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Hillary Clinton's campaign is now dealing with new revelations on her email scandal. CNN's Evan Perez has the latest.
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CHICAGO The Chicago Blackhawks were reminded in their season opener that chemistry experiments don't always yield desired results in their trial runs. The Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last six seasons, and they have won 64 postseason games since 2010. But they weren't quite themselves Wednesday in a 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers on the night they raised their 2015 Stanley Cup banner. "It's a work in progress," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said. "It's no different than any other year." But it is different because salary cap woes this summer forced the Blackhawks to shed players they would have preferred to keep. The Blackhawks also revamped their roster after their 2010 championship, but the losses this summer seemed more critical. General manager Stan Bowman had to move rising young star Brandon Saad, plus proven scorer Patrick Sharp. He also didn't have room to re-sign important defenseman Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks had no chance re-sign Brad Richards or Antoine Vermette. Along with the change of personnel, the Blackhawks have had to deal with the reality that superstar Patrick Kane has been under investigation after being accused of sexual assault. He hasn't been arrested, charged or suspended, but the drama is ongoing because the district attorney's office in Erie County, N.Y., has not decided whether he should be charged. Blackhawks fans gave Kane an enthusiastic ovation when he was introduced before the game. "It seemed like the crowd is supportive," Kane said. "And in this situation, you don't really know which way it's going to go." Kane's play with sensational rookie Artemi Panarin and veteran Artem Anisimov was one of the bright spots for the Blackhawks. Russian Panarin, 23, who played last season in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League, scored his first NHL goal and looked like a player who could challenge Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Max Domi in the Calder Trophy race. "Panarin was fun to watch tonight," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I call him the bread man. He looked like he had the puck all night. That line was effective and dangerous." Panarin has a game-breaking knack that is not so different from the one possessed by Kane. "He is a special player," Kane said of Panarin. "He's electric." Teuvo Teravainen also scored. The Blackhawks need both of those younger players to step up this season to help offset the loss of Saad and Sharp. In their opener, the Blackhawks looked like a team that simply needs time to refine their game. They will be judged by what they do next spring, not what they do in October. But it was clear this team wasn't the same team we saw in June. Trevor Daley came over from the Dallas Stars in the Sharp trade. He is playing in a defensive pairing with Trevor van Riemsdyk. When asked about them, Quenneville said the pairing was "just OK." The Blackhawks fell behind 3-1 in the first period and couldn't claw their way back like they would have done last spring. "We had a little delay in our switch," Quenneville said about the bumpy first period. The lengthy banner-raising ceremony might have left the Blackhawks a bit sluggish. Kane said he didn't want to make excuses. "But for whatever reason, the team that is part of the banner raising comes out slow it seems to happen every time." The Blackhawks' goal is to have a good start. They believe it is important because they have several new faces. Plus, the Central Division has seven teams that think they can make the playoffs. You can't take the playoffs for granted. That works for the Blackhawks because they don't take anything for granted. One of their many strengths is that they keep working until they get it right. That's why they believe they have a true opportunity to be the first team since the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings to win back-to-back titles. One loss to a quality Rangers team isn't going to stop them from believing that. Follow columnist Kevin Allen on Twitter @ByKevinAllen .
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Dogs are man's best friend and quickly become part of our families. A sweet, playful, and affectionate dog is always loved and appreciated, but a dog that is all of those things and self reliant enough to let himself in and out of the house! Well that might be the greatest puppy of all time! We cannot wait to see his next trick.
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You might never believe a big man would be frightened to death by a snake. A woman holds a black snake to scare her seemingly manly husband. After seeing the snake, this guy drops everything he was holding and runs like crazy. Don't worry man, even Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes!
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Media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Wednesday said Republican Ben Carson would be "a real black president," implying doubts about President Obama's connection to minorities. The chairman and CEO of News Corporation tweeted Wednesday night: "Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else." As though anticipating questions about Obama, Murdoch tweeted moments later with a call to read a New York Magazine article titled "The Paradox of the First Black President." Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else. Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015 Read New York magazine for minority community disappointment with POTUS Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015 Murdoch has made a habit of tweeting positive things about Carson. He wrote last week: "Everywhere pundits keep underestimating Ben Carson. But public understand humility as admirable, listen to the multi-faceted strong message." He also touted a poll that had Carson ahead of Donald Trump, who has been leading most GOP presidential primary polls in recent months. In September, Murdoch said Carson was "maybe the one to beat" and "irreproachable on background, achievements, character, vision." He also compared Carson favorably to Obama on race, writing : "2 stories. Carson, Detroit ghetto to brilliant neurosurgeon. Obama white upbringing to community organizer. Sincere men, different values."
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These common blunders can cause major infections Here's an eye-opener: 99 percent of people who wear contact lenses are guilty of at least one risky behavior that can set the stage for serious eye infections, finds a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you wear contacts, you probably already know which sins can damage your eyes. "But the reason these behaviors are so prevalent is because people can get away with them many times before something bad happens," says Keith Walter, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Don't chance it. Nix these four contact crimes before you put your peepers in peril. Contact Crime 1. Sleeping in Your Lenses The problem: Lenses are barriers that can starve your cornea of oxygen, causing the cells on its surface to break down. When you close your eyes to nod off, "you create a warm, dark, moist environment with very little oxygen, which bacteria and fungus love," says Dr. Walter. Yes, it can be a pain to remove and rinse your contacts before you fall asleep every night especially if you take an unexpected nap. But that's simply what you have to do to avoid infection. File it under advice you may not like, but that you follow for your own same as "don't yell at anyone at work." Contact Crime 2. Topping Off Your Solution When you squirt new liquid into your contacts case without dumping out the stuff that's already there, you dilute the disinfecting solution. As a result, you don't get as much cleaning power overnight. Plus, the longer you leave old solution in the lens case while you're wearing your contacts, the more time you give gross organisms the opportunity to grow inside. The fix is a no-brainer: Rinse your case with contact lens solution, empty and wipe it dry with a clean tissue, and add fresh solution every time you put your lenses in there, Dr. Walter says. Replace your case at least every 3 months to keep bacteria at bay. (Check out 9 Horrible Things That Can Happen to Your Eyes .) Contact Crime 3. Rinsing Your Contacts in Tap Water Ever rub your eyes because they're itchy, and one of your contacts accidentally falls out? If you don't have your solution handy, you probably rinse the lens off in the nearest water you can find. We've certainly done this in a pinch. But it's a bad idea. Tap water can contain an amoeba that has been known to cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, a hard-to-treat eye infection, says Dr. Walter. This condition inflames your cornea and can lead to scarring and impaired vision. Even filtered water from your sink can be an issue, because bacteria may grow on the faucet, enter into the water, and get on your lenses. Ultimately, there's only one liquid you should put on your lenses: disinfecting solution, says Dr. Walter. So if your lens pops out and drops to the ground, you'll need to toss it in the trash. There's an obvious and easy way to avoid all of the cleaning issues associated with contacts: Move to a daily wear product. And then do just that wear them for one day only, and toss them before bed. It's ideal because you get a fresh pair of lenses every morning. The downside, of course, is that daily contacts aren't as economical as monthly-wear lenses. If you can afford them, consider the option. But if you can't, just be extra diligent about taking care of your regular pair. Contact Crime 4: Wearing the Same Lenses Too Long Whether your contacts call for daily, weekly, or monthly replacements, you need to swap them as often as the package indicates, Dr. Walter says. Sounds obvious, but half of all lens wearers don't adhere to their schedule, according to the CDC report. We get it: Squeezing a couple extra days out of your pair could save you a few bucks, or maybe you simply forget to make the change. But if you keep your contacts in for too long, you might experience irritation, infections, and corneal ulcers extremely painful open sores on your eye that can cause long-term vision damage, says Dr. Walter. And last we checked, your eyes aren't irreplaceable. So why would you ever put them at risk? More from MSN How Sleep Disorders Affect Us and How to Lay Them to Rest 6 Things Every Dermatologist Gets Asked Over And Over Again
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People magazine isn't a place you expect to see a call for political action. But following the Umpqua Community College shooting , People on Wednesday published the phone numbers, email addresses, and Twitter accounts of all 535 members of Congress so readers can tell political leaders to do something about gun violence . In this week's issue of People, editorial director Jess Cagle wrote: As President Obama said, our responses to these incidents from politicians, from the media, from nearly everyone have become "routine." We all ask ourselves the same questions: How could it happen again? What are we doing about gun violence in America? There are no easy answers, of course. Some argue for stricter gun laws, others say we should focus on mental health issues, some point to a culture that celebrates violence. But this much we know: As a country we clearly aren't doing enough, and our elected officials' conversations about solutions usually end in political spin. Cagle didn't go as far as suggesting a specific policy solution, stating that people should use the contact information to voice their own opinions. ( Here is the full list of Congress members' contact information. ) What will people tell Congress? If previous polls are any indication, the public will likely send very mixed signals to Congress. On one hand, the public generally supports specific gun control policies: Pew Research Center But they're also supportive of the broad idea of gun rights: Pew Research Center This public divide shows how gun control opponents are able to kill even legislation that would introduce the most popular measures, such as background checks that include private sales (which have 85 percent support, according to Pew): They're able to portray the law as contrary to the right to own guns, and galvanize a backlash against it. This kind of problem isn't unique to gun policy. For example, although most Americans say they don't like Obamacare , most of them do in fact like the specific policies in the health-care law . The problem is these specific policies have been masked by rhetoric about a "government takeover of health care" and "death panels." Since most Americans don't have time to verify these claims, especially when they involve a massive bill with lots of moving parts, enough end up believing in the catchphrases and scary arguments to stop the legislation from moving forward. But the empirical research is clear: The US has more gun deaths than other developed nations because, according to the research , Americans have more guns, and more guns mean more gun deaths . So reducing the number of guns by limiting access to them, or by immediately cutting the supply of them through, for example, buyback programs would very likely lead to fewer gun deaths. Of course, lawmakers won't act on that data if they believe it could get them kicked out of office. That's why People's call to action is important.
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Will text for booze. A new startup called Drinkeasy wants to make it even easier for smartphone-fixated millennials to get drunk. Send a text message to this SMS-based liquor store and it'll text back with information on a particular liquor; to buy it, just reply "HELL YES." Drinkeasy doesn't sling Fireball and Jäger, though: In true hipster fashion, this service specializes in craft spirits sourced from microdistilleries across the country. Co-founders Harry Raymond and Nick Manning are also behind Swig, a social networking app for drinkers. They tell Eater the idea for Drinkeasy stemmed from friends who would text them for drink recommendations. Many of the spirits the service sells it ships to 35 states aren't available in the average liquor store. One of its best sellers is Blaum Brothers Gin, which is typically only available in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Drinkeasy is currently available by invitation only, though that should change soon. The service also plans to expand to craft beer and wine in the future. What's not clear, however, is how the guys behind Drinkeasy intend to verify their customers are of legal drinking age. Popular delivery apps like Seamless and GrubHub may still reign supreme, but Drinkeasy is just the latest text-based technology to pander to the tech-obsessed: An NYC-based text message service called Arcade eliminates the pesky issue of actually choosing what to eat for dinner, instead offering just one restaurant dish a day that users can get delivered by texting a simple "yes." Domino's even toyed with allowing Twitter users to order pizza via emoji , although that idea was perhaps better in conception than execution . A startup called Fooji has picked up where Domino's idea left off, enabling customers to order any food they want by tweeting an emoji. And for those able to actually look up from their laptops long enough to eat a proper restaurant meal, making restaurant reservations via Twitter is also a possibility these days.
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foodanddrink
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Emma Watson cozied up to the new guy in her life, actor Roberto Aguire, during a lunch date in Los Feliz, CA. It's unclear how long the duo have been dating, but Emma's been reportedly single since her December 2014 split from rugby player Matthew Janney. In February, there were those rumors of a possible romance between Emma and Prince Harry, though she quickly shut them down with one tweet. Regardless of her relationship status, it's been a big year for Emma, who turned 25 in April.
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(Bloomberg) -- Jet.com-- which took aim at e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc. by offering a $50 membership fee that is half the cost of an Amazon Prime subscription -- is eliminating the fee to attract shoppers just three months after its official opening. The startup based in Hoboken, New Jersey, announced the change Wednesday in an e-mail to customers. The company had been promoting its service with free trial memberships that were due to expire soon. Now shoppers can use Jet.com without a membership and the company is offering free shipping in two to five business days on orders of at least $35. Amazon Prime, with an annual cost of $99, offers free two- day shipping with no minimum order, plus free same-day shipping on popular items in some big cities. The membership also includes video and music streaming. Jet.com had planned to operate at a break-even on all sales, with membership fees providing its profit. Now it will have to make money on the goods it sells in the low-margin e- commerce business. Representatives from Jet.com couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Future Plans The company can introduce a fee in the future and wasn't charging anyone for a membership yet anyway, so its elimination isn't a huge change, said Sucharita Mulpuru, analyst at Forrester Research Inc. "They're not in trouble yet," she said. "They can always introduce a fee later on and promise faster shipping." Jet.com started in July following a trial period. The company drew $220 million in venture capital, promising a less- expensive alternative to Amazon Prime. Amazon dominates the U.S. Web-retail market, which will grow 14 percent to $349 billion this year, according to research firm EMarketer. "Eliminating the entry barrier to the marketplace will only encourage consumers to explore the site," said David Spitz, chief executive officer of ChannelAdvisor Corp., which helps merchants sell goods online. To contact the reporter on this story: Spencer Soper in Seattle at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at [email protected] Andrew Pollack, Reed Stevenson
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Even dog lovers likely don't prefer the hassle of caring for a pup that sheds persistently. PetBreeds found and listed the breeds that shed most. Dog Breeds That Shed the Most A myriad of factors goes into buying a dog, but for those who are prone to bad allergies, adopting or buying a breed that sheds more often than others may not be the best idea.That factor hasn't deterred dog owners, though, as many of the dog breeds that shed the most are among the most popular in the United States, according to the American Kennel Club. These breeds no doubt have many other factors working in their favor, but the amount they shed could be viewed as a nuisance.Using data from various sources like the AKC, Dogtime.com and various individual breed sites around the Web, PetBreeds compiled a list of the 30 dogs that shed the most. It factored in the general amount of shedding and whether or not the breeds sheds additionally on a seasonal schedule. Follow us on Facebook. #30. Golden Retriever Shedding: Moderate Seasonal Shedding? Yes Consistently one of the most popular and well-recognized breeds in existence, the Golden does tend to shed regularly. Keep a lint roller handy if you plan on owning this loyal and loving breed. Follow us on Facebook. #29. Bracco Italiano Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No As the name suggests, the Bracco Italiano originated in Italy. It's a loyal "gun dog" that helps hunters retrieve game like waterfowl. Follow us on Facebook. #28. French Spaniel Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The French Spaniel originated in France and Canada. In appearance, it looks like a cross between a spaniel and a setter. Follow us on Facebook. #27. Austrian Pinscher Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Austrian Pinschers tend to live long, healthy lives spanning an average of 12-to-14 years. Bred to farm dogs, this breed requires plenty of exercise and is not recommended for apartment living. Follow us on Facebook. #26. Pont-Audemer Spaniel Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No A rare breed of gun dog, the Pont-Audemer Spaniel is, no surprise, believed to have originated in the Pont-Audemer region of France. They tend to be lively dogs that are easy to train. Follow us on Facebook. #25. English Shepherd Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No This intelligent breed is known to be multi-talented. In addition to herding farm animals, the English Shepherd is known to participate in competitive obedience competitions and agility competitions. Follow us on Facebook. #24. Swedish Lapphund Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The Swedish Lapphund was originally bred in the northern regions of Sweden, Finland and Norway as a herding dog. Unlike other herding dogs intended to herd cows and sheep, though, the Swedish Lapphund herded reindeer. Follow us on Facebook. #23. Leonberger Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Known as one of the biggest breeds in existence, the Leonberger features a luxurious coat that lends its appearance to be very lion-like. Follow us on Facebook. #22. Jack Russell Terrier Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The Jack Russell Terrier is not recommended for first-time dog owners because they can be difficult to train if you're not well versed in doing so. Once trained, however, the Jack Russell Terrier makes for an obedient pet. Movie buffs will remember the Jack Russell Terrier, Milo, from "The Mask." Follow us on Facebook. #21. Pug Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Despite a tendency to snore and have bad gas, Pugs continue to be among the most popular dogs in the U.S. Famous YouTuber Felix Kjellberg (known online as PewDiePie) owns two Pugs named Maya and Edgar. #20. Pembroke Welsh Corgi Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Despite their short legs and squat bodies, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, believe it or not, were bred to herd cattle. It seems odd that such a small dog could have sway over such a larger animal, but that just solidifies the energetic spirit of the breed. #19. Old English Sheepdog Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The Old English Sheepdog's long coat requires regular grooming (surprise, surprise). It was originally recognized as a breed by the AKC way back in 1888. #18. Dalmatian Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Arguably the most recognizable breed of dog, the spotted Dalmatian was originally bred to be a guard dog. Dalmatians are born with all-white coats and develop their spots as they mature. #17. Clumber Spaniel Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The Clumber Spaniel is the largest of the spaniel. They can weigh up to 85 pounds. #16. Borzoi Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No As its long, sleek body type would suggest, the Borzoi is one of the fastest dog breeds. Unlike other speedsters like the Greyhound, though, the Borzoi sports a thick coat that tends to shed often. #15. Bluetick Coonhound Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No The Bluetick Coonhound wasn't recognized by the AKC until 2009. These hunting dogs are intelligent, athletic and require plenty of exercise. #14. Black and Tan Coonhound Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No A hound that is closely related to the Bluetick Coonhound, the Black and Tan Coonhound is slightly more popular in the United States. #13. Belgian Tervuren Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Because the Belgian Tervuren sheds so much, it's recommended that owners brush this dog at least twice per week. They tend to be easy to train as they're willing to please, but they also require a lot of exercise. #12. Belgian Sheepdog Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Belgian Sheepdogs are high-energy workaholics that need plenty of exercise and/or activities to keep them happy. In an ongoing trend among dogs that shed the most, this breed is yet another herding dog. #11. Bearded Collie Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Often confused as Old English Sheepdogs, Bearded Collies have bubbly personalities and love interacting with people. They should be groomed regularly, otherwise their long coats can get tangled and matted. If you can handle a high-maintenance breed, though, Beardies will reward you with their intelligent and independent personalities. #10. Anatolian Shepherd Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No A giant purebred dog that originated in Turkey, the Anatolian Shepherd sheds constantly, but rarely needs grooming to upkeep its coat. It boasts a great watchdog ability, mostly just because of its intimidating size. #9. American Eskimo Dog Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No According to Animal Planet's Dogs 101 series, the American Eskimo Dog is neither American nor Eskimo. It actually originated in Germany as a descendant of the German Spitz breed. #8. Akita Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? No Because the Akita is still very closely linked to the wolf, it tends to have naturally aggressive instincts. Coupled with its very protective nature, the Akita joins the shortlist of dogs (like Pitbulls, Dobermans and Rottweilers) that will cost owners more in liability insurance. #7. Shiloh Shepherd Dog Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes The Shiloh Shepherd Dog is a very active breed that does not adapt well to apartment living. It needs a lot of space to run around and expend energy. It's also the first breed on our list whose shedding will increase seasonally, in addition to the constant shedding owners will see with other dogs. #6. Cardigan Welsh Corgi Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Cardigan Welsh Corgis differ from the Pembroke variety in that they have long tails. It's also the smallest of the herding dogs. #5. Shiba Inu Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Shiba Inus are playful, high-energy dogs that are always alert and lively. They feature a double coat, which means a soft, thick undercoat and a stiff, straight outer coat. #4. Bernese Mountain Dog Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Despite shedding a lot and being among the shortest-living dogs as a result of its hulking size (which brings on a myriad of health problems), the Bernese Mountain Dog has been gaining popularity in the U.S. over the past decade. That speaks volumes about its other great qualities. #3. German Shepherd Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Consistently one of America's most popular breeds, as well as a staple with police K9 units and military personnel, the German Shepherd's reputation is among the strongest in the dog world. On the negative side, it sheds a lot. #2. Collie Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Also called a Rough Collie, Scottish Collie, Long-Haired Collie, English Collie or Lassie Dog, the Collie nearly has enough nicknames to match the amount of hair it sheds...okay, that's not even close to true. #1. Alaskan Malamute Shedding: Constant Seasonal Shedding? Yes Owning an Alaskan Malamute is sure to turn heads when you're out on walks. It's a gorgeous breed with a stunning coat of thick fur, but be prepared to invest in a heavy-duty vacuum at home to combat the mass amounts of shedding.Discover More About Dog Breeds on PetBreeds
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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) As Kevin Durant prepares to play his first NBA game in eight months, the Oklahoma City star says it feels like his absence has been a lot longer than that. Durant will play in the Thunder's preseason opener in Minnesota on Wednesday night. He spoke to reporters after the team's morning shootaround and says that ''it seems like it was years ago.'' Durant missed 55 games last season and needed three surgeries to repair his broken right foot. He last played in a game on Feb. 18 against Dallas. Durant says he's trying not to think about his injury anymore. He says he's trying not to put too much pressure on himself, either. Thunder coach Billy Donovan says he expects Durant to play 18-22 minutes against the Timberwolves.
