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LeBron gave a few young Cavaliers fans a moment to remember by taking a group photo with one of their cell phones at the Cavaliers-Hawks preseason game.
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points in his first game since left knee surgery, Kristaps Porzingis had seven in his NBA debut and the New York Knicks beat Paschoalotto Bauru of Brazil 100-81 on Wednesday night. Anthony hadn't played since the All-Star Game on this court in February. He had surgery on Feb. 19 and missed the final 30 games of the season but looked good as new Wednesday while shooting 8 for 10 in 20 minutes. Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 Latvian who was the No. 4 pick in the draft, made two 3-pointers while starting alongside Anthony in the frontcourt. BAURU: Ricardo Fischer had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Robert Day scored 19 points. KNICKS: Newcomers Kyle O'Quinn and Kevin Seraphin both scored 14 points. FISHER'S FIGHT: Knicks coach Derek Fisher was involved in an altercation with Memphis Grizzlies forward and former teammate Matt Barnes in California on Saturday, a person with knowledge of the details said. Fisher informed his players about the situation, first reported by the New York Post, before the game. "I'm here, I'm focused," Fisher said. "It's not something that's going to take me away from who we are or what we're trying to do and I assured them of that." KRISTAPS' CONFIDENCE: Porzingis said before the draft that he wanted to play in New York and was asked why Wednesday. "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere," he said. "So if you're great here they love you, if you suck they let you know. So it's definitely a tough place but I love that and you can do all you want talking but you've got to out there on the floor and actually prove that you can play." SASHA STARTS: With Arron Afflalo resting a sore left hamstring, Sasha Vujacic started at shooting guard for the Knicks. He spent last season and most of the last few years playing in Europe and hadn't started an NBA game since making 17 starts for the New Jersey Nets in 2010-11. SAD START: There was a moment of silence before the game for Hall of Famer Harry Gallatin, who died Wednesday at 88. He was a seven-time All-Star forward for the Knicks in the 1950s and holds the franchise record with 610 consecutive games played. UP NEXT: The Knicks visit the Washington Wizards on Friday. Bauru will travel to Washington on Sunday.
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U.S. stock index futures indicated a lower open on Thursday, with traders looking to the release of the Federal Open Market Committee's minutes for its September meeting, due at 2 p.m. ET. Although the minutes won't reflect the central bank's view on last Friday's weaker-than-expected nonfarm payrolls report, analysts said they will be watching to see how much the Fed was concerned about conditions overseas, particularly in China. Many market analysts expected the Federal Reserve to raise short-term interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade at its September meeting. The central bank's decision to hold off on a hike caused great uncertainty in markets about the Fed's view on domestic and global economic conditions. On the data front, Thursday will see initial jobless claims released at 8:30am. On the earnings front, Domino's Pizza (DPZ) is expected before the bell. Alcoa (AA) , Helen of Troy (HELE) and Ruby Tuesday (RT) are all due after the bell. In oil markets, Brent crude traded at around $51.53 a barrel, up 0.39 percent, while U.S. crude was at around $47.98 a barrel, up 0.36 percent. In Europe, the pan-European Stoxx 600 index (.STOXX) was around 0.21 percent lower Thursday morning. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei (.N225) finished 0.99 percent lower. China saw markets reopen after its National Day holidays, with theShanghai Composite (.SSEC) closing 3.0 percent higher. --CNBC's Evelyn Cheng contributed to this report.
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In this article I'll take a closer look at Dart Group (LSE: DTG), ARM Holdings (LSE: ARM) and Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO) and explain why each stock could still be a buy, despite recent gains. Dart Group Shares in package travel, airline and haulage group Dart have risen by 129% over the last year. This morning, the firm's share price edged higher still, after Dart said that full-year profits are likely to "materially exceed current market expectations" . The firm has had a bumper summer holiday season and expects a strong result from the winter season. The number of customers taking a Jet2 holiday rose by 21% to 936,000 this summer, while the average load factor on the firm's airline, Jet2.com, hit a new record average of 94.1%. While that might mean cramped conditions for passengers, it's great for shareholders. Dart's statement that profits are likely to "materially" exceed expectations suggests to me that current forecasts could be upgraded by around 10%. If so, that leaves Dart shares trading on a 2015/16 forecast P/E of just 10.7, which looks like good value, if it's sustainable. It's too soon to say how next year will pan out, but in my view Dart continues to deserve a buy rating. ARM Holdings Unlike many tech stars, chip designer ARM has delivered consistent profit growth over many years. ARM's earnings per share have risen by an average of 42% per year since 2009, and the firm has net cash of £725m equivalent to 75% of this year's forecast sales. Despite this, ARM's share price has fallen by around 20% since March. Trading at around 945p, ARM now sits on a 2015 forecast P/E of 31, falling to 26 in 2016. That doesn't seem overly expensive to me, given ARM's 40% operating margin and its 85%+ share of the smartphone and tablet market. The question is where new growth will come from. The company's big hope is that it will break Intel's near monopoly of the server market. If it does, earnings could explode. If not, then ARM should be able to continue to deliver incremental growth. In either case, I believe ARM remains a buy at less than 1,000p. Rio Tinto Iron ore giant Rio Tinto is a stock I hold in my long-term income portfolio. The firm's plunging share price may have scared off some investors in recent weeks, but I was happy to look away and ignore the volatility. Indeed, if I'd had the cash to spare, I'd have happily bought some more Rio shares. The reason why I am so confident is that Rio's giant iron ore mines in Australia are bigger and have lower costs than almost any other producer in the world. Even with iron ore prices at multi-year lows of around $50 per tonne, Rio is still highly profitable, thanks to cash costs of around $16 per tonne. In addition, the global copper market will eventually rebalance and rebound. At this point, profits from Rio's large copper division could rise sharply. In the meantime, I'm happy to sit back and collect the firm's 6% forecast dividend yield. Rio remains a strong buy despite this week's 10% gain, in my view. However, before you buy shares in any of the companies I've discussed today, I'd urge you to consider the 7-step wealth creation plan discussed in " 7 Simple Steps For Seeking Serious Wealth " . This exclusive new report from the Motley Fool's top experts explains how you may be able to boost your portfolio returns in as little 20 minutes per month . Best of all, "7 Simple Steps..." is completely FREE and without obligation . To download your copy now, click here . Roland Head owns shares of Rio Tinto. The Motley Fool UK has recommended ARM Holdings. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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CHICAGO In the rafters of the United Center, the banners for the Blackhawks and the Bulls face each other, with the Bulls logo on each banner seemingly focused on the Hawks banners with a menacing stare. For the last two decades, the Bulls' championship banners outnumbered the Hawks' but not as of Wednesday night. The sides are now even, 6-6. Ever so slowly, the fresh, pearl-white 2015 Stanley Cup championship banner was lifted into the rafters to join its counterparts, from 2013, 2010, 1961, 1938 and 1934, most of which have grown a little brown and wrinkly from old age. In unveiling the banner, the Hawks raised a final toast to the 2014-15 season before Wednesday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers. "I guess it's the last stage of the Cup process," captain Jonathan Toews said. "It's been a good summer, a lot of stuff going on with the Stanley Cup. ... We're turning the page with this new group and focus on starting over again." The Hawks seemed a little distracted, at least early in Wednesday's game. Once the music stopped, the cameras stopped flashing and the lights came back on, there was a hockey game and the Rangers quickly spoiled the party. Oscar Lindberg scored on the first shot of the game as the Rangers posted three goals in the first period to quiet a rowdy United Center crowd that gave full-throated cheers and boos of commissioner Gary Bettman throughout the banner-raising ceremony. Some of the loudest cheers went to Hawks winger Patrick Kane, who is under investigation for an alleged sexual assault. It was all part of a glitzy evening that included a red-carpet entrance for the players, a light show and a video montage of last season's Cup run. "We all have to put our mind in the same place, put our energy toward accomplishing the same thing," Toews said. "It reaches a point where they probably get sick of hearing about it. The guys who were even on the team last year are ready to move on." The Rangers seemed more prepared, at least in the early going Wednesday, than the Hawks. Kevin Klein and Derek Stepan also scored for the Rangers while Hawks got goals from rookie Artemi Panarin, who scored his first NHL goal, and winger Teuvo Teravainen, who was playing his first game on the top line alongside Toews and Marian Hossa. But Toews said even though the Hawks want to turn their attention to 2016, they still savored the opportunity to celebrate the Cup they won on the same ice less than four months ago. "It's not quite the level of winning on home ice, but it's being a part of that energy, being in the arena with our fans and everyone wants to be there in that moment," Toews said. "It's a special moment in Chicago sports history, and you're only going to do it so many times, so you have to enjoy it while it lasts." Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, who tried unsuccessfully to suppress a smile when the crowd chanted "Q," said he rarely gets nervous when he's standing behind the bench. His two exceptions to that are the first game of the playoffs and the first game of the regular season. "There's a lot of newness to our team, a lot to look forward to as well ..." Quenneville said. "That was definitely the toughest Cup we ever had to win. It seemed like it was never going to end. It was hard-earned. It'll be nice to reflect. But then let's turn the switch."
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. Chris Burns stands before his players in Bryant University's men's basketball locker room. He is shaking, yet resolute. He's rehearsed this conversation in his head dozens of times. But that's just practice. This is game time. "There are parts of this business that lead me to believe what I'm about to tell you is not acceptable here," the assistant coach says. "This is something I struggle with. It's made me consider giving up coaching. It's made me think I'm not supposed to be here." Players are wide-eyed. Burns takes a deep breath. "I'm a gay man," he says, at last. He goes on to say he hopes none of this will affect the players negatively, that he wants it to unite them. Bryant's players surround him with hugs. They tell him they love him. He can exhale. "There was an initial shock factor," senior forward Curtis Oakley tells USA TODAY Sports. "But everyone was, like, 'Yo, Burns, we rockin' with you.' It was all love." In recent years, athletes such as Michael Sam, a college linebacker who hasn't made an NFL roster, Jason Collins, a former NBA center, Derrick Gordon, a basketball player at UMass and now Seton Hall, and many others have come out. But Burns is now the only openly gay assistant or head coach among the roughly 3,000 coaches in men's and women's Division I basketball. His Bulldogs will open their season next month at defending national champion Duke. "One act of courage produces another," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski says. "When I think of this, I think of tossing a big stone into a lake or a pond. The ripples he's creating are huge. To me, it's a huge step in the right direction for our sport because it can allow others who don't feel like they can be who they are to do the same." The story of how Burns came to be in that locker room, tentatively telling his truth, is one of freedom won by small steps. He opened up to his family first. He told head coach Tim O'Shea more than a year ago. In recent weeks he informed the rest of the coaching staff and key members of the Bryant athletics department. He confided in the team's three captains and then, days later, stood before the team. "Before he went in, he was sick nervous," Bryant assistant coach Frankie Dobbs says. "You could tell he's been planning the speech for the last 15 years." Truth begat relief. "I can't say enough about believing in the good in people, the good in human beings," Burns says, eyes moist. "They can surprise you, energize you, give you a reason to believe in the good in the world." Burns, 31, is largely unknown to the wider world but he's a pillar of Bryant basketball. The sharpshooting point guard led the Bulldogs to Division II's 2005 national championship game and the banner for that runner-up finish hangs in the Chace Athletic Center. Behind it is a blown-up photo of Burns dribbling around Syracuse's Eric Devendorf in 2006. Burns scored 33 points that night six three-pointers, six assists in a 92-86 road loss. "I think it helps a lot that he can hoop because it brings the respect factor," says Oakley, nephew of former NBA star Charles Oakley. The revelation also upped the trust factor. "We're all like, 'Yo, what else can he keep from us if tells us this?' " Oakley says. "You feel like you can go to him for anything." O'Shea arrived as head coach in 2008 as Bryant began its transition to Division I and the Bulldogs will be striving for their first trip to D-1's Big Dance this season. That'll take teamwork. "I thought the pope had a great statement, saying we need to see people as individuals," O'Shea says. "To me, this issue is very similar. All gay people are not the same. It's really about the individual. Knowing Chris, his heart, and that he's a great coach and has the players' best interest in mind, that's a big reason why I feel comfortable giving him my full support. He's not trying to become a celebrity here. My biggest thing is, 'Team first.' " Burns has another team, too. He had the support of his family and friends as well as advocates in the close-knit LGBT community. Crucially, if he was to be his authentic self publicly, he felt he'd need the backing of an inner circle where he felt most authentic a trio of best friends, all members of the athletics department. Burns counted on compliance coordinator Mike MacDonald to hold him accountable and Tristan Hobbes of athletic communications for good humor and director of women's basketball operations Lauren Tebsherany to pick up his spirit when depression left him crippled in bed; she once wrote him a six-page letter expressing everything she loved about him. MacDonald and Hobbes are his housemates and they waited in the hallway on the late September day when Burns told the captains. That morning, Tebsherany tweeted a quote from an author, Laurell K. Hamilton: Before I knew you, I thought brave was not being afraid. You've taught me that bravery is being terrified & doing it anyway. "Without them being there, I could have found an excuse not to do it," Burns says. "Those three carried me." MacDonald says, "Chris' job is all about relationships when he's recruiting or spending time with players. He's doing this to be authentic to them, to take off the mask. He's doing this so a 15-year-old can be himself. He's 31 and done hiding, so others don't have to." Half a lifetime ago, Burns was that 15-year-old. He grew up as a typical basketball junkie: Posters, SLAM Magazine, growing collection of basketball shoes. (He's up to 140 pairs now, including every Jordan.) "He used to play with the Little Tikes hoop" as a toddler, "then as he grew he got the Nerf hoop in the basement," his mother, Susan Marchesano, recalls. "My husband and I would be in bed at night and hear him playing. He'd be emulating Michael Jordan down there. It was basketball 24/7." Burns didn't crack the roster of his eighth-grade basketball team. He made the freshman team in high school, but as a 4-11 guard didn't play much. Then he sprouted 12 inches his sophomore year and as his stature grew, so did his playing time. By his senior year, Burns was named Mr. Basketball in New Hampshire. And all the while, he started to sense his attraction to men. The basketball court had always been Burns' safe haven. But as he grew older he felt the game he fell in love with as a child was holding him hostage. "Basketball had always been my rock," Burns says. "It was my best friend, something I knew I could rely on no matter what, something that helped me escape. It gave me purpose and an identity at a very young age. But as time passed I felt trapped in that identity, like I had to choose one or the other." His mother feels her son's pain. "He's loved basketball since he was four years old," she says. "He took to it like a fish to water. It truly is his best friend. Coming out to everyone is risking losing that." She cries softly as she speaks to USA TODAY Sports in an emotional conversation before her son went public. "If I could talk to his best friend, I'd beg him to let my son be free," she says of basketball. "And I'd say, 'Thank you for being his best friend. Thank you for keeping his secret, for holding him up when I couldn't, when no one could understand his pain.' "Being gay isn't who Chris is. It's a part of him. He's more than a gay man. He's more than a basketball player. He's more than a basketball coach. I hate this pain he's gone through, but it's made him someone I'm so proud of." As a player, Burns steered Bryant to four consecutive Division II NCAA tournaments, including a 63-58 loss to Virginia Union in 2005's national championship in which he was named player of the game. Then Burns spent three years in New Hampshire with the semipro Manchester Millrats, two as a player and the last as a coach. From there he was an assistant coach at Rhode Island College for two seasons and returned to Bryant in 2012. When he'd played at Bryant, he was still discovering his true self. But as a coach there, he knew he was hiding it. "There was me as a dedicated basketball coach," he says, "and me as a gay guy where I'd find myself in another world." Burns had started this double life in high school and college, dating girls and "doing enough" to fit in and maintain a heterosexual image for his teammates and friends. "I've been in survival mode since I was 14," he says. During the emotional chaos that accompanied his hidden life, Burns met Anthony Nicodemo. "From the moment I saw him, I was attracted to him and interested in him," Burns says. "And then he turned out to be a basketball coach. We ended up in the same place a lot and connected. After a while, it just kind of happened. We didn't grasp what it meant at the time." They'd often talk about being the best man at each other's weddings to female partners. "He's the most significant relationship I ever had," Burns says. "I found out who I was with him. There's not a person in the world who knows me better." Eventually, their bond stretched deeper than friendship. They fell in love. And they grew to accept their sexual orientations. "The only problem was, he was ahead of me," Burns says. "The more I sensed him being prepared to do something big, the more I fell into fear and denial. I went to a dark place. It turned into two people going in different directions. I was going the wrong way. That's how powerful and strong the fear was for me." Nicodemo coaches Saunders Trades and Technical High School in Yonkers, N.Y. They'd parted ways by the time Nicodemo came out in 2013 as one of the few openly gay high school basketball coaches in the country. A media storm followed. Burns was in agony as Nicodemo found relief and freedom. "Not being able to be there the way I wanted to, that was heartbreaking," Burns says. "All the positive response was great, but it was those negative responses where I wanted to be there, to give him someone to lean on. But that's who he was to me, breaking down walls. I've always been the logical, cynical guy. He's always been the dreamer who believes he can change the world." Now the logical, cynical guy is trying his hand at change. And the dreamer is happy for him. "Courage comes in so many different forms," Nicodemo says. "As a player, (Chris) was a leader. He wasn't the kid to pump his chest. But he always had that edge, that chip on his shoulder. I think he's the perfect role model for this." Burns told his mother he was gay on a late night in April of 2013. His older brother Tim, the first family member to know, joined him as he told his mother of the internal struggles of living with a secret. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. "It broke my heart for him when I found out," his mother says. "I kind of had some thoughts, but I was still surprised. He was so relieved to get it out. He acted like he had killed someone. I was mad. I said, 'Did you think I wouldn't love you?' " Burns told his father he was gay at a bachelor party and Jim Burns immediately expressed support. When Burns' mother told his 20-year-old twin half-brothers, Matthew and Jeffrey, "they were like, 'Oh, cool,' " his mother says. "That's it. They come from a different day and age where they're more accepting. All of his brothers, his dad and stepdad, they're all supportive of him. He's loved." But that was his personal life. His professional life was another matter. "I understand the pros and cons of telling the world because when you're recruiting kids, you need to win over the parents and there are a lot of people who are closed-minded and don't know what being gay means," his mother says. "A lot of people won't understand. My Christopher can handle it, though both the positives and the negatives." To be, or not to be, out. That was the question daily, for years. Some mornings he'd wake up and think: "Today's the day. I'll tell them." But it was never the day. His indecision led to bouts of anxiety. Basketball seemed taxing, not fun anymore. And if he did come out, what then? One question begged another. Would his players respect him? Would his coaching staff support him? How would the university handle it? Would his rivals use it against him in recruiting? Could it cost him his job? "It becomes: What do I love more?" he says of what he often thought then. "Being a basketball coach? Or being able to be myself?" Being a coach always won. His mother says telling his team was "that last thing for him to feel like he's 100%." Burns had for so long heard the homophobic language that's so common to male locker rooms that he'd become desensitized to it. Even if it wasn't meant maliciously, even if it didn't spell out hatred, he believed those casually tossed-off slurs meant he wouldn't be accepted if he told his truth. Coaches demand respect, accountability and trust from their players. How could he ask his for that kind of investment knowing he couldn't return it? Burns, known for connecting with his players on the court, felt disconnected off of it. "If someone asked him what type of girls he's into, he had a physical reaction to it," says Tebsherany, his friend. "Especially around his players, he was tired of lying." Burns aspires to be a head coach someday. He wonders how being the only openly gay assistant coach in all of Division I basketball could affect that. He knows the politicking that getting to the top can take and the image that universities traditionally prefer. "There's this perfect picture of a head coach with a wife and kids," Burns says. "It's all about the family with the white picket fence, and I know I don't exactly fit into that." O'Shea worries about that, too: "My biggest concern, initially when he told me, was his future as a head coach. I think he'll receive a great deal of public support. But an athletic director might have a bias with him being gay. Chris understands that. He's made the calculations that living authentically is most important here." Burns does want to get married someday, down the road. "It's 2015," he says. "It's time for a different media guide picture." Some closeted athletes say they've thought of suicide as a way out. Burns says he never considered it. "But I've been that low," he says. "I've had those dark thoughts. You look for ways to make the pain go away. You look for ways easier than telling people who you really are." That's the point when Burns found his love for the game, his best friend, dwindling. "It got to a point where I was like, 'Maybe I don't love this as much as I thought I did,' " he says. "The older I got, and the more mature and comfortable I became with myself, the less I felt like basketball was there for me." In the end, Burns decided it was time to stop being a coach or a gay man. It was time to be both. Follow college basketball reporter/digital editor Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson . Email: [email protected]
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Greek police have arrested 12 people after smashing an international criminal ring smuggling migrants through Europe. Paul Chapman reports.
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It appears the Dallas Cowboys have an interesting fascination with Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen's relationship. Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy is coming back from a four-game suspension this weekend and gets to face the New England Patriots. He had some interesting things to say about their quarterback and his wife before the matchup. "I love seeing Tom Brady, he's cool as crap," Hardy said. "Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game. I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game. One of my favorite games of the year, guys." When asked for his reaction to Hardy's statement, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had an interesting response of his own. "When I saw him marry her (Gisele Bundchen), Tom went up in my eyes 100 percent," Jones told SI.com's Melissa Jacobs . "She's very, very attractive and it shows what an outstanding individual Tom is." Well that's awkward. Brady, meanwhile, stayed above the fray when asked if Hardy's comments upset him. However, the Cowboys appear to be taking a different approach.
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The news first came in Frankfurt when Porsche announced they would be brining turbocharged engines to a mass produced 911 for the first time with the 2017 model year Carrera 4. Now, they have added to that distinction with the 2017 Targa 4 slated to get the same treatment. Combined with all-wheel drive the new coupes will consume less fuel, and pack more power, than any of their predecessors. Other specs on the new German vehicles includes a three-liter, flat-six twin-turbo engine that includes a 20 hp increase from the last generation with 370-hp and 331 lb.-ft. of torque. The S models push it even further with 420-hp and 368 lb.-ft. of torque. Related Link: Research Porsche's Latest Models The new 911 models will now have a mode switch on the steering wheel for the first time, a feature first seen on the 918 Spyder. The rotary dial will feature four driving modes: normal; sport; sport plus; and individual. Brand new PASM sport suspension lowers the ride 10 millimeters from the previous model, and the completely new PCM infotainment system has a seven-inch format with handwritten input. Early pricing releases range from $96,300 for the base Carrera 4 to $122,600 for the Targa 4S. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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Facebook visitors saw this message for an agonizing 40 minutes or so on Sept. 28. Source: Facebook. For 40 minutes or so on Monday, Sept. 28, Facebook 's entire website was inaccessible. This was the third time in just 11 days that Facebook had trouble keeping its servers up and running smoothly. Angry users fled to Twitter to share the news and their displeasure with the hashtag "#facebookdown." Short-term investors dumped some of the stock on Monday, but long-term Foolish investors need to examine what's behind these outages, and how that will affect the company going forward. $1,218,136.99 in lost revenue Based on Facebook's second-quarter run rate, the company lost over $1 million in potential revenue from the outage. While that number might not be completely accurate because of time-of-day considerations and the potential for users to simply check back later, it gives investors an idea of the massive revenue Facebook generates every hour. The outage didn't just affect Facebook; it affected every app that integrates Facebook's Graph API, which allows Instagram users, for example, to share their "grams" on Facebook. Facebook's developer website pointed out that the bug in the Graph API was the root cause of the outages. "A Facebookwide issue is causing the Facebook Graph API to be temporarily unavailable," they said. "We're working with our core infrastructure teams to identify the issue and will update you when we have more information." There's no reason to believe there was any foul play with Facebook's code, and it was probably just a very pesky bug in the latest update. Facebook was able to identify the bug and push a fix to its servers within an hour. But it was the third time in 11 days that Facebook saw its site go down. It was also down for about 10 minutes the previous Thursday and five minutes a week before that. Facebook never gave an explanation for those outages. The sudden series of outages has to make users and investors question the site's reliability. Is this just a fail whale? About six years ago, it wasn't uncommon to see a cute whale instead of your Twitter timeline when Twitter got overloaded with activity. For example, Michael Jackson's death or the 2010 World Cup drew so much activity on Twitter that the servers simply couldn't handle it. Twitter has since slayed the "fail whale" with more redundant servers and scale. (Keep in mind, Twitter was planning to grow its users much faster than it actually has.) In August, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the site had experienced its first day of having 1 billion users log into Facebook. Facebook continues building more and more data centers to handle all of that traffic. It's currently constructing its fifth data center in Dallas-Fort Worth to handle the load and increase redundancies. Twitter, by comparison, announced during its fourth-quarter earnings call in February that it plans to build a third data center. Increasing data-center capacity is essential to keep up with demand for higher-bandwidth media such as videos and 360-degree videos and a growing user base. In the past year, Facebook video views grew from nothing to 4 billion per day, and monthly active users increased 173 million -- more than half the size of Twitter's total user base. Facebook has already announced plans to increase capital expenditures this year, and that includes investments in its data centers and infrastructure. With the recent outages and consistent growth, investors shouldn't expect Facebook to let up on those investments, but they may provide leverage for Facebook to generate more revenue. In the long run, the capital expenditures now will allow Facebook to grow as big as possible. As long as Facebook continues to invest in its infrastructure to support the expanding use of Facebook, investors don't need to worry about the recent outages. If Facebook can't keep up, or human error produces more outages like last week's, however, Facebook not only risks losing millions in ad revenue, but it could also permanently alienate users as they search for alternatives.
