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A team of researchers from the University of Utah claims to have found the reason why these animals very rarely die from cancer.
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Tony Dighera was working long hours, losing sleep and running low on money. But the organic farmer from California had a Great Pumpkin Dream. The dream was to grow pumpkins into shapes, using molds, and become rich harvesting the Frankenfruit and selling it for top dollar. "I couldn't make it work," he said. "I tried everything, and it would not work, to the point where I was ready to give up." Four years of trial and error with different molds and dozens of pumpkin varieties had Dighera exasperated, but he had one more idea. "I wanted to try just to see if it would make a difference, and it did," he said. "I knew I had it." Dighera told us this a year ago, when we first met him at his Cinagro Farms (Cinagro is "organic" spelled backward). He showed us his " Pumpkinsteins ," real pumpkins that look like Frankenstein. "These we are selling for $100, and they're about 95 percent sold. ... I've got people from Dubai calling me to order these things." He also displayed watermelons grown into the shapes of hearts or cubes. After CNBC profiled Dighera's Pumpkinsteins, other reporters followed. He even landed on the front page of The New York Times . It's been quite a year. "Let me tell you, it's something I never expected," Dighera said during our recent return to his farm. He was there meeting with representatives of Sam's Club, who heard about the Pumpkinsteins last year and emailed him. "I've got to be honest, originally, I just kind of blew it off," the farmer said. After all, Cinagro was producing a manageable number of pumpkins for top dollar, "and I just didn't think it was a fit." Sam's Club, however, was persistent. The Wal-Mart (WMT) subsidiary finding itself in the unusual position of having to sell itself to a client rather than the other way around. Dighera finally relented. He said he realized that a large partner could help him scale his business. "I've got a lot of other ideas I want to do." "It aligns with a lot of different items that we have," said Russ Mounce, head of floral and produce for Sam's Club, who admits his first reaction to seeing a Pumpkinstein was, "Is it real?" Mounce said Sam's Club specializes in treasure hunts for unique items, like grapes it recently sold that taste like cotton candy. However, they were not going to sell Pumpkinsteins for Dighera's normal price. "They're not going to be $100, they're going to be less than $30 at Sam's Club this year," said Mounce. "We want a sustainable program." Dighera agreed to the lower price, believing it will make his products a Halloween staple. "If you price it too high, the people in that category will buy it obviously, just because it's unique, but I think it will quickly fade." Even so, Dighera does not have an exclusive deal with Sam's yet, so this year he is still able to sell Pumpkinsteins in other chains at higher prices. That's if he can meet demand. Last year, Cinagro produced about 5,000 Pumpkinsteins. This year? "We've got orders for probably close to 90,000." To meet that goal, Dighera has begged and borrowed for more land. He has also contracted out to other farmers, giving them his molds and paying them $11 a pumpkin. There are even failures that turned into successes. Some workers didn't securely lock both sides of a mold together last year, and the back fell off. What remained was a pumpkin with a Frankenstein face surrounded by a cloud of orange. It was such a hit Dighera started doing that on purpose. He might even try to do something with Pumpkinsteins that exploded inside molds during a massive heat wave. "They literally explode," he said. "You'll be on the other side of the field, and you'll hear it." The result is a pumpkin that looks like Frankenstein as a zombie. Dighera is also working on a white pumpkin next year that will grow inside a skull mold, and he hopes to find a large enough greenhouse to grow his heart-shaped watermelons for Valentine's Day. He's also trying to ride the kale wave with kale croutons, bread, and what may be his most over-the-top idea so far, chocolate kale kids cereal. "Believe it or not, it's phenomenal." It doesn't sound phenomenal, but Dighera isn't one to give up, and now he's finally making money. "It's made it a lot easier to sleep at night," he said. "It's starting to become fun."
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If you browse the Internet at all, you've definitely run into targeted ads. For example, you'll be looking at a product on one site, and then see an ad for it right away on another site. We've seen situations where a YouTube video will play an ad for the site you just opened in another browser tab. Creepy! Let's look at how it works and how you can stop it. How it works Most websites get their ads from ad networks. Each ad network puts a bit of code called a "cookie" on your computer. When you visit one of the member sites, the site recognizes the cookie and lets the ad network know where you are so it can send you personalized ads. Even worse, the member sites share what you do on their sites to build a database of what you like and don't like, or even specific items you looked at. This makes it easier for the ad network to send you ads that it thinks you'll click on. Where it really gets scary is when you add Facebook into the ad network. Most websites have to figure out what you're thinking based on what you do. On Facebook, you tell it exactly what you're thinking. Every "like," news story click, status update and photo caption you put in Facebook is a bit of information that advertisers would love to add to your file. And you'd be surprised how much money it can make them. In 2013, online tracking and targeted advertising practice helped Internet advertisers rake in a staggering $42.8 billion. And for 2014, that climbed to $49.45 billion, or a 15% jump. Naturally, you don't see a penny of it. You're just concerned with what happens to your information if a shady employee or hacker gets a hold of it. Or you just don't like the idea of being tracked. How to stop the tracking I've told you in the past about how to opt out of Facebook's tracking and targeted ads though the ad network it's a part of, the Digital Advertising Alliance. However, Facebook has now added this feature to its own settings. To opt out of Facebook showing you targeted ads from other sites, or from seeing Facebook's ads on other sites, open your Facebook page and click the upside-down triangle in the upper right corner. Select "Settings" and then in the left-hand column select "Ads." You'll see the new "Ads based on my use of websites and apps" setting. Click the "Edit" link, and then click the "Choose Setting" button and select "Off." You only have to do this once and it will apply to every gadget where you sign in with the same Facebook username. Now, this won't stop Facebook from showing you targeted ads based on information it collects about you. However, it won't get any of your information from its partners, and it shouldn't send any of your information to advertisers. While you're in the ad settings area, you'll also want to change "Ads with my social actions" to "No one" so Facebook can't use your name in advertising. You can also change your preferences to control what kind of ads Facebook shows you. While this is good for dealing with targeted ads on Facebook, however, it doesn't stop the rest of the 120 companies in the Digital Advertising Alliance from collecting your information and showing you targeted ads. To make that stop, click here to visit the Digital Advertising Alliance's tracking opt-out tool . The tool will scan your computer to see what companies are already customizing ads to target you. It can also tell if you've opted out of any online tracking for those companies in the past. It's simple to choose a few companies and sites, like Facebook, where you don't want to see targeted ads. Or you can click the "Choose all companies" button at the bottom to opt out of targeted ads for every participating network member. Simple! Now, opting out also doesn't stop these sites from collecting some information about you, but it does mean they won't share it with other companies. So, you won't see ads in Facebook for things you've looked for on Amazon or eBay. It also limits what any one company potentially knows about you, and keeps a single ad company from building up a detailed profile. Because tracking is cookie-based, so is opting out. The site will put a cookie in your browser saying you don't want to be tracked. This means you'll need to run the tool in every browser you use so they're all covered. There are still many companies online that don't participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance, so opting out won't change the way they behave. One way to put a stop to them is to disable third-party cookies in your browsers -- you'll just need to wait until after you run the DAA's tool so it works correctly. Your browser isn't the only way advertisers can track you on your mobile gadget. There are also ads in apps. Click here to find out how to opt out of all targeted ads on Android and Apple . You shouldn't only be worried about what advertisers and Facebook can see about you. Strangers could find out more about you than you think if you have the wrong Facebook security settings. Click here to learn how to lock down your Facebook profile from beginning to end . On the Kim Komando Show , the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com . Email her at [email protected] .
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Finding the market's best income stocks isn't easy. Indeed, you shouldn't buy a stock just because it has a high dividend yield, without first assessing the underlying business and sustainability of the payout. A dividend cut is an income investor's worst nightmare. And most of the time, dividend payouts are cut without much warning. Still, there are some stocks out there that offer higher-than-average dividend yields that are sustainable; you just need to know where to look. Income and growth Santander (LSE: BNC) cut its dividend last year to save cash, but even after cutting its payout the bank still supports a dividend yield of 4.2%. The payout is covered two-and-a-half times by earnings per share, so it looks safe for the time being. What's more, according to City figures Santander's earnings per share are set to expand at a rate of 7% to 8% per annum for the next three years. According to the same forecasts, Santander's dividend payout will increase at a rate of around 10% per annum over the same period. Special dividends Over the years, Admiral (LSE: ADM) has built a reputation for being one of the FTSE 100′ s dividend champions. The company's dividend record is highly impressive. Over the past five years, the group has returned a total of £1.1bn to investors via both regular and special dividends. This works out as around 90% of Admiral's net income generated over the period. And analysts expect this performance to continue for the foreseeable future. Figures suggest that Admiral's dividend payouts will total 95.5p per share for 2015 and 97.3p for 2016, equal to a yield of 6.4% and 6.5% respectively. Looking at the numbers, it seems as if analysts have hiked their dividend forecasts for Admiral's by around 10% during the past few weeks. Throwing off cash Lastly, Aviva (LSE: AV), which is flush with cash after its merger with Friends Life earlier this year. Specifically, the merger has left Aviva with a £10.8bn capital surplus, covering the company's insurance commitments by more than 170%. Also, Aviva's own analysts have stress-tested the company's balance sheet and believe that, even after a 20% fall in equity values, the group's economic capital coverage ratio will remain above 170%. Add in the fact that as a result of the Friends Life merger, Aviva's cash flow will increase by an additional £600m per annum by 2017 and you can see why Aviva's management had the confidence to hike the company's dividend payout by 15% when it announced first-half results at the beginning of August. The City believes that this dividend growth is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Analysts have pencilled in dividend growth of 17% for next year and 16% the year after. These forecasts suggest that, based on today's prices, Aviva's shares will support a yield of 4.5% next year and 5.3% during 2017. Income champions If you're interested in seeking out more of the market's top income stocks then why not check out this FREE dividend report . The report designed to help you discover and assess the market's best income stocks, in order to create a sustainable income stream from dividends. What's more, the report highlights the five key rules all serious dividend hunters need to follow. The report is completely free and without obligation. Just click here to download the free report today! Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.
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What Your Face Shape Says About You "Your face shape tends to reveal your basic personality and your overall approach to life," says Jean Haner, an expert in face reading and author of The Wisdom of Your Face. While most people don't have a distinct face shape (you could have a mix of a square and round or oval and diamond-shaped face), some people do have one that you can clearly recognize. Here, Haner lays out what the most common face shapes say about you based on her studies in 3,000-year-old face reading techniques derived from Chinese medicine. 1. Rectangular Face Shape This shape is squared off at the forehead and chin. People with this type of face shape value logic and are really good thinkers, but they often overthink. They're usually planners in some way and don't often talk about their feelings. However, they do work out regularly they have to work off inner tension that results from constantly living in their own heads. 2. Rounded Face Shape A round face shape is characterized by a wide hairline and fullness below the cheekbones. This face shape typically means you're a people person who is very giving and kind, and always puts people first. The downside to this is that you can tend to put people first too much and then you don't get what you need from the relationship. This type of mentality can attract narcissistic people, but you can change that by realizing you're an over-giver and not always make others the priority over yourself. 3. Diamond Face Shape This shape is wide in the middle, and pointed toward the forehead and chin. This refers to someone who likes to take control and wants things a certain way. They're also very detail-oriented and because of that, they produce quality work. This is someone who can be very precise with their words and communicates well. That said, they can also be sharp with their words too, if you cross them the wrong way. 4. Oval Face Shape An oval face is longer than wide, with a jaw that is narrower than the at the cheekbones. This person always knows all the right things to say, so they can make someone feel welcome and comfortable. That said, sometimes they can be too focused on saying all the right things. 5. Square Face Shape This face shape is characterized by a wide hairline and jawline. It typically refers to someone who is really gung-ho and into taking on huge projects because they have so much stamina. 6. Heart Face Shape This is when you have a wider forehead and narrower chin. It speaks to someone who has incredible inner strength but can also be stubborn because they are so strong-minded. They're like little energizer bunnies. But their strength is not from stamina, it's about inner power. They can be pushy and steamroll you, so if they have a goal, they're going to keep going for it. They also have a strong intuition, like an inner knowing, so they know when to make moves. They're also very creative, so you often see performers who have strongs chin and widow's peaks, which can accompany this face shape. 7. Pear or Triangle Face Shape This facial shape is narrower at the forehead and wide at the jawline. This shape means you usually want to be in charge. And the narrower your forehead is at the top of your head, the more you have to be in control. But, because you're so driven, you're often very successful. Get non-boring fashion and beauty news directly in your feed. Follow Facebook.com/CosmoBeauty . Follow Carly on Twitter and Instagram .
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The US is to end its efforts to train new Syrian rebel forces and says it will shift to providing equipment and weapons to existing forces. Its $500m (£326m) programme was heavily criticised after it emerged that US-trained rebels had handed vehicles and ammunition over to extremists. It emerged last month that only four or five of the fighters were in Syria. The programme had aimed to train and equip 5,400 fighters this year and a further 15,000 in 2016. A senior administration official said the programme was being put on "pause" and said it could be restarted in future. The programme had suffered from "significant challenges", the official said, adding: "We had a very high bar in terms of recruiting". The US will no longer vet every individual recruit but just the leaders of the groups they decide to work with, who will face "very vigorous vetting". Of the initial two groups sent into the country under the previous programme, the first was rounded up by Jabhat al-Nusra, an offshoot of al-Qaeda, in July. The second handed much of its equipment over to the same group in September, reportedly in exchange for safe passage. Quoting an anonymous US Department of Defense source, the New York Times reported that the US would no longer recruit Syrian rebels to go through its training programmes in Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. Instead, it would establish a smaller training centre in Turkey, where "enablers" - mostly leaders of opposition groups - would be taught operational manoeuvres like how to call in airstrikes, the newspaper said. Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, Defence Correspondent, BBC News The failure of the programme underscores the wider problem of the inability to create large and effective moderate forces on the ground. It will also have wider repercussions since the programme helped to coordinate support activities between the Americans, the Gulf states, Turkey, and Jordan. The risk now is that those countries may push on with more separate initiatives backing individual client groups. Washington was already limited in its ability to influence events on the ground. The failure of this initiative will reduce it even further. Syrian rebel commanders demand US support Rebels 'let down' by US Speaking in a joint news conference with UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, Mr Carter admitted that he "wasn't satisfied with the early efforts" of the training. The US was now looking at "different" ways to "enable capable, motivated forces on the ground to retake territory from ISIL and reclaim Syrian territory from extremism", he added, using another acronym for IS. Russian missile 'malfunction' Mr Carter also said there were indications that four Russian cruise missiles that crashed in Iran before reaching their targets in Syria had malfunctioned. The defence secretary is the first US official to comment publicly on the reports that the Russian missiles crashed. Russia has denied the claim, saying all 26 missiles hit their targets. The missiles were fired from the Caspian Sea some 1,500km (930 miles) away, their route taking them over Iran and Iraq. They were launched in support of a major ground offensive by Syrian government troops in western Syria. Mr Carter accused Russia of running "fundamentally flawed" operations in Syria which would "inflame the civil war and therefore extremism". Moscow says it has been hitting IS positions and denies reports that Russian strikes have mainly targeted other opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
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Defending champion Kei Nishikori survived a war of attrition against Croatia's Marin Cilic to reach the Japan Open semi-finals on Friday, winning a cliffhanger 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Top seed Stan Wawrinka overpowered American qualifier Austin Krajicek 6-3, 6-4 to join him in the last four, though the Swiss required less than an hour to take care of business on a sunny afternoon in Tokyo. Second seed Nishikori was greeted like a rock star by 12,000 screaming fans and is bidding for his third Japan Open in four years. Controversial Australian Nick Kyrgios was scheduled to play Frenchman Benoit Paire in Friday's late match for the right to meet Nishikori in the semi-finals. AFP
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Phil Mickelson's ball switch gaffe at the Presidents Cup on Friday was not the end of the world. It's the Presidents Cup, not the Ryder Cup. And a lot of golf observers might tell you that the best thing that could happen to the Presidents Cup would be for the International team to finally win one and make this match competitive again. Phil would not be one of those people. What really happened here? Phil's error was inexcusable. There is no way around that. He joked to U.S. captain Jay Haas about it being "a rookie mistake." Ha ha. This is Phil's 11th President Cup, and he has played in 10 Ryder Cups. How can he not know the ball rule? This makes less sense than his buddy Dustin Johnson's Bunkergate at Whistling Straits in that ill-fated 2010 PGA Championship. Give Phil bonus points for not trying to slack off the blame or dismiss the importance of what he did wrong. He claimed full responsibility for this bonehead move. What was he doing with two different kinds of Callaway balls in his bag? He was Phil being Phil, trying to outsmart his opponents. He said he switched to a firmer ball on the 7th hole -- to gain an advantage on a longer hole -- and thus began The Phil Phlap or Phil-apalooza or LeftyGate or whatever you want to call this blunder. So swapping out balls wasn't an accident, it was a plan. The one-ball rule is a bedrock of tournament golf. It's standard operating procedure. The only time that rule waffles is in foursomes play in team events, where two players use one ball to play out a hole, but otherwise, it's a strict code. (Mickelson noted that the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup don't enforce the one-ball rule. He's half right about the Ryder Cup; when the matches are held in Europe, the one-ball rule is in play.) The fact that Phil came up with a plan that goes against a long-standing rule of golf without checking it out or asking someone first, that's incredulous. And that's Phil. Even he admitted that it was a huge goof. He's not a rookie; he's the veteran voice of reason on this team. He didn't earn his way into the lineup; he was a wild-card selection and a somewhat curious one at that. J.B. Holmes, Brooks Koepka and Brandt Snedeker were among the players who seemed just as, if not more, worthy as potential picks. And then Phil commits a massive rules blunder. Phil likes to be, as Jack McCallum wrote in a classic Sports Illustrated feature, "the smartest kid in the room." Sometimes it works. Like when he put two drivers in the bag and won a Masters. Sometimes it doesn't. Like when he changed equipment companies and all the clubs in his bag just before the 2004 Ryder Cup and his Titanic-like pairing with Tiger Woods at Oakland Hills. Whoops. Or when he tried to win the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines with no drivers in the bag. Whoops again. Adding to the confusion was that the rules officials made a huge blunder, too. Mickelson was told he was disqualified on the hole where he switched balls and thus sat out as his partner, Zach Johnson, played on alone. That was wrong. Phil could have and should have finished the hole, which the Americans lost. And then there was the one-hole penalty for violating the one-ball rule, so for the first time anyone can remember, a duo lost two holes on one hole. That might be the oddity of the decade. Mickelson said that he can't remember anything like this ball-switch thing happening before in an event like this. Seriously? Phil is a student of the game -- hell, he's a student of everything in the universe. He certainly hasn't forgotten the in-your-face Ryder Cup drama of the 1991 War By the Shore at Kiawah Island. That's where Paul Azinger and Chip Beck squared off with Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal. On the 10th hole, Ballesteros called out Azinger for having switched to a different ball (a lower compression model of the same brand) on a par 3 a few holes earlier. It was a foursomes match and there was a strict one-ball rule in effect. The TV cameras caught it all and a flummoxed Azinger was heard saying, "We aren't trying to cheat," and Seve cut him off by saying heatedly but diplomatically that while he wasn't accusing them of cheating, "There's a difference between cheating and breaking the rules." There was more backstory to that episode, as the Spaniards had gotten away with two rules violations on the front nine but the upshot was, the sensitive Beck and Azinger were so thrown off by the rules call-out that the Spaniards crushed them on the back nine and won the match. Phil knows this story as well as anyone else and to claim a ball mix-up has never come up before was an act of convenience. Anyway, let's get back to Phil and why he was really picked to be a part of this team. He was duly embarrassed about his error, but he wasn't conceding anything. He and Johnson halved the match with Adam Scott and Jason Day. That prompted this line from Phil: "I feel like we spotted the Internationals' best team two holes and they still couldn't beat us. Just saying." It's the kind of mildly defiant line that might fire up the Internationals, but it's definitely the kind of line that will fire up Phil's teammates. For all the ribbing that Phil takes about being pollyannish and phonily optimistic, well, it's not phony, in my opinion. That's the real Phil. If it's an act, it's an act he's been pulling off for a couple of decades. He's a believer, especially in himself. He is confident and optimistic and, without overstating the case, a positive force, no matter what. And those positive vibes wash over everyone in the team room. That's why, since there was no clear-cut and obvious 12th player to add to this team, Haas chose Phil. He's got the experience (well, except about ball rules, apparently), and he's an important influence on the team. As for his line about spotting Day and Scott two holes? At least he got one thing right Thursday.