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sports
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The Mountain West releases its Men's & Women's Cross Country Midseason Poll, a Utah State men's golfer earns his third career individual title, and Sarah Schweiss at Colorado College is named the ESPNW National Women's Soccer Player of the Week.
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sports
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Check out the best of the week in ACC soccer: the game-winning goals, the crazy bicycle kicks, the amazing saves and more!
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sports
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Mike Kreiser has a number of great original low-mileage cars, and this 1966 Dodge Charger Hemi has been the centerpiece of that collection. The term "Boss Hoss" was one way that Dodge referred to the new Hemi Charger in 1966 magazine ads, and the car lived up to that moniker. After all, there was actually nothing as exciting in the 1966 Chrysler model lineup than this new fastback Dodge model. Equipped with crisp, hard-edge bodylines, four bucket seats with a full-length center console, and luminescent gauges in turbine-styled dash pods, the Charger echoed the ongoing Space Age, which was preparing to send men to the moon by the end of the decade. Unlike previous models, the Charger was deliberately styled and accessorized as a performance car. Of course, the Boss part of that Hoss was the new A102 426 Street Hemi. The fresh 7.0L mill that had taken the nation's racetracks by storm since 1964 was now going in production street models. There was no defanging of the engine, either. Though it lost a little compression and cam timing for drivability, it featured all the heavy-duty internals of the race engine. It was topped with two inline four-barrel carbs in keeping with the Chrysler Hemi tradition that had started in 1955 with the C300 model. The Hemi would create a legacy that Chrysler would never lose. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook However, one thing that the new Charger lacked was competiveness in NHRA class racing. With an advertised base curb weight of more than 3,400 pounds even before the Hemi was installed, the Charger was simply no match for the lighter Dodge Coronet and Plymouth Belvedere. Indeed, it was the latter, piloted by Jere Stahl, that won the 1966 NHRA Stock Eliminator World Championship. Nonetheless, this car was purchased in the summer of 1966 by Leroy M. Leisey primarily as a stock-class drag race car. In fact, today the Charger, which has never been repainted, shows a documented 1,955 actual miles on the odometer. The Charger model would not change much going into the 1967 model year. This one, decked out in Dark Green Metallic, was built at the Lynch Road plant on June 2, near the end of the 1966 model run. As a result, it came with the optional NASCAR three-piece deck spoiler, a factory add-on that helped make circle track history that summer. Created for homologation in NASCAR, the low spoiler assisted in Sam McQuagg's win at the Firecracker 400 on July 4 in Daytona, and played a role in Dodge winning the 1966 NASCAR Grand National crown, taken by owner Cotton Owens and his driver David Pearson. A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, Leisey ran the car locally at places like York and Maple Grove. But when the indexes in Super Stock were adjusted for 1970, he decided it was time to go large and go long the NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis. Alas, the car was factored down into SS/EA, which was where guys like Ray Allen and Jack Werst were fighting with fat wallets and corporate cloak-and-dagger. No class round sheets are known to exist, but we fear he was likely opening-salvo cannon fodder in his basically stock Hemi Dodge. What do exist are a photo of the car at the U.S. Nationals (racing on the track, no less) and Lee Leisey's name on the printed pre-event entry list. Nonetheless, Leisey seems to have understood how rare the car was. Other than a cam, 4.88 ring gear, Milodon pan, and aftermarket wheels, everything was either left stock or carefully stored. He took the Charger off the track in the early 1970s and soon joined the National Hemi Owners Association, whose events he occasionally attended with the car. Afterward it remained in storage until his death in 1990. His wife kept the car until 1997, when Mike Kreiser, also of Pennsylvania, had the chance to buy it. He has owned it ever since. Mike has a number of great original low-mileage cars, and this Hemi Charger has been the centerpiece of that collection. He recently turned down an offer on the car that was close to six figures at the Mecum auction in Harrisburg, as he knew that he could not replace it with anything comparable in terms of rarity or originality at that price. Other than the attendees to that event and a rare public showing in Mel Majors' Mopar Survivor display at Carlisle, readers of MCR are a getting a unique look at perhaps the only 1966 Charger to run Super Stock at the NHRA Nationals. Winner or not, this was one Boss Hoss for the history books. At a Glance 1966 Hemi Charger Owned by: Mike Kreiser Restored by: Unrestored original Engine: 426ci/425hp Hemi V-8 Transmission: 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic Rearend: 4.88 gears with Sure Grip Interior: Black vinyl bucket seat Wheels: 15-inch aluminum 5-spoke Tires: Atlas Plycron front, L60-15 Goodyear Polyglas GT rear The most notable trim piece on the 1966-1967 Charger is the car's-width rear taillight lens insert, hard to replace and sometimes damaged. It was unmistakable from behind. The 1966 A102 Street Hemi was not much different from the race models except in cam timing and lower compression. In keeping with the Hemi tradition started in 1955, two carburetors were used. The 1966 Charger had a unique interior that featured a full-length center console. Part of the interior design of many performance automatic Mopars was this console mount shifter, though column shifters were common in many other examples. The extensive use of chrome accents was part of the Charger's appeal in the early years. The aftermarket five-spoke wheels are original to this car's overall history but have not been fully identified. Front tires are Atlas Plycrons, while the rears are by Goodyear, high-traction Polyglas GTs with rare L60-15 coding. In the spring of 1966 as handling problems became evident, Dodge appealed to NASCAR regarding the use of a deck spoiler, and this little version was adopted. Almost all of them seen today are found on performance models. The legality of the spoiler played a role in Sam McQuagg's Firecracker 400 victory on July 4. Before the big M or even Direct Connection was this Mopar logo, dated to the Forward Look era of the early 1960s. In a year when guys like Ray Allen and Jack Werst were fighting for SS/EA class honors, Leroy M. Leisey made one trip to Indianapolis and the NHRA Nationals. His name appears on the preprinted entry list, and a very rare photo exists of the car competing at the event. Allen's notorious Chevelle won class, the race, and the 1970 World Championship.
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After months of hinting she might oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Hillary Clinton made it official this week . And her explanation for why she's coming out against the deal now after years of supporting it makes no sense. During her time as secretary of state, from 2009 to 2013, Clinton was a strong supporter of the TPP. CNN has a fun article documenting 45 times Secretary Clinton spoke out in favor of the deal, which was then in the early stages of negotiation. She even said in 2012 that "this TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements." Now she sees things differently. In the interview with PBS's Judy Woodruff where she came out against the treaty, she cited two specific objections: It doesn't have language dealing with currency manipulation, and it has provisions that favor big drug companies over patients. These are totally plausible arguments for opposing the TPP. But they make no sense as reasons for Clinton to change her mind about the treaty. The pharmaceutical language in the TPP is better than expected In her Wednesday PBS interview, Clinton said she was "worried that the pharmaceutical companies may have gotten more benefits, and patients and consumers fewer." One of the most controversial issues in the TPP negotiations was an Obama administration proposal to grant drug companies 12 years of legal protections for a type of drugs called biologics. Companies that develop biologic drugs enjoy 12 years of protection against copycats in the United States, but other countries have shorter terms. The Obama administration was pushing for language requiring all countries to conform to the US standard. But surprisingly, the US didn't get its way. Other TPP countries opposed the US's proposal, and ultimately the parties agreed to a complex deal that granted between five and eight years of protection. There are two ways that Clinton's professed concern over an excessively pro-pharma deal rings hollow. One is that unlike currency manipulation this is an issue where Clinton speaking up earlier could have made a difference in the negotiations. Instead, Clinton at the time carefully avoided addressing the substance of the TPP's drug provisions. I can't find a single example where she called for Obama to accept the more consumer-friendly terms other countries were demanding. Second, the final version of the TPP wound up being less friendly to big drug companies than the version US negotiators proposed. If Clinton was concerned about the TPP being too friendly to big drug companies, the final version should have made her more, not less, comfortable, than the "gold standard" version she once praised. Currency manipulation was never going to be part of the TPP TPP critics, including the AFL-CIO, have been raising concerns about currency manipulation since the outset of TPP negotiations. Members of Congress from across the political spectrum have urged the White House to make currency manipulation an issue in the TPP negotiations. The Obama administration has flatly refused these requests. And they've had a fairly persuasive argument, too: Foreign governments won't go for it. Countries around the world see control over currency as a core part of national sovereignty. If the US had taken a hard line on the issue, it likely would have simply derailed the negotiations. That was the administration's position when Clinton served as secretary of state. And it was the administration's position in early 2015, when Clinton began expressing concern about the lack of currency manipulation language in the TPP. By early 2015, negotiations over the TPP were coming to a close. Clinton knew perfectly well there was zero chance that US negotiators would even bring up the issue, to say nothing of getting other countries to go along with it. Raising the issue in 2015 was simply a way of laying the groundwork for eventual opposition. Of course, if she really thought currency manipulation was an essential part of the agreement, she probably shouldn't have described the deal as the "gold standard in trade agreements" in the first place.
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With Northwestern next on the schedule, perhaps it was appropriate Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was asked for his thoughts on the attempt some Wildcats players made to unionize last year. He is concerned not all the consequences would be positive. "The one thing they probably need to look at is, if they are paid something and they become employees, there would be a real chance that they would be taxed, that their scholarship would be taxed as a taxable benefit," Harbaugh told reporters on the weekly Big Ten coaches conference call. "I don't know if they've really looked at that and wondered if they might not be better off in a situation that they have (now). That's my question. The youngsters might be in a worse position if they're paid something, some amount of money and they become employees of the university." The unionization proposal at Northwestern would not have affected Michigan (or any other public school), but it was eventually rejected by the National Labor Relations Board after initially being approved by a regional director. (H/T Detroit Free Press )
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The conservative House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday endorsed little-known Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) for Speaker a bold move that raises serious doubts about whether Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy can cobble together the 218 votes on the House floor he needs to be promoted. McCarthy, a five-term California Republican, is expected to easily win the nomination when House Republicans huddle at noon Thursday to pick a successor to outgoing Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). But the true test will come Oct. 29, when the House holds a public roll call vote to formally elect the next Speaker. The Freedom Caucus, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), holds enough votes to essentially veto a McCarthy Speakership, though it's unclear whether all members would cast their ballots the same way. No one can be elected Speaker unless they win 218 votes. "I think he's over the 200 hump, but that's not the hump," said Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.), a McCarthy backer who acknowledged the leader still has a steep climb. Webster, 66, the soft-spoken former Speaker of the Florida House, is a long shot to win the Speaker's gavel, as is another rival, Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), 48, who jumped in the race last weekend. But combined, Webster and Chaffetz easily could siphon more than 30 GOP votes from McCarthy on the House floor, denying him the Speaker's gavel and sending the process into multiple rounds of voting. And the endorsement of Webster signals the influential 40-plus member Freedom Caucus's intention to draw out the process and force McCarthy's hand. "Under the present circumstances and without significant changes to Conference leadership and process, Rep. Daniel Webster would be best equipped to earn back the trust of the American people as Speaker of the House," the group said in a joint statement. Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), a Freedom Caucus member, said the endorsement is for Thursday's vote and not for the floor vote. Still, he said the group has proven that "once we walk out of that room united, we stay united on the floor." With the math working against McCarthy, some conservative leaders are reviving the idea of brokering a deal and forging a coalition with the GOP leader: A bloc of conservatives would throw their support to McCarthy on the House floor, pushing him over 218. In return, McCarthy would back one of the conservatives, such as Jordan, to replace him as majority leader. "Getting a majority of the conference for Speaker is not the answer. He's got to get to 218 on the floor," said one leader of the Freedom Caucus, which had pressured Boehner to resign. "There is speculation among many that the only way that Kevin McCarthy ever gets 218 on the floor is if there are different people in leadership." Mulvaney called the idea of a conservative coalition with McCarthy "something that is still on the table." "I can foresee a situation where that might gain some broad support from the conference," he said. Senior GOP aides see such a coalition as improbable. And Jordan has said he has no desire to serve in leadership. But some Jordan allies say they could see a scenario where the former Republican Study Committee (RSC) chairman would reluctantly run for the No. 2 job. Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-Ga.), two other past RSC chairmen, are already running hard for majority leader, but there's dissatisfaction among some conservatives with the current choices. Elections for the leader job would only be held if McCarthy is elected Speaker and a vacancy opens up. "In the right circumstances, Jim would probably step up and do it," the Freedom Caucus lawmaker said. McCarthy allies are urging their colleagues to unify around whomever emerges from Thursday's vote on the House floor. "If you're going to be a member of the conference, you ought to support the conference nominee," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a McCarthy supporter and former member of leadership. But the public roll call, where lawmakers will have to shout out the name of their candidate for Speaker on live TV, is sure to create headaches for many Republicans. Twenty-five voted against Boehner for Speaker in January. And conservatives inside and outside of the Capitol are trying to suggest that a vote for McCarthy is another vote for Boehner, a creature of Washington who's despised by the base. The Tea Party-aligned FreedomWorks is blasting McCarthy as "Boehner 2.0." Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who is backing Webster, predicted more Republicans would vote for McCarthy in Thursday's internal election rather than on the House floor. "This is like the Boehner vote part two. You want to go home and tell your constituents you voted for Boehner's right-hand man?" Massie said. "It's easier to do that in a private, secret ballot behind closed doors than in public." Even some natural leadership allies such as Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) expressed doubts about promoting McCarthy to Speaker, a job second in line to the presidency. "He has not spoken to me personally for my vote, and Jason Chaffetz has, so that's where I am right now. At this point I will be casting a vote for Jason Chaffetz," said Ellmers, who is facing a GOP primary challenger. "I can't vote for someone who doesn't ask for my vote. "I'm apparently not high on his priority list," she added. Complicating matters is the fact that McCarthy has been contending with a media firestorm of his own making. On Fox News last week, the GOP leader suggested the Republican-led committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks was created to help deflate Hillary Clinton's presidential poll numbers. Even close McCarthy friends said his remarks were damaging to the party. Benghazi Committee Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who himself has been mentioned as a dark-horse leadership candidate, said on MSNBC that McCarthy flat-out "screwed up." "Not good. That's what I can say. Not good." Before the Freedom Caucus endorsement Wednesday, Jordan hinted that his group planned to wield power by voting as a bloc in the Speaker's race. "We have every intention of voting together tomorrow and on the House floor," he said. The next three weeks could offer time for conservatives to rally behind a majority leader candidate more preferable than Scalise or Price. But so far, none is prepared to launch a bid themselves. Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), a founding member of the Freedom Caucus, said the group's best shot at influencing the races at this point is by banding together. "That's really our strength right now, is working together as a group," said Labrador, whom McCarthy handily defeated in the race to succeed Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who unexpectedly lost his 2014 primary. "And I'll be honest, I don't know if any of our leading members could be elected right now."
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Though some investors can't seem to shake the notion that IBM 's (NYSE: IBM ) financial results -- third quarter earnings are scheduled for Oct. 19 -- are no longer about legacy hardware or PC-related software sales, CEO Ginni Rometty's "strategic imperatives" are where IBM's bread is buttered, and two of its most critical markets are big data and cloud pool. The most recent indication that Rometty and team are all-in was the latest in what has been a series of cloud and big data-related acquisitions. On Oct. 5, IBM announced it had inked a deal to acquire privately held object-based storage solutions provider Cleversafe for an undisclosed sum. Much of the data collected today isn't simply numerical and written text but rather object-based information including video, images, and audio, which can wreak havoc on a company's enterprise systems. Bringing Cleversafe into the fold will instantly enhance IBM's big data and cloud product suite, providing its customers with a more efficient, effective means to store and utilize object-based data. The need for solutions like IBM's cloud and big data in general, and Cleversafe's object-based services in particular, is quickly becoming a necessity, not a nicety. According to research company IDC, over the next five years, the market for cloud-based, big data services will grow three times faster than on-premise offerings, eventually making the transition "a requirement". That's just fine by IBM. Another strong quarter in its strategic imperatives initiatives -- combined, the new-ish units jumped over 30% in the second quarter after factoring in currency headwinds -- could go a long way toward changing how investors measure IBM's success. And new cloud and big data offerings via acquisitions like Cleversafe will also help keep the strategic imperatives ball rolling. This $19 trillion industry could destroy the Internet One bleeding-edge technology is about to put the World Wide Web to bed -- and if you act soon, it could make you rich. Experts are calling it the single largest business opportunity of our time. The Economist is calling it "transformative." But savvy investors could someday call it "how I made my millions." Don't be late to the party -- click here for one stock to own when the Web goes dark . Tim Brugger has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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Argentina's Ministry of Security said on Tuesday that a suspect in the murder of federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman traveled to the US a month after the incident. Antonio Stiuso, who served as head of operations for Argentina's disbanded Intelligence Secretariat, flew to Miami from Porto Alegre, Brazil on February 19. The ministry added that Interpol provided the information after a "blue notice" was filed regarding Stiuso's whereabouts. Argentina suspects the US is providing refuge for the fugitive after several inquiries on Stiuso's location submitted to Washington were left unanswered. The former spy chief is suspected of involvement in the murder of federal prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who was found dead in January with a bullet to the head. Stiuso allegedly consulted with Nisman, who accused Argentine President Christina Fernandez of covering up Iran's purported role in a bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires. The 1994 bombing left 85 people dead, marking one of the most fatal incidences of its kind in Argentina's modern history. However, Fernandez and her ministers accused Stiuso of misleading Nisman into believing allegations that she was behind an attempted cover-up in a bid to destabilize the government. Meanwhile, Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in the 1994 bombing. Relations between Argentina and the US have hit a low-point since Fernandez's ascension to power as the Argentine president frequently uses anti-imperialist discourse against Washington. ls/jr (Reuters, AP, EFE)
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The voices behind some of your favorite video game characters might soon go quiet: SAG-AFTRA, which represents unionized voice actors who work in video games and other interactive media, has announced that the right to declare a strike has been authorized . The Interactive Media division published the results of the vote which determined whether or not to go on strike due to what the union considers to be unfair compensation and other demands. In its report, the union writes that "96.52% of members [voted] in favor of the referendum." Now that it's been approved, the union's National Board now has the option to declare a strike. If this happens, members will be required not to go back to work until a compromise between them and the game publishers that employ them is reached. 75 percent of members agreeing to the strike was the threshold required for its authorization. The report refers to the overwhelming support in favor of the move as "a resounding success." Voting began several weeks ago following months of negotiations between the union and their employers, including big-name publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts. The Negotiating Committee aims to re-open bargaining discussions after previous conversations failed to bear fruit. The union lists its demands on its website. These include royalties and residuals, as well as stunt pay for more demanding recording sessions. Several of the industry's biggest names, like Jennifer Hale (Mass Effect) and David Hayter (Metal Gear Solid), showed their support for the motion to unionize when the vote opened a few weeks ago. #PerformanceMatters was adopted by voice actors and their sympathizers on Twitter as a rallying cry. Tweets featuring the slogan were meant to encourage members to vote in favor of the strike, as well as increase visibility for what the performers consider to be their undesirable working conditions.
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China just built the world's largest radio telescope.