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ROSEBURG, Ore. A week has passed since J.J. Vicari huddled underneath a desk while gunshots exploded in the classroom next door. Now, he is thinking about guns. Not about tightening gun laws, as President Barack Obama urged after nine people were killed at the community college here. But about buying one for himself. "It's opened my eyes," said Mr. Vicari, 19. "I want to have a gun in the house to protect myself, to protect the people I'm with. I'm sure I'll have a normal life and never have to go through anything like this, but I want to be sure." Mr. Obama plans to visit Roseburg on Friday to meet the grieving families of yet another gun rampage, but many people here are bristling at his renewed call for stricter gun laws. In some ways, the rampage at the college by a 26-year-old student, Christopher Harper-Mercer, has actually tightened the embrace of guns in a rural town where shots at rifle ranges echo off the hills and hunters bag deer and elk through the fall. Some families touched by the violence and students who fled gunfire said they now feared that the kind of bloodshed seen inside Classroom 15 at Snyder Hall, Umpqua Community College, could happen anywhere. Some said they were planning to buy guns. Others said they would seek concealed-weapons permits. Others, echoing gun advocates' calls for more weapons on campus, said the college should allow its security guard to carry guns. A few said they thought that stricter gun control laws could have averted the massacre. Even Mr. Obama's visit has stirred fiercely polarized responses. Some residents and the publisher of a weekly conservative newspaper said he was not welcome, and accused him of using the town's anguish to advance his gun-control agenda. The language got so angry that on Tuesday the mayor and other city officials put out a statement saying they welcomed Mr. Obama and "will extend him every courtesy." And while the mass shooting here has pushed some people toward wanting to arm themselves, it has also pushed others in the opposite direction. Students like Devon Paasch, 36, whose writing teacher, Lawrence Levine, was among the victims, said the murders had intensified her belief that the country needed stricter gun laws. Ms. Paasch was not on campus that morning because she slept through her alarm; she has spent the past week tilting between grief, guilt and a fear of returning to school. "No kind of gun control is going to stop everything," Ms. Paasch said. "But in a situation like this, it could have saved 10 lives." The debate has rolled across a conservative, timber-producing region where flags are at half-staff and roadside signs solicit prayers for the victims. From a wooded gun range south of town, to City Hall, to KC's Exchange, where Carolyn Kellim sells handguns and ammunition out of her home, people insisted that the actions of Mr. Harper-Mercer, who was armed with six guns and spare ammunition magazines, would not displace guns from their place in local life. "That's why we have guns: We don't have the government dictating when to get on our knees," said Ms. Kellim, who is 86. Mr. Harper-Mercer committed suicide after he was shot and wounded by officers responding to the scene, officials announced Wednesday. As it turns out, Mr. Harper-Mercer himself came from a family with a strong attachment to guns and his situation has an eerie parallel with the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 pupils and six adult staff members in 2012. Like Adam Lanza, the gunman in the Connecticut massacre, Mr. Harper-Mercer was living a mostly solitary life with a mom who shared his fascination with firearms. He was a loner in his 20s like James Holmes, who killed 12 people in a cinema in Aurora, Colo., in 2012; Jared Loughner, who seriously wounded Rep. Gabby Giffords and killed six in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011; and Elliot Rodger, who killed six people near the University of California, Santa Barbara, campus last year. Like Mr. Rodger, he left behind a note that complained about not having a girlfriend. But the comparison to Lanza extends to the relationships both shooters had with their mothers and guns. Both women were long-time gun enthusiasts who amassed weapons and took their sons to shooting ranges Laurel Harper's online postings don't indicate she knew her son had violent tendencies, but it is clear she relished her weapons. Investigators found eight guns in the apartment she shared with her son and another six at the school where he killed eight students and a professor. She wrote enthusiastically about assault rifles and pistols and derided gun-control efforts in "lame states" on Yahoo! Answers using an account that is linked to an email address associated with her. "I keep two full mags in my Glock case," she wrote in a three-year-old posting. "No one will be 'dropping' by my house uninvited." She could not be reached for comment. Associated Press contributed.
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Open Road will release "Snowden" on May 13th, five months after its originally scheduled Christmas release. The biopic was directed by Oliver Stone and stars Joseph-Gorden Levitt. The film was moved off a Christmas Day release last month by Open Road. Stone is directing from a script he co-wrote with Kieran Fitzgerald, based on Luke Harding's book "The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man" and "Time of the Octopus," written by the whistleblower's Russian lawyer. Snowden was charged in 2013 for leaking documents that implicated the National Security Agency in a massive covert spying operation.
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Don't let heart disease get you down. Heart disease patients with depression tend to have worse outcomes. That fact is nothing new. But does that mean treating depression could lower your risk of heart attack, stroke or another major cardiac event? A recent study intended to find out. Here's what happened: More than 26,000 people participated. None of them had taken antidepressants or been diagnosed with heart disease before joining the study. Everyone completed a questionnaire to gauge his or her level of potential depression. About one in five patients were categorized as having "moderate to severe" depression. The rest were categorized as having "no to mild" depression. Within two months of taking the survey, some participants were prescribed antidepressant medication and/or statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs). Three years later, nearly 1,200 participants (4.4 percent) had experienced a major cardiac event. Among those with mild or no depression, participants who took statins had the lowest risk of having a major cardiac event. (No surprise there.) Among those with moderate to severe depression, participants with the lowest risk of having a major cardiac event were those who took antidepressants only not statins. That was a big surprise to researchers, who had expected the best outcomes to be in those who took both antidepressants and statins. How managing depression improves heart health "Patients who are depressed and treated for depression tend to have better quality of life, better outlook and better adherence to cardiovascular wellness activities," says Cleveland Clinic psychiatrist Leo Pozuelo, MD . In other words, when you are emotionally sound, you are more likely to be physically active, eat better and comply with other doctor's orders, such as taking prescription medications. That can improve your heart health. However, it doesn't mean depression treatment is better for your heart than conventional treatments, like taking statins, warns Dr. Pozuelo. "While the study reported that those on antidepressants but no statins fared better, we don't know enough about the patients such as their lipid levels or health behaviors to really understand the impact of statins or no statins," says Dr. Pozuelo. More than antidepressants is needed Recognizing and managing depression is an important part of treating patients with heart disease , but it's not the only part. "Assessing depression should be part of every evaluation for heart disease, just like screening for high blood pressure and high cholesterol," concludes Dr. Pozuelo. Learn more Your Emotions Can Hurt Your Heart Stress, Depression and Heart Disease (Webchat with Dr. Pozuelo) The post Can Treating Depression Reduce Your Risk of Heart Attack? appeared first on Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic . This article was written by Heart & and Vascular Team from Cleveland Clinic and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
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California Republicans are looking for new blood in the 2016 presidential race, and past and present officeholders need not apply, a new Field Poll shows. Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, none of whom has spent a minute in elected office, top the list of White House hopefuls for likely voters in June's GOP primary, followed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul. "The outsider candidates have moved to the top of the pack," said Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director. The change has happened in a hurry. Trump, who has led in the national polls for the past two months, wasn't even listed in Field's May survey, but now has 17 percent support. Carson, who was at 5 percent in May, jumped to 15 percent, while Fiorina, who lost the 2010 California Senate race to Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, moved from 3 percent to 13 percent. It's been a tougher road for those who could be considered "establishment" candidates. Since the February poll, for example, Bush has seen his support in California cut in half, from 16 percent to 8 percent, while Paul dropped from 10 percent to 5 percent. Cruz has risen a point to 6 percent, while Rubio has moved from 7 percent in February to 10 percent today. It could be worse, though. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker led the February poll with 18 percent, fell to 10 percent in May and is now out of the presidential race. The idea of a nonpolitician as president is especially appealing to Republicans further to the right. While 45 percent of likely GOP voters favor a political outsider, compared with 42 percent looking for a more traditional candidate, that outsider support jumps to 53 percent among strongly conservative voters and to 51 percent among those who identify with the Tea Party. "There's frustration with Congress about the inability to pass legislation that meets (conservatives') interests," DiCamillo said. "They're looking for an outside candidate who will change the system." Despite Trump's current lead in the polls, both in California and nationally, most state Republicans aren't convinced that the real estate developer is the answer to the GOP's prayers. A mere 28 percent of likely Republican voters believe he will be the eventual nominee, and only 59 percent are even somewhat confident that Trump could beat the Democratic contender if he does get nominated. There's also no groundswell of enthusiasm for Trump among Republicans who aren't already supporting him. While 52 percent of likely GOP voters would be enthusiastic or at least satisfied with Trump as their nominee, 24 percent would be dissatisfied and another 20 percent upset to see him on the November 2016 ballot. With California's June primary still almost eight months away, there's plenty of time for big changes in the GOP lineup, DiCamillo stressed. "The fact that the California election is at the end of the primary cycle means that what happens before then will have a huge impact on the vote," he said. "The list of candidates will be winnowed, which will make it much easier to do the polling." The new poll is based on a telephone survey, conducted from Sept. 17 to Oct. 4, of 1,002 registered voters in California, including 214 likely to cast ballots in next June's Republican primary. The margin of error for that subset of GOP voters is plus or minus seven percentage points. John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @jfwildermuth
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At a private Wednesday night viewing, Rihanna and contemporary artist Roy Nachum transformed L.A.'s MAMA Gallery into the RiRi Gallery. The crowd? A smattering of fans and press. The art? The front and back of the singer's next album covers, which depict a young RiRi holding a balloon, a gold crown shielding her eyes. "This is my favorite album cover I've ever done," Rihanna said, according to Billboard , which adds that the imagery is supposed to be a statement on vision and vision impairment. The work of poet Chloe Mitchell is also reportedly drizzled in Braille atop the entire piece. Added the pop star: "Sometimes the ones who have sight are the blindest." The album, Rihanna's eighth studio release, will be titled Anti , which, as a placard inside noted, is a "person opposed to a particular policy, activity, or idea." Here's its front: Here is the cover to Rihanna's new album "ANTI." http://t.co/C0qZzEYWbT pic.twitter.com/yKcq0fmnzl The FADER (@thefader) October 8, 2015 And its back: Front and back album artwork for @rihanna 's 8th studio album. #R8 pic.twitter.com/zsiYHZyWOF The FADER (@thefader) October 8, 2015 Unfortunately, Rihanna left the event without giving anybody a clue as to when the album would actually be available. But since it's 2015, best to just be prepared for whenever. (Or forget all about this and be surprised. Whichever.)
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(Bloomberg) -- U.S. stock-index futures dropped, after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index's sixth advance in seven days helped claw back some of the declines from an equity rout that started in August. S&P 500 E-mini contracts expiring in December fell 0.4 percent to 1,980 at 7:22 a.m. in New York. Dow Jones Industrial Average contracts lost 58 points, or 0.3 percent, to 16,756 today, while those on the Nasdaq 100 Index dropped 0.4 percent. EMC Corp. soared 6.9 percent in early New York trading after people familiar with the matter said Dell Inc. is in talks to combine with all or part of the company. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV rose 1.5 percent after reaching a tentative agreement with United Auto Workers to avert a strike. Alcoa Inc. fell before the company posts earnings after markets close today, unofficially kicking off the reporting season. "We moved up, and now we are waiting for what comes out on the companies side," said Heinz-Gerd Sonnenschein, a strategist at Deutsche Postbank AG in Bonn, Germany. "It's a very volatile market at the moment with no long lasting trend. Investors are having very specific looks at stocks with good news and bad news, and looking less at the market as a whole." The benchmark S&P 500 reached its highest level since Aug. 20 yesterday. Biotechnology and energy companies led the rebound, with the latter extending their longest rally since 2013. The two sectors have been two of the most volatile in recent weeks, and their gains have led to the longest streak of volatility declines since February 2014. Investors will look to the minutes of the Federal Reserve's Sept. 16-17 meeting, released later today, along with data on weekly jobless claims -- which have been seesawing around decade lows -- to get a better sense of the strength of the U.S. labor market. The odds of a rate hike this month are now just 8 percent, with March the first month with a chance of liftoff above 50 percent. Companies reporting earnings next week include Johnson & Johnson, Intel Corp. and JPMorgan Chase and Co. Analysts project earnings for S&P 500 members dropped 6.9 percent in the third quarter. Still, a Fed measure of corporate income has posted its biggest quarterly increase since 2012, suggesting the broader picture for profits may be skewed by downgrades at energy producers combating weak oil prices. Among other shares active in premarket trading, Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. jumped 20 percent after saying one of its drugs met its main goal in a patient study. To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Longley in London at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Cecile Vannucci at [email protected] Trista Kelley, Namitha Jagadeesh
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Here's what you should skip and buy at these go-to drugstores. Best and Worst Deals at CVS and Rite Aid Does this scenario sound familiar: You need something in a hurry whether it's aspirin, a phone charger or lipstick so you run to the nearest drugstore and grab what you need plus a dozen or so extra items you didn't intend to buy: candy, soda, air freshener, pens, a magazine, toys and so on? Don't feel bad if you're guilty of drugstore impulse buys. In fact, some of these purchases are actually good deals at stores like CVS and Rite Aid. However, there are some items you should avoid when shopping at both stores. Click through to learn how to become a savvier shopper . 10 Best Rite Aid and CVS Deals Rite Aid and CVS are probably top-of-mind when it comes to convenience. You can run in and fill a small bin with necessities in a matter of minutes. And believe it or not, sometimes convenience and rock-bottom prices go together. Check out these 10 examples. Watch: 9 Ways to Save Money at CVS 1. Milk Contrary to what you might think, CVS and Rite Aid are great places to grab that great American staple: milk. "When we compared the price of milk at CVS to our local, large grocery store, it was $2.20 cheaper," said Coupons.com savings expert Jeanette Pavini. Why the deals? "Shop Smart Save More" author Teri Gault said it's because milk is a traffic driver for prescriptions and other pricier items. Who knew drugstores can help you save money on your groceries ? 2. Beauty Products Drugstores might not be as attractive as salons and department stores, but the prices on makeup, skin care, nail polish and more sure are. Gault said if you play your coupons right at CVS and Rite Aid, you can get products at 67 percent off or more. 3. Toothpaste and Deodorant If you thought you had to buy cases of these things at warehouse stores to save money, think again. Rite Aid and CVS are good places to stay smiling and odor-free, said Gault. "My pantry is full of brand names on these, all for $1 or less, and even free on deodorant," she said. "Toothpastes are all no more than 50 cents or free. All were bought on great sales with coupons and sometimes in-store rebates as well." 4. Laundry Detergent Sense a theme here? Yep, Rite Aid and CVS can help you keep your clothes cleaner and whiter for cheaper, too, said Gault. She said when laundry detergent goes on sale with in-store coupons or rebates, it's time to stock up. "Drugstore laundry detergent deals beat club stores prices and any other game in town, except for some supermarket deals," she said. "I buy it all in advance of running out, which I call 'investing.'" 5. Brand-Name Razors Do you prefer brand-name products, specifically razors? CVS or Rite Aid might be a good place to help shave your budget, said Regina Conway, consumer expert for SlickDeals.net. "Wait for coupons, but CVS regularly features 20 percent off deals, and you'll pay about $1 less per refill cartridge than at other big-box merchants," she said. 6. Flu Shot Not only can getting a flu shot save a ton of money on medication, doctor visits and time off work, but getting one at CVS could save you on store items, too. The store offers a 20 percent off shopping pass to those who get a flu shot. "It's good on purchases up to $50, so it carries a maximum value of $10," said Pavini. "But if you use coupons from Coupons.com, shop store sales and use the saving pass, then you should be able to restock all of your toiletries on the cheap." 7. Halloween Candy and Snacks We all know that the best time to buy Halloween candy is the day after Halloween. But, you could score a sweet deal pre-holiday at CVS or Rite Aid, said Conway. Of course, if you really want to score, post-Halloween is even sweeter and includes snacks. "Due to limited shelf space, holiday snacks go on sale immediately after the holiday, for as much as 75 percent off," said Conway. 8. Brand-Name Body Wash If there's no sale going on, you might find brand-name body washes cheaper at Walmart or Target . But if you can, hold out for the CVS or Rite Aid markdowns, said Conway. "Set a deal alert with Slickdeals, or download the CVS or Rite Aid apps," she advised. "When there's a sale, name brands like SoftSoap run as low as $1.49 for 15-ounce bottles." 9. Groceries and Pantry Items You probably don't think of a drugstore as the place to buy your everyday groceries such as cereal, sugar, flour, crackers and cake mix. But Gault said you might want to consider CVS or Rite Aid. To get customers into the store, they often run specials on a variety of grocery items. "The best deals on groceries at drugstores usually coincide with a store coupon found in the circular," she said. "Stock up on two to five different grocery deals weekly, and your pantry will be full for half price or better." 10. Paper Towels When it's time to clean up, CVS has your back, said Jon Lal, founder of BeFrugal.com. "Paper towels are typically found at a low price at CVS, and their store brand is highly rated in quality," he said. Watch: Best and Worst Things to Buy Generic 10 Worst Rite Aid and CVS Deals Now for the not-so-good news: There are some items at CVS and Rite Aid you might want to avoid. In these 10 cases, the convenience of a quick stop might cost you. 1. Dairy Products (Other Than Milk) Remember this: Milk, good other dairy products, bad. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but Gault suggested you might want to remember it when shopping at CVS or Rite Aid. "In the dairy case, there are other items like yogurt, cheese and sour cream. But unless they are on sale, you'll want to pass on those," she said. 2. Generic Prescription Drugs Conway reports that a search for several generic prescription drug prices on GoodRx.com consistently ranked CVS and Rite Aid as the most expensive. "For example, the generic of amoxicillin is $5 more at Rite Aid and $7 more at CVS than at Walgreens ..." she found. "If you are prescribed ongoing medications, comparison shopping can make a huge difference in your budget." Find Out: How Inflated Drug Prices Are Affecting Your Wallet 3. Small Appliances Don't expect to snag a deal on coffee makers, irons, toasters or any other small appliance at the convenient CVS or Rite Aid, said Conway. "Barring an outfit emergency such as a wrinkled tuxedo before your wedding stay away from small appliance purchases at these stores," she advised. "The best time to make any small appliance purchase is around Black Friday at merchants such as Walmart and Target." 4. Electronics While we're on the subject, you might as well stay away from most things tech, said Lindsay Sakraida, director of content marketing at DealNews.com. "Any electronics sold at a drugstore are going to either be overpriced or extremely low quality," she said. "Replacement cables and cords might be convenient, but if you can wait a few days for delivery, you're more likely to find a better deal online for these items." 5. Pet Supplies, Toys and Treats If you want Fido healthy and happy, CVS and Rite Aid might not be your best bet. According to Gault, you can find better deals at Target, Kmart and club stores. 6. Soft Drinks "There are rarely soda deals at drugstores," said Gault. "Plus, their regular prices are higher than supermarkets', and supermarkets run big soda deals regularly." She said if you're looking for a drink deal at CVS or Rite Aid, your best bets are cans or bottles of green tea or other specialty teas, which do go on sale at great prices. 7. As Seen on TV Items It's tempting to buy those As Seen on TV items that you saw, well, on TV. But Sakraida advises against it. "It's common for drugstores to sell As Seen on TV items, but these are usually sold at retail price," she said. "Amazon is more likely to offer a slight discount on such items." 8. Cleaning Supplies Post-party cleanup? Avoid CVS or Rite Aid when it comes to buying cleaning supplies (except for paper towels, of course). "Unless they're on sale with a coupon, the prices for cleaning supplies are usually quite a bit higher than supermarket prices," said Gault. "Plus, supermarkets regularly have super great sales, coupons and even instant rebates and other deal stacking on cleaning supplies." 9. Housewares Everything from Tupperware and trash bins to seating and stem glasses are best passed up at CVS and Rite Aid, say the experts. "If you're in a bind and have nowhere else to turn, perhaps you can take the chance," said Sakraida. "But, you're more likely to find a good deal on these items at stores like Target, Walmart and Sears." "Trash cans and storage bins are handy to pick up at a drugstore as you're passing through," added Gault, "but these items cost less at hardware stores and discount stores." 10. Holiday Décor If you're in a festive mood for the holiday season, don't let Rite Aid and CVS bring you down. "Unless it's after holiday clearance at the drugstore, which is fantastic, there is a markup over discount stores like Kmart, Home Goods, T.J.Maxx and Ross," said Gault. Up Next: 10 Best and Worst Deals at Walgreens
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Brazil's Federal Accounts Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday that Rousseff manipulated the budget last year to fill budget holes to pay for social programs ahead of the 2014 elections. The ruling - the court's first against a Brazilian president in almost eight decades - is not legally binding, but could be used by Congress to advance impeachment procedures against the embattled president. Opposition lawmakers applauded the courts decision, calling it the end of Rousseff's administration. The court formally approved a report that found the president violated Brazil's finance law by delaying repayment to state banks that helped fill the budget gap on social programs last year, ahead of an election Rousseff won by a slim margin. The court made the decision after repeated attempts by the government to delay the vote. Attorney General Luis Adams said after the ruling that he will appeal to the Supreme Court. Mounting pressure Rousseff, whose ratings have plummeted amid an economic downturn and a major corruption scandal at energy giant Petrobras, received another setback on Tuesday, when the country's electoral body found sufficient reason to open an investigation into the financing of the 2014 election. The electoral body will look into whether Rousseff's campaign used funds skimmed from kickbacks from Petrobras. Though the investigation could lead to the invalidation of Rousseff's victory last year, the judicial case could also last for months - or even years - and she can appeal to the Supreme Court. Many expect her to serve through the end of her term. cw/jr (Reuters, AP)
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Rosie O'Donnell's 18-year-old daughter Chelsea O'Donnell gave a scathing interview about her mother's personal life, slamming the TV host on every level. Rosie has responded to her daughter's words calling it heartbreaking.