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SAN FRANCISCO Police say three young people suspected in the shooting death of a tantra yoga teacher in Marin County are now accused of killing a Canadian woman in San Francisco. The three will be charged with murder in the shooting death late last week of Audrey Carey, San Francisco police said Thursday night. The body of the 23-year-old Quebec woman, who was on a solo backpacking trip, was found in Golden Gate Park. The report came shortly after police in Portland, Ore., booked the three suspects on murder warrants in the death of Steve Carter. They said 23-year-old Morrison Haze Lampley, 24-year-old Sean Michael Angold and 18-year-old Lila Scott Alligood will be arraigned Friday. The three are suspected of killing Carter, whose body was found Monday along a scenic hiking trail 20 miles north of San Francisco. The suspects were arrested in Portland after authorities allegedly tracked them traveling in the victim's car.
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See why you should add the squash to your diet not just this fall, but year-round. 6 Benefits Of Adding Pumpkin To Your Diet Year-Round When fall arrives, so does its signature squash: pumpkin. While you might only be familiar with pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin pies, pumpkin has more to offer than just fall desserts. Its vitamin- and nutrient-rich flesh and seeds have an abundance of health benefits, from weight loss to better quality sleep. "Pumpkin seeds are a great super food that most people don't talk about outside the month of October," Shane Allen, a certified personal trainer, sports nutritionist, and weight loss specialist in Dallas, Texas, told Medical Daily in an email. The bright orange winter fruit seeds and all is nutritionally dense, with lots of fiber, vitamin A, carotenoids, and good fats. Better Vision Pumpkin contains more than 200 percent of the daily recommended vitamin A intake, and it's great for your eyes. In the U.S., it's recommended that men and women take 900 micrograms (mcg) and 700 mcg of vitamin A each day, respectively, according to Mayo Clinic. "A deficiency of vitamin A can cause blindness," Dr. Scott Schreiber, a chiropractic physician, certified nutrition specialist, and nutritionist in Newark, Del., told Medical Daily in an email.Vitamin A can slow the progression of several diseases, including retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt's disease. A Harvard study published in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology found vitamin A supplements (4,500 mcg) slowed the decline of retinitus pigmentosa by 32 percent among patients aged 18 to 49. No adverse effects were reported with using vitamin A supplements. Better Sleep Pumpkin seeds are rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that contributes to sleepiness, thus helping you get a good night's sleep. This amino acid is also a precursor to melatonin, the sleep hormone, and serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter. This means you won't only get better sleep, but you'll also feel nice and comfortable when you do. Aids Weight Loss Pumpkins aid weight loss in a variety of ways. The superfood is low-calorie, high in fiber, and packed with potassium. Similar to other high-fiber foods, pumpkin takes longer to digest, promoting satiety. The combination of fiber plus iron and magnesium, also "helps keep you feeling fuller longer," Allen said.Although adding pumpkin to your diet can help you lose weight, it won't be the reason you lose weight. There isn't a food out there that can burn fat, rather they speed up your metabolism for a short period of time, according to The Students' Center of Health at West Virginia University. Boosts Heart Health The fiber content in pumpkin isn't just good for weight loss, it can be good for your heart, too. A Harvard study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found people who ate a diet high in fiber had a 40 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to those who followed a low-fiber diet. Fiber protects the heart by binding with LDL ("bad") cholesterol before it is absorbed, according to Schreiber. It helps maintain a healthy weight and lowers blood pressure, both of which prevent heart disease. Lowers Blood Pressure Pumpkin seeds are full of natural phytoestrogens, which are useful for preventing hypertension. The oil within contains 90 percent unsaturated fats as well as plenty of fatty acids, helping to stabilize blood pressure levels. A 2000 study published in the journal Pharmacological Research found pumpkin seed oil enhanced the effects of anti-hypertensive medications felodipine and captopril. Protects Prostate Pumpkins, specifically the seeds, contain a plethora of beta-carotene and other antioxidants with anti-carcinogenic properties that may be advantageous for men. The chemicals in the pumpkin seed are what lead to an increase in urination, which is what helps prevent bladder discomfort when there's an enlarged prostate. In fact, a 2006 study published in the journal Urology Internationalis found pumpkin seed oil inhibited unhealthy prostate growth."Pumpkin seeds have long been attributed to decreasing the size of the prostate and preventing the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, which has been associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy," Schreiber explained.
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The bar codes on some boarding passes contain a surprising amount of personal data. So you probably shouldn't post pictures of them online.
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finance
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One of three Americans who helped thwart a terror attack on a Paris-bound train was stabbed in his home state of California.
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Stephen Colbert was introduced to Dartmouth College's robotic football training dummy Thursday on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."
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When it's football season in Wisconsin, there's a noticeable change in the air. Nowadays, Green Bay Packers fans are used to a certain level of excellence. On that front, they've undoubtedly been spoiled. I'm 26 years old and have lived here my whole life; from 1992 to the present, I've primarily been subjected to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers playing under center. They won their first Super Bowl in my lifetime in 1996, but I was only seven years old and could hardly appreciate it. By the time they won it again in 2010, I was able to grasp what it meant. In the four seasons that have followed, the Packers have claimed the NFC North each time, but come playoff time, have fallen short. We're familiar with fan culture, so I'll be brief here: people get angry. Very angry. As in, calling for people's jobs level of anger. Enter Defensive Coordinator Dom Capers, Packers' fans annual punching bag. Capers took over the defense in 2009; here's how Green Bay has ranked in total defense since: 2009 2nd 2010 5th* 2011 32nd 2012 11th 2013 25th 2014 15th 2015 9th** *Super Bowl Season **Through Week 4 Six full seasons going on seven, four division titles, one Super Bowl, and based on those numbers, a hit-or-miss defense though from 2011-2014, it's certainly been more miss than hit. Oh, and that second-ranked team defense in 2009, when they were fifth against the pass and first against the run? Kurt Warner managed to go 29-for-33 with 379 yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions in a 51-45 overtime win in the wild card round that year. Beanie Wells rushed for 91 yards on 14 carries (6.5 YPC). Go figure. The following year was a great success before they plummeted all the way to the bottom of the pack in 2011. This began a string of four consecutive seasons of less than ideal defense and early playoff exits. When they were bad (2011, 2013), they were really bad. And even when they weren't that bad (2012, 2014), they didn't quite boast a defense for which championship teams strive. So, what's gone on in 2015 thus far? For starters, they've faced running backs Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch, Jamaal Charles, and Carlos Hyde in consecutive weeks. Yardage wise, they allowed the following: Forte 24 carries, 141 yards (5.9 YPC) Lynch 15 carries, 41 yards (2.7 YPC) Charles 11 carries, 49 yards (4.5 YPC) Hyde 8 carries, 20 yards (2.5 YPC) Not bad for a run defense that ranked 23rd last year, right? Well, that's the interesting part: through four games, their run defense currently ranks 22nd despite giving up only 251 yards (62.8 YPG) to those four backs. 56 percent of that yardage came in Week 1 against Forte. What makes that ranking so low? Quarterbacks: Cutler 4 carries, 31 yards (7.8 YPC) Wilson 10 carries, 78 yards (7.8 YPC) Smith 6 carries, 33 yards (5.5 YPC) Kaepernick 10 carries, 57 yards (5.7 YPC) Add those numbers up, and suddenly it makes a little more sense: the Packers have allowed 450 rushing yards through four games, which comes out to 112.5 per game. Plus, look at those averages. Surrendering 4.8 YPC as a whole, Green Bay ranks third-worst in said category. Don't let those numbers mislead you. With the exception of Chicago, they've taken away their opponent's run game by focusing on the pass. So far, so good; they rank eighth against it, limiting opponents to a 56.5 percent completion rate and only 197 yards per game. Quarterbacks like Wilson and Kaepernick, particularly the former, are always going to be able to make plays with their feet. After Kaepernick averaged roughly 140 yards on the ground in consecutive postseason contests against a Capers-led defense, Sunday's victory will feel especially good for him and his unit as a whole, as they allowed a minimal total on the ground (comparatively) and racked up six sacks. Linebacker Clay Matthews has three on the season, as does 2012 first round pick Nick Perry which already puts him one away from tying his career best. B.J. Raji, back from a season-ending injury last year, has been disruptive throughout while second-year safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix continues to come into his own. Green Bay is second in the league in sacks (17), with 13 coming in the past two weeks. Perhaps the most intriguing trait of this defense, however, is just how young they are. Julius Peppers, 35, is the senior leader, but after that the next oldest is Bret Goode (31), Matthews (29), Raji (29), and Sam Shields (28). The average age of their entire team is just 26 years old. So, because of a handful of mobile quarterbacks, their numbers against the rush are a little inflated. They remain very solid against the pass, and most importantly, have only allowed 17.8 points per game good for third-best in the league. You know what else helps a defense? Not turning the ball over. Green Bay leads the league with only one giveaway through four games, despite only five takeaways (T-16th). For the last four seasons, Packers fans have been wanting to see a defense capable of complementing their high-powered offense, potentially bringing home another championship. Through four weeks of the 2015 NFL season, Capers' unit is well on their way to being just that. Statistics courtesy of ESPN and Pro Football Reference
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Virginia dad finds son alone on playground
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Travel back to 2006, before conference realignment, the College Football Playoff and Art Briles' arrival at Baylor. It's the Bears' turn on the dais at Big 12 Conference media days, and cornerback C.J. Wilson, an all-league pick, is asked for his team's goals for the coming season. To win the conference, he says. Silence follows, and then, among a few media members from a state no longer represented in the Big 12, laughter. Less than a decade ago, the idea of Baylor winning the Big 12 a conference that had made the Bears the cellar-dwelling whipping boy since its inception more than a decade before was, in a word, laughable. Yeah, times have changed. Back-to-back conference banners wave at tailgates, on the exterior of the program's impressive indoor practice facility, inside the school's brand-new stadium. A Heisman Trophy graces the football offices. The Bears have won 30 of their last 34 games, with all four losses coming away from home. Since 2011, Baylor has the best winning percentage of any Football Bowl Subdivision team in Texas. Remember when Baylor football was a punchline? The Bears' rivals for conference and national championships remember, if wistfully. A process that began in 2008 with the hiring of Briles, formerly of Houston and a legend on Texas' high-school ranks has reached its culmination this fall, when Baylor stands as not just the best team in the Big 12 but the best team in college football. "It's something we've been doing a long time, and it's evolving as we're sitting here," Briles told USA TODAY Sports in August. "My wife calls me '10-minute man,' since I can't focus on anything longer than 10 minutes. I just think it's the makeup of our DNA. "It's a program and a system that's always moving and has a lot of energy … you know, a fearless quality to it that's not going to worry about outcome as you're going through the process. We're not worrying about what the end result is going to be as we're going through the process, because we trust the process to get us to the end result we want." And the Baylor of 2015 looks unbeatable. More specifically, the Baylor that scored 49 points in the first half of a 63-35 win this past Saturday against Texas Tech a team that nearly defeated TCU a week before looks unstoppable. This was Baylor at its replicable best, combining the offense that first put this program on the map with a defense that ignores the noise yards, even points for three lines in the box score: punts, turnovers and three-and-outs. Baylor's defense has held each of its first four opponents SMU, Lamar, Rice and Texas Tech to at least 10 points below their per-game scoring average. Through four games, Baylor is the only team in the country to rank in the top 10 nationally in both passing and rushing offense; the Bears also lead the nation in yards per game, points per game and yards per play. In all, the team paces the FBS in average margin of victory. The most recent weekly Playoff Simulation published by USA TODAY Sports projects Baylor as 97% likely to win a Playoff semifinal and 82% likely to win a Playoff title game, unprecedented numbers in the simulation's three-year existence. The Bears have first-round NFL draft picks on both lines two on defense, in end Shawn Oakman and tackle Andrew Billings. The offense has found in Seth Russell its most electric quarterback since Robert Griffin III, one who can deliver downfield in Briles' vertical passing game and serve as a vital cog in the running game. Through talent evaluation, player development and a cutting-edge strength and conditioning program, Baylor has married scheme and mentality the assets that first lifted the program from irrelevance with one of nation's strongest collections of talent. Baylor once outscored opponents; this year's team can outscore or outmuscle every opponent on its schedule. That development, more than anything, speaks to the program's growth: first, Baylor as the team scheduled on homecoming; then, Baylor as the team no one wanted to play; now, Baylor as the team no one can beat. COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIDEO PLAYLIST
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The past week has unleashed a fresh stock market uptrend for the first time in months, as large-cap stocks have rallied in seven of the last eight sessions and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has climbed back above 17,000. The rebound is no surprise, given soft September payroll data and continued vulnerability in China there is simply less and less justification for the Federal Reserve to raise rates this year. The stimulus junkies on Wall Street just got an early Christmas present. Even as the latest Fed meeting minutes, released Thursday, indicate that most of the bank's policymakers continue to believe a rate hike will happen by the end of the year, future market odds keep dropping as inflation remains soft. The market doesn't see a better-than-even chance of a hike until March 2016. Technical indicators suggest this is just the start of a multi-month rally likely lifting stocks through the end of the year in a typical "Santa Claus" rally before rate hike fears resurface. For sure, there will be bumps along the way, such as the start of the third quarter earnings season. After Thursday's close, Alcoa (AA) kicked things off with disappointment: Earnings came in at just 7 cents per share vs. the 14 cents analysts were expecting. Revenues totaled $5.6 billion vs. the $5.67 billion expected. Adjusted operating profit margin fell to 12.5 percent vs. 16.6 percent last year. Shares dropped 4.6 percent in after-hours trading. Overall S&P 500 earnings are expected to fall 5.1 percent for the quarter, which would mark the first back-to-back declines since 2009. But as tradable catalysts go, factors like economic growth and profitability have paled in comparison to the flow of cheap money stimulus over the last few years. And that flow looks secure for at least another six months. Japan and Europe are succumbing to fresh deflationary pressure, raising expectations of renewed stimulus efforts. The Fed has a market wholly unprepared for higher rates, a job market that hit the skids in September and inflation that has been persistently below its 2 percent target. After the release of the September meeting minutes, San Francisco Fed President John Williams hit the tape with comments that largely reiterated what he said on Oct. 6: He still expects a rate liftoff this year, still says the September "no hike" policy decision was a close call and still believes there are positive signs coming from the labor market. Economist Michael Hanson at Bank of America Merrill Lynch believes steady job gains in October and November should keep a December rate hike on track, but does highlight "a significant chance that the FOMC will wait into 2016 before hiking." These are just teases to maintain the illusion; the history of the last two Fed tightening cycles reveals rate hikes won't happen until the futures market is ready. Current pricing says that won't happen for another six months. The action in currencies and bonds suggests traders are growing more and more comfortable with the futures market outlook. The dollar is hanging precariously to the bottom of a trading range going back to May. A breakdown in the greenback's strength based on confirmation that the Fed won't hike rates this year would set up the first significant pullback since 2013 and put an end to a two-year uptrend setting off a series of relief rebounds in beaten down assets like crude oil, gold, industrial metals and a variety of related stocks from gold miners to machinery makers like Caterpillar (CAT). After dropping from a high in late June, bond market-derived inflation expectations are rising out of a double-bottom pattern traced out since August on expectations of ongoing monetary policy support. High-yield junk bonds are on the move as well, with the iShares High Yield Fund (HYG) up five days in a row, pushing down spreads over Treasury bonds. Technical indicators also suggest this uptrend is the real deal as the buying has been relentless over the past week. In a note to clients on Thursday, the team at SentimenTrader highlighted two positive developments: The first is the upward cross of the S&P 500's 50-day moving average, something that hasn't happened since the middle of August. Historically, when this has happened following a correction, buyers have tended to keep pushing stocks up for at least a month. The second is the triggering of a "Zweig Breadth Thrust," named after Wall Street icon Marty Zweig. This happens when the NYSE 10-day Up Issue indicator goes from below 40 percent to above 61.5 percent within 10 days. This has historically led to consistently positive returns over the medium-term. Related: Worried About a Recession? Here's When the Next Slump Will Hit The last two breadth thrusts were in August 2014 and July 2013, after which stocks rallied 5.8 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively. Early next year, the rate hike fears will return and this process will start all over again. But for now, it looks like the August-September market spasm was enough to force the Fed to once again give Wall Street what it wants: Another dose of monetary morphine as its zero-interest rate policy looks set to enter its ninth year. Top Reads from The Fiscal Times: 10 Jobs with the Biggest Raises Top 3 Reasons You May Have to Retire Before You're Ready The 10 TV Shows with the Highest Ad Rates
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Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal came to light just as the company was attempting to certify its 2016 2.0-liter TDI models. In view of the scandal, the company withdrew its application but it is planning to reinstate it. When it does, VW should not expect quick action on the EPA's part. All of which means it will be quite a while before the cars reach showrooms. Referring to the 2016-model VWs with the 2.0-liter TDI engine, Chris Grundler, EPA director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality, said in an interview with Automotive News , that "we will want to test them thoroughly and in different ways," a process that will take "a matter of months." The agency has already said that it's going to be changing up its testing procedures , in order to make emissions tests harder to game. It also faces the not-inconsiderable task of testing whatever fixes VW proposes for its non-compliant cars, fixes that will vary by vehicle , with some models needing only a software update while other need new hardware fitted. Volkswagen hasn't yet said when it will resubmit its application for the 2016 cars, and the delay in its processing is not good news for the brand's dealers. TDI models accounted for roughly one in five VW sales last year although with the TDI's now-besmirched image, coupled with the potential of lower fuel-economy ratings for the cleaner engines, diesels are unlikely to be such a large percentage of Volkswagen's model mix for a long time. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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Gigi Hadid was sure to turn heads as she attended the Global Lyme Alliance Gala. She was joined by her boyfriend Joe Jonas and her family, including her mum Yolanda Foster who has been vey public about her struggles with the Lyme. Yolanda stunned on the red carpet in a colour block gown that featured a large red design. Although she looked radiant, Yolanda describes her condition as an invisible illness and has she is exhausted. Gigi and Bella opted for opposite ends of the colour spectrum. Gigi worked a sleeveless white ensemble while Bella showed some cleavage with a keyhole cut out. The model beauties posed alongside their youngest brother Anwar.