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Happy Walters is out as Chief Executive Officer at Relativity Sports and now the rest of the sports agency world waits with anticipation for the ramifications. Walters, who joined Relativity in 2009 as President of Relativity Music and founded Relativity's sports management practice, has indicated that he plans on establishing a new sports and media venture. Meanwhile, there is little known as to what other Relativity Sports employees and their professional athlete clients will do upon learning of the departure of Walters. According to a recent report by Forbes contributor Jason Belzer, Relativity Sports is the third most valuable sports agency in the world with approximately $3.2 billion in active contracts and $114 million in commissions derived from those deals. In that report, Belzer indicated that an entity controlled by billionaire Ron Burkle exercised options to buy half of Relativity Media's interest in Relativity Sports upon news that the parent company had filed for bankruptcy. Relativity Media had a position in Relativity Sports, but not majority control of the operation. Now Burkle is tasked with not only keeping the agency afloat, but also with answering to employees and clients who may ask about the direction of the company with Walters' departure. I have received information that Burkle has already held discussions with basketball agent Dan Fegan , who indicated his committment to staying at Relativity Sports. Fegan represents many NBA players , including John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, DeAndre Jordan and Chandler Parsons. Burkle will rely, at least in part, on Fegan to speak to Relativity Sports' football division, led by agents Eugene Parker and Ben Dogra, about their plans on staying with the company. Burkle has appointed Fegan as the linchpin of the Relativity Sports operation. There has been no indication as to what Parker, Dogra, CJ LaBoy, Doug Hendrickson and other NFL Contract Advisors will decide to do as of yet. Relativity Sports' football division represents Larry Fitzgerald , Dez Bryant, Leonard Williams and Marshawn Lynch, among others. Walters, as a certified NFL Players Association Contract Advisor, has taken an active role in many of Relativity Sports' clients careers. Meanwhile, Relativity Sports' baseball division has gone through a recent change with the departure of two agents Tom Little and Jim Reid for rival Ballengee Group. Little represents 2014 World Series star Madison Bumgarner. It has not yet been determined whether Bumgarner will follow his agent or stick with the Relativity Sports agency. "I can't talk about what's next," said Walters. "I started [Relativity Sports], I built it, I feel really good about it, and leaving in good hands. [Relativity] Sports is fine, but there's a lot of debt. They're going to have to raise capital." Darren Heitner is a lawyer and the Founder of South Florida-based HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C. , which has a focus on Sports Law and Entertainment Law . Follow @DarrenHeitner
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Heh. But seriously, this is awesome.
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ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis Blues signed forward Scott Gomez to a one-year contract Wednesday. The 35-year-old Gomez, a 15-year NHL veteran, attended training camp on a professional tryout. He had seven goals and 27 assists in 58 games last season for New Jersey. St. Louis added forward Scottie Upshall on Monday, also after a tryout. The Blues placed forward Patrik Berglund on long-term injured reserve. Berglund underwent shoulder surgery in August and will be evaluated in four months. St. Louis said defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Alexander Steen will be assistant captains.
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MINNEAPOLIS -- Zach LaVine has gone from slam dunk champion to starting shooting guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Interim coach Sam Mitchell named LaVine the starter Wednesday, before the Wolves had even played a preseason game. The Wolves opened the preseason on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Mitchell said he was making the decision now with an eye toward the long-term health of the franchise, not the immediate future. "It's not necessarily about earning (the spot)," Mitchell said, "it's about where you are as an organization and where you're trying to go." The 20-year-old LaVine is entering his second season in the league. He won the dunk contest at All-Star weekend as a rookie, but has impressed Mitchell with his work ethic in training camp. LaVine is part of a young core along with Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio and Gorgui Dieng that the Timberwolves hope will finally drag them out of an abyss that is going on 11 years. "I feel like I proved myself throughout training camp," LaVine said. "I've had a really good training camp and I'm just out to prove something." LaVine has been one of the more impressive players in training camp to this point, and he gets the nod over the 32-year-old Kevin Martin, one of the best shooters in the NBA. On media day Martin made it clear that he still viewed himself as one of the best shooting guards in the league and expected to remain in the starting lineup. He only played 39 games last season because of injuries, but still averaged 20.0 points and shot 39 percent from 3-point range. A few days after he made those comments, Martin softened his stance after a conversation with Mitchell and GM Milt Newton. "I let them know that I'm never going to be a guy that chases a ring," Martin said. "I want to be a part of a family type of atmosphere and that's something that we're doing here. We all had good talks about that. We'll just go from there." Mitchell said he understands if Martin is not happy with the decision. But he expects Martin to continue to be a professional and compete. "I'm not saying Kevin has to accept it with a smile on his face, but it's just where we are as an organization," Mitchell said. "It just is what it is."
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The NHL gave the NFL a run for the headlines for the wrong reasons in the offseason. Though their transgressions didn't generate the same negative attention as Ray Rice, Adrian Peterson or Greg Hardy, several hockey players had trouble with the law. From Patrick Kane to Mike Richards, each case was handled differently. Some players got second chances and a couple lost their jobs. Some of the NHL players who have had off-ice issues recently: PATRICK KANE: A three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, Kane has been the subject of a sexual assault investigation in Buffalo, New York, his offseason home. Kane said he has done nothing wrong and expects to be exonerated. He has not been charged. The Blackhawks have stuck by the four-time All-Star and he was on the roster for the season opener against the New York Rangers on Wednesday. MIKE RICHARDS: A former Philadelphia Flyers captain and two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings, Richards was charged with possession of a controlled substance in Canada in August. The case has been put off until Dec. 8. The Kings terminated Richards' contract in late June, after his arrest, claiming the underachieving forward committed a ''material breach'' of its terms. He had five years remaining on a 12-year, $69 million contract the Flyers gave him in 2008. The NHL Players Association filed a grievance to contest the termination and Richards remains a free agent. RYAN O'REILLY: Shortly after signing a $52.5 million, seven-year contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres following his trade from Colorado, O'Reilly charged with impaired driving and failing to remain at the scene on July 9. Police say a green pickup truck was driven into the side of a restaurant in Lucan, near London, Ontario, around 4 a.m.. The case has been adjourned until Oct. 22. O'Reilly was expected to make his Sabres debut at home Thursday. JARRET STOLL: The 33-year-old center pleaded guilty in June to two reduced misdemeanor charges to resolve a felony cocaine case stemming from his April arrest in Las Vegas. A felony charge of cocaine possession was dismissed. Stoll has completed the required 32 hours of community service. Stoll won two Cups in seven seasons with the Kings, but they didn't re-sign him after he became an unrestricted free agent. The New York Rangers gave Stoll a one-year contract and he was on the roster for the opener in Chicago, just like Kane. SLAVA VOYNOV: The former Kings defenseman pleaded no contest in July to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence against his wife. Voynov was suspended by the NHL for the final 76 games of last season and the Kings planned to terminate the final four years of his contract before he decided last month to return home to Russia with his family. Voynov was initially charged with a felony after a disturbing incident with his wife in late October 2014. Voynov accepted a plea deal shortly before his scheduled trial, and he spent two months in jail. --- Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi
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Amazon has found pretty significant success with some of its original shows -- particularly the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning Transparent -- and it seems the company's TV ambitions don't stop with on-demand programming. According to Bloomberg , Amazon is considering an online TV service that broadcasts live and includes programming from major players like CBS and NBC. It would be the latest service to directly challenge the dominance of traditional cable providers like Comcast and join competitive options like Sony's PlayStation Vue and Dish's Sling TV . Both of those services offer a host of live content that has been typically tied to those with a cable subscription. It's apparently too early to say just what Amazon's proposed service would look like -- Bloomberg notes that the current discussions are only preliminary in nature. Still, with more and more companies exploring how to get customers TV while cutting out cable providers entirely, it's a logical area for Amazon to investigate. We can only hope this service comes sooner than later -- the more competition, the better things will shake out for consumers. Bloomberg
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No. 5 best: The Netherlands > 2014 GDP: $798.59 billion > Life expectancy: 81.1 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 68.3% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 208.9 The Netherlands moved up from being the eighth most competitive nation last year to rank as the fifth most competitive nation in the world this year. Though the country's GDP is still below 2008 levels, the competitiveness of the Dutch economy was bolstered by strong performance and improvements in education and infrastructure each ranking as the third best in the world. The Netherlands, which borders the North Sea, has the highest score in quality port infrastructure in the world. Like all of the most competitive countries, the Netherlands is far from perfect. According to the WEF, in the most business friendly countries, wage levels are more often determined by individual companies. In the Netherlands, however, wages are often set by a centralized bargaining process, which can limit the flexibility of corporations in determining wages of their workers. The Netherlands ranks especially poorly for flexibility in wage determination, and restrictive labor regulations present the biggest obstacle for doing business in the Netherlands and is said to have hindered progress. No. 4 best: Germany > 2014 GDP: $3.72 trillion > Life expectancy: 81.0 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 73.1% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 225.2 Germany is the fourth most competitive country in the world. Though the country's score remained unchanged from the previous year, Germany climbed up one spot on the WEF's annual report. Like most competitive countries, Germany borrows large sums of money to invest in institutions and infrastructure. Though the current levels of debt mark a reduction from the previous year, government debt in the country stands at 73% of GDP. Business is Germany's greatest asset. The country ranks third in the world for its sophisticated business practices, and for using the latest technologies in production processes. As in many of the most competitive nations, government presented the biggest hindrance to German competitiveness. When asked to name the biggest impediments to doing business, Germans were most likely to cite inefficient government bureaucracy and complex tax regulations. No. 3 best: United States > 2014 GDP: $17.42 trillion > Life expectancy: 78.8 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 104.8% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 160.3 The United States, one of 38 innovation-driven economies worldwide, remains in third place this year. The United States has the second largest market size of any country, just behind China. The U.S. labor market is also among the most flexible in the world, which means it can withstand wage fluctuations and workers can easily move from one economic activity to another. The United States also performs well in measures of innovation and business sophistication. American industries have the second best collaboration with universities in the world. While the American university system is part of one of the most innovative higher education institutions, the country trails other developed nations in other measures of education. The U.S. primary school system, which encompasses kindergarten through middle school, is rated worse than 28 other nations. No. 2 best: Singapore > 2014 GDP: $452.69 billion > Life expectancy: 82.3 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 98.8% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 127.0 The Republic of Singapore is a small city state off the southern coast of Malaysia, separated from Indonesia to the south by the Singapore Strait. Just 255 square miles in area and home to just 5.3 million people, the very densely populated Singapore also has one of the most advanced economies in the world. Singapore trails only one other country in competitiveness for the fifth consecutive year. The country's higher education and training system an essential component of a healthy labor market and competitiveness more generally overtook Finland this year as the best in the world. When asked to identify the most problematic factors for doing business in Singapore, country residents identify restrictive labor regulation as the greatest obstacle. No. 1 best: Switzerland > 2014 GDP: $472.83 billion > Life expectancy: 82.7 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 46.1% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 320.8 For the seventh consecutive year, Switzerland was rated the world's most competitive economy. Switzerland like Singapore and the United States that round up the top three performs very well in most competitiveness measures. The country's infrastructure is rated better than that of any other country. As in Northern Europe and the United States, however, the quality of Switzerland's infrastructure declined over the past year. The country leads the world in several other measures as well, particularly innovation, which is assessed based on the presence of major research institutions and patent applications, among other factors. Switzerland trails only Britain and the United States in the average rating of top tier universities, and there are 320.8 patent applications per 1 million Swiss residents, far higher than in the vast majority of countries. No. 5 worst: Burundi > 2014 GDP: $8.38 billion > Life expectancy: 54.1 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 30.5% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 0.0 Sharing a border with Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi is one of the seven least competitive nations located in Africa. The country gained its independence from Belgium in 1962. Currently in the earliest stage of development, Burundi's economy is heavily dependent on unskilled labor and natural resources. Corruption, technological limitations, and health problems are all significant impediments to the nation's development. Corporate ethics in Burundi ranks among the worst of all the nations examined in the WEF report. Furthermore, there are only about 31 mobile phone subscriptions per 100 Burundi residents, the smallest share of any nation examined. Most striking, however, is the nation's low life expectancy. The average Burundi resident is not expected to live to be 55 years old, one of the lowest life expectancies in the world. No. 4 worst: Sierra Leone > 2014 GDP: $12.63 billion > Life expectancy: 45.6 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 38.8% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 0.0 The quality of health care in a given nation and the life expectancy of its residents can play an important role in the country's economic success and Sierra Leone does poorly by both measures. Life expectancy in the country is just 45.6 years, and 107.2 infants die per every 1,000 live births, each among the worst in the world. The ebola outbreak that swept through Sierra Leone and other parts of West Africa last year can partially explain some of these health statistics. More than 15,000 Sierra Leone residents had contracted the disease, and nearly 4,000 had died as of data released in September. The nation's health is just one obstacle the Sierra Leone economy faces. The nation's road, port, and air transportation infrastructure are all among the worst in the world, as are the country's telephone and electricity networks. No. 3 worst: Mauritania > 2014 GDP: $15.53 billion > Life expectancy: 61.5 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 59.1% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 0.0 Formerly under French control, Mauritania has been an independent nation for only 55 years. Still in the early stages of development, Mauritania's economy is heavily dependent on unskilled labor and natural resources. The nation's most fundamental impediments to development include deficient transportation infrastructure and a poorly educated workforce. Of the countries examined in the report, only three had lower quality primary education and only a handful of nations had worse infrastructure than Mauritania. While the nation is rife with problems that hinder development, the African nation ranks as the worst in several measures. Potential investors in the country may be deterred by Mauritania's problem with corporate ethics, and inadequate protection of minority shareholder's interests. No. 2 worst: Chad > 2014 GDP: $29.53 billion > Life expectancy: 51.2 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 25.0% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 0.0 Despite improving somewhat in its measures of competitiveness from last year, Chad remained the second least competitive country. It ranked poorly in nearly every measure. None of the residents have mobile broadband subscriptions, an important factor in business development. Chad is highly corrupt, which can be adverse to economic progress. The worse threats facing Chad's economic competitiveness, however, are its poor infrastructure and health of its residents. Chad has no existing railroads, and less than 40% of residents have cell phones one of the lowest rates in the world. Life expectancy in Chad is 51.2 years, more than 25 years less than the U.S. life expectancy. For every 1,000 live births in Chad, 88.5 infants do not survive, versus a U.S. infant mortality rate of 5.9 per every 1,000 live births. No. 1 worst: Guinea > 2014 GDP: $14.97 billion > Life expectancy: 56.1 years > Gov't debt as % of GDP: 37.4% > Patent applications per 1 million people: 0.0 Home to about 11.4 million people, Guinea is the least competitive of the countries reviewed in the WEF report. Like nearly all of the struggling African nations, Guinea only became a sovereign nation in the mid 20th century. Many of Guinea's biggest impediments to progress are due largely to its weak institutions. Corruption, policy instability, inefficient government, and government instability all pose significant impediments to economic prosperity. Perhaps most discouraging for Guinea's future, however, is the state of its education system. No country in the report ranked worse for quality of education. Guinea is one of three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that was hit hardest by the ebola outbreak last year killing more than 2,500 as of September. This may partially explain why the report lists public health as among the most problematic factors in doing business in Guinea.
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No crying in rugby? Louis Stanfill of the United States (C) shows his emotions during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and USA at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday in London. Never too old for hockey Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Wednesday. Putin was celebrating his 63rd birthday. Presidential selfie Former U.S. President George W. Bush, right, poses for a selfie with Phil Mickelson of Team USA and his wife Amy Mickelson during The Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony at Songdo Convensia on Wednesday in Songdo IBD, Incheon City, South Korea. Bad day for tennis Spectators wearing masks watch the women's singles match between Sara Errani of Italy and Andrea Petkovic of Germany on a polluted day at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing on Wednesday. Knick legend dies New York Knickerbockers' Harry Gallatin poses for a photo at the 69th Armory in New York in 1951. Gallatin, a member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame, passed away at the age of 88, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville announced, Wednesday. Wag of the finger Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, left, and NFL Vice President International Mark Waller, confer at the National Football League owners meeting, in New York, Wednesday. The league's owners approved more international games through 2025 on Wednesday, including ones in places other than England possibly Mexico, Germany and Canada. Showing their colors U.S. fans soak up the atmosphere during the 2015 Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and USA at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday in London. Family affair Members of Team USA and their wives and girlfriends pose for a formal group portrait during The Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony at Songdo Convensia on Wednesday in Songdo IBD, Incheon City, South Korea. Nadal advances Rafael Nadal of Spain returns a shot against Vasek Pospisil of Canada during the Men's singles Second round match on day five of the 2015 China Open at the China National Tennis Centre on Wednesday in Beijing. Nadal won 7-6, 6-4. Call him coach Miami Dolphins interim coach Dan Campbell walks on the field during practice in Davie, Fla., Wednesday. Crushed John Quill of the U.S. is picked up by South Africa's Jesse Kriel during the Rugby World Cup Pool B match between South Africa and USA at the Olympic Stadium in London, Wednesday. The United States lost 64-0. Kerber advances Angelique Kerber of Germany, right, shakes hands with Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark after winning the third round women's singles match of the China Open tennis tournament at the National Tennis Stadium in Beijing, Wednesday. Kerber won 6-2, 6-3. Day in court Thabo Sefolosha, second from left, leaves criminal court in New York, Wednesday. The NBA player was about to give a handout to a man asking for money when police officers took him to the ground and arrested him, a former teammate testified Wednesday. Selfie with King James LeBron James takes a selfie with young fans during a timeout of a preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks at Cintas Center on Wednesday in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Hawks defeated the Cavaliers 98-96. The Cup belongs here Chicago Blackhawks' Niklas Hjalmarsson skates out to center ice with the Stanley Cup during the championship banner raising ceremony before the game between the Blackhawks and the New York Rangers on Wednesday. The Carmelo drive New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony drives around Paschoalotto Bauru's Alex Garcia during a preseason basketball game, on Wednesday in New York. The Knicks won 100-81. Benches clear Both the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates swarm the field after Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta was hit by a pitch from Pirates relief pitcher Tony Watson in the seventh inning of the National League wild card game on Wednesday. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS Punched out FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez punches the ball as Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Kekuta Manneh tries to head the ball. IMAGES: 2015 MLS season His second love Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, left, plays a mini soccer match against Dario Benedetto of Argentina, who plays for the America team in the Mexican league, in Mexico City, on Wednesday. Watch out! Francisco Cervelli of the Pittsburgh Pirates is hit by a pitch in the fifth inning during the National League Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS The other Team USA (L-R) Team USA wives and girlfriends Tabitha Furyk, Robin Love, Angie Watson, Tahnee Kirk, Paulina Gretzky, Erica Holmes, Erin Walker and Annie Verret applaud during The Presidents Cup Opening Ceremony on Wednesday in Incheon City, South Korea. Free for all Referees break up a late game altercation between the Chicago Blackhawks and the New York Rangers at the United Center on Wednesday in Chicago, Illinois. The Rangers defeated the Blackhawks 3-2. Eyes on the ball Sara Errani of Italy has her eyes on the ball as she plays against Andrea Petkovic of Germany during the third round of the China Open at the National Tennis Stadium in Beijing, on Wednesday. Adding color to the proceedings Khloé Kardashian smiles as she watches the Houston Rockets play the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center. Rockets won 109 to 82 On Wednesday. United Nations Command honour guards carry flags of the competing nations ahead of the first round of foursome matches at the 2015 Presidents Cup at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Thursday. Now they can celebrate Cubs fans celebrate their team's National League wild-card win over Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. No stopping Jake Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta is sprayed with beer and champagne after pitching the Cubs to a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League wild card game on Wednesday. IMAGES: 2015 MLB PLAYOFFS Enjoying the fruits of retirement Floyd Mayweather Jr watches the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks at the Cintas Center on Wednesday. Chilled out Spieth Jordan Spieth of the United States Team waits on the 11th tee during the Thursday foursomes matches at The Presidents Cup being played in Incheon City, South Korea. IMAGES PREVIOUS DAY'S PHOTOS
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The situation is developing.
