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By Tripfilms filmmaker CatchCarri. We show you some of the best ways to adventure in Grand County, Colorado. Whether on a snowshoe tour at Rocky Mountain National Park, night skiing at Granby Ranch or taking the trails at Grand Lake Nordic Center, this is the perfect winter destination.Share your travel videos on Tripfilms.com!
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Ranking the NBA's five best on-ball defenders Patrick Beverley, PG, Houston Rockets As several opposing fan bases will tell you, Beverley has only one speed on the court -- full-bore. He might seem out of control at times, but his aggressiveness is a large part of his effectiveness. Point guards have a tendency to gamble with such a mentality, but Beverley strikes the perfect balance of risk and reward. He's like a tornado within a confined space when he attacks an opposing ballhandler, and his anticipation is without peer. It's the perfect mix of defensive traits for a point guard. If the Rockets take the next step as a title contender, a healthy Beverley will be a big reason why. Jimmy Butler, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls The same qualities that make Butler a proficient offensive player allow him to excel on defense. He's versatile, able to guard everyone from point guards to some power forwards. He's smart; once he's matched up with a player just a few times, he has a chessmaster's knowledge of his opponent's tendencies and preferences. And he's explosive. Though Butler is less likely to risk giving up position to hunt for a steal than some players on this list, he gets in passing lanes with ease when players telegraph their passes. One might expect the Bulls to take a step back on defense without Tom Thibodeau as coach, but Butler alone can help keep a defense afloat. Draymond Green, SF/PF, Golden State Warriors With apologies to teammates Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, we're rolling with Green as the best perimeter defender on the reigning NBA champs, mostly because he can guard players from anywhere. Take him out to the perimeter, and he'll man you up -- while knowing exactly where his help is at all times. Drag him to the post one-on-one because you think you have a size advantage, and you'll learn two things: He not only makes you uncomfortable by getting in your jersey, but he's also stronger than you are. You'll notice the latter fact as he inches you farther away from where you want to be. For someone who was supposedly undersized when he came into the league, he sure doesn't play anything like it. Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs If Tim Duncan ever retires, the future of the Spurs defense is safe in Leonard's ridiculously large hands. The 2014 Finals MVP has no weaknesses as an on-ball defender. He's quick enough to stay in front of guards, strong enough to body up against bigger scoring forwards and long enough to contest anyone's shot. He also has a billiards player's sense of geometry and angles. No transition scoring opportunity is safe when Leonard is in pursuit, as he will find the right angle to come up with the block. He's studied with some of the best in San Antonio, sharpening his own instincts and knowledge to the point that he can bleed any offense dry in any way the Spurs ask. Oh, and with his massive paws, strength and cat-like quickness, he can strip even the very best ballhandlers in the league. Just pass it to someone else if he's on you. 554941357CH00135_Golden_Sta HOUSTON, TX - MAY 25: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets goes up against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half during Game Four of the Western Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 25, 2015 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Volvo says it will accept full liability for accidents involving its driverless cars, making it "one of the first" car companies to do so. It joins Mercedes and also tech firm Google, who have made similar claims. Volvo says it is trying to expedite regulation in the US, where "a patchwork" of rules is holding back the industry. Uncertainty over liability for a driverless car crash is seen as one of the biggest barriers to adoption. Why is Volvo doing this? In a speech in Washington DC on Thursday, the president of Volvo Cars, Hakan Samuelsson, said that the US is currently "the most progressive country in the world in autonomous driving". However, he believes it "risks losing its leading position" because of the lack of Federal guidelines for the "testing and certification" of autonomous vehicles. Instead, car makers face inconsistent rules from state to state, which makes it harder to roll out their technology. For instance, only a handful of US states such as California and Nevada allow the testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads - and even then rules around certification vary. Regulation is also slowed by unanswered ethical and legal concerns, particularly when it comes to liability for driverless car accidents. And the situation is "even worse" in Europe, according to Volvo's chief technical officer, Erik Coelingh. Why is the issue of liability so important? As with any new form of technology, it is important to get the regulation governing its implementation right. Mr Coelingh told the BBC: "Everybody is aware of the fact that driverless technology will never be perfect - one day there will be an accident. "So the question becomes who is responsible and we think it's unrealistic to put that responsibility on our customers." But Ben Gardener, a solicitor at Pinsent Masons, believes Volvo's guarantee is aimed at reducing uncertainty in the minds of governments and regulators. "Volvo wants to remove the uncertainty of who would be responsible in the event of a crash. At the moment it could be the manufacturer of the technology, the driver, a maker of a component in a car." Volvo also told the BBC it would only accept liability for an accident if it was the result of a flaw in the car's design. "If the customer used the technology in an inappropriate way then the user is still liable," said Mr Coelingh. "Likewise if a third party vehicle causes the crash, then it would be liable." Will this actually make a difference? Maybe. Prof Sandor Veres, director of autonomous systems at Sheffield University, told the BBC: "This bold move by Volvo can pave the way for global legislation, as if other manufacturers take similar undertakings then legislation can be made simple." But Mr Gardener said the move would not get around underlying safety concerns about driverless cars. While manufacturers claim autonomous vehicles could eventually improve road safety, a number have been involved in accidents involving such cars during tests. "There's not much value in a manufacturer saying we'll be responsible for thousands of accidents but then there being thousands of accidents each year," said Mr Gardener. He said it was also unclear whether automatically holding manufacturers liable would stand up in court - at least in the UK. "In this country, the party causing an accident is responsible once all of the circumstances of the particular case have been examined," he said. "But moving to a strict manufacturer liability approach would remove the need to consider who is responsible for the collision. This is something not currently recognised in the UK approach to liability." When will we see driverless cars on our roads? In truth, we are only likely to see widespread use of driverless technology when such grey areas are resolved. But according to some, that could be sooner than previously expected. At the Frankfurt Auto show last month, US secretary of transportation Anthony Foxx said he expects driverless cars to be in use all over the world in 10 years. Tesla founder Elon Musk has predicted his firm will have approval for its automated vehicles as early as 2019. And many other manufacturers plan to launch driverless cars in the near future, including Toyota which on Wednesday said it expected to be selling such vehicles by 2020.
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Here are two predictions for you: At some point during these playoffs, the losing team will avoid being shut out, and the home team will eventually win a contest. Way to go out on a limb, eh? There was drama in the wild-card games the visiting Astros beat the Yankees 3-0, and the Cubs traveled to Pittsburgh and stopped the Pirates 4-0 but it wasn't the do-or-die feeling you get when the game's knotted up in the ninth inning and runners are on base. MORE: Jesse Spector's predictions | MLB postseason schedule | No consensus on a Series favorite n Vegas There's plenty of that ahead, I guarantee. As for the rest of these predictions, well, let's just call them educated guesses. I'll get some right and some wrong, because that's how baseball works. And that's what makes October (and November this year) so much fun. So I guess I have one more prediction guarantee: The postseason will be all kinds of awesome. 1 ALDS: Royals vs. Astros This promises to be an entertaining series, if nothing else. The Astros hit lots of home runs (230 in the regular season) and strike out a lot (1,392 times). The Royals, on the other hand, rarely strike out (973 times) and play incredible defense all over the field. Highlight packages will not lack for content. At least a couple of the fears that crept up in the minds of Royals fans in the first half of September were assuaged in the final week or so of the regular season. It's not just that the team actually stopped losing on a regular basis. It's that two of the biggest disappointments in the rotation Yordano Ventura and Johnny Cueto finally showed something resembling the mythical "postseason form" down the stretch. In his last two starts, Ventura allowed just one run and struck out 17 in a pair of seven-inning outings. Cueto rebounded from a five-start stretch that produced a 9.57 ERA to post a 3.24 ERA in his final four starts; still not dominating, but more reassuring for KC fans. They'll start Games 1 and 2 for the Royals. The Astros, on the other hand, won't get to use ace Dallas Keuchel the potential AL Cy Young winner until Game 3, because he just threw six shutout innings against the Yankees in the wild-card game. Prediction: Royals in five. 2 ALDS: Blue Jays vs. Rangers Potentially two games of David Price (if the second one's needed, which might not be the case) and one start from Marcus Stroman should be enough to get the Jays past the Rangers. Much more than enough, actually, if the Blue Jays continue to pound the baseball like they have all season. Prediction: Blue Jays in three. 3 NLDS: Mets vs. Dodgers With Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke starting the first two games of this series at home, every single bit of pressure is on the Dodgers. The Mets? Heck, nobody gives them much of a chance of winning either of those two contests. But the two guys starting for the Mets, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, are more than capable of matching zeroes with the LA aces on any given night. And what happens if the Mets somehow scratch out a 1-0 or 2-1 victory in Hollywood? Then they have their own movie star, Matt Harvey, set to pitch Game 3 at Citi Field, and they'd feel pretty good about their chances. The Dodgers would have to counter with Kershaw on short rest in Game 4, which is always a bit of a crapshoot, for any pitcher. I don't feel real confident with this one, but I'm going to stick with it. Prediction: Mets in four. 4 NLDS: Cubs vs. Cardinals This is the most-anticipated non-World Series matchup in recent memory. The two storied franchises and bitter rivals have never really been good at the same time (that's mostly the fault of the team up north), which means they've never met in the playoffs. Heck, they've rarely met on a push-for-a-playoff stage. That all changes, starting with Game 1 on Friday in St. Louis. Good times. After watching yet another dominating performance from Jake Arrieta in the wild-card game, Cardinals fans have to be thrilled that he'll only start once in the NLDS, in Game 3 at Wrigley Field (barring a potential two-days'-rest appearance in Game 5). That's a big deal for the Cubs, because if Jon Lester can't bring home the opener for the Cubs (he has a 2.79 ERA vs. St. Louis this year), the series rests on the arms of Jason Hammel and Kyle Hendricks, who are much less imposing than Arrieta. The Cardinals have their own issues right now, but middle-of-the-order bats Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk are as healthy as they've been in months (the extra rest didn't hurt) and that should help boost an offense that's struggled. Yadier Molina's ability to be an impact player despite his thumb injury will go a long way in determining the result of this series. There are reasons to pick against the Cardinals, but that's been the case pretty much all season and they still wound up winning 100 games. And did I mention they only have to face Arrieta once? Prediction: Cardinals in four . 5 ALCS: Blue Jays vs. Royals This promises to be another entertaining series. Like the Astros, the Blue Jays hit plenty of home runs (an MLB-best 232 this year), but they don't strike out nearly as much as the team from Houston that the Royals will face in the opening round. In fact, as a team, Toronto's strikeout percentage of 18.5 was fifth-lowest in baseball, and the team walk percentage of 9.1 was tied for second-highest in the game (both per Fangraphs). That will be a problem for the Kansas City starters as they try to work through dangerous at-bat after dangerous at-bat from the likes of Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion. And this is the series where Marcus Stroman becomes a star on the national stage. It'll be fun to watch this hard-nosed kid show his stuff. Prediction: Blue Jays in six. 6 NLCS: Mets vs. Cardinals I know this has been said many times, but it's a shame that baseball's playoff format made it impossible for two NL Central teams to meet up in the NLCS, considering the three best teams in the league called that division home this year. This series should be an entertaining series of one-run games, all in the 3-2, 4-3, 5-4 range. As I've said elsewhere, don't be shocked if veteran St. Louis hurler Adam Wainwright plays a major role in this series, as either a starter (with somewhat limited range) or coming out of the bullpen in huge situations. The Cardinals will make someone other than Yoenis Cespedes beat them, and I'm not sure the rest of the New York lineup will do that enough in a seven-game series. Prediction: Cardinals in six. 7 World Series: Cardinals vs. Blue Jays The Blue Jays' second-half record, the best in baseball, wasn't a fluke. The players who were already on the roster either picked up their games (Marco Estrada) or continued to perform at an exceptionally high level (Josh Donaldson). And the guys who were added via trade were perfect fits on the roster; David Price, Ben Revere, Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins were exceptional. So not only did the Blue Jays roll up the best winning percentage after the break, they were, in fact, the best team in baseball. And that will continue in the World Series, where the Blue Jays will match the Giants with three championships in each of their past three playoff appearances. It'll just take Toronto, which won back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993, a bit longer to cap that trifecta. Prediction: Blue Jays in six.
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Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver Jamie McMurray is mourning the death of his niece, Lauren Montez, who passed away Sunday. McMurray, who finished fourth in Sunday's race at Dover International Speedway but just missed out on advancing to the next round of the Chase, sent out the following tweet on Wednesday about his family's recent loss. I wanted to say thank you for all that have reached out this week regarding my niece #RIPLauren . http://t.co/IVqqmbGrMW Jamie McMurray (@jamiemcmurray) October 7, 2015 McMurray also issued the following statement at his website, jamiemcmurray.com . "I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the friends and fans for the thoughts and prayers to our family, following the loss of my niece Lauren, who passed away last Sunday Oct. 4. "Lauren was the inspiration behind my becoming involved with Autism awareness and the work that we have done through the Jamie McMurray Foundation with Autism Speaks. My sister Trisha and our entire family appreciate the respect of privacy during this difficult time. "In lieu of cards or flowers, donations can be made in honor of Lauren Montez to the Jamie McMurray Foundation at 130 Infield Court, Mooresville, NC 28117, or online at www.jamiemcmurray.com/foundation ."
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MADRID Lionel Messi will stand trial in Spain on three counts of tax fraud. Court documents made public Thursday say a judge has rejected a request to clear the Barcelona player of wrongdoing and decided to charge him and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, with tax fraud. Prosecutors had said Messi a four-time world player of the year was not fully aware of his father's unlawful activities, but the state attorney's office contended that the Argentina forward knew enough to also be named in the case. Prosecutors had called for an 18-month prison sentence for the player's father. A judge had recently rejected an appeal filed by the player's lawyers to drop the Barcelona star from the case. Messi and his father are accused of defrauding Spain's tax office of 4 million euros ($4.5 million) in unpaid taxes from 2007-09. Messi's father made a payment of more than 5 million euros ($5.6 million) in August 2013 to cover unpaid taxes, plus interest. A date for the trial has not yet been set.
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If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, you may now get a membership to Jetsmarter, a company that hopes to be the Uber of sky. Michael Kofsky reports.
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Before Northwestern won at Michigan 20 years ago, it had dropped 19 consecutive games in the series. More recent history shows that since the 1995 Big Ten breakthrough in a magical Rose Bowl season with Gary Barnett, the biggest things happen to the Wildcats when they claw past the Wolverines. MORE: Worst Big Ten losses past 25 years | Week 6 Big Ten Power Rankings It's more than Northwestern's No. 13 ranking on the line against Jim Harbaugh's No. 18 redeveloping powerhouse; it's also the belief they can vie for their first conference title since the one they shared with two other teams including you guessed it Michigan 15 years ago. 1995-1996: Back-to-back with Barnett Between the other big wins against the "Big Three" on the '95 schedule (Notre Dame and Penn State), the Wildcats' defense needed to pass a Big Ten litmus test at the Big House. Ranked No. 25, they were not intimidated by the No. 7 Wolverines. With Fitzgerald's linebacking leading to a dominant defensive performance and big help from a big trick play wide receiver D'Wayne Bates throwing to tight end Darren Drexler they were able to put away the Wolverines, 19-13, for the program's first win in Ann Arbor in 50 years. WEEK 6 PICKS: Michigan or Northwestern? Back in Evanston in '96, the No. 22 Wildcats made it two in a row in improbable fashion rallying from 16-0 down to shock the No. 6 Wolverines with 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points. Fitzgerald and quarterback Steve Schnur were the catalysts again, culminating in a last-second game-winning field goal by Brian Gowins. 1997-1999: Where's the offense? Facing a No. 6 Michigan team again in October '97, the re-rebuilding Wildcats were overmatched, 23-6 against the eventual national champions under Lloyd Carr. In '98, back in rainy, sloppy then Dyche Stadium, it was Tom Brady and the Wolverines bringing home a 12-6 slugfest. In '99, after Barnett left to take over at Colorado, the Wildcats were ripped again in Ann Arbor, 37-3. It left everyone wondering if Northwestern was back to being Northwestern. MORE: SN Week 6 overall Power Rankings 2000: Classic Cardiac 'Cats This was the most thrilling game of the coaching tenure of the late Randy Walker, and that was an era full of wild Wildcat comebacks see "Victory Right" at Minensota a week earlier to earn them the appropriate nickname. In a back-and-forth shootout between Northwestern's Zak Kustok and Damien Anderson and Michigan's Drew Henson and Anthony Thomas, it took a near-miracle for them to come back from 51-46 deficit in the final minute. Then Thomas fumbled with 46 seconds left, and Kustok marched them down a short field quickly to deliver the go-ahead TD to go-to receiver Sam Simmons. The ensuing two-point conversion held up for a 54-51 win after Michigan couldn't hit a desperation field goal. The result made sure the Wildcats would tie for first in the Big Ten with the Wolverines and Purdue, with a date with future conference opponent Nebraska in the Alamo Bowl. 2003-2007: Rolled by Carr again After a two-year layoff from the series, Michigan remembered to resume its domination with wins over a more consistently good Northwestern program in the final few seasons with Carr. The games weren't close with scores of 41-10, 42-20, 31-17, 17-3 and 28-16 in the Wolverines favor, with the final two marking Fitzgerald's initial forays as a head coach against them. There were three bowl trips in the first three of those seasons with Walker, but each time, Michigan hit Northwestern with difficult losses late in the conference schedule, hurting what could have been even better years. 2008: Now who's the doormat? Northwestern had starting to find its groove again with Fitzgerald, while post-Carr Michigan already was regretting the decision to hire Rich Rodriguez. It wasn't a coincidence that a strong 21-14 win in Ann Arbor in the penultimate game pushed the Wildcats to another good spot in the Alamo Bowl, seven seasons after their last win in the series, 54-51. While the Wildcats were on their way back, the Wolverines hit rock bottom with an eight-loss season, five coming at the Big House. In the game, it was quarterback C.J. Bacher and a senior-laden Northwestern team surviving to end the skid at five games. 2011: Denard digs out of a hole Now with the best of the Brady Hoke era in full swing, then No. 12 Michigan slumped to a 24-14 halftime deficit as bad Denard Robinson was a turnover machine (three interceptions). Then good Denard Robinson (responsible for 450 yards and four TDs) went wild as a passer and runner in the second half, while the Wildcats didn't score again in what turned into a 42-24 Michigan blowout. It was a microcosm of Northwestern's troubles that season, inconsistency and the incapacity to hold big leads. It was a reminder that Fitzgerald needed to do more to fix the defense more in his image. 2012-2014: Once, twice, three times a heartbreak With either Kain Colter or Trevor Siemian at quarterback, or both, the Wildcats have fallen just short in the past three meetings. In 2012, the Wildcats were burned by a 53-yard Hail Mary pass from Devin Gardner that set up a game-tying field goal with 2 seconds left, and then lost in overtime, 38-31, at Michigan. In '13, it was another late-tying boot by Brendan Gibbons and Gardner doing it again, this time in triple overtime, for a 27-19 victory in Evanston. It's just part of Northwestern's mental and emotional and freefall from the early tough home loss to Ohio State, ensuring the bowl-eligible streak with Fitzgerald would end. In '14, with the writing on the wall for Hoke in November, the team played an ugly offensive game for three quarters, and down 10-9 after a Siemian to Tony Jones TD pass with 3 seconds left, Northwestern decided to go for the game-winning two-point conversion to eschew another OT disappointment. It didn't work, either. That one point was the difference between returning to bowl eligibility, considering a big win over Notre Dame followed. 2015: Fitz and Harbs throw it back It comes full circle to 1995 here. While Fitzgerald was starring on the college field then, Harbaugh was a gritty Pro Bowler with the Colts who had that team on the brink of the Super Bowl. Now all these years later, these hard-nosed beloved alums can boast similar physically and mentally strong teams. Northwestern and Michigan, each coming off shutouts, are 1-2 in the nation in scoring defense, and Nos. 5 and 2 in total defense. They are both among the most prolific rushing teams. The difference in the game for Fitzgerald in the game might be go figure another superstar linebacker. That's Anthony Walker for the Wildcats, while the Wolverines have lost their huge playmaker at the position, Mario Ojemudia for the season . Would a big win at the Big House be as critical as it was two decades ago? Yes. For the Wolverines, it might give them the hype to possibly shocking and knocking off either or both of their rivals, Ohio State and Michigan State. For the Wildcats, it's a chance to prove skeptics wrong again and a confidence springboard for taking home the West.
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Aircraft manufacturer Airbus filed another unusual patent for passenger seating.
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. Bryant senior point guard Shane McLaughlin has aspirations to be a men's basketball coach. If he chooses that path when his collegiate playing career concludes, McLaughlin says he has the perfect role model to emulate based on coaching style: His own coach, Chris Burns. "He has a way of really getting through to people. He's relatable like a friend and he can flat out coach," McLaughlin says of Burns, Bryant's assistant coach. "He's not the type of coach who yells. But you respect him because of his basketball knowledge and how he communicates tactically. He'll sort of give you a look and you'll know what he means. That's so valuable to me as a point guard. In a hostile environment like at Gonzaga or Indiana he has a calm form of leadership that makes you feel comfortable." Burns, a former Bulldogs point guard, felt far from comfortable since his return to campus in 2012. That changed when he came out as gay to McLaughlin and the rest of the team late last month before becoming the first coach in men's Division I basketball. to publicly announce his is gay. "I think he's the perfect person to be the first coach," says junior forward Andrew Scocca. "Burns isn't really a spotlight guy so he's not necessarily about all the attention and he doesn't want to distract the team. But going off of how personable he is as a coach to all of us, that's the type of impact he can have on people around the world who are struggling. Everyone on the team goes to him with their personal problems because he's not afraid to be vulnerable. We trusted him before he told us. Now we trust him even more." Adds senior forward Curtis Oakley: "Since he told us, we've grown closer together as a family. In the locker room now, guys express themselves more and we've become more united. …Ultimately, I tell all the younger guys on our team we gotta have Burns' back like he does ours. That's part of sticking together." Most players on Bryant's roster, including Oakley, never knew anyone gay before Burns. Oakley's idea of a gay person fit a stereotype: "Feminine mannerisms, all that," he says. "I had no idea because with Burns you never would have guessed. He's a straight hooper," says Oakley. "But I told him right away that don't change nothing. That's my big brother right there, on and off the court. When I got a problem, I go to him. I see him as a person, not a gay dude. I gravitated to him since Day 1. He's the realest dude I know. He just got realer. Him telling the team, that was pure courage. Heroic." Bryant head coach Tim O'Shea calls Burns a "player's coach." He's proud of Burns for his courage to tell the team, as well his players for how maturely they've handled it. "How our players reacted, that's the biggest barometer for me of where society is at with this issue," O'Shea says. "Whenever someone in life has a situation of vulnerability where they're sincere and genuine, you create more trust. We're a family and this situation builds a stronger culture with our team. The players know Chris and we support him being authentic with who he is." Burns also has the full support of Bryant's athletic department. "Watching Chris as a player, he led by example. He's doing the same thing here," says Bryant athletics director Bill Smith, whose first year at the helm was Burns' senior season as a player. "We're a family here at Bryant and we support Chris as a member of our family. I've been proud of coaching hires I've made, but I'm real proud that we have a culture where Chris felt comfortable doing this. He could have taken an easier road. Instead he's doing this for others." Among the major concerns for Burns in going public was how it would affect recruiting, a pivotal part of Division I basketball coaching. On that area, O'Shea says, "If a high school parent all the sudden feels like we're on the wrong side of this issue and that persuades a kid not to go to Bryant, so what? We move on." Bryant assistant coach Frankie Dobbs, one of Burns' best friends, says he was deeply saddened when he heard of his colleague's double-life due to basketball culture. He believes Burns' story provides an eye-opening education process to the team and the sports world. "In life, how important is it to not judge somebody until you meet them? Chris is the epitome of that," says Dobbs. "He defies the stereotype of what you think of a gay person. He's a manly man. I had no inclination for four years and I was around him every second. And I'm not stupid. The most powerful thing in all this is that he changes perceptions. The idea here is that anyone could be Chris. For me, I see myself in Burns every single day. We think alike and agree on practically everything. At the end of the day, the strongest dude I know is gay. What's that say?" Another concern for both Burns and O'Shea was how the media attention that surrounds the first openly gay coach would affect the team. Dobbs believes the program will take on a bigger spotlight than it ever has, but it's worth it to be a part of history. "Our guys can handle it," Dobbs says. "You can think of it as a distraction or think about it as the most notoriety this program has ever gotten and think of how many people he's going to reach. This is bigger than his recruiting abilities or the image of the school. This is bigger than basketball. I'm just so proud to say I'm a part of something like this. He's a pioneer. Twenty years from now, down the line, we're going to be living in a different world. What Chris is doing, that's how we get to that point. For the 13-year-old who's confused, Chris' message is that everyone should be the full version of themselves and not live a double life." ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas believes Burns' courage to go public will have a "profound impact on our sport and on society." "Basketball and sports in general are far behind," Bilas says. "Every new person that comes out gets us closer to shrugging shoulders and it not being an issue. It's still an issue because this is a male dominated sport. Who you love does should not affect your profession. What other area of life do you have to be afraid to be who you are? We try to act like it's a different dynamic in sports but it's all the same. The idea that gay athletes and coaches don't exist is just not true. There are gay people in every walk of life. "Anytime something positive like this happens, it helps you identify ignorance. When someone comes out, it allows those people to be refuted and refer to the masses. And the masses will embrace this." *** Follow college basketball reporter/digital editor Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson . Email: [email protected]
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The families of three Florida teenagers, who died shortly after their principal hypnotized them, will each receive a $200,000 settlement. The Sarasota County School District agreed to pay the $600,000 settlement on Tuesday night, AP reported. The case began in 2012 after former North Port High School Principal George Kenney admitted that he hypnotized Wesley McKinley, 16, a day before he killed himself in 2011. Two other students, who were hypnotized by Kenney also died in the spring of 2011. Brittany Palumbo, 17, also committed suicide, while a third student, 16-year-old Marcus Freeman died in a car accident after his parents say he hypnotized himself. The three families alleged that Kenney's use of hypnosis and the district's negligence led to the three teens' deaths. A district investigation subsequently revealed that despite repeated warnings from school officials, Kenney often hypnotized students and staff members. Between 2009 and 2011, he hypnotized around 75 people, sometimes in one-on-one settings. A student who played on the basketball team said Kenney hypnotized him 30 to 40 times to improve his concentration, AP reported. From the beginning of the lawsuit, the families maintained that the suit was not about money but about accountability. "I hate to think our children died in vain, that their deaths are not used to better the future of everyone's children," Paul Freeman, Marcus Freeman's father, said at a 2012 news conference. In 2011, Kenney was placed on administrative leave and later resigned. When the case was filed a year later, the school board insisted there was no link between Kenney's practice of hypnosis and the deaths of the three teenagers. Kenney was a licensed hypnotist and author. At the time of the 2011 investigation, many on the school's campus were conflicted about whether his practice of hypnosis could be blamed for the three students deaths, WTSP-TV reported. The Sarasota County School Board told CBS that the settlement is "in the best interests of all parties involved." Contributing: Isabel Mascarenas of WTSP-TV, AP
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One Tennessee teacher is getting a lot of attention for a simple but significant act: walking his students home.
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After just one week of recreational marijuana sales, Oregon dispensaries have raked in an estimated $11 million. That figure could mean the state's estimate is shockingly low for how much money it'll make when pot taxes kick in this January. At Nectar on Northeast Sandy Boulevard and 33rd Avenue, they're restocking the shelves a lot this week. "We're seeing about 500 people a day," said Nectar owner Jeff Johnson.
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A member of Kosovo's parliament sets off smoke devices during a session to protest an EU-brokered deal to improve ties with Serbia. Rough Cut (no reporter narration)
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Forget 'fashion fitness.' Get back to the basics to get results. Chances are you've heard from a friend or read in a magazine about the latest fitness trends you really must get into to get totally fit. It could be barre class, CrossFit , boot camp or SoulCycle, or one of many other popular workouts. I call it "fashion fitness," when people become obsessed with the latest workout and swear by its seemingly magical results. When I catch these headlines and snippets of "fashion fitness" conversation, they remind me why the idea of exercise is often daunting and anxiety-producing when it should be the opposite. Exercise science is evolutionary, not revolutionary, meaning that while we're always adding to our body of knowledge, there are no magic bullets that easily build muscle or shed pounds . Also, exercise doesn't have a one-size-fits-all approach. What is effective and enjoyable for one person is not for another. Exercise is not new. It's about moving your body in a challenging way. At its core, basic exercise is simple in that it doesn't require special gear, outfits or a boutique gym. An effective and safe exercise program only calls for a bit of space to move around and some appropriate athletic shoes. Nevertheless, guidance is helpful and important when evaluating if an exercise program is both safe and effective as well as something you'll enjoy and continue doing. Here are seven simple questions to ask before jumping into an exercise regimen. Don't forget to talk to your health care professional about what you do for exercise, especially if you're just getting started. 1. Is It Really Exercise? The definition of exercise is straightforward: It's any movement of the body that is challenging and regular. If you are moving and it feels physically challenging, you can call that exercise. Sure, isometric exercises like planks count, too, but you get the idea. To increase your fitness level, keep in mind that exercise must be performed on a regular and consistent basis. Marathon workout sessions performed sporadically are not ideal, to say the least. 2. Is It Balanced? Cardiovascular exercise , resistance training, balance and coordination as well as flexibility constitute a well-balanced exercise program. Omitting one of these components, such as resistance training, can leave your overall fitness lacking and result in poor muscular strength and even muscle mass loss. It could expose you to injury because you might have poor posture or joint instability. On a positive note, it's relatively simple to balance your exercise program. For instance, some body-weight exercises, such as one-legged squats or walking lunges, require no special equipment and are a great way to combine both resistance and balance training. 3. Is It a Quality Workout? "Simple" doesn't necessarily mean "easy." To be effective, exercise needs to be challenging. If it feels too comfortable, for instance, you can sing to yourself, it probably isn't enough. On the flip side, if it's painful, it's too much and can be harmful. Discomfort can be considered the middle ground. If you can talk, but cannot sing, during cardiovascular exercise, you're likely in your discomfort zone, which is about right. If you can only speak a few words, you're pushing the upper limit. As a gauge for resistance exercise, you should start to feel fatigued after doing about eight to 12 repetitions at a challenging weight. If you can easily complete more than 15 repetitions, it may be time to increase the weight. And don't forget to use correct form and technique. 4. Am I Working Out Often Enough? Exercise needs to be regular and consistent. Sorry, weekend warriors: Completing only two workouts per week is not ideal. You should be getting a minimum of three cardiovascular and two resistance workouts, on non-consecutive days, each week as a starting point. Remember, you can do cardiovascular and resistance workouts in the same session. Circuit training is a great way to combine both into one workout. Aim for at least a total of 75 minutes of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. Remember, each workout should be a bell curve with at least a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down/stretch at each end. 5. Is It Multi-Planar? The human body is designed to move in multiple directions, including back-and-forth, side-to-side and rotational. A good exercise program will include all of these types of movements. Here are examples: back-and-forth includes running , almost all cardio machines, squats, push-ups or biceps curls; side-to-side includes side lunge, lateral raise or hopping side-to-side; and rotational includes bicycle crunch, throwing or a golf swing. 6. Is it Varied? Just as homes have energy systems, so does the human body. Your body has three energy systems immediate, anaerobic and aerobic for three types of activities. The immediate energy system allows us to jump and throw, while the anaerobic system allows bursts of intense activity, such as sprinting for up to 1 to 2 minutes. The aerobic system allows prolonged, moderate-intensity activity, like jogging. Make sure your exercise program has a variety of activities to challenge all three energy systems effectively. This is why interval training is a great workout tool, because it can incorporate all three systems. 7. Is It Progressive? If you are not sure, ask a fitness trainer or your health care provider: Is my exercise program safe and appropriate at my current fitness level? Does it provide appropriate progression to keep me challenged as my fitness level increases? Am I gradually increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of my workouts? It's also important to add some variety or try something new to keep your workouts interesting but also challenging. Some fitness apps may help you create an exercise program that best suits you. All the workouts on the Johnson & Johnson Official 7-Minute Workout App I designed include these seven key exercise principles, and you can customize your own workout. Whatever you choose to do to get fit, it's really important that you enjoy your exercise program, whether it's basic or has bells and whistles. What you're after is a positive experience. No fashion fitness required! More from MSN How to Make Any Healthy Habit Stick 25 Most Overlooked Ways to Lose Weight
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Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday that the US military never gave them prior notification of a deadly airstrike on its field hospital in Kunduz. This could be an apparent violation of the Pentagon's explicit 2015 instructions on the rules of war. Five days after the Saturday morning US strike that killed 22 staff and patients and injured 37 more, Jason Cone, US executive director of the charity said, "We had not received any warning of the strike."