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Games like Kerbal Space Program are great at depicting the challenges of getting to another planet, but there isn't usually much to do when you arrive beyond planting a flag. Wouldn't it be nice to really, truly explore those alien worlds and make them your own? System Era may just give you that chance. Its upcoming Astroneer has you exploring and harvesting resources from vast, procedurally generated planets. You not only have to brave hostile conditions (including The Martian -like storms) and build up your base, but shape the very surface you're walking on. You can level hills, carve out tunnels and dig out artifacts buried in the soil -- think of it as Minecraft in an unfamiliar, unforgiving landscape. The game is still in early development, and it's only poised to hit Windows PCs (via Steam) at an undetermined point in the future. However, it's pretty promising at first glance. The design gives you a sense of how daunting (and fascinating) real planetary exploration would be, and its purposefully simple look gives it character that you wouldn't get if System Era was striving for absolute realism. There's no guarantee that the finished product will play as well as it looks, of course. However, the Astroneer team includes people from big-name developers like 343 Industries , Ubisoft and Valve (among others), so there's a real chance that the game will live up to the early hype. Astroneer
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DALLAS When the delay on his 90-minute flight stretched past the four-hour mark, David Rankin started tweeting to Spirit Airlines as he and other passengers grew restless. "We're looking at the plane," Rankin said by phone from a Spirit gate at the Philadelphia airport. "There are no pilots." Rankin, an investment manager from New Jersey, swore it would be his last time on the discount airline. "My wife won't let me book a flight on Spirit next time," he said. Spirit is one of a new breed of airline called ultra-low-cost carriers that also includes Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air. They have grown rapidly by luring travelers with cheap base fares that undercut the big airlines, and boast among the best operating profits margins in the business. Fans say the cheap tickets set the ultra-low-cost carriers apart in an industry where discomfort and inconvenience are now expected. But for many travelers, the new discounters take the aggravation to another level. They charge extra for things that are still standard on bigger airlines like soda and carry-on bags. Need to print a boarding pass at the airport? There's a fee for that. They fit more passengers on the plane by squeezing seats together, which is easier because the seats don't recline. They don't have toll-free phone numbers for customer service. There are few businesses that consumers love to hate more than airlines, but travelers seem to reserve a special level of vitriol for these no-frills, discount airlines. Passengers are about 20 times more likely to complain about one of them than about Alaska Airlines or Southwest Airlines, which have the industry's lowest complaint rates. Either Frontier or Spirit has recorded the highest rate of complaints to the government every month this year. Allegiant would place third-worst, although because of its small size it is not included in the official rankings. Much of the grousing can be tied to frequent flight delays. So far this year, Spirit Airlines has the worst on-time rate among the largest 14 U.S. airlines 34 percent of flights are at least 15 minutes late and Frontier is next-to-last. In June, Spirit's on-time rate tumbled below 50 percent. It was the worst one-month performance by a large U.S. airline in 10 years. A Spirit spokesman blamed a four-day stretch of bad weather. With fewer planes and pilots, Spirit, Frontier and Allegiant have less flexibility to deal with setbacks like summer storms than do larger airlines it's not as easy to put passengers on a later flight because there might not be one. They generally don't have agreements to accommodate stranded passengers on bigger airlines. It can add up to long delays as crews try to wait out the weather or fix planes to avoid canceling flights. In June, several hundred Spirit passengers were stuck at the airport in Las Vegas after cancelations. Airport officials handed out water and diapers. The same month in Atlantic City, New Jersey, two state troopers bought 15 pizzas to feed stranded Spirit passengers whose flight had been diverted there because of bad weather. Another source of irritation: tight legroom. Frontier added 12 seats to its current planes by installing seats with less padding. Its new Airbus A321 jets arriving next year will have 230 seats. Spirit flies the A321 with 218 seats, JetBlue with 190, American with 181. Unhappy customers also complain about being nickel-and-dimed all the fees offset the cheaper base fare. Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer, a Colorado travel writer, said she was a loyal customer of Denver-based Frontier Airlines for more than a decade. She "loved, loved, loved" the hometown airline with its wild-animal logos and friendly staff. But when the airline switched to mimic Spirit's low-fare, high-fees model last year, calculating the cost of a trip got too complicated. "I had to sit down and say: This is what I'm paying for the flight, then they're charging me $3 or $5 for a seat (assignment), and I need to figure out how much baggage I'll bring both ways," she said. "It became a mathematics game and that's ridiculous." The discount airlines, however, have their fans. Traffic jumped 77 percent on Spirit and 39 percent on Allegiant from 2011 through 2014. Travel is up by double-digits again this year on both airlines. Even passengers on other airlines might owe the discounters some gratitude. By keeping base fares low, they prevent the major airlines from pushing prices even higher at least on the routes they compete on says John Kwoka, a Northeastern University economics professor who studies the airlines. Loyal customers say you can avoid most fees and save money on the budget carriers if you pay attention to the rules. "I've been on American Airlines, Frontier, Spirit it's all the same as long as I get to where I need to be," Larry D. Wallace, a college student from Dallas, said on a recent Spirit flight from Dallas to Denver. "I've never had a complaint with Spirit. They're cheap; they're on time." Wallace, who said it was his fourth trip on the budget carrier, saved money by not bringing a bag. And his flight was just about perfect. The Airbus A320 was clean and brand-new Spirit's fleet averages about five years in age, much younger than most U.S. airlines the flight attendants were cheerful and efficient. The flight arrived in Denver 15 minutes late, but no one seemed to mind. Executives at the discount airlines and some industry experts dismiss the government's complaint figures. They point out that very few passengers bother to file a complaint with the Department of Transportation even at Spirit and Frontier it's fewer than one passenger in every 10,000. That can make for volatile figures. But ironically by the airlines' own admission, the government numbers don't tell the full story of passenger unhappiness. Frontier CEO Barry Biffle says his airline gets about 30 complaints for every one filed with the government. It used to 90-to-1, he says. Biffle says the official complaint rate just measures how many customers find the website to lodge a complaint and they're getting more savvy about that. But if airlines had to report all the complaints that they receive directly from consumers, the numbers would be even more damning. ___ David Koenig can be reached at http://twitter.com/airlinewriter
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Pumpkin the raccoon is just like any other pet. She naps with the family dog, enjoys snacking on people food and tolerates being dressed up in her parent's favorite football team garb. The raccoon fell from a tree as an infant and after being abandoned by her mother, was lucky enough to be taken in by Rosie Kemp and her husband, William, The Dodo reported. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram, the adorable raccoon has become an Internet sensation. Kemp and her daughter, Laura Young, nursed the raccoon, who suffered a broken back and leg, back to health, CBS reported. Because the Bahamas Humane Society was unable to take the raccoon in, Young and her husband, William, decided to adopt Pumpkin. The family lives in Nassau, Bahamas, and Pumpkin quickly fit into life with the Young's and their two rescue dogs, Toffee and Oreo, CBS reported. "Pumpkin considers the dogs her moms," Young told CBS. "She respects them when they have had enough rough play, and she loves to cuddle next to them when she is tired." Young told CBS that Pumpkin is "intelligent and always entertaining."
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A look at the large crowds in China. A look at the large crowds in China. Tourists gather on the Great Wall outside Beijing Tourists gather on the Great Wall outside Beijing, October 3, 2012. People crowd on a beach to escape the summer heat on a hazy day in Dalian, Liaoning province, China People crowd on a beach to escape the summer heat on a hazy day in Dalian, Liaoning province, China, August 16, 2015. Vehicles are seen stuck in a traffic jam near a toll station as people return home at the end of a week-long national day holiday, in Beijing Vehicles are seen stuck in a traffic jam near a toll station as people return home at the end of a week-long national day holiday, in Beijing, China, October 6, 2015. A paramilitary police officer guides crowded Chinese travellers in Beijing A paramilitary police officer guides crowded Chinese travellers at west railway station in Beijing, January 20, 2006. Examinees walk into the entrance of a classroom building to take part in a three-day entrance exam for postgraduate studies, at Anhui University, in Hefei Examinees walk into the entrance of a classroom building to take part in a three-day entrance exam for postgraduate studies, at Anhui University, in Hefei, Anhui province, January 5, 2013. Visitors participate in the annual water-splashing festival to mark the New Year of the Dai minority in Xishuang Banna Visitors participate in the annual water-splashing festival to mark the New Year of the Dai minority in Xishuang Banna, Yunnan province April 15, 2013. Parents of students sleep on mats laid out on the floor of a gymnasium inside a university campus in Wuhan Parents of students sleep on mats laid out on the floor of a gymnasium inside a university campus in Wuhan, central China's Hubei province in this file picture taken September 3, 2007. Large crowds walk under a row of trees decorated with fans and red lanterns at a temple fair celebrating Chinese New Year in Beijing Large crowds walk under a row of trees decorated with fans and red lanterns at a temple fair celebrating Chinese New Year in Beijing January 28, 2009. Visitors crowd an artificial wave swimming pool at a tourist resort to escape the summer heat in Daying county of Suining Visitors crowd an artificial wave swimming pool at a tourist resort to escape the summer heat in Daying county of Suining, Sichuan province, China, July 11, 2015. Passengers crowd the platform at a railway station in Qingdao Passengers crowd the platform at a railway station in Qingdao, Shandong province January 31, 2009 as the Chinese New Year holidays end. Visitors queue up before viewing the soaring tide near the bank of Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province Visitors queue up before viewing the soaring tide near the bank of Qiantang River in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province September 25, 2010. People watch a light show before a stampede incident occurred at the New Year's celebration on the Bund, a waterfront area in central Shanghai People watch a light show before a stampede incident occurred at the New Year's celebration on the Bund, a waterfront area in central Shanghai December 31, 2014. People ride on escalator and walk on a stair as they head to a platform during a rush hour on the first working day after Chinese Lunar New Year holiday at a subway station in Beijing People ride on escalator and walk on a stair as they head to a platform during a rush hour on the first working day after Chinese Lunar New Year holiday at a subway station in Beijing, February 25, 2015. More than 1,000 Paramilitary policemen take part in an exercise in Nanjing More than 1,000 Paramilitary policemen take part in an exercise in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, September 2, 2014. People from neighbouring villages watch a bullfight in Congjiang county People from neighbouring villages watch a bullfight in Congjiang county, Guizhou province, December 11, 2013. Taxi drivers queue at a parking lot while waiting for passengers at the new Beijing Capital International Airport Taxi drivers queue at a parking lot while waiting for passengers at the new Beijing Capital International Airport July 2, 2008. Vehicles are seen on a main avenue during the evening rush hour at sunset in Beijing Vehicles are seen on a main avenue during the evening rush hour at sunset in Beijing September 3, 2014. A woman collects her bicycle from a parking lot outside a subway station in Beijing A woman collects her bicycle from a parking lot outside a subway station in Beijing November 12, 2007. Thousands of job seekers visit booths at a job fair in Chongqing municipality Thousands of job seekers visit booths at a job fair in Chongqing municipality, October 11, 2014. Worshippers wait at the entrance of Guiyuan Buddhist Temple to burn offerings in Wuhan Worshippers wait at the entrance of Guiyuan Buddhist Temple to burn offerings on the fifth day of the Chinese Lunar New Year in Wuhan, Hubei province, January 30, 2009. Students take an examination on an open-air playground at a high school in Yichuan Students take an examination on an open-air playground at a high school in Yichuan, Shaanxi province April 11, 2015. Laundry hangs outside a student dormitory at a college in Wuhan Laundry hangs outside a student dormitory at a college in Wuhan, Hubei province March 5, 2009. Junior college students line up outside a job fair in Zhengzhou Junior college students line up outside a job fair in Zhengzhou, Henan province, February 15, 2014. People buy vegetables at a morning market in Panjiayuan district, Beijing People buy vegetables at a morning market in Panjiayuan district, Beijing October 6, 2005. Passengers wait to get in the crowded Zhengzhou Railway Station, during national day holidays, in Zhengzhou Passengers wait to get in the crowded Zhengzhou Railway Station, on the first day of the seven-day national day holiday, in Zhengzhou, Henan province October 1, 2014. Shoppers crowd under colourful neon lights along Shanghai's bustling Nanjing Road August 4, 2001. Sp.. Shoppers crowd under colourful neon lights along Shanghai's bustling Nanjing Road August 4, 2001.
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Ryan Tannehill is livid about a National Football Post report that, in Tannehill's view, erroneously accused him of telling a scout team player to "enjoy your practice squad paycheck." Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Tannehill held little back. "Yeah, I'm upset," Tannehill said. "Honestly, it's slanderous to report things that I didn't say. To put words in my mouth that I didn't say and to degrade my reputation and what I stand for, honestly, it's sickening to me. On top of that, just the fact that something inside the locker room gets out, honestly it gets me upset." The controversy stems from an incident Saturday in London - which was incidentally Joe Philbin's final practice as Dolphins coach. The Miami Herald reported Monday that Tannehill grew angry when linebacker Chris McCain did something more aggressive than typical for a Saturday practice, saying something to the effect that he would prepare a scout team trophy for him. Other outlets also reported that he made a comment about a practice squad player's salary. That never happened, Tannehill insisted. "I got upset," Tannehill acknowledged. "I said nothing about a paycheck or anything close to that. I know everybody in this building works hard every single day, so I respect guys and I would never take a shot like that." Tannehill added: "Am I happy about everything I said? No. The way things went down? No. But I hold myself to a higher standard than to take a shot at someone like that, especially guys that I work with every day and I respect how they go about their business." Center Mike Pouncey backed up Tannehill's version of events, calling the report "[expletive]." "He doesn't deserve that," Pouncey said. The dust-up was just the latest in a long line of leaks that undermined Philbin and his coaching staff and gave the impression of a team in disarray. That needs to stop, Tannehill said. "Someone's leaking, obviously," Tannehill said. "I don't think it's a huge problem where everyone's running to say everything that happened here, but I'd like to think as a team, when something happens in this building or out on the practice field, whatever it may be, that we protect each other and represent each other well. The fact that someone's airing out our dirty laundry from within, it's a bad feeling."
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sports
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PITTSBURGH The Pirates couldn't hit Jake Arrieta. So they may have, uh, hit him. Pittsburgh reliever Tony Watson, in the top of the seventh inning in Wednesday's NL wild-card game, plunked the Cubs ace in the hip. It was almost certainly deliberate Arrieta had hit Josh Harrison in the previous inning, and he hit Francisco Cervelli earlier in the game and, of course, that cleared the benches. MORE: Unforgettable sports brawls | Baseball's five dumbest unwritten rules Chicago was up 4-0 at the time. Arrieta gets plunked, benches immediately empty in Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/h37ywXn3YU Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 8, 2015 As tends to be the case in baseball fights, nothing particularly interesting happened until Pittsburgh's Sean Rodriguez went bonkers on a Gatorade cooler. Rodriguez was ejected. The cooler was not. He's done this before , by the way; Rodriguez punched a locker and broke his hand while in the minors with Tampa Bay in 2012.
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sports
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Whitney Houston made as many headlines offstage as on.
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entertainment
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Kim Kardashian lost her virginity at the age of 14, but WHO she lost her virginity to has remained a secret, until now. A new book claims the reality star's first time was with Michael Jackson's nephew, TJ Jackson.
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entertainment
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Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) shows you examples of 'The Office's' Michael Scott's incredibly sweet side.
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US President Barack Obama promised a "transparent, thorough and objective" investigation to the groups chief Joanne Liu, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Wednesday. The weekend air strike on the hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed 22 people, including patients and medical professionals working for the international charity organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Washington has since acknowledged that the US forces "mistakenly struck" the medical facility. "When we make a mistake we own up to it," Earnest told reporters on Wednesday. "We apologize and we make changes to be sure it won't occur again in the future." Commenting on the air strike, the spokesman said that "there is no evidence that ... I've seen or that anybody else has presented that indicate that this was anything other than a terrible, tragic accident." Invoking IHFFC Earlier on Wednesday, MSF demanded an independent probe into the tragedy, with Liu stating that "we cannot rely on an internal [US] military investigation." The medical charity said it deems the US attack to possibly have been a war crime. MSF also urged Obama to consent to an inquiry by a Swiss-based humanitarian body, the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission (IHFFC), that was never invoked before. Obama has also called the president of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani, to convey condolences for the victims of the Kunduz airstrike and pledge continued cooperation with his government, the White House said. Kabul 'committed' to investigation Responding to the MSF push for the fact-finding mission, Ghani's office said that government "will fully cooperate with the investigation through appropriate channels agreed upon by our partners" in the NATO Resolute Support mission. Taliban militants first seized Kunduz last week, but were soon pushed back by the Afghan security forces backed by NATO air strikes. The government is now controlling most key points in the city, with insurgents setting up pockets of resistance in certain areas. dj/sms (AP, Reuters, dpa)
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Is the Justin Bieber-One Direction battle the modern-day version of the NSYNC-Backstreet Boys rivalry?
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video
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Where do beauty insiders go to get beautified? Top celebrity hairstylists, makeup artists, and Allure's editor in chief reveal their favorite spas in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and more. Where do beauty insiders go to get beautified? Top celebrity hairstylists, makeup artists, and Allure's editor in chief reveal their favorite spas in New York City, Los Angeles, London, and more. Jen Atkin Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist and founder of Mane Addicts Massage: " El León in Beverly Hills. It's quiet, affordable, and under the radar with the best people." Nails: " Planet Nails . If it's good enough for Gwen Stefani, then it's good enough for me. Great location in West Hollywood with a friendly staff." Facial: " Shani Darden (she takes care of Jessica Alba, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley...my spirit animals) and Dr. Ourian (the only man I trust for Botox)." Wax: " Anastasia Beverly Hills Salon . There's no other place in my book." Destination spa: " Spa Montage in Beverly Hills. You feel like you're in Morocco or Turkey. It's the best place!" Gucci Westman New York City-based celebrity makeup artist Massage: " Shibui Spa at the Greenwich Hotel. I love the authentic, immediate tranquility you experience as soon as you enter the spa. And of course I'm in love with the incredible decor from 1800s Japan." Nails: " Jin Soon Hand & Foot Spa. I've been going since I moved to New York, and I quickly learned that Jin is the most gracious person, but also her salon has incredible treatments and is a real reprieve from the bustle of New York City. It feels like you could be somewhere else. I love the milk and the rose-petal pedicures. The first time I ever had anything so extravagant was at Jin's, and she really set the bar for everyone else." Facial: " Georgia Louise. I can't really endorse [her] enough. She is a true diamond. I would send absolutely anyone to her with utter confidence. Hands down, the best facial I've ever had! Her passion and talent are outstanding." Wax: " J Sisters . It's superfast and relatively painless." Destination spa: " Sandy Lane in Barbados. Best service and best overall hotel experience I've ever had. They always make you feel like a family member that's why everyone returns every year." Linda Wells Allure 's editor in chief Massage: " The Peninsula Spa at the Peninsula hotel in New York City. Every masseur is impeccable, and there's a post-massage room with beds! That you can lie on! Covered in eiderdown! While you listen to soothing music on headphones! I'd go there for that alone. In Los Angeles, Oleg Bouimer is so special. He makes house calls, so you can roll over and go to sleep afterward. The experience itself is both deeply deep working out knots of tension and deeply relaxing. It feels therapeutic, like meditation or a form of healing. In Paris, the new La Réserve Paris Hotel & Spa 's facials and massages are really superb, based on Swiss techniques and skin care." Nails: " Josephine Allen at Samuel Shriqui in New York City gives the fastest, longest-lasting manicure, and she mixes colors, layering them to work with your skin tone. Plus, she's a matchmaker among her clients, not romantically but by arranging friendships. I met one of my favorite people there. And one more thing: She's Essie (yes, that Essie) Weingarten's manicurist." Facial: "In New York City, Tracie Martyn makes you look ten years younger and like you don't need makeup. She has a ruby light bed that's energizing and relaxing at the same time, and it allegedly increases collagen production. In Los Angeles, Terri Lawton is really rare in her thoroughness. She transforms your skin and relaxes you, even releasing your jaw tension by putting a (gloved) finger in your mouth. She also places a humming vibrating disc that looks like one of Iron Man's apparatuses on your chest to relax you. It's difficult to describe and difficult to get an appointment. She's booked solid with celebs (Demi Moore) but so worth planning ahead." Spray tan: "I love Kristyn Pradas and Anna Stankiewicz . Kristyn trained under Anna, and both give a remarkably natural-looking tan. Both make house calls. Both subtly sculpt your body. Kristyn does the Victoria's Secret fashion show. Anna has a long list of major celeb clients. Both are discreet and lovely." Destination spa: " The Ranch at Live Oak in Malibu changes your life, but it's not for the unfit or pampered. Hikes last four-plus hours and are killer followed by three hours of yoga, TRX, and mat work. There's no meat, dairy, gluten, sugar, or caffeine allowed (and obviously no alcohol). And as torturous as it can be, I've never felt better in my life than at the end of my stay (at the halfway point, though, I wanted to shoot someone). On the other end of the spectrum is Golden Door in Escondido, California, a beautiful, relaxing retreat. Exercise is lighter but with loads of options and numerous different hikes and there's more emphasis on spirituality (they have a cool labyrinth). And the facilities, the hikes, the food stunning. This is a beautiful spa." Wendy Rowe London-based celebrity makeup artist Massage: " Patrice Hutton-Jones gives an amazing massage with the wonderful added extra of decluttering your mind." Nails: "I don't normally like polish on my toes, so I have a medical pedicure, which lasts for a really long time. Margaret Dabbs Foot Clinic and Nail Spa is the only place I go in London." Facial: "A facial with Isabelle Bellis in New York City really preps my skin for each season because it's about feeding the skin. Isabelle has a really amazing way about her, and she's superknowledgable. She uses Joëlle Ciocco products that I love. In fact, I go to Joëlle when I'm in Paris." Spray tan: " Perfect 10 in London is amazing because they can come to your house any time of day or night. I love this because once you've had a spray tan, you really don't want to be putting all your clothes back on." Destination spa: " Chiva-Som in Thailand is everything I love in a spa. Amazing yoga teachers, good treatments, incredible organic food, all in a tranquil environment." Tippi Shorter New York City-based celebrity hairstylist Massage: "I have a wonderful lady that comes to my house monthly and works on the whole family, but when I'm traveling, I try to find the closest Aveda spa (I'm hooked on their Active Composition oil ). Aveda spas are nationwide, so there's always one close when I travel." [Shorter is Aveda's global artistic director for textured hair.] Nails: "I have two fave nail places, one on each coast: Bed of Nails in Harlem and Marie Nails in Los Angeles." Facial: " Skin by Mamie in New York City has kept my skin together for almost ten years. I don't get to see her often because she is always booked. She specializes in beautiful brown skin, and I'm never red or blotchy after." Destination spa: " Sanctuary Spa at Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Arizona is an absolutely wonderful experience." Robin Black Los Angeles-based celebrity makeup artist Massage: "For a luxurious spa massage, the Hotel Bel-Air is a classic choice, and afterward, you can walk across the garden and have lunch at Wolfgang Puck's cafe. However, when I need serious bodywork, I call Jenny. Jenny is one of those insider secrets, a tiny lady with fingers made of steel (or possibly magic). She works out of the Sports & Spine Rehabilitation Center in Valley Village, about 20 minutes away from Central Los Angeles. It's not a luxury experience, but Jenny will literally change your life." Nails: "If you can catch them when they're not on location for a fashion shoot or red-carpet event, the artists of Nailing Hollywood take manicure to a whole other level." Facial: " Kerry Benjamin 's private studio in Santa Monica is my ultimate facial spot. In the past year she's completely transformed my skin through a series of her signature Stacked Skincare treatments. Kerry also turned me on to microneedling, the most effective at-home treatment that I've ever used." Destination spa: "For a quick weekend getaway, I head to Ventana in Big Sur for their amazing outdoor Japanese baths. Perfect for stargazing at night. Post Ranch Inn , also in Big Sur, has excellent spa treatments with the most spectacular views. Whenever I have a full week free, I jump on a plane and head to the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea. While I'm there, I always indulge in the Wai Vari (you get to float in the ocean while getting a massage!) and the Lomi Aumoa (a traditional Hawaiian lomilomi massage with four hands). And for my next spa vacation, I plan to visit the incredible Aro H? in New Zealand. It has incredible landscapes, a minimalist design, and a brilliant philosophy that makes it one of a kind." Sarah Gibson Tuttle owner of Olive & June in Los Angeles Facial: " Shani Darden . Every time I get a facial [with her], it's the best facial I have ever had. She can clear up any blemish in a heartbeat." Acupuncture: "Magie Song at Echo Park Community Acupuncture . Whenever I have an ailment, Magie works her magic and sets me straight." Nails: "I opened Olive & June so that my friends and I would have a pretty place to go for A-plus-plus service at a smart price." Destination spa: " Post Ranch Inn love the serenity of Big Sur and the foresty feel of the spa there. Plus, the massage is killer." Ashley Streicher (center) Los Angeles-based celebrity hairstylist Massage: "My favorite place for a massage is Tomoko Spa in Beverly Hills. It's a Japanese spa that's really beautiful and well done." Nails: " Tenoverten in New York City (their polishes are also available at Caudalie in Los Angeles). They are very efficient yet make you feel pampered, and they have absolutely the best polish choices." Facial: " Biba . She has her own private office in Beverly Hills. I love the fact that it's private and you don't have to worry about seeing anyone on your way out. She really cares about your skin and will go over and above to find out how to make your skin perfection. You can book online as well major plus." Destination spa: " Aire Ancient Baths in New York City. I just went over Fashion Week and was totally blown away. The facilities make you feel like you're in ancient Rome, and I had an amazing massage. They have a few other locations around the world that I would love to check out as well."
