after presenting the Issa Autumn/Winter 2013 collection during London Fashion Week, February 16, 2013. Model Cara Delevingne displays a creation of DSquared 2 Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Milan Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne displays a creation of DSquared 2 Spring/Summer 2013 collection at Milan Fashion Week September 24, 2012. Cara Delevingne presents the Cara Delevingne Collection by Mulberry during London Fashion Week Cara Delevingne presents the Cara Delevingne Collection by Mulberry during London Fashion Week February 16, 2014. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by Italian designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciolo as part of their Spring/Summer 2014 women's ready-to-wear fashion show for fashion house Valentino during Paris fashion week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by Italian designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciolo as part of their Spring/Summer 2014 women's ready-to-wear fashion show for fashion house Valentino during Paris fashion week October 1, 2013. British model Delevingne presents a creation by German designer Lagerfeld for French fashion house Chanel as part of his Fall-Winter 2013/2014 women's ready-to-wear fashion show during Paris fashion week British model Cara Delevingne presents a creation by German designer Karl Lagerfeld for French fashion house Chanel as part of his Fall-Winter 2013/2014 women's ready-to-wear fashion show during Paris fashion week March 5, 2013. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from the Oscar De La Renta Spring/Summer 2013 collection during New York Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation from the Oscar De La Renta Spring/Summer 2013 collection during New York Fashion Week, September 11, 2012. Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York Model Cara Delevingne presents a creation during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York, November 13, 2013. Models present creations at the Burberry Prorsum 2012 Autumn/Winter collection show during London Fashion Week Model Cara Delevingne (C) presents a creation at the Burberry Prorsum 2012 Autumn/Winter collection show during London Fashion Week February 20, 2012. Singer Faith, models Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss, and photographer Testino watch the presentation of the Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2015 collection during London Fashion Week Singer Paloma Faith (L), models Cara Delevingne (2nd L) and Kate Moss (2nd R), and photographer Mario Testino watch the presentation of the Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2015 collection during London Fashion Week September 15, 2014.
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entertainment
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