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MINNEAPOLIS Dean Barkley , the campaign strategist who engineered Jesse Ventura's wild win as Minnesota governor in 1998, recognizes Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The bluster, the sparring with reporters, the brash appeal to a segment of the population that is unhappy with politics as usual it's all the ingredients of Ventura's Minnesota Miracle. "He's doing exactly the same thing we did," Barkley said in a recent interview. "It's like they're reading our playbook. He visited us during the campaign and tracked the strategy we used. I'm almost flattered." Hopeless campaigns against impossible odds are pet projects for the devoted, the eccentric, the weird, the tinfoil-hat wearers of the American political fringe. They never win unless maybe if we're talking about a county commissioner and this has been the logic that nearly all serious observers have spouted about Trump's bid. But once upon a time, in a far northern place called Minnesota, actual grownups with little or no alcohol in their bloodstreams went to the polls and elected a former feather-boa-wearing wrestler and motorcycle gang member as their actual governor. It was so surprising that the campaign's media adviser remembers Ventura's wife, Terry, weeping at the victory party, because now they would have to be the First Couple, and her family life was upended. It's hard to blame her sense of shock. On June 1, Ventura sat at 7 percent in the polls. He trailed Democrat Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III, the state's longtime attorney general, by 39 points. Norman Coleman, the Republican candidate and the very popular mayor of St. Paul, led him by 23 points. "I just remember my closest adviser saying, a day or so before the election, 'Don't worry about him, don't worry about him, don't worry about him,' " Coleman said recently. "He's got no organization. There's no way he can win." On Nov. 3, Ventura won with 37 percent of the vote. "We shocked the world," he bellowed. When the early returns were reported on television, "the Democratic campaign manager looked like somebody ran over his dog," remembers Bill Hillsman , the advertising executive who created Ventura's instant-classic campaign ads. So how did Ventura pull it off? Is it actually possible that The Donald could use The Body's playbook for the win? [ Trump left his mark all over New York. Some would like to erase it. ] Reconstructing that campaign with interviews with the key players, save Ventura (who declined to speak to The Washington Post for this story) or campaign manager Doug Friedline (who has died) shows there are potent but limited comparisons. Both relish showmanship and being in front of the camera. Both deliver blistering criticisms of the media and career politicians. Voters hold them to a more lenient standard. Both are seen to be independent of special-interest groups. Both earn points with voters for saying things that they think. But there are profound differences. Ventura's active campaign was a three-month sprint, and he ran as a third-party candidate. Trump is seeking the Republican nomination over a 1 1 / 2 -year marathon. Ventura is a former Navy Seal; Trump got draft deferments. Ventura was, beneath the cartoon bluster, a local kid with a long-term marriage, and he volunteered as a football coach at a local high school. Voters saw him as a good dad and a regular dude. Trump is a billionaire and, well, not a regular dude. And although Ventura was and is socially progressive, Trump blasts minorities and immigrants in crude fashion. For his part, Barkley, now a wills and estates lawyer, says Trump is in great shape. "He's got even better Teflon than Ventura," he enthuses. "Nothing sticks to either of them. In October, only a week or so before the election, Jesse gives a speech and says he's in favor of legalizing drugs and prostitution and he went up in the polls . Who else could do that? He and Trump both say [politically] stupid things and they both get away with them." At first, a sad bid for governor In January 1998, eleven months before the election, Minnesota native James George Jonas took to the steps of the state Capitol building and, blaring out an announcement under the stage name of Jesse Ventura, said he was running for governor. It was sort of sad. Ventura was 47 and had been out of WWE-style wrestling for a decade. Back in the day, at a chiseled 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he'd been "The Body," a villain known for wearing sunglasses, the occasional feather boa and lots of skin oil. His slogan was "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat." He'd done some B-movies ( "I ain't got time to bleed," a line from "Predator," became a pop-culture fave). He'd been a wrestling and football announcer. From 1990 to 1994, he was the mayor of Brooklyn Park, a Twin Cities suburb. But now he was hosting an AM radio talk show on KFAN in Bloomington. The "I'm running for governor" schtick was as old as Pat Paulsen . A few weeks later, the Star Tribune reported the fundraising totals: Humphrey had $265,000; Coleman, $113,000; Ventura, $1,195. "Absolutely no one took him seriously," says Tom Hauser, a veteran television reporter in Minneapolis and author of " Inside the Ropes with Jesse Ventura ," a recounting of the campaign and subsequent administration. But behind Ventura's outsized persona was a sharp and thoughtful family man, friends note. Jesse and Terry Ventura had been married for more than two decades. They raised two kids, kept them out of the spotlight, and lived on a 32-acre horse ranch that was valued at $500,000. He drove a Porsche but was known to be frugal (friends razzed him about being "cheap"). He drove water scooters and motorcycles, which voters counted as a regular touch. And Brooklyn Park might be a suburb, but it was also the state's sixth-largest city. "He had a pretty sophisticated world view and how things needed to change," says Ted Mondale, son of the former vice president and a rival candidate. "He was very curious about things, about how they worked." Mondale didn't get the Democratic nomination but wound up being part of Ventura's Cabinet. He says Ventura clearly knew how to work the crowds. "We'd be following people around at shopping centers, trying to get three people to listen to us, and Jesse had been rappelling from the rafters to the floor at Timberwolves games in front of 13,000 screaming fans," he says with a laugh. 'Cut taxes. Cut taxes. Cut taxes.' The summer of 1998 was a good one for Minnesota. The economy was roaring, fueled by the dot-com bubble. Per-capita income had surged from 17th in the United States in 1990 to 13th in 1997, political scientist Jacob Lentz noted in " Electing Jesse Ventura ," a statistical analysis of the election. The state had a $1 billion treasury surplus. Unemployment had been at 3 percent or lower for years and was below 2 percent in 1998. Crime had dropped 30 percent over the previous five years. The electorate was nearly bubbly, remembers Coleman: "There was a feeling that who got elected almost didn't matter . . . it was like, 'How bad could anybody screw up this economy?' " Ventura had a six-word campaign theme: "Cut taxes. Cut taxes. Cut taxes." Coleman and Humphrey had weaknesses. Coleman's problem was that he had been a Democrat, switched parties and then made ambiguous statements about gun control. Ventura pounced. During a televised debate, when Coleman lambasted Humphrey for not following through on promises he made to voters 10 years earlier, Ventura deadpanned: "Ten years ago, Norm was a Democrat." Humphrey had a similar problem with his own faithful. He had not won the party's endorsement but still won the primary. But the worst self-inflicted wound, all observers agree, was that Coleman and Humphrey played perfectly into Ventura's scathing assessment of career politicians. As they "beat each other up" during the debates, Coleman recalls, Ventura was all but ignored. "Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!" Hauser quotes one moderator saying, trying in vain to rein in the Coleman-Humphrey bickering. Ventura had been doing live radio and television for years. His career was built on showmanship, the theatrical sound bite. This talent burst into life during a debate question on gay marriage. Coleman gave the standard Republican response, Humphrey the Democratic. Ventura: "I believe that love is bigger than government." Driving somewhere in north Minnesota, Steve Bosacker heard that over the radio and nearly ran off the road. The chief of staff for former Democratic congressman Tim Penny pulled over and put the car in park. "He got it, he just plain got it," Bosacker remembers. He was so enthralled that he later became Ventura's chief of staff. Meanwhile, young voters just plain loved him. Roger Moe, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor that year, remembers being at a debate with Ventura in front of college students. He went for blood, asking Ventura if he had actually proposed eliminating financial aid to college students. "I figured I had him," Moe, now a lobbyist in the state, remembers. "Probably 70 percent of that crowd was getting aid for college. And he repeated his line, 'If you're smart enough to go to college, you're smart enough to figure out how to pay for it.' And they just ate it up. Loved it." A landslide win Election day dawned with sunny skies and unseasonably warm temperatures. It was the last break in a campaign full of them. The good weather helped Ventura benefit from a state law that allowed residents to register on election day. Crowds showed up, particularly young men, who were his biggest supporters. Lentz, the political scientist, notes that 332,540 people both registered and voted that day, or 15.7 percent of the total ballots. There is no exact number of how many of those votes went to Ventura. But using statistical modeling, Lentz estimates that Ventura got about 69 percent of those votes, or 225,184 ballots. He won by 60,000. Ventura set up an extremely talented administration, observers from both parties say. He drew approval ratings in the low 70 percent range early on. He oversaw a tax refund and got a light rail built. Harvard invited him to lecture. But he immediately signed a book deal after the election, then signed up to work as a wrestling referee and as a commentator for the short-lived XFL Football League, which led to criticism that he was using the governorship to enrich himself. In a 1999 Playboy interview he said, "Organized religion is a sham for weak-minded people," the Navy's sexual-assault Tailhook scandal was "much ado about nothing," mocked "fat people," and said he'd like to be reincarnated as a "38, double-D bra." This did not go over well. In his last year, when he shut down the governor's mansion during a fight with the legislature over funding, the state attorney general blasted them all, saying: "It is a great destruction to the integrity and reputation of this state. We are making a mockery of ourselves." Will any of this apply to Trump? Barkley is happy to conjecture: "Wouldn't it be something to have a Trump/Ventura campaign? I would die and go to heaven if I got a part of that."
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Before the season started, what was the likelihood that the two biggest games on the Week 6 schedule would be Cal at Utah and Northwestern at Michigan? But that's exactly where we are. Utah with another prove-we-belong as a playoff contender and a pair of Big Ten teams exceeding expectations and trying to work their way into the playoff conversation. MORE: New No. 1 in Week 6 SN Top 20 | LINEMAKERS: Opening-line report for Week 6 Several other teams have key games, too: How does Clemson bounce back from its emotional win vs. Notre Dame last week with a home game against Georgia Tech? Does Alabama build off its shellacking of Georgia last week when it plays Arkansas? And will the Seminoles take care of business against rival Miami? PREVIOUS PICKS: Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 Standings Through Week 5 games Straight up (overall and last week) 38-14 (7-3): Bill Bender , Sporting News 38-14 (7-3): Chipper Jones , retired MLB player 37-15 (8-2): Mike Griffith , MLive.com 35-17 (6-4): John Isner , professional tennis player 35-17 (7-3): Ken Bradley , Sporting News 35-17 (7-3): Corey Brewer , Houston Rockets 33-19 (7-3): Matt Hayes , Sporting News LINEMAKERS: Latest odds to win the national championship Against the spread (overall and last week) 32-20 (6-4): Mike Griffith , MLive.com 27-25 (5-5): John Isner , professonal tennis player 25-27 (6-4): Corey Brewer , Houston Rockets 23-29 (2-8): Ken Bradley , Sporting News 22-30 (4-6): Chipper Jones , retired MLB player 20-32 (1-9): Matt Hayes , Sporting News 18-34 (4-6): Bill Bender , Sporting News LSU at South Carolina* When: Saturday, noon (*the game has been moved to LSU because of flooding) TV: ESPN The line: LSU (-13) Bender: LSU 31-14 Bradley: LSU 40-17 Brewer: LSU 41-21 Griffith: LSU 27-17 Hayes: LSU 31-16 Isner: LSU 27-17 Jones: LSU 41-20 What we're saying Griffith: Deadly flooding in the Palmetto State led to this game moving from Columbia to Baton Rouge in what is sure to be an emotional trip for the Gamecocks. LSU is the better team and should win, but the Tigers don't pass well enough to put this one away easily. Isner: USC plays inspired even though everything is going against them in this one. They'll keep it close enough to give LSU a scare. MORE: This week's SEC Power Rankings Oklahoma vs. Texas When: Saturday, noon TV: ESPN The line: Oklahoma (-16.5) Bender: Oklahoma 45-24 Bradley: Oklahoma 48-23 Brewer: Oklahoma 35-20 Griffith: Oklahoma 38-27 Hayes: Oklahoma 34-17 Isner: Oklahoma 34-20 Jones: Oklahoma 34-20 What we're saying Bender: It's on the Longhorns to make it a game. Texas ranks 118th against the pass, and that's why this one could get ugly. Look for Oklahoma to pour it on in the second half. Baker Mayfield has at least three TD passes in every game so far. He'll tack on at least three more here. MORE: This week's Big 12 Power Rankings Georgia Tech at Clemson When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: ABC The line: Clemson (-7) Bender: Clemson 31-28 Bradley: Clemson 40-37 Brewer: Clemson 38-28 Griffith: Clemson 34-24 Hayes: Clemson 23-17 Isner: Georgia Tech 31-24 Jones: Clemson 27-24 What we're saying Bender: It's the classic trap game for Clemson after an emotional win against Notre Dame. Paul Johnson is 5-3 against the Tigers, but that includes just one win at Death Valley. Clemson with a healthy Deshaun Watson this time escapes again in the fourth quarter. Griffith: Data shows Clemson had the eighth-best home field advantage among Power 5 teams in league play from 1989-2014 considerably better than the other Death Valley (4.2 points to 0.54, true advantage). Clemson's Tigers also have a revenge factor Saturday, having lost to Tech last year, 28-6. Isner: The term Clemsoning will be reinvigorated after this week. I sense an emotional letdown after the huge ND win. Georgia Tech will chew up yards at will and pull of the day's second big upset. MORE: This week's ACC Power Rankings Navy at Notre Dame When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: NBC The line: Notre Dame (-14) Bender: Notre Dame 37-28 Bradley: Notre Dame 40-24 Brewer: Notre Dame 42-20 Griffith: Notre Dame 37-20 Hayes: Notre Dame 33-16 Isner: Notre Dame 28-24 Jones: Notre Dame 31-20 What we're saying Hayes: It's important for ND to bounce back in a series they've controlled of late, and critical for Deshone Kizer to become a valuable and trusted thrower and leader with two huge games still on the horizon (USC, Stanford). Griffith: The Irish come home after a heartbreaking loss at Clemson, the sort that challenges a team's mettle. Unbeaten Navy will get Notre Dame's attention. Coach Brian Kelly's Irish know what to expect from the Midshipmen; the teams meet for an 89th straight year. Familiarity is a good thing against the option. MORE: Week 6 Bowl Projections Northwestern at Michigan When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network The line: Michigan (-7) Bender: Michigan 19-16 Bradley: Michigan 10-6 Brewer: Michigan 24-14 Griffith: Michigan 24-14 Hayes: Michigan 19-9 Isner: Michigan 34-14 Jones: Michigan 30-27 What we're saying Bender: The nation's top two scoring defenses meet in a classic Big Ten head-banger, and it will be interesting to see what wrinkles both teams install in the game plan. A trick play or two could be the game-defining play. Michigan has won the last four meetings despite either trailing or being tied at halftime each time. Tune in to the fourth quarter. It could come down to a last-second field goal. Griffith: It's not about the size of the crowd, it's not about the winged helmets or one team being the winningest in college football history. No, the reason Michigan will beat Northwestern is because the Wolverines are the more talented of the two teams. Got to love it when it's that simple. MORE: The worst loss for every Big Ten team Boise State at Colorado State When: Saturday, 7 p.m. TV: CBSSN The line: Boise State (-15) Bender: Boise State 38-24 Bradley: Boise State 35-27 Brewer: Boise State 49-24 Griffith: Boise State 30-17 Hayes: Boise State 41-21 Isner: Boise State 34-20 Jones: Boise State 47-31 What we're saying Bender: If not for Tanner Mangum, then we'd be having that same-old conversation about Boise State. Brett Rypien has completed 73.9 percent of his passes with six TDs and no interceptions since stepping up for Ryan Finley. The Rams have a good pass defense which keeps it close, but Boise State keeps rolling. PLAYOFF CHASE: Four teams in, four out Arkansas at Alabama When: Saturday, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: Alabama (-16) Bender: Alabama 31-17 Bradley: Alabama 38-14 Brewer: Alabama 42-17 Griffith: Alabama 30-13 Hayes: Alabama 27-23 Isner: Alabama 42-17 Jones: Alabama 34-20 What we're saying Hayes: QB Jake Coker still isn't scaring any defenses, but he's not making big mistakes either. If the Tide can stop the Arkansas run game and give Coker and the offense shorter drive fields, the odds of winning increase significantly. MORE: Every contender's case for/against being No. 1 Florida at Missouri When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. TV: SEC Network The line: Florida (-4.5) Bender: Florida 28-20 Bradley: Florida 21-10 Brewer: Florida 27-20 Griffith: Florida 30-27 Hayes: Florida 23-20 Isner: Florida 27-24 Jones: Missouri 24-21 What we're saying Hayes: After two years of everything going wrong under Will Muschamp, Florida is beginning to win - and just as important - good things are happening in critical moments. Now the Gators must learn how to deal with success, and that begins with playing strong defense on the road. Brewer: Following our huge victory on Saturday, this could be a classic trap game with LSU coming up the following weekend. It will really test my Gators' focus on the road, but I think we show our quality in the second half. It will be close, but we will win this. Jones: I am not changing what is working for my Gators - keep picking against them to keep them winning! Worried about a letdown from Mac's boys, but I am liking what I see. MORE: Which conference is nation's best? Miami at FSU When: Saturday, 8 p.m. TV: ABC The line: FSU (-9.5) Bender: FSU 27-21 Bradley: FSU 30-27 Brewer: Miami 24-21 Griffith: FSU 24-17 Hayes: FSU 30-26 Isner: FSU 27-20 Jones: FSU 24-13 What we're saying Hayes: FSU needs a healthy TB Dalvin Cook, if for no other reason, the 'Noles have struggled offensively all season -- and Cook has been the only constant. One of the rare cases where best quarterback (Brad Kaaya) doesn't win. Brewer: This is my bold pick. Miami has not defeated FSU in a long time, but I think it finally ends this weekend. FSU is unbeaten, but not as strong as last year. I think this is game where young Miami QB Brad Kaaya really steps up on the big stage and makes himself into a household name. MORE: AP Top 25 Week 6 Cal at Utah When: Saturday, 10 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: Utah (-7) Bender: Utah 38-34 Bradley: Utah 34-24 Brewer: Utah 31-28 Griffith: Utah 30-23 Hayes: Utah 35-24 Isner: Utah 38-21 Jones: Utah 34-24 What we're saying Hayes: A big moment for Utah, which usually plays really well in these big games at Rice-Eccles Stadium. They're smart on offense, and they're aggressive on defense and the dictate tempo on both sides of the ball. Cal QB Jared Goff has not faced a pass rush like he'll see from Utah. MORE: This week's Pac-12 Power Rankings
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Rupert Murdoch on Thursday apologized for his controversial tweet a night earlier in which he said America could use a "real" black person in the Oval Office. The media mogul said he meant no harm with the tweet, in which he praised 2016 Republican candidate Ben Carson and took a thinly veiled swipe at President Obama. "Apologies! No offence meant. Personally find both men charming," Murdoch tweeted Thursday morning, following a massive backlash to the original tweet. "Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else," the 84-year-old tycoon tweeted a night earlier. The incendiary swipe at the commander-in-chief sparked outrage from celebrities like Star Jones and actor Harry Shearer. "The day I start allowing @rupertmurdoch to define what it is to be #black ...is the day I turn in my #blackcard," Jones tweeted. "Can you please regularly advise black Americans on which of them is "real", so they'll be free of doubt?" Shearer wrote. And several others took aim at the Murdoch-owned Fox News Channel. "Rupert Murdoch, brah, if ur concerned about bridging the racial divide, how 'bout pulling the plug on that new-fangled Klan rally, Fox News?" asked actor Jeffrey Wright. The Australian-born magnate first responded to the firestorm by encouraging his followers to read a New York magazine story about disappointment over Obama in minority communities. "Read New York magazine for minority community disappointment with POTUS," he quickly tweeted. But the response did nothing to quell the growing social media quagmire. Murdoch, for his part, hasn't been reticent to chime in on the presidential race on his Twitter account. In August, he wrote that he hoped former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg would jump into the 2016 race. "With Trump becoming very serious candidate, it's time for next billionaire candidate, Mike Bloomberg to step into ring," Murdoch wrote on Twitter. "Greatest mayor." And weeks later, he offered his opinion on the prospects of Vice President Biden entering race for the Democratic nomination. "Looks like Biden already running. Very likely he wins nomination and be hard to beat," he tweeted on Sept 7. [email protected]
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Russian President Vladimir Putin's bullish entry into the Syrian conflict has worked wonders for his popularity in neighbouring Iraq, where some await "Hajji Putin" like a saviour.
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Billboard campaign honoring police popping up all over the country
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Lupus can be tricky to diagnose, so consult a doctor if you think you might have symptoms. What is lupus? Lupus is short for a condition called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It's an autoimmune disease that can take years to diagnose because the symptoms can masquerade as other illnesses. Lupus isn't rare--around 1.5 million Americans, mostly women, are affected. But lupus can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis or another condition. And symptoms that seem like lupus can sometimes be due to a virus. The American College of Rheumatology says that if a patient has at least 4 of these 11 signs (though not necessarily all at the same time) they can be diagnosed with lupus. Butterfly rash A persistent rash across the cheeks and nose, in the general shape of a butterfly, is "very characteristic" of lupus, says Dr. Gary Gilkeson, MD, a professor of medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. While about 30% of lupus patients typically get this rash, it can also be due to rosacea or other skin conditions, and this symptom alone is not enough to make a diagnosis of lupus. RELATED: 15 diseases doctors often get wrong Sunlight-triggered rash Exposure to sunlight or other sources of ultraviolet light (even artificial) can worsen a lupus patient's butterfly rash. It can also trigger sores on other parts of the body, usually on sun-exposed areas, and lead to joint pain and fatigue. Fair-skinned patients tend to be most affected. However, Dr. Gilkeson warns that this symptom can be overused in diagnosis: "It is a confusing one," he says. "A lot of people say that they are sun-sensitive." Mouth or nasal sores Mouth ulcers are one of the most common symptoms of lupus. But what makes a lupus mouth ulcer unique, says Dr. Gilkeson, is that it usually comes pain-free. And rather than developing on the sides of the mouth or gums, these sores typically reside on the roof of the mouth. Lupus-related ulcers can also appear inside the nose. RELATED: How inflammation affects the body Joint swelling Joints that are red, warm, tender, and swollen may signal lupus. Aching and stiffness alone aren't enough; the joints have to be affected by arthritis and these other "cardinal signs of inflammation," says Michael Belmont, MD, director of the lupus clinic at Bellevue Hospital and medical director at the New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. Dr. Belmont notes that at least two joints, typically smaller ones, have to be persistently affected for at least six weeks for the symptom to qualify as one of the four diagnostics. Inflammation of the lining of the heart or lung Inflammation of the lining around the heart (pericarditis) or lungs (pleuritis) can be a sign of lupus. But both conditions are more commonly due to viral illnesses, says Dr. Belmont. Even though the inflammation rarely affects the functioning of either the heart or lungs, it can cause sharp chest pain--especially when a person is coughing or taking a deep breath--and may occasionally spark shortness of breath. Urine abnormalities Microscopic blood cells and proteins that are not normally found in urine can appear in the urine samples of some lupus patients. Yet again, a lot of other illnesses can be to blame, including urinary tract infections and kidney stones. A healthy kidney filters proteins out of the blood as it creates urine, explains Dr. Belmont. But if the kidney is inflamed and not functioning properly, as can be the case with lupus, proteins may sneak into the urine. These abnormalities don't usually cause symptoms. However, if the loss of protein (specifically albumin) is substantial, the feet may swell. And if someone has progressed to kidney failure, he or she might have some nausea and weakness. Seizures or psychosis Lupus can trigger a variety of brain and nervous system problems, including nonspecific symptoms like anxiety, headaches, and vision problems. However, two additional concrete symptoms make the list: seizures and psychosis, which is a break from reality and can include delusions and hallucinations. For less specific symptoms like headaches, it can be difficult to tease apart whether they are caused by lupus, the medications used to treat it, or the stress of living with the disease. Anemia Anemia, or an inadequate number of circulating red blood cells, is very common, especially in lupus's target population: women. Iron deficiency anemia, for example, is frequently present during menstrual cycles. More specific to lupus, however, is a disorder called hemolytic anemia. "It's not just a low blood count. The condition is actively destroying the cells," explains Dr. Gilkeson, adding that certain lab tests can tell the types apart. Discoid rash A discoid rash is "fairly classic" in lupus, says Dr. Gilkeson. The disc-shaped patches appear red and raised, and typically develop on the face, scalp, and neck. They often leave scars. While relatively common in SLE, discoid rashes can also stand alone in a diagnosis of discoid lupus, a type that affects only the skin. The singer Seal has been diagnosed with discoid lupus , and has facial scars as a result. Positive ANA test The antinuclear antibody (ANA) test is the go-to screening test for lupus. If the result is negative, says Dr. Gilkeson, you can "almost guarantee" that a patient doesn't have lupus. On the other hand, a positive result is much less clear; 90% to 95% of people who have a positive ANA test don't have lupus. ANAs are proteins made by the body that can attach to DNA and other substances inside cells. But just because they are present in the body doesn't necessarily mean they will attack these substances. These antibodies are found in at least 5% of the general population, so there are "many more people walking around with ANAs who are perfectly healthy or have some illness that has nothing to do with lupus," adds Dr. Belmont. Other antibody tests To unravel which people with positive ANA tests actually have lupus, additional blood work can be done. Doctors look for other potentially troublesome antibodies, so they will test for anti-double-stranded DNA and anti-Smith antibodies. These tests are less likely to be positive unless a patient truly has lupus. However, a person who has negative test results could still have lupus, even though this is not so in the case of ANA tests. "These confirmatory antibodies are very critical to the accuracy and reliability of the diagnosis," says Dr. Belmont. The series of tests, combined with the ANA, he adds, will usually provide a fairly reliable answer.
| 7 | 91,821 |
health
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Kate Hudson is giving us some serious ab envy! The 36-year-old actress posted a pic modeling some of her athletic line Fabletics' bra and boy shorts, but all we can stare at is her perfectly toned torso! Now, Kate is no stranger to working out! She posts pics all the time on Instagram of her doing planks, jump roping, and eating clean and well, her tummy is definitely proof of that! If you need us, you can find us in the gym!
| 6 | 91,822 |
entertainment
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A popular glass walkway more than 100 metres above ground in northern China is closed after one of its panels broke. Paul Chapman reports.
| 5 | 91,823 |
news
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Belarusian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich has won the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature. Announcing the prize in Stockholm, the chair of the Swedish Academy, Sara Danius, called her writing "a monument to courage and suffering in our time". The award, presented to a living writer, is worth 8m kronor (£691,000). Previous winners include literary heavyweights Rudyard Kipling and Ernest Hemingway. French historical author Patrick Modiano won in 2014. Alexievich, 67, is a political writer who has often been critical of her home country's government. It has been half a century since a writer working primarily in non-fiction won the Nobel - and Alexievich is the first journalist to win the award. Her best-known works in English translation include Voices From Chernobyl, an oral history of the 1986 nuclear catastrophe; and Boys In Zink, a collection of first-hand accounts from the Soviet-Afghan war. "By means of her extraordinary method - a carefully composed collage of human voices - Alexievich deepens our comprehension of an entire era," the Swedish Academy said. Witness accounts The author was born in 1948 in the Ukrainian town of Ivano-Frankivsk, to a Belarusian father and Ukrainian mother. The family moved to Belarus after her father completed his military service, and Alexievich studied journalism at the University of Minsk between 1967 and 1972. After graduation, she worked as a journalist for several years before publishing her first book, War's Unwomanly Face, in 1985. Based on interviews with hundreds of women who participated in the World War Two, it set a template for her future works, constructing narratives from witnesses to some the world's most devastating events. On her personal website, Alexievich explains her pursuit of journalism: "I chose a genre where human voices speak for themselves." She has previously won the Swedish PEN prize for her "courage and dignity as a writer". Ms Danius said the author had spent nearly 40 years studying the people of the former Soviet Union, but that her work was not only about history but "something eternal, a glimpse of eternity". Alexievich was the bookmakers' favourite to win the award, according to Ladbrokes. She beat other hot favourites Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami and Kenyan novelist Ngugi Wa Thiong'o. She is the 14th woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in its history. A total of 112 individuals have won it between 1901 and 2015.
| 5 | 91,824 |
news
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Google (GOOGL) has bought the alphabet. Not literally of course (if that's even possible), but it has acquired the domain name abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.com, just a few days after Google officially became a subsidiary of Alphabet , its new holding company. The domain was created in 1999 and was updated on Wednesday when Google took control of it, according to domain database Whois. It is unclear how much it was bought for. Google announced its restructuring in August in a bid to separate its core businesses such as search and Android from its "moonshots" like driverless cars. At the time, Google unveiled its website with a URL of abc.xyz. The purpose of the new domain is unclear given that the page did not load on Thursday morning. "We realized we missed a few letters in abc.xyz, so we're just being thorough," a spokesman for the company told media. Google owns 18,095 other domains, data on Whois shows. It's the owner of Googl.com and Gogle.com, so if people misspell Google, they will still be redirected to the search engine. Sometimes, companies will make defensive acquisitions of user names in order to prevent them being embarrassed in the future. The U.S. tech giant owns the domains GoogleSucks.com. The change to Alphabet has caused Google some headaches when it comes to domain names. It does not actually own alphabet.com because it's currently owned by German carmaker BMW . A report in the New York Times earlier this year suggested that BMW does not want to sell it.
| 3 | 91,825 |
finance
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Investing in a tumultuous market can be extremely tricky for investment professionals and investors alike. This marketplace has presented some fairly complex challenges. To better understand the landscape let's look at economic stimulus within a central banking system . Monetary policy makers use stimulus to control deflation thus propping up markets by infusing a system with cash. The Federal Reserve flooded the U.S. economy with currency in hopes that money would begin moving freely. Quantitative easing , or "QE," is a process by which a central bank purchases government securities and capitalizes the banks and lower interest rates. This, in theory, increases money supply by allowing financial institutions to lend more freely and increase liquidity. QE was implemented here in the U.S. after the financial crisis in 2008. The Federal Reserve announced a bond buying program of $600 billion. This process that started in November 2008 had three stages and was ramped down and finally ended in Oct. 2014. This writer would argue that QE1, 2, and 3 didn't really work (sorry, that's a different article). (For more, see: Quantitative Easing: Does It Work? ) Fixed Income Portfolio Let's talk about fixed income. Bonds are a particular type of fixed income and are a securitized debt obligation. They come in many shapes and sizes. Bonds have a start date and a maturity date. The yield paid by a bond is the coupon rate . Bond prices and interest rates have an inverse relationship. Rising rates mean lower bond prices. Certain bonds are more sensitive in a rising rate environment. Duration is the term associated with how sensitive a bond is to interest rate changes. Portfolio exposure to securitized debt can be accessed in many ways. By understanding the relationship of a particular component of fixed income to interest rates an investor or investment professional can seek a suitable allocation accordingly. (For more, see: How to Create a Modern Fixed-Income Portfolio .) Constructing a portfolio in this current environment takes a little focus and could be more difficult than in recent years. Capturing the aggregate using a diversified portfolio may not produce the desired results that investors have been accustomed to over the last 20 years. In the most recent bull market for fixed income, figuratively speaking, you might have thrown a dart at a wall of fixed income options and hit a winner. That landscape has changed dramatically. Active portfolio managing strategies are available and can be implemented in an aim to narrow the window and potentially provide the desired return an investor is seeking. Active Portfolio Management Core investment options are a staple when constructing an investment model. Market correlation is desirable in this partition of the model. What a portfolio manager surrounds the core with could potentially make the model more or less desirable in these market conditions. So many options for fixed income active management are available in today's retail markets. Model platforms vary by broker dealer but usually have an active management strategy offering. (For more, see: Advising FAs: Explaining Bonds to a Client .) Total return strategies are available and could be considered as potential buffer to volatile swings in the fixed income markets. There are other areas of fixed income that are less sensitive to interest rate movement. These areas may be desirable for your portfolio construction. They are municipal bonds , floating rate notes , convertible bonds and corporate bonds . Also, the shorter the maturity the less sensitivity to an interest rate hike. With yields so close to zero, short term may or may not be the place for an investor's hard earned money. Modern Portfolio Theory is predicated on the varying degrees of correlation between asset classes. Standard deviation can be calculated and measured for any portfolio. That being said, an acceptable standard deviation range according to desired risk tolerance can be established. This range could be used to tweak the risk profile of your portfolio according to changes in the market. By measuring the constant standard deviation and adjusting accordingly, a portfolio manager could theoretically control mean risk. This is a level of active management. Other, more complicated means are available but difficult to understand and most are proprietary. (For more, see: Asset Allocation In a Bond Portfolio .) Balancing Risk Sideways markets can be very difficult to manage. It can also be very difficult to make gains when volatility is crashing between investor sentiment and fundamentals. Why anyone would skin a cat is beyond me but so goes the phrase. There are so many ways in the investment world to seek your objectives. As an investment professional, find some dynamic solutions that you can easily explain, justify and be proud of at the end of the day. Market risk is not likely to go away if you catch my meaning. By utilizing fixed income models that offer a healthy core, total return and active management it may be possible to be ready for the market shake down when rates pop. The Dovish Fed Chair, Janet Yellen, gave some words of encouragement recently when she stated that, "Most of my colleagues and I anticipate that it will likely be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate sometime later this year." (For more, see: 3 ETFs to Play the Fed's Interest Rate Decision .) The Bottom Line There isn't a perfect strategy. There is no perfect product. There are the circumstances and the promise of things hoped for. That's another way to say "faith." Make a goal. Plan to adjust as you go. Manage the manageable aspects of your goal and seek wise counsel. It's not everyday someone will walk into your office and hand you millions of dollars and ask you to help them. When that does happen, I'd suggest being ready. Retirees, generally speaking, are less risk averse than a 30 year-old with years before income distribution starts. When you're building model portfolios, pretend it's your money going into each. The test question is, "Would I feel comfortable if my money were in this portfolio?" If you can put yourself in the client's shoes, you're likely on the right track. Wealthy investors have lots of conservative money on the sideline. Fixed income is facing a tough marketplace at the moment, but getting a few dynamic fixed income models in the quiver could greatly benefit a financial advisor for the moment when that money comes into play. (For more, see: Top 4 Strategies for Managing a Bond Portfolio .) The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Bonds are subject to market and interest rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Bond values will decline as interest rates rise and bonds are subject to availability and change in price. The economic forecasts set forth in the presentation may not develop as predicted and there can be no guarantee that strategies promoted will be successful. There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk. Asset allocation does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss.
| 3 | 91,826 |
finance
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The family that dresses up together, stays together. Peter Pan and His Lost Boys Peter Pan is out to play, and he's brought his infamous Lost Boys with him! This family costume is sure to please, just as long as you don't cause too much mischief. Get the instructions here. Follow us on Facebook. Cruella de Vil, Jasper and the Dalmations Cruella de Vil is perhaps the most fabulous Disney villain of all time. No one will think your family is barking mad with this adorably wicked get-up. Get the instructions here. Follow us on Facebook. Popeye Have a brand-new family of three? Dressing up as classic cartoon family Popeye, Olive Oyl and Sweet Pea couldn't be easier. Get the instructions here. Follow us on Facebook. The Addams Family Your eerie brood will creep the whole town out with these dark costumes inspired by the ever-popular Halloween classic, The Addams Family. Putting your looks together will definitely take a little creativity (and a lot of rummaging through your closet!), but the results are absolutely spooktacular. Follow us on Facebook. Beetlejuice If you thought the movie was creepy, imagine how people will react to seeing these scary characters in real life! This family get-up is sure to turn heads inside out, that is. Get the instructions for a similar look here. Follow us on Facebook. The Berenstain Bears The lovable cubs might be missing from this picture, but once you figure out how to make the big costumes, the little ones will be a piece of cake. (Although, we recommend substituting honey with Halloween candy!) Get the instructions for a similar look here. Follow us on Facebook. S'mores Your family will look cute and tasty! in this adorable, easy, DIY s'mores costume. Warm, toasty flames not included (but if you had a fifth family member...) Get the instructions here. Follow us on Facebook. The Flintstones This Flintstones family look is sure to be a rockin' hit, whether your clan is trick-or-treating, hosting a party, or running away from dinosaurs. Buy similar costumes here. Follow us on Facebook. Grease Grease costumes are always a Halloween staple, but we especially love this adorable family take. This family decided to go with a few T-Birds and a Pink Lady! The best part? Throw on some jeans, a white T-shirt and a leather jacket, and you're ready to go. Follow us on Facebook. Frozen Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf are all along for the Frozen ride! Let's just hope Halloween isn't too freezing this year! Check out these easy tutorials. Follow us on Facebook. Harry Potter The Boy Who Lived is bringing along his friends Hagrid and Luna Lovegood for some magical Halloween fun. Check out some tutorials for similar costumes here. Beekeeper and His Bees This adorable set of family Halloween costumes is sugary sweet, and it won't sting one bit. Get the instructions here. M&Ms Your family will look extra tasty in these M&Ms costumes. Buy similar costumes here. Mario, Princess Peach and Toad It's-a Mario! And he's brought his friends Princess Peach and Toad along for the spookiest time of the year (maybe even spookier than Toad's Castle?). Check out some tutorials for similar costumes here. Pirates and Parrot Arr, matey! I wonder if this pirate couple's parrot has learned how to talk yet? These adult pirate costumes are easily DIY'd with what you have in your closet, but here's a similar parrot costume for baby. Star Wars The movie is a beloved family classic, so why wouldn't you dress your family up as Star Wars characters? May the force be with you to retrieve lots of candy, that is. Find similar costumes here. Toy Story We all know Woody and Jesse belong together, but invite Buzz into the mix and the whole family can get silly with these cute Toy Story costumes. To infinity and beyond! Find similar costumes here. Wizard of Oz All your beloved characters from the childhood classic are back, with this brilliant family set of Wizard of Oz costumes. Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and even Toto this adorable fam is sure to get their wishes by the end of the night. Get the instructions for similar costumes here.