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Brace yourself: Higher interest rates are on the way at some point this year or in early 2016. The $64,000 question, of course, is when willthe Federal Reserve start the first cycle of interest rate hikes since 2006? Investors have become accustomed to an environment of low interest rates. The Fed has kept its official interest rate near zero since December 2008 to support economic growth and bolster the U.S. economy in the wake of the global financial crisis. Now, the labor market has improved significantly, with the jobless rate at 5.1 percent in September. The central bank broadcast its intentions to start hiking rates this year in an attempt to move interest rates toward a more historically normal level. The Fed could increase rates at its December meeting or in early 2016. Higher interest rates can affect investors and consumers in a variety of ways, from simple bank savings accounts to home mortgages. Here is what you need to know about how higher interest rates will affect your pocketbook and portfolio: Cash will earn higher returns. Savings accounts at banks and certificate of deposit returns have been negligible in recent years as the Fed's near-zero interest rate policy has punished savers. That trend is about to change. While bank and CD returns will likely move higher at a measured pace, savers will be able to generate a little more return on their cash. "When rates go up, there are going to be winners and losers. Winners will be savers people who invest in bank CDs and money market accounts. The losers will be borrowers, because the cost of borrowing will go up," says Ted Peters, CEO of Bluestone Financial Institutions Fund in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and a former board member at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Longer-dated bond holdings could be hurt . Some investors have stretched out to longer duration fixed-income securities in an attempt to lock in a higher yield in the current low-rate environment. Once the Fed begins raising rates, this could affect longer-dated bonds . "Losers will be people who bought 30-year, fixed-rate bonds, because those values will go down," Peters says. Investors may want to consider a shift in their bond maturities. "An average bond maturity of 20-plus years will see about a 13 percent drop in price if rates increase from 3 percent to 4 percent," says Greg Ghodsi, managing director of investments at 360 Wealth Management Group of Raymond James in Tampa, Florida. "For the past couple of years, we have become very defensive in our bond portfolios. You get defensive by buying shorter maturities. Shorter maturity equals lowers price volatility to interest rate changes. Our average bond maturities are usually eight to 10 years, but for the last few years we've moved to a one- to three-year average." Stocks can continue to gain, but investors may need to be choosy . Stock investors don't necessarily need to fear rising interest rates, but some sectors could fare better than others. "While there may be some near-term volatility when the Fed raises rates, it is usually a sign the economy is functioning reasonably well," says Scott Kim, director of research at Kellner Capital in New York. "In the previous prolonged cycle of interest rate hikes from June 30, 2004, to June 29, 2006, the total return for the [Standard & Poor's 500 index] was 15.5 percent." Rising rates will help bank stocks , especially community banks and those with a small capitalization, Peters says. "One of the reasons we are bullish on small banks is because when rates rise, banks will make more money because they will have more core deposits, which are very relationship-oriented. Two stocks in that space that we like are Legacy Texas Financial Group (ticker: LTXB) because it is an asset-sensitive bank, and the Bank of the Ozarks (OZRK)," Peters says. Other sectors can also benefit from rising interest rates. "We are looking at the banking, energy, consumer discretionary and the technology sectors since they can do well in this type of market. In addition, we would recommend considering investments in physical commodities and real estate, since they should also perform well in a rising rate environment," Ghodsi says. Higher rates can hurt other sectors that are sensitive to rising rates. "Utilities, consumer staples and some real estate investment trusts will not do well in a rising interest-rate environment," Ghodsi says. Borrowing costs will rise . Consumers will be faced with higher borrowing costs when the Fed begins to hike rates. For homebuyers considering a fixed- or floating-rate mortgage , it is important to understand how rising rates can affect these choices. The most immediate impact of a Fed rate hike will be on loans tied to short-term or floating-rate debt, says Brian Rehling, the St. Louis-based co-head of global fixed income strategy at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Investors would be wise to take the time now to examine their portfolios and loans to consider appropriate shifts with the shifting winds in the interest rate environment. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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Turns out Pluto is a little bit like earth. NASA announced that Pluto has a blue sky and many areas of exposed water ice. Matt Sampson has the details.
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If you're hosting an event for Halloween, cupcakes are always a treat! Krystin Goodwin (@Krystingoodwin) highlights a few spook-tastic cupcake ideas, so good they're scary!
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For Americans looking to add some much-needed income to their retirement savings once they leave the workforce, boundaries - geographical and otherwise - aren't all that necessary. Take Carol Merchasin, an author and former law firm partner with Morgan, Lewis and Bochius in Philadelphia, who's now living with her husband in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. "My husband and I boosted our retirement income by leveraging what we did before we retired into less stressful and more part time employment that doesn't require being in an office or even in a particular place," Merchasin says. "When I left my law firm, I continued doing training but only as an independent contractor, often doing webcasts from Mexico. Now, ten years later, at almost 70 years old, I still do webcasts and I develop and audit training programs. All from wherever I want to be." Merchasin also published a book of essays on Mexico called This is Mexico: Tales of Culture and Other Complications and does speaking engagements on Mexican culture from a U.S. expatriate perspective. Her husband, also a lawyer, invested in a small property with three apartments that he now rents out to short term visitors to San Miguel. "Our long term strategy has been to support ourselves without touching our nest egg until we were 70, but we are still keeping with that strategy for a few more years," she says. "Boosting retirement income for us has meant not taking anything out and allowing it to grow as long as we're still able to work comfortably at our own pace." Financial experts say that Merchasin is on to something, and that, since Americans may not be saving enough for retirement, they should seek extra income while they're in retirement. "Living comfortably in retirement isn't so much about how much money you have, but more importantly what counts is having a solid cash flow plan in place that includes a very clear income and distribution strategy, says Gary Plessl, a certified financial planner who co-authored The Book on Retirement (Richter Publishing, 2015). The data support their notion that many Americans just won't have enough cash saved up for their after-work years, and will need other avenues toward income once they retire from their full-time careers. "Millions of Americans are in danger of not having enough money to maintain their standard of living in retirement," states the Center for American Progress in a new report The Reality of the Retirement Crisis . "The problem is getting worse over time." As of 2013, the median retirement account balance among all households ages 55 to 64 was only $14,500, the CAP reports, and almost one-third of Americans in the workforce haven't saved anything for retirement. If you're in the same leaky boat, and are wondering how you can earn extra income in retirement, Plessl and Houser offer a few key tips to follow. "Stretch your mortgage," they say. "If you find yourself with a mortgage in retirement, stretch it out as long as you can. Just because it's debt, in this case it doesn't make sense to pay it off quickly. Retirement is all about cash flow, and paying more than you must on a mortgage is counterproductive to cash flow." Also, take Social Security as early as possible. "If you're over 62 years of age, take social security as soon as you can get it," Plessl says. "You've been paying into the program long enough, and it's better to spend the government's money than your own money. The only exception to this when it would make sense to wait until age 65 is to provide more room for Roth conversions prior to full retirement age. It's best to speak with your financial advisor and accountant regarding the best strategy for your situation." There are plenty of great ideas to hike income in your retirement years -- some more common than you think. You can use your home mortgage to generate more money, says Christopher McGill, chief executive officer at Philadelphia-based East River Bank. "With such low interest rates one can use the equity in your home to get a long term loan to consolidate other expenses -- auto, credit cards, student or repairs -- into a single, low payment -- freeing up substantial cash flow and potentially creating a tax deductible interest," he says. "Another option is to investigate a reverse mortgage - just make sure it works for you." One other way to use your home to generate more dollars in your 60s, 70s and 80s is turn it into a rental options for travelers. "I believe the new American dream is having a home that allows for extra rental income, through home sharing ala Airbnb," notes Susie Wyshak, an Airbnb host in Oakland. "While not every area allows it, the option to have a renter to supplement income and have someone around, if you live alone, is pretty unbeatable." The key takeaway is this -- if you haven't saved enough for retirement, start thinking about bolstering your retirement fund with extra income. You'll appreciate the additional cash, and you'll be plugged in to a brand new experience in your golden years.
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For the average small real estate investor , outright ownership of an office building, a local shopping center, a warehouse, or even an apartment complex is a dream that will go unrealized. However, there is an investment vehicle that does allow smaller investors to participate in the commercial marketplace by buying an interest in those property types, without the hassle of daily management responsibilities, while providing great potential for a passive income. Those vehicles are known as real estate investment trusts (or REITs). Created by Congress in 1960, REITs allow anyone to invest in a variety of commercial real estate, depending on the type of property a particular REIT specializes in. "While the Internet has made it easier for investors to find and buy commercial real estate, these transactions are still more complex and certainly more expensive than a typical residential property purchase," says Rick Sharga, executive vice president at Auction.com, an online real estate marketplace. "Real estate investment trusts may be a viable option for investors who'd like to diversify their portfolios by adding commercial real estate, but aren't comfortable with the complexity or can't meet the capital requirements that buying commercial properties involve," he says. From hotels to apartments to assisted living facilities, office buildings, industrial space, retail space and more worldwide, REITs are mandated by law to be widely held and to distribute most of their income as dividends to shareholders. And because investors can purchase shares on the stock market, REITs are considered to be a very liquid asset. "REITs provide mom-and-pop investors with instant liquidity. By owning REITs they have the ability to enter and exit on a daily basis," says Samuel Sahn, a portfolio manager in the New York office of Timbercreek Asset Management, who currently manages $800 million in REIT stocks. Additionally, Sahn says REITs are a good risk mitigator that provides diversification to a household's portfolio. "Mom-and-pop investors have the ability to purchase REITs. It provides them with real estate exposure they can't get on their own, plus access to the best assets in the world," he says. "It's tough to buy a storage unit or a hotel along with having the expertise and time to manage those assets." Equity versus mortgage REITs. According to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), 90 percent of all market capitalization in the REIT industry is focused on equity REITs. Their business model is that of a real estate company that buys specific types of commercial properties. Investors' capital gets pooled together and then the REIT's management team purchases the type of properties the REIT specializes in. After expenses are paid, the bulk of the REIT's annual income is distributed to investors/shareholders as dividends. Any capital appreciation from the sale of properties is also distributed in the dividends. On the other side are mortgage REITs . In this scenario, investors are putting their money into the debt financing side of the business. The business model for mortgage REITs is to invest in real estate mortgages (mostly single-family home loans) or mortgage-backed securities. Investors in turn earn income from the interest paid on those investments and the sale of mortgages. Long-term returns. Whether the investor chooses to go with equity REITs or mortgage REITs is an individual decision that should be based on the investor's long-term investment goals and strategy. Unlike the quick double-digit rates of return veteran investors are accustomed to as either owners of rental units or as flippers, buying shares of REITs is a more conservative play that has the proven potential for a more sustainable rate of return, albeit over a long period of time. According to data compiled by NAREIT, over the past 25 years equity REITs based in the U.S. have outperformed the Standard & Poor's 500 index in terms of income and total returns combined. "Looking at the current dividend yield is not enough," said Brad Case, senior vice president of research and industry information for NAREIT. "You want something that will give you a strong dividend yield and appreciation in value. It needs to be supported by a long track record." NAREIT data shows that listed equity REITs had an average total return of 12.14 percent per year for the last 20 years without the reinvestment of dividends, while reinvesting dividends yielded an average total return of 17.60 percent per year. Long-term yields are an important factor, particularly for investors who are looking for a stable income stream to assure they have funds when they are ready to retire. "As an investor, you should be looking for investments that will pay the bills and also grow your wealth so you're not running out of money," Case says. "That's one of the greatest things most retirees are worried about." Economic factors are important to valuation. Like any other investment vehicle, the value of REITs and their return on investment are tied in large part to economic factors such as interest rates (which are of particular concern to investors in mortgage REITs), unemployment, inflation and many others. Although he can't predict whether REITs will continue to outperform the stock market over any particular time period, Case notes that the average real estate cycle is much longer than the average stock market cycle (18 years for real estate versus four years for the stock market). Given those numbers, Case believes that the current real estate market cycle is a bull market that is not even halfway along and has several years of strong returns to go. So while the nation's overall economy does have an impact on the market for REITs, Case recommends that investors have a well-diversified exposure to the real estate cycle and that REITs be a part of every portfolio. "My basic recommendation is that you should always have a significant piece of your portfolio in REITs. It you don't currently have it, there's no reason to think it's a bad time," he says. "I can't tell you that the returns between now and the end of the year will be good, but I can say that in the next eight years it is more likely to be good than bad." Plus the investor can start off small because a lot of REITs have no minimum buy-in, Case says. While there are some global markets performing well, Sahn believes the U.S. has the strongest economic fundamentals to support today's REIT market, which will translate into the strongest earnings growth of any of the developed markets in the world. Options for selecting REITs. For investors who like to be actively involved in selecting assets and managing their own portfolio, there is nothing stopping them from selecting and buying shares of REITs individually through a stock broker, financial advisor or financial planner. Whether their interest lies in storage units, retail malls, multi-family apartments, or any other type of commercial property, for investors who understand where they are putting their money, REITs offer an opportunity to actively manage a diverse portfolio. However, for those who are not so confident in selecting particular REITs or property types, there is the option to buy as many or as few shares as they want through either a mutual fund or an exchange-traded fund, such as those available through Vanguard, Fidelity or JPMorgan Chase & Co., along with many other providers. Then there are actively managed funds that research the REIT market and strive to build portfolios of REITs that will outperform the market , Sahn says. "They pick the market and the property type based on where they find the best underlying fundamentals," he says. "You can have the same property type, but depending on the geographic location you can have different fundamentals." No matter which way an investor decides to go when it comes to choosing REITs for investment potential, as always it is good to get a financial advisor involved to address any concerns before putting up the money. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report
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At least 10 inmates were killed during an electrical fire at a penal colony in central Philippines. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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Rep. Kevin McCarthy's surprise decision to withdraw from the race for speaker of the House laid bare the ideological battle within the Republican party. WSJ's Jerry Seib explains the rifts. Photo:AP
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Thailand's premier Friday said the kingdom must counter online dissent and royal defamation as public outcry mounts over junta plans to launch a single Internet gateway that critics say will muzzle the web. Activists brought down several government websites last week in protest at plans dubbed the "Great Firewall of Thailand", a play on China's draconian Internet censorship programme. Nearly 150,000 people have signed an online petition against the proposal seen as a way to more easily block content on the web, one of the biggest public rallying points since the military seized power from an elected government last year. On his weekly "Returning happiness to the nation" programme Friday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha reiterated "no conclusions" had been reached on the plans and that "human rights must be respected". But he stressed that Thailand faces "cyber threats" and political misinformation, urging viewers "to find an effective way to handle illegal websites, and those that defame our highest institution (the monarchy)", in a transcript released before the televised broadcast. Thailand's royal family is protected by one of the world's strictest and most controversial lese majeste laws under which prosecutions have skyrocketed since the coup. The vast majority of recent cases have been brought over comments made online -- including a record-breaking 30-year sentence for one man over the content of six Facebook posts. Activists opposed to a single gateway have vowed to take action if the government does not cancel or review its plans by October 14. In a Facebook post published earlier on Friday the group "Citizens Against Single Gateway: Thailand Internet Firewall" warned that if their deadline passed unheeded they would take "tougher" action that "may affect services provided by some public agencies". Thai government websites last week were hit by Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, which cripple a targeted website by barraging it with automated requests from multiple sources, making it almost impossible to prevent. Authorities responded by saying they would trace and arrest future attackers.
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Hamas's leader in Gaza has declared the current lethal unrest in Jerusalem and the West Bank an intifada, as five Palestinians were shot dead protesting at the border fence, further raising the stakes after a week of escalating violence. The comments by Ismail Haniyeh contradicted recent remarks by Fatah's leadership, including the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. There has been increasingly widespread use of the hashtag #intifada on Palestinian social media. In a sermon for Friday prayers at a mosque in Gaza City, Haniyeh said: "We are calling for the strengthening and increasing of the intifada. It is the only path that will lead to liberation. Gaza will fulfil its role in the Jerusalem intifada and it is more than ready for confrontation." Related: Six dead as violence continues in Israel and Palestinian territories - live updates Israeli troops fired across the border into Gaza, killing five and wounding 23 others among a group throwing stones and taking part in a rally, hospital officials in Gaza said. The rally had been called in support of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem and followed a spate of attacks by Palestinians against Israelis and reprisals by Jews against Arabs. An Israeli military spokeswoman said around 200 Palestinians massed at the border fence in northern Gaza, throwing rocks and rolling burning tyres toward troops stationed on the other side. In the southern Israeli city of Dimona, a Jewish attacker stabbed on two Palestinians and two Arab Israelis, and later told police: "All Arabs are terrorists." A Palestinian stabbed a policeman near the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba, near Hebron, and was shot dead by the policeman, who was lightly wounded. A 16-year-old Israeli was lightly wounded in a stabbing in Jerusalem. An 18-year-old Palestinian suspect was arrested. A woman was shot after a stabbing attempt in the northern Israeli town of Afula. Video of the incident at a bus station showed the woman surrounded by police and security guards, apparently raising her hands before being shot multiple times. Moment woman is shot at bus station in Israel The violence has been characterised by random-seeming and low-tech attacks with knives and screwdrivers. Israel has installed metal detectors at the gates of Jerusalem's Old City and deployed extra security forces. The so-called seam line between the Jewish west and largely Palestinian east Jerusalem close to the Old City the scene of a number of attacks and attempted attacks over the last year was eerily quiet on Friday. The mounting tension has empowered hardliners on both sides. In the Old City's Al-Wad Street, near the corner of the Via Dolorosa in the Muslim Quarter, where last weekend a rabbi, Nechamia Lavie, was stabbed to death, supporters have established a presence and there have been visits by prominent politicians including Yitzhak Herzog, the Israeli Labour party leader, and Yair Lapid. A Palestinian man is arrested by Israeli border police at Friday prayers in Jerusalem. Photograph: Peter Beaumont for the Guardian Another camp has been established by supporters of the settlement movement outside the home of the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, in Jerusalem's Balfour Street, protesting at his handling of the current crisis. There have been visits by rightwing members of Netanyahu's own cabinet including the education minister, Naftali Bennett. Among those visiting the camp on Thursday evening was Eitan Schulman, 34, and his family, who had travelled from the settlement of Eli, in the central West Bank. Schulman told the Guardian: "We feel strongly that the government is not acting strongly enough. We voted for a rightwing government but we are not getting rightwing policies." He added: "We should build, build, build in response to each attack. Jews are too accustomed to being merciful with our enemies. We have to know how to fight hard." Children pray and light candles at the site of rabbi Nechamia Lavie's killing in the Muslim quarter on Jerusalem's Old City. Photograph: Peter Beaumont for the Guardian Bennet, visiting the protest tents, was equally tough, telling supporters that Palestinians had "been trying to kill Jews for 120 years" but Jews would continue living there and keep building. A few days earlier, a senior Fatah official, Issa Qaraka, said: "I don't like to put big names or slogans like intifada. All I can say is that what is happening right now is a popular rage. In order to bring this under control [the Israelis] need to control the settlers. We cannot control people on our side if they fail to control their side." The reality is that neither side appears fully in control amid "lone wolf" stabbing attacks by Palestinians and attempted lynchings by Israelis including an incident in the seaside town of Netanya on Thursday night when a mob set on three Palestinians. Underlining these concerns, the Israeli public security minister, Gilad Erdan, told journalists at the scene of an attack on a 15-year-old yeshiva student in Jerusalem: "Jewish terrorists are also taking part in attacks. We won't allow anyone to take the law into their own hands." Related: Violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories the Guardian briefing Palestinian anger is largely focused on events at al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City and fears that Israel is trying to change the status quo at the holy site, revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount. Netanyahu has denied wanting to change conditions under which Jews are allowed to visit the site. Both Netanyahu and Abbas have called for calm, and Palestinian police continue to coordinate with Israeli security forces to try to restore order, but there are few signs of the tension and violence dying down. Palestinian protests were planned in Jerusalem and West Bank cities after Muslim prayers on Friday, and Israel has deployed thousands more police and soldiers. Muslim access to al-Aqsa has been restricted to men over 45 and women.