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The Martian, Ridley Scott's latest science fiction film and the best movie he's directed in years, is a faithful adaptation of the novel by Andy Weir. It's one of the best space movies I've seen in a long time a funny, tense testament to science, ingenuity, and working together to solve problems. But you should really read the book before you go see the film. Not because the film is bad by any means, but because the novel offers so much more. Here are three reasons to hold off on the movie and sit down with the book instead. Only very minor spoilers follow, and nothing that I think will reveal any crucial plot details or ruin the movie or the book. 1) The science. The main character in The Martian is Mark Watney. In the book, each of the Ares 3 astronauts has two jobs because they're not only really brave, they're highly educated. The best and the brightest. Watney is a botanist and a mechanical engineer. These two things both help him enormously over the course of the story. In the film, Watney is just a botanist, and we see a lot more of his botany than we do his engineering. It's great for the film, but the book simply delves so much deeper into the science. And not just with Watney, but back at NASA and throughout the book. It's science made entertaining, and it's a lot of fun. You get the "lite" version in the film, which is really for the best since we don't have eight hours to watch the movie. But if you read it first, you'll simply know a lot more about what's going on than if you just watch Scott's adaptation. 2) The humor. The Martian is a very funny movie. Humor is its secret weapon. It's what keeps the tension and worry from overtaking us as viewers. But the book is even funnier. The film does a great job making Watney a real character with a wide range of emotions maybe even better than the novel. The book, on the other hand, has lots more laughs. Partly this is just because it's a longer experience, with more room for the jokes. Mostly, though, it's because we spend so much time in Watney's head. And inside Watney's head is a pretty hilarious place to be. To its credit, even the humor changed and added to the film worked and felt true to the novel. But you're going to get a lot more humor in the book. 3) The conflict. Along similar lines, Watney's challenges in the book are much greater than in the film. There's not only more conflict and more crazy things going wrong, there are more detailed and fleshed out solutions. Probably my biggest gripe with the movie was how much of the latter half of the book's obstacles were simply cut altogether. Some of my favorite stuff or, rather, some of the most gripping drama in the novel was simply cut. I assume this was because of time and money, and it's totally understandable. But man, you miss out on some great moments. Things are constantly going wrong for Watney, and he never stops surprising us with his cleverness and his incredibly upbeat attitude in the face of enormous danger. Better still, you'll get to remain in suspense for hours and hours if you read the book first. The movie only offers up a little under two and a half hours of suspense. Not that anyone's counting. What both the book and the movie do accomplish is something truly special. This is a story about people working together toward a common goal. It's about good and brave people doing their best against the odds, and remaining hopeful in the face of awful circumstances. And it's about science and human decency bringing the whole world together to work peacefully toward a solution. How often do we get to experience that? Not very. Better still, for all its positive messages about science and global harmony, The Martian isn't cheesy or saccharine sweet. It's a truly optimistic story that's still grounded and human. Maybe it'll even help convince people that NASA and scientific research is worthwhile, part of an important bigger picture. If you don't choose to read the book, I really do think you're missing out on something special. But even so, go see the film. It's something special, too. Ultimately, I think you'll enjoy them both more if you read first and watch second, but to quote another proponent of reading you don't have to take my word for it.
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Just too damn cute.
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No one wants a piece of Farrah Abraham and the proof is in the sales of her DNA … at least according to a rep for a company that just fired her. Celebrity Gene put Farrah's liquified DNA inside a necklace and put it on the market four months ago with part of the proceeds going to charity, but claims NOT ONE PERSON purchased the stuff. Moving forward, CG says it's cutting all ties with Farrah. Instead, ALL future profits will go to the charity she chose, Operation Underground Railroad.
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Although rivals in the SEC East Division, humanity supersedes anything on the gridiron between Vanderbilt and South Carolina. The Goal have this truck loaded with bottled water enroute to Columbia Friday AM. Drop off cases Thursday 7am-7pm. pic.twitter.com/WrsfaNnffO Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) October 7, 2015 The Vanderbilt Football official Twitter page posted a picture of one of its equipment trucks Wednesday. The plan is for the vehicle to be chock-full of bottled water cases, which will be delivered to Columbia on Friday. Donations of cases of water will be accepted on Thursday until 7:00 p.m. It's a wonderful gesture by the Commodores, whose efforts will surely help those afflicted by the displacement and a lack of clean water.
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Selena Gomez Selena Gomez is receiving therapy after being criticized for gaining weight. The 'Good For You' hitmaker, who shared a photograph of herself in a skimpy black swimsuit on Instagram, with the caption "there's more to love," after showing off a slightly curvier figure in May, admits she started seeing a counsellor on a regular basis because she was so upset by negative comments about her body. She said: "I've been working in therapy. I'd land at the airport and people would yell out, 'You're fat!' It was awful." The 23-year-old singer, who first found fame as a child on 'Barney & Friends,' was very surprised to become a victim of body shaming. She told Us Weekly: "I've been working since I was seven. This was the first year I ever dealt with anyone talking about my body." But the 'Hotel Transylvania 2' star insists she is doing well. She said: "Even if I did gain weight, I'm fine. That's what the [Instagram] picture represents." The brunette beauty, who spent two weeks in rehab in early 2014 for an undisclosed condition, previously praised social media for giving her "more control" over her image and stated her responses to her haters are always "very intentional." She added: "I don't want them [the critics] to win. It's not fair for them to try to control my life. "I want to be heard, and I don't want people to see those comments and think they can bring people down, because it's not right."
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Shaquille O'Neal is always searching for non-basketball endeavors. Whether it's earning one of his many degrees, becoming a reserve police officer in Miami or working on an entertainment career that's included acting and rapping, Shaq is always promoting one, singular brand: himself. Shaq's not a person anymore. He's an institution. He's the Olsen Twins except twice as big as both of them combined. And now, like Mary-Kate and Ashley, he's creating content for kids. That's right, Shaq is now a children's author, and we have video of the future Hall of Famer visiting the New York Public Library on a promotional tour to prove it. The book is called "Little Shaq" and, I assume, is meant to teach kids the definition of "oxymoron." "I kind of want to get back to the basics and just help children have fun," says Shaq in the video. "I want to be known as 'The Doctor of Fun.'" Well, there you have it. Shaq has a new self-appointed nickname to add to the résumé. That said, someone should really tell the Doctor of Fun that all of this isn't going to make us forget about Kazaam. MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our NBA newsletters.
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Julio Iglesias has jumped into the U.S. political debate, calling Donald Trump "a clown" over the Republican presidential candidate's derogatory comments about Mexican migrants. The singer says he will no longer perform in casinos owned by the real estate tycoon. He says Trump is forgetting what immigrants have done for the United States. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia, Iglesias says of Trump: "He's a clown. I have sung many times in his casinos, but I will no longer do it." Iglesias is in Mexico for a couple of concerts before he begins a tour of Asia.
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Young love! Paris Jackson and her boyfriend Chester Castellaw look blissfully in love while running errands in Malibu. The adorable couple was seen kissing and hugging during their evening outing, and by the looks of it, these two can't seem to keep their hands off of one another. Michael Jackson's 17-year-old daughter (complete with her newly dyed locks) smiled from ear-to-ear as her beau of a little over one year planted a kiss on her cheek as she waited to pump gas for her car.
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Luckily, no one was hurt.
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USA Today Sports' Brant James breaks down the Bank of America 500.
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Randy Quaid and his wife Evi have been detained in Canada. Law enforcement did not reveal why the couple was picked up in Montreal, but an immigration official told TMZ that Quaid will have a detention review hearing Thursday. Evi Quaid confirmed on Twitter that the couple had been arrested, writing, "i love that Canada needs to learn how to wake up and criticize its crappy government ps we got arrested by an actual tall midget." The couple fled to Canada after legal trouble in the U.S. after using fake credit cards to avoid a $10,000 hotel bill.
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The catastrophic airstrike on a hospital in Kunduz has prompted calls for international investigations, and allegations of war crimes. It's a black mark on the US operation in Afghanistan, which enters its 15th year and has seen tens of thousands of US troops deployed. We asked some of them, members of The World's community of veterans, if what's happening in Kunduz caused them to regret their service there. Unsurprisingly, they were divided. One veteran said "I feel like the whole effort in Afghanistan was futile." "I served in Kunduz from 2011 to 2013. We worked very hard to build connections and bring peace to the entire province. To see it lost is a little disheartening," said another. Another said "My only regret is that we left the job unfinished. There was instability when we arrived and when we left. Unfortunately we soldiers do not make the decisions in war." And another: "I'm very disgusted. I can't believe we would violate the Geneva accords so blatantly. I don't regret my service, but I'd like to see those responsible put on trial." "It is very sad and tragic but most of us veterans saw this coming many years ago." "I have never regretted my f****** service. It's time the people of Afghanistan stood up for themselves. Too many good soldiers died for people who are not even willing to bleed for their own freedom." "Yes, I went to combat to free a nation. I lost friends there. I live with PTSD and wounds every day. Now the place I feel like I left part of my soul is worse than before. For what? No one knows?" "No regrets. Fog of War. It was accident and a way to fix our processes and do better. We did good when I was there. I feel honor about my service for this country." "I installed communication equipment all over Afghanistan @ provincial police headquarters, specifically to aid in getting assistance from surrounding areas to defend their regions from the Taliban. I have been to bases, spent hours traveling, hundreds of days away from my family-- to read news about how we are losing those same regions. It is very sad and tragic but most of us veterans saw this coming many years ago." "No, I'm proud of my service and I know it was worth it," says 36-year-old Graham Pulliam who served as a Marine in both Iraq and Afghanistan. "If my national leadership can't accomplish the simple task of developing a coherent and actionable strategy then I'll bank on the seeds we planted: the Afghan Soldiers we lived and patrolled with and the villagers and children we helped." Pulliam says his war experience was largely shaped by an ETT, an Embedded Training Team mission. "We were 4 service members embedded with an Afghan Army company, and we lived with those guys so it was a very formative experience that shaped my whole outlook on the war." Pulliam says that he's well aware that key areas of Afghanistan that he fought to secure were retaken by Taliban. But he says, "We won't know what we left behind until years down the road. I think the Afghan soldiers that we patrolled with, you know what did they learn from my Marines? I think of the kids we interacted with. What did seeing somebody that just wanted to make sure they were healthy and could go to school, what seed did that plant? I'm not naive enough to say that's the only force at work in that country because it's extremely complex but I think that something could come from that."
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Toronto has caught Blue Jays fever. On Thursday morning at 10 a.m., the Toronto Blue Jays started selling tickets to the American League Championship Series. At 10:30 a.m., SVP of Business Operations for the Blue Jays Stephen Brooks sent a tweet out saying that 80,000 fans were in queue to purchase tickets. Keep in mind that the Rogers Centre holds 54,000 at capacity. There are 80,000 people in queue for tickets so system slows. Don't refresh or leave page. Take whatever tix you get is my advice. Stephen R Brooks (@sbrooksbaseball) October 7, 2015 By 11:18 a.m. they were sold out. There's no guarantee that these tickets will even be used -- the Jays will have to get through the suddenly-hot Texas Rangers in the ALDS to advance. But if they do, you can count on Toronto fans filling the stadium to the brim as they make their first playoff appearance since 1993. (h/t Toronto Star ) MORE MLB: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our MLB newsletters.
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Detriot Lions fan probably loved seeing these billboards after Monday's painful loss to the Seahawks.
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The reproductive system of horses has barely changed at all over the last 48 million years, according to a new study which analyzed the fossil of a fetus belonging to what is the oldest known horse ancestor. The discovery of the fetus and its mother was made at the Grube Messel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located near Frankfurt, Germany. The bones were first found in 2000, but scientists have only now concluded their study of the fetus. The resulting paper was published on Thursday in the open-access science journal PLOS ONE . The horse-like creature was classified as belonging to Eurohippus messelensis , a now-extinct genus of equids the taxonomic family to which horses, donkeys and zebras belong. The horse is thought to date back to the Eocene Epoch, which lasted from about 56 million to 34 million years ago. The fetus, which scientists believe to be the oldest of its kind, measures 4.9 inches in length, with almost all of its bones present (apart from the skull, which seems to have been crushed). The researchers believe that the mare died shortly before it could give birth, but that animal's death was unrelated to childbearing. Significantly, soft tissue from both the mother and fetus has been preserved. The researchers believe they have tissue from the placenta that supplied the fetus with nutrients from the mother's uterus as well as from uterine ligament that connected the uterus to the mother's vertebrae and the pelvis. The discovery suggests that the reproductive system in the ancient horse-like animals was very similar to that of modern descendents, according to Jens Lorenz Franzen, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt and the paper's lead author. On the other hand, says Franzen, a lot else has changed in the last 48 million years. For example, horses of the Eocene Epoch would have had four hooves on each forelimb and three on each hindlimb, making a total of 14 hooves. Now, horses only have four hooves. "You can imagine the amount of evolution which took place...during those 48 million years but the [reproductive] system, in so far as we know it now, was already present at that time," says Franzen. He says the reproductive system may have developed during the Paleocene Epoch between 66 million and 56 million years ago or even during the time of the dinosaurs in the Mesozoic Era , which lasted from about 252 million to 66 million years ago. The original discovery was made by a team from the Senckenberg Museum. According to UNESCO , the Grube Messel is the world's most important fossil site for understanding the Paleogene Period, which includes the Eocene Epoch and stretches from 66 to 23 million years ago. The Paleogene is also the period during which the first modern mammals emerged. Most mammals are placental, meaning that they bear live offspring that are nourished prior to birth in the mother's uterus via the placenta. Some 4,000 species are placental mammals, including horses, dogs and humans.
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Antti Raanta has cooled down considerably since his heat-of-the-moment comments in the summer put him in hot water. Raanta kept his emotions in check in his return to the Windy City on Wednesday prior to the New York Rangers' season-opening game versus the Chicago Blackhawks. The backup goaltender was traded to the Rangers a mere 12 days after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in June. Raanta reiterated that he was briefly upset after falling behind backup Scott Darling on the depth chart when he told Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat that he was rooting against Chicago in the playoffs. The 26-year-old Raanta also told reporters that he had made peace with having his name left off the Stanley Cup as well. "I didn't want to say anything bad about the 'Hawks," the 26-year-old Raanta told the Chicago Sun-Times . "I understand the fans can be a little disappointed in me. But hopefully they understand I wasn't thinking that the whole playoff time. It was one hour in one day. When you're frustrated, you have a lot of things going on in your mind." Antti Raanta was back in the UC today and was presented with his championship ring by VP of Hockey Ops Al MacIsaac! pic.twitter.com/7C45brZUQd Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 7, 2015 Chicago cited a numbers game for its reason for leaving Raanta's name off the Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks must submit 52 names, with the lone rule for inclusion being a player must appear in 41 of the team's 82 regular-season contests or at least one Stanley Cup final game. Raanta (7-4-1 with two shutouts and a 1.89 goals-against average) played in only 14 contests, but dressed as a backup to either Corey Crawford or Darling in more than the requirement. "I didn't know what to think about that," Raanta told CSN Chicago . "There's a number of how many names you can put on there. It's not there, so it's not there. I know I was part of the team, so that's good enough. What are you going to do?" Raanta did receive quite a consolation prize on Wednesday when Blackhawks vice president Al MacIsaac presented him with a championship ring. The ring has 355 round, pear, marquise and princess-cut diamonds totaling 10.8 carats and is set in 14-karat white gold.
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TORONTO (AP) -- The Toronto Maple Leafs' Mike Babcock made the first coach's challenge in NHL history and was successful in overturning a goal by the Montreal Canadiens. Babcock challenged Jeff Petry's apparent goal in the second period of the opener Wednesday night, arguing that Tomas Plekanec interfered with goalie Jonathan Bernier. Referees Frederik L'Ecuyer and Dan O'Rourke looked at the replay by the penalty box at Air Canada Centre and determined Plekanec made incidental contact with Bernier. Challenges are new to the NHL this season and can be made on goals involving goalie interference or offside plays. Because he won the challenge, Babcock would be able to challenge another play later in the game.
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After he oversaw the worst season in franchise history, Derek Fisher's first pregame speech of this campaign included an explanation of his personal problems. RELATED: Report: Matt Barnes, Derek Fisher had fight over Fisher dating Barnes' ex Not an ideal beginning. With reports circulating about his altercation and love triangle in Los Angeles , Fisher addressed the topic to his overhauled roster roughly two hours before its tipoff Wednesday against Brazilian club Bauru at the Garden. But in low and subdued tones during a press conference, the 41-year-old declined to give his story about the dustup with tattooed Memphis forward Matt Barnes. ISOLA: FISHER SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE "Personal and private matters are personal and private. We're obviously public figures, but we're at work," Fisher said. "So I won't be commenting on anything that happened personally or privately for me. So my state of mind is that we have a game tonight. Nothing that I've experienced has anything to do with how we perform tonight. I'm completely focused and committed to the team. Not distracting in any way. And that's about it." Fisher then defended his character, while hinting that the circumstances were beyond his control. Barnes reportedly drove to the home of his estranged wife, Gloria Gavon, seeking and carrying out a physical confrontation with Fisher. Gavon is reportedly dating Fisher, who recently split with his wife. "Individually I can't control how individual players handle distraction," Fisher said. "That's an individual process for each guy. Like I said to them, you try your best and I tried it for a long time as a player, too − you try to limit my distraction. But some things you can't control. I was very honest as far as that goes." Carmelo Anthony said the drama involving his coach "kind of caught everybody off guard." FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE But Anthony, whose wife has a reality TV show, is familiar with his private life becoming public, so he has a different insight than others into the drama surrounding Fisher. "Nowadays it's a fine line between private life and our day job," he said. "Nowadays it starts to intertwine with one another. You can try to compartmentalize a lot of the things that's going on your personal stuff, your family, your business that's off the court and when it's time to play ball we play ball." Point guard Jose Calderon was satisfied with Fisher's speech, even if the Spaniard believed it wasn't totally necessary. One person who didn't hear the pregame speech was Phil Jackson, the Knicks president who arrived at the Garden roughly 45 minutes before tipoff. "It's a personal matter, it's a private thing. He'll handle it and everybody has their own life and sometimes you have to handle that," Calderon told the Daily News. "Sometimes it goes public because of who we are. But after that, I think it's done. We're worried about our opponent right now. It's done. "It's good with me. But either way, it's something personal. You can address your friend or brother or family or not if it's out there. But whatever, I think everybody is different." Fisher missed practice in New York a day after the alleged fight with Barnes, with the Knicks calling it a "personal matter." Fisher declined to expound on that Wednesday, but hinted that his trip to L.A. was about his children. "I don't want to get into why I really missed practice. I guess I'll cover that at some point," he said. "I think you guys know my choice six or seven months ago in terms of my family and where my kids live. As far as that goes, the guys are the ones who know who I am and what I'm about."
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There has been no decision to move forward with a no-fly zone in Syria, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, following reports that Secretary of State John Kerry has raised the option of a no-fly-zone to protect civilians. Quoting senior administration officials, CNN reported on Tuesday that Kerry has raised the possibility of a no-fly zone in Syria along the northern border, with some initial talk about another one near the southern border with Jordan. CNN said the idea was presented at a National Security Council meeting last Thursday even though U.S. President Barack Obama has rejected it, arguing that a political transition in which President Bashar al-Assad stepped aside was the way to address Syria's crisis. State Department spokesman John Kirby told a daily briefing on Wednesday that the administration continued to discuss how best to go after Islamic State in Syria. "We continue to have discussions about how to best go after ISIL (Islamic State), and particularly there in Syria, in northern Syria in particular," Kirby said. "We've talked about the concerns that the Turks have expressed about the movement of ISIL there in northern Syria." He added: "And to date, there's been no decision to move forward with a no-fly zone." At the White House briefing, spokesman Josh Earnest said a no-fly zone was not being considered right now. "We've not been in a position to take it off the table or to rule it out in the future, but we have indicated that it's not something that we're considering right now," Earnest said. U.S. NATO ally Turkey has long campaigned for a no-fly zone in northern Syria to keep Islamic State and Kurdish militants from its border and help stem the tide of displaced civilians trying to cross. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday reiterated her support for a no-fly zone but said Russia would need to be on board. Obama made clear his opposition to the idea during a news conference on Friday, saying he would continue to support moderate opposition groups in Syria. "When I hear people offering up half-baked ideas as if they are solutions, or trying to downplay the challenges involved in this situation - what I'd like to see people ask is, specifically, precisely, what exactly would you do, and how would you fund it, and how would you sustain it? And typically, what you get is a bunch of mumbo jumbo," he added. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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MOUNT VERNON, Iowa Hillary Rodham Clinton says she opposes the big Pacific Rim trade accord backed by President Barack Obama. The Democratic presidential candidate says in an interview with PBS there are too many "unanswered questions" about the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She says, "What I know about it as of today, I am not in favor." The free trade deal backed by the administration has been opposed by liberal Democrats and labor unions. Clinton helped lay the foundation for the deal as Obama's secretary of state. She joins Democratic rivals Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley who warn it could lead to lost American jobs. The pact is central to Obama's attempt to engage with Asia to offset a rising Chinese influence in the region.