| 4 | 91,827 |
lifestyle
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As the air turns crisp, nine-to-fivers' daydreams are changing from beaches and pool parties to hikes and fall foliage. Unfortunately, a beach trip is a relatively easy undertaking in comparison to the equipment and information needed to pull off a successful camping trip. So how does a weekend warrior tackle his or her first hiking experience? Read on: Rent Gear Instead of Buy Renting gear is a great, because if it turns out you hate camping, you will not have dropped upwards of $1,000 on tents, sleeping bags, and propane grills. Most outfitters offer a wide range of products tailored to your group size and terrain. Major retailers REI and EMS are great resources for rentals. They offer everything from tents and camping stoves to Nordic skis and snowshoes, which can usually be reserved and picked up within days of your departure. Other options: OutdoorsGeek.com , LowerGear.com and peer-to-peer rental site GearCommons.com . These sites are best for trips planned well in advance. Map Your Hike Start by deciding the length and difficulty of your hike. A general rule of thumb is that 1.5 miles per hour is a safe and attainable speed for relatively flat terrain. Then search for popular hikes near your chosen destination. The Popular Trails feature on Trails.com is a favorite resource. If you're headed to a national park, check out the National Park Service website for a wealth of info, including hiking trails and top attractions. It's also worth having at least one copy of a paper trail map, which often are available at local outdoors shops. These are great for drawing out your route and come in handy when cell service fails. Find Friends This might seem obvious, but sure to bring at least two friends along for the adventure. Camping is not only more fun in a group, but it's significantly safer. Prioritize Light Give yourself extra time to hike, find your campsite, set up and cook. The importance of daylight cannot be underestimated, but it's equally important to bring lanterns and headlamps for seeing at night. Rent these or check out REI for an affordable selection. Be Redundant With Your Safety Measures Bring a portable phone charger; you'll want to be able to make a call in case of an emergency. Other must-packs? Sunscreen, a poncho, bug spray, and small survival kit. It's also probably worth investing in pepper spray and a flare gun, which are available for less than $30 each. Pack a Hike-Appropriate Novel Although most of your time will be spent soaking in the outdoors, it's always a good idea to have a novel on hand for relaxing in the sun. Our favorite novels for outdoor inspiration right now are Wild by Cheryl Strayed, A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, and a classic The Travels by Marco Polo.
| 2 | 91,828 |
travel
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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman made his first career NFL start when his team last faced the Cincinnati Bengals roughly four years ago. Sherman had not yet made a name for himself at the professional level and was nothing but a rookie cornerback who had been selected in the fifth round of that year's draft. The Seahawks cornerback was faced with the arduous task of covering Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green in the game, and did a pretty good job at it. He held Green to just four catches (63 yards) on 10 targets, and also picked off an Andy Dalton pass that was intended for the dynamic receiver. He shared some thoughts on Green with Pro Football Talk's Curtis Crabtree (who was with Seattle's Sports Radio 950 KJR at the time) after the matchup was over, and downplayed the receiver's reputation in the league. "He's probably one of the most overrated receivers out there," Sherman said of Green. "He wasn't anything special. Dalton is a good quarterback, he makes good decisions, but A.J. Green is just a lot of noise talking and bad routes." Now, four years later, Sherman has switched his stance on Green just a bit. "I have a ton of respect for him," Sherman said on Wednesday. "Obviously, I was hyped up that day, I'm always hyped up after the game. We've had conversations, and his resume speaks for itself. He's had a fantastic four or five years since we've played him, so you have to give him all the respect." Sherman was likely trying to create a name for himself and make some headlines with his initial comments about Green four years back. He has since been a lot quieter and has avoided putting his opponents on blast over the past two seasons, and it's good to see him giving Green the props he deserves. It will be fun to watch the two battle it out on the field on Sunday. [ Pro Football Talk ]
| 1 | 91,829 |
sports
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The UAW and FCA reached a new tentative agreement late Wednesday, with the union saying it won "significant gains" compared with an earlier deal members rejected last week.
| 3 | 91,830 |
finance
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Analysts seem to love to talk about a "Marissa Mayer effect." When Yahoo's stock leaped in the year after Marissa Mayer took the helm as president and CEO, many believed it was partly due to her glamour. Later, when the stock slipped, it was owed to her pregnancy. But as it turns out, there may not be much of a Marissa Mayer effect at all: One of the major reasons behind Yahoo's uptick in the beginning was largely driven by the company's Alibaba (BABA) deal; the recent decline in the stock price coincided with China's turmoil. And while Mayer has failed to turn Yahoo around, the three previous CEOs failed, too. But a growing number of investment experts believe not in the power of a single woman CEO but in what could more broadly be called a woman effect: the idea that women-led companies, or at least those with women in management, as a class perform better over time. Two new products in the public equities space and a host of private-equity vehicles are available if you want to make a bet on the idea, either because you want to support women or because you're looking for an edge in the market. "It's always good to fund an unfunded segment," said Sharon Vosmek, CEO of San Francisco-based Astia. Its program, Astia Angels, is a group of angels worldwide that invests in women-led businesses. Research by Anita Woolley and Thomas Malone of MIT's Center for Collective Intelligence found that the more women there were on a team, the more the group's collective intelligence rose. And in another example, a small study of 15 years' worth of start-up data by Dow Jones VentureSource showed that although the number of women at the wheel of start-ups was tiny only 6.5 percent had a female CEO the odds of success increased by as much as 2 percent for every 10 percent increase in C-suite or board-level women. Women-led companies as a class are arguably an overlooked investment opportunity, too, which means there ought to be some bargains. Men are 68 percent more likely to be funded as entrepreneurs than women, based on research by MIT, Harvard and Wharton released in April 2014. The study was done by presenting investors with exactly the same pitch script and business; the only thing different was the sex of the entrepreneur. "There are a lot of blind spots in private equity," said Vosmek. "Hidden bias prevents you from seeing opportunities." If you want to find an opportunity to invest in women, where do you look? Here are a handful of ideas: The $80 million Pax Ellevate Global Women's Index Fund (PXWEX (PXWEX-O) ) trading at about $20 a share, is a collaboration between Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based fund company Pax World Management and Ellevate Asset Management LLC, whose principal is Sallie Krawcheck. The fund invests in 400 companies that score well on factors such as women in the C-suite and on the board of directors. The fund, which is 58.33 percent in U.S. stock and 42 percent in international stock, had a one-year return of -3.58 percent compared with its benchmark MSCI World Index, which had a return of -3.87 percent. The fund's expense ratio is .99 percent; it roughly doubled in size since its relaunch in June of last year (there was predecessor fund that also invested in companies that supported women), and a spokeswoman for Pax pointed out that it has a lower risk profile than its benchmark: 8 percent less beta, 6 percent less standard deviation and 5 percent less downside capture. Meanwhile, London-based Barclays launched ETNs tracking a weighted index, called the WIL (Women in Leadership), which includes 85 U.S.-based companies with market caps of at least $250 million and with a woman CEO or board of directors that's at least 25 percent female. The ETNs, trading at about $50, have a weighted one-year return of -3.9 percent. But all products in the public equities market have to overcome the classic problem of all investment schemes with an element of active management: Performing well enough over time to make up for the higher costs associated with stock picking, either in the fund or the underlying index, not to mention the vagaries of the public equities market, which has been especially brutal this year. If you are an accredited investor, meaning you have an income of at least $200,000, you can consider investing privately in angel groups and funds focusing on women. There are a handful of financial firms and nonprofits springing up to connect investors with women-led companies. Astia had a big hit when New York City-based LearnVest, a financial site in which it was an early investor, was acquired by Northwestern Mutual for more than $300 million. Astia is a 15-year-old platform to connect investors and entrepreneurs with women-led businesses and now includes 5,000 people who vet investing opportunities for their fellow members. Two years ago Astia launched an angel investing group, which has been averaging investments in more than one company a month and now has 29 investments totaling $6.5 million in early stage women-led companies. The group has participated in deals that total $32 million, investing with funds including Catalyst Health Ventures and Google (GOOGL) Ventures. Another of its interesting investments: FixSix, a hardware/software company that produces much smaller AC/DC power adaptors. Astia is also raising a venture fund. Two other companies that also offer ways for angels and venture investors to tap into the woman effect are GoldenSeeds and Belle Capital. The former, a New York City-based firm that includes an angel investing platform and three venture capital funds, has had a handful of exits, according to its website, including Design2Launch, which was acquired by Eastman Kodak in 2010, and Tikatoak, a children's publishing platform that was acquired by Barnes & Noble (BKS) . Another company, Michigan-based Belle Capital, primarily serves women investors who want to invest in women-led companies or companies that commit to putting women in leadership positions. It also focuses on underserved capital markets, meaning places outside the investing hot spots on the coasts. If you want to be an angel investor in one of these organizations, Vosmet and Donna Harris, the CEO and co-founder of Washington, D.C.-based 1776, a global incubator, suggest asking a few key questions, including: What is the mark-to-market value of the investments? What happens after the check is cut: Are the investors active or passive? What is the makeup of the angel group? If it's mainly men, the group may not deliver as many women-led companies as you want to see. What is the strategy for filtering potential investments? What are some of the exits? What is the aggregate return? All the new investment opportunities help develop new networks centered around women entrepreneurs. The fact that most powerful business networks in the past have been dominated by men is one of the reasons perhaps the main reason that women-led companies have historically been funded at lower rates than men-led companies. "It's human nature," said Harris. "In anything you do, you inherently rely on your network, and we tend to know people who look and act and think like us." By Elizabeth MacBride, special to CNBC.com
| 3 | 91,831 |
finance
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BUENOS AIRES Argentina has a new law for treating children in hospitals that requires doctors to literally send in the clowns. The groundbreaking law the first in the world for Argentina's largest province, Buenos Aires, was inspired by the "laughter therapy" of American physician Hunter "Patch" Adams and was implemented in August. All public hospitals in the province that have pediatric services are required to work jointly with specially trained clowns. The project is "complementary medicine to bring joy to sick children in hospitals, their families and the medical and non-medical personnel," according to the Argentine Senate. One child who knows the benefits is Ezequiel Belsu, 12, who was crippled by pain from a pulmonary disease in intensive care here at Hospital Piñero. He needs an oxygen mask and IV line and was not moving in his bed. But his eyes suddenly widened and he smiled when three enthusiastic clowns stepped slowly into his room and asked if he wanted to make a wish. "Up until the clowns got in, he felt desperate. It's the first time he spent so much time away from his home, so it made him feel better," said the boy's mother, Rosana Belsu, who was delighted to see the clowns. These three clowns use the names Dr. Lala, Dr. Azul Primavera (blue spring in English) and Dr. Lulo Alegre. Their real names, respectively, are Evelyn Smink, María Asunción Giardina and Miguel Alegre. And they are trained clowns with the organization Puente Clown in Buenos Aires. José Pellucchi, a physician who is director of Payamedicos, an organization of medical clowns, said professional clowns have already been working in more than 150 hospitals in Argentina and neighboring Chile since 2002. When the clowns arrive at Hospital Piñero, they first write down each child's name, age and disease they will visit. They also consult with the pediatricians to know which patients they can entertain without disturbing them or getting exposed to a disease. "We do an activity with everyone in the hospital, from the cleaning employees to the security officers and the doctors, to … generate well-being in the workplace," said Gustavo Iribarne, another Puente Clown professional and an anthropologist. The doctors believe the clowns benefit the patients. "The fact that someone comes in with a white medical coat and a red nose saying the same things (as a doctor) but with a distinct language changes everything," explained Daniel Rivero, a physician who heads the pediatrics department at Hospital Piñero. "Health issues are not just related to our body. Determining factors include our sensations and human contact, which can change how our body works … called the placebo effect," he said. It is important to work with clowns because "the hospital's environment is very strict with white doors and aggressive people who put needles in children's veins, tell them bad news and make them swallow awful medicine," he added. To create a bridge between sick children, the clowns give two children in neighboring rooms each end of a rope. The clowns then move from one room to the other, relaying messages and jokes to each child. This way, young Ezequiel can communicate with his hospital neighbor, Sofia Benites, a 12-year-old girl from Paraguay who had her appendix removed. With some patients, like Sofia who just had abdominal surgery, the clowns know that laughter isn't always the best medicine. "We don't necessarily want to make people laugh. Although laughter is always curative, we want people to reconnect with their childhood's world, dreams and fantasies," said Smink, who has worked as a clown four years.
| 5 | 91,832 |
news
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TOKYO (AP) -- Marin Cilic overpowered Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-3 on Thursday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open. The sixth-seeded Croat saved all five break points he faced to set up a quarterfinal with second-seeded Kei Nishikori, who is bidding for his third Japan Open title. Cilic, who is seeking his first title of the year and the 14th of his career, hit a powerful forehand to wrap up the match in 73 minutes. Cilic beat Nishikori in the final of the 2014 U.S. Open but the Japanese player won their last meeting in the semifinals of the Citi Open in August and owns a 6-3 record against the Croatian. In other matches, qualifier Austin Krajicek beat Joao Sousa 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 and will next face top-seeded Stan Wawrinka. Nick Kyrgios lost just eight points on his serve to sweep into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Roberto Bautista Agut. Kyrgios will face France's Benoit Paire in the next round. Paire beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. Both Nishikori and Wawrinka had the day off after booking their places in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
| 1 | 91,833 |
sports
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Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary has rescued a baby pig named Irwin and even given him a new sweater. Keri Lumm (@thekerilumm) as the adorable story.
| 8 | 91,834 |
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INCHEON CITY, Korea Phil Mickelson arrived at the team hotel for the Presidents Cup bearing gifts and wearing baggy pants that resembled pajamas and were decorated with American flags. Soon thereafter he was telling stories. As always, he was smiling and ready to crack wise. While his form on the golf course the past two years made people wonder why U.S. captain Jay Haas used one of his captain's picks on Lefty, the five-time major winner's form in the team room and around his teammates has been spot on as is has always been the case. Off the course and especially in the team room, he's an invaluable intangible. He proved his worth on the golf course in Thursday's first session of Foursomes action, too, as the U.S. took a 4-1 lead. Mickelson, 45, who has played in every Presidents Cup, teamed with Zach Johnson to take down world No. 2 Jason Day and Steven Bowditch, 2 up, in the day's closest match. Mickelson played well throughout the match and at times was a highlight reel. His most notable moment came when he holed a bunker shot from 20 yards on the 13th hole when the U.S. was clinging to a 1-up lead. On the 18th, Mickelson's 327-yard, center-cut drive set up Johnson's 7-iron to 8 feet. After Day missed his eagle attempt from 18 feet, the hole and the match was conceded. Mickelson, who hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2013, is now 21-16-11 in the Presidents Cup. "This is the most fun we have all year, and to spend and share time with each other, to play with each other, it's just so enjoyable and I'm so appreciative to be on this team, to be a part of the team and now to be contributing with the points," said Mickelson, who paired with Johnson for the first time. "The thing about Zach and I is we actually can play our best and get other people to play their best with a number of guys on the team now and in the past. For the better of the team, we have played with other partners to bring out the best in them and the best in us, but together, we were also able to play some of our best golf, and I think that we are going to get even better as the week goes on as we spend more time with each other." They'll find out Friday in Fourballs. Haas didn't split up any of his four winning teams from Foursomes and sent out Mickelson and Johnson against Day and Adam Scott. "Phil is a different guy, too, and that's the beauty," Johnson said. "I love his energy. I've always enjoyed just playing with him, regardless of the format, of the tournament, of the situation. "Phil can be a pretty energetic guy. The beauty of it is what you see is what you get. His emotions are on his sleeve and that's why he is who he is and what he's done. He's one of our leaders and one of the leaders, best leaders I've been around. … And he's the best I've ever seen around the greens. Put that with how he can drive the ball, it's scary. And good to be a part of." Mickelson and his wife, Amy, started the week by giving bracelets featuring black onyx and other gems to his teammates and others involved with the team. Shortly thereafter, he gave a speech to the team. Then started playing ping-pong and giving the needle. "Phil is awesome to be around," Rickie Fowler said. "He's someone I've looked up to. … He's got a little bit of everything. He can be serious when it needs to be done and he can step up and put a speech together, talk to the guys, get you motivated and pumped up. He can also be there to pick guys up, be helpful. I say big brother, but I make reference, he's like a dad to me. He doesn't like that reference because it makes him sound older. He is playing, but it's almost like he's in a captain role in a way. " … And he tries to be funny. Yeah, OK, he's funny. Phil likes to have a good time. He likes to talk trash and he expects it is back." "He brings it all," Bubba Watson said when asked what Mickelson brings to the team. "And if it's not that funny, you just laugh because you feel bad for him (laughter)." Or as Matt Kuchar put it: "I very much enjoy chatting with Phil … and hearing him. I mean whether it's serious or off the cuff, he's great to be around. He's certainly one of my favorites. The Tour will be at a big loss whenever he shuts it down." Mickelson doesn't want to go down that retirement road just yet. He knows Father Time is catching up and he could be playing on his last U.S. team but remains adamant he isn't close to looking at the sunset of his career. "I'm excited about the way the last few months have gone, which makes me very excited for the coming year and coming years," Mickelson said. " … These weeks have become some of the weeks that I cherish the most in my career. These times that we share together and these emotions and the matches and supporting players, developing friendships that last a lifetime and I really cherish my time on these teams. "These weeks are very emotional, and they are just the best weeks."
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin celebrated his 63rd birthday with a hockey match in Sochi while in Moscow, an art exhibition reimagining Mr. Putin as Buddha, Pelé and Muhammad Ali was underway. Mark Kelly reports.
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Thirty-three people are still missing five days after a US air strike on an Afghan hospital, Doctors Without Borders warned Thursday, sparking fears the death toll could rise significantly. Saturday's bombing in the disputed town of Kunduz killed 12 staff and 10 patients, prompting the medical aid agency to close the trauma centre. The centre was seen as a lifeline in a war-battered region with scant medical care and which is one again on the frontline after a stunning Taliban operation. "We are still in shock," Guilhem Molinie, the head of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kabul. "We lost many colleagues and at the moment it's clear that we don't want to take the risk for any of our staff." MSF has set up a hotline in hopes of tracing the nine patients and 24 staff who are still unaccounted for. "We cannot speculate on their whereabouts," the charity said in a statement. It is possible, MSF added, that unidentified bodies remain in the hospital, but that cannot be confirmed amid the ongoing insecurity in the area. The New York Times reported this week that the top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan thought US forces had broken their own rules of engagement. And on Thursday, the commander -- General John Campbell -- made it clear publicly that any error was the fault of US forces and not of their Afghan allies. President Barack Obama has apologised to MSF but three investigations -- by the US military, by NATO and by Afghan officials -- are underway and the general would not be drawn on their progress. But, asked about allegations that Afghan troops had called in the US strike because wounded Taliban fighters were being treated in the hospital, Campbell said that would not be a justification. "A hospital is a protected facility. We would not target a hospital," he told the US House of Representatives Armed Services Committee in Washington. - Broke Geneva Conventions? - "When the Afghans call for fire, that's not an automatic response. Every day the Afghans ask me for close air support and we just don't go fire some place," he said. "We go through a rigorous procedure to put aerial fires on the ground -- A US process, under the US authorities. "So we've got to figure out what happened in that case but I don't want people to think that just because the Afghans call fire that there's automatic fire anywhere they want it, that's just not the case." MSF, which has condemned the attack as a war crime, is stressing the need for an international investigation, saying the raid contravened the Geneva Conventions. Aid groups, the United Nations and a tide of global outrage have pressured Washington to come clean over the strike, which came after the Taliban overran Kunduz. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg added to this clamour in Thursday after a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. "We underlined the importance of a full and thorough and transparent investigation," he told reporters. "We need to have all the facts on the table." The raid was carried out after the Taliban's brief but bloody capture of Kunduz, which has badly shaken confidence in the Afghan government's ability to hold the militants off despite NATO support. MSF General Director Christopher Stokes told the news conference in Kabul that the charity was reviewing security at "all its operations in Afghanistan". Molinie said MSF has not yet received any assurances that would give them the "confidence" to return to Kunduz. Hungry, thirsty and war-wounded residents of the city, meanwhile, complained of the lack of essential medical support as they slowly emerged from their houses after days of pitched street battles.
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Ben Carson recounted a story about being held at gunpoint, amid backlash over comments he made about the Oregon shooting. Carson suggested that victims of the shooting could have done more to fight back.
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Jackass's Steve-O is headed to jail. Steve-O will spend 30 days in December in jail for climbing up, and shooting fireworks off a crane to protest SeaWorld in Hollywood. He'll also pay a hefty fourteen thousand dollar fine. Steve-O turned himself in and face's five charges. Steve-O released this statement saying, "What can I say, I'm a jackass. My whole crane-climbing, fireworks debacle really turned out to be pretty meaningful in the end, too." Check out the more of his statement in our video.
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Rex Ryan wants to limit the Bills penalties so he's enforcing a pushup rule in practice, hoping that will stop some of the mistakes. Our crew at 120 Sports is enforcing the same rule.
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One man's hero is another man's tyrant, a popular aphorism goes. But while we can argue the validity and virtue of certain political agendas, the callous methods by which some leaders attain their goals are less up to interpretation. After all, no matter how a historian tries to spin it, ordering a tower to be constructed out of live men stacked and cemented together with bricks and mortar is pretty brutal. Business Insider put together a list of the most ruthless leaders of all time featuring men and women who acted mercilessly to achieve their political and military agendas. Note: All people on the list ruled prior to 1980, and no living figures were included. People are arranged in chronological order. 1. Qin Shi Huang Reign: 247-210 B.C. Qin, also called Qin Shihuangdi, united China in 221 B.C. and ruled as the first emperor of the Qin dynasty. He was known to order the killing of scholars whose ideas he disagreed with and the burning of "critical" books. During his reign, he ordered the construction of a great wall (roughly speaking, the prequel to the modern Great Wall of China), and an enormous mausoleum featuring more than 6,000 life-size terra-cotta soldier figures. Large numbers of conscripts working on the wall died, and those working on the mausoleum were killed to preserve the secrecy of the tomb. "Every time he captured people from another country, he castrated them in order to mark them and made them into slaves," Hong Kong University's Xun Zhou told the BBC. Source: British Museum , Britannica , History , BBC 2. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (aka Caligula) Reign: A.D. 37-41 Caligula was quite popular at first because he freed citizens who were unjustly imprisoned and got rid of a stiff sales tax. But then he became ill, and he was never quite the same again. He eliminated political rivals (forcing their parents to watch the execution), and declared himself a living god. According to Roman historian Suetonius, Caligula had sex with his sisters and sold their services to other men, raped and killed people, and made his horse a priest. He was eventually attacked by a group of guardsman and stabbed 30 times. Source: Biography.com , BBC , " Atlas of History's Greatest Heroes and Villains " by Howard Watson. 3. Attila the Hun Reign: A.D. 434-453 After killing his brother, Attila became the leader of the Hunnic Empire, centered in present-day Hungary, and ended up becoming one of the most feared assailants of the Roman Empire. He expanded the Hunnic Empire to present-day Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and the Balkans. He also invaded Gaul with the intention of conquering it, though he was defeated at the Battle of Catalaunian Plains. "There, where I have passed, the grass will never grow gain," he reportedly remarked on his reign. Source: Britannica , Biography 4. Wu Zetian Reign: A.D. 690-705 Wu went from 14-year-old junior concubine to empress of China. She ruthlessly eliminated opponents by dismissing, exiling, or executing them even if they were her own family. The Chinese empire greatly expanded under her rule, and though she had brutal tactics, her decisive nature and talent for government has been praised by historians. Notably, military leaders who were handpicked by Wu took control of large parts of the Korean peninsula. Source: Britannica 5. Genghis Khan Reign: 1206-1227 Khan's father was poisoned to death when Khan was 9, and he spent time as a slave during his teenage years before he united the Mongol tribes and went on to conquer a huge chunk of Central Asia and China. His style is characterized as brutal, and historians have pointed out that he slaughtered civilians en masse. One of the most notable examples was when he massacred the aristocrats of the Khwarezm Empire, decimating the ruling class, with unskilled workers taken to be used as human shields. Source: " Genghis Khan and the Mongol War Machine " by Chris Peers, History.com 6. Tomas de Torquemada Reign: 1483-1498 (as Grand Inquisitor) Torquemada was appointed Grand Inquisitor during the Spanish Inquisition. He established tribunals in several cities, put together 28 articles to guide other inquisitors, and authorized torture to extract confessions. He reportedly encouraged King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to give Spanish Jews the choice between exile or baptism, causing many Jews to leave the country. Historians estimate that Torquemada was responsible for about 2,000 people burning at the stake. Interestingly, some sources say Torquemada himself came from a family of Jewish converts. Source: Britannica , " A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews " by Avner Falk 7. Timur (aka Tamerlane) Reign: 1370-1405 Timur led military campaigns through a large chunk of western Asia, including modern Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria, and he founded the Timurid Empire. In present-day Afghanistan, Timur ordered the construction of a tower made out of live men, each stacked on top of another, and cemented together with bricks and mortar. He also once ordered a massacre to punish a rebellion, and he had 70,000 heads built up into minarets. Source: Encyclopedia 8. Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (aka Vlad Drăculea or Vlad the Impaler) Reign: 1448; 1456-1462; 1476 When Vlad III finally became the ruler of the principality of Wallachia, the region was in disarray because of the many feuding boyars. According to the stories, Vlad invited his rivals all to a banquet, where he stabbed and impaled them all. (Impaling was his favorite method of torture.) Though it's difficult to determine whether this story was embellished, it characterizes Vlad's rule: He tried to bring stability and order to Wallachia through extremely ruthless methods. Source: Huffington Post , LiveScience , Britannica 9. Czar Ivan IV (aka Ivan the Terrible) Reign: Grand Prince of Moscow: 1533-1547; Czar of All the Russias: 1547-1584 Ivan IV began his rule by reorganizing the central government and limiting the power of the hereditary aristocrats (the princes and the boyars). After the death of his first wife, Ivan began his "reign of terror" by eliminating top boyar families. He also beat his pregnant daughter-in-law and killed his son in a fit of rage . H e earned the nickname "Ivan Grozny" (aka "Ivan the Formidable" which has been mistranslated to "Terrible"). Source: Biography , Britannica 10. Queen Mary I (aka Bloody Mary) Reign: 1553-1558 The only child of the notorious King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Mary I became queen of England in 1553 and soon reinstalled Catholicism (after previous rulers championed Protestantism) as the main religion and married Philip II of Spain a Catholic. Over the next few years, hundreds of Protestants were burned at the stake, and for that she earned the nickname "Bloody Mary." Source: Biography , BBC 11. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed (aka the Blood Countess) Killing spree: 1590-1610 The countess lured young peasant women into her castle, promising them jobs as maids before brutally torturing them to death. According to one account, she tortured and killed as many as 600 girls, though the actual number is likely to be much lower. Her torture methods included sticking needles under finger nails, covering girls in honey before unleashing bees on them, biting off chunks of flesh, and, most infamously, bathing in the blood of virgins to stay young and beautiful. Source: Britannica , History 12. Maximilien Robespierre Reign: c. 1789-1794 One of the many influential figures involved in the French Revolution, Robespierre become one of the dominant players during the "Reign of Terror," a period of extreme violence when "enemies of the revolution" were guillotined, arguing that this terror was an " emanation of virtue ." According to historical sources, Robespierre was soon corrupted by power and was executed by guillotine as well. Source: Biography , BBC 13. King Leopold II of Belgium Reign: 1865-1909 King Leopold II "founded" the Congo Free State as "his own" private colony, and went on to make a huge fortune from it by forcing the Congolese into slave labor for ivory and rubber. Millions ended up suffering from starvation, the birth rate dropped as men and women were separated, and tens of thousands were shot in failed rebellions. Demographers estimate that from 1880 to 1920 the population fell by 50%. This forced-labor system was later copied by the French, German, and Portuguese officials. Source: Britannica 14. Mehmet Talat Paşa Reign: 1913-1918 Historians believe that Talat Paşa was the leading figure in the Armenian genocide. As minister of the interior, he was reportedly responsible for the deportation and ultimately the deaths of some 600,000 Armenians. He was assassinated in Berlin in 1921 by an Armenian. As an unusual bit of history, Adolf Hitler sent his body back to Istanbul in 1943, hoping to persuade Turkey to join the Axis powers in World War II. Source: Britannica , The Independent 15. Vladimir Lenin Reign: 1917-1924 In 1917, Lenin led the October Revolution to overturn the provisional government that had overthrown the czar. About three years of civil war followed, after which the Bolsheviks came out on top and took over the country. "During this period of revolution, war and famine, Lenin demonstrated a chilling disregard for the sufferings of his fellow countrymen and mercilessly crushed any opposition," the BBC reported. Source: BBC , Biography 16. Benito Mussolini Reign: 1922-1943 After escaping military service, Mussolini founded Italy's Fascist Party, which was supported among disillusioned war veterans, and organized them into violent units called Blackshirts. He began to disintegrate democratic government institutions, and by 1925 he became "Il Duce," or "the leader" of Italy. Surviving multiple assassinations, Mussolini once said: "If I advance, follow me. If I retreat, kill me. If I die, avenge me." In 1936, Mussolini formed an alliance with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in which he introduced anti-Semitic policies in Italy. In April 1945, already removed from power, Mussolini tried to flee as Allied forces closed in on him, but he was shot and killed by anti-Fascists and hung upside down in a Milanese square. Source: Atlas of History's Greatest Heroes and Villains " by Howard Watson. 17. Joseph Stalin Reign: 1922-1953 Stalin forced quick industrialization and collectivization in the 1930s that coincided with mass starvation (including the Holodomor in Ukraine), the imprisonment of millions of people in the Gulag labor camps, and the "Great Purge" of the intelligentsia, the government, and the armed forces. During World War II, Stalin's son Yakov was captured by or surrendered to the German army. The Germans proposed trading Yakov for Field Marshal Paulus, who was captured after the Battle of Stalingrad, but Stalin refused, saying he would never trade a field marshal for a regular soldier. Source: RT , History , "Joseph Stalin: A Biographical Companion" by Helen Rappaport 18. Adolf Hitler Reign: 1933-1945 By the end of 1941, Hitler's German Third Reich empire (and Axis) included almost every country in Europe plus a large part of North Africa. He also devised a plan to create his ideal "master race" by eliminating Jews, Slavs, gypsies, homosexuals, and political opponents by forcefully sending them to concentration camps, where they were tortured and worked to death. According to some reports , the Nazis deliberately killed about 11 million people under Hitler's regime. After learning that Soviet forces were closing in on Berlin, Hitler and his wife killed themselves in his Führerbunker. Source: Atlas of History's Greatest Heroes and Villains " by Howard Watson, New York Review of Books by Timothy Snyder 19. Khorloogiin Choibalsan Reign: 1939-1952 After several meetings with Stalin, Choibalsan adopted the Soviet leader's policies and methods and applied them to Mongolia. He created a dictatorial system and suppressed the opposition, and tens of thousands of people were killed. Later in the 1930s, he "began to arrest and kill leading workers in the party, government, and various social organizations in addition to army officers, intellectuals, and other faithful workers," according to an report published in 1968. Source: "Historical Dictionary of Mongolia" by Alan J.K. Sanders 20. Francisco Franco Reign: 1938-1975 With the help of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Gen. Franco overthrew Spain's democratically elected Second Republic during the 1930s. Under his regime, many Republican figures fled the country, and those who stayed were tried by military tribunals. Catholicism was the official (read: only tolerated) religion, Catalan and Basque languages were prohibited outside the home, and the regime had a vast secret police network. As Franco got older, however, police controls and censorship began to relax, free-market reforms were introduced, and Morocco gained independence. Source: Britannica , History.com 21. Mao Zedong Reign: 1949-1976 A communist leader, Mao founded the People's Republic of China. Under his leadership, industry was put under state control, and farmers were organized into collectives. Any opposition was swiftly suppressed. Mao's supporters point out that he modernized and united China, and turned it into a world superpower. However, others point out that his policies led to the deaths of as many as 40 million people through starvation, forced labor, and executions. Interestingly, he is sometimes compared to Qin Shi Huang (the first man on this list). Source: " Atlas of History's Greatest Heroes and Villains " by Howard Watson, Britannica , Biography , BBC , Encyclopedia 22. Pol Pot Reign: 1975-1979 Pol Pot and his communist Khmer Rouge movement in Cambodia orchestrated a brutal social engineering that aimed to create an agrarian utopia by relocating people into the countryside. Others were put in "special centers" where they were tortured and killed. Doctors, teachers, and other professionals were forced to work in the fields to "reeducate" themselves. "Anyone thought to be an intellectual of any sort was killed," the BBC reports. "Often people were condemned for wearing glasses or knowing a foreign language." Up to 2 million Cambodians were executed or overworked or starved to death in just four years. Source: History , BBC 23. Idi Amin Reign: 1971-1979 Gen. Amin overthrew an elected government in Uganda via a military coup and declared himself president. He then ruthlessly ruled for eight years, during which an estimated 300,000 civilians were massacred. He also kicked out Uganda's Asian population (mostly Indian and Pakistani citizens), and spent large amounts on the military, both of which led to the country's economic decline. Source: History 24. Augusto Pinochet Reign: 1973-1990 Pinochet overthrew Chile's Allende government in 1973 with the help of a US-backed coup. Reports say numerous people "disappeared" under the regime and as many as 35,000 were tortured. Pinochet died before he could stand trial on accusations of human-rights abuses. He brought back free-market economic policies, which led to lower inflation and even an economic boom in the late '70s. Notably, Chile was one of the best-performing economies in Latin America from the mid-'80s to the late '90s. Source: Britannica , Guardian , IMF
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Whole Food Market has initiated a nationwide recall of one brand of Roquefort cheese after Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspectors detected the presence listeria monocytogenes , a bacterium that causes listeriosis, a form of food poisoning, the company and the FDA announced Thursday. The only brand affected by the recall is "Papillion Organic Roquefort," the FDA said. The affected cheese was packaged and sold in clear plastic wrap and can be identified by its scale label, which begins with PLU 029536, Whole Foods said. Listeriosis can be fatal for "older adults, pregnant women, newborns, and adults with weakened immune systems," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "However, rarely, persons without these risk factors can also be affected," CDC says. Healthy individuals may suffer "short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea," according to the FDA, and "can cause miscarriages and stillbirths among pregnant women." A request for comment from Whole Foods was not immediately returned.
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An Austintown, Ohio, man with a serious case of the munchies called police to complain that he was "too high," according to the Austintown Police Department. Austintown police responded to the call around 5:20 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 and found the 22-year-old "in the fetal position." He "was surrounded by a plethora of Doritos, Pepperidge Farm Goldfish and Chips Ahoy cookies," according to the police report. The victim told police he could not feel his hands, but declined medical service. He told the officer he "smoked too much weed." He told the officers that he smoked marijuana in his car, and gave permission for police to "recover the evidence" from his vehicle. Police found a glass pipe with marijuana residue, two packs of rolling papers, two roaches and a glass jar of marijuana in the man's car, according to the report. The investigation is ongoing and the man has not yet been charged. Follow @MaryBowerman on Twitter.