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lifestyle
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Ali Mohammed Nimr was 17 when he was arrested without warrant by police in 2012 for taking part in an "Arab Spring" protest against the Saudi government. The nephew of a prominent government critic, Nimr was held without charge for two years at a prison in Dammam in the kingdom's Eastern Province. Amnesty International charged in a report last month that he was tortured into confessing to taking part in the illegal protest, attacking security forces, possessing a machine gun and committing armed robbery. Now Saudi authorities reportedly plan to behead the young man and display his remains in public. The sentence has ignited an international uproar by human rights defenders and exposed the kingdom to fresh criticism that it violates the principles it pledged to uphold as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Nimr was sentenced to death by a special counter-terrorism court 17 months ago, and the judgment was upheld on appeal and confirmed by the Supreme Court this year without the defendant's knowledge or that of his lawyer, according to the London-based human rights legal foundation Reprieve. "Ali al-Nimr has been through the most horrifying ordeal at the hands of the Saudi government. He was arrested as a juvenile, tortured into a bogus 'confession,' put through a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to 'crucifixion,' in a blatant attempt to make an example of him," said Maya Foa, Reprieve's death penalty team chief. A second case of a juvenile offender facing execution in Saudi Arabia, Dawoud Marhoon, was reported by Reprieve on Tuesday. Also 17 at the time of his participation in prohibited pro-reform demonstrations, Marhoon reportedly confessed to capital crimes after being held in solitary confinement and prevented from consulting with an attorney, the rights group said. Nimr was allowed a visit by his family in late September and expressed hope of escaping execution. "I have faith and I live with hope," Reprieve quoted him as telling his family. "If things change [with my sentence], I will thank God. And if not, I lived happily with my hope." The sentence of death by beheading and what's been widely called the "crucifixion" of his headless remains in public can be carried out at any time unless King Salman intervenes, Reprieve noted. Saudi Arabia is among the world's most active imposers of capital punishment, having executed at least 134 people so far this year, human rights agencies who monitor the practice report. The executions are often carried out in public, with the gruesome results of beheadings and stonings displayed at the scene as a message to other would-be offenders. The kingdom's criminal justice system has come under fire by United Nations and independent rights advocates for failing to abide by international law and treaties, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child that prohibits death sentences or life without parole for those accused of crimes committed while they were younger than 18. Under hard-line sharia, or Islamic law, Saudi courts may impose the death penalty for murder, rape, false prophecy, blasphemy, witchcraft and sorcery, as well as actions against the kingdom considered to constitute treason or terrorism. Riyadh's judicial track record exposed it to bitter denunciation as unfit to sit on the U.N. Human Rights Council when it was appointed to the Geneva-based body in 2013. Saudi Arabia was elevated to chair of the influential appointments committee last month, prompting fresh outcries of hypocrisy and vote buying in the secretive election. "It is scandalous that the U.N. chose a country that has beheaded more people this year than ISIS [Islamic State] to be head of a key human rights panel," UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said after the Sept. 17 election of Saudi Ambassador Faisal Trad to head the office responsible for appointing investigators and special rapporteurs. "Petro-dollars and politics have trumped human rights." Neuer, whose nongovernmental watchdog group monitors U.N. agencies, said Saudi Arabia has "arguably the worst record in the world when it comes to religious freedom and women's rights." The kingdom's emergence as head of the committee that makes crucial appointments "underscores the credibility deficit of a human rights council that already counts Russia, Cuba, China, Qatar and Venezuela among its elected members." The anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks recently released diplomatic cables that purport to show Britain collaborated with Saudi Arabia when both were seeking appointment to the rights council in 2013. The U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial and arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns, and Benyam Mezmur, head of the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, were among a group of rights experts who jointly appealed to Saudi Arabia in late September to halt Nimr's execution and provide him a fair retrial. The group's letter cited the allegations of forced confession and mistreatment of a juvenile as "incompatible with Saudi Arabia's international obligations." "International law, accepted as binding by Saudi Arabia, provides that capital punishment may only be imposed following trials that comply with the most stringent requirements of fair trial and due process, or could otherwise be considered an arbitrary execution," the rights advocates wrote. There has been no official response from the Saudi government, nor from the official Saudi Press Agency.
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news
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A mysterious green tea drink likely caused a healthy teenage girl in the U.K. to develop an acute case of hepatitis, according to a new report of the girl's case. The 16-year-old told her doctors she ordered the tea online after hearing that it might help her lose weight. But after drinking three cups of the tea daily for three months, she began having health problems, including jaundice, according to the case report, published online Sept. 23 in the journal BMJ Case Reports . Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin, and is often a sign of liver problems. "I had only lost a couple of pounds, but then started having horrible pains in my joints, and felt very dizzy and sick," the girl said, writing in the "patient perspective" section of the case report. "I was very scared when I was admitted to hospital and had lots of tests, [and] I didn't fully understand what was going on at the time," she wrote. The girl told her doctors that she wasn't taking any over-the-counter medications, and tests showed that despite the inflammation in her liver, she didn't have any viral diseases, or problems with her immune system or metabolism, according to the report. However, the doctors took note when the girl mentioned her relatively new green-tea ( Camellia sinensis ) routine. Most of the ingredients listed on the tea's label were written in Chinese, so the girl wasn't sure what was in it, but her doctors advised her to stop drinking it. They also treated her with intravenous fluids and a medication called N-acetylcysteine, which is used to treat people with certain types of liver problems, including liver failure due to drugs or other toxic compounds. "After ceasing green tea consumption, there was a rapid and sustained recovery of her hepatitis," the doctors wrote in the report. At a checkup two months later, the girl's liver was functioning normally , the doctors reported. "I will never buy any online tea again or any weight loss pills," the girl wrote in the report. "People should be more aware of what they are buying, and the side effects." Green tea concerns The doctors didn't analyze the chemistry of the green tea, but they said in their report that it was the likely cause of the girl's acute hepatitis. In fact, this girl's case would be far from the first time green tea was found to cause liver damage. In a 2005 case report, doctors in France described how a person who wanted to lose weight and took a supplement called Exolise which is a dry extract of green tea that also contains caffeine ended up needing a liver transplant . In another report, a 63-year-old woman took capsules containing a concentrated green tea extract on the recommendation of her cancer support group. But she developed acute hepatitis after taking the capsules, the authors of the 2014 report said. Moreover, green tea is just one of many "natural remedies" that have been linked to liver problems. A 2008 Spanish study found 13 cases listed in the Spanish Liver Toxicity Registry between 1994 and 2006 that were related to taking herbal remedies or dietary supplements. These cases amount to 2 percent of all reports in the registry meaning that natural remedies led to more instances of liver damage than painkillers, anti-anxiety medications and antipsychotic drugs did, according to the researchers. But green tea drinkers shouldn't abandon the beverage, the researchers said. Drinking regular green tea as opposed to special teas that boast of helping weight loss, or tea-containing supplements is unlikely to cause liver damage. It's the "secondary or tertiary processed products, rather than the freshly made leaves, that have been described in previous case reports," the authors said. People should take a lesson from the case report, and say, "'I have to be careful of what I ingest and know what herbal products I'm taking, because some things can cause problems,'" said Dr. David Bernstein, the chief of hepatology at the North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System in New York, who wasn't involved in the case report. Normally, the liver breaks down toxic substances and converts them into harmless metabolites. But if those metabolites are toxic, "well, that's a real issue," Bernstein said.
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health
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10 Foods to Help You Burn Fat and Lose Weight It's safe to say that spending hours in the gym will only give you results if you practice clean eating. We spoke with Josh Axe , certified doctor of natural medicine, about eliminating fried and processed foods from the diet and incorporating more leafy greens and fruits. "While physical fitness is a major component of getting in shape, abs truly are made in the kitchen," Axe said. "Adding these good-for-you foods to your diet can transform your body into a fat-burning machine and even reap extra health benefits." Almond Butter This delicious, creamy nut butter is an ideal example of the perfect combination of protein and fat that will fill you up and keep you satisfied. A two-tablespoon serving of plain almond butter , with no added salt or sugar, clocks in at 196 calories, seven grams of protein, and about 18 grams of healthy fat. Pair your almond butter with a carbohydrate source such as whole wheat bread or a banana. Avocado Eating fat to lose weight? Welcome to the misunderstood world of the avocado . "Many people trying to slim down steer clear of the fruit yes, it's a fruit because avocados are high in fat," Axe said. "What they don't realize, however, is that avocados are actually fat fighters. They're full of monounsaturated fats and studies have shown that diets high in those healthy fats have been found to burn more calories, even during a state of rest." This means you can burn fat even when you're not at the gym . That's something most people can get behind. Axe recommends dipping veggies into guacamole , adding half an avocado to your breakfast smoothie, or even incorporating it into dessert, such as chocolate avocado mousse . Beet Juice "Train like an Olympic athlete and start chugging beet juice to whittle away pounds," Axe said. "Beets increase the amount of oxygen your blood carries to cells, while also reducing the amount of oxygen your muscles need to perform at their best. The result of all this additional oxygen? I means you'll get an all-natural boost in endurance and stamina to pump out that extra set of reps and up your gym game." Axe recommends drinking beet juice if you are looking to reset your cravings after a weekend of indulgences. " This special juice contains the antioxidant betalain , and it can help rid blood of toxins, heavy metals, waste, and potentially, excess pounds," he said. "Enjoy the benefits on a regular basis by drinking it between meals or adding it to your daily green juice ." Chia Seeds "The secret that makes chia seeds the number-one enemy of fat and flab is the amount of water they absorb up to 10 times their own weight," Axe told us. "This expansion prolongs hydration and improves nutrient absorption, meaning your body is able to extract more of the good stuff from the other foods you're eating without making any drastic diet changes. It's like eating a super vitamin with each meal." You may even be able to resist that afternoon cookie because chia's high fiber levels also help you feel fuller for longer periods of time. Axe recommends adding chia seeds to your salad , using them to thicken soups, or starting your day with coconut chia protein pancakes . Coconut Oil "We've been told to avoid deep-fried foods and to blot excess oil off our pizzas, so it seems counterintuitive that we can actually lower the number on the scale by consuming more oil," Axe said. "That's exactly the case when it comes to coconut oil and you can thank medium-chain fatty acids, or MCFAs, for that. These fatty acids are easy for your body to digest, not readily stored as fat, and are processed by the liver, so they're immediately converted to energy." What does this mean for your body fat? According to Axe, instead of the fat sticking to your hips, it burns off and takes plenty of extra pounds along with it. Green Tea Sipping on green tea hot or iced can help you lose weight naturally. Studies show that drinking green tea can boost your metabolism and increase the amount of calories you burn during rest and exercise. Kefir "Seventy-five percent of our immune system lives in the digestive system, with a constant battle being waged between good and bad bacteria," Axe said. "Eating probiotic-rich foods, such as kefir , means that good bacteria will win the war." So what does this showdown mean for your weight-loss goals? According to Axe, consuming kefir on the regular keeps cells happy and healthy and continually detoxes the body of toxins and ingredients that promote inflammation and weight gain. "A diet rich in probiotics helps regulate the systems in the body. This is a key factor in ensuring our metabolisms are running speedily and shedding pounds," Axe said. "Kefir is naturally creamy and is an excellent substitute for yogurt or sour cream. You can even use it in your gluten-free cauliflower macaroni and cheese ." MCT Oil "Medium-chain triglycerides doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but MCT oils are proving to be one of the most effective weight-loss aids available," Axe said. "Coconut oil contains high amounts of the oil, but more concentrated forms are growing in popularity." MCT oil is also found in foods with saturated fats , such as grass-fed butter, cheeses, and whole milk. "MCTs are easily digested and sent almost immediately to your liver, where it's burned as energy instead of being stored as fat," Axe said. "MCTs increase satiety, helping you put that fork down earlier than normal. They also speed up your metabolism, helping you burn more calories while doing the same activities." Axe recommends whisking it into homemade salad dressings or using it in place of coconut oil in baked goods. Quinoa Your body takes more time to break down whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, and millet. Replace your white rice with these whole grains and your body will work harder to break down the complex carbohydrates, which burns more calories and keeps you fuller longer. Wild-Caught Salmon "When it comes to burning fat , protein is your not-so-secret weapon," Axe said. "Filling up on this nutrient at every meal ensures that you stay fuller longer, thus decreasing cravings and causing your body to burn current fat stores. Additionally, adequate protein intake helps build and maintain lean muscle mass, so your body will turn to those pesky love handles for fuel instead of your hard-won biceps." If you are thinking about incorporating different types of protein, salmon is a great alternative to red meat and poultry and it's leaner and more nutrient-dense, too. "A three-ounce serving of wild salmon has half the fat and calories as a cheeseburger and seven grams more protein," Axe said. "Salmon is also chock-full of omega-3s , which reduce weight-loss sabotaging inflammation, regulate blood clotting, and help prevent heart disease and stroke." Axe recommends choosing the wild-caught varieties of salmon, which have more nutrients and are leaner than farm-raised brands.
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health
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2016 is a lifetime away for diehard "Game Of Thrones" fans, but there's a parody that might help hold you over. Unless you blocked out all of season 3, you know that the Red Wedding was a disaster to say the least. In this mockumentary Making A Scene mash-up, James Franco stars as Jon Snow, wedding planner to the stars, who reveals just what he was thinking as his carefully planned dream wedding unravels before his eyes. Also on HuffPost:
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entertainment
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Yum Brands cut its full-year profit forecast, citing a slower-than-expected recovery in its key market, China. Shares plummeted. Fred Katayama reports.
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finance
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No buts about it. Sam Bradford might be coming off his best performance of the season , but there's no doubt he's struggled overall in 2015. Bradford ranks 28th in completion percentage, tied for 25th in yards per attempt, and 27th overall in passer rating. In fairness to Bradford, his receivers haven't always helped him out. 14 of Bradford's passes have been dropped, which is tied for the most in the NFL. Still, the quarterback has struggled to throw with accuracy more often than not. So what's the issue? The answer: his butt. No, really. Bradford's butt isn't strong enough. At least, that's what one personal trainer thinks. The following was written by a personal trainer named Andrew Hurst. Hurst oversees The Wynnewood Fitness Station , which is where former NFL player and current football analyst Brian Baldinger trains. Hurst writers for Baldinger's website: Football Stories . Here's the article questioning Bradford's butt: #Eagles pic.twitter.com/LisX0pBVZ0 Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) October 7, 2015 In short, Hurst says Bradford's accuracy could improve if he added about 20 pounds of butt strength. I'd guess Bradford really hasn't had the chance to work on his butt in past years given the fact he's spent a lot of time recovering from two ACL injuries. Perhaps Bradford can work on his butt strength if he continues to stay healthy. Maybe Bradford's butt is what has kept him from being a franchise quarterback all along.
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sports
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BEIRUT, Lebanon Backed by Russian warplanes and ground-to-ground missiles, the Syrian army began a ground offensive Wednesday against rebel forces in northern Hama province, while the Kremlin said it had fired 26 cruise missiles on Syrian targets from naval vessels in the Caspian Sea. Although in its early stages, the coordinated assault reveals the outline of a new alliance between Syria and its main allies Hezbollah, Iran and Russia said an official with that alliance, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the parties had not detailed the coordination of military strategy. The offensive aims to retake areas gained in the spring by an insurgent coalition, the Army of Conquest, that threated the government-held coastal province of Latakia. That province is a crucial territory for the Syrian government, the official said, adding that it was the first time since those setbacks in the spring that the government's forces had moved "from defense to offense." It was clear the missile strike from warships, from a distance of more than 900 miles, was coordinated with the ground offensive, which was reported by antigovernment activists and insurgents around Hama, and by a television station operated by Hezbollah. Russian officials routinely describe its attacks as aimed at the Islamic State, or ISIS. However, there were no reports of large explosions in ISIS-held parts of Syria farther east making it less likely that the cruise missiles went there instead. The news of the missile attack came via a televised meeting between the Russian defense minister, Sergey K. Shoigu and the President Vladimir V. Putin. "That we fired from the territory of the Caspian Sea, at a range greater than 1,500 kilometers, and hit targets precisely, this shows high qualifications," Mr. Putin said, referring to naval crew members. Mr. Shoigu said that no civilians had been injured in the attack. The ground operation will eventually include new contingents of fighters from Hezbollah, a Shiite militia, as well as the current configuration of Syrian forces backed by Russians in the air, according to the official with the alliance. In addition, Iranian military advisers have long been active on the ground in Syria and would most likely be involved in such a crucial operation. Speaking in tones of new confidence and optimism, the official called the Russian intervention a game-changing development that put to rest any doubts about Russia's commitment to Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, who has managed to cling to power despite a civil war that is now in its fifth year. The ground offensive aims to push insurgents out first in northern Hama Province, where the attacks on Wednesday took place, later moving north into Idlib Province, according to the official and to diplomats and analysts in the region. Probable targets include Jabal al-Zawiya, a mountainous area that insurgents have held for years, and Jisr al-Shughour, a city in Idlib Province, which was captured by insurgents in March a military victory that was considered an ominous sign for the Syrian government. The Army of Conquest is an Islamist faction that includes the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, as well as more secular groups that often fight alongside it, including some that have received American aid. Russia has so far refused to make a distinction between the Army of Conquest and the Islamic State, labeling both groups as terrorists. Russian diplomats, a senior foreign ministry official said, have asked the United States to identify armed groups other than units of the Syrian Army that are fighting the Islamic State and that should be avoided in airstrikes, but the official said the Russians had not yet received an answer. "If there are some forces that also have weapons in their hands and are on the ground fighting, as the coalition says, with the Islamic State, and they should not be touched, then wonderful," the official said. "Give the list, give the call signs of these people. Tell us where are they located, explain why they shouldn't be touched. Indeed, this information is not provided." Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, when asked about the new Syrian ground offensive in coordination with Russian airstrikes, lamented "the Assad regime's use of violence against its own people." Mr. Carter added that "to the extent that Russia enables that, that's the fundamental reason we believe Russia is making a mistake in their actions in Syria." He took issue with what he said were suggestions in the news media that the United States was cooperating with Russia on Syria, He said that the only exchanges that the Pentagon and the Russian military could have on Syria at the moment were technical discussions on how to steer clear of each other's way in the skies above the country called "deconfliction" talks. "What we will do is continue basic technical discussions on safety procedures for our pilots over Syria," Mr. Carter said, while appearing at a news conference in Rome with Roberta Pinotti, the defense minister of Italy. "That's it." NATO has repeatedly warned Russia so far, to little effect that its military intervention will only worsen the situation on the ground. NATO Officials did not have an immediate response to the cruise missile deployment on Wednesday, but pointed to earlier remarks by its secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg. "I can confirm that we have seen a substantial buildup of Russian forces in Syria," Mr. Stoltenberg said at a news conference on Monday. "Air forces, air defenses, but also then ground troops in connection with the air base they have." He continued, "We also see increased naval presence of Russian ships, naval capabilities outside Syria or the eastern part of the Mediterranean."
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news
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A pane of glass shattered on a see-through walkway wrapping around a 3,540-foot-high cliff face, causing thrill-seeking Chinese tourists to scream in terror. Officials insisted the visitors on the platform were in no danger when the glass cracked on Monday, apparently due to someone dropping a stainless steel mug, according to the People's Daily Online. A spokesman at Yuntai Mountain Scenic Spot said only one out of the three layers of glass broke. Maybe so, but according to the Daily Mail, a tourist who's known by her internet screen name "lidonghaishuohezainihaowodehai" gave an account on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, that would freeze any acrophobe's blood: "[I've] just witnessed history. The glass-bottomed walkway on Yuntai Mountain just cracked. When I was about to reach the end [of the passage], I heard a sudden bang and felt a shake under my feet. "I looked down and saw the glass floor beneath me shattered. [I have] no idea why it happened, at that moment everybody was screaming. "I yelled out loud 'It cracked, it really cracked!', then pushed the people in front of me to leave. [I was] terrified." The 20-year-old's message has since been deleted. Yuntai Mountain Scenic Spot evacuated the U-shaped platform and has since closed the attraction until further notice. It has only been open since Sept. 20. According to a press release, 223 feet out of the 853-foot-long platform is paved with three layers of one-inch-thick glass panes, which can bear the weight of at least 1,764 pounds (800 kilograms). Some 532 million people are traveling this week during China's week-long National Day holiday.
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travel
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FNC's Carley Shimkus, Gavin McInnes of 'The Gavin McInnes Show' and National Review Writer Charles Cooke on a study suggesting a person's 20s are the happiest years of their life and the dark side of digital.
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finance
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Volkswagen's US boss has admitted he was aware early last year of the emissions cheating affecting millions of the company's vehicles. Michael Horn said he was told about a "possible emissions non-compliance" in the spring of 2014. The revelation was made in testimony due to be presented to a House committee investigating the scandal on Thursday. He said he was told after a study by West Virginia University was published. "I was informed that EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] regulations included various penalties for non-compliance with the emissions standards and that the agencies can conduct engineering tests which could include 'defeat device' testing or analysis," he said. "I was also informed that the company engineers would work with the agencies to resolve the issue." Mr Horn said in the written evidence it was not until 3 September this year that Volkswagen told US authorities about the "defeat device" in emissions software in diesel vehicles for the model years 2009 to 2015. 'Deeply troubling' The software allowed a vehicle to recognise whether it was being driven on the road or running in a test laboratory, and turn engine emissions controls on or off. Mr Horn said the events had been "deeply troubling", adding: "I did not think that something like this was possible at the Volkswagen Group. "We have broken the trust of our customers, dealerships, and employees, as well as the public and regulators." He said the company took full responsibility for its actions and was co-operating with all relevant authorities. "Responsible parties will be identified and held accountable," Mr Horn said. As well as striving to rebuild the company's reputation, the priority was finding remedies for the three groups of vehicles affected, he said. The executive will give evidence to the House Energy committee and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations before being questioned by the politicians about the scandal, which affects half a million cars in the US. New chairman The company on Wednesday appointed former finance chief Hans Dieter Poetsch as its new chairman, following a board meeting to discuss the emissions scandal. Mr Poetsch said it would be "some time" before the car maker could uncover the details of the emissions test cheating.