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We're all looking for faster, more productive ways to work, but sometimes our positive intentions can override practicality. In other words, what sounds like a good idea at the time can quickly turn into the worst idea ever. However, we often don't know what a good idea looks like until we try. Taking risks is important -- buying down risk is better. There's a fine line between smart and stupid, and sometimes our motivations can make that line a little blurry. Make sure you're on the right side of the line by avoiding these seven workplace beliefs: 1. "Let's work through lunch so we can leave sooner." The reality is, when you work through lunch you find yourself not only hungry but angry and cranky later on, falling into what's known in the medical profession as "hangry." OK, this may not be a medical term, but it should be. 2. "I'm just going to check email real quick." Just as there's no such thing as one beer, there's no such thing as "real quick" when it comes to email. It takes time to open email, read through it, compose your thoughts and assemble them into one cohesive message, not to mention reviewing that email before you hit "send." If checking your email is a must, set a limit of how many you will review and stick to it. 3. "I'll follow up with you later." Sure you will. This is essentially the same thing as saying, "I'm going to procrastinate as long as possible because I don't want to do [task]." Timing is of the essence and sometimes you do need to wait for others. If you're the one waiting for a response, be sure to identify a deadline for when said person will get back to you by. Doing so creates commitment and accountability. 4. "If I arrive early into work then I'll leave early." Not gonna happen. Not unless you're the boss and you set your own hours, because let's face it, you're not going to be the guy or gal who leaves at 2 p.m. while everybody else is working just because you arrived before the sun came up. 5. "Let's grab just one drink after work." There's no such thing as "just one drink." Going through BUD/S (Navy SEAL training), there was a saying that was constantly pounded into our heads (take that as you may): "Two is one. One is none." In other words, always have a backup -- for everything. Strangely, drinking is no different. 6. "I think I'll utilize the boss's open-door policy." This isn't a good idea either. Even though bosses lay claim to openness to hear everyone's gripes and issues, the reality is whatever you say to your boss won't be forgotten. Cognitive biases (mental shortcuts) inhibit our decision-making because we're unaware of their influence, and saying to your boss, "I think we can be more productive by …" isn't likely to disappear after you leave his or her office. I'm not saying ignore the issue, just find another avenue to solve it. 7. "I'll just file this under miscellaneous and come back to it." Yeah, right -- along with the 800 other files and emails categorized under the universal "miscellaneous" tag. This is similar to bookmarking webpages to peruse later. Want to know how many "favorites" I have saved in my browser? Probably close to a million. Want to know how many I actually visited? Maybe five.
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USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken gives his take on Week 5 of the college football season.
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LONDON Suspended and shamed, Sepp Blatter is still hoping to return to power as FIFA president within the next 10 days. Blatter was banned for 90 days on Thursday, essentially ending his 17-year reign as the leader of soccer's governing body. But Klaus Stoehlker, a close associate of Blatter, told The Associated Press on Friday that the Swiss official is aiming to be back at work very soon. "He has made an appeal and everybody hopes there will be a decision in the next 10 days," Stoehlker said. "He is very, very tough ... he is sure he will have the right to be back. He doesn't feel he is out of the job. That's a huge misunderstanding." Both Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini were given 90-day bans in the wake of a Swiss criminal case investigating financial misconduct at FIFA. Blatter has lodged an appeal, his lawyers said Friday, and has asked for the ethics committee to release the reasons for the suspension. Platini has also said he will fight the decision. Even if Blatter's appeal fails, he could be back to work before the emergency presidential election scheduled for Feb. 26. Platini, however, would likely be forced out of the running to succeed Blatter if his expected appeal fails. Given the extent of the crisis, however, the election could be postponed. That would be a decision for the FIFA executive committee, which will meet on Oct. 20. "We have to discuss this among ourselves and then we decide," Cypriot executive committee member Marios Lefkaritis told the AP. "It's not something automatically (to say) 'Yes or no.' It's a very important topic item." One option could be to shift the election to the annual congress, which is due to be held in Mexico in May. The acting FIFA president is Issa Hayatou, the head of the African soccer confederation. Hours after taking over as president on Thursday, Hayatou defended himself from accusations of corruption, denying that he and another former FIFA executive committee member received bribes of $1.5 million from Qatar at a meeting in Angola in early 2010. "Someone said he was there when we were given $1.5 million each in Angola?," said the 69-year-old Hayatou, who is from Cameroon. "It's cash. How do you give each of us $1.5 million in Angola?" Hayatou has said he will not stand in the upcoming election, leaving the field wide open. Presidential contenders have to submit their candidacies by Oct. 26 to the FIFA ethics panel, which will assess whether they pass integrity checks. As it stands, Platini would almost certainly be deemed ineligible even though his ban his due to expire before the election. UEFA's 54 members, who are due to meet on Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland, are still backing Platini. "We need to discuss (calls for an election postponement) in more detail and understand the timeline and implications for those involved, including Mr. Platini," Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan said. "Only then would we be able to make a balanced judgment." It has been two weeks since Swiss investigators turned up at Blatter's office at FIFA headquarters and interrogated him. The criminal case centers on whether Blatter misused FIFA money by making a $2 million payment to Platini. In a separate FIFA corruption case, Switzerland's justice ministry granted an American request to extradite Costas Takkas, a former assistant to CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb and the former general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association. Takkas was among the seven officials arrested on May 27 in Zurich. He is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for awarding marketing contracts.
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USA Today Sports' Tom Pelissero weighs in on how the Seahawks are wasting Jimmy Graham as an offensive weapon.
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Suspect in police custody
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Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking recently revealed in a Reddit AMA that he finds women to be the most intriguing mystery of all; he also shared his favorite song and movie as well as his thoughts on artificial intelligence.
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Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet wins Nobel Peace Prize. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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Three weeks after Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli jacked up the price of niche toxoplasmosis drug Daraprim 55-fold after acquiring it from Impax Laboratories Inc. (NASDAQ: IPXL) many in the biotech world are saying that the public outcry will deaden the appetite for such buy-and-raises in the future. But that may not be the case. In August, Shkreli bought the rights to Daraprim, a little-known drug that treats toxoplasmosis, a fungal infection that is usually asymptomatic but can become serious in patients with weakened immune systems. One month later, Shkreli jacked up the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 a pill, daring any potential competitor to undercut him. The reason Shkreli and other buy-and-raisers can get away with something like this is that there are so few Daraprim prescriptions filled annually that the costs of manufacturing a generic version outweigh the potential revenues. The question is, if Shkreli can do it, why couldn't Impax do the same when they owned it? The answer only seems to be one of personality. The 32-year-old, baby-faced Shkreli already has shown himself to be over-the-top in his business practices, having been fired as CEO of Retrophin Inc. (NASDAQ: RTRX) for questionable promotion practices, alleged misuse of company funds and allegedly threatening his employees. He is now under investigation by securities regulators and has pleaded the fifth to avoid testifying at his trial. ALSO READ: Hot Political Rhetoric Hammers Specialty Pharmaceuticals: 3 to Buy Now True to form, Shkreli has said he would lower the price of Daraprim back down but hasn't actually done it. He probably figures that if he can outlast the initial wave of negative publicity, people will just forget about the whole thing and he'll have left his detractors holding the bag. He may be right. Going forward though, one of two things may happen. Either generics giants like Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) and Mylan N.V. (NASDAQ: MYL) will start preempting the Shkreli-type sharks and do their own slightly less audacious buy-and-raises, or the government will outlaw these types of price raises, ending the practice. The latter move would be extremely dangerous, as it would provide a precedent for price controls in medicine, which could end up causing medicine shortages. So if the government refrains from interfering directly here, aside from a few choice tweets from Hillary Clinton , what we are likely to see is the larger generics companies engaging in the same practice, just not as egregiously. After all, if Shkreli can raise prices by a factor 55, Teva or Mylan could certainly do the same by a factor of, say, two or three, given economies of scale, and save us all the difference. While some biotech executives like Allergan PLC's (NYSE: AGN) Brent Saunders have suggested that these deals will slow dramatically following public outcry , this is probably just a PR move. The fact is, the small patient populations that make the buy-and-raise possible in the first place are a double-edged sword, because very few are actually affected by the price raise, cutting off any fuel line that would prolong an outcry. So far, Shkreli has not lowered Daraprim's price back down at all. If he doesn't very soon, he probably never will because the public relations storm will subside with every passing day. And if he never does, and the government stays out of it, the bigger players will start thinking if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. In that case, we should start to see larger companies like Teva and Mylan preempting the Shkrelis of the world and completing their own buy-and-raises, carefully calibrated so as not to stoke as much public ire and tweets from politicians as Shkreli's did. Either that, or the original companies themselves will start raising the prices of any drug with a small enough patient population to get away with it. In other words, any way you look at it, higher prices are coming.
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Vaughn Ridley/Getty The Rangers beat the Blue Jays in Game 1 of the ALDS yesterday, 5-3, but the game took a toll on both sides as arguably the three most important offensive players in the entire series all left with injuries at different points in the game. First, Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre exited with back stiffness. He appeared to first tweak it sliding into second base earlier in the game, but after an RBI single in the 3rd, he could hardly run to first base. He left the game practically in tears. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Then, in the 5th inning, Toronto third baseman and AL MVP favorite Josh Donaldson left for precautionary reasons after taking a knee to the head while sliding into second base. It was an ugly play and Donaldson looked shaken up afterwards. Vaughn Ridley/Getty Here's another angle: Vaughn Ridley/Getty In the 8th inning, Bautista left the game with hamstring tightness and missed his final at bat. While the circumstances for Bautista and Donaldson leaving were different, that they both left the game at all outraged Pete Rose, who for Fox Sports 1 as a commenter. Tweet Embed: https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/652259021303386112 Here's Pete Rose's complete quote calling out #BlueJays Josh Donaldson and Jose Bautista for leaving Game 1. pic.twitter.com/TlhKCqceSb Under the MLB's concussion policy , it's likely that Donaldson didn't even have a choice in leaving the game. And when you consider how tough of a player Donaldson is, especially this season, it's hard to imagine him electing to leave the first playoff game in Toronto since 1993. Still, Rose seems to believe that a scary head injury isn't enough to leave a game in the first place. After the game, the Jays announced that Donaldson had passed his concussion test. He and Bautista are both back in the lineup for Game 2, which begins Friday afternoon at 12:45. Beltre, meanwhile, is out of the lineup for the Rangers. NOW WATCH: These are your chances of dying if you participate in these extreme sports
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Multi-tasking during meals is a no-no, yet most of us do it every day. Eating while emailing? I'm guilty. Having dinner while watching TV? Yep, I do that, too. Noshing on breakfast while walking to my car (and then into the office) in the mornings? Mmmhmm. Now, a new study abstract published in the Journal of Health Psychology has found the very worst activity to mix with your meals: eating while you walk. Researchers at the University of Surrey in England looked at three groups of women to test multiple forms of distracted snacking. One group watched a 5-minute clip of "Friends" on TV while eating a cereal bar; another ate that cereal bar while walking; the third group ate the bar while sitting opposite a friend and talking. After the experiment, all of the groups were asked to complete a questionnaire and taste-test chocolate, carrot sticks, grapes, and potato chips. (Looking to conquer your weight issues? When the study participants left, the researchers measured how much of each snack each group ate and found that the women who'd been asked to eat while walking consumed 5 times more chocolate than the other groups. (Finally, an explanation for the ever-dwindling stash of candy I keep in my desk drawer.) Susan Albers, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in mindful eating and author of EAT-Q: Unlock the Weight Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence, says she thinks it's because of the number of distractions that can pop up while you're on the go. "When you're walking, you're engaged in so many activities, like paying attention to where you're going and trying not to run into things," says Albers. "It's next to impossible to actually focus on what you're eating, which can keep you from processing how it's having an impact on your hunger." The study authors also hypothesized that because walking is a form of exercise, it may be used as form of justification for eating more later on. If you can't avoid eating while walking, Albers suggests wearing your headphones. "They can help block out external noises and minimize the number of distractions," she says, "which means you can be more mindful about what you're eating." It also doesn't hurt to get a bit more mindful about when and where you eat in general, says Albers, who offers these 5 "S"s for staying distraction-free when you eat: 1. Sit down. "Only eat when you're off your feet," says Albers. When you sit, you're inherently more focused, which means you're more likely to make better choices and give your body a chance to recognize how much you're consuming and how full you are after you eat, preventing a pig-out later on. 2. Slowly chew. This is nearly impossible to do in any of the scenarios the researchers tested, says Albers. "Whether you're eating while walking, chatting with friends, or watching TV, it's common to match your eating pace to whatever pace that's around you." Albers' trick: eat with your non-dominant hand, which can slow you down by about 30%, she says. "And if you must eat while walking, maybe hum a mellow tune in your head, which can help you slow down." 3. Savor. This is the fun part the part where you really get to taste what you're eating and recognize that piece of fruit or granola bar or whatever it is you're munching on as the delicious sustenance it is. To learn how to really taste your food, do a little experiment: Eat just 5 raisins one at a time, as slowly and mindfully as you can, and write down what they taste like, how they feel in your mouth, how the texture changed as you chewed them, and so forth. 4. Simplify your environment. When Albers eats at her desk (Rejoice! Even mindfulness experts do this!), she swivels her chair away from her computer monitor until she finishes lunch. She also turns off her phone. "Even if my cell phone is across the room, if I hear it ding, my attention goes from my plate to who's trying to contact me," she says. Also put healthy food in a convenient location, and avoid buying junk food that you know you won't be able to resist. 5. Smile between bites. It may sound silly, but Albers says it creates a gap moment between the thought, "I want more," and actually having another bite. "Smiling also pumps feel-good chemicals throughout your body that can help reduce stress and emotional eating," she says.
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A college kicker in New Jersey used some quick thinking to the get the job done after he kicked the ball into his own linemen.
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Kevin Love is eager to get back on the floor perhaps even in time for the Cavaliers' opener on Oct. 27. About six months after a shoulder dislocation ended his playoff run in the first round last season, Love feels optimistic about the start of this one. "I feel pretty good," Love told Sporting News. "As far as the opener goes, I am not completely sure. I'll probably get with the doctors and see what they have to say. I know that my six-month post-op is coming up here pretty fast. As far as getting the strength back, getting the range of motion, I feel pretty good, so I am looking forward to getting into some more contact, getting into a rhythm and getting out there as quickly as I can." MORE: 4 East teams with a shot at beating Cavs | Love initially refuses apology from Celtic who injured his shoulder Love has been cleared for 3-on-3 practices, but not yet for 5-on-5. If it were up to him, he'd be back on the court, but he understands he needs to follow the rehab protocol for his injury. "(Six months is) just a ballpark figure that has generally been thrown out there by anybody who has talked about the rehab process for this kind of an injury," Love said. "I like to think that I am ahead of the game, but there's different tests and the due diligence that the doctor will go through and the training staff will go through. So all I can do is go out there every day and attack my rehab and hopefully I will be able to go out there and help these guys as soon as possible." Of course, which guys he will be helping out remains a question. The Cavs are also dealing with injuries to Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, with big man Tristan Thompson still a contract holdout. Even when all are healthy, the hope is that Love will take on a bigger offensive role in Cleveland, after averaging 16.4 points and 9.7 rebounds last year, down from the 26.1 points and 12.5 rebounds he posted the previous year in Minnesota. Both LeBron James and coach David Blatt have said they plan to utilize Love more. Asked if he has already started to plan for that bigger role or if he will just let it develop in time, Love said, "I think a little bit of both. I think when I really jump back into things and I am cleared for full contact and I get out there 5-on-5, maybe get into some preseason games, I don't know, then I will start thinking about that stuff, and really see where I fit into things and how I can help this team right away. When we get all of our guys back, everybody gets to full strength, we're off and running." Love was speaking in connection with his partnership with the Shock Doctor mouthguards he has been wearing. Around the NBA, mouthguards have become more popular, and Love said he hopes that younger players pick up on that. "I think, growing up, you tend not to wear them because you don't think they're cool," he said. "I can't tell you why that is, but I think it is moving toward a younger demographic, actually wearing mouthguards that fit them and protect them. I partnered with Shock Doctor to teach young athletes to protect themselves on the field or court. I have had adult braces and kind of done everything to protect my teeth throughout my time at UCLA and in the NBA. I wish I'd done it in high school and earlier."