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Medicare beneficiaries may have noticed their mailboxes are filling with brochures and packets from health insurance companies. That's because the open enrollment period for Medicare has arrived, and companies are vying for a share of the 55 million member market. From Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, Medicare beneficiaries have the opportunity to change their coverage and can choose from original Medicare (provided directly by the government) or Medicare Advantage (offered by private health insurance companies). In addition to switching their health care plan, beneficiaries can change Part D plans which provide prescription drug coverage. Open enrollment occurs once a year, and for most people with Medicare, it's their only chance to change plans. As you weigh your options, here are six things you should know. Part B Premiums May Be Increasing for Some People A report this month in the AARP Bulletin, based on data from the Medicare Boards of Trustees, finds 1 in 7 Medicare beneficiaries could see their Part B premiums increase as much as 52 percent next year. The increase will go into effect if there is no cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security in 2016, but it will apply mainly to those already paying higher premiums because of their income and affect those who pay premiums directly to the government. Most people making direct payments are doing so because they are delaying Social Security benefits , a strategy that can increase their future monthly payments. "Should folks in the latter situation sign up for Social Security now?" asks Patricia Barry, a features editor for AARP Publications who wrote the AARP report and author of "Medicare For Dummies." Under the law, those who have their Part B premiums deducted from Social Security cannot be subject to a premium increase. Barry says applying for Social Security in October may allow people to save money on premiums in the short run but could cost them more in the future. "They might be giving up higher [Social Security] payments for the rest of their lives for the sake of what could well turn out to be just one year of inflated Part B premiums." Pay Special Attention to Your Part D Coverage Although it's a smart idea to review your health insurance options each open enrollment period, experts say most plans stay largely the same each year. Instead, most people will find changes in Part D plans . "It's something [consumers] want to check into every single year," says Kristin Romel, a health and life agent with Alpine North Insurance Agency in Alpena, Michigan. Romel explains that many companies use a claims-based system for determining prescription drug costs and coverage. A medication for which they had a large number of claims may end up moving into a tier with higher copays. However, other insurers may not have had the same number of claims for those drugs, and the out-of-pocket costs for those prescriptions might remain lower in other plans. Barry's research supports this finding. In the last few years, she has analyzed what different Part D plans in the same state charge as copays for the same drug. "Those copays vary enormously, often by more than $100 for a 30-day supply, and sometimes by a lot more," she says. The Network May Be More Important Than the Price Those shopping for a Medicare Advantage plan may gravitate toward the option with the lowest premium. However, there is more than price to consider. "Patients should be scrutinizing the providers [in a plan's network]," says Colin LeClair, senior vice president of business and product development for ConcertoHealth, a health care provider for dual-eligible Medicare and Medicaid patients. "The quality of providers is far more important than cost." While it may hard to gauge the quality of unknown physicians, Medicare beneficiaries should at least check a plan's network to see if their preferred doctors and facilities participate. "You've got to be careful with little, fly-by-night companies," Romel says. "Are hospitals actually going to take that insurance?" Your Mailbox Is Full, but the Best Help May be Found Elsewhere Barry has a simple piece of advice when it comes to all those brochures you've received: "Ignore that avalanche of mailings from Medicare plans that are coming through the door." Instead, use the plan finder at Medicare.gov to look over your options. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program may also be able to help you navigate your choices. LeClair says he finds a lot of his company's clients bring their stack of mailings to the doctor's office. "Physicians should not be advising patients on which plan to use," LeClair says, "but they can help [patients] understand them." 65-Year-Olds Need to Enroll Even If They Delay Social Security Open enrollment is only for those who are already enrolled in Medicare, but John Piershale, a certified financial planner and wealth advisor with Piershale Financial Group in Crystal Lake, Illinois, says now is a good time to remind 65-year-olds that they need to enroll in Medicare, or they will face penalties. For those filing for Social Security by age 65, enrollment in Medicare is typically automatic. However, those waiting to claim Social Security until a later age will need to be proactive about enrolling. The initial enrollment period runs for seven months and includes the three months before your birthday month, your birthday month and the three months after it. Failing to enroll in Medicare during this period results in a 10 percent increase in Part B premiums for every year you delay enrolling. "A lot of people don't know about [the penalty], and there is no way to fix it," Piershale says. The Biggest Change to Medicare Is One You Can't See One of the biggest changes coming to Medicare is one that won't be immediately obvious to patients, LeClair says. Many insurance companies are moving toward outcome-based contracts with providers, which could change how patients are seen by doctors. These contracts are intended to reward physicians who are, for example, successfully managing chronic conditions and reducing hospital admissions . "Historically, [insurers] paid physicians on a fee-for-service model," LeClair says. That system encouraged physicians to move through patients quickly and possibly order unnecessary testing and other services. "Now you have providers focused on doing less and providing better outcomes," LeClair says. From a patient perspective, an emphasis on positive outcomes may mean shorter wait times to get in to see a doctor and more time spent with a physician once you're in the office. Until outcome-based care becomes standard, Medicare beneficiaries can use the annual open enrollment period to switch to a new plan with different providers if they are unhappy with their options. However, to make the most of the opportunity, you'll need to compare more than just the price. "Don't go cheap on your health insurance," Romel advises. "Don't put a price tag on your health." Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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You can learn a lot from a visit to an open house, from whether a home is really as amazing as it looks in photos to whether the street noise is tolerable. But one thing that isn't always so clear after visiting an open house is what to do next . Whether you've fallen in love or never want to set foot in a certain neighborhood again, how do you best put that information to use? Here are the key steps buyers should take after an open house. You've fallen in love? Do this You've fallen in love with that home for sale in Boca Raton, FL , and you're ready to make an offer: Huzzah! Here are your immediate next steps. 1. Determine your best offer. Talk with your real estate agent to figure out your initial bid. Kimberly Ehardt, a real estate agent in Austin, TX , says your agent can help you find comparable home sales in the area, look up facts such as how long the property has been on the market, and help you factor in any repairs the property may need. "Don't make a move without an agent," she says. 2. Be prepared to hurry up and wait. Accepting an offer is a big decision for the seller too, and as soon as your agent hears something, you'll be the first to know. The waiting is the hardest part; so try to find ways to distract yourself. 3. Don't jump the gun. When in doubt, listen to your gut. If you're worried you may be offering more than you'll be comfortable with, scale down. It's better to lose the property and find another that fits your budget than to win the bidding war and be house-poor. 4. Don't forget the inspection. Getting your bid accepted is only the first step. If the home inspection reveals any major problems the sellers aren't willing to address, you could still find yourself needing to walk away. If you're on the fence When you're feeling lukewarm about a home , sometimes a little thoughtfulness can help sway you in one direction. Here are some tips to help you determine whether a home is right for you. 5. Sleep on it. Don't let a false sense of urgency push you into making a decision you're not 100% sure about. If the thought of sleeping on it and potentially losing the home to a more aggressive buyer leaves you brokenhearted, that could be your answer right there. If not, give it a good night's rest and see how you feel in the morning. 6. Know your must-haves. Writing out a list of qualities you consider non-negotiables and deal breakers should definitely be on your home-buying checklist . Compare this property with this list. What matches up? What doesn't? 7. Schedule a personal tour. Open houses can be misleading . The sellers' agent (or the seller himself) is extolling the home's best features, there's mood lighting and fresh-baked cookies, and you hear other buyers ooh and ah . If you're really not sure about a house, make an appointment with your agent to take a second look. "Bring a friend or family member who can offer a fresh perspective," Ehardt says. 8. Consider your lifestyle. If you're a light sleeper and the home is on a busy, noisy street, it probably won't work for you in the long term. If you have a big, active family and there's a tiny backyard, no amount of great rooms inside will keep everyone happy. Imagine yourself living in the home and ask yourself if the fit is right. 9. Consider the add-ons. The cost of a home is often more than just the final closing price you'll also want to tally any additional costs you'll incur, such as fixtures and appliances you want to upgrade, items that need repair, and your maintenance costs. (Read: That vaulted ceiling in the main living area can drive up your energy bills.) After considering all these extras, does buying the home still feel like a good deal? 10. Come back at different times of day. That quiet neighborhood you loved on a Sunday afternoon could become mayhem during rush hour or on a Friday night. Make sure you like the property at all times of day. 11. Trust your instincts. Indecision is rarely a 50/50 split; there's often a gut reaction or a little voice in the back of your head pulling you in one direction or the other. Listen to these instincts for a clue into what you're really thinking. When you hate the open house, learn from it If you absolutely could not wait to get out of that open house , don't give up just yet. It's OK; there are lots of things you can apply to your house hunt even if you feel as if every house you've seen so far isn't even in the ballpark. Here's the key to following up after an open house you didn't love. 12. Identify the issues. Knowing what you didn't like about a property, and why, can help you hone your search so you have success in the future. Whatever your turnoffs with this home location, layout, style remember these qualities as you consider visiting new listings. 13. Expand your horizons. Maybe you thought you wanted a ranch-style home, but you're beginning to realize a Tudor or split-level might be a better fit for you. Maybe you're running out of solid options in your target neighborhood, so it's time to broaden your search into similar areas you hadn't yet considered. 14. Don't settle. It can be frustrating to visit home after home that just isn't doing it for you. But don't let frustration tempt you to settle for something that isn't right for you. While no home will be "perfect," there's a difference between making a few small compromises and making a big mistake you'll have to live with for many years to come. See open houses near you
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The Alpha Tau Omega chapter at Indiana University has been suspended over alleged hazing and sexual misconduct.
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WASHINGTON President Obama signed a bill Wednesday night making an important change to Obamacare that will prevent health insurance premiums for 3 million people from going up next year. The Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees Act seems like an unlikely Washington success story: A bipartisan health care bill passed by both chambers without a single no vote and signed by the president with no controversy or fanfare. Except it's actually not that unusual. For all the raucous debate over repealing Obamacare, such technical fixes can happen. Since the Affordable Care Act was first passed along party lines in 2010, President Obama has signed at least 14 bills making substantive changes in his signature legislation of his presidency, according to an analysis by the Congressional Research Service . Eight of those have been Republican bills. "Unbeknownst to the public, there is actually some governing going on," said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation who worked on health care legislation in the Clinton administration. But don't get too excited. "I'm not sure this relatively modest measure will pave the way for a raft of bipartisan consensus around the health law," Levitt said. "None of the changes strike at the heart of the law or change it in any substantial way. So maybe it's a little overstated to say it's actual governing." Among the most significant changes made to Obamacare thus far: The 2011 repeal of a provision requiring businesses to report to the IRS any time they made a purchase of more than $600 to a single vendor, and the 2013 repeal of a voluntary long-term care insurance plan that the Obama administration found unworkable. The law signed by Obama Wednesday makes a minor fix in the definition of a small business that could result in thousands of dollars of savings for 150,000 businesses. Under the original law, small businesses of less than 50 employees have their own special rules requiring specific types of coverage with a higher cost to employers. Beginning in 2016, those special rules were scheduled to apply to small businesses of 51 to 100 employees. The new law gives states the ability to decide how to classify businesses of 51 to 100 employees, potentially saving premiums for small business employees from going up 18 percent or more, according to an estimate from the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. And there's a bonus: Reducing workers' insurance premiums means increasing their taxable income, resulting in a $280 million in additional revenues to the federal government over 10 years. That money will go to bolster Medicaid. "There are a lot of things in the bill that need fixing. I'm for repeal and replace," said Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., the sponsor of the bill. "But here's the situation: You have people being negatively affected, and so can we find a way to work together to fix it. Sometimes it's not about who has the biggest lobbying firm. It's when you have grassroots people who say they're being negatively affected. ... And this affects businesses every congressional district in the country." Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute, a prominent Obamacare critic, said the congressional action comes just under the wire, as insurance companies finish pricing contracts for 2016 coverage. And the quick, businesslike way in which the bill was passed just shows that neither side saw any benefit in politicizing the issue, she said. "I think here the White House certainly doesn't want to announce with big fanfare that the Republican Congress has led on making changes on the president's health law," she said. "And the Republicans don't want to say that they're fixing it, because they want to repeal it entirely." Still on the agenda for congressional Republicans: a repeal of the 2.3% medical device tax and the "Cadillac" tax on high-cost employer health care plans.
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Kind of funny, mostly rude.
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Workers outside the gates of a Fiat Chrysler plant here greeted news early on Thursday of a new tentative agreement between the automaker and the United Automakers skeptically, giving an indication of the challenges the union may face in getting the deal ratified by members. Last week, 65 percent of Fiat Chrysler unionized workers voting rejected a proposed four-year contract. Some workers complained that the first tentative deal put more of a burden on them and said it treated retirees unfairly, but the biggest bone of contention was over wages. The proposed agreement would have narrowed the gap between the pay of veteran UAW workers, who earn about $28 an hour, and more recent hires, who are paid about $19 an hour. But workers said it did not narrow the gap sufficiently or fast enough. "They have to give them younger folks what they need, they have to give them more money," said Carl Durham, 45, who has worked here for 20 years and makes $28 an hour. "If they give them more money, we won't have no problems." The failure of the first agreement led the UAW to threaten a strike against Fiat Chrysler, which was to begin at one minute before midnight eastern time. That would have been the first stoppage at a U.S. automaker since 2007. When word of a new deal trickled out after midnight, the two-tier wage system was again top of mind for workers gathered in a parking lot opposite the plant. "When you have people working side by side doing the same job for different wages, it cause tensions," said Lakeysha Woodare, 41, a first-tier worker making $28 an hour who voted against the first contract. "So if they don't address that in the new agreement, I'm not voting for it." If Fiat Chrysler workers reject the latest deal, that would make it difficult for the UAW to have a similar agreement ratified by workers at General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co. "We heard from our members, and went back to FCA to strengthen their contract," UAW President Dennis Williams said in a statement. "We've reached a proposed Tentative Agreement that I believe addresses our members' principal concerns about their jobs and their futures." Workers in the second tier outside the plant early Thursday said they were also keen to see the wage gap close. Alston Horner, 25, makes $18.01 an hour, which includes a 50 cent an hour bonus for being a team leader, said that the old agreement would have had his wages increased to $25 an hour over an eight-year period. But with the next round of contract talks due in four years, he worries that could be reversed in 2019. "If the new deal doesn't have us moving up (in wages) in four years, I won't vote for it," he said. But while newer workers said they were ready and willing to strike if the union had ordered them to, most said they were living paycheck-to-paycheck on their lower wages and would have found it hard to get by for long without that income. "I have to work to feed my family," said Aaron McCune, 21, who has an 11-month-old daughter. "So when all's said and done, as long as I have a job, I don't care what happens." (Reporting By Nick Carey; Additional reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
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Dell's (4331-HK) offer to acquire EMC (EMC) would be more than $27 per share, sources told CNBC on Thursday. The deal announcement could be only a week away, and it could be one of the largest leveraged buyots on record. Under the terms of the agreement, Dell would keep control of VMWare. Sources said $40 billion in financing will be needed for deal. CNBC's David Faber contributed to this report.
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Verizon doesn't want to be the bad guy and completely get rid of its old unlimited data plans, so it's pursuing a new strategy: price customers out of them. The Verge can report that Verizon will soon announce plans to raise the monthly cost of grandfathered unlimited data plans by an additional $20 per line, bringing the total to $59.99. A friendly tipster clued us in on the change, and when contacted for comment, a Verizon spokesperson confirmed the news. The company will publish a blog post on the revised plan pricing later this morning. The new rate will apply beginning in November. To be clear, $59.99 is the cost of unlimited data alone and is added on top of your monthly voice and text plan. I've got the Nationwide Talk & Text 450 plan (also $59.99), so this change would raise my monthly payment to $119.98, and that's before Verizon's extra fees and charges. If you've got more or unlimited voice minutes, you'll pay more each month. For customers determined to remain on the unlimited plan, Verizon will now let them purchase new smartphones through its monthly device payment plan; previously, you could only buy phones outright at their full retail cost. That's one upside in this news. Note that this change only impacts customers who are out of contract ; if you're signed to an existing two-year agreement, you'll keep your current rate for the term of that contract. Once you go month-to-month, the $59.99 data fee takes effect. Verizon also says that government and corporate accounts won't be included in the price hike. Assuming they haven't done so already, the move will force many Verizon customers to weigh just how much unlimited data means to them and what they're willing to pay to keep it. The carrier recently unveiled simplified data packages (S/M/L/XL/ XXL ), and this decision is obviously meant to drive consumers onto those newer plans. And if you still refuse to relinquish unlimited data at this price, you're probably burning through a lot of data every month. Verizon knows that, and now the company is happy to make you pay more for such freedom. Verizon says less than one percent of its customer base is tied to unlimited data plans, so the numbers are dwindling. Only two of the four major US wireless carriers still offer unlimited data plans; T-Mobile's costs $80 per month, and Sprint recently announced it'll be increasing the cost of its unlimited option to $70.
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Senator sues exercise band maker after work out accident
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These Halloween costumes for children and adults can be assembled at home. CARDBOARD, PAPER, AND CREATIVITY It's possible to create pretty much any Halloween costume by thinking outside the box (putting aside the fact that many of the ideas here start with a box). Choosing to DIY instead of buy can save money on a holiday that costs more than you might think. Each person who celebrates Halloween this year will spend an average $74.34 for decorations, costumes, and candy, according to the National Retail Federation. With more than 157 million Americans expected to mark the holiday, it's a $6.9 billion retail bonanza. At the very least, the money saved making one of these costumes at home can be put into a bigger candy budget. ROCKET KID This Halloween costume suggested by Real Simple is made entirely from items most likely on hand. Dress in all white and use duct tape to create armbands and leg stripes. Use two Pringles cans, streamers, and two party hats to create a power pack, and Rocket Kid is set for takeoff. LIFE-SIZE LEGOS This Pinterest-inspired costume has only three components: a big box, Solo cups, and paint. Start by painting the box blue or red to match the color of the cups, cut armholes and a head hole in the box, and remove the bottom to allow for legs and feet. Glue the Solo cups in place -- two lines of three on the front and back, just like a Lego. For an extra touch add a hat: Paint a smaller box, cut out a hole for the head, and glue two more Solo cups on top. HULA GIRL This easy and cheap Halloween costume from Real Simple uses a brown paper bag cut into strips for the skirt and different color cupcake liners strung together for a colorful lei and headband. ANIMAL Pretty much any animal can be the muse for a homemade Halloween costume. Don a monochromatic sweatsuit and use felt or fabric scraps to fashion a hat or headband to be the ears. Create a tail and other fur detail with scraps of fabric and yarn. JELLYFISH Dress in white or a light color. Glue white or light pink streamers around the bottom of a clear umbrella, and cut eyes from construction paper to attach to the side. Carry the umbrella, and -- poof! -- a jellyfish. GAME SHOW CONTESTANT Wear a college sweatshirt and cut off the side of a cardboard box. On the front panel, paint a scoreboard from "The Price Is Right" or another game show. Use twine to hang the panel in front of you like a podium, add a name tag, and it's done. This easy Halloween costume also can be the building block for a group Halloween costume -- "Family Feud" contestants, for example. STICK FIGURE Assemble an all-black outfit, including a hoodie -- old clothes only. Take a can of neon spray paint and spray a stick figure onto the back of the clothing, with a circle on the hood to serve as the head. Repeat on the front and outline the hood opening for the head. BAD YEARBOOK PICTURE This Pinterest-inspired Halloween costume for women requires loading on the blush, bright blue eye shadow, ruby red lipstick, etc. Pick out a gaudy shirt and style big hair and bangs. Cut armholes near the bottom on two sides of a cardboard box and cut off the bottom. Cut out one of the remaining sides, leaving a 3-inch strip of cardboard around the edges, and paint this strip to make a picture frame. Paint the inside back of the box a bright blue for the backdrop. GRAPES This is a classic, dead simple, and low-cost getup that can still go for as much as $75 in stores. Instead, start by dressing all in purple. Blow up purple balloons and attach them to the clothing to become a walking cluster of grapes. Top off the costume with a green hat. ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS This group costume takes a bit of effort but is clever and uncomplicated. Cut a cardboard box into the shape of a rock, one side for the front and one for the back. Cut armholes into the sides and spray paint the box gray. Cut armholes in another box and paint the front and back white. Decorate the white surfaces with thin, horizontal lines and three small black circles at the left edges to replicate a piece of loose-leaf paper. Finally, take two large pieces of strong cardboard or poster board and cut them into the shape of scissors, paint them, and string ribbon between the two cutouts to wear over the shoulders like a sandwich board. SOAP AND LOOFAH For the first part of this couples' costume, cut out holes for the arms and head from a rectangular cardboard box and remove the bottom. Paint the box white and spray paint the word "soap" on the front and back, attaching bubble wrap to the corners to look like suds. For the loofah, buy a bunch of tulle and sew it thick and bunchy onto an old dress or pants/shirt combo, preferably the same color as the tulle. Attach a loop of white rope to complete the look.
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Cool companies and big wins New York tech moves as fast as the city, with new rounds of fundraising, acquisitions, and startups forming daily, so we culled through the NYC tech and startup scene aka "Silicon Alley" to bring you the Silicon Alley 100, our annual list of the people who matter most. We looked at who's done cool, inspiring, and amazing things in the past year, including companies that have been acquired or gone public, promising new startups, top VCs, and anything shaking up the industry. We ranked our list based on who has done the coolest stuff this year. Getting acquired or going public that's cool. Founding a neat startup or building impressive hardware is cool too. Investors are cool, sure, but the inventors, innovators, and lead executives building the next big things are the people who should be celebrated. Our ranking prioritizes entrepreneurs over investors, simply because it's a lot harder to start a company than to fund one. Click through these photos to see the 100! 100. Cian Cotter, Deven Parekh, Euan Menzies, Hilary Gosher, Jeff Horing, Jeff Lieberman, Michael Triplett, Nikitas Koutoupes, Peter Sobiloff, Richard Wells, and Ryan Hinkle Managing directors, Insight Venture Partners Since it was founded in 1995, venture-capital firm Insight Venture Partners has raised more than $7.6 billion and invested in companies like Udemy, Zenefits, Docker, Nextdoor, and Hootsuite. Recently, Insight led a $160 million series D round for ride-sharing startup BlaBlaCar, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. In the last year, notable investments included a $100 million series B round in cloud company Mirantis and a $40 million round in education tech startup Instructure. Not a bad year for Insight. 99. Bill Trenchard, Chris Fralic, Howard Morgan, Josh Kopelman, Phin Barnes, Rob Hayes, and Wiley Cerilli Partners, First Round Capital This year, First Round Capital invested in a ton of high-profile startups, including Massdrop, ModCloth, BloomThat, Vinli, AltSchool, Ringly, the Black Tux, Boxed, and DogVacay. The top venture-capital firm is also jumping on board with startups founded by women, as a report released by the firm this summer noted that startups founded by women are doing far better than ones founded by men 63% better. It's welcome news for startup founders and investors alike who are trying to rally more support behind female-owned and -operated startups. Aside from that, First Round is known as one of Uber's early investors, and they're likely pretty happy with the company's recent $50 billion valuation . 98. Karlie Kloss Model, student, entrepreneur Model Karlie Kloss is more than just a pretty face. The Victoria's Secret Angel is a student, programmer, and entrepreneur. In the spring, Kloss started taking classes at The Flatiron School , where she learned how to code. She was so inspired by her experience that she started Kode With Karlie , a scholarship competition that sends girls age 13-18 to the school. Back in 2012, Kloss also launched Karlie's Kookies, a collaboration with Momofuku Milk Bar and the Feed Foundation , an organization that provides food and education to children in need. For every "Perfect 10 Kookie" sold, Feed donates 10 meals to children around the world. And as of this fall Kloss can add college student to her list of ventures she started classes at New York University . 97. Marcela Sapone Cofounder and CEO, Alfred Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck met at Harvard Business School, fresh out of stints in the finance world. To keep their lives in order and their apartments clean, they had hired someone from Craigslist to buy their groceries and do their laundry. The woman they hired, Jenny, came to their apartments to take care of errands that would otherwise pile up. This was the earliest iteration of what would become their company, Alfred . Today, Alfred is a startup that hires employees Alfred Client Managers, or just "Alfreds" to run weekly errands: things like buying your groceries, sorting your mail, dropping off packages, and taking care of your laundry for you. You pay $99 a month for the service, plus the cost of things like your groceries. In May, Alfred raised a $10.5 million Series A round of funding from New Enterprise Associates,Spark Capital, CrunchFund, and Sherpa Capital. In total, Alfred has raised $12.5 million since it was founded in 2013. 96. Dan Teran and Saman Rahmanian Cofounders, Managed By Q Named for the "Star Trek" character and James Bond's Q Branch, Managed By Q is a mobile platform that helps companies book cleaning services, making it easier than it traditionally has been for companies to schedule, manage, and pay the people who clean their offices. This year, the office-cleaning startup expanded out of New York City for the first time, launching its operations in Chicago and San Francisco. In June, the startup closed a $15 million series A round of funding led by RRE Ventures with participation from Greycroft Partners, Homebrew, Sherpa Ventures, SV Angel and Steadfast Financial. Managed by Q's clients include Uber, Everlane, and Angelist. 95. Ben McKean Cofounder and CEO, Hungryroot In 2012, Ben McKean sold his restaurant technology company, Savored, to Groupon. Now he's back with a new venture: Hungryroot. Along with his cofounders one of whom competed on Top Chef Masters a couple years ago McKean wants to provide prepared, healthy, and delicious meals to customers. When you order from Hungryroot, you get a packaged meal the next day that consists of 70 to 80% vegetables and 20% protein. The base ingredient is vegetable noodles made from sweet potatoes, radishes, beets, zucchinis, and more paired with a creative sauce and served with an optional protein side. In its first month of operation, Hungryroot sold 10,000 meals out of its Long Island City, Queens, offices. In May, Hungryroot announced it had raised $2 million in funding from Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, and KarpReilly to make that happen. 94. Alexandra Keating Cofounder and CEO, DWNLD These days it seems like everybody has an app in the App Store. And why not? It's a great way to make extra money while putting out a product that you believe in. Alexandra Keating is capitalizing on that idea with DWNLD, a mobile app-creation platform that helps companies, brands, and other influencers easily and affordably turn their content, from social media to photos to videos to GIFs, into native mobile apps in minutes. DWNLD landed a $12 million investment from Greylock Partners in September,and works with clients like Nylon, xoJane, and a number of YouTube stars and bloggers. 93. Alanna Gregory and Cristin Armstrong Founder and CEO (Gregory), first employee (Armstrong), Vive Few things make a woman feel more fabulous than a fresh blowout. But at $40 to $90 a pop in New York City, it's a luxury that quickly adds up. Enter Vive, a " ClassPass for blowouts " that lets members book unlimited blowout appointments at salons in Manhattan for just $99 a month. Founded by Alanna Gregory, Vive launched earlier this year and is still working with investors to raise funding . Though the service isn't perfect yet, it's definitely gaining traction. Vive capitalizes on the popularity of on-demand services like Uber that make it possible to get what you want when you want it, relatively hassle-free. 92. Casey Neistat YouTube star, founder of Beme Casey Neistat, a YouTube star best known for viral videos that garner millions of views , took his interest in virality a step further this year, launching video-sharing app Beme in July. On Beme, users film short videos, no longer than four seconds, and cannot view what they're sharing before it's posted . The videos then automatically delete after they're viewed. Think of it as a simplified, filter-free version of Snapchat. Though the idea of posting anything unfiltered online might seem terrifying to many, Beme took off, amassing 1.1 million video shares and 2.4 photo reactions within its first week, TechCrunch reported . 91. Dan Reich, Scott Britton, and Greg Ratner Cofounder and CEO (Reich), cofounder and sales/growth (Britton), cofounder and VP of tech (Ratner); Troops Founded in March, Troops is a mobile-software company that gives professionals an artificial intelligence-powered mobile-sales assistant to make working easier. Though the company is currently in stealth mode , it will revolutionize customer relationship management (CRM) technology by making it mobile first. The Troops team already has an all-star list of investors and advisers, including First Round Capital, Founder Collective, Next View Ventures, Great Oaks Capital, Single Platform founder and CEO Wiley Cerilli, Flatiron Health cofounders Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg, and more. 90. Liz Wessel and JJ Fliegelman Cofounders, WayUp WayUp (formerly Campus Job) is a marketplace for college kids looking for internships and jobs. About 90% of the positions offered on WayUp are paid, and the startup sees 10,000 new college-age users signing up weekly. Listings on the website include freelancing gigs, bartending jobs, and campus representative roles for companies. WayUp was born out of a campus-rep company that former Googler Liz Wessel had started with a fellow student at Penn; it's an alternative to a college career-service center and Symplicity, a job board employers have to pay for postings on. It recently went through the startup accelerator Y Combinator , moved back to New York from Silicon Valley, and raised over $9 million in May, bringing its total funding to $10.3 million. 89. Reham Fagiri and Kalam Dennis Cofounders, AptDeco Reham Ragiri is one of the only minority female founders to take a company through prestigious startup incubator Y Combinator, transforming the preowned-furniture marketplace in New York City. She and cofounder Kalam Dennis developed their service so that buyers and sellers of used furniture don't have to coordinate delivery or pick-up times, or even do the actual delivering or picking up themselves AptDeco has a delivery partner that does it all, taking one of the biggest hassle of trying to buy or sell furniture in New York City out of the equation. 88. Brad Hargreaves Founder, Common As a cofounder at New York-based General Assembly, Hargreaves noticed a growing housing crisis affecting the tech education provider's students, many of whom couldn't meet the rigorous rental requirements stipulated by landlords in New York City. He set out to solve that problem with his new company, Common, which launched in July and has already raised $7.3 million in funding . Common is a new community offering flexible shared housing in major cities, starting in New York, and eliminates traditional methods of verifying applicants (like two years of tax returns as proof of income). Residents at its first space, a 19-room apartment building in Brooklyn scheduled to open this fall, will pay for rooms on a month-to-month basis. Common manages all aspects of living from the application process to cleaning services to community events to create the best experience for residents while also integrating with the neighborhood. 87. Josh Mohrer General Manager, Uber NYC This summer, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a bill requiring for-hire vehicle companies that have bases with 500 cars or more which includes Uber to increase their number of vehicles by only 1% every year . To fight the proposed cap, Uber then aggressively marketed itself as a service for minorities and outer-borough residents (two groups taxis are notoriously bad at serving) and as a means for New Yorkers to find gainful employment. Uber hosted a "jobs event" for prospective and current drivers to showcase how many New York residents' jobs would be cut if the vehicle cut were to take effect, and also ran TV ads, bought banner ads on websites, sent out direct mailers to constituents of City Council members who are proponents of the proposed legislation, and even reportedly tried to persuade the Rev. Al Sharpton to oppose the for-hire-vehicle cap. De Blasio eventually put a freeze on his proposed bill to limit the growth of Uber and companies like it. The city is now in the midst of conducting a study of congestion, traffic, and pollution, which it says Uber might be contributing to. 86. David Nemetz, Michael Schaefermeyer, Steve Marshall, Winton Welsh, and John Degner Founder and CEO (Nemetz), cofounder and senior software engineer (Schaefermeyer), cofounder and head of product and design (Marshall), cofounder and CTO (Welsh), cofounder and developer (Degner), Inverse Inverse is a new media and news website that targets millennial men consider it the antithesis to Bustle, a news site for women. Makes sense considering that cofounder and CEO David Nemetz used to work with Bustle's founder and CEO Bryan Goldberg at the sports news site they founded together, Bleacher Report. Inverse, which launched in August, raised an undisclosed seed round from BDMI, Crosslink Capital, Greycroft Partners, Rothenberg Ventures, and The Social+Capital Partnership. Nemetz launched the company with a number of other Bleacher Report employees. 85. Melissa McCreery, Kathryn Minshew, and Alex Cavoulacos Cofounders, The Muse Melissa McCreery, Kathryn Minshew, and Alex Cavoulacos are the cofounders of the job-search and career-advice site The Muse . This year, it raised a $10 million series A round of funding from investors including Aspect Ventures, DBL Partners, Great Oaks Venture Capital Partner, and QED Investors. In total, the Y Combinator startup has raised $12.8 million from investors. The Muse receives 3 million active users every month and is competing with other career-advice and job-search sites like LinkedIn and Monster.com. By the end of 2015, The Muse expects to hire 25 people. The startup also wants to expand to skills development. Compared to the average age of users on LinkedIn 47 The Muse's is much lower at 29. 84. Evan Beard and Kendall Dabaghi Cofounder and CEO (Beard), cofounder and president (Dabaghi), A Plus Evan Beard and Kendall Dabaghi launched A Plus , a website they hope will become the next BuzzFeed, in actor and investor Ashton Kutcher's living room in April 2014. Now based in New York, the site has 50 million monthly readers, and this spring raised a $3.5 million convertible note at a $30 million valuation cap . A Plus, a variation on Kutcher's initials (A + K), highlights social issues and aims to inspire positive change in journalists and readers. Investors include Kutcher and Guy Oseary's Sound Ventures, Gary Vaynerchuck, Venture 51, and a slew of A-list celebrities, among others. 83. Ken Lerer, Eric Hippeau, and Brian Bedol Cofounders, NowThis The Columbia Journalism Review calls NowThis the "video news startup that keeps starting up." Launched in 2012 as NowThis News by former Huffington Post executives Ken Lerer and Eric Hippeau and Bedrocket Media's Brian Bedol, the short news video-maker raised a $6 million series C round this December, bringing the total amount raised to $15.6 million. The platform saw 200 million views in May across its digestible news videos, and just released a product called Tap For News, which brings users top headlines just by tapping on a red button on their smart phone or tablet screens. 82. Alex Zhardanovsky and Joe Speiser Cofounders, LittleThings In 2010, Alex Zhardanovsky and Joe Speiser started an e-commerce website called Petflow, which sold pet food, treats, and supplies. Four years later, in September 2014, Speiser and Zhardanovsky decided to leverage their audience for Petflow, spin out the business, and produce a ton of content for their new venture, LittleThings.com . The site usually posts adorable videos of animals and other kinds of feel-good, uplifting content: stories and videos of police officers doing good for citizens, underdog stories, and kitchen hacks. Little Things targets an often-overlooked demographic women 35 and older and has received crazy amounts of traffic . Little Things' Facebook page is approaching 7 million fans, and its website draws between 35 million and 45 million monthly unique visitors. 