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finance
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Love the look of stone but turned off by some of its less-than-desirable qualities? Concrete countertops might be the answer. From a literally endless array of colors and designs, to the ability to pour it right there in your kitchen, concrete offers a versatility that leaves stone countertops in the dust. If you're on the fence about concrete and the benefits of using it in your kitchen, here are a few good reasons why it makes sense to opt for this tried-and true contertop idea. Concrete is conducive to DIY The very nature of stone countertops requires professional installation. That's because one wrong move could mean a disastrous placement, and that could ruin all the hard work that went into cutting and shaping the stone. Concrete countertops are much more forgiving, and that allows a handy homeowner to install the countertops on their own. However, keep in mind that concrete is still quite heavy and can be fragile during shipment and installation. It is definitely not a material you should work with on your own unless you have handled it in the past with good results. If you are ever in doubt about your skills, or feel as though you have gotten in over your head, call a contractor to help you install the countertops. Concrete can be poured in place Ask any contractor about the weight of a stone countertop, and you just might hear a groan. They are extremely heavy, must be cut off-site to fit your particular kitchen layout, and often demand special tools and lifts to move them around. Concrete countertops can be quite heavy and unwieldy as well, but that's only if they are created off-site. If you want to create the countertops on-site, right there on top of your cabinets, you can -- with ready-made forms, the concrete can be poured right there in your kitchen if you're DIY-ing it. If you're working with a contractor, it's more common for the counters to be poured upside down and then flipped over to be installed. Whether you do it yourself or hire someone to handle it, being able to oversee the job from start to finish provides great peace of mind for the discerning homeowner. Concrete colors and options are endless Concrete countertops offer a staggering array of colors, as well as more exotic options, such as embedded pebbles or glass, just to name a few. Though stone countertops are undeniably beautiful, their versatility doesn't go very far. On the other hand, concrete is so versatile that a skilled contractor could create a countertop that looks just like stone if you love that look but find the cost of stone prohibitive. Same goes for marble -- get the look you love without the costs. If you like the look of concrete itself, but don't love grey, you can get the counters stained in almost any color imaginable -- so if you've been dreaming of sky blue or chocolate brown counters, consider that wish granted. You also have the option of adding in unique features, such as trivets and tilted drain boards, as well as a seamless sink. If you have an eye for aesthetics and are looking for a unique design, concrete might be your new best friend. Concrete is immensely durable When concrete is poured and cured properly, it can be quite durable, even in the busiest of kitchens. The key lies in sealing the concrete properly a few times each year. The sealing process is very important, as concrete is a rather porous material that can stain easily if there is not a buffer between liquids and the surface. Concrete that has been properly prepared and maintained is also very resistant to cracking and chipping. If concrete does happen to chip, it can be easily repaired in place by a qualified professional. Stone countertops, on the other hand, can't be repaired -- they must be completely replaced if they become cracked or heavily chipped. Concrete might be more affordable Concrete countertops might have less of an impact on your bottom line than stone, but keep in mind that this depends on a couple factors: concrete that is pre-formed and shipped often costs more than concrete that is poured in place; and specialized design features and color matching might also drive up the cost. Most homeowners, however, will find that concrete countertops and installation will run between $65 and $135 per square foot. Stone can be a comparable price, but it depends on the size of the slab chosen, and of course, where it was quarried. Stone from a local quarry can be much more affordable than countertops that were cut and shaped in far-flung locations. In most cases, the cost of stone countertops ranges from $100 to $200 per square foot. Tips for finding the right concrete countertops When you start your search for the best concrete countertops, make sure to find the right kind of professional . Traditional concrete companies, those that typically pour concrete for floors and other building applications, might not be the best bet for the more precise and careful work that a countertop requires. Look for companies that have done plenty of concrete countertops in the past and ask to see samples of their work. Pay close attention to the reviews others have left online for the fabricators, and ensure that they have been in business long enough to know what they are doing. A little research now can lead to durable, affordable, and handsome countertops that you will be happy to show off for many years to come.
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lifestyle
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Repeating information aloud can boost your verbal memory, finds a new study published in Consciousness and Cognition. The study was led by Victor Boucher, a professor in the University of Montreal's linguistics and translation department. Boucher said in a press release that he and his team knew repeating aloud was good for memory; however, they did not know if repetition was beneficial in the context of communication. The results of the study found that repeating aloud "is greater in terms of information recall." Boucher and his team asked 44 French-speaking students to read a series of lexemes, defined as "a word such as it is found in a dictionary." Students wore headphones that emitted white noise in order to eliminate auditory feedback; basically, they couldn't hear their own voices. There were four different experiments involving lexemes repeating in their head, repeating silently while moving their lips, repeating aloud while looking at the screen, and repeating aloud while addressing someone else before students were given a distraction task. It was after the distraction task that students were asked to pick out the lexemes they repeated from a list that also included lexemes they did not repeat. The results revealed that students had greater memory recall when addressing another person, even though they weren't getting any auditory feedback. That last part is a big deal because when when we articulate sounds, we create a sensory and motor reference in our brain , Boucher explained. We move our mouth and feel our vocal chords vibrate, and "producing one or more sensory aspects allows for more efficient recall of the verbal element." "The simple fact of articulating without making a sound creates a sensorimotor link that increases our ability to remember, but if it is related to the functionality of speech, we remember even more," Boucher added. He continued: "But the added effect of talking to someone shows that in addition to the sensorimotor aspects related to verbal expression, the brain refers to the multisensory information associated with the communication episode," Boucher explained. "The result is that the information is better retained in memory." Source: Lafleur A, Boucher VJ. The ecology of self-monitoring effects on memory of verbal productions: Does speaking to someone make a difference? Consciousness and Cognition. 2015.
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health
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US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has come out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement championed by Barack Obama. The landmark trade deal involves 12 countries along the Pacific rim, including the US, Australia and Japan. In an interview Mrs Clinton said the agreement left many "unanswered questions" and did not met the "high bar" she had set. "I am not in favour of what I have learned about it," she told PBS. The former Secretary of State joins rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley, in opposing the agreement. The deal took five years to negotiate and covers 40% of the global economy. Analysis: Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter InsertBodyImagePlaceHolder_1 Hillary Clinton's move to come out against the TPP - with some qualifications - less than a week out from the first Democratic debate will instantly be viewed in the context of Democratic presidential politics. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders - who has repeatedly condemned the trade agreement as harming US workers and threatening the environment - is offering a surprisingly strong challenge to Mrs Clinton from the populist left. He was likely to bring the topic up during the debate and use it against the former Secretary of State, who once called the agreement the "gold standard" for trade negotiations. By backing away from the TPP, Mrs Clinton could also be anticipating the arrival of another, more formidable opponent for the Democratic nomination: Joe Biden. The vice-president has made increasingly clear moves toward a presidential bid, and given his current job it would be extremely difficult for him to oppose a key piece of his boss's presidential legacy. Mr Biden's campaign would be likely to rely heavily on working-class, union support - a segment of the Democratic electorate that is firmly opposed to new trade deals. Mrs Clinton could be digging her trenches now, before the battle commences. In an interview on Wednesday, Mrs Clinton said she would only support a trade bill that helped American workers. "I have said from the very beginning that we had to have a trade agreement that would create good American jobs, raise wages and advance our national security and I still believe that is the high bar we have to meet," she said. President Obama, for whom the deal would be a prime economic achievement of his second term, said the deal would level the global playing field for US workers. "[The deal] includes the strongest commitments on labour and the environment of any trade agreement in history," he said after the agreement was reached. Meanwhile, Mrs Clinton also plans to propose a tax on high-frequency trading, her campaign said. The tax would target securities transactions with excessive levels of order cancellations that can destabilise the markets, a campaign aide said.
| 3 | 91,543 |
finance
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Sony could soon give up its rights to some of music's most famous tunes. The company may sell its half of Sony/ATV Music Publishing to the Michael Jackson estate, the catalog's co-owner, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, citing sources. The newspaper reports that Sony recently exercised a contract clause that allows one party to buy out the other. The late "King of Pop" and Sony had each held a 50 percent stake in the company since 1995. Sony/ATV, the world's biggest music publishing company, owns copyrights for songs by artists ranging from the Beatles to Marvin Gaye and Taylor Swift. Publishers like Sony/ATV hold rights to lyrics and melodies and can license them out. The company's estimated value is about $2 billion, according to the Journal. Sony declined to comment on the report to CNBC. Read the full Wall Street Journal report here.
| 3 | 91,544 |
finance
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Wholly malleable yet still a sturdy project material, concrete mix has proven its worth outside of just lawn and garden projects . The versatile supply has come en vogue for many in the interior design world, achieving the trendy industrial-modern quality in a large range of household wares on a seriously small budget. It only takes a bag of mix and a small supply of recycled cardboard to realize just about any shape, from unique pendant lighting to a custom concrete vanity. Given its weight and finish, we fashioned the concrete into a set of DIY geometric bookends functional art for any set of shelves. The key to achieving those diamond facets is in the molding. Read on for how construct your own. TOOLS AND MATERIALS - Cardboard- Pencil- Ruler- Scissors- Packaging tape- Masking tape- 2 plastic buckets- Dried beans- Concrete (2.5 pounds for each shape)- Spoon or trowel- Sandpaper STEP 1 To make the faceted diamond shape, you'll want to piece together enough cardboard to make your mold. Check the recycling bin! An old shoebox , for example, will work perfectly.It all begins with a basic two-dimensional diamond. Start by drawing a cross on your cardboard; the vertical line should measure 10 inches long crossed at the exact middle by a shorter, horizontal 4-inch line. Connect the four ends with lines to form a diamond shape, and cut it out of your cardboard. Then, measure 3 inches from one end, draw a straight line across, and cut off the end. Repeat four more times to create five identical pentagons. STEP 2 Protect your five cardboard shapes against the moisture of the wet concrete mix by completely covering one side of each with a clear plastic packing tape. STEP 3 Turn all cardboard so that the side with clear tape is face-down. Lay each piece side by side in the shape of a fanned peacock tail, and tape along the seams. Now fold and crease the short end of each pentagon, right where you initially drew the 4-inch line; the taped side should fold in on itself. STEP 4 Lift the fan, crease it along the seams, and curl it so that the surface coated with tape makes up the inside of the mold. Tape the two long sides together to complete the faceted cone, and proceed to tape around the top to connect the shorter facets together. Don't hesitate to reinforce your cardboard mold with even more tape along the outside you'll want the shape to be as strong as possible so it's ready to hold the setting concrete. Repeat steps 1 through 4 to create another mold for a second bookend. STEP 5 Now, grab your buckets. Fill one that's slightly larger than your cardboard diamond mold part-way with dry beans. Stand the mold inside (with the point down and the opening facing out the top), then continue to fill around it so that it doesn't topple.In the second bucket, use a spoon or trowel to mix up the concrete ; follow the packaging's instructions on ratio of water to mix carefully. Continue blending until you have a smooth mixture, then use your stirring utensil to help pour the concrete into your mold. STEP 6 Let the concrete dry completely it should take approximately two days before peeling away the cardboard. When in doubt, check your mix's instructions regarding dry time. STEP 7 Once your bookend is unwrapped, leave it to dry and cure for two more days. After those 48 hours pass, you can sand the piece to smooth out any small imperfections.Remove leftover dust with a soft bristled brush and rinse the concrete diamond under clear water before setting it out on your bookshelves. Depending on the facet that lays flat, you can stand it tall or on one of its sides at the end of a row of books. However you position it, take pride in your new artful bookends they're just another reason to give pause at your bookshelves.
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lifestyle
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Eyewear swag to the max!
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video
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St. John's head coach Chris Mullin added to his coaching staff on Tuesday, announcing the hire of former teammate Mitch Richmond as a special assistant. The two Hall of Fame players, along with Tim Hardaway, made up Run TMC, the up-tempo, run-and-gun style offense the Golden State Warriors played from 1989-91 under coach Don Nelson. Richmond joins a staff that includes associate head coach Barry 'Slice' Rohrssen and assistant Matt Abdelmassih, both heralded recruiters. Greg St. Jean, who worked with Mullin with the Sacramento Kings, was named the third assistant coach. "Mitch is committed to helping us build this program and develop an environment for sustained success at St. John's," Mullin said in a statement . "He has tremendous basketball insight, a vision for the game and a passion to share his knowledge. Obviously, his experience in different roles throughout his career as a player, scout and mentor will have an impact in many areas." Hardaway was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall in 2014. Mullin was inducted in 2010 as part of the 1992 Dream Team and again the following year as a player. St. John's begins the 2015-16 season on Nov. 13 against Wagner at Carnesecca Arena.
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sports
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I was 14 when I fell in love for the first time. We met on a warm Friday in May, shortly before our freshman year of high school ended, and by August, our parents were already warning us not to get too serious. Without the adult responsibilities of bills and jobs, all we had to focus on was each other. And we really, really did. We snuck out at night, laid underneath the stars, danced in the street, were each other's firsts for almost everything, and promised each other one chilly September night to never fall out of love. "It will always be you, kid," he said. It was as if we were in on a secret that the entire world was naive to. We talked about getting married, thought seriously about finding a way to do it without our parents' permission, and mapped out our dreams for the future. He wanted to be a lawyer, me a writer. And while we knew we had not yet really entered the world, we relied on each other enough to want to tackle it together. I felt invincible, because I had found my closest, truest friend. Of course, we broke up. We broke up several times. We fought about nothing and everything. But during our senior year, a few weeks after my 17th birthday, we broke up for the last time. And while we never got back together after high school, we followed each other to the same college. The next four years were a blur. Being around each other without really being in each other's lives caused me more pain than I had ever known. My friends all offered the same advice, insisting that I just needed to give it time. But for me, time only made things worse. And while I was surrounded by so many people, I had never felt more alone. I knew I had to figure out how to move on on my own, I just had no idea where to start. Here's what I learned. 1. Sometimes time doesn't heal all wounds. Despite what everyone told me, there was no special formula I could follow to get over him. Time just meant our past kept moving further away from me, alcohol made me emotional, and new relationships made me feel even more empty than I was before. After a few years, I even wept over the realization that the memory of the sound of his voice was beginning to fade. Instead of healing me like it was supposed to, time kept betraying me with every new day. 2. You eventually have to forgive yourself. After we broke up, I punished myself because I thought I deserved to be hurt. I gave pieces of myself away to people who didn't deserve them and was reckless with my life because I stopped caring. I resented who I was, had no idea who I wanted to be, and buried myself under terrible things because of it. After four years of destruction, I knew I couldn't do it anymore. And as hard as it was, I started to forgive myself for the mistakes I made as a teenager. The person I was then wasn't there anymore, and I had to start acting like it. 3. Be alone. A lot. I was born with an independent soul, but being on my own after my first heartbreak was more difficult than I had anticipated. It took me a really long time to realize that I had to stop searching for answers. Instead of trying to fill the void, I forced myself to feel every inch of it. I felt comfortable not having anyone to call at night and started to enjoy the silence in between my thoughts. 4. Sometimes running away from your problems really is the answer. We went to college 20 minutes from where we grew up, so by the time we graduated, I couldn't stand the sight of the city anymore. Everywhere I went was stained with memories and when I started to google things like "how do I survive this," I knew I needed to get out. Less than three months later, I packed up and moved to Ireland. I had studied abroad there in college and for some strange reason, Ireland felt like home to me. I knew next to no one when I moved back, but the second I stepped off that plane, my sadness suddenly lifted. I fell in love . . . with the people, the places, new friends, and most importantly, myself. I saw beautiful places not to share them with anyone else, but to make my own memories. And instead of wishing for happiness, I started insisting upon it. I brought myself back to life, and I will always be proud of that. 5. It may never completely leave you. I've been in love twice in my life, once with him and once now, with the Irishman I met five years ago. And while I constantly question how I lucked into the life I have now, with the man I have now, there will always be a small corner of my heart that will remain closed. The corner that I sometimes still can't believe is standing after what it went through. The corner that still stings at the thought of what once was and what could have been. The corner that I know would surely shake if I were to ever see him again. But it's there, and I'm here, living out the dreams we had talked about accomplishing together. And while getting over him was the hardest thing I've ever done, when my future daughter asks me about the great, big, life-changing love of my life, I'll point to the Irishman across the room and say, "He's right there."
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lifestyle
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They inspired Darwin's Theory of Evolution, now the animals of the Galapagos Islands are being threatened.
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As medical charity MSF demands an international probe into a deadly US air strike on a hospital and closes its zone hospital in Kunduz, locals complain that Kunduz now lacks essential medical support.
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Wall Street is getting increasingly nervous about the prospects for recession, both on a global and domestic level. Slowing global growth has been one of the predominant investing themes in 2015, causing enough turmoil to send both the S&P 500 (.SPX) and the MSCI World Index (.WORLD) down about 4 percent. The $73.5 trillion global economy is expected to grow 3.1 percent in 2015 and 3.6 percent in 2016, according to the latest International Monetary Fund projections . Those numbers, though, are heading lower and could be revised even more before all is said and done. Citigroup economist Willem Buiter looks at the world landscape and sees an economy performing substantially below potential output, which he uses as the general benchmark for the idea of a global recession. With that in mind, he said the chances of a global recession in 2016 are growing. "We think that the evidence suggests that the global output gap is negative and that the global economy is currently growing at a rate below global potential growth. The (negative) output gap is therefore widening," Buiter said in a note to clients. He added, "from an output gap that was probably quite close to zero fairly recently, continued sub-par global growth is likely to put the global economy back into recession, if indeed the world ever fully emerged of the recession caused by the global financial crisis." Recessions aren't necessarily a bad things for investors. In the 12 recessions after World War II, the S&P 500 has gone up six times afterwards and down the other six times. The average has been a decline of 3.1 percent, followed by a 12.9 percent increase six months out and 15.3 percent gain a year after, according to figures from Sam Stovall, U.S. equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ. Economists look at global recessions a bit different than national ones. Though there is no strict definition of the word, a country is generally thought to be in "recession" if it registers consecutive quarters of negative growth. On a global scale, though, the standard is different. Absolute growth less than 3 percent, or GDP adjusted for market exchange rates below 2 percent, is generally good enough to call a recession. By either measure, the world is teetering on the line, with 2015 adjusted growth pegged at 2.5 percent and 2016 at 3 percent. Closer to home, the prospects for recession seem low, though worries have increased in recent days. Liz Ann Sonders, the often-bullish chief investment strategist at Charles Schwab, generated some talk on Wall Street this week when she announced that the firm, which manages $2.46 trillion for clients, has turned neutral on stocks. Her worries are twofold, and both involve recessions: One, the much-discussed potential for an earnings recession, the other a "relatively low" chance for an outright economic recession that she nonetheless believes should be considered. Corporate earnings on the S&P 500 are expected to decline just over 5 percent in the third quarter, according to estimates from both FactSet and S&P Capital IQ Estimize puts the decline closer to 2.2 percent and projections for the fourth quarter are coming down at a steady clip as well. Where at one point the final three-month period was expected to show 12 percent earnings growth, the estimate now is for a nearly 1 percent drop. Full-year earnings growth is now projected to be -0.75 percent, according to S&P Capital IQ. On balance, Sonders believes employment and income growth are "still relatively healthy" despite the dismal September nonfarm payrolls report showing just 142,000 new jobs for the month and flat salaries. She also points to strength in housing, car sales and construction spending. However, weakness in earnings and profit margins, widening credit spreads and slowing global trade remain significant headwinds, she said. "We believe an economic recession remains unlikely near-term, but we are on watch," Sonders said in a note. "We are maintaining our more cautious 'neutral' rating on US equities, which means investors should not take any additional risk above and beyond their long-term allocation to equities."
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finance
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A debate team from a New York maximum-security prison recently claimed victory over a team from Harvard University.
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They say being a mom is one of the greatest experiences a person can have. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the scariest. These moms were in for a fright when their families pulled some scary pranks on them.
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TampaBayLightning.com's Michelle Gingras checks in from Lightning practice where Tampa Bay Rays pitchers Matt Moore and Jake Odorizzi joined in before Thursday's season opener.
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GOLF's Rob Sauerhaft breaks down Titleist's new H16 H1 and H2 hybrids.
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Philadelphia authorities are searching for a suspect or suspects wanted for the murder of 22-year-old Keisha Jenkins, a transgender woman who was assaulted and killed on Tuesday. Police arrived on the scene near Hunting Park just after 2:30 a.m., responding to a call about a robbery in progress and possible shooting. Officers found Jenkins had been shot repeatedly in the back. Emergency responders at Einstein Hospital pronounced Jenkins dead. A motive for the murder is unknown, though activists believe that Jenkins was a transgender woman played a role in the violent attack. Advocates are drawing attention to her unfortunate and untimely death online through the hashtag #SayHerName. "We do not know at this time if this murder is potentially a hate crime; the investigation is active and ongoing with the homicide unit," the police department said in a statement. Jenkins is at least the 20th transgender woman and the 18th transgender person of color to be murdered in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. A $20,000 award is being offered for information which leads to an arrest and conviction in the case.
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The Big 12 does not have a conference championship game. It sure looks there is one on the schedule on the night after Thanksgiving. That night, TCU will host Baylor in a clash of the defending Big 12 co-champions. So far, no other Big 12 team has played as well as the second-ranked Horned Frogs or the third-ranked Bears or indicated it might be able to crash the already sold-out party set for Black Friday in Fort Worth. Baylor (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) , which won the Big 12 outright in 2013 before sharing the title last year, again has the nation's top offense and is scoring the most points. The Bears have scored at least 56 points in every game so far, all against teams from Texas. Despite an injury-plagued defense that has used 14 first-time starters, the Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0) have their own high-powered offense and their 13-game winning streak is second only to top-ranked and defending national champion Ohio State's 18 in a row. TCU has scored at least 50 points in the past four games, the last 50-7 over woeful Texas last weekend. Nearly halfway through the season, here are the title contenders in the Big 12, the only of the five power leagues with a round-robin schedule and no title game: TCU: With Heisman hopeful quarterback Trevone Boykin and highlight-reel receiver Josh Doctson, TCU hasn't lost since the wild 61-58 setback at Baylor a year ago this Sunday. Coach Gary Patterson has called this the most important stretch of the season, three road games in four weeks before an open date Oct. 24. The home game vs. Baylor is their regular-season finale. BAYLOR: The Bears are more than six-touchdown favorites Saturday at Kansas before playing three of their next four games at home, where their 18-game winning streak is the longest among FBS teams. Baylor is the only FBS team to rank in the top-10 nationally in passing (369 yards per game) and rushing (377 yards per game). The Bears will have one more game after TCU, but that will be at home against Texas. No. 10 OKLAHOMA (4-0, 1-0): If the Sooners take care of business until mid-November, they will have full control of whether they win their eighth Big 12 title - and first in three seasons to end their longest championship drought under coach Bob Stoops. Oklahoma finishes the regular season against Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma State. No. 21 OKLAHOMA ST. (5-0, 2-0): Like their Bedlam rivals, the Cowboys can have a very significant impact on the top of the Big 12 standings late in the season. Their only venture away from home in November is a trip to Iowa State, while TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma all have to go to Stillwater. WEST VIRGINIA (3-1, 0-1): Maybe no team got a tougher draw than the Mountaineers, who opened conference play last week with a 20-point loss at Oklahoma, and will finish October with consecutive road games against Baylor and TCU. KANSAS STATE (3-1, 0-1): Kansas State has a good enough defense to hang with the Bears and Frogs, but their offense has been abysmal even when it's been healthy. But now that quarterback Joe Hubener is banged up - the Wildcats had to resort to wide receiver Kody Cook, their emergency fifth QB, against Oklahoma State - things are looking dire in Manhattan with TCU coming Saturday night. COUNT THEM OUT: Texas Tech lost its first two Big 12 games, to TCU and Baylor. The conference opener at home was a heartbreaker, with TCU winning 55-52 after running back Aaron Green's diving catch of a deflected fourth-down pass in the back of the end zone with 23 seconds left. ... Texas (1-4), coming off that embarrassing performance at TCU, is off to its worst start since 1956. ... Iowa State (2-2, 1-0) is in the upper half of the Big 12 standings right now after going winless in league play last season. But the Cyclones play TCU and Baylor in consecutive weeks later this month. ... As for Kansas (0-4, 0-1), first-year coach David Beaty's crew follows Baylor this weekend with Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and a homecoming game against the Sooners before trips to Texas and TCU. AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report. --- Online: AP college football site: http://collegefootball.ap.org
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Bristol Palin is rocking that pregnancy glow! Now that the end of her pregnancy is in sight Bristol is gearing up for the delivery of her second child, but she's not letting fatigue wear her down. Sarah Palin's daughter shared a picture with son Tripp and another boy on Instagram Tuesday, updating her followers on the status of her baby bump. She captioned "#7monthspregnant but still the best time with my boys.
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With news breaking that FIFA has handed Sepp Blatter a 90-day suspension, Rob Stone and Alexi Lalas agree it's time for the disgraced president to step aside.