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Half baths may be smaller than their full-fledged counterparts, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice on storage or style. Learn how to make the most of every inch of space in your small bathroom with these smart and attainable tips. Work the Wall Blank walls are a half bath's best friend. Use them to your advantage with a multitude of wall-mounted options like shelves, medicine cabinets, and towel racks. While these solutions will keep your necessities organized, they'll also free up space on the countertops, allowing the room to feel airy and open instead of cluttered and claustrophobic. Cut Corners A half bath's biggest battle is making the most of small square footage . A triangular shelf is a small-space wonder that fits snugly in a corner of the room, maximizing functionality in a minimal footprint. You can stow spare hand towels, baskets of extra toilet paper, and even a few decorative items here, confident that the unit won't swallow up too much of the room. Deck the Door Creative storage solutions make a big difference in a half bath. The back of the door, for example, offers prime organizational real estate that often goes unused. Over-the-door mirrors, towel racks, and even medicine cabinet alternatives like this one can work miracles by opening up space in other, more crowded areas of the bathroom. Skirt the Issue Pedestal sinks are notorious for offering little to no storage opportunities , as they lack the countertop or cabinet base that many standard baths have. But you don't have to feel oppressed by your pedestal sink. Instead, craft an organization zone of your own by stashing plungers, toilet brushes, or other unattractive essentials beneath the sink, and then concealing them with a skirt. Float On Floating shelves are a stylish spot for decorative and functional items like candles, soaps , and toiletries. Because they are suspended from the wall without any visible supports, these shelves provide storage without adding much visual weight to the room just what a half bath needs. Aim High Another well-kept storage secret lies in the span of wall above your door. While this spot may not be readily accessible for everyday items, it can act as the perfect perch for toilet paper, soap refills, or other stockpiled goods that usually eat up space on the counter or in the cabinets . Related: 8 (Truly) Unexpected Storage Spots Embrace the Awkward Space Keep bathroom essentials off the sink but close at hand by installing shelves or organizers in the space above the toilet. This awkward area offers an excellent opportunity for personalization, serving as display zone for mementos or decorative accents that can make a half bath feel more lived-in. Think Tall If you lack a linen closet, tall shelving can be a lifesaver for storing towels, cleaning products, a wastebasket, and more. Choose a unit that has open compartments to keep things easily accessible but still organized. As a bonus, this trick will also make your ceilings seem taller and the room feel more spacious.
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After six years together, former world No. 1 Luke Donald has been ditched by his long-time looper. The Mirror reports that Donald is "a little bit surprised" that John McLaren is in search of another job after the pair combined for nearly $30 million in earnings for Donald between the PGA and European tours. The standard 10 percent caddie rate would mean McLaren earned between $2 and $3 million working for Donald. The former world No. 1's last victory came at the 2013 Dunlop Phoenix, a Japan Golf Tour event he won two years in a row, but he's fallen to 66th in the world after spending a total of 56 weeks atop the ranking between May 2011 and August 2012. NEWSLETTERS: Sign up to get the latest golf news in your inbox "It was more his decision than mine. I was a little surprised," Donald told the Mirror. "Now I am looking for someone who is energetic, upbeat and brings a good energy to the round." McLaren had the following to say regarding the split with Donald: "I just felt it had run its course. There were just a couple of things that I don't need to go into that made me feel it was time for a change." Ahead of this year's British Open at St. Andrews McLaren wrote a column for GolfMagic.com in which he stated : "The caddie's role has increased dramatically. It is so much more intense. Modern players leave no stone unturned and Luke expects a lot from me. I know him better than anyone, including his team and family. Nobody is as close as a caddie in terms of being out there when it is actually happening. When the crunch comes it it just you two. You need to be confident in what you're saying and that it is based on what you've learned of his personality." Donald's current caddie at the British Masters in England is Dean Elliot, who has worked previously for Stephen Ames and Greg Chalmers among others. He will reportedly try out other options before the year ends.
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Taylor Swift just overtook Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé to become the queen of Instagram with 50 million followers.
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High up in one of Hong Kong's ubiquitous skyscrapers a group of women are being put through their paces, straining against the weight of a novel training accessory -- their children. Dubbed 'Mumba' these exercise classes are a new twist on the baby-wearing trend gripping mothers in the city. Once the preserve of traditional communities, the art of wrapping a baby across a caregiver's body so it can be carried during daily activities is being taken up by modern parents. In Hong Kong, where narrow hilly streets and unforgiving urban landscape often render strollers and prams useless -- many frustrated parents are now going back to basics out of necessity. Proving the old adage, invention has followed. 'Mumba' fitness, baby-wearing bellydance, ballet, yoga and pilates classes, and even suspension training (TRX) classes have sprung up in recent months -- all allowing parents to exercise while their baby is strapped to them in a carrier. "There is huge demand from mums who wanted to get back in shape and to get strong again after the challenges of labour, but who also didn't want to leave their young babies behind while they spent time exercising," explains Ifat Hindes, co-founder of Mumba Fitness. "We have combined different types of exercise including yoga, dance, TRX, and pilates, and the bonus is that you are using your baby for weight training," she says. "There's no need for expensive gadgets -- it's just you and your baby, with other parents, being guided by a professional. You know everyone is in the same boat. Hong Kong can be a difficult and unwelcoming city for new mothers." - Back in vogue - While in many cities frazzled parents can soothe their baby -- and stretch their legs -- by strolling through the park with the pram, Hong Kong's high-rise living and unwieldy streets can leave many here feeling trapped and lonely in relatively small apartments. New mother Angela Gou explains: "I was looking for a way to get out and meet other mums. I always want to exercise but it's hard to leave the baby at home. So these sessions solve the problem. Plus my baby likes it and thinks we're playing a game." Most baby-wearing exercise programmes recommend infants are three months or older to take part to ensure adequate neck control, and check positioning to ensure babies hips are protected. Chartered physiotherapist Helen Binge, who runs paediatric firm Physiobaby, told AFP: "The growing trend to exercise whilst baby-wearing is fine, as long as the baby sling is very supportive, and the activity level of the baby wearer is not too vigorous." From structured types for sport to traditional woven cloth style, there is now a baby-wearing option for every occasion. "Carriers have been used across cultures for thousands of years, but, like breastfeeding, went out of 'vogue' for a long period as people moved toward a more product-driven approach toward caring for small babies," says Trish Kelly who co-founded Hong Kong's Babywearing group. She adds that renewed interest in natural birth and breastfeeding has meant traditional approaches to child-rearing are back in fashion. "But for Hong Kong I think it comes down to practicality. Moms like what works. Baby-wearing is a practical way of getting around. It is notoriously wheelchair and stroller unfriendly -- I feel like every ramp has a set of stairs at the end." - On every parent's list - Retailers and fitness services in the city have picked up on this desire for a practical solution. Mey Jen, director of Oasis Dance Centre, adapted her traditional belly-dancing class to incorporate baby-wearing after requests from mothers desperate to keep up with their hobby once their children were born. She says: "The mothers want to belly-dance and they want to be with their babies at the same time. The little ones react very naturally to the beats and the movement. Often the babies become very calm and fall asleep." Hong Kong retailer Bumps to Babes has seen carrier sales jump by nine percent in 2015. Director Katrin Walker comments: "Virtually every new parent who comes into the store has it on their list and we highly recommend them. Parents that think a pushchair is the only thing they need invariably come back within the first month to buy one anyway." Victoria Chuard who runs local boutique Petit Tippi adds demand for activewear wraps is rising. "Since we began selling the Wrapsody Duo -- which is perfect for exercise, swimming, even showering if you can't put your baby down and desperately need one, as well as normal use -- we have seen a 200 percent increase in sales," she explains. Brands such as Ergo, which has a carrier that allows the baby to be carried on the hip, on the front or at the back, are now as well known to parents as big stroller names such as Bugaboo and Maclaren in the city. Mother-of-two Kelly says: "I have three high-end strollers that have sat mostly unused since I began wearing. It's simplified things."
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We're not sure what the opposite of a sleeper is, but the Subaru XV Crosstrek 2.0i we tested in Premium Special Edition guise has to be a strong candidate. Mostly, what's special is the retina-searing Sunrise Yellow paint, quixotically juxtaposed to the otherwise quotidian and practical four-door hatchback that's jacked up with additional ground clearance for foul weather and back-country treks to the pumpkin patch. But, hey, it sure is easy to spot in a sea of crossovers at the mall parking lot. So just when we thought we had the gluten-free wing of the Subaru family pegged, along comes this lemony-fresh all-wheel-drive compact hatchback. It's a contrarian twist on an already contrarian car. The Crosstrek's 148-hp 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder doesn't develop an abundance of power; in our last test of a nonhybrid XV Crosstrek, it teamed with a five-speed manual transmission to deliver a zero-to-60-mph time of 8.1 seconds. Our latest 2.0-liter test car, however, was equipped with Subaru's optional Lineartronic continuously variable automatic ($1000), which adds 168 pounds to the package. At 10.3 seconds to 60 mph, the CVT-equipped XV Crosstrek's acceleration fell somewhere between the breathless squirt of a Toyota Prius and a Chevrolet Spark CVT not exactly fast company. But you already knew that this Subaru wasn't hanging out with its fast and furious Impreza-based cousins, the WRX and STI. Judging the XV Crosstrek on performance stats alone would be missing the whole point of this car. The Crosstrek comes down on the terrapin side of the tortoise/hare continuum. Its mantra is to complete the journey, even when apexes get greasy with rain or snow or the tarmac is disintegrating or nonexistent. Related link: Research the 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek The XV Crosstrek's test-track numbers a mushy 0.79 g of lateral grip on the skidpad and a lengthy 186-foot stop from 70 mph seem more appropriate for a big SUV than a compact hatch. But in real-world driving, the little Subie comes into its own. The ride is well-damped without undo jostling or head toss, and body roll is held in check. The Crosstrek's suspension rounds the edge off of harsh impacts. A new-for-2015 quicker 14:1 steering gear provides prompt response to inputs and, despite electric power assist, feels pleasantly organic. The weighting is just right and the car feels relaxed and planted on-center. Brake response is decent with progressive feel and plenty of bite. We experienced no fade in our testing. Recent updates to the CVT mean the engine doesn't drone under acceleration, as there are some steps programmed in that simulate six gearchanges; even without using the steering-wheel paddles, the transmission "upshifts" in stages. Inside, the Crosstrek's seats are all-day comfortable with good lower-torso support, and they feature a grippy, nylonlike upholstery. As with all Imprezas, the Crosstrek's gauges and controls are simple and straightforward. Outward visibility is great thanks to thin A-pillars, pedestal-mounted mirrors, and small front-quarter windows. A backup camera is standard. In addition to a power sunroof, push-button start, keyless access, and a leather-wrapped shifter, our $26,140 Special Edition (the non-Special 2.0i with a CVT starts two grand cheaper) came equipped with the upgraded Starlink 7.0 Multimedia system with SiriusXM satellite radio, Aha, Pandora, and iHeartRadio; voice-activated controls; and dual USB ports. The infotainment system is easy to use, with large touch points that can be tapped even on a bumpy road, knobs for volume and tuning that don't require eyes-off-the-road time, plus dedicated shortcut keys lining both sides of the screen. Going by the performance stats alone, it's hard to explain the appeal of the XV Crosstrek. One could lower the suspension and go with stickier, wider-section tires in pursuit of driving satisfaction, but that would sacrifice the Crosstrek's all-weather, all-road appeal. The small Subie crossover is comfortable in its own skin even the bright-yellow one. A bit less sleepiness under the hood wouldn't hurt, though. Related link: How does the Crosstrek stack up against its rivals in a comparison test? Specifications > VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED: $26,140 (base price: $24,145) ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve flat-4, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection Displacement: 122 cu in, 1995 cc Power: 148 hp @ 6200 rpm Torque: 145 lb-ft @ 4200 rpm TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic with manual shifting mode DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 103.7 in Length: 175.2 in Width: 70.1 in Height: 63.6 in Passenger volume: 94 cu ft Cargo volume: 22 cu ft Curb weight: 3241 lb C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 10.3 sec Zero to 100 mph: 30.4 sec Zero to 110 mph: 44.0 sec Rolling start, 5 60 mph: 10.5 sec Top gear, 30 50 mph: 5.3 sec Top gear, 50 70 mph: 6.7 sec Standing ¼-mile: 17.9 sec @ 80 mph Top speed (drag limited): 118 mph Braking, 70 0 mph: 186 ft Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad*: 0.79 g FUEL ECONOMY: EPA city/highway driving: 26/34 mpg C/D observed: 26 mpg *Stability-control-inhibited Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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We are at the quarter point of the NFL season, and some strong lines have already been drawn in the sand about which fantasy football players are starters, and which ones are stinking up the joint. It's time to stop letting these guys waste space on your fantasy roster let alone keep starting them in your lineups. Here are eight players it's time to break up with. Matthew Stafford, quarterback, Detroit Lions The Lions aren't the only ones losing with Stafford on their team. Stafford currently ranks 26th in fantasy points, which has him sitting lower than some quarterbacks who haven't even played in all four games. It's quite concerning to see other quarterbacks such as Jameis Winston, Blake Bortles and even Colin Kaepernick ranking higher than Stafford at this point in the season. With the way the Lions are playing, they're just not staying on the field long enough to get within scoring range, which is why Stafford is tanking your fantasy team. Stafford has no business being in anybody's starting lineup, let alone sitting on the bench as a backup quarterback. Surely there are other options available on the waiver wire such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, or even Kirk Cousins, who sits eight ranks above Stafford. Rid yourself of Stafford, because he is not miraculously going to become a top-10 fantasy quarterback in the foreseeable future. The issues run deep in Detroit . T.Y. Hilton, wide receiver, Indianapolis Colts Hilton is just not getting the love his fantasy owners are used to seeing this season. Unfortunately, he has been playing with a turnover-prone and now injured Andrew Luck and an older backup quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck. At this point, Hilton has yet to score a touchdown or cross the 100-yard threshold in five games. Hilton's value has declined. He is averaging only 7.64 fantasy points (standard scoring) per game, and worse still is also catching only 54 percent of his targets. And, while Hilton is missing catches, the other Colts receivers are scoring all of the touchdowns. Donte Moncrief has three touchdowns, and suddenly the Colts remembered Andre Johnson is part of the team, and after Thursday night now has two scores. Hilton is still a name brand receiver who could turn things around when Luck returns and gets with the program. However, the Colts face four teams that are currently undefeated in the next five weeks. There is still trade potential for Hilton for someone who has the patience to wait. DeMarco Murray, running back, Philadelphia Eagles Murray is evolving into a very frustrating first or second overall draft pick, and it's preposterous that we even have to contemplate starting or sitting him at this point . Those who went the Murray route are lamenting the decision in a big way. We can cut him a break for the week he missed due to injury, but we simply cannot ignore how pathetically he has performed so far this season. The Eagles have the fourth-worst rushing offense in the NFL, featuring last season's top rusher. Nothing is adding up in this equation. Murray has only 47 rushing yards trekking around at a sluggish rate of 1.6 yards per attempt. The only thing saving him from being shipped off to waiver-wire land or in a trade are his two touchdowns. Additionally, Murray is stuck in a three-headed running back committee that might not change anytime soon. If you're in need of improvement at another position, somebody out there might be willing to take the troublesome running back off your hands, but don't expect much in return. San Francisco 49ers wide receivers The San Francisco 49ers are the lowest scoring team in the NFL. Even worse is that since Week 1, the team has only scored 9.3 points per game. This means your 49ers fantasy receivers are wasting away, hopefully on your bench by this point. Currently, Torrey Smith ranks 45th in fantasy points with only 185 yards and one touchdown, scored back in Week 2. To date, he only has nine catches resulting from 15 targets over four weeks. Let's just compare this to DeAndre Hopkins who has averaged 15 targets per game this season. And, forget about Anquan Boldin, who has tallied only 124 yards and one touchdown, ranking 55th in wide receiver fantasy points. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick hasn't thrown a touchdown in two games and the only one he did score since was on his feet. He isn't going to magically transform into Aaron Rodgers any time this season. Therefore, other than a rare spike in production here or there, it's a major waste of space rostering any 49ers receiver with how poorly Kap is performing. Jimmy Graham, tight end, Seattle Seahawks As many speculated when Graham got shipped off to the Seattle Seahawks, his fantasy value has disappeared along the way. Currently, Graham ranks 11th in tight end fantasy points and is awarding a depressing average of 7.35 points per week, according to standard scoring systems. Hopefully most who drafted Graham at least waited until a later round to grab him, assuming his value would decline in Seattle. Unfortunately, it appears that Graham will have up and down weeks depending on how the Seahawks want to use him according to the team's offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell: "There's times he's the number one guy, times he's the number three guy, times that we've got him on the far side, we don't even want him involved in it. We're moving the ball around. We're not just going to sit here and throw him 5,000 balls. He's in our thoughts." And, Graham is in our memories as a former stud fantasy football player. Sadly, the Seahawks don't care if Graham is messing up your fantasy team. Perhaps a trade could be struck if you have another tight end who's putting up decent numbers. Emmanuel Sanders, wide receiver, Denver Broncos For the past three seasons, the Denver Broncos' two top wide receivers have finished the year ranked within the top 10. Unfortunately, this is nowhere near the situation so far in 2015. Since someone replaced Peyton Manning's throwing arm with a piece of spaghetti, Emmanuel Sanders ranks 18th and Demaryius Thomas sits at 22nd in fantasy points. While Sanders has more fantasy points, he has less targets (41) than Thomas (50). Thomas has more catches also, making him more valuable in PPR scoring formats. The bottom line is the Broncos are not scoring through the air nearly as much as in year's past. Manning has thrown only six touchdowns this season which puts him on pace to finish the season with only 24 touchdowns if he remains on this course. Therefore, Sanders' production has declined and the Broncos are winning games primarily due to their tremendous defense shutting down the competition. Trade Sanders to an player who is a die-hard Broncos fan while the going is good. Alfred Morris, running back, Washington Redskins Morris has gotten lost in the abyss of a dreaded running back committee, and he has only one week where he posted over 100 rushing yards. Worse yet is that he has failed to score a touchdown. Matt Jones and Chris Thompson are cramping Morris' style and his fantasy owners are paying for it. In standard scoring leagues, Jones ranks 28th in fantasy points compared to Morris' 34th ranking. It's a shame Morris ranks where he does considering Washington's offense leads the league in rushing yards and has averaged 139.5 per game. Perhaps there is a taker out there for Morris to whom you can pimp this stat. Kyle Rudolph, tight end, Minnesota Vikings Rudolph has not posted squat in two weeks. For those duped into the idea that a healthy Rudolph would breakout with Teddy Bridgewater under center, you bought into the purple Kool Aid. The Vikings rank 31st in passing and the team is plenty happy handing the ball off to running back Adrian Peterson, rather than attempting to beef up their passing stats. Thus far, Rudolph has only one lone touchdown and 104 receiving yards stemming from 14 catches. The Vikings have a smooth rhythm flowing, so for those waiting around for Rudolph to breakout, it's not going to happen. The only place Rudolph should be seen is on the waiver wire.