81. Jeff Atwood and Joel Spolsky Cofounder and CEO (Spolsky), cofounder (Atwood), Stack Exchange Back in 2008, Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood founded Stack Overflow, a Q&A site that caters specifically to programmers. The site became parent company StackExchange in 2011 , enveloping Stack Overflow within it. The company now operates more than 100 Q&A sites , covering everything from cooking to math to foreign language. Though it's often compared to rival Quora, Stack Exchange is thriving on its own the company raised a $40 million Series D round of financing in January from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Bezos Expeditions, Index Ventures, Spark Capital, and Union Square Ventures. 80. Jack Groetzinger and Russel D'Souza Cofounders, SeatGeek SeatGeek is a website and mobile app that helps users find out what's going on and buy tickets all in one place. SeatGeek has poured six years of work into its interactive maps, which pull data from a ton of sources. This year, SeatGeek raised a $62 million Series C round of funding from Technology Crossover Ventures, Accel, Causeway Media Partners, Fabrice Grinda, Jason Finger, Jose Marin, Mousse Partners, and Sean Black. To date, SeatGeek has raised $103 million, and its new round of funding reportedly values the company at $200 million . As of April, SeatGeek had 64 employees, with plans to increase the size of its team to 110 employees by the end of the year. According to the company, its app has been downloaded more than 3 million times. Sixty percent of SeatGeek's users access SeatGeek on mobile devices. 79. Jared Hecht and Rohan Deshpande Cofounders, Fundera Among risky business ventures, loans and startups sit at the top of the list. But Jared Hecht and Rohan Deshpande are successfully diving into both headfirst with Fundera, an online marketplace that helps startup founders receive loans from non-bank lenders to get their startups off the ground. The company launched in February 2014, and raised $11.5 million in series B funding from Susquehanna Growth Equity, QED Investors, Khosla Ventures, and First Round Capital in September. Not only that, but Fundera helps make other startups possible, helping sustain and expand New York's growing tech scene. For Hecht, the startup world isn't new. He sold his first company, group-messaging app GroupMe, to Skype in 2010 for $80 million . 78. Allon Bloch CEO, Vroom Described as the " Amazon of used cars ," Vroom aims to make the car-buying process painless by allowing customers to easily research, browse, and purchase cars online as efficiently as they would anything else. The website makes car-buying haggle-free, with prices below market value , so customers can rest easy knowing they aren't getting ripped off. So far this year, the startup raised $73 million in series A and B rounds of funding , with investors including Bob Mylod, Catteron Partners, General Catalyst Partners, Jeffrey Boyd, and T. Rowe Price Associates. CEO Allon Bloch is no stranger to the startup world. Previously, he served as CEO of Wix.com and mySupermarket . 77. Andy Dunn Founder, Bonobos Andy Dunn's clothing company, Bonobos , which launched in 2007, has raised a total of $127 million in venture-capital funding. Bonobos is generating about $100 million in annual revenue . Though Bonobos initially started out as an online retailer, the e-commerce startup dipped into brick-and-mortar this year and launched a new kind of store, called a guideshop , on Fifth Avenue. It's essentially a showroom for clothing you can't walk out with any of Bonobos' merchandise, but you can place an order and have it shipped to you free, as if if you ordered from the Bonobos website. 76. John Foley CEO, Peloton Three-year-old Peloton wants to bring spin classes into your home. It has created a stationary bike that comes with a built-in tablet that lets you live-stream spinning classes on demand. In spring 2014, Peloton opened its first studio in Chelsea, New York City. Each Peloton bike, which is sold at Peloton's seven retail stores as well as online, sells for $1,995 plus a $39 per-month subscription to the live-streamed classes. Peloton says it has sold more than 10,000 bikes. In April, Peloton raised $30 million in funding led by True Ventures and Tiger Global Management, bringing its total raised to $44 million. 75. Jennifer Fleiss and Jennifer Hyman Cofounders, Rent the Runway Rent the Runway, a website that lets women rent and return designer dresses for special events, raised $60 million in a series D round of financing led by Technology Crossover Ventures in December 2014. To date, the company has raised a total of $114.4 million from investors including Advance Publications, Bain Capital Partners, American Express, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Condé Nast. The clothes-sharing service continues to expand, capitalizing on the fact that women care more about feeling great for an event than actually owning the dress they wear. Rent the Runway has more than 5 million shoppers and operates four brick-and-mortar stores , where customers can rent clothing and accessories. 74. Adam Sager, Chris Rill, and Jon Troutman Cofounders, Canary Canary, a company that makes home-security cameras, is like Dropcam, which Google acquired for $500 million, except it's a fully fledged security system with siren, temp-humidity sensors, and an optional call center. It will even auto-arm/disarm the system as you come and go, and strives to detect strange movements and potential break-ins. In June, Canary raised a $30 million series B round of funding from investors including Walden Riverwood Ventures, Cota Capital, Flextronics International, Khosla Ventures, Two Sigma Ventures, and WTI. The new funding brings Canary's total funding to $41 million . 73. Matt Burton, Jonathan Kelfer, Angela Ceresnie, and David Snitkof Cofounder and CEO (Burton), cofounder and CTO (Kelfer), cofounder and CFO (Ceresnie), cofounder and CPO (Snitkof), Orchard Platform Orchard Platform, a fintech company that provides technology and infrastructure for marketplace lending, has gotten millions in VC funding , including a recent $30 million series B round led by Thrive Capital with Spark Capital, Canaan Partners, Victory Park Capital, and Thomvest Ventures. Wall Streeters are also throwing their hats in the ring for Orchard, as they see peer-to-peer loans as a potentially huge moneymaker for them. 72. Shana Fisher Managing partner, High Line Venture Partners Shana Fisher is easily one of Silicon Alley's best investors . The managing partner of High Line Venture Partners, she's highly renowned as one of the earliest investors in companies like Pinterest, ShopHers, Makerbot, Vine, and Refinery29, all of which have gone on to become worth millions. In the last year, some her investments have been in rapidly growing startups like UCode, Ringly, and PillPack. 71. Scott Belsky Vice president of products-community at Adobe, head of Behance Belsky, who cofounded art and design portfolio website Behance in 2006, served as CEO until Adobe acquired the company in 2012 . Now Belsky still heads up Behance, while serving as VP of products-community at Adobe. Belsky is also a successful investor, with companies like Periscope, Sweetgreen, and Fundera's $11.5 million series B round. 70. Oscar Salazar Angel investor and adviser Oscar Salazar may be best known for his role as Uber's cofounder and first CTO, but these days he's working on another phone-summoning app, this time for trash removal. Rubicon Global, a company that develops cloud-based waste and recycling solutions, hired Salazar as its chief technology adviser to help it create what will essentially be the " Uber for trash ." This comes after Salazar was tapped to design an Uber-like carpooling app , Ride. He also serves as adviser and investor to a handful of other startups, making him one of the hottest commodities in the New York startup scene. 69. Fritz Lanman Angel investor and entrepreneur What makes Fritz Lanman so successful is his eye for a good investment opportunity. He led fitness-class startup ClassPass' $12 million series A funding round , and now the company is valued at nearly $400 million . He has personally invested in startups like Square and Pinterest back in the early days, and more recently in FiftyThree the company that makes the art app Paper and real-time shipment connecting platform Cargomatic. Lanman is the cofounder of near-instant app-creating company DWNLD. 68. Jeremy Johnson, Ian Carnevale, Christina Sass, and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji Cofounder and CEO (Johnson), cofounders (Carnevale, Sass, Aboyeji), Andela Andela is a program that finds the best and brightest students or programmers in Africa the continent which has the most untapped potential tech talent, according to cofounder and CEO Jeremy Johnson . Andela trains them and places them in jobs at startups or Fortune 500 companies. Johnson and his three cofounders launched the company last July and plan to develop a new model for how companies staff their organizations. In June, Andela raised a $10 million series A round from Spark Capital and Arena Ventures. 67. Umang Dua and Oisin Hanrahan Cofounders, Handy On-demand home-cleaning startup Handy raised a $15 million round of series B funding this year from investors including TPG Growth and Sound Ventures and other current investors. In total Handy has raised $60 million, and the company is reported to be in talks to raise another $50 million round at a $500 million valuation. Handy also hired a new CTO Tumblr's Ken Little to grow its platform . This summer, the startup announced it would expand beyond cleaning and home repair to furniture delivery and assembly . Handy now lets its New York City users buy Ikea furniture from Handy's website, which the company's workers will then deliver to your home and assemble for you. 66. Alan Tisch, Octavian Costache, David Tisch, and Ara Katz Cofounders, Spring Online-shopping app Spring is now the first major mobile shopping mall, thanks to a $25 million series B round of funding in April. The round included investments from Spring cofounder David Tisch's seed fund, BoxGroup, as well as Yuri Milner, Groupe Arnault, Google Ventures, and Thrive Capital, bringing the company's total amount of capital raised to over $30 million . The app, which allows customers to immediately purchase any product with a single swipe, also reportedly received an investment from Snapchat earlier this year, Re/code reported , although reps for both companies declined to comment . 65. Seth Melnick NYC market manager, Lyft Seth Melnick started at Lyft in October 2014, just months after Lyft launched in New York City. Today, he runs all of Lyft's New York City operations, working on everything from local promotions to driver growth to building up Lyft's team in its Long Island City, Queens, offices. New York City is one of $2 billion Lyft's biggest markets and the company's growth there has been incredible. In the past two months, Lyft has tripled its number of completed rides. In December 2014, Lyft launched its ride-sharing option, Lyft Line, in New York. Now, the company says, 50% of all of its NYC rides are Lyft Lines, as opposed to regular Lyft rides. 64. Siddhartha Dabral, Stephen Milbank, Tanner Hackett, Chris Maddern, Mike Dudas, and Michael Jaconi Cofounder and CEO (Jaconi), cofounders (Dudas, Dabral, Millbank, Maddern), Button Button enables smart connections between apps that could let you do things like booking a restaurant reservation through Resy and an Uber ride to the restaurant at the same time, creating a more integrated mobile experience. The deep-linking startup raised a $12 million series A round in January from the likes of Redpoint Ventures, Greycroft Partners, and Atlas Venture, among others. This brings the total amount Button has raised to $14.3 million. 63. Howard Lerman Founder and investor, Yext , Confide , Ahoy Serial entrepreneur Howard Lerman is the cofounder of three ventures. He is cofounder and chairman of Confide , an iOS app that launched in December 2013 to send self-destructing messages. Confide targets professionals who are seeking confidentiality, as opposed to Snapchat, which skews younger. In August, Confide added the ability to send documents securely. Confide has raised $1.9 million in seed funding from Marker, BoxGroup, Lerer Ventures, SV Angel, Lakestar, CrunchFund, WGI Group, First Round, Google Ventures, and angel investors. Another one of Lerman's ventures, Yext , is a company that helps businesses manage local content, listings, social pages, store pages, and campaigns online. After raising a $50 million series F round last year, Yext had a $525 million post-money valuation. Ahoy is a Yo-like app that lets you easily send a notification to your friends' phones. Lerman is also a shareholder in ClassPass, a New York startup that lets you take a bunch of fitness classes for a low monthly price, which was most recently valued at $400 million . 62. Jon Steinberg Former CEO, MailOnline At this year's Cannes advertising festival, Snapchat, Daily Mail where Jon Steinberg was CEO of MailOnline, Daily Mail's digital site in the US and WPP, the biggest advertising agency holding group in the world, announced they would be banding together to launch a marketing agency called Truffle Pig . Truffle Pig uses Snapchat, Daily Mail, and Elite Daily to test social content and marketing. The agency can work with WPP clients and other brands and plans to offer services to clients such as positioning and messaging, content projects, video and photography, social-media management, audience development, and insights and analytics. Truffle Pig's CEO is Alexander Jutkowitz, who is also the CEO of WPP's digital-content consultancy SJR Group. He says Truffle Pig already has six clients on board . 61. Nicholas Chirls and Alex Lines Partners and cofounders, Notation Capital Notation Capital is a "pre-seed" investment firm meaning it awards funding to those with ideas for startups, even if they don't yet have a product, traction, or even a working prototype. Former Betaworks executives Nicholas Chirls and Alex Lines are paving this new mode of investing with their $8 million pre-seed fund, awarding up to $500,000 for a great idea. It's an alternative to the traditional friends-and-family round of investing among new startups, and gives worthy entrepreneurs the startup capital to get their ideas off the ground. This summer, Notation invested in four companies-to-be. 60. Rob Wiesenthal and Steve Martocci Cofounders, Blade Blade, the $25 million " Uber for helicopters ," launched on Memorial Day in 2014 with helicopter flights from New York City to the Hamptons through a partnership with Liberty Helicopter. The company, founded by former Warner Music COO Rob Wiesenthal and GroupMe cofounder Steve Martocci, owns no 'copters of its own; like Uber, it's an operator and logistics manager, arranging flights without the hassle of aircraft maintenance. It's quickly become a popular service with New York's 1%. 59. Ben Barokas Cofounder and CEO, Sourcepoint Ad blockers are everywhere, and digital-ad sellers aren't happy about it. That's where Sourcepoint comes in. The brainchild of CEO and former Googler Ben Barokas (who brought on JP Carlucci, Matt Adkisson, Brian Kane, Geir Magnusson, and Jeroen Seghers as cofounders), Sourcepoint lets publishers decide how to present their messages on servers with ad blockers, whether that's choosing to circumvent the ad blocker, allowing the user to choose their own advertising experience, asking the visitor to pay, or merely saying "our ads pay for your content, how about you choose to allow them." The service launched in June after raising a $10 million round of series A funding from investors including Greycroft Partners and Spark Capital. After all, as Barokas sees it, ads pay for content , and therefore they deserve to be seen. 58. Justin McLeod Founder and CEO, Hinge In December, the dating app based on third-degree Facebook connections raised a $12 million series A round , led by Shasta Ventures, bringing the company up to a total $20.6 million raised since it launched in 2012. Not bad for an app that nearly tanked less than a year after it launched, only to survive by the skin of its teeth with an app launch party that gained it the much-needed users that make it now one of Silicon Alley's hottest startups, and an incredibly viable competitor to Tinder. Like Tinder , Hinge matches users with nearby singles, but takes the matching process one step further by only searching for people with whom the user has at least one Facebook friend in common, eliminating the randomness that makes many of Tinder's potential users skeptical. 57. Bryan Goldberg and Kate Ward Editor-in-chief (Ward), founder and CEO (Goldberg), Bustle Bryan Goldberg and Kate Ward's publication for women announced at the end of last year that it now sees 20 million monthly readers , up from 10 million last July. At the same time, it raised a $15.5 million series C round of financing, led by General Catalyst Partners. The site, launched in August 2013, aims to be the ultimate content site for women, covering everything from news to fashion to entertainment. And after meeting with a dose of criticism in the beginning, Bustle has managed to convert many of its critics into fans. 56. Chris Altcheck and Jake Horowitz Cofounders, Mic Founded in 2011 by Jake Horowitz and former Goldman Sachs employee Chris Altchek, Mic is a news site aiming to be the voice of the digital generation 73% of Mic's 20 million monthly readers are younger than 35. Mic didn't generate any revenue in 2014, but this year, it will generate $5-$10 million. Some months, Altchek says Mic is accidentally profitable. This year, Mic got to interview President Obama . The media startup has just 82 full-time employees with 50 staffers in its editorial department. In June, Mic raised a $17 million series B round of funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Advancit Capital, Axel Springer, Jim Clark, John Hadl, Knight Foundation, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and Red Swan Ventures. The new funding valued Mic at nearly $100 million. Mic is also rumored to have walked away from early Twitter-acquisition talks for that same amount. 55. Morgan Hermand-Waiche Founder, AdoreMe Victoria's Secret-killer AdoreMe is a vertically integrated, fast-growing lingerie startup. It's on track to generate more than $16 million in revenue this year . Describing itself as the "Zara of lingerie," the e-commerce startup promises quality lingerie at a price more affordable than brick-and-mortar retailers like Victoria's Secret. "We aim to slay Victoria's Secret," Sharon Klapka, Adore Me's director of business and brand development, told Business Insider . "They are slow, they are expensive, they make women feel sidelined. It is about time that someone really revolutionized the space, and we're doing it," she said. 54. Robert Reffkin and Ori Allon Cofounders, Compass Launched in 2013, Compass (formerly Urban Compass) , helps people find neighborhoods and places to live either renting or buying. It has attracted over 350 agents to the company already, with more of half of them in New York. Compass has already shaken up the real-estate industry in New York and DC. It recently raised another $50 million to expand all over the US. The funding, led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), brings total funding to $123 million and values the company at $800 million, according to a source familiar with the matter. 53. Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano Cofounders, Refinery29 This year, lifestyle digital-media company Refinery29 turned 10 years old. Refinery29 has over 300 employees. In 2014, the startup generated between $55 and $60 million in revenue, and it's profitable. In April it raised a $50 million round from Scripps and WPP, bringing its total funding to $80 million. This fall, Refinery29 plans to continue its rapid growth, expanding internationally in Europe. The new funding values Refinery29 at a reported $290 million. Refinery29 also recently launched 29 original programs a mix of scripted series, docu-series, and tutorials featuring people like Lena Dunham 52. Dennis Crowley and Steve Rosenblatt CEO (Crowley), CRO (Rosenblatt), Foursquare Over the past few years, Foursquare's exit potential has seemed shaky. In late 2013, Foursquare decided to roll the dice and relaunch its entire business. The result: Foursquare broke its check-in and venue-finding app into two separate products, Swarm and Foursquare. This year, Foursquare figured out a new subscription revenue stream. Rosenblatt says that Foursquare revenue is at least doubling every year and marketers couldn't be happier with the results the company is delivering. He explains that splitting the app in two was beneficial because it allowed Foursquare to more clearly communicate its value proposition to local businesses. "We've heard this for six years now, that we're 'never going to make it.' But revenue is in triple-digit growth. Business is going great" with the division of Foursquare and Swarm, says Rosenblatt. "You kind of just ignore it because [we] know what we're doing." 51. Sean Mills and Peter Hamby Head of original content (Mills), head of news (Hamby), Snapchat This year, Snapchat bet big on live video and news, and to do it they made two key hires. CNN political reporter Peter Hamby was hired from CNN to head up Snapchat's news division in April. Sean Mills, the former president of NowThis and The Onion, joined Snapchat as its head of original content in June. Under Mills, Snapchat will grow its original video content division and build up the company's New York presence. Snapchat has dabbled in original content with a reality series called "Literally Can't Even" and Snapchat-written articles in its Discover section. The app's most popular video feature is Stories, which strings together a series of snaps from one location submitted by millions of users there. Its Live Stories feature lets users share photos and videos of a live event, and it's one of Snapchat's most lucrative business drivers. Snapchat charges marketers 2 cents per view on a 10-second ad that shows up on one of the Live Stories contents, according to an earlier report in Re/code . Snapchat, most recently valued at $16 billion, is on track to generate $50 million in revenue this year. The ephemeral messaging app, which has 100 million daily users, could make $200 million in revenue next year too. 50. Adi Sideman Founder, YouNow Teens are obsessed with live-streaming mobile app YouNow . The interaction between performers and their audiences is what sets YouNow apart from other buzzy live-streaming services such as Periscope or Meerkat. The average mobile session on YouNow is about six minutes. The average mobile broadcast is about 18 minutes. Founder Adi Sideman says 70% of YouNow's users are under the age of 24 and that the platform has 100 million user sessions a month, with about 150,000 broadcasts daily. For comparison, Twitter announced earlier this year that its live-streaming app Periscope hit 1 million users in its first 10 days . David Pakman is a partner at the venture-capital firm Venrock, which led YouNow's $7 million series B round of funding in August. He says what drew him to YouNow is how inherently social it is. YouNow, which has raised $11 million from Venrock and Union Square Ventures, is still growing. Sideman said in the past year the company had gone from 15 employees to 40, with plans to continue to expand. 49. Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin Cofounders, The Skimm Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin quit their jobs at NBC to start a daily email newsletter called The Skimm . In December 2014, The Skimm raised a $6.3 million series A round from Greycroft Partners, Irving Azoff, and RRE Ventures, bringing its total funding to date The Oprah Winfrey-endorsed newsletter launched three years ago. The last time subscriber numbers were released the count was at 1.5 million. "We've grown a lot since then," Zakin told BI a few months ago . In addition to growing its readership, The Skimm has grown from two friends on a couch to 14 people in an office. 48. Alex Chung Cofounder, Giphy Looking for the perfect GIF? Let Giphy do the work for you. Type in any keyword or phrase, such as "happy puppy," and the search engine generates hundreds of related GIFs for you, making it easy to add that cute puppy to a text or email. But the startup is more than an addictive way to send GIFs to your colleagues: In January, it raised $17 million in a series B round of financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners , with participation from General Catalyst, Lerer-Hippeau, RRE Ventures, CAA Ventures, and Betaworks, bringing its post-money valuation up to $80 million. Not bad for a company that's less than two years old. 47. Taylor Swift Singer, songwriter Not only is Taylor Swift's latest album, "1989," breaking records left and right, but the singer holds major clout in the music industry. In the past year Swift pulled her music from Spotify stating that the streaming service doesn't pay artists enough and published an open letter to Apple , criticizing its decision not to pay artists royalties during the three-month free-trial period of Apple Music. Her letter ultimately persuaded the company to change its policy . The response to Swift's actions demonstrate her immense power not only in music but the industries it influences, such as technology. By claiming control over her recordings, she's able to set precedents that can change how streaming services and internet radio develop from here on out whether or not she's right . 46. Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg Cofounders, Flatiron Health In 2011, Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg sold their ad-tech company, Invite Media, to Google for $81 million. Turner told Business Insider they "were burned out on optimizing click-through rates and pushing pixels." So they decided to do something different with their next company, Flatiron Health, which collects data on cancer patients to help patients, physicians, and researchers. Flatiron Health has raised more than $139 million from investors like Google Ventures, First Round, and BoxGroup. This year, Flatiron Health teamed up with Guardant Health, a company that makes genetic-cancer tests for people with advanced or late-stage cancer. The companies will share data to help patients get successful chemotherapy treatments. 45. Garrett Camp and Naveen Selvadurai Cofounder (Camp), cofounder and New York partner (Selvadurai), Expa One of Uber's cofounders, Garrett Camp, created startup lab Expa with help from New York partner Naveen Selvadurai, who had previously cofounded Foursquare. This year, one of Expa's portfolio companies, an Open Table-like service called Reserve, raised a $15 million series A round . Operator, another Expa service that promises to deliver you anything you want, raised a $10 million series A round in April. Camp is hopping from coast to coast while he works on Expa and its portfolio of startups. This year, too, Eric Friedman, Foursquare's global senior director of sales and revenue operations, left the company to join Expa as its executive in residence, acting as an interim COO of sorts across companies in the portfolio. He spent five years at the mobile-location app and was one of the company's first 20 employees. Selvadurai and Friedman have known each other for seven years, before Foursquare was founded. 44. Alexa von Tobel Founder and CEO, LearnVest In March, Learnvest, a financial-planning startup, was acquired by Northwest Mutual for more than $250 million in cash, Business Insider reported . Learnvest was started by Alexa von Tobel a former Morgan Stanley trader in 2007 as a way to make financial services affordable. The company provides free online resources to help readers manage money, including articles and advice on budgeting, investing, and money habits, as well as paid financial planning services. For $299 a month , members are given a fully customized financial plan and paired with a certified financial planner available 24/7. 43. Ben Uretsky, Moisey Uretsky, and Mitch Wainer Cofounder and CEO (B. Uretsky), cofounder and CPO (M. Uretsky), cofounder and CMO (Wainer), DigitalOcean DigitalOcean, a cloud-computing startup, is out to take on Amazon. This summer, the fast-growing company raised $83 million from Access Industries and Andreessen Horowitz in a series B round of funding, and has raised $173.2 million in total to date. DigitalOcean directly challenges Amazon Web Services by providing big, powerful virtual services, but aims to one-up the competition by putting developers first and making things as streamlined as possible. DigitalOcean promises a simple, easy-to-use interface, lower prices, and better performance . And it looks like the strategy is working: Though it's still a relative newcomer, DigitalOcean is the third-largest hosting company in the world Amazon is No. 1 and has grown from 10,000 to 140,000 sites in the last year. 42. David Arabov, Jonathan Francis, Miguel Burger-Calderon and Gerard Adams Cofounders and president, Elite Daily In January, media startup Elite Daily was sold to British newspaper Daily Mail for between $40 million and $50 million in cash . The deal accentuates Elite Daily's rapid growth: The site founded and run by three 20-somethings had raised a $1.5 million convertible note (a type of debt) from Greycroft, Vast Ventures, Red Sea Ventures, SocialStarts, and angel investors, and amassed 74 million unique monthly readers since its launch in early 2012. Further, because the two sites' readers barely overlapped demographically, the deal greatly broadened Daily Mail's reach, bringing millions of millennial readers to the company each month. 41. Scott Delong Founder, ViralNova ViralNova , a Buzzfeed-like media startup chock full of feel-good stories, was bought this year by digital-media company Zealot Networks in a cash-and-stock deal that could be worth as much as $100 million if Zealot appreciates in value. For a while, ViralNova was run by DeLong and two freelancers. They grew ViralNova to BuzzFeed's size and scale about 100 million monthly readers without full-time staff or raising any venture-capital funding. DeLong, who launched the website in mid-2013, put a few Google ads on each page. Within eight months, his lean shop was generating six figures a month and millions annually . Today, ViralNova has 22 full-time employees and is on track to generate $35 million this year. The company will likely move to Zealot Media's Venice, California, headquarters. 40. Adam Enbar and Avi Flombaum Cofounders, Flatiron School Flatiron School, a programming institute that teaches adults and high schoolers how to code, is on the rise. The startup raised $9 million in April in a round of funding led by Thrive Capital , with participation from CRV and Matrix. It also gained recognition when model Karlie Kloss enrolled in 2014, later partnering with the school to launch #KodeWithKarlie, a competition that gave sponsorships for girls ages 13-18 to attend . Founded in 2012 by Avi Flombaum and Adam Enbar, Flatiron School is an intense, full-time program and it's highly selective, accepting 6% of all applicants. But the rigor pays off, and 99% of graduates leave with coding jobs ready to go. 39. Philip Krim, Jeff Chapin, Gabe Flateman, Luke Sherwin, and Neil Parikh Cofounders, Casper In June, mattress-delivery startup Casper raised another $55 million in a series B funding round led by Institutional Venture Partners, with other investors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, and Adam Levine. In total, the mattress delivery startup has raised $70 million in venture-capital funding , and has plans to expand . Casper's based on a simple idea: Make buying a new mattress an easy, pain-free process. Customers choose a size online (ranging from twin to California king), and Casper delivers the compressed memory foam mattress straight to your door in a box no bigger than set of golf clubs, streamlining both the delivery and assembly processes. The plan is working too Casper generated $1 million in sales in its first month after the site launched in 2014. 38. Andy Katz-Mayfield and Jeff Raider Cofounders and co-CEOs, Harry's In under two years, Harry's cofounders Jeff Raider and Andy Katz-Mayfield launched their online shaving service, raised more than $200 million in funding, and purchased German razor factory Feintechnik , where their products are produced, vertically integrating the company. Harry's raised $75 million in venture funding in November 2014 and another $75.6 million in a Series C round in July, not to mention the $122.5 million they received back in January 2014. As of this summer, the startup was valued at $750 million post-money . Raider and Katz-Mayfield first came up with the idea after a trip to the drugstore where Katz-Mayfield found himself overpaying for a poorly branded product and frustrated by the lack of customer service. They knew there had to be a more efficient way to purchase razors and Harry's was born. 37. Ragy Thomas Founder and CEO, Sprinklr Earlier this year, Sprinklr, a social-media management firm that competes with companies like Hootsuite, joined the ranks of elite private tech companies worth over $1 billion . Sprinklr can thank a round of funding to the tune of $46 million from investors including Intel Capital, Battery Ventures, and Iconiq Capital, for its new honor. In August, the startup also acquired TBG Digital , one of Facebook's big ad-buying clients. 36. Rishi Malhotra, Vinodh Bhat, and Paramdeep Singh Cofounder and CEO (Malhotra), cofounder, president, and chief strategy officer (Bhat), cofounder and executive chairman (Singh), Saavn Saavn is the leading-streaming service for Bollywood, Indian, and other international music and content a streaming service that raised a boatload of a series C round in July to the tune of $100 million. The round was led by Tiger Global Management, with Bertelsmann, Liberty Media, Mousse Partners, and Steadview Capital. Based in New York, Saavn has the capacity to tag music, initiate music chats, and deliver on-demand music and radio streaming. Saavn is being used by 13 million monthly active users in more than 150 countries. 35. David Haber CEO, Bond Street David Haber is coming after Wall Street banks with his startup, Bond Street , and Wall Street has begun to take notice. Bond Street is eating into the business of some major banks by making loans to small businesses. This summer, Bond Street pocketed a whopping $110 million investment from Jefferies investment bank and Spark Capital, where Haber previously worked. Some investors, like Airbnb cofounder Nathan Blecharczyk, also participated in the round. The new funding will be put toward expanding Bond Street from eight to 25 full-time people next year. "We'll probably expand that even more to 40 within the next two years, but we'll see," Haber told Business Insider. 34. Lisa Falzone CEO, Revel Systems Revel Systems sells point-of-sale systems based on Apple's iOS mobile platform. Since its 2010 founding, Revel Systems has sold its POS systems to 10,000 customers including Dairy Queen, Goodwill, and Tully's Coffee. Its employee count has doubled in the past year, from 200 to 400 people, and Revel Systems has deals with tech companies like Apple and Intuit. In November 2014, Lisa Falzone's company raised a $110 million round of funding led by private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson, and Stowe. In August, it raised another $13 million at a $500 million valuation . 33. Jeff Kinsey and Ted Bailey Cofounder and CTO (Kinsey), cofounder and CEO (Bailey), Dataminr After a successfully raised $30 million series C round in 2013, Dataminr struck gold this past March with a $130 million series D round led by Fidelity with additional support from Credit Suisse, Venrock, and former Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit, among others. The $700 million startup picks up data and news trends from social-media platforms like Twitter and alerts companies and news outlets quicker than previous forms of obtaining news, making it a supertool for journalists. 32. Payal Kadakia and Mary Biggins Cofounders, ClassPass Gym rats love ClassPass, a service that lets users take unlimited classes (up to three per location) at boutique fitness studios for a flat fee of $125 a month . Not only does the ClassPass give users a steep discount on pricey classes like Pure Barre and SoulCycle, but it allows them to try a multitude of things, from spin to hot yoga to Pilates. Investors are pretty keen on ClassPass as well. The startup is valued at about $400 million , and raised $40 million in January in a series B round of funding led by General Catalyst Partners and Thrive Capital, bringing its total amount of venture capital raised to $54 million since its launch in 2013. 31. Rus Yusupov and Jason Toff Cofounder (Yusupov), general manager (Toff), Vine Twitter-owned six-second-video app Vine exploded this year. In January, the company rang in its second year by announcing new stats: Every day the platform gets 1.5 billion loops , or plays of its videos. According to ComScore, its reach of the total US population is 14% . As of August, Vine had 200 million monthly active users . By comparison, the number of monthly active users on Twitter, the company that bought Vine for $30 million a few years ago, was at 316 million in late July. Teens can't get enough of the service, and now Vine even has its own crop of stars people who are making a living and getting famous from their videos on the platform. 30. Darren Lachtman and Rob Fishman Cofounders, Niche How do you make money on Vine? Niche, an ad network that targets social-media stars , is one way. Niche was founded by Darren Lachtman and Rob Fishman in 2013 after the pair noticed that an increasing number of brands wanted to advertise on growing platforms like Instagram and Vine. The startup serves as a new type of ad agency, connecting social-media celebrities with advertising partners. In February, the startup was acquired by Twitter for about $50 million in cash and stock , including employee-retention incentives. 29. Andy Mitchell Director of news and global media partnerships, Facebook Andy Mitchell is based in Facebook's New York office, working as the director of news and global media partnerships. Since he joined Facebook in 2010, he's conducted media partnerships with NBC for the London Olympics Games, with CNN for a cross-platform global partnership for the 2014 general election, and with CNN and FOX News for the 2016 presidential debates. Last year Mitchell announced that it had created a newswire tool for journalists, FB Newswire, to share newsworthy Facebook content through photos, videos, and status updates. Facebook's latest big breakthrough in news: a Twitter-esque app that lets publishers send mobile breaking-news alerts to Facebook users en masse. 28. Bill de Blasio and Fred Wilson Mayor of New York City (De Blasio), venture capitalist (Wilson), Computer Science For All Within the next decade, all public schools in New York City will be required to offer computer-science classes to all students as part of Computer Science For All, a new initiative by Mayor Bill de Blasio. The plan will span 10 years and cost $81 million, which the city hopes to fund through a combination of public funds and donations from private entities. Venture capitalist Fred Wilson, who founded NYC-based Union Square Ventures, has signed on as an early contributor, The New York Times reports . With computer science and coding becoming an increasingly valuable skill, this initiative comes at an especially pertinent time. By making these skills available to all students not just those able to attend a private school that offers such classes it levels the education playing field and puts all students one step closer to landing a job in New York's expanding technology scene . 27. Dev Ittcheria, Elliot Horowitz, and Michael Gordon Cofounder and CTO (Horowitz), president and CEO (Ittycheria), CFO (Gordon), MongoDB In July, database startup MongoDB hired Michael Gordon as its new CFO a man who is well known in the New York tech world for his work on many IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions while at Merrill Lynch. Gordon's joining MongoDB could hint at a possible IPO for the company, which has been a $1 billion "unicorn" company since 2013. MongoDB has raised more than $311 million in eight rounds of funding, according to Crunchbase, the latest of which was an $80 million series G round in January. Tens of thousands of companies use MongoDB to build high-performance systems, including more than a third of companies in the Fortune 100. 26. Adam Singolda Founder and CEO, Taboola This year, content-recommendation platform Taboola became a unicorn a startup valued at more than $1 billion after raising millions from Baidu , China's largest search engine. Though founder and CEO Adam Singolda would not confirm the exact amount , the capital pushes Taboola's valuation over the $1 billion mark. The startup is the third-largest syndicated advertising platform in the world, and in addition to Baidu, it claims some big-name partnerships with sites like The Atlantic, MailOnline, and Business Insider. 25. Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran Investors, " Shark Tank " Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran have helped get the nation excited about startups and companies in places outside of huge hubs like Silicon Valley, and have made entrepreneurship a household concept on Shark Tank. In its fifth season, ABC's Shark Tank averaged 7.9 million viewers . The New York-based Shark tank judges have made a number of successful investments in companies. Corcoran, best known as the "Queen of New York Real Estate" and the founder of the Corcoran Group , has a rich portfolio that includes startups like Wanderu and Zirtual. John, the founder of retail company FUBU, is a brand ambassador for e-commerce company Shopify and has invested $7,667,000 dollars in "Shark Tank" projects in total. 24. Nick Denton Founder, Gawker The past year has been tumultuous for Gawker. In a matter of months, Gawker's entire Valleywag editorial team turned over. Gizmodo, once a category leader in tech and gadget news, lost key writers and suffered from competition with other up-and-coming publications like The Verge. Annalee Newitz, who ran Gawker's tech blog iO9, was placed at the helm of a combined iO9 and Gizmodo entity to oversee a turnaround. Last year, Gawker's traffic increased 20% to almost 500 million monthly pageviews and 130 million unique visitors. Gawker Media is worth at least $250 million, based on the company's 2014 net revenue of $45 million. The bootstrapped media company has been fighting a lawsuit against professional wrestler Hulk Hogan this year. In 2012, Gawker published a "highlights reel" of a leaked sex tape featuring Hogan and Heather Clem, the wife of his friend Bubba the Love Sponge Clem. Hogan sued. Losing the suit could cost Gawker up to $100 million and force founder Nick Denton to sell the company or seek outside investment. In addition, Gawker was faced with a massive editorial shake-up this summer. A controversial post was deleted from the site, leading a series of top editors and writers to resign. Gawker relaunched with plans to be "20% nicer," according to Denton. 23. Kim Posnett Cohead of internet investment-banking team, Goldman Sachs At the beginning of this year , Goldman Sachs named Kim Posnett cohead of its internet investment-banking team. The move makes sense for Posnett, who worked on the sale of Sapient to Publicis in 2014, the eBay-PayPal spin-off, the Zulily IPO in 2013, the Etsy IPO in 2015, the Wayfair IPO in 2014, the Honest Company's 2014 fundraise, and the Oscar and Jet fundraises in 2015. 