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The catastrophic flooding in the greater Columbia area has forced South Carolina to move its game versus LSU to Baton Rouge. Although it will technically be a home game for the Gamecocks, it will be played in front of an LSU crowd in Tiger Stadium. #LSU band is learning South Carolina Gamecocks' alma matter + fight song, plans to incorporate in pregame, per Roy M King. @WAFB Jacques Doucet (@JacquesDoucet) October 7, 2015 With the lack of a home-field advantage, the LSU marching band is doing everything it can to establish this feel for Steve Spurrier's team. All ticket sale proceeds for LSU-South Carolina game, minus expenses for hosting game, will be given to South Carolina Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) October 7, 2015 'The Golden Band from Tigerland' will learn the South Carolina alma mater and fight song. These will be played during the pregame festivities within the stadium. In addition, all proceeds from ticket sales will be sent to South Carolina. LSU's @broussardbrian : We will refund all our fans who purchased tickets to the South Carolina game in Columbia. LSU Football (@LSUfball) October 7, 2015 While LSU is treating this contest as a home game for South Carolina, there are a few noteworthy specifics pertaining to the game. Alleva: Now planning to shutter east and south upper decks for the game unless demand indicates otherwise. "I hope our fans turn out." #LSU Scott Rabalais (@RabalaisAdv) October 7, 2015 The field will not be painted with South Carolina colors, in large part to LSU's game the following week at home versus Florida. With the shortage of USC fans expected at the game, the East and South upper decks have been shut down. LSU also plans on making a separate contribution to South Carolina for the floor relief efforts. "And at the end of the day, we'll make a contribution to South Carolina for flood relief," Alleva said. Glenn Guilbeau (@LSUBeatTweet) October 7, 2015
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STAMFORD The FCIAC girls soccer playoffs should be this entertaining. The St. Joseph High school girls soccer team kept its crusade for an undefeated season percolating Wednesday, earning a hard-fought 4-3 road triumph over Westhill. St. Joseph's record improved to 9-0 overall and 9-0 in the FCIAC. St. Joseph posted the victory despite missing reigning Hearst Connecticut Media Girls Soccer MVP Jenna Bike, who is spending a week with the United States Girls Soccer National Team. "It was a quality win against a quality opponent," St. Joseph veteran coach Jack Nogueira said. "Jenna (Bike) should be finished with the National Team by Saturday. Westhill is such a dangerous team and they defended us well. I'm happy we won but allowing them three goals gives us something to work on." It was a soccer game disguised as a track meet as both offenses kept the goalies St. Joseph sophomore Veronica O'Rourke (10 saves) and Westhill junior Emily Pritchard (17 saves) incredibly busy on the sunny afternoon. St. Joseph scored first when Lindsey Savko netted the first of her two goals off a set piece pass from Marissa Grasso with 24:57 left in the first half. Westhill (7-3, 7-3) answered when Cassie Herrera headed in a free kick by Francesca McDonald with 18:55 left in the first half for 1-1. Then Westhill's dynamic forward Chelsea Domond tallied on a breathtaking solo run with 17:15 to go for 2-1. One of St. Joseph's top defenders sophomore Maia Moscova was on the sideline for both goals after getting hit in the face with the ball from point blank range with 21:23 left before intermission. Moscova returned after being checked by the trainer with 13:12 left before halftime. St. Joseph forged a 2-2 intermission tie when Leah Lewis headed in another superb free kick by Grasso 8:43 before halftime. St. Joseph's offense became more determined and possession-oriented in the second half. Westhill's defense junior sweeper Natalie Druehl, sophomore Casey Watson, McDonald, Herrera and Erica Shaulsen bent and finally broke with 20:38 left to play. Jessica Mazo gave the Cadets a 3-2 edge, tallying on a quick counter attack off a pass from Sophia Smith. Savko scored her second goal with 4:34 remaining for 4-2, taking advantage of Westhill playing up in search of a tying goal. St. Joseph's defensive philosophy against Domond was to have seemingly the entire roster blanket her every move. Still Domond broke free of the seemingly endless stream of defenders and double teams, scoring with 4:09 left for 4-3. The final minutes were frenzied, but Westhill was never able to generate a solid scoring chance that could have netted the equalizer. "Chelsea Domond was tremendous. This week has been like a double-edged sword playing without Jenna Bike," Nogueira said. "To win without Jenna builds everybody's confidence. That's very good for us in the big picture. We've been a young team the last two seasons. Right now, we're healthy knock on wood. And the girls are in a great place. But it doesn't get easier for us as we face Ridgefield Friday." While the loss hurt, Westhill coach Dave Flower found many silver linings to take from the battle. "I feel we don't lose anything from losing this game. We saw the level we had to play at against a team like St. Joseph and the girls did," Flower said. "Considering the quality of the St. Joseph forwards, our defense played well. The experience our youngsters gained from this matchup is invaluable to them as we move ahead. We can be young and inconsistent. But this game sends a message to the rest of the FCIAC that when we play well we're very dangerous." ST. JOSEPH 4, WESTHILL 3 ST. JOSEPH 2 2 4 WESTHILL 2 1 3 Records: St. Joseph 9-0, 9-0 FCIAC; Westhill 7-3, 7-3 FCIAC. Goals: StJ Lindsey Savko 2, Leah Lewis, Jessica Mazo. West Chelsea Domond 2, Cassie Herrera. Assists: StJ Marissa Grasso 2, Mazo, Sophia Smith. West Francesca McDonald. Goalies: StJ Veronica O'Rourke (10 saves); West Emily Pritchard (17 saves).
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Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has always been a polarizing figure, but it seems the public opinion regarding him -- at least in NBA circles -- is tilting more towards the negative end of the spectrum. According to a report by ESPN.com , only one of the 24 "league insiders" -- team executives, agents, scouts, etc. -- who were surveyed for the article believe it's in the Lakers' best interest to "definitely" bring Bryant back next season. Among the remaining 23 insiders, 13 of them said the team should move on from Bryant regardless of whether he retires or not. The remaining 10 insiders said Bryant's health should dictate the team's decision, and if they choose to bring him back, it should be for a lot less money and a reduced role. However, would Bryant accept that? Would he move into the final years of his career like Vince Carter and Paul Pierce have -- as productive role players? Could the Lakers afford to do that to Bryant given how much he's worth to the team financially and how much fans adore him? Would there be backlash? How would fans react? "They've created a monster there," one executive said in the report , "and it's hard to get out of it until he actually goes away." At this point, Bryant is such a Laker legend that it's nearly impossible to imagine him wearing any other colors. That means that Bryant is either retiring on his terms or playing for the Lakers next season. If the team lowballs an offer to him, or reduces his role without his approval, there's always the chance he is forced to retire and leaves things with the team on an ugly note. But the Lakers are too loyal of a franchise to do such a thing. They are going to ride with Bryant until he's done playing basketball, for better or worse. Lately it's been for worse, but that's the choice they seem willing to live with.
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sports
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Taylor Swift Taylor Swift thinks "people might need a break" from her. The 'Blank Space' hitmaker, who is scheduled to wrap up her '1989 World Tour' in December after spending seven months on the road, worries she has become overexposed and is looking forward to taking some time off. She said: "I think I should take some time off. People might need a break from me. I'm going to hang out with friends. Write new music. Maybe not write new music. I don't know." The 25-year-old singer, who is Scottish DJ dating Calvin Harris, relies on her mother Andrea Swift to help her cope with the pressures of fame, but refuses to let anxiety rule her life. The 'Bad Blood' hitmaker told NME magazine: "If you let your anxiety get the better of you, like everybody's waiting for you to really mess up, then you'll be done. "A lot of the time I call my mom and talk for a really long time, just to remind myself of all the things that are great and that matter." But Taylor insists she doesn't feel the need to be perfect to maintain her success. She added: "It's not about trying to be perfect. Not to try and sound like the good witch in 'The Wizard Of Oz,' but I want to do good things with what I have. I don't think my brain could cook up shocking things for the sake of being shocking."
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entertainment
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Haven't you noticed that almost every superhero has had day jobs that weren't, well, super? We understand crime fighting is their real passion, but it seems their 9-to-5 day jobs aren't making living life with an alter ego any better. Here are some superhero day jobs you'll be glad aren't yours, and if they are, they'll make you want to put on a mask and add some excitement to your life. And be sure to tune in to CBS to check out Supergirl in action. Premieres Monday, Oct. 26, at 8:30/7:30c.
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video
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FIFA's ethics committee provisionally suspended organization president Sepp Blatter for 90 days, the BBC reported Wednesday . Blatter, who has headed FIFA since 1998, is accused of signing a contract "unfavorable" to FIFA and making a "disloyal payment" to UEFA president Michel Platini that was harmful to soccer's governing body. On Wednesday afternoon, Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, refuted reports that Blatter had already been sentenced. "Mr. Blatter has not been notified of any action by the FIFA ethics committee," Cullen said in a statement . "We would expect that the ethics committee would want to hear from the president and his counsel, and conduct a thorough review of the evidence, before making any recommendation to take disciplinary action." Both Blatter and Platini, a likely candidate to replace Blatter as president come organizational elections in February, deny wrongdoing. A final decision on Blatter's suspension will be made Friday by the head of FIFA's ethics adjudicatory chamber Hans Joachim Eckhert. The ethics committee has been meeting in Zurich since Monday. Blatter's provisional suspension is the latest blow to the organization mired in claims of widespread corruption. Late last month the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for intentional mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA's funds. Swiss authorities questioned Blatter about the "disloyal payment" to Platini, but the investigation is also centered around a 2005 TV rights deal between FIFA and disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who led the organization's CONCACAF region from 1990-2011. Days after the Swiss investigation, Eckhert and the ethics committee banned Warner from soccer for life. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was also suspended last month following allegations that implicated Valcke in a scheme to sell World Cup tickets above face value. He remains under investigation by FIFA. Both Warner and Valcke were counted among Blatter's allies within the governing body. The BBC reported in August that Valcke was also considering a presidential bid. Last week, the governing body's commercial partners weighed in on the corruption scandal in a big way. Coca-Cola and McDonald's, two of the World Cup's largest sponsors, called for Blatter's immediate resignation "for the benefit of the game." Blatter refused to step down.
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sports
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Preparations for Qatar's crucial 2018 World Cup qualifier with China were bizarrely overshadowed by the issue of air-conditioning on Wednesday, just 24 hours before kick-off. Hosts Qatar will cool pitch temperatures to around 24 degrees Celsius (75 Fahrenheit) on Thursday for the crunch match in AFC's Group C. Currently Qatar are top of the group with a 100 per cent record from their three games. China sit second, also unbeaten, but have seven points from three games following a disappointing 0-0 draw with Hong Kong. Temperatures in Doha are predicted to reach approximately 35 degrees Celsius for Thursday's early evening kick-off. But bemused visitors China, who have spent time in Dubai to acclimatize for the game, were only informed of the use of air conditioning on Wednesday evening. Asked in a press conference on Wednesday when they were told about the use of cooling technology, China's coach Alain Perrin looked at his watch and said: "About 20 minutes ago." "If we knew about the air conditioning before the game, maybe we would have stayed in China rather than gone to Dubai," joked Frenchman Perrin. His captain Zheng Zhi diplomatically said air-conditioning would be good for both sides but confirmed the Chinese had only just been informed. "This is the first time I will play in a match with air-conditioning. The information is a little bit late but it's good news," he told reporters. Qatar's coach Jose Daniel Carreno said the cooling technology was a "positive thing for both teams". "The players will be much more energetic, I think it will be helpful to both teams, not one at the expense of the other," he added. Heat, Qatar and World Cups are never far from controversy. The tiny Gulf state is hosting the World Cup finals in 2022 and has had to switch the tournament from its traditional June-July dates to November and December that year because of concerns over its fierce desert climate. - 'Very important match' - Qatar and China are vying for the top spot in Group C, with the winners assured automatic progression to the next stage of qualification. Whoever comes second in the group, which also contains Maldives and Bhutan, may qualify as one of the four best losers from eight groups. Twelve teams will progress to a final group stage, where four sides will ultimately qualify for Russia. Fresh from a 3-2 win in Hong Kong and a record 15-0 thrashing of Bhutan, the Uruguayan Carreno said victory on Thursday would not guarantee Qatar a first-place finish, even though it would put them five points ahead of China with four games to play. "This is going to be a very important match but there are other remaining matches and we will need to do our best," he said. Perrin, who celebrated his 59th birthday on Wednesday, said his team could still qualify even if they lose in Qatar. "I think these are the two best teams in the group and we are playing for first position but second can also give us qualification."
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) The Coast Guard officially ended its search Wednesday for the missing crew members from a U.S. cargo ship that sank off the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin. Petty Officer Mark Barney said the search for survivors from the El Faro ended at 7 p.m. Earlier Wednesday, the Coast Guard broke the news to grieving family members that it was abandoning the search for the 33 mariners and investigators turned their attention to finding the vessel's data recorder 3 miles down at the bottom of the sea. An intensive search by air and sea over tens of thousands of square miles turned up one unidentified body in a survival suit and a heavily damaged lifeboat but no sign of survivors from the 790-foot El Faro, which was last heard from nearly from a week ago as it was being tossed around in rough seas. By preparing to end its search at sunset, the Coast Guard all but confirmed family members' worst fears that all hands were lost. On board were 28 crew members from the U.S. and five from Poland. "Any decision to suspend a search is painful," Coast Guard Capt. Mark Fedor said. "They did all they could." Even before the announcement, hopes of finding anyone alive were fading. "The ship went down. And there's no questioning the outcome of that. The ship has gone down, took everybody with it. There's really no speculation to be made," said Mary Shevory, mother of crew member Mariette Wright. Robert Green, father of LaShawn Rivera, held out hope despite the Coast Guard decision: "Miracles do happen, and it's God's way only. I'm prayerful, hopeful and still optimistic." President Barack Obama promised the "full support of the U.S. government" as officials investigate the sinking of the cargo ship. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, Obama said the families of the crew members lost at sea deserve answers, and those who work at sea must be kept safe. The El Faro went down in 15,000 feet of water east of the Bahamas last Thursday after losing propulsion while attempting to outrun Joaquin along the ship's regular route from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico, according to ship owner Tote Maritime and the Coast Guard. The captain reported the ship was listing and taking on water through an open hatch. Then transmissions ceased. The key to the mystery of what caused the ship to stall and sink may be in the voyage data recorder, similar to the "black box" on an airliner. The device, presumably pinging away in the blackness and crushing pressure on the sea floor, has a battery life of 30 days after it hits the water. Assuming the device can be located, the National Transportation Safety Board will work with the Coast Guard, Navy and other agencies to devise a way to bring it up, probably using a remote-controlled, unmanned submersible capable of diving great depths. Among the questions raised in the wake of the tragedy: What caused the ship to lose power? Did pressure to deliver the cargo on time play a role in the captain's decision to press ahead? Was the ship's advanced age more than 40 years old a factor? And was the mechanical trouble caused by work that was being done in the engine room at the time? The recorder, required for all large ships since 2002, would contain radio communications, command discussions on the bridge, the ship's speed and heading, the condition of its hull, wind speed and radar readings. Generally the recorders retain information from the 12 hours before they enter the water. "We want to find every bit of information that we possibly can," NTSB vice chair Bella Dinh-Zarr said. "We will be here as long as it takes." The ship left Jacksonville on Sept. 29 while Joaquin was still a tropical storm. Joaquin quickly developed into a powerful Category 4 hurricane, but Tote officials say its captain, Michael Davidson, had an acceptable plan to bypass the storm that would have worked had the ship not lost power amid 140 mph winds and 50-foot waves. The NTSB said a key part of the investigation is learning how to prevent similar tragedies. Family members said they hope so, too. "I am hoping other companies will take a good look at when they're going to ship out, when they're going to set sail," Shevory said. "And not do it with a storm coming that can potentially become a hurricane." _____ Anderson reported from Miami. Associated Press writer Jason Dearen contributed from Gainesville, Fla.
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The Deal's Renee Cordes reports that Anglo-South African beer giant SABMiller plc (SAB) said its board unanimously rejected Anheuser-Busch InBev SA's (BUD) £68.2 billion ($104 billion) takeover offer on Wednesday. Budweiser-maker Anheuser-Busch InBev, which saw two previous offers fall flat, was hoping the third time would be the charm. But SABMiller said its board, excluding directors nominated by its top shareholder, unanimously rejected the £42.15 bid ($64.43), which 'still very substantially undervalues SABMiller, its unique and unmatched footprint, and its standalone prospects.' As AB InBev considers its next move, most bets are on it returning with a new offer and maybe even going hostile. 'We think it is likely that SABMiller will engage and squeeze out a higher offer,' predicted Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst Trevor Stirling, who referred to AB InBev's move as the start of a big 'bear hug.' A deal would combine about 400 brands accounting for one out of every three beers sold on the planet.
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finance
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BRISTOL, Tenn. Bristol Motor Speedway is less than a year from hosting what is predicted to be the largest crowd ever to watch a college football game. Although it's 11 months until the so-called Battle at Bristol, matching Virginia Tech and Tennessee, preparations are moving along at speed, appropriately. The game, scheduled Sept. 10, 2016 on a playing surface in the speedway infield, is expected to attract a crowd of at least 150,000, easily giving the facility nicknamed the Last Great Colosseum the record for attendance at a college game. The current record is 115,109 at University of Michigan's stadium the so-called "Big House" when the Wolverines played Notre Dame Sept. 7, 2013. The latest step toward making the half-mile racing facility workable for football occurred Wednesday with the announcement that a four-sided video board will be hung from cables above the speedway infield for races, football games and other events. Billed as the world's largest permanent "center-hung" video display board and nicknamed Colossus, the board will be anchored by cables attached to four pylons outside the speedway exterior. It is similar to display boards used in basketball arenas. Each of the screens will be 30 feet tall and 63 feet wide. Next year's Tennessee-Virginia matchup is not expected to be the final football game at BMS. Marcus Smith, president of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the company that owns the track, said he expects the excitement generated by the game and the facility's ability to host huge crowds will attract other major sports and entertainment events, including concerts by major names. "I want it to happen," said Smith of other events at the track. "I think other universities are going to want it to happen because this will be the preeminent venue to play a game. It will break every record. This venue will be renowned as the single greatest sporting venue in the world. "I wouldn't be surprised to see the biggest soccer game in the world played here. We really are transforming what Bristol Motor Speedway is today." Work has begun on the video display, and it is expected to be in place for the speedway's spring NASCAR weekend in 2016. The Bristol track's 2016 late-summer NASCAR race weekend will be held in mid-to-late August (the schedule has not been finalized), so work crews will have a small window in which to transform the speedway from a racing facility into a football stadium. Most of the infield will be cleared, and the football playing surface track officials said a decision between sod and artificial turf has not been reached will be installed near the center. A racing scoring pylon currently stands in the middle of the infield, and it contains video screens. It is scheduled to be removed before the spring race, to be replaced by the new video display. The track's seating areas will be changed slightly to accommodate the football field, viewing angles and television requirements. Plans call for thousands of temporary seats to be added on the concrete racing surface for the football game. Seating capacity for races at the track is about 160,000. Specifics of how the speedway will be transformed into a football facility have not been released. Bristol Motor Speedway executive vice president Jerry Caldwell said the track needs "about a 14-day window" to make the transformation. "Once the checkered flag falls on the August night race, it will be a 24-7 project," he said. "It will be choreographed down to the minute. We feel good about our timetable." Each of the schools has been allotted 40,000 tickets. The speedway sold several thousand (the number was not released) last week, and thousands of others will be sold by the track in an online lottery. Track officials expect a sellout.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 63rd birthday by taking to the ice and leading a hockey team of retired stars against a team of amateurs at the Olympic ice rink in Sochi, independent news agency Interfax reports. Putin's team won, with the president scoring seven goals, beating his personal best from a similar game played last year, by two. The president's side included Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu and took place after Shoygu had updated Putin with the news that Russia had carried out its first naval strikes in Syria earlier in the day. The two were joined by Soviet-born hockey stars Pavel Bure, Viktor Shalimov, Vyacheslav Fetisov, Alexei Katasonov and Alexander Yakushev. The opposing team featured officials and notable Russian businessmen including Gennady Timchenko , Boris Rotenberg and his brother Arkady Rotenberg . All three are close friends of Putin and have had personal sanctions imposed on them by the EU and U.S. as a response to Russia's involvement in the Ukraine crisis. The match opened the Night Ice Hockey League, an amateur tournament held in Russia, and was broadcast on Russian television. At the end of the match, the crowd started chanting "Happy Birthday" to Putin. While the Russian President's love for hockey is no secret, his previous birthdays celebrations have arguably been more exotic. Last year, in the midst of the Ukraine crisis, Putin decided to take a day off for his birthday for the first time since becoming president in 1999, according to state news agency Itar-Tass . Putin spent the day in the middle of the Siberian taiga, 250 miles from the nearest village, according to his spokesman Dmitry Peskov. On his return to Moscow, Putin told ministers he had spent most of his time hiking. In 2013, Putin was lucky enough to be at a summit in Bali on his special day, drinking sake with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and, by his own admission, offering vodka to the officials in attendance. Putin chose to spend his 2008 birthday launching his instructional judo film, titled "Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin," at the royal palace in St Petersburg, where he was also given a Siberian tiger as a present, although Putin did not reveal who had given him the animal, according to the BBC . He later donated the tiger, whom he named Masha, to a local zoo and once grown she joined other Siberian tigers in a wildlife reserve in central Russia.
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With NFL season in full swing, Jim Cramer decided to turn his attention to building a fantasy portfolio of stocks. After all, sometimes building a better portfolio is a lot like building a fantasy football team. He started by picking a few kickers. When drafting kickers, Cramer looks for consistency so that a player can deliver every time. For a player on a fantasy team, Cramer chose Steven Hauschka from Seattle with a flawless record this season. Likewise he chose PepsiCo, under the leadership of CEO Indra Nooyi, who has a remarkable winning streak to beat Wall Street's revenue estimates. When looking for defense, Cramer had to go with the Seattle Seahawks. Its defense gave up the fewest points per game in the last two seasons, and led the league with the lowest total yards allowed. The defense stock equivalent is Clorox, in the less cyclical group of consumer staples. "As for your team's defense, that's all about limiting your downside, both in fantasy football and the stock market," Cramer said. While many investors are banking on the Fed or strength of the U.S. economy to drive the next bullish phase of the stock market, Cramer is not. In fact, he says that much of the strength in the market lately is coming from China . "I can tell you that a lot of riding on better numbers out of the People's Republic," the " Mad Money " host said. (Tweet this) Could it be possible that the Chinese government's actions are rebooting its economy? Cramer saw various signals of hope that it could be revived. First, Morgan Stanley went positive on two of the biggest companies in the mining sector, BHP Billiton (BHP-AU) and Rio Tinto (RIO-AU) . This was astounding to Cramer, as Morgan Stanley has disliked the mining sector for ages. Now two stocks that are total bellwethers of Chinese constructions roared. But what happens if the Shanghai stock market opens for business, and it gets hammered? The Chinese government has been propping up its stock market with money raised from billions of dollars in bond sales, including U.S. treasuries. However, Cramer thinks that cannot last much longer. After all, what else could explain the stunning decline in Yum Brands (YUM) earnings? Cramer shared his perspective on the other side of the trade. At the moment, this market hates growth. Whether it is the high-growth semiconductor stocks or the health-care stocks, Wall Street abhors them. So, if China falters, Cramer expects to see a rotation out of the mineral, mining, oil and heavy industry stocks and right back into the high-growth names. "China holds the key to figuring out where the next bull phase is coming and where the next bear phase might be. It's not the Fed, it's not the U.S. economy it's China," Cramer said. (Tweet this) The company behind KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell was screaming in pain on Wednesday, when Yum Brands (YUM) plummeted 18 percent following a large earnings miss . However. considering the damage done, Cramer was surprised that the stock only dropped that much. "Given the ridiculous timeline of information coming out of the company, I'm actually surprised its stock wasn't down even more; that's how bad the story and the dissemination of the woeful news truly was," the " Mad Money " host said. While Yum is a large international company, its driver has mainly stemmed from China . For years, investors have ridden the wave of growth in the People's Republic, simply by buying shares of Yum. Yum revealed that not only was KFC terrible, but Pizza Hut had hit a wall and has descended alarmingly fast. Analysts then began to not only doubt the ability of management to forecast, but to also execute. "In short, Yum Brands has crushed the dreams of both the activists and the momentum players, leaving everyone holding empty boxes of pizza and KFC," Cramer said. (Tweet this) Cramer now considers this stock to be radioactive, for the foreseeable and maybe unforeseeable future. The biotech group has fallen on hard times recently, down approximately 15 percent since Hillary Clinton 's infamous tweet regarding pharmaceutical price gouging. And while the group did rebound on Wednesday, Jim Cramer has seen a number of companies that have had the unfortunate timing to come public amid the negative backdrop. "So I have to wonder, is this market giving you an incredible opportunity to pick up high-quality biotech stocks at prices that are much lower than where they would be trading, if not for all of the headline risk from this political firestorm over drug pricing?" the " Mad Money " host asked. That is why Cramer decided to dig into three biotech companies that have come public in the past week, to help investors figure out what IPOs are real opportunities, and which ones are junk. Novocure (NVCR) was the first company on Cramer's list. It is a $1.5 billion biotech, with a revolutionary approach to treating cancer. Unfortunately it came public on Friday, and sank almost 17 percent below its IPO price after the first day of trading. Cramer thinks that is crazy. "This is exactly the kind of recent biotech IPO that I think is worth betting on, and the fact that Novocure is down nearly 19 percent from where it came public last Friday only makes that opportunity more attractive," Cramer said. One biotech stock that Cramer thinks has created some real value in the recent downturn is Alkermes. This is a company that develops drug delivery technologies, as well as proprietary medications for diseases related to the central nervous system. Some of the treatments include long-acting therapies for schizophrenia, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. It also carries Vivitrol, a once monthly injection that helps to stop recovering alcoholics and opioid addicts from relapsing. Unfortunately, Alkermes' stock has plunged more than 17 percent in the past three weeks. However, nothing has changed about the story, except it has gotten better. Could this be an opportunity to buy the stock? To learn more, Cramer spoke with the company's chairman and CEO Richard Pops. "There is a lot of talk right now about price, people care about. There was some worry yesterday about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and its effect on pharmaceutical prices around the world. And I think fundamentally if you make important medicines that help patients, you are going to do just fine," Pops said. In the Lightning Round, Cramer gave his take on a few caller favorite stocks: United Rentals: "I'm on the fence with United Rentals...I think URI works here if Caterpillar is going higher, and I also think that URI is down too much. But remember it's like XPO, it's considered to be a roll-up." Union Pacific Corporation: "It's my favorite rail, it's incredible...I've got to tell you, I am late to the party. I am willing to like Union Pacific, but this group is having a major move and it's China related. Union Pacific, I don't think it's going to have that good of a quarter but I don't think anyone cares."