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Remember playing musical chairs? That's what the Chase for the Sprint Cup is like. You'd start out with the full group of people and lots of chairs. The music would play and you'd be pretty confident when it stopped, you'd find a seat. You could rush forward for one or step back and find a seat that way. MORE: Kenseth on pole | Harvick looking forward | Schedule; green flag, 7 p.m. ET Then chairs were taken away. There are fewer people, too. Tension built. Then more people are eliminated and fewer chairs remain. The area where the chairs sit is much tighter and participants move with more hesitation and react faster. So, put it in terms of NASCAR's championship series. Starting Saturday at Charlotte, there are four fewer drivers in the Contender Round, and the field will be pared to eight after the next three races. Chase participants have three chances to advance by winning races. The remaining five spots go to the drivers with the most points after the third race. MORE: Ranking Contender Round drivers | Race picks, odds Fewer drivers, fewer spots, more tension. NASCAR loves this. Saturday at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte, you likely will, too. Take last year's race, for example. Under the lights on a beautiful North Carolina night, Kevin Harvick punched his ticket to the third round , the Elimination Round, of the Chase. The win proved to be a driving force in Harvick winning the Sprint Cup title. PHOTOS: 2015 Cup winners | Gordon's final season | Stockcar Toon But all everyone seems to remember is the post-race fight between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski . And when Keselowski hit the cars of Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart on pit road. And Kenseth's confrontation with Keselowski after the race. Drama ... NASCAR style. On Saturday, there likely will be similar incidents in the Bank of America 500 not just ones off the track following the race. Will we remember who won the race or will something else leave a lasting impression? Let's at least take a look at the drivers who could end up setting off fireworks of their own with a win on Saturday. 1. Kyle Busch Thursday qualifying: 2nd Last year's race: 5th He's had good runs at Charlotte but, surprisingly, has never won a Sprint Cup race there. He marked his return after the terrible crash at Daytona in February by placing 11th in the Coca-Cola 500 in May. He was second in last year's race and has 10 top-five finishes in 23 races at the track. The Joe Gibbs Racing assault on the title could very well start with Busch winning and advancing to the next round. 2. Kurt Busch Thursday's qualifying: 6th Last year's race: 11th He's only won once at Charlotte, the 2010 May race, and has just three top-10 finishes (4th, 3rd, 10th) since. It feels like he's been lying in the weeds since his win at Michigan, getting just three top-10 finishes over the past eight races. Teammate Kevin Harvick showed what he could do last week at Dover (legit or not). Now would be a great time for Busch to do the same. 3. Carl Edwards Thursday qualifying: 8th Last year's race: 8th WInning at Charlotte back in May jump-started his team after a slow start to the season adjusting to the move from a Ford to Toyota. Since then, he's performed well and has seemingly found the groove he had while pursing a Chase title last year. He's another Joe Gibbs Racing car that could very well end up in victory lane with the rare Charlotte sweep (the last driver to win both Sprint Cup races at the track in a single year was Kasey Kahne in 2006). 4. Kevin Harvick Thursday qualifying: 11th Last year's race: 1st The win at Charlotte was the first of three he picked up in the Chase on the way to his first Sprint Cup title. He led 162 laps last year, including the final 17. He not only will be out to do that again to advance in the Chase, he'll also be looking to put the controversy behind him with last week's win . 5. Matt Kenseth Thursday's qualifying: 1st Last year's race: 19th He knows how to win there, picking up two victories at the track in his career, the last in 2011. Plus, he has 10 top-fives and the power of Joe Gibbs Racing pushing what may be his best performance since he won the Sprint Cup title in 2003. He's proven so far to be the best driver in the Chase with his steady performance. A win Saturday would only state his case further. 6. Our picks In addition to our normal group, we'll have a pick from NBC Sports announcer Rich Allen, the lead voice for the Sprint Cup races. Rick Allen, NBC Sports: My pick is Jimmie Johnson. After last week his team will want to prove that if it had advanced, it would be the team to beat for the championship. Jeff Owens, SN deputy editor of operations, former NASCAR editor: Matt Kenseth is stout on 1.5-mile tracks, so this round starts just like the last one with a Joe Gibbs Racing victory. Jason O. Boyd, SN NASCAR writer: If Kevin Harvick can win when he needs it the most, as was the case last week at Dover, then so can Kyle Busch. He doesn't NEED to win on Saturday, but he almost proved one mistake (running out of gas at New Hampshire) can cost you a title, just like Harvick. He's running too well to see his Chase chances end with another mistake. A win Saturday will ease the tension for a couple of weeks. Joe Rodgers, SN writer: Jimmie Johnson is out for vengeance after being eliminated from the Chase at Dover and what better track to win at then Charlotte, where he has seven victories. Johnson also owns the No. 1 driver rating at Charlotte (109.6) and leads all active drivers in the Sprint Cup in laps led at Charlotte with 1,733 laps led in 28 starts. Linemakers: Linemakers' Micah Roberts gives Kevin Harvick the edge at Charlotte. Click here to read more on his picks and odds for the race.
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The president of the Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH), Abdelsatar Ben Moussa, member of the Tunisian dialogue who won the Nobel Peace prize considered the prize as a "beautiful surprise" for "Tunisia as a whole."
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The axolotl is not only weirdly cute for an amphibian but it can also regenerate its own limbs. Scientists are studying how the salamanders regrow legs and how humans might someday do the same.
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But, of course, no amount of money can replace a lost life.
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Toxic algae might be to blame.
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Newcastle High senior manager Derek Lewis has Down syndrome and his teammates came together to do something pretty cool for him in a recent game.
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October 9, 2015: Markets opened higher on Friday but fell below the break-even line briefly before climbing back to small gains. Tech stocks traded higher, as did transportation stocks. Energy stocks traded lower, even though WTI crude oil settled at $49.63 a barrel, up about 0.5% for the day to close the week up 9%. Gold settled at $1,155.90, up 1% for the day, and the highest settlement since late August. For the week gold gained 1.7%. Equities were headed for a higher close shortly before the closing bell as the DJIA traded up 0.24% for the day, the S&P 500 traded up 0.11%, and the Nasdaq Composite traded up 0.40%. The DJIA stock posting the largest daily percentage gain ahead of the close Friday was UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE: UNH) which traded higher by 2.74% at $119.26. The stock's 52-week range is $80.72 to $126.21. Trading volume was about 25% below the daily average of around 4.2 million. The company had no specific news today. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) traded up 2.51% at $112.23. The stock's 52-week range is $92.00 to $134.54. Trading volume was about 30% below the daily average of around 62 million. The company's PC sales have gained market share in the U.S. and worldwide. United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) traded up 1.22% at $95.48. The stock's 52-week range is $85.50 to $124.45. Trading volume was about 50% below the daily average of around 5.7 million. The company had no specific news today. The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) traded up 0.93% at $105.58. The stock's 52-week range is $78.54 to $122.08. Trading volume was more about 50% below the daily average of around 11.3 million. The stock got a boost from the company's report of 182 new orders in the third quarter. The company had no specific news today. Of the Dow 30 stocks 16 are set to close higher today and 14 are on track to close lower. ALSO READ: States With the Widest Gap Between Rich and Poor
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You probably do these things all the time. 10 Ways You're Online Shopping Wrong You probably do these things all the time. You aren't using price adjustment apps. Obviously, you don't have the time nor energy to monitor all the store websites for price drops. But, lucky for us, taking advantage of those "money back guarantees" doesn't have to be time-consuming. Michelle advises downloading price-monitoring apps like Paribus , Nifti , or Slice , on your phone to do all the work for you. That way, when those pair of black booties go from $70 to $50, you'll be in the know right away and can ask for a refund. You fill up your cart and immediately buy what's in it. It sounds counterproductive, but you should really save what's in your cart and come back to it 24 hours later. Why? You're more likely to score discounts if the retailer thinks you're on-the-fence about a purchase. "Once you fill up your cart, companies see what you are thinking about buying and will often try to send you a special coupon to get you to buy what's in there, especially around the holidays," says Michelle. You use your debit card. Credit or debit? Easy: always credit. Credit cards not only are easier to refund if an order is wrong, but Michelle says they're much better at protecting you against fraud, which, of course, is super-important whenever buying something online from small boutiques and not-so-well-known sites. You purchase gift cards on the company's website. Sites like Cardpool and Raise buy unwanted, unused gift cards and sell them for a fraction of the price in other words, you can get a $100 gift card for $75, instead (and, no, they aren't scams). So whether you're buying a gift card for a friend or secretly trying to trade one in for cash without hurting your sister-in-law's feelings you'll save way more than if you deal directly with the retailer. You pay shipping and handling fees. Unfortunately, there are going to be heavy duty S&H fees from time to time that are simply unavoidable. But if you're constantly buying pricey necessities online like cat food or diapers Michelle advises signing up for programs like Amazon Prime , Shop Runner , or Jets that often promise free shipping and handling on costly purchases. You don't "like" your favorite stores on Facebook. Coupon websites are great and all, but they aren't the only way to score deals. Follow your go-to brands on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for spur-of-the-moment sales and discount codes. Plus, you'll also learn about brand new inventory the moment it hits the shelves (in a much-less annoying way than those newsletter emails). You read the good reviews...first. We know that positivity is the best policy, but when you're feeling iffy about something, it's always good to look at the negative reviews first, if there are any. Michelle says it's the easiest way to quickly find out if the complaint is something you care about, the sizing runs big or small, or if the product is actually worth the dough. Of course, it's important to remember that trolls are rife on the internet, but, then again, so are fake reviews. In short, it's good to be extra skeptical when reading the comments section and evaluate all the feedback before clicking "buy." You always "complete the look." Those "You also might like," or "Get the full outfit" suggestion tabs are the internet's version of having gum, miniature lotions, and lip balms "conveniently" placed right by the checkout counter. With that being said, if you absolutely need the matching gold studs to go with your bar necklace then, hey, go for it, but Michelle says it's important to keep in mind what you really need and to be careful of these type of gimmicks. You delete your online receipts. It's soo easy to get carried away when ordering behind a keyboard, which is why receipt-managing smartphone apps, like Receipts by Wave , OneReceipt , or SmartReceipts , are huge lifesavers. Download them right to your phone or tablet, and you'll be a lot more aware of how much you're actually spending every month and won't be as tempted to go over your budget. You don't have price alerts set up on your phone. Yes, we understand they can be a bit irritating, but trust us on this one: come holiday season, when retailers are offering up deals left and right, you'll be thankful you have 'em. Just create an account on your favorite price-tracking site, enter in the products you want to track and how much you want to spend, and you'll be flagged via text or email when that item is on sale for your target price. To limit the annoying-ness and excessive buzzing, set up alerts for only your favorite stores and brands.
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Injuries are an inherent part of football. How well a team is prepared to weather the inevitable loss of players usually dictates its success. FOX Sports Senior NFL Writer Alex Marvez ranks the most impactful injuries coming out of Week Four and the effect these losses will have moving forward. Get the cart Injuries are an inherent part of football. How well a team is prepared to weather the inevitable loss of players usually dictates its success. FOX Sports Senior NFL Writer Alex Marvez ranks the most impactful injuries coming out of Week Four and the effect these losses will have moving forward. 1. Baltimore wide receiver Steve Smith Injury: Smith sustained several small fractures in his back when hit by Pittsburgh LB Lawrence Timmons during a Week 4 win over the Steelers. Prognosis: Smith is out for several weeks starting with Sunday's home game against Cleveland. Likely sub: Kamar Aiken slides into Smith's role as the No. 1 WR with Marlon Brown elevated to starter. The Ravens also acquired WR Chris Givens last weekend in a trade with St. Louis. Impact: The receiving woes continue for the Ravens. Smith was single-handedly carrying the team's passing attack with 29 catches for 373 yards and two TDs. The next closer receiver was Aiken with 11 grabs. The season-long absence of 2015 first-round pick Breshad Perriman (knee) continues to hurt the Ravens. 2. St. Louis Rams OLB Alex Ogletree Injury: Ogletree suffered a fractured right fibula in last Sunday's win over Arizona. Prognosis: Fisher said that Ogletree would be out 'longer than eight weeks' after undergoing surgery but kept open the possibility of a return later this season. Likely sub: Akeem Ayers shifts from strong- to weak-side LB. The Rams re-signed Jo-Lonn Dunbar, a seven-year NFL vet who was cut at the end of the preseason. Despite his absence, Dunbar still could start at strong-side LB Sunday at Green Bay with two rookies (Cameron Lynch and Bryce Hager) the other backup outside LBs. Impact: Ayers is athletic but not in the same class as Ogletree, who was off to the best start of his three-year NFL career. Ogletree had registered a team-high 32 sacks along with two sacks as an emerging pass-rushing threat. 3. Buffalo running back Karlos Williams Injury: Williams was diagnosed with a concussion following last Sunday's loss to the Giants. Prognosis: Williams didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday and seems unlikely to get cleared under the NFL's concussion protocol for Sunday's game at Tennessee. Likely sub: With LeSean McCoy (hamstring) also not expected to play, Anthony Dixon should get the start versus the Titans with the freshly signed Boom Herron receiving backup snaps. Impact: The absence of Williams and McCoy is huge for a team that prides itself on a "ground and pound" style of rushing offense. Williams, a fifth-round pick from Florida State, had a 12-carry, 110-yard performance in Week 3 against Miami. 4. Chicago center Will Montgomery Injury: A fractured left tibia is what befell Montgomery early in last Sunday's win over Oakland. Prognosis: Montgomery was placed on injured reserve and is out for the season. Likely sub: Left guard Matt Slauson and 2015 third-round pick Hroniss Grasu have split snaps in practice. Impact: The Bears may give Grasu his first career start if backup guard Patrick Omameh (ankle) isn't healthy enough to fill in for Slauson. Fielding a rookie center on the road isn't ideal, especially in the hostile confines of Arrowhead Stadium for Sunday's game at Kansas City. Chicago's O-line problems are compounded by LT Jermon Bushrod (concussion) missing two practices earlier this week. 5. Detroit defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker Injury: Walker has undergone surgery for a broken left leg and dislocated ankle suffered in last Monday night's loss to Seattle. Prognosis: Walker is out for the season after being placed on injured reserve. Likely sub: Caruan Reid, a 2014 fifth-round pick from Princeton, should start alongside Haloti Ngata with recently resigned Andre Fluellen contributing as a backup in the line rotation. Impact: A D-line already struggling to rebound from the offseason departure of Ndamukong Suh (Miami) took a major hit when Walker went down. He was doing a nice job after being signed when he wasn't tendered as a restricted free agent by New Orleans. Walker only inked a one-year deal with Detroit, which makes the personal financial ramifications of this injury even worse. 6. Dallas RB Lance Dunbar Injury: Dunbar tore two ligaments (anterior cruciate and medial collateral) in his left knee in last Sunday night's loss to New Orleans. Prognosis: The Cowboys have placed Dunbar on season-ending injured reserve. Likely sub: Christine Michael, acquired in a trade last month with Seattle, should receive more snaps behind Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle. Impact: Already without QB Tony Romo (clavicle) and WR Dez Bryant (foot), the hits keep coming for the Cowboys' offense. Dunbar ranked second on the team in receptions with 21 and busted a 45-yard run earlier this season. Dallas doesn't have an RB on its roster with Dunbar's versatility heading into Sunday's matchup against New England. 7. Cleveland free safety Tashaun Gipson Injury: Gibson hurt his ankle in last Sunday's loss to San Diego. He was battling a groin injury headed into that game as well. Prognosis: Gibson was in a walking boot Thursday while missing his second straight practice, casting serious doubt upon his availability for Sunday's game at Baltimore. Likely sub: Jordan Poyer, who plays primarily on special teams and packages featuring six DBs, would start with 2015 fourth-round pick Ibraheim Campbell serving as backup. Impact: The loss of a Pro Bowl talent like Gibson could be especially damaging against Baltimore because QB Joe Flacco is such a good deep passer. Cornerback Joe Haden (finger) also isn't fully healthy. At least the Browns are getting nickel CB K'Wuan Williams back from a concussion. 8. Washington tight end Jordan Reed Injury: Reed sprained his knee and ankle and suffered a concussion in last Sunday's win over Philadelphia. Prognosis: Reed is in the NFL's concussion protocol and seems highly unlikely to play Sunday at Atlanta. Likely sub: More snaps are in store for Derek Carrier, who was acquired in a preseason trade with the 49ers. It would help QB Kurt Cousins in the passing game if WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring) can return after missing the past three games. Impact: The Redskins already have lost TEs Niles Paul and Logan Paulsen to season-ending injuries. Reed's leg injuries aren't as big a concern as the one to his brain. His season ended prematurely last year because of a concussion. Plus, Reed has suffered at least three others dating to his college days at Florida. 9. Detroit tight end Eric Ebron Injury: Ebron suffered a bone bruise to his left knee in last Monday night's loss to Seattle. Prognosis: Ebron told ESPN he expects to miss three weeks. Lions coach Jim Caldwell wouldn't confirm the report and make a 'Dr. Ebron' crack on the radio that indicates he wasn't pleased about the sharing of medical information with the media. Likely sub: Tim Wright now serves as primary pass-catching tight end. The expected return of Brandon Pettigrew (hamstring) helps although he is used mostly as a blocker. Impact: After a disappointing rookie season, Ebron had shown big improvement with 15 catches for 179 yards and two TDs through the first quarter of 2015. Ebron's absence means struggling QB Matt Stafford has one less tool to work with in the passing game. 10. New York Giants tight end Daniel Fells Injury: Fells contracted a MRSA staph infection in his ankle. Prognosis: Fells was placed on injured reserve and is out for the season. The Newark Star-Ledger reported Fells has undergone four surgeries on the ankle and needs a fifth this weekend. Likely sub: Jerome Cunningham and Will Tye are the two other TEs on New York's roster behind starter Larry Donnell. Cunningham should be able to play Sunday night against the 49ers after missing the past two games with a knee injury. Impact: The Giants lost their best blocking TE in Fells and will now have to use an unproven backup in Cunningham or Tye. New York also was forced to sanitize its team headquarters to try and prevent MRSA from spreading to other players. 11. New Orleans punter Thomas Morstead Injury: Morstead couldn't finish last Sunday's OT win over Dallas because of a strained quadriceps. Saints kicker Zach Hocker filled in and hit a nice 43-yard punt in the fourth quarter. Prognosis: A source told FOXSports.com that Morstead is expected to miss 1-2 games. The Saints are currently on a bye week. Likely sub: As first reported by FOXSports.com, ex-Dolphins punter Brandon Fields was signed last Tuesday after winning a tryout against three others. Impact: There may not be much of a drop-off in punting as Fields has the fourth-highest gross average (46.8 yards) in NFL history. The bigger issue is kickoffs where Morstead was enjoying a career-high 78.9 touchback percentage (15 of 19) through the first four games. Hocker will likely handle those duties until Morstead's return.
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The world golf focus might be with the Presidents Cup in South Korea, but there's another big event happening in the golf world with the British Masters. One sure-fire way to grab the attention from the Presidents Cup is to televise a brutal shank. The victim? Ian Poulter. While playing the 415-yard par-4 fifth hole at Woburn Golf Club, Poulter's approach from the rough was a brutal, unapologetic shank. The 39-year-old couldn't even keep his right hand on the club, quickly stunned at his own errant shot. The video catches the shank quite well, and even shows Poulter beginning to grin after watching where his ball ended up. Poulter would finish the hole with a double bogey, but added a birdie on the seventh to ease the sting. Ian Poulter shank from Francisco Domingues on Vimeo .