22. Joe Marchese Founder and CEO, Reserve ; founder and chairman, Human Ventures It's been a big year for Joe Marchese. In late 2014, he launched Reserve, along with cofounder Greg Hong, which works like an Uber for restaurants . Customers type in the number of people and the type of food they want, and restaurants can fill or deny their requests. Only three months later, the startup raised $15 million in a round of series A financing , from investors including Human Ventures Capital (Marchese's firm), Advancit Capital, First Round, Jared Leto, Jon Favreau, and others. Last December, Marchese sold his ad-tech company true[x], which he cofounded with David Levy and Brandon Mills, to 21st Century Fox for a solid $200 million . It works in digital advertising, focused on boosting engagement with viewers by creating ads that require participation. After selling true[x], Marchese went on to launch Human Ventures, which he describes as " neither a traditional VC firm nor an incubator, but a 'startup studio.' " The NYC-based venture aims to highlight and grow local startups, but unlike other incubators, everything is done through internal networks. 21. Arianna Huffington and Jared Grusd Cofounder and editor-in-chief (Huffington), CEO (Grusd), The Huffington Post After AOL was acquired by Verizon in May for $4.4 billion, rumors circulated that Verizon would spin off The Huffington Post rumors that were quickly quashed by AOL CEO Tim Armstrong. Since then, editor-in-chief and cofounder Arianna Huffington has gone full speed ahead with Jared Grusd, the new CEO appointed in August, to maintain content for more than 200 million unique visitors, making it larger than BuzzFeed. Huffington announced in June that she plans to stay on for at least another four years. 20. Lowell McAdam Chairman and CEO, Verizon In May, Verizon bought AOL for $4.4 billion, or $50 per share. AOL's brands include The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, and Engadget. AOL's Tim Armstrong still runs AOL operations. According to a February 13 regulatory filing, he holds 1.48 million shares of AOL, or 1.9% of the company. Together, Verizon and AOL create a powerful force in mobile, video, social, and programmatic platforms Verizon leads in mobile and mobile video, and AOL leads in video and programmatic advertising. The combination creates the first and most powerful media technology company on the planet. 19. Barry Diller and Sam Yagan Chairman of Tinder-IAC (Diller), CEO of IAC's Match Group (Yagan) Barry Diller's company, IAC, owns dating websites OKCupid, Match.com, and HowAboutWe. It also owns a majority stake in Tinder . Back in June, IAC announced that it would pursue an IPO for less than 20% of common stock of The Match Group . This business segment includes Tinder a dating app that asks users to swipe right to find a match Match.com , OKCupid, as well as non-dating brands like The Princeton Review. In July, Match Group announced it would acquire the dating site PlentyOfFish for $575 million in cash. Both Match Group's IPO and the PlentyOfFish acquisition are expected to be completed by the end of this year. 18. Jim Bankoff CEO, Vox Media Vox, the media company that owns The Verge, Curbed, SB Nation, Vox.com, and Eater , added another site to its arsenal in June: 18-month-old Re/code , a tech-news publication founded by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher in 2014, which is predicted to bring in $12 million this year, Business Insider reported at the time of the acquisition. In addition to purchasing Re/code, Vox received a $200 million investment from NBCUniversal in August. The investment is reportedly part of a push by NBC to connect with Millennial audiences , Re/code reported at the time, but it's a good sign for Vox any way you slice it. With this investment, Vox is now worth $1 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal . 17. Saagar Govil Chairman and CEO, Cemtrex At the end of June, industrial-technology company Cemtrex announced that it would begin trading shares on the NASDAQ Capital Markets under the new symbol CETX. "Uplisting to Nasdaq allows us to attract a broader investor base which will be essential in enhancing the value of the company moving ahead," CEO Saagar Govil said in a statement . Cemtrex is doing well so far, though, claiming $47 million in revenue in 2014, a huge jump from 2013's $13 million. Not only that, but Govil remains one of the youngest CEOs of a publicly traded company at just 29 years old. 16. Brian O'Kelley and Michael Rubenstein Cofounder and CEO (O'Kelley), CTO (Rubenstein), AppNexus AppNexus, a cloud-based software company, is one of the biggest tech startups in New York City, following the $62.7 million round of series F funding it raised in April. WPP, the world's largest advertising holding group, also invested $25 million in the ad tech company last October . Following the investment, WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell noted that the stake in AppNexus gives rival companies, such as Publicis Groupe and Omnicom, "nowhere to go" a positive sign for AppNexus' viability. 15. Cyrus Massoumi, Nick Ganju, and Oliver Kharraz Cofounder and CEO (Massoumi), cofounder (Ganju), cofounder and president (Kharraz), ZocDoc After raising $130 million in funding at a $1.8 billion valuation, online medical appointment-booking service ZocDoc is now the third most valuable tech startup in New York City. The unicorn company, which employs more than 600 people between its New York, Arizona, and India offices, is eight years old and has changed the landscape for booking appointments, and evaluating your experiences, with doctors in your area. 14. Neil Blumenthal and David Gilboa Cofounders and co-CEOs, Warby Parker Warby Parker has done a lot in five years. Since its founding in 2010, the eyeglass retailer has raised $115.5 million in venture-capital funding (most recently taking in $100 million in a round of funding led by T. Rowe Price in April), opened 12 storefronts in nine cities and become a "unicorn" with a valuation of $1.2 billion . The startup also operates on a platform of social good, mirroring every pair of glasses purchased with a pair donated to someone in need. The brand plans to continue expanding their brick-and-mortar operations , and has also considered developing technology that will let them issue prescriptions in-house. 13. Ginni Rometty CEO, IBM After a rocky 2014, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty came up with plan to get IBM on track after abandoning Roadmap 2015, a plan formed by her predecessor in which the company was supposed to hit specific revenue targets each year. In October 2014, Rometty told investors it would not achieve its years-long promise to hit $20 earnings per share by 2015, and early this year revealed her roadmap : a plan to spend $4 billion to grow $40 billion in revenue in strategic areas like cloud computing, mobile, and big data, by 2018. If all goes according to Rometty's plan, this will nearly double what IBM is making on these areas now. 12. Mike Hanrahan, Nate Faust, and Marc Lore Cofounders, Jet E-commerce startup Jet wants to be the next Amazon. The company raised $220 million through three rounds of funding before it even launched, giving it a $600 valuation . It also hit over $1 million in sales on its first day when it launched in July, setting the tone for a successful year. It was the No. 4 marketplace in terms of sales just a month after launching, beating out Sears and Best Buy. The company promises to offer prices up to 15% lower than anywhere else on the web, and developed an exclusive technology that adjusts prices in real time based on what users put in their carts . In October, Jet changed its business model and dropped its $50 membrship fee it once proposed would be its sole source of profit. Lore previously said Jet doesn't plan to reach scale or profitability until 2020, when the company projects to have 15 million paying customers and $20 billion in sales . 11. James Murdoch CEO, 21st Century Fox In June, news broke that 84-year-old Rupert Murdoch would be stepping down from his long-held role as CEO of 21st Century Fox. In his place, his son James Murdoch became CEO on July 1. James had been with the company for nearly two decades, and before he was CEO, he served as a co-chief operating officer. Rupert remains at 21st Century Fox as an executive cochairman with Lachlan Murdoch, who holds that position. 10. Lesley Eccles, Tom Griffiths, and Nigel Eccles Cofounders, Fanduel Fantasy-sports website Fanduel had a huge year; the startup raised a massive $275 million series E round in July from investors like KKR, Comcast Ventures, Google Capital, NBC Sports Ventures, and Time Warner Investments. The new funding valued Fanduel at $1.3 billion and pushing it into a growing group of startups with $1 billion valuations known colloquially as the "unicorn club." FanDuel, which competes with DraftKings, made its first two acquisitions this summer too. In July, Fanduel acquired Scottish app-development company Kotika , and in August it acquired sports-analytics platform numberFire . FanDuel is for busy or casual fans. It lets users participate in one-day leagues, as opposed to having to commit to season-long leagues. The company says it pays out over $10 million in cash payouts weekly. 9. Mario Schlosser, Josh Kushner, and Kevin Nazemi Cofounder and CEO (Schlosser), cofounder and managing partner at Thrive Capital (Kushner), cofounder (Nazemi), Oscar In April, health-insurance company Oscar raised $145 million, giving it a $1.5 billion valuation . Then in September, Oscar closed another $32.5 million round of venture funding led by Google Capital , pushing its valuation up to $1.75 billion . With these investments, Oscar joins the ranks of buzzy startups known as unicorns, a moniker used to describe those with valuations over $1 billion. Oscar wants to transform the healthcare industry by creating a better user experience when it comes to health insurance. It launched publicly in 2013 and had more than 40,000 customers across New York and New Jersey as of April, with plans to launch in Texas and California . 8. Jonah Peretti Cofounder and CEO, BuzzFeed Silly quizzes and cat GIFs might come to mind when someone mentions BuzzFeed, but the news site is worth serious cash. It raised $200 million from NBCUniversal earlier this year, pushing its valuation to a high $1.5 billion. It's no surprise considering how quickly the site has grown: It tripled its revenue from 2012 to 2013 , and continues to invest more and more into serious editorial content. The media startup dived deep into video this year and generated over 1.9 billion views in July alone and received $3.5 million from a publisher presumed to be Google/YouTube for original videos. 7. Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice Cofounders and co-CEOs , SoulCycle It's official: SoulCycle is going public. The boutique indoor-cycling company filed for an IPO over the summer. According to the company's filing , SoulCycle earned $112 million in revenue last year, and tripled in size from 12 studios in 2012 to 36 in 2014, Business Insider reported in July . SoulCycle's success comes as no surprise to the thousands of loyal riders who turn out in droves for the company's fast-paced classes and cult-like fitness community . SoulCycle's also received its fair share of criticism , but there's no denying the craze it ignited. 6. Mike Bloomberg CEO, Bloomberg LP After 12 years as mayor of New York City, Mike Bloomberg returned to the company he started, Bloomberg LP, in September 2014 , jumping back into his role as CEO. Along with the billionaire's return to the company came shifts in power, including the exit of news head Matthew Winkler in January and top digital editor Joshua Topolsky in June . The newsroom also saw layoffs, reshuffling of management, and a website relaunch as well as both consolidation and expansion as Bloomberg regained his authority over the company. Even at 73, Bloomberg's influence and power remains unchallenged. 5. Dan Doctoroff CEO, Sidewalk Google wants to reinvent the modern city so it launched a new independent company, called Sidewalk Labs , to do just that. Sidewalk will focus on addressing major issues in cities, such as transportation, energy use, and cost of living, through innovative products, platforms, and partnerships. Dan Doctoroff, the former CEO of Bloomberg, signed on to helm the company. He told The New York Times that Sidewalk aims to create "platforms that people can plug into," such as New York City's bike-sharing program. Simply put, Sidewalk wants to elevate existing efforts to improve city life . 4. Matt Salzberg, Matthew Wadiak, and Ilia Papas Cofounders, Blue Apron Blue Apron, a company that makes cooking easy by delivering perfectly proportioned ingredients and recipes straight to your door, isn't just a godsend for lazy cooks it's also worth $2 billion . Following a series D round of funding to the tune of $135 million in June, the startup announced its $2 billion valuation, making it one of tech's growing number of unicorns: privately held companies with valuations of $1 billion or more. Though it's only been around since 2012, Blue Apron is already selling more than 3 million meals each month, CEO Matt Salzberg told Business Insider earlier this year . The startup has more than tripled in size since January, and reports hundreds of thousands of customers. Blue Apron's potential is vast: The service appeals to millennials who want to expand their repertoire in the kitchen as much as busy moms straining for creativity and simplicity in their weeknight meals. 3. Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey Cofounder and CEO (Neumann), cofounder and CCO (McKelvey), WeWork After raising $433.9 million in a round of series E funding in August, WeWork's valuation jumped to a huge $10 billion . The startup's previous round of series D funding in December 2014 valued it at $5 billion, still making it one of the most value private tech companies in the world at the time. Founded in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, WeWork leases office and coworking spaces to startups, providing flexible contracts and plenty of amenities. The company also recently announced plans to foray into "co-living" apartments as well. 2. Tim Armstrong CEO, AOL In May, Verizon announced plans to purchase AOL for $4.4 billion , keeping current CEO Tim Armstrong on to run the AOL business. Not only did Armstrong help orchestrate the deal , but he could walk away with nearly $60 million. "According to the filing, Armstrong will receive a "Founders' Incentive Award" of restricted stock units with a value equivalent to 1.5% of AOL's market value when the merger is consummated. At today's price, that's worth $59 million," Business Insider reported in May . The deal is tied to Armstrong staying at AOL for four more years, but it's a great sign for the CEO nonetheless. 1. Chad Dickerson CEO, Etsy Brooklyn-based Etsy , the online marketplace that specializes in crafts and other artistic items went public in April with an opening price valuing it over $3.7 billion. The company had been described as running an artisanal IPO process for reportedly seeking small investors who share its commitment to "socially responsible business practices." The company says it will use the proceeds from the IPO "for working capital and general corporate purposes, including continued investments in the growth of the business." It also says that it will use $300,000 to partially fund the nonprofit Etsy.org, which it launched earlier this year, and a portion to build out its new headquarters. The decade-old Brooklyn-based company generated $195.6 million in revenue in 2014, up 56.4% from $125.02 million in 2013, according to its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Spencer Stone, one of the American heroes who stopped a terrorist attack on a French train in August, was stabbed multiple times early Thursday in downtown Sacramento and is in stable condition, the U.S. Air Force confirmed to USA TODAY. "A1C Spencer Stone has been transported to a local hospital, and is currently being treated for injury," Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Karns said in an email in Air Force Times. Sacramento police, without naming the victim, said on Twitter: "The assault incident is not related to a terrorist act. Assault occurred near a bar, alcohol is believed to be a factor. " ABC10 in Sacramento reports that Stone was the victim in an assault near 21st and K streets in downtown Sacramento around 12:45 a.m. and that police were looking for a suspect. The Sacramento police department said on Facebook that the victim was stabbed repeatedly in his upper body. "It is believed that the victim was out with a group of friends when a physical altercation led to the victim being stabbed multiple times in his upper body," the statement said. "Detectives were called to the scene to assist with the investigation and the victim is currently being treated for what appears to be non-life threatening injuries." Everybody send prayers out to the stone family today alek skarlatos (@alekskarlatos) October 8, 2015 Stone, 23, from Carmichael, Calif., was hospitalized in August with wounds received after he and two other Americans subdued a gunman on a Paris-bound train in August. "Everybody send prayers out to the Stone family today," tweeted Alek Skarlatos, a friend of Stone who also helped stop the terror attack. Update: The assault incident is not related to a terrorist act. Assault occurred near a bar, alcohol is believed to be a factor. Sacramento Police (@SacPolice) October 8, 2015 <p></p> Ayoub El-Khazzani, 25, was arrested in the incident on the French train. French authorities identified him as a Moroccan with ties to radical Islam who may have traveled to Syria. The three Americans, hailed as heroes, said they acted out of instinct and were ready to fight to the death to stop the attack. Stone, longtime friends Skarlatos, 22, an Oregon National Guardsman, and Anthony Sadler, 23, a student at Sacramento State University, were on the high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris when El-Khazzani armed with a Kalashnikov, an automatic Luger pistol and a box cutter raced through the car. The men tackled and subdued the gunman, who was taken into custody in France. "We just kind of acted, there wasn't much thinking going on," Stone said at a news conference in Paris days after the attack. He said he acted out of "survival and for my friends and everybody else on the train." Stone said he was stabbed in the neck and thumb, which had to be reattached. "He seemed like he was ready to fight to the end," Stone said of El-Khazzani. "So were we." Stone earned a Purple Heart and Airman's Medal in a Pentagon ceremony, Skarlatos is receiving the Soldier's medal, and Sadler was issued a civilian award. President Obama hosted the three men at the White House last month, saying they represented "the very best of America and the American character." "They were thinking they were just going to have a fun reunion in Paris and ended up engaging in a potentially cataclysmic situation," Obama said. "Because of their courage, because of their quick thinking, because of their teamwork, it's fair to say a lot of people were saved, and a real calamity was averted." Skarlatos may have averted tragedy himself in recent days. He is participating in the TV show "Dancing With The Stars" and other activities that he said kept him from enrolling at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore., this fall. Last week 10 people died at the school in a shooting rampage. "I would have been there today," he said on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." "I had classes picked out and everything." <p></p></telerik:script><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
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Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, and now, a community college in Roseburg, Ore. One after another, mass shootings have horrified the nation, stoking debate about the availability of legal guns and anguish over the inability of society to keep weapons out of the hands of seething killers. But such rampage killings are not the typical face of gun violence in America. Each day, some 30 people are victims of gun homicides, slain by rival gang members or drug dealers, trigger-happy robbers, drunken men after bar fights, frenzied family members or abusive partners. An additional 60 people a day kill themselves with guns. In Chicago alone in September the city's deadliest month in recent years there were 57 homicides, most by gunfire, and 351 were shot and wounded. In total, counting suicides, 33,636 people in the United States were killed by firearms in 2013, according to the latest federal data. Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter "Mass shootings focus the public's attention," said Garen J. Wintemute, director of the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. "But we lose on the order of 90 people a day to firearms. We need to keep our eyes focused on the larger picture." Yet there is bitter disagreement over how to respond in this gun-saturated country and, especially in the current political campaign, over whether expanded, tougher background checks would make a difference. Complicating any solutions is a stark reality about the origins of many of the guns used in crimes. Most of the up to 300 million guns in the United States, now kept by at least a third of American households, were bought legally, but few criminals obtained their firearms that way, turning instead to an underground market. In the largest federal survey of prison inmates on the subject, done in 2004, only about 10 percent of convicts who had carried guns said they bought them from licensed dealers. Most said they bought them from, or traded with, relatives, friends or street acquaintances such as fences, drug dealers and gang members. Gun theft is a major source of such weapons. Evidence suggests that at least 250,000 guns are stolen in home and store burglaries each year. Some criminologists say the number may be significantly higher. Once weapons start circulating in this underworld, they tend to change hands frequently, said Philip J. Cook, a professor of public policy at Duke University. Two years ago, Mr. Cook questioned 100 prisoners in the Cook County, Ill., jail about how they obtained weapons. Some of the Chicago-area inmates said they had purchased from traffickers from another state, or sent fellow gang members to Indiana or other states where gun laws are looser. Many of those questioned stressed the primacy of family, friends and fellow gang members as sources of guns. They said they were reluctant to deal with strangers, fearing a police sting or the purchase of a "dirty" gun that could link them to a crime. In some gangs, the inmates said, gun sharing is common; 15 youths in a neighborhood might have access to four guns, as needed. Guns may also be given as gifts to friends or comrades getting out of prison. Conservative opponents argue that controls on legal firearm sales cannot directly keep firearms away from criminals. Yet applying background checks to private gun sales as well as commercial ones, with stronger criteria for denying purchases, remains a top goal of many gun control advocates and scholars who study firearms violence. They point to major gaps in the current system of checks as well as evidence that extending checks to private transactions can slow the flow of weapons into the underground market. The issue has flared up in the presidential campaign. President Obama and some Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton among them have called for universal background checks as an important step. Many of the Republican candidates join pro-gun groups in arguing that such rules will hinder only law-abiding citizens. A primary concern of those calling for expanded checks is the absence in most states of any vetting procedure when a gun is purchased from a private party a friend, a seller advertising online, a small-scale seller at a gun show. By federal law, background checks are required only for purchases from licensed dealers; people with felony records or certain official records of mental illness are barred from buying. A significant minority of guns are acquired legally but without background checks, which many authorities call a worrisome loophole. In a national survey of more than 2,000 gun owners, conducted this year by the Harvard School of Public Health and not yet published, 40 percent of owners said they had acquired their most recent firearm without a background check. While in some cases these guns were inherited or given by relatives, most of them were purchased, said Deborah Azrael, one of the study's leaders. Seventeen states have established their own checking system and also applied it to private handgun transactions. Daniel Webster, an expert on gun violence at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Gun Policy and Research, cites two recent examples as evidence that expanded background checks can affect gun markets and violence. In 2007, Missouri ended a decades-old system of background checks and licensing for handgun purchases, including private sales. According to research by Mr. Webster and colleagues, the change quickly led to an increase in gun diversions to criminals and to a 25 percent increase in firearm homicides over the three years that followed, while homicides committed by other means did not rise. In contrast, Connecticut in 1995 extended background checks to private sales and established a handgun permit system. Over 10 years, the rate of gun murders fell by 40 percent. "There is a connection between regulating the formal market and the number of guns that enter the underground market," Mr. Webster said. A large share of violent criminals, he added, are "dirt-poor," and to them, price matters. Still, general controls on gun sales may do little, by themselves, to block a determined mass killer. In the shooting last week in Oregon, in which Christopher Harper-Mercer killed nine people, all 14 of the guns available to him either used in the attack or left at home were bought legally by him or by a relative from a licensed dealer. "This is the sort of killing you're least likely to prevent with gun control laws, partly because the killers are so motivated," said Gary Kleck, a criminologist at Florida State University. But a new initiative in California is directed specifically at such people. In a law that will take effect in January, family members or the police will be able to ask a judge for a temporary gun violence restraining order if they see someone in an ominous emotional spiral, threatening violence and perhaps collecting weapons. Disputes over civil liberties appear likely. But with legal procedures modeled on restraining orders for domestic violence, the law says, officials could obtain a search warrant and seize the person's guns for a brief period, pending evaluation. The idea builds on " threat assessment " efforts by some schools and police departments, which focus on people seen as threatening. Support for the idea grew after a deadly rampage in Isla Vista, Calif., last year. Before the rampage, the family of the gunman, Elliot O. Rodger, had feared that he was becoming dangerous and had even notified law enforcement. Officers visited him but saw no evidence of mental illness that would warrant taking any action. They did not check his gun purchase records or search his home. "If they had searched, they'd have found not only three guns, but 40 loaded magazines," said Dr. Wintemute of the University of California, Davis. "That would have just screamed, 'Trouble coming!' " he said.
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Low cost carrier Norwegian Air says it hopes to sell one-way tickets between Europe and the US for just $69. Jen Markham (@jenmarkham) explains the catch.
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This chubby little guy's name is eX, and there's a lot riding on his square shoulders. According to its maker, the eX portends Mitsubishi's design future. "Both exterior and interior indicate the direction MMC Design is taking," says the automaker, adding that the eX is also fully electric. Because of course it is. We like the thin headlights, which aggressively wrap nearly all the way around the hood from the grille almost to the A-pillars, drawing the eye around the vehicle. And the X-shaped grille motif is fresh. We aren't so sure about those huge, dimple-like fog lights, or the strange chamfer below the car's shoulder line, but overall the design is unique. The eX will debut at the 2015 Tokyo auto show , but so far there's no word on when we might see its look on a production model. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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autos
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Campaign finance reform advocate turned presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig has dropped his first campaign ad, which skips right over his Democratic primary opponents to jab Republican Marco Rubio. The 15-second spot opens with the question, "Who owns Marco Rubio?" before showing a picture of the Florida senator adorned with logos of big money contributors including Wells Fargo, Honeywell, Goldman Sachs and other financial services companies. "This is what our political system has turned into," the narrator says. "Larry Lessig is the only presidential campaign with the will and the way to fix it. A Lessig aide confirmed to The Hill that the campaign will spend more than $150,000 to air it in Iowa in New Hampshire. The Harvard law professor's next ad will again not target a Democratic primary opponent, but will instead feature former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R). "Money is the central issue. It's true that money is a problem across the field, but it's important for us in the Democratic primary to attack the issue in a way that doesn't alienate the base right away," a campaign spokesperson said. "So that's why we went with the obvious Republican targets first." Lessig, who is running an underdog campaign centered on campaign finance reform as his single issue, announced this month that he's raised $1 million for his campaign in about four weeks. That's already far surpassed the second-quarter fundraising haul for former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former Sen. Jim Webb (Va.), two candidates who will make the Democratic debate stage next week. But because Lessig hasn't scored high enough in presidential polls most of which are not even testing his name he won't join those candidates for Tuesday's event. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley raised $2 million during the one month between his announcement and the end of the second quarter. None of those candidates have announced their hauls for the third quarter that closed at the end of September. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton raised more than $47 million in the second fundraising quarter, while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) raised $15 million. The gap between those two candidates narrowed for the third quarter, where Clinton brought in $28 million and Sanders brought in $26 million.
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These are common facts that everyone knows as general knowledge. The problem is, none of them are true. How many did you believe? We've all grown up believing in certain facts that over the years have become common knowledge veggies are best eaten fresh, bread with the slightest hint of brown is packed with nutrients and that nails and hair continue to grow well after we're dead. But how true are these facts? Click through as we bust many age-old myths. Follow us on Facebook. Fresh vegetables are better than frozen ones Many studies have claimed that frozen fruits and vegetables can be as nutritious as the fresh ones. According to researchers, a fruit or vegetable starts losing its nutrients once it's picked up from the farm, and by the time it reaches the local grocery store, it has lost quite a lot of nutrients. On the other hand, a frozen fruit is immediately processed once it is picked and, as a result, can retain its nutrient levels better. Follow us on Facebook. Alcohol warms you up Drinking alcohol may make your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat is deceptive. Alcohol actually lowers your body temperature by dilating blood vessels and making the veins pump warm blood closer to the skin. But this process causes the body to lose its core heat. Therefore, sipping a brandy may make you feel warm immediately, but it won't last long! Follow us on Facebook. Cover head, stay warm Parents usually fuss over their children going out in the cold without a hat on, believing that most of the body heat is lost through the head. But scientists consider this a myth. A 2008 British Medical Journal report states that a person loses only 7 to 10 percent of body heat through the head. In fact, o ur body loses a disproportionate amount of heat through any part that is exposed, including hands and toes. Follow us on Facebook. Source: Health.com Don't step out with wet hair There is no connection between stepping out with wet hair and falling ill. You'll probably feel chilly if you skip the blow-dry on a cold day but you won't fall sick. Flu and cold are caused by viruses, not low temperatures. Follow us on Facebook. Carbohydrates make you gain weight It's a common belief that cutting down on carbs helps you lose weight. But before you eliminate carbs from your diet completely, listen to what the experts have to say. According to Jean Harvey-Berino, head of the department of nutrition and food sciences at the University of Vermont, there is nothing inherently fattening about carbohydrates. Complex carbs in grains, fruits and vegetables provide energy to the body and thus are very important. The carbs to be avoided are the simple or refined ones present in foods made of white flour or with a high sugar content. Follow us on Facebook. Cracking knuckles causes arthritis Your office mate who goes around cracking his knuckles may be annoying, but he's not any more likely to develop arthritis than anyone else, contrary to this popular belief. "Cracking the knuckles does not cause arthritis," says Stephen L. Burnstein, D.O., F.A.C.R., board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and a professor at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. "The popping noise heard is from displacement of air in the joint and/or the supporting ligaments and tendons gliding over the joint surfaces." Follow us on Facebook. We use only 10 percent of our brain On those days when you can't recall a name or phone number, it's tempting to wish for more brain power. Only we're using all that we have, just not all at once, says Dr. Marie Pasinski, staff neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, faculty member at Harvard Medical School and author of "Beautiful Brain, Beautiful You" (Hyperion, 2010). "Think of your brain as a computer with special programs and software to allow it to perform an amazing array of tasks," says Pasinski. At any given time, not every single application is in use. When we are focused on a specific task, the parts of the brain needed for that task become more active. Follow us on Facebook. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain When measured from the base to summit (and not from the sea level to summit), Mauna Kea (33,500 feet or 10,210 meters in height) located in Hawaii is the tallest mountain in the world. Most of it is submerged under water. Follow us on Facebook. Einstein failed at Math Many generations of students have consoled themselves for poor mathematics skills believing that even Einstein failed in the subject at school. But this is not true. He not only excelled in Maths but had mastered differential and integral calculus before he was 15. Einstein, however, failed to crack the entrance exam of the prestigious Federal Polytechnic School (or Academy) in Zurich, Switzerland at 16 years because he did not fare well in non-science subjects, especially French. Follow us on Facebook. If you swallow your gum, it'll take 7 years to digest Swallowing your chewing gum on that amusement park ride last summer does not subject you to a gummy digestive tract for seven years, says Dr. Richard Desi, a gastroenterologist with the Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore, U.S.. "This is certainly a myth. A portion of gum is indigestible, and like any indigestible substance that is consumed, it will simply pass through the gastrointestinal tract and be evacuated." The digestible ingredients in gum do not take any longer than other foods to digest. And the indigestible portion does not "stick" around one's intestines for years, says Desi. The Great Wall of China is visible from space No way! Astronauts can't see much detail of any Earth structure with naked eye from space, even the Great Wall of China. According to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, the wall "is too narrow, and it follows the natural contours and colors [of the landscape]." Deodorant causes cancer Deodorants have been accused of causing cancer, especially breast cancer in women. However, a 2002 study by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found no link between the use of these products and cancer. Professional removal of plaque loosens the teeth The opposite actually holds true, says John Koutsoyiannis, DDS, founder of SoHo Smile in New York. "The reality is if you leave plaque on your teeth it turns into tartar. Not removing it can loosen your teeth." If a person hasn't had their teeth cleaned in a long time and their teeth are compromised, she may feel spaces between the teeth once the tartar is removed, which may make them feel loose," says Koutsoyiannis. "Or, in cases of severe periodontal disease, the tartar may be holding the teeth together and [they] were loose all along." Lots of protein is good for you Though protein is no doubt important, excessive intake of it can be dangerous as it burdens the liver and kidneys. Ideally, protein should make up only 10-15 percent of your daily diet, which is roughly around 55g for men and 45g for women. Black holes are hollow Don't let the name fool you. Black holes are not empty spaces but huge amounts of matter packed so densely that even light can't escape their strong gravitational force. Bulls get angry when they see red This has nothing to do with the color red. Bulls are colorblind and it's the waving movement of the cape that annoys them. Sharks don't get cancer This myth is based on the fact that a shark's skeleton is not made from bones but cartilage, which somewhat inhibits the growth of blood vessels, crucial for cancer cells to thrive. But scientists have found tumors in sharks, albeit only rarely. The myth can only be attributed to a lack of research on this topic. Brown bread is better than white Store-bought brown bread may not always be the health food it claims to be. The brown color could be coloring agents or sprinkled fiber flakes. Look for labels that say whole grains, as these use bran, germ and endosperm the components that make up the entire grain. A duck's quack doesn't echo Nobody knows who invented this one but it simply isn't true. A duck's quack echoes as much as any other sound in nature because it cannot defy the laws of physics. Bats are blind Although bats have tiny eyes and nocturnal hunting habits, they are not blind. "Bigger bats can see three times better than humans," says Rob Mies, executive director of the Michigan-based Organization for Bat Conservation. Paul Faure, of McMaster University's Bat Lab located in Canada, elaborates further: "All bats can see and all bats are sensitive to changing light levels because this is the main cue that they use to sense when it is (night time) and time to become active." The five-second rule We've all done it. Picking up dropped food items before five seconds and thinking they're fit to consume has somehow made its way into everyday knowledge. Experts, however, believe differently. According to research by food scientist Paul Dawson from Clemson University, South Carolina, U.S., "a cookie could've picked up toxic salmonella bacteria during that brief time window, especially on a tiled or wooden surface." How dirty the food gets does not depend on time but other factors like the food's moisture, surface geometry and floor condition. Bananas grow on trees The banana plant is actually a herb (the largest herbaceous flowering plant) and not tree. Don't wake sleepwalkers Did you know that up to 40 percent of children sleepwalk at night, but most grow out of it as they age? One piece of advice which many have heard is never to wake a sleepwalker as it might send them into shock upon their sudden awakening. This is simply not true. It'll only lead to a confused state for the sleepwalker at that moment and perhaps an awkward encounter for you! Toilet doors/handles are a hotbed for germs According to a test carried out at the University of Arizona, a toilet door is the least infected surface in the room. Most bacteria need a warm and moist environment to survive and cannot live on hard, dry surfaces for long. Fish have a 3-second memory It has been proven that fish can recall information for up to five months. Research scientists in Israel have even trained young fish to associate sound with feeding time. Every time they played a particular sound, the fish would return for food. A coin thrown off the Empire State Building could kill someone A 10-gram coin will never gather enough velocity to kill anyone even when dropped from a man-made skyscraper. Its velocity would be offset by air friction and the coin will certainly hurt you if it hit you, but not lethally. Humans have 5 senses Not true! Neurologists count as many as 21, including thirst, balance, hunger, temperature and movement. Dogs sweat by salivating Most of the sweat glands in dogs are located in the paws or footpads and none on the tongue. Panting and salivating is a way of regulating their body temperature as it causes evaporation from the moist lining of their lungs. Vikings wore horned helmets There is no historical or archaeological evidence to support this. The myth was probably propagated after German painter and costume designer Carl Emil Doepler created the horned helmet for the first time in 1876 for Richard Wagner's opera "Der Ring des Nibelungen." Nails and hair continue to grow after a person dies This creepy fact is a myth as well. In reality, the skin retracts from the body of a dead person as it becomes dehydrated, making nails and hair appear longer. Also, goosebumps caused by the contraction of the hair muscles may add to the effect.
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As mid-October approaches, we're solidly in prime decorative gourd season . New Englanders wait in anticipation for that iconic time of year when the vibrant colors of fall foliage finally reach their peak. For many locals, leaf peeping yes, that's a thing is as simple as stepping out into the backyard or taking a ride on Amtrak's Autumn Express train. Meanwhile, those stuck in season-less regions are deprived of this annual treat. But now, green-leafed West Coasters or anyone else who really, really likes fall can get New England foliage delivered straight to their door. Avid hiker Kyle Waring and his wife have searched throughout New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont for the perfect few leaves that typify the fall season. They sell them on ShipFoliage.com . Customers receive a $19.99 bundle that has been hand-picked and assembled by the Warings. Once the leaves are collected, they "undergo a unique preservation process" that involves soaking them for 2-3 days and allowing them to dry for a few more. This ensures that they'll last long after the fall season is over an estimated 5-7 years, according to the company's site. So far, Waring has seen the most demand from season-starved customers in California, Texas, and Florida. "I guess there's something about New England foliage," he says. Top image: science photo / Shutterstock.com .
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Oct. 8 -- Hillary Clinton is proposing a tax on the flash boys that may be unlike any in the world. Bloomberg's Phil Mattingly reports on "Bloomberg Markets."