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Volkswagen (NASDAQOTH: VLKAY) U.S. chief Michael Horn is set to testify before the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday. It's likely to be an unpleasant day for Horn. Representatives are angry with VW after the discovery that the German automotive giant rigged many of its cars with software that cheated on emissions tests. But it's the U.S. Senate -- among many others -- that may be gearing up to take a hard shot at Volkswagen. The Senate wants to talk about those "clean diesel" tax credits The Senate Finance Committee released a letter on Wednesday that was sent by Chairman Orrin Hatch and ranking Democrat Ron Wyden (Oregon) to Horn and his boss, new VW CEO Matthias Mueller . The letter is a doozy. It starts out by noting that the committee has "oversight jurisdiction of all tax matters" and has the authority to investigate "possible fraud and abuse" -- and it's going to investigate the tax credits that were given to buyers of certain diesel-powered VW products. Under laws designed to encourage automakers to make greener cars (and to encourage people to buy them), certain types of vehicles are eligible for tax credits -- including so-called "clean diesels." "In 2008, Volkswagen certified to the Internal Revenue Service that the 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Sedan and SportWagen qualified for $1,300 in tax credits per vehicle sale," the letter said. "Volkswagen sold at least 60,000 of these vehicles by July 1, 2010, after which the credit amount was reduced in half until December 31 of that year." The letter then notes that VW has essentially admitted that those cars weren't "clean" because they didn't comply with emissions laws -- and that it rigged them to (falsely) pass the tests anyway. And then it gets to the point: "These figures suggest that well over $50 million in tax subsidies went to purchasers of these vehicles, depending on the number of purchasers who claimed the credit." You can see where this is going, right? Congress wants its money back. VW board holds "crisis talks" as big deadlines loom Separately, Reuters reported that VW's supervisory board held "crisis talks" on Wednesday, as a deadline to respond to the German government approached. German officials have demanded that VW present a plan for fixing all of the affected vehicles (in Germany, at least) by the end of the day on Wednesday. VW is under tremendous pressure to explain what happened, who was responsible, and how it will fix the 11 million affected vehicles around the world. The company is in turmoil, with senior executives scrambling to come up with answers -- and to make harsh cuts to spending in anticipation of the massive fines it will soon owe. The owners of the vehicles are also demanding answers. Will VW's "repair" reduce their cars' performance or fuel economy? It's likely that aggressive targets for both were why VW's engineers chose to cheat in the first place: Emissions controls can hinder performance and reduce fuel economy. The upshot: VW needs to come up with answers, fast The Reuters report quoted an unnamed source "close to the matter" as saying that VW's senior management has a "certain degree of fright" ahead of Horn's testimony in Congress. Officials in both the U.S. and Germany are demanding answers, or will be shortly -- and VW is running out of time to come up with some. Horn's testimony before the House panel is likely to be big news on Thursday. Assuming that VW delivers some sort of plan to German regulators tonight, we may know much more about the origins -- and cost -- of the scandal by Thursday evening. Sponsored: The next billion-dollar iSecret The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something at its recent event, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here .
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Michael Fassbender Michael Fassbender says he's "not a very techie person." The 'Steve Jobs' star, who portrays the late Apple co-founder and CEO in the upcoming biopic, admits he was "very nervous" about accepting the role because he didn't know anything about the American businessman or look like him. He said: "I'm not a very techie person. I use all the Apple products, but I had no real insight into him. "I was nervous. I was very nervous. It was going to be a big challenge, the volume of words alone." The 38-year-old star credits director Danny Boyle for urging him to take the part. Michael told The Hollywood Reporter: "I was like, 'I don't look anything like him.' And Danny was like, 'That's not what we're going for. I'm looking for someone who can capture an essence.' " The Irish heartthrob wasn't the only one worried about starring in the film, as screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was forced to apologize to the actor when the Sony hack revealed he was unhappy with Michael's casting. He said: "I said, 'Dear Michael: I fear that you've had to read that I didn't want you to play this part' " Meanwhile, Kate Winslet, who plays Jobs' confidante and long-time colleague Joanna Hoffman, only expressed interest in joining the cast after hearing about the script from her make-up artist. The Oscar winner, 40, recalled: "She said, 'God, the script is really so fantastic.' She described the nature of the film and how it's constructed in three acts. And I finally said, 'What's the girl's part?' "
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Hearing a death penalty case for the first time since their divisive lethal-injection ruling in June, the nine justices of U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared poised to rule against two brothers challenging their sentences for a Kansas crime spree known as the "Wichita Massacre." Jonathan and Reginald Carr were sentenced to death after being convicted of the crimes committed in December 2000 in Wichita, including the execution-style murders of one woman and three men on a snowy soccer field. But the Kansas Supreme Court threw out their sentences last year, faulting the trial judge's instructions to the jury and saying the brothers should have been sentenced in separate proceedings rather than together. Kansas appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to have the death sentences restored. The appeal does not directly address the constitutionality of the death penalty, and there was little sign of the tensions over capital punishment that flared among the justices when they ruled 5-4 in June that Oklahoma's lethal-injection procedure did not violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Liberal Justices Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissenting in that ruling, suggested it could be time for the court to rule that the death penalty is unconstitutional. The Carr brothers' crimes included the kidnapping of three men and two women in a home invasion. The brothers raped the women, forced the men to have intercourse with the women and ordered the women to perform sex acts on each other. The five victims were driven to ATM machines and told to withdraw money. Then they were lined up on a soccer field and shot in the head. One of those kidnapped, a woman named in court papers as Holly G., managed to survive because a bullet deflected off a hair-clip she was wearing. She testified against the brothers during their trial. 'AMONG THE WORST' The gruesome nature of the "Wichita Massacre" was not lost on the justices. "We see practically every death penalty case that comes up anywhere in the country. These have to rank as among the worst," Justice Samuel Alito said. The only reference to the court's sparring over the Oklahoma death penalty case came from Justice Antonin Scalia, who has a history of backing capital punishment. Scalia said the fact that Kansas has nine prisoners on death row "could suggest that Kansans, unlike our Justice Breyer, do not think the death penalty is unconstitutional and indeed very much favor it." Breyer did not respond. The justices appeared likely to rule against the brothers on both legal issues raised. The first was whether the Constitution requires trial judges to tell the jury that mitigating evidence introduced during the sentencing phase of the trial does not need to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The trial judge made no such statement in this case. The second question was whether the brothers should have had separate sentencing proceedings. Lawyers for the younger brother, Jonathan, 20 at the time of the murders, attempted to show that Reginald, three years older, was a "corrupting influence." The court heard the Carr cases along with another appeal from Kansas, which involved a man named Sidney Gleason convicted of a 2004 double murder, that also raised the jury instruction issue. Due to legal complexities in the cases, the Carrs and Gleason could win new sentencing hearings based on state law even if the high court rules against them. The state appeals court left various convictions in place for the Carrs including one murder count per brother, meaning both still would eligible for the death penalty if they get new hearings. A ruling is due by the end of June. (Reporting by Lawrence Hurley; Editing by Will Dunham)
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Sure, this guy got a lot of help from a trampoline. But boy can he fly.
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WASHINGTON House conservatives moved Wednesday to prevent Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy from securing enough votes to be elected speaker, pushing for rules changes before the House has to select a speaker at the end of the month. Republicans will gather Thursday to nominate a new speaker, but that nominee must win a majority vote on the House floor at least 218 votes on Oct. 29 to take the gavel. McCarthy is the overwhelming favorite to win the nomination, but the conservatives who helped push out Speaker John Boehner are not yet ready to back the Californian. "There's not 218 for Mr. McCarthy or anybody else today," said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kan., at a Wednesday gathering of conservatives convened by the Heritage Foundation. "The vote that matters is on Oct. 29," said Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. The House Freedom Caucus a group of about 35 lawmakers plans to vote for Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Fla., on Thursday, which would deny McCarthy the 218 votes he will need and give conservatives leverage to demand rules changes before the end of the month. Webster is a long-shot candidate who won 12 votes for speaker when he ran against Boehner in January. The group is agitating for a series of changes to House procedures to reduce the speaker's control over the legislative process. They want more votes in committee and more opportunities to bring amendments to the floor, even amendments that are likely to lose or may force other Republicans to cast politically sensitive votes. "Whoever wins tomorrow has three weeks to make those changes," said Rep. Raúl Labrador, R-Idaho. "They are making the promises today but they actually have three weeks to make the changes and present them to the conference before we even vote on the floor." Labrador said the key is that the changes "have to be concrete.They can't be 'we are going to organize a committee to talk about these changes.' " "I think we really did appreciate Webster's approach of from the ground up,'' said caucus member John Fleming, R-La.. "That instead of the speaker dictating what the agenda and what the bill will contain and what the amendments are going to be that we let members decide that and we let the committees decide that. So we like that. And we certainly encourage both Chaffetz and McCarthy that if they're elected, that they go towards that model in some way.'' House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers convened a task force for its first meeting Wednesday to consider changes in House procedures. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said that naming McCarthy speaker would enrage grass-roots groups and further fuel support for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Contributing: Deborah Barfield Berry
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Asked in a television interview with German public broadcaster ARD, the chancellor said a migrant freeze would not be practical. "How should that work?" Merkel told talk show host Anne Will. "You cannot just close the borders." "There is no sense in my promising something that I cannot deliver," she stated, repeating an earlier assertion that German was able to deal with the crisis. "We will manage," said Merkel. "I am quite strongly convinced of that." The chancellor said that her duty was "to do everything possible and have optimism and inner certainty that this problem can be solved." Merkel responded to criticism from Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer, leader of Merkel's conservative coalition partner the CSU, that Berlin had no plan. "Yes, I have a plan," she stressed. Appeal to European lawmakers Earlier in the day, Merkel had told the European Parliament that Europe needed to rewrite its rules on immigration. "Let's be frank. The Dublin process, in its current form, is obsolete," Merkel told the assembly in Strasbourg, referring to the Dublin rules under which refugees must apply for asylum in the first EU country that they enter. The chancellor was delivering a joint appeal alongside French President Francois Hollande. Merkel appealed for a new procedure" to redistribute asylum seekers "fairly" throughout the 28-nation bloc. German authorities said on Wednesday they had registered some 577,000 asylum seekers in the first nine months of the year, a third of whom claim to be Syrian. rc/jr (AFP, AP, dpa)
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Asian stocks traded mixed on Thursday despite a positive lead from Wall Street, with Chinese equities outperforming after mainland markets resumed trade after a week-long holiday. Major U.S. indexes closed higher overnight, helped by a recovery in health care stocks and gains in energy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJA) closed up 0.7 percent, while the S&P 500 (.SPX) and Nasdaq composite (.IXIC) gained 0.8 and 0.9 percent, respectively. The key focus of investors on Thursday is on China markets, which reopened after National Day holidays. The Shanghai Composite (.SSEC) opened up 3.5 percent at 3,158.90. "China is back from its week-long National Day celebrations and has plenty to catch up on," said Evan Lucas, market strategist at IG. Since the market closed on October 1, the Hang Seng has risen 8 percent, while H-shares, or Chinese companies that trade on the Hong Kong stock exchange, have gained 10.5 percent, according to IG. "Strap in for a rally in China's stock markets today. They've been closed for the last five trading days during which global equities rallied steadily, including overnight in the U.S.," added Tim Condon, head of research for Asia at ING Bank. Elsewhere in Greater China, Taiwan's Taiex edged down 0.1 percent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index (.HSI) slipped 0.5 percent. Bucking the downtrend, shares of movie theater equipment maker IMAX China ,rose in their trading debut in Hong Kong, last seen at around HK$33.15 ($4.28), compared with their initial public offering (IPO) price of HK$31.00. ASX hits 5-1/2 week high Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index (.AXJO) rose 0.3 percent to 5,204.2, its fourth straight day of gains and touching its highest intraday level since Aug. 31, helped by gains in materials, energy and resource-related stocks as investors sought bargains after months of heavy selling. Heavyweights BHP Billiton (BHP-AU) and Fortescue Metals (FMG-AU) rose 2.9 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, Shares of Macquarie Group (MQG-AU) were halted from trade as the country's top investment bank announced it had agreed to buy ANZ Banking Group's dealer finance portfolio for A$8.2 billion ($5.91 billion). Macquarie's bid beat offers from U.S. private equity giant Carlyle and China's HNA Group. Elsewhere in the financial space, shares of Bank of Queensland rallied over 8 percent after the lender reported a 22 percent rise in full year profit to $318 million. Nikkei slips on soft economic data Japan's Nikkei 225 (.N225) edged down 0.8 percent as investors digested machinery orders data that fell well short of expectations. Machinery orders a leading indicator of corporate capital spending fell 3.5 percent on year in August, well below the 4.2 percent rise forecast by economists polled by Reuters. The weak data appears to be at odds with the Bank of Japan's more sanguine view on the economy. On Wednesday after finishing its two-day monetary policy meeting, the central bank said: "Japan's economy continues to recover moderately although exports and production have been affected by the slowdown in emerging economies." South Korea's KOSPI (.KS11) traded relatively flat in the morning session. The index closed up 0.8 percent on Wednesday, boosted by an 8.7 percent surge in heavyweight Samsung Electronics (593-KR) . Meanwhile, markets in Southeast Asia were mixed. Singapore's STI (.STI) edged down 0.4 percent, while Malaysia's KLCI (.KLSE) and Indonesia's Jakarta Composite rose 0.3 and 0.8 percent, respectively.
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Travel packages aren't just for budget tourists following tour guides with red umbrellas anymore. Travelers accustomed to five stars and first class can easily save with them, too. Airlines, hotels and car-rental companies have gotten more aggressive at offering unpublished discount prices through bundled packages, and online travel agencies are making it easier to book packages, even on smartphones. Business travelers, too, can save big buying airline tickets and hotel rooms together. Airlines Reporting Corp., a data firm that processes tickets bought through travel agencies, used airline data and Expedia hotel rates to calculate average savings of 30% in trips from the U.S. to London last summer, 24% to Paris and 22% to Las Vegas, Maui and Cancún. Savings on packages to New York averaged 19% and New Orleans 18%. The new style of packages caters to today's do-it-yourself consumers who want to book their own itineraries after carefully researching hotels, flights and attractions. Hotels, like airlines, have gotten smarter about targeting particular types of travelers, too. They're offering their best prices to people likely to stay longer, come back more frequently and, most important, spend more in shops, restaurants, casinos, spas and room service. The savings are real. A Nov. 21 to Nov. 28 trip to Maui from Seattle over Thanksgiving was 12% less when purchased as a package compared with a la carte. It came to $7,455 for seven nights at the Four Seasons Maui at Wailea and $3,518 for nonstop Hawaiian Airlines flights for two people, or a total of $10,973, when booked directly at the Four Seasons and Hawaiian websites. The same trip is $20 more total when priced on Expedia. But book the same Four Seasons garden-view room with a king bed and the same flights together on Expedia and the package price was $9,657 savings of more than $1,300. Traveling from Boston to Miami the same week was priced last week at $4,516 if bought directly from the Loews Miami Beach and American Airlines, including daily resort fees. Expedia's prices if bought separately were slightly lower. But the Expedia package price was 12% lower: $3,968, or savings of $548. In the first half of this year, Orbitz says packages generated $20 million in savings on travel bookings, with average savings of $155 per trip. Orbitz says package bookings to Mexico, one of the most popular package destinations, were up 16% last month, compared with September 2014. Expedia, which recently acquired Orbitz but still operates the two separately, says its packages save, on average, $226 based on actual bookings. Package sales are growing at a rate greater than 20%, Expedia Senior Vice President Greg Schulze says. One reason airlines, hotel and car-rental companies offer deep package discounts: Consumers and competitors can't see what actual prices are. The discounted prices aren't listed in public reservation systems, where competitors can match prices. With packages, airlines and hotels can offer even deeper discounts if they want to lure more customers from particular cities, perhaps to entice customers from a competing airline's hub airport without starting a fare war. They might eye certain cities where customers tend to spend more. Longer stays may generate better prices; weekdays are often cheaper than weekends at resorts, but urban destinations with lots of business travelers will target weekend packages for deep discounts. "The package shopper books twice as far in advance, stays twice as long and is less likely to cancel," Mr. Schulze says. "So the hotelier gets a good customer." Historically, the giant vacation package business has centered on tours sold by traditional travel agencies, often as group trips with guides and transportation built in. Those packages sometimes have limited choices for hotels and flights, and comparison shopping can be difficult. Online travel agencies make it more mix-and-match, offering individual trips that even business travelers might use to save money. Airlines and hotels tell online travel agencies what they'll charge for a package if their prices aren't disclosed. Then travel agencies set the total price, usually building in their own markup. Technology has allowed hotels to change prices rapidly, as airlines do, based on how particular dates at individual properties are selling. Hotels can also track competitors' pricing more closely. Airlines and hotels have gotten bolder about pricing, Mr. Schulze says. At the same time, online travel agencies have made it easier to book packages. Instead of a package coming with a fixed airline itinerary, shoppers can now select the particular flights they want after selecting a hotel. Preferred airlines or nonstop flights may push the price higher, but travelers like the flexibility of choosing their flights. They can also select first-class and business-class seats, and upgrade hotel rooms before they buy. Orbitz began offering packages through mobile devices in August. Buying a vacation package can be complex, with lots of choices and sometimes thousands of dollars involved. But some shoppers are comfortable making a purchase like that through smartphones. Unlike spur-of-the-moment hotel-room bookings, bookings made through smartphones on Orbitz have an average cost of $1,658 and four-night duration, and are made nearly two months in advance. "It's not what you think of when you think of mobile," says Chris Brown, chief product officer at Orbitz. "Consumers are getting more and more comfortable making big purchases on that device." Henrique Certad checked airline and hotel prices carefully for a mid-September trip from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to New York City for his family of four. Prices for hotels seemed particularly high. Then he followed an Orbitz suggestion on his smartphone to look at package pricing. The family got five nights at the Excelsior Hotel, near the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park, and three seats on Spirit Airlines nonstop for $1,950. Orbitz says they saved 41% on that package. Knowing Spirit's fee-happy pricing structure, Mr. Certad, his wife and two daughters, ages 4 and 1, packed just one suitcase. "I don't know why they do that, but what I do know is in the end, the cost was much better for us," says Mr. Certad, who works for an architectural firm in Miami. With most packages, travelers can collect airline miles. With hotels, policies vary and some deals may not earn loyalty points. And cancellations can be tricky. Expedia passes through whatever policies airlines, hotels and other travel companies have, so a package might end up being mostly nonrefundable. Most, however, leave the airline portion nonrefundable and hotel portion refundable up to a cancellation deadline, sometimes even the day of arrival. And buyer beware: Airlines from Spirit to American offer their own packaging, grouping hotels and car rentals with their tickets. But those packages often come with severe cancellation penalties sometimes they're even completely nonrefundable if you have to cancel close to departure. Write to Scott McCartney at [email protected]
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travel
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Stress is a common roadblock to productivity at work. But what exactly is stressing workers out? Wrike , a project management software provider, decided to find out by asking 1,500 knowledge workers in various positions and companies to rank a list of common work hurdles from the most to the least stressful. Below are the top five stressors at work based on this 2015 work survey management report from Wrike : . 1. Missing information Andrew Filev, CEO and founder of Wrike, says the top stressor missing information is an indication of dependence on others as technology allows more and more workers to collaborate across countries and time zones. "If you've got the time and the energy and the passion to work, but you're being blocked by something else, it is very frustrating," says Filev. He suggests incorporating tools or systems that will allow all members of a team to see where a project stands and, perhaps, why it is not progressing. When team members have a central home online for a project, then everyone can easily see when another member is at a roadblock due to missing information from another member, he explains. This method keeps team members accountable in real time. 2. Problems with prioritization of tasks Filev says that prioritization is key to succeeding or failing at your career. "There is more and more work everyday and it's only going to get worse or better depending on what you do about it," Filev said. Improving your prioritization habits comes down to focusing on the most important task until it's finished and then moving on to the next most important thing, he says. Filev recommends that workers follow the Agile Project Management method that has taken over the software industry and prides itself on responding to change in a quick and smart manner by adding, taking away, or reordering tasks according to changes in the industry or new requests from stakeholders or customers. 3. Unrealistic goals for projects Unrealistic goals for projects is often a result of insufficient or poor communication, Filev says. Inbound requests will continue to increase on top of already unrealistic demands because other people don't know what tasks you're working on at any given time. "So for them, the goals could be very realistic," Filev said. Make sure you are clearly communicating with your team and your manager about what you've got on your plate and all important deadlines. Then, prioritize your most important tasks and communicating to your colleagues why those tasks are the most important. "If I cannot do everything in the world then at least I can communicate why what I'm doing is so important for the company," Filev says. 4. Deadlines often moved around "The reality of life is business moves fast, markets move fast, technology moves fast so as we get more and more information you often have to change your decision," he explains. This often results in changing deadlines. Rather than stressing out when things change, Filev suggests learning to live with and work around them. 5. Unclear leadership While unclear leadership can be frustrating for workers who are relying on their boss to provide direction for the team, Filev says workers should remember that their bosses are human, too. "They are as overwhelmed as we are," he adds. Filev suggests that workers remember: one, that bosses aren't always perfect, and two, that communication is often the best solution for problems of ambiguity. If you are unclear about a specific task or an overall company goal, then schedule a time to talk with your boss in a respectful manner. Come prepared with specific questions and ask for clear answers, he advises.