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Oct. 9 -- Dan Clifton, Strategas Research Partners' head of policy research, discusses the economic consequences of failing to raise the U.S. debt ceiling with Bloomberg's Phil Mattingly on "Bloomberg Markets."
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak will miss the team's first regular season game in Brooklyn on Friday night because of an undisclosed upper body injury. Halak left New York's preseason opener on Sept. 21 after two periods and was sidelined for most of training camp. He took part in practice all week and was on the ice before the morning skate on Friday, but coach Jack Capuano said Halak ''isn't 100 percent.'' Halak was 38-17-4 with six shutouts and a 2.43 goals-against average last season in his first year with the Islanders. Thomas Greiss will start against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks when the Islanders open their first season in Brooklyn after spending 43 years on Long Island.
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SALEM, Ore. Retailers sold more than $11 million of marijuana during Oregon's first week of legal recreational sales, outpacing the early business done in other states that have legalized pot, according to the Oregon Retailers of Cannabis Association. Oregon retailers had sales of $3.5 million by the end of opening day, Casey Houlihan, executive director of the association, told the Statesman Journal (http://is.gd/6L3fPc ). By contrast, Colorado's first week of sales reached $5 million. In Washington, sales during the first month hit $2 million. Under the state law approved by Oregon voters last year, possession of marijuana in limited quantities has been permitted since July 1. But there was no legal way to buy it until Oct. 1. Pot shops that already sell medical marijuana made big plans for the historic day, with some opening just after midnight. One reason Oregon posted stronger early sales was the existing medical marijuana infrastructure. More than 250 medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon have told the state they will sell to recreational customers. By contrast, Colorado had 24 stores on Day 1. Washington had just four, and a year later, still has fewer than Oregon. Oregon also has a robust supply of marijuana that's grown to support medical marijuana users and the black market. Companies have invested in massive warehouses in Portland to grow the drug indoors, and southern Oregon has some of the nation's best conditions for outdoor cultivation of marijuana. Growers don't face strict regulations yet, so the supply can more easily flow into retail stores than it did in Washington and Colorado. Houlihan says shops are seeing customers coming back to pot after years of not smoking it. "They're telling me that customers lining up are in many cases 50 to 65 and haven't purchased marijuana in decades, but they're just happy to have the opportunity to do so," he said. ___ Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com
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A dedicated duck path has been carved out along some canals in the UK. As Mara Montalbano (@maramontalbano) tells us, they're really just a reminder for everyone to share the space.
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Leonard Fournette seems to have a stronghold on the Heisman Trophy this season, but will anything stop him the rest of the season? Zac Ellis joins us to share his thoughts.
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Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says Apple hires people the electric car maker has fired. Fred Katayama reports.
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The Seattle Mariners have fired manager Lloyd McClendon, the team announced Friday.
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Here are all the fringe benefits. Bangs tend to get a bad rap. Sure, learning how to style them can be tricky at first and having to get them trimmed every few weeks can be annoying (not to mention risky if you like to live on the edge and clean them up yourself). But when bangs work for you, they can up your style game to a whole new level just try to imagine iconic beauties like Brigitte Bardot or Jane Birkin without their face-framing fringe. Beyoncé If anyone can make the case for these itty bitty baby bangs, it's Queen Bey. Taylor Swift Taylor Swift and bangs go together like, well, Taylor Swift and a red lip or epic girl squad. If it's an all-around trendy look you want, T. Swift's lob with bangs is waiting for you. Kylie Jenner Kylie has moved on from her MTV VMAs bangs hairstyle about 20 times over by now, but her Cleopatra-like look remains one of our favorites. Behati Prinsloo Yes, models can pretty much make anything look good, but Behati's beachy waves and feathered fringe combo has us reaching for our scissors (jk, we'd never try to cut our own hair, but it does have us reaching for our phone to call our stylist). Lea Michele Lea Michele kept her eyes from disappearing beneath her brow-skimming bangs by adding a pop of blue liner on her upper lashline only. Keke Palmer Sleek and straight with major shine, Keke Palmer's bangs hairstyle is classic. Troian Bellisario It may actually just be for Pretty Little Liars' Spencer Hastings, but we love seeing Troian post a bangs selfie (especially because it means more PLL is on the way!). Hailey Baldwin This may be our favorite hairstyle on model Hailey Baldwin yet. We love the sleek blonde hair with soft, piecey bangs plus, the face-framing layers really make her cheekbones pop. Dakota Johnson Dakota Johnson flaunts her fringe with blonde ombré color and tousled waves. Suki Waterhouse Suki Waterhouse has done full fringe and more grown-out styles (and she's done them in multiple colors!) but, no matter what your preference, there's no doubt the model looks amazing with bangs. Ciara Ciara reached fringe greatness (and gave all of the models a run for their money) when she gave us this piecey bangs and bob haircut during fashion week. Alexa Chung Alexa Chung has been making bangs look cool since back when Taylor Swift was still sporting super curly hair and singing country tunes. Emma Roberts The Scream Queens girls seem to have a thing for bangs, and we don't mind one bit. Emma wore hers side swept and parted with an undone updo. Zendaya We would have questioned this pixie wig with bangs hairstyle on almost anyone else, but with her model looks, Zendaya makes it work. Kate Middleton When it comes to hair, in Kate Middleton we trust. The Duchess is never without a blowout that somehow manages to be perfectly smooth and shiny while still maintaining bouncy volume new bangs included. Ariana Grande Ariana went retro with her bangs in a short blonde wig with flipped-out ends and face-framing layers. Lily Aldridge Like training wheels for a full bang style, copying model Lily Aldridge's side bangs lets you ease your way into an all-out, across-the-forehead fringe. Rita Ora From long, rainbow locks to pixie bobs, Rita Ora's short hair attention span means we get even more styling ideas. Her platinum blonde fringe may have just been a clip-in, but it's proof that bangs and ponytails belong together.
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Naked people are posing as frozen chicken
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The California Coastal Commission has banned captive breeding of orca whales at SeaWorld in the latest struggle for the facility.
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British newspaper The Guardian just released its second report investigating the real-world emissions of diesel vehicles, and it's not pretty: Models from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi all put out more than the legal limit of NOx, the pollutant at the center of the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal . This follows an earlier Guardian report that revealed substantially higher levels of pollution in diesel vehicles sold by Renault, Jeep, Hyundai, Fiat, Citroen, and many others. The first round of data was compiled by ADAC, Europe's largest motoring organization, which tested vehicles first using the EU's lab-based testing (depicted above), then compared the data to a longer, UN-developed lab test that's thought to more realistically mimic real-world driving. The second report used on-road tests conducted by Emissions Analytics. It's worth pointing out that all the vehicles tested were European-market diesels, many of which are not available in the U.S., and all of which passed either the current Euro 6 or the previous Euro 5 standard in the EU's official lab-based testing. It's also important to note that none of the vehicles tested are accused of having illegal "defeat devices," as is the case with the Volkswagen Group diesel vehicles currently under investigation in the U.S. and Europe . But The Guardian 's reporting points out something that's been feared ever since emissions testing began: lab-based tests often do not accurately measure how a car performs in real-world use, and automakers often engineer their products to meet regulatory tests while emitting far more than the legal limit when driven in the real world. "The VW issue in the U.S. was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU widespread legal over-emissions," Nick Molden, whose company Emissions Analytics conducted the testing, told The Guardian . "For NOx, [diesel] cars are on average four times over the legal limit, because of the lenient nature of the test cycle in the EU." The increased scrutiny has led to a call for replacing lab-based emissions testing with real-world measurement, like the tests done by the West Virginia University lab that exposed Volkswagen's emissions cheating . But don't expect an immediate change: Automakers are asking for more lenient emissions standards if real-world testing becomes the norm. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook
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COLUMBUS, Ohio With two dozen scheduled executions in limbo, Ohio sent a forceful letter to Washington on Friday asserting that the state believes it can obtain a lethal-injection drug from overseas without violating any laws. The letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, first reported by The Associated Press, stopped short of suggesting Ohio is moving forward to obtain the powerful sedative sodium thiopental. However, the state asked to begin discussing with federal officials about acquiring the substance legally. The FDA had warned Ohio in June that importing the restricted drug could be illegal as a result of recent federal court decisions, setting up the latest roadblock that Ohio and several other states have faced in carrying out the death penalty. Ohio hasn't executed anyone since January 2014, when condemned killer Dennis McGuire gasped and snorted repeatedly during a 26-minute procedure with a two-drug method that had yet to be tried. Ohio abandoned that method in favor of other drugs it now can't find. States have struggled to obtain lethal injection drugs since pharmaceutical companies discontinued the medications they traditionally used or put them off limits for executions. Stephen Gray, chief counsel for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction, said Ohio has no intention of violating the law to obtain such drugs but "the responsibility to carry out lawful and humane executions when called upon by the courts to do so is enormous, and it is a responsibility that ODRC does not take lightly." FDA spokesman Jeff Ventura said the agency would not respond to the letter through the media, but would respond to Ohio directly. Ohio's latest correspondence comes as the state is set to resume executions in a little over three months. It has set an execution date Jan. 21 for Ronald Phillips for raping and killing his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter in 1993. Another 23 executions have been scheduled into 2019. Death penalty opponents have seized on trouble with lethal injections, as in McGuire's case, and difficulty in obtaining drugs as further justification for ending it. Supporters of capital punishment encourage states to continue to pursue legal avenues for getting the drugs or find alternatives so that condemned killers can be brought to justice. Nebraska has also been told by the FDA that it can't legally import a drug needed to carry out lethal injection. That was about two weeks after its governor confirmed the state had obtained sodium thiopental from India. The U.S. attorney's office there punted the issue to a watchdog agency last month after being unable to determine whether state officials violated federal law in obtaining the drugs. FDA warnings followed a federal court ruling two years ago, in a case brought by death row inmates in Tennessee, Arizona and California, that found the agency was wrong to allow the importation of sodium thiopental for use in executions. But after reviewing recent court decisions, Gray contended Ohio would be able to legally import sodium thiopental if it follows a five-step process for obtaining the drug: that it comes from an FDA-registered source; is on that source's list of drugs in commercial distribution in the U.S.; is not misbranded; is not adulterated; and is in a shipment examined by the FDA. Doug Berman, an Ohio State University law professor and death penalty expert, said it remains unclear whether the FDA's injunctions in the realm of execution drugs are legally justifiable. "My sense is that the Food and Drug Administration, both from Congress' perspective and others, was never designed to create an additional impediment to states trying to carry out lawful sentences," Berman said.
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An international team of researchers just discovered a new rat species with the nose of a pig and large fangs. But I'm sure it's got a great personality! Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more on the hog-nosed rat.
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Money can't buy everything, but it can buy you a ride in a tank. 5 Places You Can Drive a Tank Right Now As it turns out, it's not all that difficult to rent a tank. The majority of companies that do so function as tourist attractions it's not like Enterprise where you grab the keys and try to return it with a full tank of gas. Generally speaking, each company offers packages with different aspects: shooting guns, crushing cars, even slam through a mobile home. It's important to note that U.S. regulations generally require the "de-milling" of a tank's cannon, so there's no firing of the awesome big gun. But hey, you can still crush cars. And if after renting a tank you decide you really need one of these monsters in your life, you can could always go and buy one instead. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook Ox Hunting Ranch Ox Hunting Ranch in Uvalde, Texas (about two hours from San Antonio) has a tank! Tank Model: 1944 M4A2E8 ShermanPrice: $5,500 What You Can Do: The above price includes an hour of driving around as well as 100 rounds each from the tank's three different machine guns. The ranch also throws in some other non-tank related bits like free fishing, but we're all about driving tanks here. Can You Crush a Car?: No, sadly. Safety Classes Involved: There's at least one "training" session which most likely includes safety lessons. Kasota, Minnesota Drive A Tank in Kasota, Minnesota has... a whole bunch of tanks! Like, more than two. Tank Models: FV433 Abbott SPG, FV432 APC, Russian T-55 MBT, Chieftain MBT, and Sherman E8 Price: $399 to $3,599 What You Can Do: Drive A Tank is possibly the best-known commercial tank experience on the market right now. Part of this is due to the sheer number of packages and vehicles available. Folks can drive around, shoot guns, crush one or two cars, and there's even a special home demolition package. The range in price also makes the experience the most bang for your buck in the United States. If you've seen videos of folks crushing cars in tanks, it's likely someone at Drive A Tank. In fact, even we've been to Drive A Tank. Can You Crush a Car?: Oh yes. Or two, even. In fact, they'll let you drive the FV432 APC through a mobile home for $3,495. Safety Classes Involved: Yes, to varying degrees depending on which package is chosen. The more armored vehicles being driven about, the more safety and training involved. They also give an "extensive" history of tanks. Battlefield Vegas Battlefield Vegas in (you guessed it) Las Vegas, Nevada has a tank! Tank Model : British Chieftain Mk8 refitted to become a M1A1 Abrams replica Price : $3,500 What You Can Do: Crush a car. That's pretty much it. But still, car crushing! Battlefield Vegas will also send a military Humvee to pick you up from the Las Vegas Strip, so that's not nothing. Can You Crush a Car? : Yes! All they ask is 24 hours notice. Safety Classes Involved : No, kind of surprisingly. Given that it's just crushing a car, one of the Battlefield Vegas employees advises the driver on what to do and actually sits behind them within the tank. Another employee out front then provides a visual guide for rolling over the chosen vehicle. Irish Military War Museum The Irish Military War Museum in Starinagh, Collon, Co. Meath (north of Dublin, Ireland) has a tank! Well, kind of. Tank Model : FV432 armored personnel carrier (APC) Price: €99 (about $150) What You Can Do : Learn to drive around. Compared to other options, this is both surprisingly cheap but also the least exciting. Some folks might not consider the APC to be a real tank, but we're counting it in our book. They do give drivers a little dog tag as a memento of their drive. There's also the fact that it's in Ireland, so it might be a hassle to reach for some folks. Can You Crush a Car? : No such luck. Safety Classes Involved : Given that these are billed as "lessons," there's almost certainly a safety aspect involved. Tank Town USA Tank Town USA in Morganton, Georgia has at least one tank! Tank Models : Unclear, though appears to be several different APC models. Price : $75/10 minutes, which sounds cheap but can get expensive fast as each additional 10 minutes is another $65. What You Can Do: There's the riding around for 10 minutes (or half a mile, whichever comes first), which is fine and dandy given that there's seemingly a little course with bumps and so on to navigate. Can You Crush a Car? : Yes, and for $499 it seems to be the cheapest car crush available in North America. Value! Safety Classes Involved : Yup.