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Itâs time to up your foodie game.
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foodanddrink
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State is the only team in the Atlantic Coast Conference that returns all five of its starters from last season. For most teams that would be cause for celebration. For coach Leonard Hamilton it means he is hoping the struggles of the past two seasons have been valuable experience. The Seminoles had their first practice on Wednesday as they are looking to bounce back from a season in which they went 17-16 and didn't play in a postseason tournament for the first time in 10 years. ''We have five starters returning from a team that won 17 games. We have guys that have been around, who know their shortcomings and can pass on their wisdom to the younger players,'' Hamilton said. With an experienced roster and a highly regarded recruiting class, Hamilton is hoping to lead the Seminoles back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012, which is also the year they won the ACC Tournament. Jarquez Smith, the leading returning scorer from last season, said the open gyms before the start of practice have been extremely competitive as the incoming recruiting class has tried to assert itself early. ''We've been going at each other's neck and it has gotten very competitive,'' Smith said. ''Everyone is fighting for their position because the guys coming off the bench are just as athletic as who is on the court.'' The newcomers feature Dwayne Bacon (a McDonald's All-American selection), Terance Mann (the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Hampshire) and Malik Beasley (the Georgia 1A Player of the Year). There's also Chris Koumadje, who at 7-foot-4 will be the tallest player in school history, and Benji Bell, who helped lead Northwest Florida State to the JUCO National Title. ''This is a very confident and focused group of inexperienced players,'' Hamilton said. ''They want to make something special happen but aren't taking anything for granted.'' Two things that Hamilton will look to work on during preseason practices is defense and figuring out his rotation. The Seminoles suffered from a lack of depth last season but this year he could have a roster that goes 10 deep and allows him to go to more of a full-court pressing style of defense. Xavier Rahan-Mayes led the team in scoring last season, averaging 14.9 points en route to becoming the first freshman in ACC history to score 30 or more points three times. The one thing he said he noticed in preseason practices were that everyone played off each other's strengths. Florida State's first exhibition game is Nov. 2 against Lynn University before opening the season on Nov. 15 against Nicholls State. ''I think we have a pretty good combination of experience and an influx of new players. Any time you have that type of scenario you appreciate it,'' Hamilton said. ''It looks like we have it moving in the right direction. We've had a good offseason and regrouped.''
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Tourists were understandably freaked out.
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French fashion house Louis Vuitton presents a dark futuristic collection, with leather and metal accents, to close out Paris fashion week. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)
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lifestyle
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Carey Mulligan and Mumford & Sons' front man, Marcus, welcome their first child.
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LeBron James acknowledged that the Cleveland Cavaliers won't be at full strength at the beginning of the season but insisted the team nevertheless will have enough talent on the floor early on that he won't have to put the squad entirely on his shoulders. "I will lead this team, but I don't have to carry it," James said Wednesday at Cleveland's shootaround, via ESPN. "We have enough guys until all our guys get here. "Until Kyrie [Irving] and Tristan [Thompson] and [Iman Shumpert] is ready, we have enough guys that will all help. It's not about me carrying the team and that nature. We're all grown men, we're all professionals and they're here to do their job." David Blatt announced Wednesday that Kevin Love is expected to be a full participant in Saturday's practice, indicating he'll be good to go for the season opener later this month. Regarding the three players James specifically mentioned, though, the prospects of their respective returns are much less clear. Blatt to no surprise indicated Irving will not be ready for the season opener on Oct. 27 against the Chicago Bulls. The Cavaliers are expected to be extremely cautious with their superstar point guard and reports in the offseason suggested it's possible he could be out until January. Shumpert, meanwhile, ruptured the Extensor Carpi Ulnaris sheath in his right wrist that required surgery. He is expected to be out for up to three-and-a-half months. The Thompson contract situation and subsequent holdout could prove to be the messiest of the bunch. After reports weeks back indicted the p arties were millions of dollars apart , Brian Windhorst said in a Grantland podcast Wednesday that he believes Thompson's holdout "will go well into the regular season." Still, James insists the Cavs have what it takes to get things done early on. "And until we're whole, we still won't understand it as a full unit," he said. "But we'll approach the game as we should and our coaching staff is going to prepare us the best way every night to be ready for anything, both on and off the floor."
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Sneezing is disruptive, sometimes messy, and generally annoying. People usually sneeze the most when they have a cold or allergies, but even so, it's a few dozen times a day at the most and it stops when the person recovers. For 12-year-old Katelyn Thornley, the sneezing never ends. The seventh grade student used to go to school and play clarinet in the band, but that was before she started sneezing up to 12,000 times a day. That's about 20 sneezes every minute. "I just started in little spurts," Katelyn told Fox 26 . "I thought it was like, 'I'm allergic to something or didn't wash the (clarinet) mouthpiece the right way." Katelyn's condition causes her abdomen to be in constant pain, and her legs to weaken. After the sneezing went on for some time, the family began to consult with physicians. They've already talked to six, who have ruled out viruses and allergies as possible causes of the sneezing. Experts believe it may be a stress-related reaction. Katelyn's father has witnessed things that may support this theory. "Anything you talk to her about that irritates her you can see it spike and continuous sneezing," he said. "It's easy to trigger." Listening to The Beatles has helped Katelyn relax, and the only time she doesn't sneeze is when she falls asleep after taking Benadryl. "Sometimes I wish I could leave my body for a little while so I could watch myself sleep and be at peace because even in my dreams, I sneeze," she said. The girl is trying to remain positive and keep her sense of humor. She said she hopes that one day, she'll be cured and be able to laugh about her ordeal saying, "I was on TV once for sneezing." Can Sneezing Kill? Katelyn's condition is certainly disturbing, but is it really dangerous? Can sneezes hurt you? Not really, according to most experts. We sneeze to expel irritants from the nose, including foreign particles that could possibly be a threat to our system. While sneezing a lot is certainly a pain, there's no evidence sneezing can harm an already healthy person. There have been freak instances when sneezing could cause enough of a jolt to hurt a person, but only when another injury had been sustained. One case, and perhaps the most famous, was that of Martin Luther King Jr. , who could have died if he jolted his body after being stabbed in 1958. While an actual sneeze may not be able to hurt most people, it seems holding one in can be a tad more dangerous. "I wouldn't recommend suppressing a sneeze by any method, whether by pinching one's nose or consciously sneezing into a closed throat," said Alan Wild, a head and neck surgeon and assistant professor of otolaryngology at Saint Louis University School of Medicine to Live Science. Stopping a sneeze as it's trying to escape probably won't do anything, but Wild said it could lead to a few problematic situations. "The injuries that might occur are flukes or are related to some underlying anatomical oddity," he said. "The risk of injury is low, but you might just be the unlucky one." Stifling a sneeze has the potential to cause injury to one's diaphragm, or weaken and pop blood vessels. If these blood vessels are in the white of the eye, the eye white could appear bruised. A weakened blood vessel in the brain, however, could rupture due to a momentary elevation of blood pressure. Halting a sneeze could also force air up the Eustachian tubes in the ears, which has the potential to cause injury to the ear drum or inner ear, resulting in hearing loss. Though doctors are pretty sure sneezing is generally safe, and that these possibilities are extremely rare, sneezing is still rather poorly understood as a whole. "Many people when exposed to bright sunlight, while some people sneeze during sex, after administration of certain intravenous anesthetics, eating too much, or with certain neurological disease, such as epilepsy," Wild said. "This type of sneezing is poorly understood."
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health
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The fourth game of the season brought opposite feelings for the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs. Panic started to settle in for the Chiefs, who have lost three straight after a season-opening win. Relief finally came for the Bears, who avoided setting the longest losing streak in franchise history. Kansas City will try to keep the sky from falling Sunday against a Chicago team looking for its first road win since last October. The Bears (1-3) didn't have any victories since November until a 22-20 win over Oakland last Sunday. It was the first win in the John Fox era, and he was happy to see his players enjoy it after getting outscored 74-23 in their previous two games. "I was really happy to see smiles in there," Fox said. "I'm really happy for our fans because we haven't exactly lit it up here at home in the first two opportunities." After snapping a team-record-tying eight-game losing streak, Chicago will now try to end a five-game skid on the road. The Bears lost 26-0 to Seattle in their only game away from home this season in Week 3. In place of the injured Jay Cutler, backup Jimmy Clausen failed to move the offense against the Seahawks. Cutler returned against the Raiders and finished 28 of 43 for 281 yards and a pair of touchdowns with an interception. Cutler threw another fourth-quarter pick, his second in two full games and third overall, but he completed five of eight passes for 41 yards during a game-winning drive that ended with Robbie Gould's 49-yard field goal with two seconds left. Cutler returned from a hamstring injury suffered during a 48-23 loss to Arizona on Sept. 20, and top receiver Alshon Jeffery hopes to return this week from the same injury that has kept him out three games. The question now is the health of the offensive line, which lost center Will Montgomery for the season when he broke his left leg early against the Raiders. The Bears, already without tackle Jermon Bushrod (concussion/shoulder), shifted Matt Slauson from guard to center and moved the newly acquired Patrick Omameh into Slauson's regular spot. "It happens at a lot of positions in a lot of football games in the National Football League," Fox said. "All your backups have to be ready to play in a moment's notice, particularly in the O-line because it is such a group dynamic." The offensive line was one of several problems for the Chiefs in their latest ugly loss. Kansas City (1-3) allowed five sacks during a 36-21 loss at Cincinnati, upping its NFL-leading total to 19. The Bears have just six sacks. After committing five turnovers and fumbling away a 31-24 home loss to Denver on Sept. 17, the Chiefs surrendered 893 yards combined in a 38-28 defeat in Green Bay and last week against the Bengals -- a statistic they ranked seventh-best in the NFL in last year. Cincinnati's Andy Dalton threw for 321 yards last week as Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard combined for four rushing touchdowns. The Chiefs have allowed 30 points or more in three straight games for the first time since the final game of the 2010 season and the first two of 2011. Coach Andy Reid hardly spoke with the media following the loss in Green Bay, but he seemed more optimistic Monday. "I had a chance to talk to them on the plane ride back, and they take accountability for things, too," Reid said. "It's one of the reasons I like this team. We have a bunch of young guys. We just have to eliminate some stuff. If we do, we can be a pretty good football team." Kansas City has an opportunity to improve its record during a stretch of three of four games at home prior to its bye week. After Chicago, the Chiefs head on the road to play 2-2 Minnesota before hosting a Pittsburgh team that will likely still be without Ben Roethlisberger and winless Detroit. Chicago plays in Detroit and, after its bye, hosts the Vikings. The Bears then face a challenging stretch against San Diego, St. Louis, Denver and Green Bay.
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The 2015 Mustang Club of America's (MCA) Buckeye Grand Nationals is the biggest Nationals in the club's history. Five hundred spots available, five hundred spots sold out by last March for the Labor Day weekend for the MCA Buckeye Grand Nationals. For Mustang aficionados, there are regional shows and there are national shows; and finally there is the Grand National, the Grand Poo-Bah of them all and MCA's last show of the year. Buckeye is a clue to the location Columbus, Ohio, but more specifically the suburb of Polaris at the Hilton Hotel, right next to a swank shopping mall and plenty of trailer parking space. The local Mustang club, the Mustang Club of Ohio, hosted the event and Publicity Chairman Jeff Brady said the club came to call the show a "Labor Of Love." We can understand why: outside of an anniversary-year show, this 2015 show proved the largest Grand National in MCA history. The MCA does not set an entry limit per show, rather the number of entries allowed has to do with the size of the venue one year the MCA Grand National was held in Utah and attendance was only about 125 cars, due to the venue. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook Ohio being centrally located made this show very popular and no doubt, the MCA had to turn away some entries once they hit capacity. Of the 500 cars entered, about two-thirds were 1974 and later models, with the balance made up of classics, and all but 80 cars were judged. In other words, the judging workload was immense but the MCA has the manpower to pull this off. We dropped by a judges meeting to view the field of judges a staggering assemblage of 125 people! In addition to a Grand National, next year the MCA will hold a 40th anniversary show in Indianapolis that will include a road racing track. See you at both these events next year.
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autos
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If Prince George and his many facial expressions have won you over these past couple years, why not dress up as the little royal for Halloween? From that first photo op outside the hospital to his ridiculously adorable appearance at Princess Charlotte's christening, Prince George has already had plenty of memorable moments in the spotlight. Keep reading to check out fun Prince George moments you can channel for Halloween, then see Kate Middleton costume ideas to be a princess for a day! Portrait Prince George The knee socks are crucial. Christening Prince George Your plan? So. Much. Lace. Unimpressed Prince George You'll have to perfect the art of the side-eye. Trooping the Colour Prince George Bonus points for friends dressed as the rest of the royal family. Photo Op Prince George Don't forget to wave! Rolling-Down-the-Hill Prince George Rolling is mandatory. Big Brother Prince George You'll need a supercute partner in crime. Christening Prince George: The Charlotte's Christening Edition Those red shorts ! Royal Tour Prince George Hands up! Newborn Prince George Coziest costume ever. It's literally just a blanket.
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entertainment
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Blake Shelton Blake Shelton has "bounced back very quickly" following his split from Miranda Lambert. The 'Voice' USA mentor, who finalized his divorce from the country music star in July just hours after announcing the end of their four-year marriage, feels positive again and is ready to move on with his life. A source close to the 39-year-old singer said: "Clearly he was upset during the breakup, but he's not someone to sit around and lick his wounds. He's about moving forward and not looking in the rearview mirror. "He experiences all the same ups and downs as anyone else, but he is doing so well and is always the life of the party." Blake has lost approximately 20 pounds since the split and is also focusing on writing new music. The insider told PEOPLE magazine: "There's been a silver lining for Blake. He has the time to take care of himself and he's taken positive steps in his life to spend time with friends and family." Blake and newly-single Gwen Stefani, 45, recently sparked rumors of a romance on the set of the NBC singing competition, but the insider said: "There's nothing there. They're nothing more than friends." Meanwhile, Miranda has "never felt more inspired" after moving from the ranch she once shared with Blake in Oklahoma to Nashville. Speaking at her Music City Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony on Tuesday (10.06.15), she added: "I feel like a bigger part of Nashville than I ever have. I've been spending a lot of time here the last three or four months. I moved back here. I've never felt more at home."
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Kumbali the Cheetah and Kago the puppy are best friends at the Richmond Zoo. The zoo says the confidence that dogs display help calm cheetahs. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) explains.
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news
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The Fordham University senior was shocked to say the least!
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video
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FIFA's ethics committee provisionally suspended organization president Sepp Blatter for 90 days, the BBC reported Wednesday . Blatter, who has headed FIFA since 1998, is accused of signing a contract "unfavorable" to FIFA and making a "disloyal payment" to UEFA president Michel Platini that was harmful to soccer's governing body. On Wednesday afternoon, Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, refuted reports that Blatter had already been sentenced. "Mr. Blatter has not been notified of any action by the FIFA ethics committee," Cullen said in a statement . "We would expect that the ethics committee would want to hear from the president and his counsel, and conduct a thorough review of the evidence, before making any recommendation to take disciplinary action." Both Blatter and Platini, a likely candidate to replace Blatter as president come organizational elections in February, deny wrongdoing. A final decision on Blatter's suspension will be made Friday by the head of FIFA's ethics adjudicatory chamber Hans Joachim Eckhert. The ethics committee has been meeting in Zurich since Monday. Blatter's provisional suspension is the latest blow to the organization mired in claims of widespread corruption. Late last month the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against Blatter for intentional mismanagement and misappropriation of FIFA's funds. Swiss authorities questioned Blatter about the "disloyal payment" to Platini, but the investigation is also centered around a 2005 TV rights deal between FIFA and disgraced former FIFA vice president Jack Warner, who led the organization's CONCACAF region from 1990-2011. Days after the Swiss investigation, Eckhert and the ethics committee banned Warner from soccer for life. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was also suspended last month following allegations that implicated Valcke in a scheme to sell World Cup tickets above face value. He remains under investigation by FIFA. Both Warner and Valcke were counted among Blatter's allies within the governing body. The BBC reported in August that Valcke was also considering a presidential bid. Last week, the governing body's commercial partners weighed in on the corruption scandal in a big way. Coca-Cola and McDonald's, two of the World Cup's largest sponsors, called for Blatter's immediate resignation "for the benefit of the game." Blatter refused to step down.