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lifestyle
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What else can we say about the latest Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that we haven't said before? From our first test: "The Z06 must be ranked among the world's best." From the Z06 coupe's comparison-test win against the Nissan GT-R NISMO and Porsche 911 Turbo S: "Drink your Red Bull and splash some water on your face, because unless your last name is Vettel or Gordon, the Z06 is more than you can handle, even on your best day." And from our test of the automatic convertible: "To keep from getting arrested, we settled for short blasts of acceleration [on public roads]." To this, all we can add is "Yup." The Z06 is a formidable beast no matter which form it takes, as there's essentially no fall-off in performance from coupe to convertible. Chopping the roof from the Z06 results in no palpable difference in rigidity there's next to no shake in the cowl or the windshield header and the weight penalty is less than 90 pounds. Yet perhaps the biggest benefit to the convertible is that it allows pure, unfiltered access to an exhaust note that sounds like a Napalm Death concert being held inside a howitzer. Punch the throttle and your first thought is something like, "Great holy [CENSORED] balls of [CENSORED], this thing is brutal." The 650-hp, 650-lb-ft supercharged V-8 slingshots the Z06 to 60 mph from a rest in 3.3 seconds. The car reaches 150 mph in 17.7 seconds. It scorches a quarter-mile run in 11.4 seconds at 127 mph. These figures are essentially identical to those we've gathered from manual-transmission Z06 coupes. To beat those numbers with something else topless, you're going to either get an automatic Z06 or spend great gobs of cash on a McLaren 650S Spider or a Porsche 911 Turbo S cabriolet. And neither of those cars can claw the road with the 1.14-g tenaciousness of the Chevy, nor come close to its stupendous 138-foot stop from 70 mph. Related link: Research the Chevrolet Corvette The magnetorheological shock absorbers enable the Z06 to deliver a ride that's livable every day, and the steering is accurate, quick, and sends the car toward apexes in a way best described as predatory. The ridiculous grip levels translate to cornering speeds on back roads that would be illegal on a freeway, and what acceleration you give up with the seven-speed manual transmission 0.2 second to 60 versus the eight-speed automatic is more than made up for by the euphoric rush of redline upshifts executed via a progressive, user-friendly clutch and a positive shifter. If there's any complaint to be made about the convertible, it's that it looks a bit goofy with the top up. If you live someplace that dictates you'll drive with the roof raised for a considerable amount of time, get the coupe and take advantage of its removable targa panel on nice days. Once again, this car represents a tremendous value. The base price is $83,995, a fraction of anything else that can touch it in terms of performance. The money saved can, of course, be plowed back into the options list, and our car had another 10 grand or so in extras. These included the $3270 2LZ Preferred Equipment Group (basically a bunch of convenience features), the $2995 carbon-fiber package (painted carbon splitter, rockers, and rear spoiler), the $1795 Performance Data Recorder (a very worthy add-on that also brings navigation), a carbon interior-trim package for $995, $495 black wheels, and $100 painted carbon-fiber mirror caps. If you want to go whole hog, you can order the Z07 package to make the car even more ludicrously capable, and other available options include a customized VIN, exterior stripes, special paint colors, and competition seats. You can go well past $100,000, but outside of the Z07 kit and maybe the seats, everything that you really need is baked into the basic car, although there's nothing basic about the Z06 or its talents. As you can see, the numbers price, performance, and nearly anything else you can think of speak for themselves. Yet we can't wait for another opportunity to say this stuff all over again. Specifications > VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible PRICE AS TESTED: $93,645 (base price: $83,995) ENGINE TYPE: supercharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection Displacement: 376 cu in, 6162 cc Power: 650 hp @ 6400 rpm Torque: 650 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm TRANSMISSION: 7-speed manual DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 106.7 in Length: 177.9 in Width: 77.4 in Height: 48.6 in Passenger volume: 52 cu ft Cargo volume: 10 cu ft Curb weight: 3619 lb C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 3.3 sec Zero to 100 mph: 7.3 sec Zero to 130 mph: 12.0 sec Zero to 150 mph: 17.7 sec Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 3.9 sec Top gear, 30-50 mph: 11.7 sec Top gear, 50-70 mph: 8.9 sec Standing ¼-mile: 11.4 sec @ 127 mph Top speed (C/D est, drag limited): 185 mph Braking, 70-0 mph: 138 ft Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.14 g FUEL ECONOMY: EPA city/highway driving: 15/22 mpg C/D observed: 14 mpg Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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autos
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The House Agriculture Committee held a hearing today on changes proposed to the USDA food guidelines.
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health
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âItâs been three months!â
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lifestyle
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Hélène Darroze discovered her love of cooking at an early age. Now she runs two restaurants, has two Michelin stars and has been proclaimed best female chef of the year by a British magazine.
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foodanddrink
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Here is your game thread for tonight's match. A playoff-like match kicks off tonight for FC Dallas as they begin a two-game set with the Vancouver Whitecaps . Previews : We have tons of preview material up and ready to read before this one kicks off. REFEREE : Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Eric Boria; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Daniel Radford MLS Career: 60 games; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 15; pens: 17 SUSPENDED : VAN: Steven Beitashour (caution accumulation; through Oct. 7) WARNINGS : SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD : VAN: Sam Adekugbe , Pa-Modou Kah, Cristian Techera , Kendall Waston ... DAL: Atiba Harris SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS : VAN: Jordan Harvey , Gershon Koffie , Nicolas Mezquida, Octavio Rivero , Russell Teibert , Pedro Morales , Matias Laba ... DAL: Kellyn Acosta , Matt Hedges , Ryan Hollingshead , Victor Ulloa , Dan Kennedy , Atiba Harris, Michel DISABLED LIST : none INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES : VAN: Sam Adekugbe, Kianz Froese , Marco Bustos (Canada; vs. Ghana, 10/13); Caleb Clarke (Canada; CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship) ... DAL: Fabian Castillo (Colombia; vs. Peru, 10/8; at Uruguay, 10/13) HEAD-TO-HEAD ALL-TIME (12 meetings): Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 11 goals ... FC Dallas 7 wins, 18 goals ... Ties 2 AT VANCOUVER (7 meetings): Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 9 goals ... FC Dallas 2 wins, 8 goals ... Ties 2 FUTURE MATCH: 10/14: FC Dallas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 8 p.m. CT Coaches record: Carl Robinson vs. DAL: P4 W2 L1 D1 ... Oscar Pareja vs. VAN: P10 W3 L5 D2 How to watch Kickoff: 9:00 PM Venue: BC Place TV: TXA 21 Online: MLS Live Projected lineups : With no Fabian Castillo (call up), we will see Oscar Pareja make a couple line up changes tonight. The big question may come down to whether or not he rests Mauro Diaz again here and move to a 4-4-2 lineup with Blas Perez and David Texeira or if he keeps the 4-2-3-1. Prediction : Our staff has a full list of predictions, which one are you going with? What are you drinking? : Beer? Wine? Water? List your choice below. Here you go, comment below. We'll be adding lineups and commentary as we go along here.
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While not the biggest or strongest players on the football field, it doesn't mean kickers can't be opinionated. Excited to get to play in the real Death Valley this weekend! #gamecocknation Elliott fry (@elliott_fry22) October 7, 2015 Due to the catastrophic flooding in the greater Columbia area, the Gamecocks will be traveling to Baton Rouge to take on LSU in a "home game." Affectionately known as "Death Valley," the Tigers possess one of the most raucous and passionate home crowds in the country. South Carolina kicker Elliott Fry drew a parallel with LSU and in-state rival Clemson. Both nicknamed the Tigers, Clemson's home field also has the nickname of "Death Valley," with a rock hailing from the California desert on top of Memorial Stadium. It doesn't appear as if Fry is too impressed with his in-state rival to the Northwest.
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The ability to edit DNA is already here, but the effects of doing so are hardly understood. Genetics experts explain the potential pitfalls and alluring upside of using the technology on athletes.
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CHICAGO His fingernails chewed to the nubs, a gray Blackhawks hat pulled low over his forehead, Patrick Kane took a seat in front of his stall in the team's shiny new locker room Wednesday morning. Eight hours separated Kane and the defending Stanley Cup champions from a banner-raising night at the United Center, where they took on the Rangers in their season-opener. Exactly two months separated Kane from the Hamburg (N.Y.) Police Department confirming the Blackhawks right winger was being investigated for "an incident that allegedly occurred" at Kane's home just outside of Buffalo on the weekend of Aug. 2. RELATED: Blackhawks celebrate one last time before falling to Rangers Kane has not been charged with any crime since he was accused of sexual assault. He said in late September he didn't know what was next as far as that was concerned. But as he waits for the legal process to play out, hockey will take up plenty of his time. "I feel good when I get to the rink," Kane said Wednesday. "It's kind of like my little getaway from everything being with the guys, playing hockey, doing things I love. I'm here, I just try to focus on that." The plan worked early Wednesday. Kane watched new teammate Artemi Panarin kiss the glass after taking his pass and stuffing the puck past Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist to tie the score 1-1 less than six minutes into the game. Panarin's first NHL score was perhaps his retort to Kane's words from a day earlier, when Kane joked about the language barrier that exists between most of the team and the Russian rookie. "Yeah, that's what we have to get him to understand: 'Pass to 88,' " Kane said. "I've said that a few times to him. He just kind of laughs, goes off and keeps shooting. Hopefully we'll get him to understand that." Nothing has been lost in translation as far as Kane's game on the ice. The 26-year-old said he understands all the questions about an investigation that has taken its share of strange turns. He has said he would like to answer them, and will when he can. For now, his mind is on the present, he said. Kane wasn't sure what to expect when he was introduced at the United Center. "I don't know what the reception is going to be," he said. "But I've been fortunate to have the support (of fans and teammates)." The answer: Loud. Kane pumped his fist toward the sea of red seated around him while he skated onto the ice during pregame festivities. He received a taste of that reception when he walked the red carpet on Madison Street during player introductions three hours before the puck dropped on the 2015-16 season. Unlike some of his mates, Kane did not address the crowd, but instead acknowledged it with a wave. "Whether it's hockey or different things, we've done a good job of kind of quieting that outside noise and focusing on what we have to," Kane said. On Wednesday, that was the noise inside the United Center.
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Benches cleared at PNC Park after Tony Watson hit Jake Arrieta with a pitch in the NL Wild Card matchup. Danny Graves breaks down the situation.
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A 15-year-old boy was killed in Chicago Lawn and at least two others have been wounded in shootings since Wednesday afternoon, police said. The 15-year-old was shot in the chest about 4:40 p.m. on the 6100 block of South Rockwell Street, said Officer Thomas Sweeney, a Chicago police spokesman. The boy suffered gunshot wounds to his upper body and was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital and was later pronounced dead, Sweeney said. Officers were called to the area following a report of shots fired and found the boy unresponsive on the sidewalk, Sweeney said. At about 8:30 p.m., a 21-year-old man was shot in Englewood, police said. He was a passenger in a vehicle that in the 5600 block of South May Street when someone on foot fired shots, said Chicago Police spokesman Officer Ron Gaines. He was struck in the neck and cheek and taken to Holy Cross Hospital. He then was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition. At about 7 p.m., a 17-year-old boy was shot in the back in the Woodlawn neighborhood, Sweeney said. He told police he was walking near the 6400 block of South Ellis Avenue when he heard shots and felt pain in his back. He was taken to Comer Children's Hospital and his condition was stabilized. No one was in custody, and detectives were investigating.
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The crew breaks down the Cubs huge road win over the Pirates and explains why Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole let the playoff pressure get the best of him on Wednesday.
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H-D's urban bare-knuckled brawler is back for 2016
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Commuting to work by bike is the best way to start your day. That may sound like a bold statement, but it's been proven. It's cheaper than driving or taking public transportation no need to spend money on gas, parking or maintaining your car. Biking to work is better for your health (according to research, the average person loses 13 pounds their first year of bike riding) and a recent study shows bike commuters are less likely to be stressed out. Are you ready to turn in your steering wheel for a set of handlebars yet? If not, what's holding you back? For most people that live within a few miles of their office, the decision to cycle to work depends on how safe they think the roads are and how comfortable (read: how sweaty) they think they'll be once they get to the office. If you've considered bike commuting, but dismissed the idea because you'd rather not be stinky in your morning meeting, you should know there are options. Check out these five simple tips for a sweat-free (or almost sweat-free) bike commute. 1) Invest in a bike rack or basket. Backpacks and messenger bags are common among commuters, but that bag touching your body (especially your back) will trap heat and make you sweat. 2) Get a ventilated helmet. Letting the heat escape from your head is crucial. Other specialty gear might help too, but the helmet is key. 3) Slow down. Just as simple as it sounds you're commute doesn't have to be a race. If you don't like the sweat try taking it down a notch. 4) Try different routes or consider taking public transportation for part of the way. The fastest route to work may mean hitting some intense hills or bridges, but trying other ways could make for a more leisurely ride. When you can't beat that incline, public transportation might be an option to get you through the worst of it. 5) Keep a clean-up kit at the office. Baby wipes and a fresh coat of deodorant go a long way. Also consider riding to work in moisture-wicking (or cycle-specific) clothing, so you can step into new clothes.
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October's NHL stars: Best performances of the month Oct. 15: Carey Price made 25 saves for a shutout in the Canadiens' 3-0 win over the Rangers. Oct. 14: Anthony Duclair netted his first career hat trick to help the Coyotes blank the Ducks 4-0. Oct. 14: Michal Neuvirth made 30 saves for his second straight shutout to lead the Flyers to a 3-0 win over the Blackhawks. Oct. 14: Jimmy Hayes had a goal and three assists to help the Bruins roll by the Avalanche 6-2. Oct. 13: Blues defenseman Colton Parayko scored his first two career NHL goals in a 4-3 win over the Flames. Oct. 13: Stars center Jason Spezza, middle, earned the sixth hat trick of his career in a 4-2 Stars win over the Oilers. Oct. 13: Sharks goalie Martin Jones recorded his second straight shutout in a 5-0 win over the Capitals. Oct. 11: Mike Condon got his first career NHL win, stopping 20 shots en route to a 3-1 Canadiens win over the Senators. Oct. 10: Alex Ovechkin stepped up in the third period after his line struggled most of the game, scoring the Capitals' go-ahead goal and setting up another score to ice the 5-3 victory over the Devils. Oct. 10: Sabres center and heralded rookie Jack Eichel scored his second goal in a 4-1 loss to the Lightning. Oct. 10: Charlie Coyle scored twice to lead the Wild past the Blues 3-2. Oct. 9: Coyotes center Max Domi had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Kings. Oct. 9: Justin Abdelkader scored three goals in the Red Wings' 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs. Oct. 8: Antti Niemi made 37 saves for his 33rd career shutout and added two assists as the Stars opened the season with a 3-0 win over the Penguins. Oct. 8: Zach Parise recorded his third career hat trick to help the Wild rally for a 5-4 win over the Avalanche in the season opener. Oct. 7: Carey Price made 36 saves to lead the Canadiens to a 3-1 season-opening win over the Maple Leafs. Oct. 7: Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists to help the Canucks roll to a 5-1 win over the Flames in the season opener. Oct. 7: Joe Pavelski had a goal and a pair of assists to help the Sharks rout the rival Kings 5-1 to open the season. Oct. 7: Henrik Lundqvist made 32 saves to help the Rangers open the season with a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks.
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30-Minute Indoor Workouts that Anyone Can Make Time For 30-Minute indoor workouts that anyone can make time for On top of maintaining physical health, exercise has been shown to promote mental health and help manage stress , so ditching your daily exercise session when you're busy and stressed is not the best idea. That said, we all have those days (or weeks) when we're so completely overloaded it's impossible to imagine fitting anything else in. In those times, it's crucial to have quick, no-frills workouts that you can easily fit into your day. Since colder weather is just starting in, we consulted personal trainers, gym owners and professional athletes to get their top indoor workouts that take less than 30 minutes. There's no excuse, everyone has time for these awesome routines. Ski-Ready Thigh Burner Workout When it comes to winter, one of the very best reasons for working out is to prepare for the mountain . This thigh burner warm-up workout from Red Bull Big Mountain Freeskiing Athlete, Michelle Parker, will help get you mountain-ready. "A little warm up that I like to do is 10 squats , 10 squat jumps, 10 lunges and 10 jumping lunges. Repeat that 3 times to feel the burn. You can do those anywhere and anytime. Got 10 minutes to spare at the office? Get to work. If you periodically and spontaneously work out throughout the day, you'll feel so good and you're going to benefit from it too! If you've got a friend, it's always easier with two. You can push each other and get the intensity up! If you have a bench nearby, start on some squat jumps and then go from there. Every little bit helps!" Add this 10 minute warm-up to a short run or cycling session for a great 30 minute workout. HIIT Indoor Rowing Workout A former competitive weightlifter turned rower and owner of the personal training gym Anatomically Correct , Mike Creamer said indoor rowing "can be the most efficient, effective and challenging workout for the whole body." Here's a HIIT indoor rowing workout he practices himself: "10 intervals of 600 meters with a minute and 20 seconds of rest in between for a total of approximately four miles of rowing in a little over 20 mins…In just a little over 20 mins of work I burned 430 calories. I was working pretty hard and by my last interval my heart rate was up to about 90 percent of max." He does a HIIT rowing workout three times a week, but varies the interval time and you can also adjust for whatever time you have. Off-Season Endurance Workout "I'm a professional adventure athlete [and] this time of year I do a six week cycle focused on muscular endurance," said Patrick Sweeney , who holds a world record in mountain biking , finished second in the Olympic trials for rowing and hosts adventure shows. "I choose 10 exercises and do 30-40% of my 1 rep maximum in weight. Then I do 50-60 reps of each exercise. The only rest I get in between each exercise is switching from one exercise to the next. This is an awesome off-season workout for bikers, skiers , mountaineers and climbers and really keeps power going at the end of long races and helps prevent injuries." Below are a few of his suggested exercises for the workout. Leg press or Squats Leg Curls Incline sit ups Back Extension Hip Adduction Machine Front pull-downs Upright rows Kettlebell Bench Press Bosu ball curls Side box jumps Yoga It's widely accepted that yoga builds strength, increases flexibility and reduces stress , but you might think that the only way you can get those benefits is by taking an hour-long yoga class. Shorter sessions provide big benefits too. Here's how it works: Fit in a session first thing in the morning and make it even more accessible by practicing at home . Just a few of your favorite poses is enough and the whole session shouldn't take more than a half hour, but fitting it in will help your mind and body feel great. Beginners should try these 12 simple poses . Slow Movement Circuit Workout "A fantastic method of training that takes very little time and is extremely effective is slow-movement training. This type of training is done by performing 20 second reps 10 seconds concentrically (the up portion of a push-up, for example) and 10 seconds eccentrically (the down part of the push-up) with no pauses in movement to absolute muscle failure," said Victor Adam, a certified personal trainer and owner of Axiom Health and Fitness . "[It's] great for when you don't have access to weights as it makes your body weight sufficient to make strength and endurance gains , but the same benefits carry over when used for resistance training, either with weights or bands. However, if utilizing with weights keep in mind that this method exercise is best done with isolated movements such as the leg press or pec-deck, since the weaker muscles will give out well before your primary muscles will (such as the triceps if performing bench press)." Bodyweight Circuit Workout This indoor alternative to a traditional trip to the gym is from Samantha Clayton, a former Olympian and senior director of fitness education at Herbalife . She suggests doing each exercise for 30 seconds, with no break in between, then taking 20 seconds of rest and starting again. Mountain Climbers this move challenges your entire body, especially your core. Crunch with Twist a core move that focuses on the obliques, this take on a traditional crunch will have you "engaging your abdominal muscles as you take your right elbow toward your left knee." Speed Skater this exercise is great for getting your heart rate up and strengthening your legs. Up-Down Plank a total body move that especially targets the core. Here's how to do it . Side Hops great for getting your heart rate up and working the small muscles and tendons in the feet and ankles, complete this exercise by putting a line of tape on the ground and hopping over it. Lateral Lunge tone up your inner thighs with this sideways lunge move. The One-Dumbbell Workout One of the best workouts I use involves only one dumbbell," said Henry Halse , a strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer. And this particular workout is great for boosting strength in your arms, legs, back, and shoulders. Start by getting a dumbbell that's on the lighter side (20 pounds or less for most people) and go through the exercise circuit as many times as you can in 15 minutes. When you're done, rest for three minutes and then set a timer for 12 minutes and do it again. 10 Goblet Squats 5 Shoulder Presses (each arm) 5 Reverse Lunges (each leg) 10 Dumbbell Rows (each arm) 5 push-ups (from your knees if you have trouble with full push-ups) Stair Workout Another great workout that can be done almost anywhere, with any amount of time is a stair run. Great cardio and strength benefits for the lower body make this quick workout worthwhile. Here's how it works: According to Certified Nutritional Consultants and Co-Founders of Project Juice , Lori Kenyon Farley and Marra St. Clair, "any set of stairs…will do, and you will get a great interval workout. Sprint up the stairs and cool down as you head back to the bottom. Aim for 10 sets, with variation between hitting every step one set and every other the next." No Excuses Equipment-Free HIIT Workout "This workout is a big calorie burner and focuses on full body strength," said Krista Stryker, a personal trainer and founder of the blog and app, 12 Minute Athlete . "Since it requires no equipment, it's perfect for indoors." To start, set an interval timer for 18 rounds of 10-second and 30-second intervals. Rest on the 10-second intervals, then rotate through the following exercises on the 30-second intervals: Squat tuck jump combo Push up plank jumps High knees Side lunges Burpee lateral jumps V ups Kettlebell Workout This simple piece of equipment may be the most underrated fitness tool out there. Kettlebells boost functional fitness and offer strength and cardio benefits the best part, though, is that you can get a great workout in just 20 minutes . Here's how it works: Chances are you know about the kettlebell swing, but there are tons of other moves that will challenge you . Pick a few and create your own workout or find a circuit kettlebell workouts can be customized to fit into your schedule, regardless of how little time you have.