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finance
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According to everything we know about cancer, elephants should be hit hard by the disease. Cancer is a disease of aging, and elephants can live up to 70 years. Over the course of a life that long, elephants grow a lot burgeoning from 200-pound babies to 12,000-pound giants. All that growth involves cell division, a process that provides opportunities for potentially lethal genetic mistakes. Yet cancer is relatively rare in elephants. Fewer than 5% of elephant deaths in captivity are related to cancer. A new study suggests a possible reason why: Elephants have 20 times as many copies of a key cancer-fighting gene as humans. Humans typically have just two copies of a tumor-blocking gene called TP53, inheriting one from their mother and one from their father, said Joshua Schiffman, co-author of the study published Thursday in JAMA. In contrast, elephants have 40 copies, said Schiffman, a pediatric oncologist at the Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. TP53 plays a vital role in preventing cancer, said Schiffman, who describes it as the "guardian of the genome," scanning cells for genetic mistakes and destroying ones that can't be fixed. Scientist Robert Weinberg, whose lab discovered the first tumor suppressor gene, said the new study provides a clue to an evolutionary puzzle. "Every time a cell divides is a potential disaster," said Weinberg, a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., who wasn't involved in the new study. "As we evolved from small, short-lived animals into larger, long-lived animals, there has been the co-evolution of anti-cancer mechanisms in our tissue, so we don't have an ever-increasing risk of cancer as we get older." Elephants aren't the only large animals to have evolved ways to defeat cancer. Bowhead whales are even larger and live longer than elephants, surviving up to 200 years. Cancer death rates vary widely by species, the new study says, ranging from 1% in the rock hyrax, a small African mammal related to elephants, to 8% of deaths in African wild dogs and more than 20% of deaths in cheetahs. Cancer causes 11% to 25% of deaths in humans; many of those deaths due to lifestyle issues such as smoking, the study said. One species that's been hit particularly hard by cancer in recent years is the Tasmanian devil, a species at risk of becoming extinct over the next decade because of lethal cancers spread by a parasite. The myth that sharks don't get cancer has encouraged people to kill them and sell their cartilage for nutritional supplements. Clinical trials of shark cartilage supplements have found no benefit for cancer patients. Schiffman said he hopes his study will lead to better treatments for cancer, especially for children with a rare condition called Li-Fraumeni syndrome, in which they have only one working copy of TP53. These children have up to a 90% risk of cancer. That sort of drug, however, is so far into the future that cancer researcher Bert Vogelstein, co-director of the Ludwig Center at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, calls it "science fiction." Vogelstein was not involved in the new study. Rather than offering short-term hope for cancer patients, Vogelstein said, the new study is "just a fascinating story about elephants."
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PITTSBURGH The man who symbolized the Pittsburgh Pirates' resurgence offered one final bit of advice before hopping onto his custom-made, Batman-inspired ride and zooming off into retirement. "Win the division," A.J. Burnett said in the quiet clubhouse Wednesday night after another postseason ended nine innings after it began. "No more wild-card junk." Fabulous idea. It's the execution part that is going to be tricky. The Pirates have the second-best record in the majors over the last three years, bedrock proof their turnaround is not only legit but sustainable. All those wins 280 and counting haven't translated into a deep October run. The latest setback, a meek 4-0 home loss to Jake Arrieta and the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card game, proved all the more alarming because of who it came against. The Cubs and their steady stream of talented 20-somethings aren't going anywhere. Neither are the Cardinals, who held the Pirates off for a third straight NL Central title. The cost of doing business is sure to go up, leaving Pittsburgh's creative but ever budget-conscious front office with plenty of decisions to make over an offseason that started earlier than a 98-win team probably deserved. "You'd think 98 wins would be enough, but we had a team that won 100," center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. A better start in 2016 might help. McCutchen called himself out for being "under mediocre" in early May with the Pirates languishing around .500. The five-time All-Star responded by kickstarting a torrid summer in which Pittsburgh relentlessly chased the Cardinals into the final days of the regular season. He tied a career high with 96 RBIs, a number that would have been higher if teams had bothered to pitch to him in September. While McCutchen remains the catalyst, Pittsburgh's best season in nearly a quarter-century proved the Pirates relied just as heavily on the development of the parts they assembled around their franchise cornerstone. Left fielder Starling Marte showcased the game's best arm leading the NL in outfield assists and thrived wherever manager Clint Hurdle placed him in the lineup. Rightfielder Gregory Polanco overcame some growing pains to hit .276 in the second half. Shortstop Jung Ho Kang rapidly evolved from a curiosity into a starter, becoming a fixture on the left side of the infield before his season ended with a broken left leg Sept. 17. Catcher Francisco Cervelli, acquired last November to offset the expected loss of Russell Martin, turned out to be productive at the plate and durable behind it. Cervelli played in 130 games, hit a team-high .295 and served as the energetic conscience of a pitching staff that finished second to St. Louis in team ERA. The success stories go on and on. Closer Mark Melancon set a club record with 51 saves. Burnett made the All-Star team for the first time in the last summer of a career that stretches back to the previous millennium. It's telling of how far the Pirates have come that making the playoffs is no longer good enough. If 2013 was a breakthrough after two decades of misery and 2014 was validation that their rebirth wasn't a fluke, 2015 was the litmus test of the new standards Pittsburgh set for itself. By nearly all measures, the Pirates surpassed them. Their record would have been good enough to win every other division in baseball. In the NL Central, all it did was provide them one extra game. And with some of the bills coming due, general manager Neal Huntington will get another chance to retool a system he built by emphasizing "no one is irreplaceable." Burnett is done officially this time. So is third baseman Aramis Ramirez. Second baseman Neil Walker and first baseman Pedro Alvarez head to arbitration this winter with the understanding they may be getting too expensive to keep around. Walker, a Pittsburgh native who along with McCutchen and Alvarez endured the dark days of 2010 when Pittsburgh lost 105 games, knows there's a very real chance he'll suit up for someone else next spring. After pushing most of those thoughts aside for months, they raced to the forefront late Wednesday as he surveyed the only major league clubhouse he's ever called home. "There's no telling," Walker said. McCutchen, however, isn't going anywhere. And neither are the expectations. Hey, it beats the alternative. "I look forward to being a strong team, even stronger," he said. "We've got some depth, some young arms in the minor leagues. ... We did a really good job this regular season and hopefully we can continue to just keep getting better."
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CINCINNATI (AP) -- A star University of Dayton basketball player has sued the Ohio school in federal court over his suspension after a sexual assault accusation. Dyshawn Pierre's lawsuit asks a U.S. district court judge to order his reinstatement, and also seeks unspecified damages. The lawsuit notes that Montgomery County prosecutors declined to file charges against Pierre after what he says was a consensual sexual encounter with a female UD student last spring. His lawsuit filed Wednesday says the school's own investigation was ''fundamentally unfair'' and reached a ''wholly irrational, unsubstantiated'' conclusion after a hearing that failed to accommodate Pierre's learning disability. Pierre is represented by New York-based attorney Peter Ginsberg, whose athlete clients have included former Xavier University basketball player Dez Wells. Wells, who went on to play for Maryland and was signed recently by the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, was expelled from Xavier in 2012 after a student at the Cincinnati school accused him of sexual assault. A grand jury declined to indict Wells, whose federal lawsuit was settled under confidential terms. Wells contended he had consensual sex with his accuser. The school declined comment on the lawsuit, but said Thursday in a statement: ''The University of Dayton's processes are in compliance with U.S. Department of Education requirements.'' The 6-foot-6 senior, a 21-year-old native of Toronto, has played a key role in the Flyers' recent basketball success. They made their second straight NCAA tournament appearance last March, after a surprising run in 2014, when they were among the tournament's final eight teams. Pierre, suspended for one semester after an August hearing, says the allegations against him are false and he wants a return to his normal life. ''And now, I find myself with my reputation tarnished, my schooling interrupted, and my dream of helping the basketball team win a national championship threatened,'' Pierre said in statement released by Ginsberg's office. Among other athletes Ginsberg has represented are football's Ray Rice and Michael Irvin and basketball coach Larry Brown. The lawsuit says Pierre has a learning disability that makes it difficult for him to articulate his thoughts, and the school improperly deprived him of meaningful representation in its hearing. It also says the university placed the burden on Pierre to prove he had consent. The suit says the hearing board subsequently notified Pierre he was ''found responsible for sexual harassment.'' --- Contact the reporter at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
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To be among the top 10% in San Francisco, your salary needs to reach at least $238,855. And to crack the top 25%, you need to earn $141,790. That's according to an interactive tool from The New York Times that allows you to enter your household income and compare your earnings across 344 zones throughout the US. Here, we've highlighted the annual household income required to be in the top 10% and top 25% in 25 major US cities, from lowest to highest income needed. To be among the top 10% in San Francisco, your salary needs to reach at least $238,855. And to crack the top 25%, you need to earn $141,790. That's according to an interactive tool from The New York Times that allows you to enter your household income and compare your earnings across 344 zones throughout the US. Here, we've highlighted the annual household income required to be in the top 10% and top 25% in 25 major US cities, from lowest to highest income needed. 25. Tampa, Florida Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $77,000 Top 10%: $121,968 24. Cleveland, Ohio Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $81,719 Top 10%: $126,441 23. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $82,240 Top 10%: $128,067 22. San Antonio, Texas Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $83,345 Top 10%: $128,575 21. Nashville, Tennessee Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $87,424 Top 10%: $136,400 20. St. Louis, Missouri Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $90,037 Top 10%: $137,800 19. Charlotte, North Carolina Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $88,427 Top 10%: $138,600 18. Phoenix, Arizona Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $91,155 Top 10%: $139,500 17. Cincinnati, Ohio Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $89,748 Top 10%: $141,585 16. Portland, Oregon Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $93,683 Top 10%: $143,110 15. Sacramento, California Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $98,794 Top 10%: $149,800 14. Atlanta, Georgia Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $96,000 Top 10%: $150,000 13. Denver, Colorado Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $100,000 Top 10%: $152,931 12. Houston, Texas Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $97,570 Top 10%: $156,557 11. Dallas, Texas Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $100,286 Top 10%: $157,995 10. Los Angeles, California Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $98,300 Top 10%: $159,008 9. Chicago, Illinois Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $103,507 Top 10%: $163,059 8. San Diego, California Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $105,200 Top 10%: $163,080 7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $104,622 Top 10%: $164,098 6. Baltimore, Maryland Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $110,161 Top 10%: $168,760 5. Seattle, Washington Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $110,140 Top 10%: $169,028 4. New York City, New York Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $100,200 Top 10%: $172,000 3. Boston, Massachusetts Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $122,100 Top 10%: $192,612 2. Washington, DC Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $140,800 Top 10%: $212,685 1. San Francisco, California Income required to be in the: Top 25%: $141,790 Top 10%: $238,855
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Dads are great for many things . Things they're generally not so great at? Ponytails. Braids. Basically anything that involves a brush and a hair tie. But one man is on a mission to teach fathers everywhere the ins and outs of hair styling so they can whip up an adorable topknot whenever mom has her hands full with a million other things. Reddit user MashedPotatoh posted an adorable look inside a class he created for frustrated dads who want to master the art of the ponytail. He said, "We had a small class full of dads that learned basic brushing, ponytails, braids and buns. I'm so proud of these dads for stepping up and building a better bond with their daughters." As you would expect, some pretty hilarious comments followed, like one from redditbobby who said, "One day I took my daughter to school. My wife had an early meeting so I did my daughter's hair. The teacher looks at her and says, 'Daddy did your hair, didn't he? It's ok we can fix it.'" Other users had fond memories of their dads styling their hair. Kel-c said, "This melted my heart! And your daughter will always remember this. My stepdad came into my life when I was about 2, and he was totally unsure of how to go from being a single guy to being a dad to a 2-year-old. But I would bring him my brush for him to comb my hair and he would do his best. On the first day of school I didn't go to my mom for a ponytail, I went to him. And after that, he always did my hair for school." No wonder there's so many daddy's girls out there. Follow us on Twitter.
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lifestyle
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Wait...*I* have more shoes than that. The Black Single-Sole, Pointy-Toe Pump Sounds like a Starbucks order, wears like a dream with pretty much anything. Some critics argue the simple black pump is overplayed (this reporter's opinion: yes, when there are so many more interesting options out there), but it's inoffensive, clean, and doesn't compete with your satellite-dish dress. Natasha Poly With a bustier Kiernan Shipka With a dress over pants Anne Hathaway With a skinny arm Victoria Beckham With a purposeful strut Selena Gomez With leather harem pants Jada Pinkett-Smith With liquid-leather leggings Kim Kardashian With a plunging neckline Elizabeth Olsen With a frill-necked lizard impersonation (in the best way) Zendaya With a train Selma Blair With fancy-lady Oscar de la Renta Sarah Paulson With a surprisingly not-girly dress Kate Winslet With a surprisingly girly dress Lily James With a mini-dress The Stuart Weitzman Nudist The reason every celebrity and her momager have joined the #nudistcolony is simple: You don't see a bunch of leather you just see foot, which, in theory and in practice, makes you look taller. Plus, they're quite high but not uncomfortable. Beyoncé With help January Jones With a grid circuit Taraji P. Henson With chest ventilation Joan Smalls With evening shorts Kate Mara With Valentino Ciara With PJs Chloë Grace Moretz With shrubbery AnnaSophia Robb With upper thigh Anne Hathaway With an exaggerated wave Lily Aldridge With another Lily Elizabeth Banks With another skinny arm The Cap-Toe PVC Pump For those who want full-coverage shoes but also for passerby to know that they've gotten their flaky foot skin pumiced off/never have to walk anywhere, there's the transparent PVC pump popularized by Louboutin, Gianvito Rossi, et al. FYI, the littlest Kardashian recently picked gold toe caps for a date with Caitlyn. Selena Gomez With Christmas in July Caroline Sieber With fidelity to Chanel Chloë Grace Moretz With wall art Eva Longoria With a purple carpet Teri Hatcher With presence Giuliana Rancic With a tea-length hemline Chrissy Teigen With a bouffant Miroslava Duma With a coat dress The Not-Black Single-Sole Pointy-Toe Pump To liven up a monochromatic outfit (ban "pop of color") or pick up one of the hues in a printed dress, this essential is like the black pump, only more complicated. Kerry Washington With a mini-dress Zendaya With a lip print Kiernan Shipka With stripes *and* florals Chiara Ferragni With a tail *and* a...front-tail Mindy Kaling With a mullet hem Amber Heard With hair Elisabeth Moss With an over-the-shoulder glance
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Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, who had been favored to take over as FIFA's next leader, have both been suspended for 90 days, plunging soccer's governing body deeper into crisis. (Oct. 8)
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USA Today Sports' George Schroeder breaks down this week's best games.
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Taylor Swift swears she's learned her lesson after letting sparks fly during her Twitter war with Nicki Minaj in July. "I send text messages now," Swift told NME magazine. "If there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding ... I get their number and I text them. "It's an important lesson for anyone to learn in 2015," she added. Minaj complained on Twitter back in July after her "Anaconda" music video wasn't nominated for best video at the VMAs, saying the industry favors slim women. But Swift took that personally, tweeting at Minaj to say she was surprised to see her pitting woman against each other. Swift and Beyoncé were the only women nominated for the award. Swift and Minaj went on to exchange a series of tense tweets only to make up and perform together at the VMAs days later. Swift also revealed in the wide-ranging interview that she no longer has bad blood with rapper Kanye West who famously interrupted her VMA acceptance speech in 2009 because he thought Beyoncé should have won. "Me and Kanye are on such good terms now, six years later," she told the magazine. The "Blank Space" crooner also said that West admitted he was wrong for openly claiming in February that Beck didn't deserve the Grammy for best album, even though he had never heard his award-winning LP, "Morning Phase." "I had to tell Beck this story earlier. I was at dinner with Kanye a week after the Grammys, he stops what he's saying and he goes, 'What is this song? I need to listen to this every day,'" Swift recalled to NME. "I said, 'It's Beck, it's on an album called 'Morning Phase,' I think you've heard of it…' We just burst out laughing. And he says, 'Hey, sometimes I'm wrong.'" "Nooooooo. How could the next one be as big?" she told NME. "Maybe the next album will be a bridge to somewhere else. Or maybe I'll just go ahead and change everything." It may be a while before any of that happens, anyway. "I think I should take some time off," Swift said. "I think people might need a break from me."
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Intense exercise may not feel good to those unaccustomed to it, but does have at least one great perk: a runner's high, a feeling of relaxed euphoria, which sets in at the end of long bouts of activity. Scientists recently discovered that this happens because exercise causes the body to produce a particular neurotransmitter that makes the body relaxed the same one trigged by smoking marijuana, according to a study published online this week in PNAS . For a long time, scientists thought that runners felt great because their bodies released endorphins , hormones that block pain and trigger the brain's reward system. But recently, researchers realized that endorphins don't cross the blood-brain barrier, so they weren't causing the runner's high, as Chemical and Engineering News reports . "Exercise causes the body to produce a particular neurotransmitter that makes the body relaxed the same one trigged by smoking marijuana." Exercise causes an increase in another of the body's chemicals called anandamide , a neurotransmitter also known as the "bliss" molecule. This molecule does cross the blood-brain barrier, and when it does, it activates neurons' cannabinoid receptors the same ones activated when THC or other chemicals from marijuana are in the blood stream. To test anandamide's effects, the researchers trained 32 mice to run on a wheel over the course of three days. Then they split them in two groups; half the mice would run for five hours per day, while the others would not run. They found that the mice that had been running responded with less anxiety to stress tests and were less sensitive to pain when put on a hot plate. "Euphoria is a highly subjective feeling that may be difficult to model in mice." The researchers performed the same tests on two groups of mice: one group was given drugs that blocked only endorphins, while the other group was given drugs to block only endocannabinoids, such as anandamide. The group of mice that had only their endorphins blocked but could still produce anandamide reacted in much the same way as the mice that had been exercising. They showed less stress and sensitivity to pain when compared to the group that had the anandamide blocked.To the researchers, these results indicate that cannabinoids are the chemical culprit behind the runner's high, in addition to the one associated with smoking marijuana. Unfortunately, the researchers could not determine if the mice felt euphoria because "euphoria is a highly subjective feeling that may be difficult to model in mice," the study authors write. In addition to answering a basic question about our biology, this research could also help develop new treatments for chronic pain or anxiety conditions, or convince those who are reluctant that exercise comes with benefits beyond physical health.
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Spencer Stone, the US airman who helped subdue an attacker on a French train in August, was stabbed in California, Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Karns said, adding that Stone is in stable condition. The stabbing is being handled by local police, Karns said, adding that there were no immediate details on the nature or exact location of the stabbing. Stone, 23, and two of his childhood friends, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler, stopped a gunman on a Paris-bound passenger train in August, receiving worldwide accolades and gaining sudden celebrity. The trio met US President Barack Obama last month. He praised them for their quick thinking and courage and calling them "the very best of America." They previously had been awarded France's highest honor by President Francois Hollande (pictured above). Stone, who has been acclaimed for his aggressive role in disarming the gunman, had undergone medical treatment at a military base in Germany for a lacerated thumb and other injuries he suffered in the attack. He is assigned to Travis Air Force Base in California. sms/mkg (ap, AFP)
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While the quarterbacks debate has raged on in some circles this week, Ohio State coach Urban Meyer found something else to focus on: Turnovers. And a look at the numbers leaves no doubt why. Through five games, Ohio State has 13 giveaways, or half as many as they committed in 15 games last season. Seven of the turnovers are interceptions, including five by starting quarterback Cardale Jones and two by J.T. Barrett. That duo combined for 12 picks last season when Barrett was the starter for 12 games and threw 10 interceptions. Jones threw two in three starts after Barrett suffered a season-ending injury. Meyer told reporters Wednesday night he "was a raving lunatic this week" about ball security. Last week at Indiana, sophomore receiver Jalin Marshall lost two fumbles, taking away from what was otherwise a strong performance (six catches for 110 yards, six punt returns for 76 yards). "I like Jalin, he's practicing very hard," Meyer said. "He worked at it." (H/T Scout.com) MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our College Football newsletters.
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Your favorite celebrities over the years have spoken out about being adopted, whether they were brought home at birth or taken in by adoptive parents as children. Nicole Richie, Jamie Foxx, and Faith Hill have all used their spotlight to openly talk about their experiences being adopted. Here are 10 stars whose childhood stories may surprise you.
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The world is at war. Pockets of civil unrest from Syria to Afghanistan put soldiers and civilians in harm's way. And for those who live through the trauma, many now battle with post-traumatic stress disorder , in which their past remains, in many ways, a part of the present. "Normally you have a sense that you have a future in front of you," says Dr. Barbara Lopes Cardozo, a psychiatrist and medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But for those with PTSD , she says, it's almost like a person is mentally stuck at a point in time. "It's as if the memory is still current … it's like it's not in the past, [and through] flashbacks they're reliving that memory as if it's in the present time. So they don't really move forward. There's no future." Lopes Cardozo's work is focused on mental health in "emergency settings" overseas in conflict and war zones and areas where disasters have taken place . She's visited Syrian refugee camps in the north of Jordan. "For the Syrian refugees, there's been a huge amount of violence. They've had to flee from bombings to leave everything behind quickly their life was threatened all those things make them at risk for PTSD," she says. Figures vary widely on the likelihood that refugees, military veterans and others who have spent time in war zones will develop PTSD. But it's clear many carry mental wounds home with them related to their time in or near combat, such as anxiety , depression and PTSD. A study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice in March estimated one-third of Syrian refugees in Turkey had PTSD and, among Syrian refugees studied, women exposed to two or more traumatic events with a personal or family history of psychiatric disorder were more than twice as likely to develop PTSD. According to the World Health Organization, traumatic events and loss are a common experience in people's lives, with roughly 16 percent of people exposed to war compared to about 22 percent overall who say they've witnessed violence and nearly 19 percent who have experienced interpersonal violence. WHO's 2013 study estimated 3.6 percent of the world's population suffered from PTSD in the previous year. In the U.S., approximately 8 million people suffer from PTSD, including many military and individuals who have suffered other types of trauma, such as domestic abuse. Valvincent Reyes, a licensed clinical social worker based in Torrance, California, and a combat veteran therapist affiliated with the Patriot Support Programs, which supports the U.S. Department of Defense and Veterans Administration, has tended to the mental health needs of soldiers on the front lines in Afghanistan, as well as at home in the U.S. He encourages anyone struggling with PTSD to ask a medical or mental health professional about their concerns. "Tell your story," he says. If you're not sure who to see , start by opening up to someone with whom you've built rapport, Reyes says. That could be a trusted physician or clergyman, trained to identify emotional distress. Seek their input on mental health professionals to see to regain firm footing for the way forward. The CDC similarly recommends seeking support from family, friends and clergy, as well as engaging in leisure activities, taking time to resolve daily conflicts so they don't add stress , realizing that some things remain out of one's control and recognizing the need to call a mental health center for trained help. Though the agency reports that about half of those with PTSD recover within three months without help, for many others, symptoms continue for years, devastating relationships, families and making it more difficult to function at home and work. After returning from three tours in Iraq in the fall of 2009, Gary, who requested that his last name not be used for the sake of anonymity, found himself experiencing high levels of anxiety while driving or riding in a car or walking on the sidewalk near the road. Though he wasn't angry or abusive, his wife, Heather, says he lied about things large and small. Seemingly disparate issues, Gary says he started to piece things together and recognize that he was suffering from PTSD in speaking with a friend of his who was a Vietnam veteran and dealing with his own demons. After seeing a series of counselors who did not provide the help he needed, he began seeing Reyes, and the couple says it's made all the difference as they move forward. Reyes' background in the military, Heather says, has helped provide her with context she didn't have since marrying Gary three years ago. Reyes told the couple he believes Gary's lying including about mundane items, like where he put his shoes gave him a sense of control he felt he'd lost while serving namely when his helicopter crashed. "He was trying to get out of that helicopter. He had that sense of just trying to get himself to safety, but he had no control of what the helicopter was doing," Heather says, describing that discussion. For Gary, going to the counseling sessions together and being open and honest has allowed the couple to develop a road map to move ahead. He's also taken stock of the support Heather provides: "My wife has been the true rock," he says. "I am so fortunate right now to have [her and Reyes] around me to assist me with these problems." Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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If you're still on a grandfathered unlimited data plan with Verizon , your bill is about to go up. On November 15th, Big Red confirmed to Engadget that it'll increase rates for those customers by $20 a month. The carrier says that less than one percent of its customers fall into the category of still having the old unlimited plan and aren't currently under contract. Verizon also says that any user currently under contract with unlimited data will not see the price hike until their agreement is up for renewal. This follows Sprint's recent announcement about an upcoming rate increase . Of course, new customers aren't privy to an unlimited plan on Verizon, as Sprint and T-Mobile are your only two options for that at $70 and $80 per month, respectively. As you might expect, Big Red is quick to remind that if you don't need all of that data, you could save money by opting for a Verizon monthly plan with a data cap under the current pricing scheme (as this editor can attest). And you're certainly going to see some savings when the new rate kicks in. The company's full statement on the matter resides after the break. We continuously evaluate the price of our plans and service, so we're increasing the price of unlimited data plans by $20 per line per month for customers no longer under contract with Verizon Wireless. At the same time, we're also offering customers currently on our unlimited data plan the added benefit of purchasing a new phone using our monthly device payment plan, instead of paying full price up-front for the device. This option is available to all unlimited data plan users once their current contract period ends. These changes will allow Verizon to continue to maintain the highest standards of network performance for all our customers. And it's worth noting that Verizon does not manage the data connection speeds (often called throttling) for its customers including those who have kept or plan to keep their unlimited data plans. Most of our customers (99%) are not on unlimited data plans, and for those who are, many could save money by switching to a Verizon Plan, based on their data usage. For the small number of customers still on unlimited data plans, they will see the increase in their first monthly bill after November 15. Verizon will not increase the price on any lines with an unlimited data plan that is currently in a two-year contract until the customer completes that contract or enters into a new contract. This increase does not affect government or corporate accounts that have unlimited data.
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The number of tourists visiting France is expected to break records this year and the government is hoping to cash in with a campaign to boost the sector even further. But as Grace Pascoe reports, it might take more than that to revive the country's struggling economy.
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For days when you struggle with your skinny jeans.
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The Bengals, Falcons, and Packers are all 4-0 on the field and 4-0 against the spread. Chuck Esposito lets us know if people are putting money on these teams in Week 5.
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Celebrity news for Oct. 8, 2015 Holly Madison defends Rainbow's name Haters gonna hate, but Holly Madison would like to point out a few truths about her daughter's name , Rainbow. For one thing, Rainbow is a hippie name, not a stripper name, thankyouverymuch. "I like unique names and I wouldn't have picked it if were common. But, growing up, there was a girl in my class named Rainbow," she told Yahoo parenting (via Celebitchy ) when asked about the response to her choice of names on social media. "I grew up in Oregon, where a lot of hippies went to start families. There was a girl at school named Rainbow, and I was so jealous and I wanted it to be my name. So it's definitely unusual, but it's a name. It's not like I called her Coffee Table. People love to say, 'That's a stripper name.' But I've spent a lot of time in Vegas and strippers aren't named Rainbow. They're named Amber, Crystal and Jessica." So there you have it. Taylor Swift no longer gets into Twitter feuds Here's your social media lesson du jour: Use Twitter for good, not for evil. In the latest issue of NME, cover star Taylor Swift recalls how a conflict with Nicki Minaj taught her to take beefs offline and onto her phone. "I send text messages now. If there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding, I go to someone's management, I get their number and I text them. It's an important lesson for anyone to learn in 2015," Taylor said, according to Us Weekly . She learned the lesson after Nicki tweeted a gripe about "Anaconda" failing to snag an MTV Video Music Awards Video of the Year nomination because the show wanted to "celebrate women with very slim bodies" instead. "I've done nothing but love and support you," Taylor -- the likely point of reference in Nicki's tweet -- replied. "It's unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot." Kanye West says the fashion world discriminated against him Just because Kimye are worth a combined total of a gazillion dollars -- that's a technical economic term -- doesn't mean his career as a fashion designer came easy. In fact, Kanye West feels he's put up with his share of injustices because of his sexuality."I feel like I got discriminated in fashion for not being gay," he said in an interview with SHOWStudio, according to the Huffington Post . "In music, you definitely get discriminated in music if you are gay. It takes amazing talents to break down barriers. Everyone thought that when Frank Ocean dropped that it was going to be bad for his career. I feel like it's so cliché to speak about him as it relates to this subject, but there are people who broke the ground and he broke the ground. The people that break the stereotypes make history." Beyonce, Rihanna and others sue retailer After working out a branded merchandise deal with ElevenParis -- a company that was selling unauthorized products bearing Beyonce's name -- the retailer allegedly went back to selling the unlicensed goods. Now, Bey -- along with the other artists whose names ElevenParis has referenced on its merch -- is taking the company to court. According to the Hollywood Reporter (via Jezebel ), a lawsuit against the company cites 58 instances of publicity rights violation and trademark infringement. Other artists involved include Jay Z, Kanye West, Rihanna and Pharrell Williams. Guess who paid for Isabella Cruise's wedding ... Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman didn't attend Isabella Cruise's wedding , but Tom was 100 percent in support of their 22-year-old daughter's decision to walk down the aisle and marry Max Parker. An insider tells People "Tom approves of Max and is totally, totally fine with it," adding that the actor even picked up the tab for affair. The bride and groom reportedly said "I do" at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sept. 18 before a small group of friends. "None of the parents were invited," the insider says, "and Tom was totally cool with it." Isabella's brother, Conner, did not attend either, according to People. Tom Cruise is moving to Florida: Report Could Florida be getting another dose of weird? An insider tells Us Weekly Tom Cruise is "ready to go" live in the Sunshine State permanently to get closer to Clearwater, Fla., home of Scientology HQ. "He thinks all the people in Hollywood are fake," says the source, adding that John Travolta has "inspired Tom" with his love of the Floridian life. Last month, Variety reported Cruise put the seven bedroom, nine bathroom Beverly Hills home he once shared with Katie Holmes on the market for $50 million. Sia wants to flip her Los Angeles home Three months after buying a home in the Loz Feliz section of Los Angeles, Sia is flipping the property for just a few thousand more dollars than she spent on it. Page Six reports the singer bought the five -bedroom villa in July for $4.7 million and recently listed it for $5 million. Former 'Teen Mom' star's jewelry deal goes bad Somehow, jewelry wearers around the world were not chomping at the bit to score necklaces bedazzled with vials of Farrah Abraham's DNA -- ahem -- and now she's threatening a lawsuit over the situation. It seems when the necklaces failed to sell, the public relations firm ZTPR, which reps the company that was supposed to manufacture the DNA bling, fired Farrahfor failing to promote the project adequately. TMZ published an excerpt of the termination letter -- sparking the former reality star to call her lawyer. "My client has zero tolerance for defamation, as her reputation is her brand," her lawyer said, according to TMZ. Farrah is reportedly asking for a $20,000 pay-out for her trouble. Tila Tequila is anti-vaccination Good news, folks. Tila Tequila's daughter will never get sick. At least that's what Starcasm says she recently announced on social media. Her reasoning? "BECAUSE I NEVER INJECTED HER WITH VACCINE POISONS!" Oh -- there's one more reason. "[God] gave us super abilities to heal ourselves through him and our faith." That was big of Him.