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With trees ablaze in a dizzying array of stunning colors, from bright reds to sparkling golds, there's no better time to strap on your hiking boots than autumn. Thanks to the country's expansive and dynamic geography, nearly every corner in America's national parks come with spectacular views. Plus, the crisp, cooler air in so many parts of the country make it easier to hike longer without fatigue. So toss on that cozy sweater, grab your thermos of hot cider and head to these breathtaking spots. Ranging from easy to strenuous, these hiking destinations offer epic views and trails suitable for a variety of interests and skill levels. The Appalachian Trail through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee One of the most popular parks in the country, the Appalachian Trail is nothing short of spectacular in the fall. This segment of the AT, which extends 94 miles through Tennessee, winds through the lush Great Smoky Mountains and offers glimpses of foliage and cascading waterfalls as well as valley viewpoints. If you don't have weeks to spend on the trail, hike the smaller section from the Iron Mountain Gap to the Cross Mountain, which is a mere 17 miles and allows you to set up camp in the decorated Cherokee National Forest. Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia Arguably the toughest hike in Shenandoah National Park, Old Rag Trail is not for novice hikers. However, don't let that deter you from climbing the rugged, steep and winding nearly 9-mile-long circuit. You'll be welcomed with panoramic, 360-degree views of the picturesque Shenandoah National Park's 200,000 protected acres, which comes alive in a natural palette of bright orange, gold, yellow and red in autumn. Tackle this strenuous day hike during the week to avoid the massive crowds that visit during leaf-peeping season. Central Park, New York City You don't have to go far to experience an invigorating hike. In fact, you can do it right in the center of one of the country's s largest cities. The Ravine, a stream bed located in the lush green and yellow trees of the North Woods in Central Park , is great for leisurely hikers and kids. The trail extends from 101st Street to Harlem Meer (ending near the gorgeous Huddleston Arch) and is home to an incredible variety of wildlife, like migratory birds and raccoons. Home to 57 other hiking trails, there's plenty of places to see the colorful trees and monumental skyline inside the 1.3-square-mile natural oasis. Acadia National Park, Maine The incredibly scenic and robust coastal mountains of Acadia National Park provide some of the most expansive and stunning views of New England's coastline. Since many of the roads are unpaved and closed to cars, the park makes an idyllic place to hike along colorful birch, maple and poplar trees. For a memorable sunrise, hike up the Cadillac Mountain along the North Ridge Trail, which reaches a staggering height at 1,530 feet. Though it's not for the faint of heart, ascending the popular (and strenuous) Beehive Trail will yield amazing views of Acadia's bright foliage against the icy Atlantic. Bear Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park One of Colorado's crown jewels, Bear Lake is one of the most beautiful hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park. The lake's aqua blue color framed by the glowing yellow and orange aspen trees create dazzling views. The trail around the lake is an easy walk and encompasses 0.8 miles along the stunning lakeshore. And once you reach the summit, you'll be welcomed with more panoramic views of the picturesque lake, colorful forest and the towering Half Mountain and Longs Peak. Wildwood Trail, Oregon Covering over 30 miles in Portland' s Forest Park , the Wildwood Trail is a local and tourist favorite. The trail is flanked by spectacular Douglas firs, creating a thick canopy along the scenic route. For an eerie, yet hauntingly beautiful landscape, turn northwest onto the trail at mile marker no. 12. Through the lush trees, you'll find an arduous climb up Newton Road. The tranquil views at the end are postcard-worthy, with a stream-filled ravine decorated with brightly colored leaves in red, orange, light yellow and green hues. Beaver Lake Loop in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan One of the Michigan's most stunning trails, the Beaver Loop inside the 73,000-acre-long Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore winds along the multi-hued sandstone cliffs and verdant forests. Starting at the campground, the 3.5-mile trek circles around Beaver Lake along the beautiful Beaver Creek. A shorter, 1.5-mile hike, which also starts at the campground, takes you through the vibrant foliage to Lake Superior's craggy coast. The icy blue water against the blazing trees provides one of the most dramatic views in the park. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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Believed to be an embarrassment of riches, the truth is, No. 1 Ohio State's quarterback play has been abysmal, and it may be just what Ezekiel Elliott needs to become a real factor in the Heisman Trophy race. Cardale Jones -- the erstwhile third-string passer who built his reputation on those three consecutive wins that gave the Buckeyes the first title in the College Football Playoff era -- has been nowhere near as dominant as he was against Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon. He ranks 58th in the nation in pass efficiency (134.3), is 80th in yards per game (173.4) and has thrown as many touchdowns (five) as interceptions in 106 attempts. Even J.T. Barrett hasn't been as dynamic as before when he's gotten in, completing 55.3 percent on his 38 attempts with two TDs and two picks. While Braxton Miller -- now an H-back -- has yet to miss a pass, he's attempted just one, so we can't really count that. But amid the surprisingly down play, Elliott has been arguably the Buckeyes' most consistent piece on either side of the ball, rattling off five 100-yards games, including last weekend's 274 and three scores in the 34-27 win over Indiana. The thought of this Heismanphile heading into the season was that Ohio State had so many options, they were bound to steal attention away from each other. Think Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell at Texas Tech in 2008 only magnified. But the reality is, Elliott keeps delivering and is in line to this weekend too against Maryland, which is 102nd against the rush, giving up 199.8 per game. Should the Buckeyes return to the CFP on Elliott's back and in spite of the unimpressive play that Urban Meyer has on his hands, Elliott will become more and more of a threat for the school's first win since Troy Smith in 2006. As for the latest cyber ballot, nothing changes at the top as LSU's Leonard Fournette continues his 200-yards-a-week sprint to New York, but there is movement behind him as Georgia's Nick Chubb bows out following the rout at the hands of Alabama. 1. Leonard Fournette, RB LSU, Soph. 2. Trevone Boykin, QB TCU, RS Sr. 3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB Ohio State, Jr. ON THE RISE 1. Leonard Fournette, RB LSU, Sop How can the guy who is the runaway favorite as we near the season's midpoint further help his case? Fournette is riding a wave of three consecutive 200-yard games, something no SEC back has ever done, and will now face a South Carolina D that is 75th vs. the rush (170.0) and was already torched for 159 yards and two touchdowns by Chubb back on Sept. 19. If Fournette stays at his nation's best 216.0 average against the Gamecocks -- in a game that was moved to Baton Rouge due to the flooding in South Carolina -- he would be at 1,080 yards through just five game, trailing only Garrett Wolfe's 1,181 (2006) for the most of anyone since 2000. 2. Baker Mayfield, QB Oklahoma, Jr. Someone told you weeks ago that Mayfield had the potential to be the out-of-nowhere winner this season and he's shooting up the latest Heisman odds and is tied with Clemson's Deshaun Watson and USC's Cody Kessler for 10th. Oklahoma vs. Texas isn't what it used to be, but it remains a big-name opponent for the Sooners, and considering what TCU did to Charlie Strong's crew last week (50 points and 604 yards), Mayfield figures to only help his case, though Boykin's insane performance -- 20 of 35 for 332 yards and five TDs, plus 52 yards rushing -- will be the measuring stick for him. 3. Derrick Henry, RB Alabama, Jr. He won his elimination game with Chubb, burning Georgia to the turn of 148 yards and a touchdown. Now comes a stiff test vs. Arkansas, which is 16th in rush defense (101.6) and was strong against Tennessee's loaded backfield, keeping Jalen Hurd to 90 yards on 19 carries. With Kenyan Drake's struggles, Nick Saban is leaning even more on Henry, who ran 26 times against the Bulldogs. If the reinvigorated Crimson Tide keep rolling against the Razorbacks, expect it to be due to a steady diet of Henry carries. FALL GUYS 1. Dalvin Cook, RB Florida State, Soph. Will he play or won't he? Cook tore off a 94-yard TD run on his first carry against Wake Forest, then left at the end of the first quarter with a hamstring injury. His status for Saturday night's game against rival Miami is unclear, and while it's a major blow to the Seminoles' offense, whose running backs ran for a combined 13 yards in three quarters without Cook, it will leave his candidacy hanging by a thread. Only two players in history have won the trophy missing a game, the last being another Seminole, Charlie Ward, in 1997. 2. Jared Goff, QB Cal, Jr. Cal's opponent this weekend, No. 5 Utah, isn't great against the pass, giving up 238.5 ypg (86th) and despite Kyle Whittingham's desire to bring pressure, hasn't been able to generate sacks consistently, ranking 55th with 2.0 sacks a game. But the Utes will return defensive end Hunter Dimick, who missed the past two games with what was believed to be a knee injury. He had 10 sacks last season, including 14 1/2 tackles for loss. The Utes will be an uptick in competition level for the Bears, whose first five opponents include one team that is above .500, Grambling (3-2). Expect Goff to get his numbers, as he always does, but a loss to Utah will hurt his standing. 3. Keenan Reynolds, QB Navy, Sr. As detailed in this video, Reynolds is among the non-Power 5-conference players with the potential to join the conversation. He is fourth in FBS in scoring (13.5 ppg), has rattled off games of 142 yards (East Carolina), 142 (UConn) and 183 (Air Force) and this week can bolster his hopes by leading the Midshipmen to a win at No. 15 Notre Dame. The only problem there is we've already seen the Fighting Irish bottle up the triple option once in beating Georgia Tech. But give Reynolds his due, with 73 career rushing touchdowns, he should soon eclipse the record of 77 set by former Wisconsin star and Heisman finalist Montee Ball. Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said all of the government investigations into the terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi concluded that "nobody did anything wrong." That's not exactly accurate. An independent accountability board appointed by Clinton found "systematic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels." On the day the report came out, four State Department employees were placed on administrative leave, and all four were later reassigned. Clinton, who was interviewed Oct. 5 on NBC's "Today" show, criticized congressional Republicans for politicizing the deaths of four Americans who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks at a temporary U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi and a nearby CIA annex. In her interview, Clinton cited comments made by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy about the negative impact that the House Select Committee on Benghazi has had on her standing in the 2016 presidential polls. Clinton, who has run a TV ad featuring McCarthy's comments, said the Benghazi special committee was unnecessary because the attacks have been thoroughly investigated by others. Clinton, Oct. 5 : There have been seven investigations led mostly by Republicans in the Congress. And they were nonpartisan and they reached conclusions that first of all I and nobody did anything wrong but there were changes we could make. We contacted Clinton's campaign about her comments, but we did not receive a response. However, it is not entirely correct to say that the reports found "nobody did anything wrong." We won't go into all the Benghazi investigative reports four of which can be found on the House Republican caucus website. We will just focus on key aspects of two bipartisan reports: one written by an independent accountability board and another issued jointly by the chairman and ranking committee member of a Senate committee. As required by law, Clinton convened and appointed the bipartisan Accountability Review Board for Benghazi. Thomas R. Pickering, George H.W. Bush's United Nations ambassador, was chairman. Another board member was Catherine Bertini, who served in the Reagan and Bush administrations. In a report released Dec. 18, 2012 , the independent board said responsibility for the attack rests "solely and completely with the terrorists." However, it also said "systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department (the "Department") resulted in a Special Mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place." In particular, the report said the "perimeter and interior security" at the temporary diplomatic facility was inadequate and its security equipment was "severely under-resourced." The State Department immediately placed four employees on administrative leave, pending further review and action. The department did not name the employees, but the New York Times and a subsequent House Oversight and Government Reform Committee report identified them as Eric Boswell, assistant secretary for diplomatic security; Scott Bultrowicz, director of diplomatic security service; Charlene Lamb, deputy assistant secretary for international programs; and Raymond Maxwell, deputy assistant secretary for Maghreb affairs. Lamb was "responsible for the safety and security of over 285 overseas Embassies and Consulates and oversees the 550 special agent/security professionals posted at those locations," according to her official biography . She took the brunt of the criticism at congressional hearings for the security failures. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee issued its report two weeks later on Dec. 30, 2012. That bipartisan report which was issued jointly by the committee chairman, Sen. Joe Lieberman, and the ranking minority member, Sen. Susan Collins was also critical of the lack of security at the U.S. temporary diplomatic facility in Benghazi. The Senate report said that State Department officials ignored "increasingly dangerous threat assessments" that indicated the Benghazi facility was "particularly vulnerable." That report cited classified intelligence reports and well-publicized "attacks and other incidents targeting western interests in Libya" prior to the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. facility in Benghazi. It said the State Department should have increased security or "closed or temporarily shut down" its facility in Benghazi, calling the decision to leave the facility open "a grievous mistake." The independent board did not recommend disciplinary action against any department employee. Its report said "poor performance does not ordinarily constitute a breach of duty that would serve as a basis for disciplinary action," adding that the board did not find that the employees "engaged in misconduct or willfully ignored his or her responsibilities." The Senate report did not address the issue of disciplinary action. Nearly eight months after those reports were issued, the four employees placed on administrative leave were reinstated and reassigned to other jobs at the State Department. No other disciplinary action was taken. At an Aug. 20, 2013, press briefing , then-department spokeswoman Marie Harf said "things could have been done better," but the decision not to fire them was based on "the totality of these four employees' overall careers at the State Department." It may be Clinton's opinion that no one did anything wrong, but the fact is independent, bipartisan reports found "poor performance" by senior department officials left the temporary U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi "particularly vulnerable" for attack. Eugene Kiely
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The Edmonton Oilers are choosing to forego a captain this year, and will instead field four alternates throughout the year. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Andrew Ference will serve the alternates. While Eberle still recovers from his shoulder injury, Matt Hendricks will fill in with his abscence. Ference served as the team captain for the last two seasons. The choice to not choose a team captain appears to open the door for the option to name Connor McDavid as the captain in the future. The Oilers open up their season this Thursday against the St. Louis Blues.
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LOS ANGELES Matthew Keys, former deputy social media editor for the Reuters news agency, was convicted Wednesday for his role in a conspiracy to hack Los Angeles Times and Tribune Co. servers. Keys, 28, who also was a web producer for KTXL Fox 40 in Sacramento, a Tribune-owned television station, provided members of the hacker group Anonymous with login information for Tribune servers in 2010. Minutes after his conviction was announced, Keys tweeted a profanity. His attorney's law office, Jay Leiderman Law, tweeted that they plan to appeal. Although Keys faces up to 25 years in prison at his sentencing, U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Lauren Horwood said prosecutors are "likely" to seek less than five years. In their indictment, federal prosecutors alleged Keys conspired with Anonymous members to access the company's servers "for the purpose of learning how to alter and damage it." According to federal authorities, Keys provided a username and password for Tribune servers to hackers in an online chat room after he left KTXL in late October 2010. A jury convicted Keys of one count of conspiracy to make changes to Tribune's website and damage its computer systems, one count of transmitting malicious code and one count of attempting to transmit malicious code. With the information from Keys, prosecutors say, a hacker accessed a news story on The Times' website and changed a headline on a story about tax cuts to read: "Pressure builds in House to elect CHIPPY 1337." "(T)hat was such a buzz having my edit on the LA Times," the hacker, using the screen name "sharpie," wrote to Keys, according to the indictment. "Nice," Keys, using the screen name "AESCracked," allegedly replied. Keys said he was using a virtual private network "to cover my tracks," according to the indictment. Prosecutors wrote in the indictment that Tribune spent more than $5,000 responding to the attack and restoring its systems. According to the indictment, Keys conspired with hackers via a chat room known as "internetfeds." Keys had written about gaining access to the chat room and communicating with hackers in a blog post for Reuters last year. Keys said the chat room was a "top secret" place where "elite hackers assembled." "If there was a political or economic reason behind their mayhem, so much the better. If not, they did it for kicks," he wrote of the hackers' motivations for their attacks. He wrote in the post of the hack on The Times' site, without acknowledging any personal involvement. Keys was fired from Reuters shortly after federal prosecutors launched their case against him, though the company said he was let go for social media activities. "Although this case has drawn attention because of Matthew Keys' employment in the news media, this was simply a case about a disgruntled employee who used his technical skills to taunt and torment his former employer," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a statement. "Although he did no lasting damage, Keys did interfere with the business of news organizations, and caused the Tribune Company to spend thousands of dollars protecting its servers. Those who use the Internet to carry out personal vendettas against former employers should know that there are consequences for such conduct." Keys now works as a managing editor for Grasswire, a news curation website. He is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 20 in Sacramento.
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MIAMI Federal agents have busted a Miramar man they say was part of an international ring that used the Internet and U.S. mail to import a so-called synthetic heroin called fentanyl that is sweeping Florida and killing hundreds of users. The arrest of Aldolphe Joseph, 34, comes as law enforcement agencies are working to stem the pipeline of synthetic drugs from China, which has helped fueled a spike in fentanyl-related deaths. Newly released statistics from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show deaths caused by fentanyl overdoses statewide last year jumped a staggering 114 percent. From Molly to flakka to fentanyl, the wave of synthetic drugs from overseas has become a top priority for South Florida law enforcement and public health officials, as chronicled in the recent Miami Herald series Pipeline China. The ease of ordering drugs from Chinese websites has created a new breed of drug dealers that use U.S. mail services to deliver the cheaply made chemicals. With users going on violent rampages in public, flakka has garnered the most national media attention, with the drug showing up in the blood of more than 50 dead people in Broward County over the past year. But the chemical alone caused only one overdose death in Broward. Other users, died from taking a lethal mixture of flakka and assorted other drugs. Fentantyl and its chemical variants, which are often laced into heroin, have been much more lethal. The fast-acting painkiller has been used as a surgical analgesic for decades, but in the last few years synthetically made versions of the drug exported from China and other countries have made their way to street. "Fentanyl is much deadlier than flakka," said Raynette Savoy Kornickey, spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in South Florida. "It's 50 times stronger than (pure) heroin and 80 times stronger than morphine. A minute amount will kill you. It is being mixed with heroin, flakka and other drugs and no one knows what they are taking. It's scary." The fentanyl spike, along with a similar increase in heroin-related deaths, also coincides with a crackdown on Florida's notorious "pill mill" clinics, which illegally doled out prescription painkillers. The FDLE report, which compiled 2014 statistics from medical examiners across the state, showed deaths related to oxycodone one of the most popular painkillers have steadily decreased. Law enforcement officers believe many users have switched to heroin and unwittingly taken fentanyl or closely-related cousins. This year alone, fentanyl and its variants have outright caused or contributed to 53 deaths in Miami-Dade � more than double the toll in 2014. "The rate of growth is alarming," said Liz Zaney, a toxicologist at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office. Miami police homicide detectives also believe fentanyl and heroin may be to blame for 13 overdose deaths in the past couple months, with some addicts dropping dead in public bathrooms across the city. Toxicology reports are pending in those deaths. "The assumption is that this series of deaths may be the result of a bad batch of the drugs," said Miami Police Maj. Delrish Moss. "We need help from entire community to help stem this. We have an obligation to warn people of these dangers. While we are working to get a grip on the situation, we cannot do it alone." The FDLE report documented a surge of fentanyl-related deaths in Florida last year 538 compared to 292 in 2013. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties recorded 162, almost a third of the statewide total number in 2014. Medical examiners also recorded 447 heroin-related deaths in 2014, up from 199 the previous year. Other areas seeing sharp increases include Orlando, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. Joseph's is believed to be the first suspect in South Florida to be accused of importing fentanyl from overseas through the mail. The DEA's investigation began in January when an 18-year-old man died of an overdose after smoking fentanyl in Grand Forks, North Dakota. That led agents to a man who admitted to buying the drug on an encrypted "Dark Web" Internet site called Evolution, which was believed to be a top supplier of narcotics before it mysteriously shut down in March. The North Dakota dealer, according to a federal criminal complaint, used virtual money known as Bitcoin, the "preferred form of currency used for the online dark net purchases of contraband." The investigation then led to an Oregon man also receiving drugs in the mail, then reselling them through the mail across the country. The business was lucrative 750 grams of fentanyl was worth $1.5 million on the street, the dealer told agents. He got the drugs from a source in Canada, who had producers in China ship him fentanyl, according to the complaint. The Canadian source, prosecutors believe, was a Colombian national named Daniel Ceron who ran his sophisticated business using a contraband cell phone while serving time in a Canadian prison outside Montreal. The feds indicted Ceron and his ring in July. He was arrested in Panama, while on a layover to be deported after finishing his drug-trafficking and attempted murder sentence in Canada. Ceron's tentacles, agents believe, stretched to South Florida. A local DEA agent, posing as an undercover buyer, ordered nearly 400 tablets labeled Oxycodone from Ceron. They were actually a variant of fentantyl. Inside Ceron's prison cell, investigators found a phone and a ledger with Joseph's name and the address of a Pembroke Pines private mail facility. Below the notation, agents found six tracking numbers for mail packages that had been sent from Canada. Joseph had been exchanging e-mails and buying pills from the inmate's ring, according to a criminal complaint. One package seized by agents intended for Joseph contained 1,494 grams of fentantyl, potentially worth millions on the street. According to a criminal complaint, DEA Agent Michael Buemi created an account with a private messaging app, and began posing as Ceron. Joseph sent him nearly $3,000 in Bitcoin payments for one kilogram of "acetyl fentantyl" to be shipped to a woman in Maine. Joseph, arrested Sept. 24 in Miami Gardens, was charged with importation and distribution of fentanyl. Officers believe that while driving his silver Mercedes, he was involved in a shooting with an unknown person in another car. He was also arrested on a state charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He remains in federal custody. His attorney declined comment.
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Men thought to be undercover Israeli policemen who had infiltrated a group of Palestinian stone throwers shot and wounded three of them, one seriously, in the West Bank Wednesday. ATTENTION CLIENTS: IMAGES OF VIOLENCE
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CNBC's Jeff Cox analyzes the recession buzz circulating on the Street and explains why the market could withstand one, and possibly even go higher in spite of one.
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For as long as humanity has existed, people have been predicting its demise. Fortunately, and to the surprise of some, Wednesday was a humpday like any other. Sorry, eBible Fellowship it's simply not the end of the world as we know it. (And we're feeling fine, except for all the work we put off just in case the website's founder Chris McCann was onto something .) Just kidding. We're no newbie earthlings. We've seen this all before. Here are some noteworthy Doomsday predictions: Oct. 7, 2015 - The eBible Fellowship , a Philadelphia-based Christian website run by McCann, predicted the end of the world in correlation with the blood moon. (It also claimed the world would end on May 21, 2011.) "According to what the Bible is presenting it does appear that 7 October will be the day that God has spoken of: in which, the world will pass away," McCann told The Guardian . "It'll be gone forever. Annihilated." Sept. 27, 2015 - Late September's blood moon-supermoon phenomena generated several end-of-the-world predictions related to four consecutive and complete lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals for about two years. Mormon author Julie Rowe's apocalyptic musings caused the Mormon Church to issue a statement to USA TODAY distancing itself from her statements. Hold onto your predictions, though: the blood moon-supermoon will next appear in 2033. April 15, 2014 - Some people thought it was the end; others just think it's the beginning of the end. April's blood moon marked the beginning of a tetrad four consecutive and complete lunar eclipses occurring at six-month intervals which some see as a prophesy. Specifically, Texas televangelist John Hagee (author of Blood Moons: Something is About to Change ) says the blood moons signify a"world-shaking event" that begins to fulfill End Times prophecy , aka the second coming of Christ. Dec. 21, 2012 - Remember this hoopla? Basically, the ancient Mayans, who ruled through Mexico and Central America until around 900 A.D., used three calendars, one of which ended on Dec. 21, 2012. And such laid the groundwork for the Mayan calendar doomsday craze of 2012. People planned. People partied. It was debunked , over and over . Celebrities tweeted . The Mayans chuckled . August/September 2011 - NASA's recap of the Comet Elenin fascination explains it all: "Elenin somehow quickly became something of a 'cause célèbre' for a few Internet bloggers, who proclaimed this minor comet could/would/should be responsible for causing any number of disasters to befall our planet. … NASA's response to such wild speculations was then in turn speculated to be an attempt to hide the truth." (There are more world-end predictions, of course. And there will be more in the future. If there is a future. YOLO?)
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Pick a favorite to win the Southeastern Conference at your own risk. It's not just recent upsets, but margins of victory as wide as four touchdowns that have cast uncertainty over how the rest of the league schedule will play out. As much as players and coaches in the SEC routinely tout how tough it is to win in their league each week, even they've been surprised by recent results. No. 11 Florida's 38-10 victory last weekend over Mississippi, which only two weeks earlier had won in Alabama, certainly wasn't what LSU receiver Malachi Dupre expected to see when he looked over Saturday's finals. ''If you had my prediction before the game, I wouldn't have told you (the Rebels) would get beat that badly,'' Dupre said. ''I feel like they would have competed better.'' Mississippi was ranked as high as third in the Top 25 Poll before they sank in the Swamp. ''We are not elite right now,'' said Rebels coach Hugh Freeze, whose team is now ranked 14th. ''We still have a lot of work to do.'' On the flip side is Alabama. Instead of confirming the vulnerabilities that seemed to be exposed by its sloppy, five-turnover home loss to the Rebels, the eighth-ranked Crimson Tide rolled into Georgia and stunned the Bulldogs, also by a score of 38-10. ''It kind of did shock me a little bit to see how `Bama did pull away from Georgia like that. I was expecting and closer game,'' LSU defensive back Dwayne Thomas said. ''It's fun to see other teams lose because it's helping our advantage. ... You never know who's going to win, so that's why everybody tunes in.'' That's true, but the upheaval and back-and-forth also could leave the SEC on the outside looking in when the playoffs roll around. The highest ranked SEC team in this week's poll is Thomas' Tigers at No. 7. But there is always something to talk about when there is dramatic upswing in an Alabama performance. This one gave coach Nick Saban fodder he could use to deliver another well-chronicled rant against anyone who wrote his team off earlier this season. At the same time, Saban was measured in assessing how good his team can still be. ''We are what we are as an identity only if it happens on a continuum,'' Saban said. ''You can look at teams all over the country who have big wins and then two weeks later they're not so happy again.'' The happiest teams in the SEC right now are the three remaining unbeaten ones: Florida, LSU and Texas A&M. Yet even they have shown their share of vulnerabilities. Florida struggled in close wins against East Carolina and at Kentucky, then had to overcome a 13-point deficit at home in the final five minutes of its victory over Tennessee. Those three victories barely got the Gators enough respect to get back into the Top 25 - at 25th - before they routed Ole Miss. Now the Gators are No. 11 and shouldering much higher expectations. ''The interesting thing there will be how they handle this,'' Florida coach Jim McElwain said of his players. ''Let's look at it from a historical standpoint. This is where the University of Florida should be. So don't be surprised, but let's take advantage of it. I don't know what they're going to do.'' Texas A&M has this week off after an impressive 5-0 start, but only two weeks ago needed overtime to beat struggling Arkansas, which opened the season ranked 18th, only to plummet out of the poll with a 2-3 start. Meanwhile, Arkansas' Bret Bielema, whose team beat Tennessee last weekend, couldn't help but mention that the Razorbacks would be playing for a share of the SEC West lead at Alabama this weekend if they had only held on to a late fourth-quarter lead against the Aggies, or prevailed in OT. ''It's crazy to think about,'' Bielema said. ''That's why every week in this league, it's survival of the fittest.'' And who knows where LSU would be without Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette, whose averages of 216 yards rushing and 16.5 points per game both lead the SEC. The No. 7 Tigers haven't had to rely on their passing game yet, and if they do it's not clear how that would turn out. So far, they're averaging an SEC-worst 95.5 yards passing per game. But the Tigers' defense has been good, too, so as long as Fournette is healthy, they're confident. ''I would say believe in us,'' LSU's Thomas said. ''The way we are playing right now, I like our chances.'' ---- AP Sports Writers David Brandt in Oxford, Mississippi; John Zenor in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida; and Kurt Voigt in Fayetteville, Arkansas, contributed to this report.
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Shares in Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. ( NYSE:LL ) rocketed nearly 12 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday, after North America's largest seller of wood flooring settled with federal prosecutors over the importation of illegally harvested wood from Eastern Russia. The company still faces a raft of lawsuits over the sale of laminate flooring products imported from China that contain high levels of formaldehyde. "Lumber Liquidators fully cooperated with federal authorities and is continuing to make significant enhancements to its sourcing and compliance practices," the company said in a statement released after markets closed Wednesday. In 2013, the U.S. Justice Department sought criminal charges against the Toano, Virginia, company under the Lacey Act , a landmark law that extends criminal culpability to U.S. individuals and firms that involve in the commercial trade of plants and animals in violation of foreign conservation laws. (The Lacey Act was nearly invoked against American hunter Walter James Palmer this summer over the killing of an African lion in Zimbabwe .) Lumber Liquidators agreed to pay $10 million for doing business with Russian suppliers of hardwood products that had been harvested illegally, including payments to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation fund. The company agreed to four misdemeanors and one felony charge related to the entry of goods by false statements namely that the Russian wood from foreign suppliers was harvested legally. The company still faces charges and lawsuits over the import of Chinese laminate flooring after a "60 Minutes " report in March exposed containing levels of formaldehyde, a known cancer causing chemical, that violate California's benchmark air resources board standards. Congress adopted California's rules in 2010. The laminate flooring was imported from China with labels claiming they were compliant with U.S. standards. Lumber Liquidators has said the flooring is safe but the company is continuing to cooperate with various agencies regarding "ongoing inquiries and legal proceedings unrelated to today's announced settlement," the company said in Wednesday's statement.
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Former Reagan economic advisor Art Laffer on wages for government workers rising.
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That's a'smore!
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Russell Wilson is earning every penny of his new contract the hard way. Although the season is only four games old, Wilson is on pace to challenge the NFL's single-season record for sacks by a quarterback, set by former No. 1 overall pick David Carr with the then-expansion Houston Texans in 2002. Cincinnati's Andy Dalton has been sacked just 2 times in 118 dropbacks. #Seahawks ' Russell Wilson's been dumped 18 times in 145 pass calls. Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) October 6, 2015 Wilson has already been dragged down 18 times - the second-highest total in the league behind Kansas City's Alex Smith. He was sacked six times for the second time in a game this season in Monday's 13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions. "I'm not going to keep talking about this work-in-progress stuff. Let's drop that phrase," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "We've got just to get better." Indeed they do or Wilson will eclipse the franchise record for sacks (67) set in 1992. There is no respite on the horizon with Sunday's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, who sacked Smith five times last week. MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our NFL newsletters.
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