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An Indian man has built a giant version of a 1922 Ford Tourer and hopes to break the world record for the largest art car. Duration: 00:50
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Take a closer look at the 12 countries that have successfully fostered such environments and are leading the way as the most innovative countries in the world. These nations are encouraging creative activity Innovation is one of the most exciting ways to move a country forward. But for that to happen, a country must create an environment conducive to creative activity that is supported by both the public and private sectors. More concretely, we're talking about having high-quality scientific research institutions, sufficient investment in research and development, and protection of intellectual property, according to the recent report by the World Economic Forum . Click ahead for a closer look at the 12 countries that have successfully fostered such environments and are leading the way as the most innovative countries in the world, according to data in the WEF's report. 12. United Kingdom The United Kingdom ranked second in the world for quality of scientific research institutions, and it ranked fourth for university-industry collaboration in research and development. It scored 34th , however, for government procurement of advanced tech products and 18th for availability of scientists and engineers. "The country has created a good set of conditions for its vibrant service sector to develop and for London to become the epicenter of the European tech and start-up scene," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 11. Taiwan Taiwan scored 13th in company spending on research and development and 14th in university-industry collaboration in research and development. It placed 29th , however, for government procurement of advanced tech products and 26th for quality of scientific research institutions. Taiwan's overall global competitiveness slipped one rank this year, with its innovation and sophistication measure slipping. In fact, the "insufficient capacity to innovate" was listed as one of the most problematic factors for doing business this year, according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 10. Denmark Denmark scored eighth for the ratio of PCT patents and applications to its population and 11th for its capacity for innovation. But it scored 65th for government procurement of advanced tech products and 35th for the availability of scientists and engineers. Denmark's innovation index remains above that of most developed economies and is one of the factors that make the country a competitive global economy, according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 9. Singapore Singapore ranked fourth for government procurement of advanced tech products and fifth for university-industry collaboration in research and development. It placed 19th , however, for capacity for innovation. "With the best higher education and training system in the world, Singapore is well placed to increase technological adoption, business sophistication, and innovation," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 8. The Netherlands The Netherlands scored sixth for the quality of scientific research institutions and ninth for university-industry collaboration on research and development. It placed 22nd , however, for the availability of scientists and engineers and 21st for government procurement of advanced tech products. "The Dutch economy remains one of the most sophisticated and innovative in the world, with an open and efficient goods market," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 7. Sweden Sweden ranked third for the ratio of PCT patents and applications to its population and fourth for the capacity for innovation. But it placed 23rd for government procurement of advanced tech products and 14th for the availability of scientists and engineers. "The innovation ecosystem in Sweden benefits from high levels of technological adoption and ICT usage, and a sophisticated private sector," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 6. Germany Germany was ranked fifth for capacity for innovation and sixth for company spending on research and development. The only category in which Germany didn't place in the top 10 was the availability of scientists and engineers, where it ranked 15th . "The country's innovation system is characterized by high levels of company spending on R&D and a supportive research environment, including business collaboration with universities and strong scientific research institutions," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 5. Japan Japan placed first in the world for the ratio of PCT patents and applications to its population and second in the world for company spending on research and development. It placed 16th , however, for university-industry collaboration and 14th for capacity for innovation. "High-quality research institutions and company spending on R&D, coupled with an excellent availability of scientists and engineers, contribute to the country's overall highly innovative environment," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 4. United States The U.S. was second in the world for capacity for innovation and second for university-industry collaboration. The U.S. placed 11th , however, for government procurement of advanced tech products. "The United States' major strength is its unique combination of exceptional innovation capacity, large market size, and sophisticated businesses," according to the report. "The country's innovation capacity is driven by collaboration between firms and universities, human capital, and company spending on R&D." Source: World Economic Forum 3. Israel Israel scored in the top 10 for every category. It placed third in the world for capacity for innovation and third for quality of scientific research institutions. Its two lowest categories were availability of scientists and engineers ( eighth ) and government procurement of advanced tech products ( eighth ). Overall, Israel ranked as the 27th most competitive nation in the world, with its innovation category leading the way. Source: World Economic Forum 2. Finland Finland ranked first in the world for the availability of scientists and engineers and for university-industry collaboration in research and development. The only category in which it did not score in the top 10 was government procurement of advanced tech products, where Finland was ranked 33rd in the world. Finland's "public institutions are transparent and efficient, its higher education and training system is among the best in the world, and its business sector is one of the most innovative," according to the report. Source: World Economic Forum 1. Switzerland Switzerland scored first in the world for three categories: capacity for innovation, quality of scientific research institutions, and company spending on research and development. But it placed 23rd for the availability of scientists and engineers. "Switzerland leads the innovation pillar, thanks to its world-class research institutions, high spending on research and development by companies, and strong cooperation between the academic world and the private sector," according to the report. "But many other factors contribute to Switzerland's innovation ecosystem, including the level of business sophistication and the country's capacity to nurture and attract talent." Source: World Economic Forum Read More: The 33 most competitive countries in the world
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A little Pirates fan who was practicing his windup during the Cubs-Pirates broadcast has the Twitterverse buzzing over his skills.
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While lightweight is usually better for electric vehicles, the new Tesla Model X is going to be pleasantly plump for some purchasers. It turns out that the CUV's curb weight of 5,441 pounds means that it will qualify for something called a Section 179 tax break. For the right buyer, that means that the federal government will take $25,000 off the price of a new Model X. We were turned on to this possibility by discussion on the Tesla Motors forum and the Tesla Motors Club, where the possibility of the Section 179 benefit was talked about before the car was revealed in late September. The official GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of Elon Musk's Model X is 6,768 pounds. Armed with this knowledge, we asked Tesla what the official word is, and Tesla's Alexis Georgeson told AutoblogGreen , "Yes, the curb weight of Model X is 5,441 lbs. So we expect the GVWR to exceed 6,000 lbs. This means a Section 179 deduction could be taken for to up to $25,000 of the purchase price." To qualify for a Section 179 tax break, the IRS requires that the item purchased be acquired for business use and that the property must also be, "An integral part of ... furnishing transportation." It doesn't seem like the Model X would have a problem meeting that second definition but Georgeson cautioned potential buyers by saying that, "Tesla always encourages its customers to consult with their personal tax accountant as each individual's tax situation may be different and Tesla does not guarantee this deduction." You can find the official IRS information about Section 179 here . The overall Deduction Limit for 2015 is $25,000, but there is an online petition requesting that the limit for Section 179 be raised back to $500,000, where it was last year, in case you were to buy a fleet of these EVs. With all of the ups and downs in the tax code, there have been stories about the demise of this " Hummer Loophole" before, but it's still going strong. If you don't own a business, then you might still qualify for the standard $7,500-tax break from the federal government. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook Related Video :
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TORONTO -- Back in 1993, the Toronto Blue Jays were flying toward a second straight World Series title, and in the seventh inning of every game at Skydome, the public address announcer would declare, "And tonight's attendance is . . ." At that point, former Jays pitcher Al Leiter recalled, "We would all say in unison whoever was sitting next to us 'Fifty thousand, five hundred and . . .'" The only unknown was the last pair of digits on the capacity crowd of just more than 50,500 during their third straight season drawing more than 4 million fans. The gaudy number wasn't just paid attendance, either. "They were there," said Leiter, now an MLB Network analyst, "and they loved it." Pitcher Dave Stewart, a World Series winner with three franchises, described the early-'90s crowd as "electric, one of the best baseball atmospheres I've been in." Now, pent-up excitement 22 years in the making is ready to consume Toronto again and rattle the rafters at the rebranded Rogers Centre. As the Blue Jays play host to the Texas Rangers in American League Division Series Game 1, baseball's longest playoff drought ends with ace David Price taking the mound to start the franchise's first postseason game since Joe Carter ended the 1993 World Series with a walk-off home run. Leiter even had a revelation when he returned two weeks ago to broadcast a Yankees-Blue Jays series: "I think the crowd is better." In short: Younger, more raucous and, as Leiter noted, possessing a deeper understanding of baseball now that the franchise has been in Toronto nearly 40 years. In '93, the franchise had four future Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Rickey Henderson and general manager Pat Gillick not to mention Carter, who'd hit 396 career home runs, and five starters who would win 130 or more games. John Olerud, Molitor and Alomar finished 1-2-3 for the batting title, the first teammates to do so in a century. The new edition plays an exciting brand of baseball with nearly as much star power. The majors' home run leaders and top-scoring offense by more than 130 runs has a strong MVP candidate in Josh Donaldson, who's followed in the lineup by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion, a trio that mashed 120 home runs. At the trade deadline, when the club added Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, outfielder Ben Revere and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe, Toronto went from fourth place and a losing record to runaway division winners, with sellouts in 20 of the last 21 games for the highest season attendance, 2.8 million, since 1993. "Once I got traded over, it didn't matter what time the game was noon, 1, 3, 7, midnight, it didn't matter these guys, this city, this country came out and supported us 100%," Revere said. Tony Fernandez, who batted .333 as the starting shortstop in the '93 World Series and led the team with nine RBI, recently returned to Toronto on behalf of his eponymous charitable foundation. "The atmosphere that we felt was very similar to 1993 when I came back," said Fernandez, now an ordained minister. "The city had baseball fever. Everybody was talking about baseball. Before that, it was hard to see the ballpark half-empty." In those fallow decades, the Jays were perennial also-rans; only once did they finish second in the AL East but did so a distant 10 games back of first place. Stewart, now the Diamondbacks general manager, said the 1994 baseball strike also "took a little wind out of the sails," which he saw firsthand when he returned as assistant general manager (and interim pitching coach) in 2000. Of the 1993 team, Stewart said, "The fans were the 26th player on our team," and now that extra man is back. There may even be a tangible impact, especially when the roof is closed which increases the volume and the temperature. "It can turn 95 into 96," Price said. "It can make that hitter get to that pitcher's pitch. It pumps you up." The players not only hear the crowd's deafening roar, but they also literally feel their presence. "It would be so muggy with all that body heat," Revere said. That's right, with upwards of 48,000 packed in renovations have lowered capacity slightly the air quality in cavernous Rogers Centre is affected, all 700-feet diameter by 310-feet tall for some 56.5 million cubic feet. It may even influence game action, to the benefit of the home ballclub. "I think the ball carries a bit better," Lowe said. The Jays hardly need the help with four right-handed superstar power hitters generously donating game-used souvenir baseballs to fans in the left-field bleachers. "It's just been electric, every crowd has been enormous," Lowe said. "I remember being on the visiting side this year in Seattle, looking around and going, 'If only this place could fill up. I want to see what it's like.' I got traded here, and I've experienced that." Revere had been with the Phillies and visited the Jays the week of the trade deadline and was so happy to learn he was traded to Toronto that he said he got on his knees and said a prayer of gratitude. "I had my mind blown that the lineup is that good that you've got Troy Tulowitzki leading off for your team," Revere said. "I was just shaking my head out in centerfield because they were just dropping bombs left and right." Both current and former players speak of being shown kindness, respect and dignity by the locals. That's part of the reason Fernandez, who began his career here, kept returning he had four discrete stints with the Jays and was glad to be a midsummer acquisition in 1993. "To come back and be part of a winner I couldn't have been happier especially back home, basically," said Fernandez, who remains Toronto's all-time leader in games, hits and triples. "Canada was, for me, and still is like my second country. My children were born there." The city so resonated with Stewart that he donated money and spent time volunteering to feed a turkey dinner to the homeless at a Toronto chapter of the Salvation Army the day before his 1993 ALCS Game 6 start. (He allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings to earn the win.) "Toronto is a great community with great people," he said, calling the reception of players "unbelievable." That affection will be measured in decibels and degrees today, just as it has been the past two months. "From pitch one, everybody's been on their feet, really into it," manager John Gibbons said. "I don't know how it can be much different, to be honest with you, as loud as it's been, as enthusiastic as they've been." That almost sounds like a dare.
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The Cubs defeated the Pirates 4-0 on Wednesday in the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday. Kyle Schwarber and Dexter Fowler each hit a home run for Chicago.
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Senior U.S. lawmakers have begun probing possible intelligence lapses over Moscow's intervention in Syria, concerned that American spy agencies were slow to grasp the scope and intention of Russia's dramatic military offensive there, U.S. congressional sources and other officials told Reuters. A week after Russia plunged directly into Syria's civil war by launching a campaign of air strikes, the intelligence committees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives want to examine the extent to which the spy community overlooked or misjudged critical warning signs, the sources said. Findings of major blind spots would mark the latest of several U.S. intelligence misses in recent years, including Moscow's surprise takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region last year and China's rapid expansion of island-building activities in the South China Sea. Though spy agencies have sought to ramp up intelligence gathering on Russia since the crisis over Ukraine, they continue to struggle with inadequate resources because of the emphasis on counter-terrorism in the Middle East and the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, according to current and former U.S. officials. A senior administration official, who also asked not to be identified, insisted that there were "no surprises" and that policymakers were "comfortable" with the intelligence they received in the lead-up to the Russian offensive. Spy agencies had carefully tracked Russian President Vladimir Putin's build-up of military assets and personnel in Syria in recent weeks, prompting White House criticism and demands for Moscow to explain itself. But intelligence officers - and the U.S. administration they serve - were caught mostly off-guard by the speed and aggressiveness of Putin's use of air power as well as a Russian target list that included U.S.-backed rebels, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They saw some of this going on but didn't appreciate the magnitude," one of the sources told Reuters. Russia's sudden move to ramp up its military involvement in the Syria crisis has thrown Obama's Middle East strategy into doubt and laid bare an erosion of U.S. influence in the region. A shortage of reliable information and analysis could further hamper President Barack Obama's efforts to craft a response on Syria to regain the initiative from Washington's former Cold War foe. BEHIND THE CURVE? It is unclear how his administration could have reacted differently with better intelligence, though advance word of Putin's attack plans might have allowed U.S. officials to warn the moderate Syrian opposition that they could end up in Russia's line of fire. Obama, who is reluctant to see America drawn deeper into another Middle East conflict, has shown no desire to directly confront Russia over its Syria offensive - something Moscow may have taken as a green light to escalate its operations. Syrian troops and militia backed by Russian warplanes mounted what appeared to be their first major coordinated assault on Syrian insurgents on Wednesday and Moscow said its warships fired a barrage of missiles at them from the Caspian Sea, a sign of its new military reach. Russia's military build-up now includes a growing naval presence, long-range rockets and a battalion of troops backed by Moscow's most modern tanks, the U.S. ambassador to NATO said. The U.S. administration believes it now has a better understanding at least of Putin's main motive - to do whatever it takes to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But Washington remains uncertain exactly how much further Putin is willing to go in terms of deployment of advanced military assets, the U.S. officials said. The lack of clarity stems in part from the limited ability of U.S. intelligence agencies to discern what Putin and a tightly knit circle of advisers are thinking and planning. In a tense meeting with Putin at the United Nations early last week, Obama was not given any advance notice of Russia's attack plans, aides said. Russian air strikes began two days later, including the targeting of CIA-trained "moderate" anti-Assad rebels, though Moscow insisted it only hit Islamic State insurgents. "They did not expect the speed with which Putin ramped things up," said Michael McFaul, Obama's former ambassador to Moscow. "He likes the element of surprise." U.S. intelligence agencies did closely follow and report to policymakers Russian moves to sharply expand infrastructure at its key air base in Latakia as well as the deployment of heavy equipment, including combat aircraft, to Syria, officials said. "We're not mind readers," the senior administration official said. "We didn't know when Russia would fly the first sortie, but our analysis of the capabilities that were there was that they were there for a reason." However, several other officials said U.S. agencies were behind the curve in assessing how far the Russians intended to go and how quickly they intended to launch operations. In fact, right up until a White House briefing given shortly after the bombing began, Obama press secretary Josh Earnest declined to draw "firm conclusions" on Russia's strategy. CONFUSION OVER RUSSIAN INTENT One source suggested that U.S. experts initially thought the Russian build-up might have been more for a military "snap exercise" or a temporary show of force than preparations for sustained, large-scale attacks on Assad's enemies. Another official said that after initial review, congressional oversight investigators believe that "information on this was not moving quickly enough through channels" to policymakers. And another source said there had been a "lag of a week" before agencies began voicing full-throated alarm about imminent Russian military operations. The senior administration official said, however, that "I don't think anybody here perceived a gap" in intelligence. In their reviews of how U.S. intelligence handled the Syria build-up, officials said congressional intelligence committees would examine reports issued by the agencies and question officers involved in the process, according to congressional and national security sources. At the moment, no public hearings are planned, the officials said. Though the senior administration official denied the intelligence community was paying any less attention to Syria, John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said that not enough intelligence assets had been devoted to analyzing Putin's "aggressive policies." McFaul, who took the view that the Obama administration had been largely on top of the situation as Putin prepared his offensive, said that a faster or more precise intelligence assessment would probably have done little to change the outcome. "What difference would it make if we had known 48 hours ahead of time?" asked McFaul, who now teaches at Stanford University in California. "There still wouldn't have been any better options for deterring Putin in Syria." (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Roberta Rampton, Writing by Matt Spetalnick; editing by Stuart Grudgings)
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It looks like Ireland Baldwin is spending some quality time with Tao Ruspoli, ex-husband of actress Olivia Wilde. The 19-year-old model and the 39-year-old documentary filmmaker were spotted going out to breakfast at Gjelina restaurant in Venice, California on Wednesday. Ireland's husky pup was also in tow. Ireland daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger cozied up next to Tao outside the restaurant, getting close to look at something on the director's phone. Tao, who works and lives in Venice as a photographer, tied the knot with Olivia Wilde in 2003. The couple divorced in 2011 citing irreconcilable differences. That same year Olivia began dating Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis . The two got engaged in 2013 and welcomed their first child in April 2014. Ireland spoke with ET about her celebrity crushes, and while Tao wasn't mentioned, her answers may surprise.