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NEW YORK ( MainStreet ) We realize that renting out your house or vacation home so total strangers can have a few days off isn't for everyone. In certain cities, however, it should at least get a second look. You likely aren't going to rake in a ton of cash by being the latest homeowner in your ski village or beachfront community to rent out your property. However, even when demand isn't so hot, the income from a vacation rental can be significant. Vacation rental site HomeAway, which has more than a little skin in the game, notes that the average homeowner on that site rents his property 18 weeks each year and grosses $28,000 annually. For a little more than half of property owners, that's enough to cover more than 75% of their mortgage each year. For HomeAway, it was enough to launch an entire service dedicated strictly to urban destinations that produced a whole lot of income for homeowners who might be attracted to services like HomeAway or competing Airbnb. "What's interesting is a lot of these markets are cities that are either regulated or considering regulation but that has not slowed the desire of families and groups to stay in vacation homes in metro areas," added Brian Sharples, HomeAway founder and chief executive. "It is certainly a compelling reason for governments to regulate vacation rentals fairly and embrace the millions of travelers visiting their cities." There are definitely some considerations to keep in mind before jumping in. First off, and most obvious, you're taking a risk with one of your most significant investments. Sure, the vacation rental horror stories are the exception to the rule, but they are out there. You're going to want to consider beefing up your insurance, and you're going to want to get it through someplace other than the site that's listing your house. "The insurance offered by vacation rental sites has significant limitations," says Christopher Elliott, consumer advocate and author of How To Be The World's Smartest Traveler (National Geographic, 2014). "It would be unwise to assume you're covered for any event. Third-party insurance might offer more or better coverage." That said, vacation rental sites have taken the soft-sell approach to vacation rentals, largely because they aren't really hurting for inventory. At vacation rental site FlipKey, for instance, there is no set contract and no yearly fee. All rentals come with a "per booking" fee that gives property owners a quick out if they're feeling uncomfortable." "You aren't locked in," says Matthew Moretti, spokesman for FlipKey. "Try it out for a few months, and see how many bookings you receive and how the stays go. If you don't like it or feel like it is too much work to put in, then no big deal, you can stop renting." However, if you're in one of the areas where TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals says demand exceeds supply, there's a chance that you might be able to make more from your home than a counterpart in an area where rentals are less rare. As we discovered, there are at least ten spots -- including multiple locations in Florida and Tennessee, where the demand far outstrips supply. "If you happen to own property in the below cities, lucky you homes here enjoy some of the highest traveler demand on TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals," said Laurel Greatrix, TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals spokesperson. "This means when you're not home, either short-term or long-term, you shouldn't have any trouble finding paying guests." Myrtle Beach, S.C. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $662 Average 2 bedroom: $763 Average 3 bedroom: $977 Average 4 bedroom: $1,264 The motorcycles roar, the bars hum and the boardwalk hops during the peak months, but there are a whole lot of people who really love the Hard Rock Cafe-and-Harley approach to oceanfront vacationing. Back on Labor Day weekend, Myrtle Beach made TripAdvisor Vacation Rentals' Top 15 largely, because two-bedroom properties here start at about $820 for the week -- or less than the $1,100 you'd spend for a similar property by the golf courses of Hilton Head. However, as Expedia pointed out, even inexpensive hotels in Charleston fetch nearly $200 a night. Myrtle Beach is down-home and blue collar, but unless a blue-collar family can snag a cheap hotel room for the night, there aren't a whole lot of discount options. Las Vegas Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $1,133 Average 2 bedroom: $1,170 Average 3 bedroom: $1,324 Average 4 bedroom: $1,867 With the hotels both on the strip and off fighting fiercely for tourist dollars -- and discounting heavily during down stretches, vacation rentals become a bit of an afterthought here. The air-conditioned casinos, the pool parties and the bright lights in the center of it all are huge draws... for many. TripAdvisor notes that the average summer trip to Vegas -- including a seven-night hotel stay, roundtrip airfare and three restaurant meals a day -- comes to $2,000 per person. That's $100 less than a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and roughly $1,200 less than a similar trip to New York. Meanwhile, the average hotel price of $156 per night, while the average airfare during the final weeks of August is about $55 less than you'd pay in June. That said, once those temperatures drop and the hotel prices climb, bargain hunters -- especially those with families -- may want to consider a larger option with a kitchen. You'll note that most of the options above still fall beneath that summer low of $2,000 per person for the week, including airfare and meals. A vacation rental doesn't necessarily scream "Vegas," but with rentals varying from condos on the strip to homes with their own pools, there are times when they're worthy of consideration. Ocean City, Md. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $832 Average 2 bedroom: $1,078 Average 3 bedroom: $1,441 Average 4 bedroom: $2,297 Spots in Ocean City, Md. slump to an average of $1,100 by September, but they fetch nearly $500 more a week just a month before August. It's because summer rental season in this boardwalk town is a booming business.The 8,000-person town draws more than 300,000 visitors each weekend for rides, salt water taffy, wax museums, white marlin fishing, fireworks and free concerts.The size, crowds and bright lights of Ocean City are a put-off to some, but all of those attractions, musical acts and festivals keep generations coming back. Gatlinburg, Tenn. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $1,083 Average 2 bedroom: $1,241 Average 3 bedroom: $1,742 Average 4 bedroom: $2,470 This is no tourist trap, though Gatlinburg's ski gondola-style tramway, Ober Gatlinburg theme park and Seattle-style Space Needle might suggest otherwise. Nearby Pigeon Forge's Branson, Mo.-style theaters, indoor skydiving and Dollywood amusement park make a similar suggestion. But Great Smoky Mountains National Park gives Gatlinburg a whole lot more heft than your average marquee-and-shirt-shop roadside mess. The park draws nearly 9.5 million visitors a year, the most of any national park and 5 million more than the second-place Grand Canyon. It accounts from nearly $720 million in local tourist spending all by itself and uses little other than natural charm and cute little corners like the Cades Cove historic cottages to keep that cash rolling in. If you can't make the summer trip, don't get too bummed about it. The Smokies' canopy of bold bronze and auburn leaves makes it a great fall getaway as well. Orange Beach, Ala. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $767 Average 2 bedroom: $1,000 Average 3 bedroom: $1,435 Average 4 bedroom: $2,079 Located on a gorgeous stretch of Gulf Coast, Orange Beach is nobody's undiscovered country. The condos lining it suggest that more than a few people realize that strolling the beach, walking the wharf, watching the Blue Angels and hitting the shrimp festival and oyster cookoff are a mighty fine way to spend some time. However, since these folks tend to like to keep their deep-sea fishing, trips to Fort Morgan, golf outings and concerts to themselves, anyone up for renting out a property here can make a nice little bit of cash for themselves. Galveston, Texas Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $954 Average 2 bedroom: $1,408 Average 3 bedroom: $1,843 Average 4 bedroom: $2,531 We're actually stunned to see Galveston on this list. We understand that there are a bunch of hotels, bed and breakfasts and resorts here, but if you're going to make a week of it and hit the pier, take in the flora at Moody Gardens, ride the slides at Schlitterbahn, walk the Strand, go to the Jazz& Blues festival, take in Mardi Gras or swing by for Christmas, this can be a slightly less-expensive option. Honestly, it's a tough town to do in a weekend and if you want to learn about the 1900 storm that basically destroyed the town, take in the historic architecture that's cropped up since, go on the art walk or take in any more than one aspect of it, you're going to have to stay for multiple nights. While a vacation rental isn't always a cheaper option, it can certainly help out budget-conscious folks who don't mind spending a few nights at home and cooking for themselves. Siesta Key, Fla. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $1,077 Average 2 bedroom: $1,320 Average 3 bedroom: $1,805 Average 4 bedroom: $2,856 No, it isn't one of the Southern Florida Keys, but this white-sand beauty in Sarasota County is surrounded by hotels, restaurants, condos, live music, art museums and all sorts of other accoutrements that make it one of the best beach vacations in the mainland U.S. You don't just have to come for the sand-sculpting festival, the fishing, the seafood restaurants or the beachfront yoga, but you will have to marvel at all of the rows of condos and wonder how they can't free up just a few more for the tourists. The answer: if this was your beach, you'd be reluctant to leave, too. Nashville, Tenn. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $1,100 Average 2 bedroom: $1,668 Average 3 bedroom: $1,851 Average 4 bedroom: $3,358 The spiritual home of country music makes it onto more "hidden gem" lists than it should. With the Music City Center -- a huge convention center with a big public space for art and music -- the Country Music Hall of Fame, the 18,000-square-foot Johnny Cash Museum and Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum and other attractions, we'd just kind of figured this would be prime rental country. The music venues, restaurants, barbecue joints, museums, parks and 2,700 acres of walking and bike trails make it a great vacation destination, but that lack of available rentals makes the four-bedroom offerings here some of the most expensive on the list. Key Largo, Fla. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $1,985 Average 2 bedroom: $2,321 Average 3 bedroom: $3,103 Average 4 bedroom: $2,341 Now this is one of those Florida Keys, but folks expecting to come down here and find a raucous time on par with Key West should probably pack it in. Nope, since Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall cleared out of town, Key Largo has been a great place to fish, dive for shipwrecks, snorkel, take a boat out or eat that day's catch. This is the active person's Florida Key and, aside from the Humphrey Bogart film festival in late October, there aren't a whole lot of activities here that don't involve the water or some appreciation of it. There also aren't a ton of hotels and other accommodations on the island itself, so you're picking from a very fixed selection of homes. It's an owner's market for rentals, and any dive party that comes through will pay willingly. Marathon, Fla. Average 1 bedroom weekly rate: $2,344 Average 2 bedroom: $1,691 Average 3 bedroom: $2,537 Average 4 bedroom: $3,668 Spread out over seven of the Florida Keys, Marathon has basically positioned itself as the family fun Key. You're looking at a whole lot of diving, snorkeling and boating but also trips to the Dolphin Research Center and the Turtle Hospital. As a result, multi-bedroom homes are a in high demand as families look to crash after a long day of marine viewing and seafood eating. Yep, it's the entire circle of life here in Marathon... and if you can fit everyone into a two-bedroom, you're getting one of the best deals in the Keys. Find homes for sale | See open houses near you
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She had wanted to go skydiving for years.
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17 Herbs And Spices That Fight Diabetes You can make your meals even healthier (and tastier, too!) while strengthening your fight against the diabetes-inducing inflammation in your body. How? You can look to nature and whole plant foods. All of the herbs and spices listed here have anti-diabetic and/or anti-inflammatory properties and can be sprinkled on any meal to help reduce the chronic inflammation in your body. So when you're cooking your next meal, toss in some of the herbs and spices listed below. And don't be afraid to experiment in order to get it just right: By trying new combinations, you'll learn which herbs and spices offer the best flavors for your dishes and how much you prefer to use. 1. Basil Ocimum basilicum is that aromatic kitchen herb that reminds us of summer, Italy, and good eating times. It's fragrant in salads, soups, and pesto. In a study of herbal infusions of kitchen herbs, turmeric, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and basil were the five front-runners in flavonoid content. And basil, specifically, lowers blood sugar. 2. Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillum is the European form of blueberries. Bilberries are superior to blueberries because they are blue throughout, whereas our form is blue only on the outside. And the blue color carries anthocyanins the wholesome antioxidants that fight diabetes, strengthen your heart, and lower inflammation and blood fats. A study conducted at the Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition found that regular consumption of fresh bilberries (400 grams daily) reduced inflammation markers and improved glucose tolerance in people with features of metabolic syndrome. When compared with the control group (who maintained their habitual diets), researchers found that the levels of inflammation marker interleukin-6 were 20% lower in those who increased their consumption of bilberries. 3. Chamomile Matricaria chamomilla lowers blood sugar and prevents diabetic complications by taking the sugar out of your blood and putting it into storage in your liver. And after a day of hard work, there is hardly anything more calming and soothing than a cup of chamomile tea! 4. Cinnamon Cinnamomum verum lowers blood sugar, according to several studies. But a recent Cochrane meta-analysis did not find significant reductions in fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin resistance, or hemoglobin A1c. Then again, another meta-analysis found that cinnamon did lower hemoglobin A1c. Either way, cinnamon is loaded with phytonutrients that decrease inflammation and may aid in weight loss by lowering cholesterol and speeding up your metabolism. Of course, when you eat cinnamon on a hot bun, you negate its good effects. So try it on beans, lentils, and brown rice, or in meat stews always without sugar! 5. Cumin Cuminum cyminum is a spice in the parsley family that goes well with red lentils or brown rice. Use it generously, as cumin lowers blood sugar and cholesterol. Cumin also has a good effect on the advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that are so damaging in diabetes. 6. Dandelion Taraxacum officinale is a wonderful all-around herb, so you should never try to eradicate this "weed" from your garden. A dark, leafy green, it restocks your body with necessary bitter agents, lowers your blood pressure, and heals your liver. Like nettles, dandelions increase urinary flow and, thereby, support a mild cleansing action. And dandelion is said to help with weight loss, which is paramount for most people with diabetes. 7. Dill Anethum graveolens goes well with fish, eggs, or mushrooms. Dill originated in the Middle East and southwestern Russia, but had already found its way into European kitchens and apothecaries by the Middle Ages. At that time, it was mainly used to increase milk production in women. Now it is being investigated as an agent against diabetes. James Duke's Ethnobotanical Database lists 70 different chemicals in dill that help fight diabetes. 8. Fennel Foeniculum vulgare, when eaten as vegetable, has a taste like no other elegant, with a lingering hint of anise. The plant's seeds, on the other hand, have a stronger aroma; they make the famous fennel tea for colicky babies. Both the vegetable and the seeds contain chemicals that work against diabetes. Anethole, one of the phytochemicals found in fennel, blocks several inflammatory agents in the body and fights cancer. It's traditional in India to chew on fennel seeds after a meal to clean your teeth and freshen your breath. If you like the flavor of strong cough drops, fennel is a good cough suppressant (in addition to helping with diabetes and gastrointestinal ailments), and the essential oil is available in capsules. 9. Garlic Allium sativum gives Italian and Mediterranean cuisines their specific flavors, together with basil, oregano, and olive oil. Garlic is good for your heart and protects you from cancer, as do onions, shallots, and chives, which are in the same plant family. Garlic exhibits the strongest anti-inflammatory force among them, suppressing exactly those cytokines acting up in diabetes. But garlic can do more: It lowers blood sugars and lipids, as well as C-reactive protein a marker of inflammation. Pretty much any vegetable becomes palatable when dressed with garlic and olive oil. In a pinch, I use dried garlic in my kitchen, well aware that it does not have the same good effects as fresh; raw, freshly sliced garlic seems to have the maximal potency. 10. Ginger Zingiber officinale is the perfect herb to fight diabetes and high blood lipids because it attacks diabetes from several sides, and even helps with weight loss. In fact, a 2012 study conducted by nutritionists at Columbia University found that subjects burned an extra 43 calories after consuming a breakfast that contained a hot ginger beverage. In addition, those who drank the beverage, which contained 2 grams of dry ginger powder, reported greater satiety three hours later than those who didn't consume the ginger. In a separate study, published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, diabetic patients who consumed 3 grams of dry ginger powder in divided doses for 30 days experienced a significant reduction in blood glucose (17%), triglyceride (9%), total cholesterol (8%), LDL (12%), and VLDL cholesterol (9%). Most of the time, I have fresh ginger at home and cut a few thin slices into my hot tea. Use this Asian spice in as many dishes as you can. It goes well with meat and poultry dishes, and vegetarian fare, too. 11. Peppermint Mentha x piperita contains natural antioxidants that fight diabetes, heart disease, aging, and cancer. And it adds great flavor to teas. Try to get it loose and fresh instead of in tea bags. Peppermint relaxes the muscles that close the stomach from the esophagus; people with reflux should, therefore, avoid peppermint. For all others it is a tasty tea that aids digestion. 12. Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis is a heart tonic, important in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. Rosemary's most active phytochemical, carnosol, lowers oxidative stress, and so is effective in fighting inflammation and cancer. You can harvest these properties by using rosemary in your cooking, especially when you're preparing meats, stews, and stir-fries. Or try brewing a relaxing rosemary tea. 13. Sage Salvia officinalis contains antioxidants that have been shown to fight diabetes. Its strong taste works well in stews, while the tea is soothing and calming. Like all aromatic kitchen herbs, sage is high in polyphenols; its rosmarinic acid content is higher than that of rosemary itself. That phenolic compound shows promise in the battle against Alzheimer's. Sage and honey tea works against viral and bacterial colds because when sage and honey are combined, they have enhanced anti-germ power. 14. Stevia Stevia rebaudiana is the only sweetener that is not detrimental to those with diabetes even though it's many times sweeter than table sugar. While using stevia won't help to eliminate your sweet tooth, stevia does have positive effects on postprandial blood sugar and insulin levels. You can grow the plant in a pot on your windowsill. One little leaf goes a long way. 15. Tarragon Artemisia dracunculus is a fine herb that has been shown to lower insulin resistance and decrease overeating in diabetics. The French kind of tarragon (var. sativa) does not easily propagate, but the Russian and American kinds (A. dracunculus) have spread invariably over most of the temperate world. Unfortunately, the American species does not have the same hypoglycemic effect, so you might have to shell out a bit more for the French type. 16. Thyme Thymus spp. contains 75 active phytochemicals that work against diabetes, and its delicious aroma enhances any dish. Thyme supports inflammation-fighting cytokines and helps certain immune cells (macrophages) secrete agents that douse inflammation. 17. Turmeric Curcuma longa, the yellow root popular in Indian cuisine and always present in curries, is probably the best herb or spice for preventing cancer. Turmeric is an ideal spice for those with diabetes, as research has proven it has anti-inflammatory, antiaging, antioxidant, neuroprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, heart-protecting, weight-reducing, and anti-infectious actions. All of these benefits have been attributed to its main ingredient, curcumin. According to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care, 240 people, all of whom had been diagnosed with prediabetes, were assigned to take either daily curcumin capsules (1,500 mg) or a placebo for nine months. At the end of the study, researchers found that 16.4% of subjects who took the placebo developed type 2 diabetes, while no one who took the daily dose of curcumin developed diabetes.
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As temperatures start heading south in most of the country, maybe you should do the same. As it so often goes with planning a vacation, choosing a destination the entire family will enjoy can be the most daunting task. Cities like New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and Charleston are easy to get to and ooze a brand of charm and charisma that are unique to the American South. Charleston, South Carolina Discovering the plantations and historical nooks and crannies of this genteel city will have you thinking you entered an antebellum wrinkle in time. What to do: Hit the beach followed up with a visit to one of the city's many elegant plantations we recommend Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place . Tour the Hayward-Washington House , a mansion once inhabited by both George Washington and Thomas Hayward. Meander through Waterfront Park (be sure to hop into the famous Pineapple Fountain) and finish the day with a horse-drawn carriage ride through the time capsule that is downtown Charleston. Stay : Restoration on King . A suite at Restoration on King is walking distance to many of the most popular attractions. Bonus: they offer an apartment-like set up with full sized kitchen Nashville, Tennessee The electric combination of university town and a mega watt music scene is a home run for culture loving families. What to do: Pop into the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum for a crash course on country music. Need more convincing? It's got a new Taylor Swift Education Center. Partake in a family program at the Nashville Symphony Orchestra or spend a few hours immersed in hands-on workshops athe Adventure Science Center . Visit Hermitage Mansion and Grounds ( Andrew Jackson's Home), More must-visits: Take in some tunes at Bluebird Cafe and Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant, iconic eateries that allow listeners to get up close and personal with singer/ songwriters. Stay : Loews Vanderbilt . This just-renovated hotel has a kid (and teen) amenity program and is close to most attractions. Florida Keys (Key Largo) Its proximity to the only living barrier reef and the Everglades make a Key Largo vacation heaven for ocean-obsessed families. What to do: Explore the Florida Reef by snorkel, scuba ,or glass bottom boat at John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park . Swim with the dolphins at Dolphin Cove and rent a sailboat for the day. Looking for a little group activity? Enroll the family in a stand up paddleboard class, take a guided tour of the everglades, or check out the shipwreck at Spiegel Grove . Stay : Hilton Key Largo . Beachfront and close to all attractions, the property offers access to all the water sports you can imagine. Pro tip: Make sure to ask about family promotions. New Orleans, Louisiana The electric, Creole-tinged energy of The Big Easy is just as magical for kids. Just leave Bourbon Street out of the itinerary this time around. What to do: Hit the French Quarter market for a stroll with a side of shopping. Looking for an afternoon snack? Have a beignet pick-me-up at Cafe du Monde and head over to Jackson Square to watch the street performers. Take in the sights on a St. Charles streetcar or a daytime jazz cruise down the Mississippi River aboard the Steamboat Natchez . Adventurers should head to the Bayou for a wildlife swamp tour and visit a Cajun Village with Cajun Encounters . At night, book a spooky Ghost Mystery horse and carriage tour . Stay: The Ritz New Orleans . It's French Quarter adjacent and emanates prewar chic and historic charm. Memphis, Tennessee The birthplace of the blues, soul, and rock 'n' roll has a crazy-cool culture that will both entertain and inspire the whole family. What to do: Your kids may be clueless about Elvis, Jonny Cash, and Roy Orbison, but after visiting the Stax Museum of American Music and taking a quick tour of the cooler-than-thou Sun Records , they may be rethink their allegiance to the more modern pop princesses. The National Civil Rights Museum is another must for exhibit junkies. Located at the Lorraine Museum the very sight of MLK assassination visitors walk through history as they interact with artifacts that shaped the civil rights movement. Looking for an adrenaline rush? You can't go wrong with zip lining and a visit to the Memphis Zoo . Cap off the day with a test drive of Memphis' killer barbecue. Stay: The Peabody Hotel, Memphis . Cool rooms, indoor pool, and a duck parade in the lobby every day at 11am and 5pm makes for the kind of things kids' dreams are made of. Amy Tara Koch is on the Chicago beat for Travel + Leisure . Follow her on Twitter and Instagram . A Little Bit Country: Five Southern Sojourns for the Whole Family
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The Rangers beat the Blue Jays 5-3 in Game 1 on Thursday. David Price gave up five earned runs in seven innings of work.
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Our HuffPost Community talks about how Malala made herself into a related teen icon.
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Click through the slideshow above to see the states with the widest gaps between the rich and poor. Wages for the wealthiest 1% of Americans more than doubled between 1979 and 2011. Wages for the median U.S. worker, by contrast, increased just 6% over that period. The gap between the rich and poor jumped dramatically in the 1980s, and the problem of income inequality has continued to grow since then, making upward mobility increasingly difficult for low-income Americans. In some parts of the United States, income inequality is especially high. Based on the Gini coefficient, a widely used measure of income inequality, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states with the widest gaps between the rich and the poor. The coefficient is scaled from 0 to 1, where a 0 represents equal incomes among all people, and a 1 represents complete inequality all the income in the hands of a single person. Nationwide, 3.1% of income earned annually goes to the poorest 20% of people, while 51.4% is earned by the richest 20%. Incomes are even more concentrated in the states with the highest income inequality. In New York and Connecticut the first and second worst states for income distribution more than one-quarter of all income was held by the richest 5% of state households. Disparate incomes may only be part of the picture. Wealth the value of property and financial assets is considerably more concentrated than income. According to the Center for Budget and Priorities (CBPP), a government policy research institute, over half of all wealth in the United States belongs to the top 3% of earners. Incomes across the nation have increased since the recession, but income inequality has also increased. Incomes among the richest 20% of households grew faster from 2006 through last year than they did among the poorest 20% of households in all 50 states without exception. Similarly, according to the Federal Reserve Board's Survey of Consumer Finances (SFC), The net worth of American families earning the least declined between 2010 and 2013. Families in the wealthiest half of the spectrum, on the other hand, had modest gains. The reason for this, the SFC explained, is the disparate investment profiles among wealthier and poorer Americans and in the different growth rate of these investments. For many Americans, housing is the largest and at times the only investment, but housing prices grew at a rather slow pace from 2010 to 2013, especially when compared to the stock market. Wealthier Americans, on the other hand, also tend to invest in corporate equity, and the value of such holdings grew at a much faster clip than housing during that time. Income gaps are widening much faster in some of the worst states for income inequality than across the nation. In Connecticut, for example, the average household income in the lowest quintile shrank, versus the growth of 6.6% among poorer households nationwide. The wealthiest quintile, on the other hand, got richer faster than their nationwide peers. In other states, however, despite leading the nation in poor income distribution, inequality did not necessarily increase faster than it did nationwide. Beyond poor income distribution, these states also tended to have relatively low educational attainment rates and poor job markets. The percentage of adults with at least a high school diploma exceeded the national attainment rate of 86.9% in only three of the 10 states, for example. Since wages are the primary source of income for most Americans, the unemployment rate in a given area is also an important factor. The unemployment rates in eight of the 10 states was higher than the national rate. To identify the states with the worst income inequality, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the Gini coefficient in each state from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). The Gini coefficient reflects the degree to which an area's incomes deviate from a perfectly equal income distribution. The coefficient is scaled from 0 to 1, where a 0 represents equal incomes among all people, and a 1 represents complete inequality all the income in the hands of a single person. We also utilized ACS data on poverty rates, income distribution among households, the percentage of households receiving SNAP benefits/food stamps, and the percentage of each state's employed population working in a each industry. Figures for average annual unemployment and the percentage of hourly workers earning the minimum wage or less are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2014. More from 24/7 Wall St.: States With the Widest Gap Between Rich and Poor The Most Dangerous Cities in America 10 States Draining the Country's Energy
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We know what bulletin-board material means in locker rooms. What about presidential boardrooms? Wisconsin chancellor Rebecca Blank offered unusual criticism of her peers at Michigan and Ohio State when she told USA TODAY Sports she thinks they are paying their football coaches too much. Jim Harbaugh is making $7 million at Michigan this season, including a $2 million one-time signing bonus, and Urban Meyer is making $5.86 million for defending national champion Ohio State. "Those are the choices they make," she said in an interview for a story about coaching salaries. "That really begins to threaten the whole sense that we are not professional athletic teams. I'm not terribly happy about the fact that they made those choices. That's my opinion." Wisconsin athletics director Barry Alvarez doesn't share it. "I look at it as their business," he says. "I do. I don't concern myself. I don't feel like we're in competition with salaries at Ohio State or Michigan. … When you're Ohio State and football is as important as it is in that state, and you have an opportunity to hire someone who has a couple of national championships in his hip pocket and is from that state, it makes sense to pay him. He's that valuable. … And Harbaugh, I think it's a coup for Michigan and our league. I think he is worthy of that salary. That's what they can command. The market drives that." Blank understands market forces. She was acting secretary of commerce in the Obama administration and holds a doctorate in economics from MIT. "Well, clearly the market for football and basketball coaches is a whole lot tighter than the market for chancellors and presidents," she says, chuckling. Her salary is $499,950. First-year Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst is making $2.3 million.
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IRVING, Texas --- Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said Greg Hardy was "very receptive" when he spoke to the defensive end about the comments the player made Tuesday about Tom Brady's wife and other topics that garnered national attention. "Well, we just addressed it immediately," Garrett said Thursday. "That's not how we want to operate as an organization. Players and coaches in our organization understand that. We want to distinguish ourselves with our play, not with what we say. We want to define ourselves with what we do, not by what we do. "Greg understands that now. That's how we want to proceed going forward." Hardy, who is returning from a four-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy, said he hopes he comes out "guns blazing" when the Cowboys host the New England Patriots on Sunday. A two-month NFL probe concluded that Hardy used physical force against his ex-girlfriend "in at least four instances" during the altercation on May 13, 2014, including one "which caused her to land on a futon that was covered with at least four semi-automatic rifles." Among other controversial comments, Hardy also said Brady is "cool as crap. Have you seen his wife? I hope she comes to the game, I hope her sister comes to the game, all her friends come to the game." Garrett said Hardy was "very receptive, very respectful, appreciated my comments. Hopefully he will handle it the right way going forward." Follow Eric Prisbell on Twitter @EricPrisbell
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If Bengals WR A.J. Green needs any extra motivation for this Sunday's game against the Seahawks he can just look back at what Richard Sherman said about him a few years ago.
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Republican Kevin McCarthy has dropped out of the race to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives. He told colleagues at the start of a closed meeting on Thursday that he was not the right person for the job. Just hours before votes were due to be cast, the news has left the race to succeed John Boehner in disarray. The election has now been postponed. Mr McCarthy was considered the favourite to take over from Mr Boehner, who quit amid party tensions. The Speaker is the third in line to the presidency and is in charge of the lower chamber of Congress. "If we are going to unite and be strong, we need a new face to do that," said Mr McCarthy on Thursday following his announcement. "I feel good about the decision." He said he wants the Republican party to be "100%" united in backing a new Speaker of the House.
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Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, did irreparable damage to his campaign when he asserted that the 47 percent of Americans dependent on government who don't pay federal income taxes would back President Obama "no matter what." A few years later, that estimate needs to be revised. On Tuesday, The Tax Policy Center, a joint effort by the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, said the number of households that don't pay federal income taxes fell to 45.3 percent. But that figure is still roughly 5 percentage points higher than the center's 2013 estimate of 40.4 percent. The uptick doesn't mean more folks have moved off the tax rolls. Rather, the surge from 2013 is largely thanks to better data tracking tools, according to the Center's Roberton Williams. "Those additional non-payers were there all the time -- we just failed to count them," he said in a blog post . That said, the Center still projects that the percentage of non-payers will fall over time, just more gradually than previously thought. "We now estimate that 40 percent of tax units won't pay tax in 2025, higher than our previous projection of about one-third," Williams said. While the Center, the Treasury Department and the Joint Committee on Taxation all try their best to give a proper estimate of the amount of non-payers, their figures shouldn't be accepted as gospel truth, in part because some people don't file returns or may have had taxes withheld during the calendar year. Williams stressed that just because people don't pay federal income taxes doesn't mean they don't contribute in some way. In fact, a majority of them work and therefore are on the hook for payroll taxes. They also pay local sales tax and state taxes. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: The Coming Danger of the 'Throw the Bums Out' 2016 Election Clinton's Big Switch from 'Moderate and Center' to Liberal Activist Why Is This Lawmaker Worried About a New Sex Scandal in Congress?
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Four Russian cruise missiles fired at Syria from the Caspian Sea landed in Iran, unnamed US officials say. It was unclear whether the missiles caused any damage, they said. On Wednesday, Russia said it had fired 26 missiles at 11 targets in north and north-west Syria - about 1,500km (930 miles) away. On Thursday, it reiterated that all the rockets hit their targets. The news came as Nato renewed assurances to defend its allies in view of Russia's "escalation" in Syria. Russia's ambassador to Ankara had earlier been summoned three times in response to recent violations of Turkey's airspace. Turkey is a Nato member. The military alliance is also boosting its response forces to be able to deploy troops speedily. In other developments: Russia's defence ministry says the latest series of air strikes hit 27 targets early on Thursday - and that they all belonged to IS US Secretary of State John Kerry tells his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call that the two countries must move forward with technical talks on avoiding accidents in Syria Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko tells the BBC that "Russia wants to create a belt of instability from Syria to Ukraine" 'Psychological operations' The US officials provided no details of where the missiles might have landed. Iran's Irna news agency reported on Wednesday that an unknown flying object had crashed in the village of Ghozghapan in the Iranian province of West Azerbaijan, said to be under the missiles' flight path. But conservative Iranian media described the reports of missiles landing in Iran as "psychological operations by the US against Moscow". "Since Russia began its operations in Syria, Western media and officials have launched an all-out assault against Moscow," the Fars News Agency, thought to have close affiliations with Iran's Revolutionary Guards, said. Russia's defence ministry also denied the reports. "Any professional knows that during these operations we always fix the target before and after impact. All our cruise missiles hit their target," said spokesman Gen Igor Konashenkov. The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Washington says the Americans are rattled by the addition of cruise missiles to the air war over Syria, where the US and its allies are also operating. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter earlier said Russia had launched the missiles without warning, our correspondent says. IS 'weakened' Moscow says it has been hitting positions of the so-called Islamic State (IS), and denies Western reports that Russian strikes have mainly targeted other opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. IS militants have seized swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq. The Russian air strikes had "weakened" IS, Syrian Army Chief of Staff Gen Ali Abdullah Ayoub said on Thursday, enabling the army to start a "big attack" to retake towns and villages. Heavy fighting was reported in areas of Idlib, Hama and Latakia provinces, where a coalition of rebels - including the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front - operates. Government-backed troops had moved into the key Ghab plain area, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
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In 1989, Linda McQuillen won big in the housing lottery but not in New York City or San Francisco. The run-down house she bought for $100,000 in Madison, Wisconsin turns out to have been designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The retired teacher had heard that her house looked like a Wright, but it wasn't until recently that her suspicions were confirmed. Wright scholar Mary Jane Hamilton announced the authenticity of the house on Oct. 6. Hamilton began studying the house closely in 2009, reports the Associated Press. She soon tied it to a 1917 ad in the Wisconsin State Journal for homes designed by the legendary American architect. One of the tell-tale signs for Hamilton were framing studs in the walls placed 24 inches apart, instead of the standard 16, a deviation Wright was known to make. The house was part of Wright's American System-Built Homes project, aimed at making beautifully-designed houses affordable. In the late 1910s , small System-Built houses were priced between $2,750 (about $51,200 today) and $3,500, and large houses started at $5,000. At least 16 were built, and 14 are still standing. Today, McQuillen's home has an estimated value of $480,000, according to AP. In June, another house in Sherwood, Wisconsin was confirmed to be an American System-Built Home, dating back to 1917.
| 5 | 91,895 |
news
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The World Championship Punkin Chunkin contest has been cancelled because no one will insure the event. Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) shows us why.
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video
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WASHINGTON Hillary Rodham Clinton wants to crack down on bad behavior by Wall Street by imposing a new fee on large financial institutions and vowing that individual bankers who violate the law will be "prosecuted and imprisoned." A new proposal released by her campaign would impose a new, graduated "risk fee" on financial companies with more than $50 billion in assets. The fee would increase as companies hold greater amounts of debt, with the goal of discouraging them from taking on excessive risk. Clinton's campaign estimates that banks and other institutions would pay an annual charge of "multiple billions of dollars," according to a summary provided by the campaign. Her proposals came just days before the first Democratic presidential debate with her primary rivals. Liberal Democrats have spent months calling on Clinton to take a more aggressive approach to regulating Wall Street. In recent weeks, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has gained ground against her in early primary states with a populist economic message that vows to take on the "billionaires." Clinton's close ties to Wall Street and the centrist economic policies of the administration of her husband, former President Bill Clinton, make some in her party skeptical of her populist credentials. Both Clintons have earned millions in speaking fees, including some from Wall Street banks, and daughter Chelsea and her husband have worked at hedge funds. About a dozen of Clinton's top campaign bundlers donors who have raised at least $100,000 for her presidential bid work in finance and investing. In July, a day after proposing higher capital gains taxes on short-term investors, Clinton raised at least $450,000 Tuesday night at the Chicago home of Raj Fernando, a longtime donor. His firm, Chopper Trading, specializes in high-frequency transactions and was recently purchased by Chicago-based competitor DRW. In the first major economic speech of her presidential campaign, last July in New York City, Clinton expressed outrage at accounts of money laundering and currency manipulation involving several major financial firms. She said few rogue traders had faced consequences for malfeasance, a subtle swipe at the Obama administration, which took no action against the individual financial titans who pursued risky fiscal practices. "This is wrong, and on my watch it will change," she said. Under her new plan, individual investors, financial managers and traders would face the possibility of tougher criminal penalties. They also would be banned from future employment in the financial industry and could find their compensation penalized as part of a government settlement. Along with a greater emphasis on punishing individual bad actors, she will also impose a new tax on high-frequency trading, her campaign said. The fee would target trading strategies that involve significant numbers of order cancellations, a practice her campaign says makes markets "less stable and less fair." Her plan would extend the statute of limitations on major financial fraud cases to allow prosecutors more time to develop a case. She would also increase federal funding for financial regulators including the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and raise the maximum fines those agencies can levy. She also proposes limiting the use of pacts, known as deferred prosecution agreements, where the Justice Department agrees not to press criminal charges if a settlement is reached. Her plan may not go far enough for elements of her party's base, who would like to see the revival of a Depression-era law banning financial institutions from combining their commercial banking operations with riskier investment banking. Two of her rivals, Sanders and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, say they'd like to see the law, called Glass-Steagall, restored. It was repealed during the administration of Clinton's husband. Speaking in Iowa this week, Clinton said she isn't focused on reinstating the law. "The big banks are not the only thing we have to worry about," Clinton said Tuesday in Davenport. "I've studied this real closely, and what I am proposing is we go after the risk, and if they are too big to manage, that is a risk and they should not continue" ___ Follow Lisa Lerer on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/llerer
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European and American space officials have launched plans to deflect asteroids away from the Earth, in hopes of better protecting the planet and of understanding the way asteroids form and operate. Or, as Quartz puts it, "NASA and ESA are forming a super space team to prevent armageddon." The project, called the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) Mission, was first announced in 2012. But it wasn't until this year that officials declared a target for its studies: a near-Earth binary asteroid named 65803 Didymos. This system, whose name is Greek for "twin," contains two asteroids: a small one ("Didymoon") orbiting its larger counterpart ("Didymos"). NASA's and the European Space Agency's schedules has been synchronized, but each mission is "fully independent," ESA says on its website. "Therefore if for some reason one of the spacecraft cannot contribute to the joint campaign, the other would still be able to achieve its individual mission goals." ESA's Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) will launch first in October 2020. These will examine the structure of the asteroids and observe as NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft joins two years later. Then comes DART's crash "straight into the asteroid moon [Didymoon] at about 6 km/s," said ESA. "DART's shifting of Didymoon's orbit would mark the first time humanity has altered the dynamics of a Solar System body in a measurable way." What, one might ask, is the point of all this? Perhaps the most poignant example comes from 2013 Chelyabinsk, Russia, when a meteor explosion described as "a tiny asteroid" tore through the city, injuring as many as 1,000 people. While such high numbers of casualties were unprecedented, "the risk of asteroid impacts ... may be 10 times greater than previously thought," SPACE.com later reported. "Our Earth is constantly bombarded by small asteroids that try to penetrate its protective atmosphere," ESA explains. "The vast majority don't get through, but larger asteroids could pose a threat." The international mission hopes to "provide a baseline for planning any future planetary defense strategies," the agency says, "offering insight into the kind of force needed to shift the orbit of any incoming asteroid, and better understand how the technique could be applied if a real threat were to occur." This article was written by Michelle Toh from Christian Science Monitor and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
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You adore your guy, and his friends are really cool too . What's not cool though is waking up to them passed out on your couch every freaking weekend. It's like you're living in a frat house with no privacy, much less any alone time with the man you're about to marry. The bromance is starting to affect your romance, and frankly you're fed up. So what's a girl to do? We consulted love coach Heather Allison to get her professional opinion. If this is something that seriously irks you, first things first, you're going to want to set some boundaries. That doesn't mean you get to banish the dudes from ever kicking it at the house (remember: he lives there too, and you both have a right to entertain), but Allison does encourage you to speak up, sooner rather than later. She recommends saying something like: "Babe, I love that you have such strong friendships [and make sure you mean that], however, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed about how often they're at the house . I want this to feel like my sanctuary sometimes. What do you think?'" Chances are, he'll hear your needs loud and clear and make adjustments accordingly, adjustments that make you both feel good . "You'll get a bit more peace as a result (and less beer cans laying around), plus you'll be the coolest wife ever because you genuinely want everyone to win." Since he obviously won't be breaking up with his boys completely and absolutely shouldn't be expected to, Allison urges you to do something fulfilling for yourself when he's enjoying guy time. Plan a girl's night out, schedule a massage with your bestie or explore and find a new coffee shop nearby to bury your head in a book. "Whatever feeds your soul or feels a bit indulgent and gives you some much-needed recharging ." Turn his guy hangs into moments that are delicious for you, and pretty soon she says you'll actually be looking forward to them coming over. Ah, now wouldn't that be a nice change?
| 4 | 91,899 |
lifestyle
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