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Through five weeks, TCU and Baylor are still undefeated. Which Big 12 team do you trust more to stay unbeaten? #120Talk
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SANAA, Yemen Two airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition killed at least 15 civilians and wounded 25 others in Yemen on Wednesday at a wedding hosted by a tribal leader known to support the Houthi rebels, witnesses and independent security officials said. The strikes targeted the home of the tribal leader in Sanban, a region in Dhamar province 113 km (70 miles) southeast of the capital, Sanaa, the officials and witnesses said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. Witnesses declined to give their names for fear of reprisals. There was no immediate coalition comment. The coalition last week denied that its airstrikes hit a wedding party Sept. 28, killing more than 130 people in the deadliest single event of Yemen's civil war. News of the latest airstrikes emerged as officials said Yemeni government forces and their allies, including coalition troops, captured the last outpost of the Shiite Houthi rebels in the key Marib province. The forces took the town of Sirwah, said Col. Ayed al-Moradi, a Yemeni military official. With pressure increasing on the Houthis, the United Nations on Wednesday announced that the rebels had accepted a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the fighting. The U.N. special envoy was on his way to the region to see how Yemen's government would respond. The Houthis have long resisted calls to withdraw from all areas they have seized, which is a key part of the resolution the council approved in April shortly after the conflict began. Previous attempts at peace talks have failed. U.N. special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed now will seek the support of all main parties to try again, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The fighting has killed more than 4,000 people, leaving the Arab world's poorest country in the grip of a humanitarian crisis and on the brink of famine. The forces' advance on the Houthis' last outpost in Marib had been stalling for weeks. Houthis said they repelled attacks amid coalition airstrikes, but Yemen's pro-government satellite TV broadcast footage of bodies and destroyed tanks and armored vehicles from inside Sirwah. Emirati Brig. Gen. Ali Saif al-Kaabi, part of the coalition, told the satellite TV channel that Marib province is now under anti-Houthi forces' control. According to medical officials, 70 Houthis and more than 50 pro-government fighters were killed in three days of fighting over the town. Witnesses in the town said few Houthi pockets still remain in Sirwah. The coalition's goal is to retake Sanaa, which the rebels captured a year ago, but that still remains a challenge. Obstacles along the road west of Marib include more than 10,000 land mines planted by the Houthis, according to a Yemeni military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. In another development Wednesday, the Houthi-run SABA news agency said rebel fighters targeted and hit a warship from the Saudi-led coalition that was stationed in Bab al-Mandab Strait, the strategic southern entrance to the Red Sea and the gateway to the Suez Canal. The report could not be independently confirmed late Wednesday.
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Most men don't go to doctors . Sure, in cases of an emergency, injury or maybe a very bad flu they'll go, but what about all the other times? Women are overwhelmingly more likely to take advantage of preventative medicine and wellness visits than men. They're also the ones who get checked out if something is off, while their male counterparts generally grin and bear it. There are a lot of theories flying around about why this is. Some say men are raised to be tough, or men are too busy to worry about every little ache and pain. From my perspective, men don't go to doctors because the old way of practicing medicine is outdated and a downer. It's a pessimistic exercise in searching for a disease. Either you have one or you don't. If you do, it gets medicated to reduce symptoms, usually not all of them resolve and the underlying cause is left unchecked allowing illness to progress. If your test numbers aren't bad enough to say there is disease, any symptoms you're experiencing are chalked up to getting old, depression, stress and too much work. The doctor may even offer antidepressants to help you "get though" this. No wonder men don't show up it's disheartening. Instead they push through, learning to live with issues that are disruptive and uncomfortable. Common symptoms such as brain-fog, fatigue, problems with focus and thinking, loss of executive function and even decreasing sex drive all get swept under the rug and ignored. As a man, I understand why many refrain from making that trip to see your physician . As a medical doctor who practices not only allopathic medicine but also extremely comprehensive and holistic functional medicine, I know that there is a radically different and better way. This is the new standard of health. In my office, health is not simply measured by the presence or absence of disease. We are looking for levels of dysfunction and areas to optimize. Long before a disease is present, there are subtle changes in metabolism along the path to getting that condition. Metabolic processes may slow down, speed up, cease working or become overwhelmed by toxins, poor diet, poor lifestyle choices, alcohol, smoking, stress and lack of sleep. Through in-depth and cutting edge testing approaches, it's possible to zero in on areas of the body that need to be bolstered, as well as processes that need to be suppressed. Improving health through improved function. The most important area to start with is the microbiome . This is the collection of trillions of bacteria that live on and in our bodies 100 trillion, to be exact. They outnumber our own cells by 10:1 and influence everything within us, including the immune system, digestive health , mental status, ability to think, mood and anxiety levels, and even play a huge role in the amount of inflammation our bodies create. The types of bacteria and quantities can be the difference between eating and burning fuel efficiently or eating and gaining weight with every forkful. Microbiome medicine works to restore populations that are beneficial. Through gut bacteria, we can lay the foundation for healthy immune function and bring about balance in all areas of the body. Genetics give clues about weaknesses the body may naturally have and areas we can support through the practice of nutrigenomics. In this way, gene expression can be influenced through dietary and lifestyle modification using targeted nutrients to affect change on a molecular level. At the same time, nutrients are regulated, absorbed and metabolized based on one's genes. Nutrigenomics allows accurate pairing of optimal nutrition based on genetic predisposition. Detoxification pathways are vital for the maintenance of good health. Very often patients who have symptoms also have an impaired ability to detox. Support of these processes can greatly improve the way the body works, creating a more solid foundation for health. Use of advanced testing methods allows for discovery of subclinical conditions that don't show up on routine blood panels. Low thyroid function is one that is quite often missed on standard testing. Through the highly specialized TRH test and full blood panels, we are often able to pick up on these cases and correct them, sometimes years before they would ever show up with other testing methods. Additionally, deeper understanding of reference ranges allows for more accurate reading of testing. Reference ranges often change and can be inconsistent between labs. They also don't take into consideration the specific needs of the individual. Not everyone who tests "normal" will be functioning at optimal levels. Even with testing that falls within the accepted reference range, patients could still be in need of intervention. This is not old time medicine. This is hopeful health care. These are just some of the ways we work to improve genetic expression, reverse and alleviate symptoms and optimize health while also preventing full-blown disease. This is not old-time medicine; this is the modern medical checkup geared toward improving each individual's baseline. It's a different experience, feeling and outcome. I believe the emphasis should be on health and optimism instead of the pessimistic and depressing view health care has had in the past. In this new paradigm, there's a shift in perception from seeing the body as a mechanical thing that breaks down to an optimistic view of its great potential for a better future. In this way, we work to improve total body function, the brain, focus and executive function. It's a deeper way of preventing disease and reaching the true health. Dr. Raphael Kellman, MD, founder of The Kellman Center for Functional and Integrative Medicine , is a pioneer in functional medicine who has a holistic and visionary approach to healing. In 17 years of practice, he has treated more than 40,000 patients, many of whom have come to him from all over the world and after suffering without help for years. Dr. Kellman is driven by his desire to alleviate suffering and to help people regain health based on a new vision and understanding of healing and the causes of disease. As a doctor trained in internal medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, Dr. Kellman uses the latest drugs and technology to treat specific diseases but his approach to medicine is patient- centered and holistic. He focuses on the complex interaction of systems not just the disease but on you as a whole person who is greater than the sum of your parts. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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A massage therapist to the stars gets her hands on ER physician Travis Stork and shares some techniques you can try at home.
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health
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Review of the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring by automotive critic Steve Hammes.
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autos
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NASA will be treating some residents of the East Coast to a dazzling light show on Wednesday evening.
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A mother traveling through Washington Dulles International Airport needed a place for pumping breast milk and was suggested by United Airlines staff to go to a 'pet relief area.'
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WASHINGTON (AP) Hillary Rodham Clinton's private email server, containing an electronic inventory of some 55,000 pages of emails from her stint as secretary of state, was repeatedly hit by attempted cyberattacks originating in China, South Korea and Germany in 2014, according to a congressional document obtained by The Associated Press. At least five cyberattack tries were apparently blocked by a "threat monitoring" product that was connected to her network in October 2013, eight months after she left office. But for more than three months earlier that year, her system was not protected by the security product because it had not been installed. Clinton's server operated without its threat monitoring protection between June and October 2013, according to a letter sent by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. That means her server was possibly vulnerable to cyberattacks during that time. It was not immediately clear whether the attempted intrusions into Clinton's server were serious espionage threats or the sort of nuisance attacks that hit computer servers the world over. But the revelations underscore the extent to which any private email server is a target, raising further questions about Clinton's decision to undertake sensitive government business over private email stored on a homemade system. Johnson's letter to Victor Nappe, CEO of SECNAP, the company that provided the threat monitoring product, seeks a host of documents relating to the company's work on Clinton's server and the nature of the cyber intrusions detected. Johnson's committee is investigating Clinton's email arrangement. Clinton has not said what, if any, firewall or threat protection was used on her email server before June 2013, including the time she was secretary of state from 2009 to 2013 and the server was kept in her home in the New York City suburbs. A February 2014 email from SECNAP reported that malicious software based in China "was found running an attack against" Clinton's server. In total, Senate investigators have found records describing three such attempts linked to China, one based in Germany and one originating in South Korea. The attacks occurred in 2013 and 2014. The letter describes four attacks, but investigators have since found records about a fifth attempt, said officials who were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Any hackers who got access to her server in 2013 or 2014 could have stolen a trove of sensitive email traffic involving the foreign relations of the United States. Thousands of Clinton emails made public under the Freedom of Information Act have been heavily redacted for national security and other reasons. Clinton "essentially circumvented millions of dollars' worth of cybersecurity investment that the federal government puts within the State Department," said Justin Harvey, chief security officer of Fidelis Cybersecurity. "She wouldn't have had the infrastructure to detect or respond to cyber attacks from a nation-state," he said. "Those attacks are incredibly sophisticated, and very hard to detect and contain. And if you have a private server, it's very likely that you would be compromised." A spokesman for the Clinton campaign did not answer detailed questions from The Associated Press about the cyber intrusions. Instead, spokesman Brian Fallon attacked Johnson by linking him to the House Benghazi committee inquiry, which the campaign dismissed in a recent media ad as politically motivated. "Ron Johnson is ripping a page from the House Benghazi Committee's playbook and mounting his own taxpayer-funded sham of an investigation with the sole purpose of attacking Hillary Clinton politically," campaign spokesman Fallon said by email. "The Justice Department is already conducting a review concerning the security of her server equipment, and Ron Johnson has no business interfering with it for his own partisan ends." The FBI is investigating whether national security was compromised by Clinton's email arrangement. In June 2013, after Clinton had left office, the server was moved from her Chappaqua, New York, home to a data center in northern New Jersey, where it was maintained by a Denver technology company, Platte River Networks, records show. In June 2013, Johnson's letter says, Platte River hired SECNAP Network Security Corp. to use a product called CloudJacket SMB, which is designed to block network access by "even the most determined hackers," according to company literature. But the product was not up and running until October, according to Johnson's letter, raising questions about how vulnerable Clinton's server was during the interim. SECNAP is not a well-known computer security provider. The company's website and promotional literature describe CloudJacket as a monitoring system designed to counter unauthorized intrusions and monitor threats around the clock. Corporate documents show SECNAP has been in existence since at least 2002, selling computer spam filter and firewall products. A SECNAP representative declined to comment, citing company policy. The AP reported last month that Russia-linked hackers sent Clinton emails in 2011 when she was still secretary of state loaded with malware that could have exposed her computer if she opened the attachments. It is not known if she did. The attacks Johnson mentions in his letter are different, according to government officials familiar with them. They were probing Clinton's server directly, not through email. ___ Follow Ken Dilanian on Twitter at https://twitter.com/KenDilanianAP
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Take a look at Wednesday's craziest moments, including Jake Gardiner's resourceful stop for the Maple Leafs and Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber's monster home run.
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A suspect chased by Australian police in Perth drives his car into the Indian Ocean as he tries to escape. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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It's officially fall, which means winter is not far behind. The good news is that winter weather in much of the country is expected to be milder than last year's frigid conditions, and heating costs are also projected to be lower, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. But the cost of heating one's home should still be a considerable expense in most parts of the country. Heating is expensive enough already, so you don't want to pay for heat that escapes out windows, doors and cracks rather than staying inside and keeping you warm. "A lot of time we're generating energy that we're sending out into the air," says Marianne Cusato, the housing advisor for HomeAdvisor.com and an associate professional specialist at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Fall is an ideal time to make repairs that will make your home more energy efficient, both saving you money and keeping you warmer. Even if you can't afford major repairs, such as a new furnace or new windows, there are small things you can do to save big bucks on heating costs and you can handle most of them yourself. "Homes can lose heat in a lot of different areas," says Anne Reagan, editor-in-chief of Porch.com. "I think that there's a lot of things that can be fixed in someone's home." Here are 13 hacks to winterize your home while also trimming your heating bill. 1. Caulk around windows. Warm air can escape and cold air can enter your house if the area around your windows has cracks. Caulking needs to be replaced periodically, and you should check every fall for holes that need to be patched, as well as holes anywhere outside your house. "You want to make sure your [home's] envelope is secure," Cusato says. 2. Replace weatherstripping around doors. If you can see light around the edges of your doors, you need new weatherstripping. "A small weatherstripping costs you five or six dollars, and it will save you hundreds of dollars in electrical bills," says J.B. Sassano, president of the Mr. Handyman franchise company. 3. Close up your fireplace. Make sure your flue closes all the way, and check whether you can feel air coming in when it's closed. Glass doors around your fireplace opening are another way to keep warm air in and cold air out of your house. 4. Put up storm windows and doors. If you have older windows and doors, adding storm windows and doors can help considerably. Window insulation film is another option to provide a layer of protection. "It really insulates the window," Sassano says. 5. Add heavy drapes and rugs. Changing light summer drapes for heavy winter drapes was common in earlier times, and it's still helpful, Reagan says. Drapes can keep the room warmer, while putting down rugs provides a layer of insulation above the floor. 6. Improve your insulation. Insulation deteriorates over time, so you may want to add more material in your attic. Other places to add insulation are in crawl spaces and exposed areas of decks. Sassano also recommends creating a false ceiling in unfinished basements and insulating between that ceiling and the living area. An insulating cover over your attic opening also helps trap in the heat. 7. Cover your water heater. You can buy a water heater blanket for around $20 at the hardware store that will keep the tank from losing heat as quickly, saving you money on your heating bill. 8. Get an energy audit. Many utility companies will provide a free energy audit and give you suggestions on improvements you can make to your home. You can also pay for a more extensive energy audit. "They'll look at all the places you're losing energy," Cusato says. 9. Change your furnace filters. If the filters are dirty, your furnace has to work harder. In most homes, filters should be changed monthly in the heating season. You should also have your furnace serviced periodically to make sure it is working properly. "It's easy to overlook but it can mean your system isn't working efficiently," Cusato says. 10. Get a programmable thermostat. The newest thermostats can learn your family's habits and set themselves to keep the house cooler when no one is there and warmer when the home is occupied. You can also purchase a more basic programmable thermostat. Prices vary considerably, depending on how sophisticated you want your thermostat to be. 11. Lower your water heater temperature. You can lower it from 140 degrees to 120 with no ill effect, Cusato says. And 120 degrees is the temperature recommended by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. 12. Replace less efficient windows and doors. Adding double- or triple-pane windows, insulated doors and insulated garage doors will significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home. 13. Lower the thermostat. It's actually more comfortable to sleep in a colder home, and you can always add more blankets. When you're awake, wear a sweater or sweatshirt to stay comfortable with a lower thermostat setting.
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Pirates first baseman Sean Rodriguez lost his cool during the NL Wild Card game on Wednesday night and took out his frustration on a water cooler.
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Sepp Blatter's controversial reign as the godfather of world soccer effectively came to an end on Thursday, as the FIFA president was formally suspended for 90 days by his own organization. Blatter's suspension by the ethics committee of the organization he has led since 1998 should be the final blow for the much-maligned 79-year-old and was the clearest sign yet FIFA knows it has to clear house if reform is to be achieved. Also suspended was Michel Platini, head of Europe's UEFA confederation and widely seen as the second most powerful man in the game behind Blatter. Following a United States Justice Department investigation into alleged widespread FIFA corruption, Blatter announced in June that he would step down once elections to appoint his successor, provisionally set for early 2016, had been carried out. Platini had been one of the frontrunners to succeed Blatter, but Thursday's suspension leaves the Frenchman's bid in tatters. The decision of FIFA's ethics committee comes in the wake of a pending criminal investigation by Switzerland's legal authorities, investigating payments made from Blatter to Platini in 2011 for work carried out between 1998 and 2002 totaling two million Swiss francs ($2.06 million). Blatter's interim replacement is Issa Hayatou, of Cameroon who was disciplined by the International Olympic Committee in 2011 for accepting a payment as part of an alleged bribery scandal. The Cameroonian, who has a serious kidney illness that requires regular dialysis sessions, is currently in Yaounde and is expected to travel to Zurich immediately. The interim leader of UEFA will be Spanish federation head Angel Maria Villar, who remains at risk of being sanctioned from the FIFA ethics committee in its investigation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests. Blatter's suspension brings a sudden halt to a 40-year career that had survived waves of scandals until he was placed under criminal investigation. Blatter's lawyer, Richard Cullen, said the ethics committee failed to follow procedure and based its decision on a "misunderstanding." "The attorney general in Switzerland ... opened an investigation but brought no charge against the president," Cullen said in a statement. "In fact, the prosecutors will be obliged by law to dismiss the case if their investigation, barely two weeks old, does not establish sufficient evidence. "President Blatter looks forward to the opportunity to present evidence that will demonstrate that he did not engage in any misconduct, criminal or otherwise." There was no immediate comment from Platini. Contributing: The Associated Press
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Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarusian journalist and chronicler of life in and after the Soviet Union, won the Nobel prize for literature today. Her writing has involved the collection, "collage," and communication of human stories from some of the most painful and dramatic events of her region's history: the Second World War, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and Russia's ill-fated war in Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989, to name a few. Her books, which have spanned three decades and appeared in Russian and in translation into English and other languages, include War's Unwomanly Face , Zinky Boys , and Voices from Chernobyl . The Nobel committee commended Alexievich for her "polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time." She joins a small group of exclusively non-fiction authors to have won the prestigious award. She is only the 14th woman to get the distinction since the first prize was awarded in 1901. The 67-year-old author was born in Ukraine the birthplace of her mother, a teacher a few years after the end of the Second World War. Her father, also a teacher, came from Belarus, and it was in that country's capital, Minsk, that she earned her degree in journalism and was later based in her working life. Alexievich had been one of the favourites to win the prize, awarded by the Swedish Academy. She had reportedly come close in previous years, with one critic arguing she deserved the prize as a proponent of an extraordinary medium that had fallen out of fashion in recent years. The honor will likely open up Alexievich's writing to a much wider audience than already enjoys it, leading potentially to a better understanding of the world, closed to outsiders, that she and her subjects inhabited throughout her early life. Another Russian writer, Boris Pasternak , most famous for the novel Doctor Zhivago , was awarded the Nobel back in 1958 and initially accepted, but was later compelled by the Soviet government to give it up. It will also mean more eyes are turned on the insular Belarusian regime. The state is particularly restrictive, and specifically problematic for journalists and bloggers, according to Human Rights Watch. Freedom of expression is highly restricted, the charity says. Belarus also remains the only country in Europe to still use the death penalty.
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news
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Volkswagen's Korea boss has apologised for the emissions scandal to a parliamentary committee in Seoul. But as Sonia Legg reports, it's the grilling in the U.S. about the biggest scandal in the German automaker's history which will is still the main focus.
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finance
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Consumer Reports put Apple's new phone through a series of tests to check its battery life, image quality, and ease of use, among other things. Find out how it performed and how it stacks up against our highest-rated smartphones.
| 3 | 91,698 |
finance
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Kirsten Dunst still knows how to bring it on! The actress stunned on Wednesday night when she stepped out for the season two premiere of Fargo in Hollywood. The actress, who takes on her first starring TV role on the FX show, looked gorgeous in a green dress and natural makeup. Kirsten was all smiles as she posed for photos on the red carpet, even getting photobombed by Elaine Hendrix at one point. Keep reading to see more of Kirsten's appearance, and then check out her adorable Hollywood evolution.
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entertainment
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