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Simple magical
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With upgraded suspension and a powerful engine, the 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Rally Edition is a sporty hatch not to be overlooked. In the four years since the Hyundai Veloster hit showrooms, the car hasn't managed to attract much of an enthusiast following. Even the optional punchy turbocharged engine couldn't draw our attention away from similarly priced cars like the Fiat 500 Abarth, Ford Fiesta ST, and Honda Civic Si. But when Hyundai recently dropped off a Veloster at the AUTOMOBILE office, we wondered if we might be ready to change our tune. The car wore matte blue paint, imitation carbon-fiber trim, and lightweight 18-inch Rays wheels, and it came equipped with an upgraded suspension. Perhaps the Hyundai Veloster Turbo has more performance hidden beneath its unusual bodywork than we thought. This particular 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo features the racy new Rally Edition package, which is limited to just 1,200 units. The car's springs and shock absorbers are retuned, its front anti-roll bar is 0.16 inch thicker, and its six-speed manual transmission has a short-throw linkage from B&M Racing. We headed in search of twisty roads to see if those ingredients make for a truly sporty car. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook The 1.6-liter turbo-four engine immediately answers in the affirmative. Lag- and surge-free, the punchy mill hustles the 2,877-pound 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo with enough verve that even we jaded speed-freaks crack a smile. The transmission's ultra-short throws and positive engagements bring to mind the gearboxes on cars like the Subaru WRX, although we wish the clutch take-up weren't so light and vague. We wouldn't try to beat, say, a Volkswagen Golf GTI away from a light, but the Veloster Turbo is quick in everyday driving. Unfortunately, all-season tires limit the Veloster's sportiness. Just as the upgraded suspension digs in to a corner, the Kumho Solus TA31 tires squeal, squirm, and slide. The Veloster is plenty fun to drive on curving pavement, but it's no apex hunter. Find out more about the Hyundai Veloster on MSN Autos Performance aside, the 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is a wholly useful and practical car. Its unusual three-door design means the car can keep its cool coupe-like looks on the driver's side, while still allowing passengers to access the back seat easily from the other side. Once seated in back, passengers have plenty of legroom (only 1.4 inches less than in Hyundai's Elantra sedan), although headroom is tight. The wide, deep trunk is more spacious than in the Elantra and easily accommodates a bicycle if you fold the 60/40 split rear seats. However, the extremely high liftover height means we'd be loath to move heavy objects in and out of the trunk on a regular basis. If "late-apex" and "heel-toe" are in your vocabulary, you're probably better served by a car like the Ford Fiesta ST . For most people who want a practical daily-driver with a dollop of sportiness and style, the 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is a fun compact car that shouldn't be overlooked. Its unusual design stands out from the crowd and its energetic driving demeanor will keep drivers engaged behind the wheel, yet its affordability and practicality make it a car any buyer can live with. 2016 Hyundai Veloster Turbo Rally Edition Specifications On Sale: Now Price: $24,775 Engine: 1.6L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/201 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 195 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm Transmission: 6-speed manual Layout: 3-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD hatchback EPA Mileage: 25/33 mpg (city/hwy) Suspension F/R: Multilink, coil springs/torsion beam, coil springs Tires: 225/40R-18 Kumho Solus TA31 L x W x H: 167.3 x 71.1 x 55.1 in Wheelbase: 104.3 in Headroom F/R: 104.3 in Legroom F/R: 43.9/31.7 in Shoulder Room F/R: 55.6/54.0 in Cargo Room: 15.5 cu ft Weight: 2,877 lb Weight Dist. F/R: N/A 0-60 MPH: N/A 1/4-Mile: N/A Top Speed: N/A
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Yes, the 49ers have revealed themselves to be who we thought they'd be after coming out of the gate hot in Week 1. Yes, the Cowboys have struggled mightily since losing their two best players in Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. And yes, the Packers are still nasty even without Jordy Nelson, riding Aaron Rodgers' 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions to a perfect 4-0 record so far. But there have been some surprises as well -- some good, and some bad. The Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons have made the NFC South relevant again, both starting their respective seasons 4-0. The Miami Dolphins, who we speculated might be a contender to finally dethrone the Patriots in the AFC East, have already fired their head coach due to the hot mess they are on both sides of the football. And the once high-octane Eagles offense has looked mostly stagnant (more on that later) through their first four games. Perhaps most surprising has been the Cincinnati Bengals' swagger after jumping out of the gate 4-0. Ahead, we'll explore whether they've taken the next step forward, as well as a couple of other storylines you should be following across the NFL in Week 5. Is Cincinnati as Good as they Appear to Be? The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs four straight seasons, failing to move past the first round. This annual Groundhog's Day-like scenario has become as tiresome for Bengals' fans as it has burdensome for Bengals' coaching staff, who face louder and louder calls for their ouster with each subsequent playoff loss. But the 2015 Bengals look different so far. With tight end Tyler Eifert bursting out on the scene in Week 1 after a couple of seasons battling injuries, 2013 breakout receiver Marvin Jones back in uniform after missing all of last season, and a fully healthy A.J. Green breaking dudes off again after an injury-riddled 2014, the Bengals are getting it done through the air, ranking as the fourth-most productive passing attack in the league after four weeks. And Andy Dalton is looking more like an assassin than the bland quarterback of old, posting a 9-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, and the second most efficient season among quarterbacks with at least 90 passing attempts per our signature on-field performance metric, Net Expected Points (NEP). For the unfamiliar, NEP quantifies the number of points a player or team adds above-or-below expectation, determined by down and distance data from historical performance. Dalton's putting up a buckwild 0.50 Passing NEP per pass, meaning every two times he's thrown the ball this season, he's added a point to his team's expected point total. That's ridiculous, because throughout his career, he's never exceeded a 0.09 Passing NEP per drop back. But the team is also getting it done on the ground, utilizing the two-headed tandem of Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill to pound the rock. While the dynamic emerging out of the backfield has probably enraged fantasy football owners, with Bernard outsnapping and outplaying Hill through four weeks, the timeshare has resulted in the Bengals being the 10th most productive ground attack in the NFL. They've also turned around their abysmal seventh-worst run defense from 2014 into the seventh-best unit so far in 2015, although they remain average in defending the pass ranking 19th among all NFL teams per our metrics. The Bengals face a tough test against the Seahawks in Week 5, although the 'Hawks haven't been as good of a defense on the road as they have at home the past few seasons. But with the Bengals having faced the Ravens, Raiders, Chargers, and Chiefs, the team finally will face an imposing defense that will help determine whether Dalton and the Bengals have really turned a corner from their previous playoff-bottom-feeder versions of recent seasons' past. Did the Saints and Eagles Find Their Offensive Mojo? The Saints and the Eagles were looking like dumpster fires heading into Week 4. The Eagles had come off of a win against the Jets in Week 3, but their newly acquired quarterback, Sam Bradford, still looked like he would eventually develop into a pariah in Philadelphia with his erratic play. And the Saints had just suffered their third consecutive loss to open the season against the Panthers, with Luke McCown at the helm due to Drew Brees' shoulder injury. But Week 4 brought about new fortunes for these squads. The Eagles didn't win their game, but they could finally come away feeling better about Bradford, who tossed three touchdowns without a pick in really windy conditions in Washington. Brees came back looking fairly underwhelming for the most part, but led the Saints to a what-would-have-been game winning-drive had their kicker not missed a chip-shot field goal, sending the team to overtime which he promptly ended with a strike to C.J. Spiller resulting in an 80-yard touchdown. At the end of the game, fantasy owners were clearly rejoicing at Brees' 359-yard, 2-touchdown stat line. The question coming out of Week 4 is whether or not the offensive successes that these teams finally found will carry forward and continue developing in Week 5 when they square up against each other. We currently project the Eagles to win this game with a 61.94% probability, but perhaps most important for both teams is that they keep the positive offensive momentum moving forward after such a disastrous beginnings to the season. We'll find out on Sunday whether they can. Are the Lions Already Toast? Man, you have to feel for the Detroit Lions. This is the team that hasn't won an NFL championship since 1957. The team that had Barry Sanders retire on them out of nowhere when he was still highly productive. The team that went 0-16 in 2008 and has had the mediocre Matt Stafford as their signal-caller ever since. And just last week, while playing in Seattle, with the deafening roar of the 12th man helping keep their thus-far underwhelming offense in check, the Lions were poised to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat when Stafford drove the lions into the red zone deep in the fourth quarter. Stafford delivered a strike to Calvin Johnson, who got within six inches or so of breaking the plane for a touchdown when Kam Chancellor miraculously punched the ball out of Megatron's grasp into the end zone for a turnover, which K.J. Wright batted out of the endzone to prevent the Lions from securing a loose-ball touchdown. But even more heartbreaking, the ball should have been placed at the one-yard line as a result of Wright's intentionally batted ball, which would've given them four downs to put the ball in the end zone with about a minute-and-a-half left. Yeah, the Lions are an unlucky bunch. And now they'll conclude their brutal three-game stretch going up against another NFC West opponent in the Cardinals. The Cardinals currently sit at the top of our team rankings throne, sporting the best overall offense and third-ranked overall defense per our metrics. The Lions already had their work cut out for them, as only one team in NFL history has made it to the playoffs starting their season 0-4 (the 1992 Chargers). So if they go 0-5, they're either done, or they'll have to make history. We'll find out if they can avoid a lost season and avenge their heartbreaking Week 4 loss in a mere two days.
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One student has been shot dead and another person was wounded in a shooting at a student housing complex near Texas Southern University on Friday. Two people have been detained for questioning, but a motive remains unclear. The university is no longer under lockdown and classes will resume Monday, officials say. A third person is being sought, but there is no current investigation into an active shooter, the Houston Police Department said. The slain student was a freshman at the school, University President John Rudley said. The student's name, age and gender haven't been released. The other person who was shot is in stable condition, Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said. The identity of the wounded person also has not been released. The shooting happened about 11:30 a.m. in a parking lot outside the University Courtyard Apartments, on the edge of the Houston campus. It comes on the heels of another school shooting early Friday morning on the campus of North Arizona University, which left one student dead and three wounded. It's the third shooting on campus in the last two months, according to ABC 13 . A suspect in a shooting earlier this week, 19-year-old Darios Tramain Crayton Scott, remains on the loose. In August, two people were wounded when a gunman opened fire at the same apartment complex where Friday's attack took place, according to the station. Texas Southern University has nearly 10,000 students, and many of them expressed concern for their safety in wake of the latest shooting. "A bullet has no name. It could hit anybody," 19-year-old Daijsa Fowls said. It's a "really nerve-racking feeling that a person here could have a gun," said Brittney Solomon, also 19. Rudley says students need to remember that the university is in the inner city, and that "crime is all around us." President Obama was in the Oregon town Friday where nine college students were gunned down earlier this month. With News Wire Services [email protected]
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More than 1,000 people turned out in Hong Kong on Friday for the second rally in a week over what they say is undue Chinese central government influence on the liberal Hong Kong University (HKU). "We are here tonight to express our rage, our doubts and to explore what we can do next," said Joseph Chan Cho Wai, a professor of politics at HKU. The latest protests started after the university's governing council rejected prominent human rights advocate Johannes Chan in a vote for the role of HKU pro-vice chancellor. Chan is a former HKU law school dean and a close ally of Benny Tai, one of the key figures in last year's pro-democracy rallies in Hong Kong. Many students and staff believe that the HKU council is controlled by pro-Beijing members. "In this case there was clearly political interference," 19-year-old Althea Suen told the AFP news agency. "The people there (on the council) have the majority. But we students are watching them." Some of the protesters on Friday wore T-shirts with the Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." 'Storm' on the way On Thursday, academics from Hong Kong higher education institutions launched a new group - the Scholars' Alliance for Academic Freedom - tasked to monitor academic freedoms and examine any violations. "We are aware of the storm and the darkness that awaits us; we have no choice but to face it head on and walk against the wind," the organization said in a statement. Last year, Beijing's insistence on pre-screening candidates in the 2017 election for the semi-autonomous Hong Kong region's leader sparked 79-days of street protests. Beijing, however, refused to budge. The UK returned its former colony to China in 1997, under a deal that guaranteed that the Asian metropolis would keep core personal and commercial freedoms for the next 50 years. dj/se (Reuters, AFP)
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MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Nearly a week into his tenure with the Milwaukee Brewers, new general manager David Stearns is beginning to set a fresh tone for a franchise in transition. This has been a busy period for Stearns, who was hired on Sept. 21 but only officially began with the Brewers this week as he transitioned out of his previous job as an assistant GM for the Houston Astros. ''Acquire, develop and retain the best young talent in baseball,'' said Stearns, sounding like a CEO. ''That's our goal to create an organization and a team that can consistently contend for postseason appearances and World Series appearances.'' Owner Mark Attanasio sought someone with a more analytical background in finding a replacement for baseball lifer Doug Melvin, who announced in August that he was moving into an advisory role in the front office. The 30-yar-old Stearns already has an extensive resume working in front offices and the commissioner's office in New York. Among his initial priorities in this first busy week going through the search process of filling out manager Craig Counsell's coaching staff and getting to know others in the baseball operations department as he figures out the rest of the front office. There's a team on the field to retool, too. ''There's a long list of stuff ... we haven't even gone close to getting there,'' Counsell said Thursday. ''For me, it's a fun part of it really.'' Counsell and his new boss spent Wednesday night talking baseball while watching the NL wild-card game between the Cubs and Pirates, two of the Brewers' rivals in the NL Central. Throw in the 100-win Cardinals and the division is loaded. ''We want to be a part of that. We want to make this division better,'' Stearns said. Some top issues facing Stearns in his first offseason in Milwaukee: BRAUN'S BACK: Stearns said that as of Thursday, star slugger Ryan Braun had not had yet scheduled a surgical procedure on his back. With the Brewers well out of contention, Braun was shut down for the final week of the season because of the injury, though the team is confident the former NL MVP will be 100 percent in 2016. Next season, Braun also enters the first year of the five-year, $105 million extension that he signed in 2011. As of now, Braun is the only player signed beyond 2017, Stearns said, though that could change if the Brewers give an extension to catcher Jonathan Lucroy. ''Ryan has been an integral part of this organization for years. I don't necessarily see that changing,'' Stearns said. LUCROY: The fan favorite missed six weeks early in the season with a broken toe and missed time in September with a concussion. Stearns declined to discuss specifics when asked about the possibility of an extension for Lucroy, but said ''Jonathan is the type of guy we like to have here.'' Lucroy, 29, is under contract through next season with a club option for 2017. CENTER AND THIRD: The Brewers seem to be set at the corner outfield positions with Braun and Khris Davis, whose 21 homers after the All-Star break were second in the National League in that stretch only to Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez (27). But center field remains a question following the trade of Carlos Gomez to Houston. Domingo Santana, a power-hitting prospect who came from the Astros in the deal, started 21 games in center, though he's better suited to play a corner. Third base is another position that the Brewers might be looking to fill from outside the roster. Hernan Perez is a slick fielder but not a power bat and Elian Herrera seems better suited for a utility role. Jason Rogers might be the best in-house candidate after hitting .296 with four homers off the bench, though he needs to improve defensively. PITCHING: The Brewers do like the promise that rookie starters like Taylor Jungmann and Zach Davies showed during the season. They're confident in the back end of the bullpen with veteran closer Francisco Rodriguez and hard-throwing setup men in Jeremy Jeffress and Will Smith. ''There are pieces here on which to build,'' Stearns said. ''We just need to isolate those and figure out how best to build around them.'' --- Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP
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A group of artists are painting two giant murals depicting local HIV sufferers onto a well-known building in Khayelitsha, South Africa's largest township in Cape Town.
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Kristen Stewart allegedly called it quits with girlfriend, Alicia Cargile. Reportedly Stewart and Cargile still have a lot of love for each other, but Stewart was just too busy for a serious relationship.
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What's next for Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy? For two weeks the California Republican was the favorite to succeed John A. Boehner as speaker, but just minutes before his colleagues were set to vote on his nomination he pulled back, saying he was "not the one" to lead the deeply fractured GOP conference. But is he "the one" to stick around as the No. 2 House Republican? For now, members say "yes" both in office and as the majority leader. Some even predict things could get easier for McCarthy, who conservatives were dismissing a few days earlier as "Boehner 2.0." "He's more effective now, probably so," said one of McCarthy's critics, Rep. Mick Muvlaney, R-S.C. "It's a pretty selfless thing to do, right? And it's probably the proper role of the leader. He's got to be able to lead the body, the majority, and if he's seen as a divisive figure as Mr. Boehner was, then maybe he's not capable of doing that." Mulvaney added he had more respect for McCarthy now, following his colleague's decision not to run for speaker. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., another frequent agitator of current GOP leadership slate, agreed: "I thought [McCarthy's] comments at conference today were really appropriate. He didn't want to put the conference at any greater risk." According to a source in the room, McCarthy enjoyed two standing ovations at Friday morning's Republican Conference meeting, where he was lauded for reading the tea leaves that it was better for everyone if he bowed out now than forced members to endure an ugly floor fight later. He confirmed he will continue to serve as majority leader and run for re-election in 2016. "I think he did what John Boehner did," said freshman Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., a member, like Mulvaney and Stuzman, of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. "A pretty honorable thing, to show that neither one of them had a personal gain." When Boehner announced he would resign at the end of October, he characterized his exit as one motivated by a desire to put the party infighting to rest; also, he was facing a possible floor vote to wrest him of his gavel. "I didn't rule him out as speaker," Loudermilk continued. "[Members'] frustration is being taken out on certain people. The problem here is not the people, it's the process." Ultimately, members griping about McCarthy's rhetorical flap on Fox News linking the Benghazi Committee to Hillary Rodham Clinton's sinking poll numbers were suddenly more forgiving, now that the No. 2 Republican wasn't still trying to move up to be No. 1. And Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores of Texas dismissed suggestions from reporters Friday that McCarthy was less credible in light of unsubstantiated rumors of an extramarital affair. "I haven't seen anything substantive to prove it," he said. "I don't think any of us are thinking about that." Flores later told CQ Roll Call he expected McCarthy's reputation in the House Republican Conference to be largely unchanged. "I don't think the people who had positive opinions of him before have changed their opinion; I don't think the people who had negative opinions of him before have changed their opinion," Flores said after a long pause. "So my position would be, he is kind of where he was before. Maybe he lost a little bit of shine for a while but I think he's OK. I think people are willing for him to continue as majority leader." Former Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., was visiting old colleagues Friday during the early afternoon vote series. He told CQ Roll Call he suspected McCarthy would have another chance one day down the line. "I think his time will come," Davis said. "A young guy, and I think his time can still come, absolutely." Related: House GOP Regroups, Still With No Endgame in Sight List of Possible Speaker Candidates Grows The Congressman Who Broke the McCarthy News on Twitter CQ Weekly Cover Story: Can the GOP Be Led? See photos, follies, HOH Hits and Misses and more at Roll Call's new video site. Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone .
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Wonderwall.com partnered up with Glamsquad and lead makeup artist Alix Taylor to show you how to get the hottest new celebrity makeup trends -- like Jenna Dewan Tatum's long-lasting matte lip! -- on DIY Celeb Makeup.
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The regular season hasn't even started yet and there already a number of rookies who seem like they will be disappointing their fans. The NBA regular season is rapidly approaching and the preseason has already started for most teams. Some rookies have taken the floor and experienced the NBA game for the first time. With the Summer League completed and the preseason getting underway, here are 10 rookies who are already looking like disappointments. 10. Bobby Portis Bobby Portis was very impressive during the Summer League. Some may have seen him as only an energy guy, but he proved that he had other skills as well. Unfortunately, he will be playing behind Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic. Rookies need playing time or else they will never be able to show their talents. 9. Sam Dekker Sam Dekker played 26 minutes in his preseason debut, but he was only able to score three points. Dekker has athleticism, but he needs to learn how to translate it into the small forward position at the highest level of play. 8. Trey Lyles Trey Lyles is a skilled player with a high basketball IQ, but he doesn't have enough strength to guard opposing big men. Unless Lyles wants to end up as a disappointment, he will build some strength before the season starts. 7. Justise Winslow In a 90-77 preseason loss against the Charlotte Hornets, Justise Winslow struggled with his shot. Because of Winslow's athleticism, defense won't be an issue for him. The main problem is his inability to make shots at a high enough percentage. 6. Emmanuel Mudiay In a preseason victory against the Dallas Mavericks, Emmanuel Mudiay had an impressive 17 points and five assists. But he also had seven turnovers. With a turnover problem and a shot that isn't reliable, Mudiay could end up being a point guard who makes more mistakes than plays. 5. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has athleticism, but his shooting needs work. Additionally, Hollis-Jefferson is playing for a Brooklyn Nets team that will struggle this year. Hollis-Jefferson will probably play because the Nets will experiment, but he will also have a hard rookie season. 4. Julius Randle Julius Randle may have played part of one game last season, but many still consider Randle a rookie (at least in terms of total experience). In the Summer League, Randle wasn't finishing at the rim and he hasn't become a power forward that the Los Angeles Lakers can count on in the future. 3. Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Okafor had a very good Summer League and had a solid performance in the Philadelphia 76ers' preseason opener. Unfortuately, Okafor plays for the 76ers. He will be a disappointment not because of his talent, but because he has to play in a losing atmosphere. 2. D'Angelo Russell D'Angelo Russell was supposed to be the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant, but his play says otherwise. Russell had an unimpressive Summer League and often exhibited poor shot selection. Russell also needs to stay away from the media and let his play do the talking. 1. Joel Embiid Joel Embiid is a disappointment because he can't even get on the floor and prove whether or not he will be a disappointment. Embiid has been seen shooting and running on the court several times before games and yet he is still going to end up missing another season. Embiid may never play in the NBA and that is very disappointing.
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DETROIT A dummy placed face down in a Detroit woman's front yard as a Halloween prank has prompted repeated visits by police. Larethia Haddon says police showed up Tuesday, the first day she put the dummy out. Officer Jennifer Moreno tells The Detroit News (http://detne.ws/1LlSWGC ) that officers arrived again Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday, there were no calls. "Just a dummy," says Officer Shanelle Williams. Haddon says she puts the dummy face down in a different location in her yard every morning and watches the reactions from passers-by as she sips coffee. She says some have attempted CPR and "once they find out it's a dummy, it's so hilarious." ___ Information from: The Detroit News, http://detnews.com/
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CHICAGO Captured in a documentary that brought national attention to Chicago's violence, Operation CeaseFire deployed former gang members and felons to intervene in feuds that too often ended in fatal gunfire on the city's streets. Now that operation has become another casualty in the financial meltdown enveloping Illinois, even as the city still struggles to stop shootings. Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner froze money for CeaseFire, featured in the 2011 documentary "The Interrupters," as Illinois began running out of money because Democrats passed a budget that spent billions more than the state took in. The program was cut off before receiving all of the $4.7 million it was budgeted last fiscal year, and it has gotten no state funding this year as the fight between Rauner and Democrats who lead the Legislature drags on and several programs in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois shut down. Meanwhile, Chicago has seen a roughly 20 percent increase in shootings and homicides so far this year compared with the same period in 2014. That included a July 4 weekend that left 48 people shot, including a 7-year-old boy who police say was killed by a shot intended for his father, described as a "ranking gang member" by officers. None of those holiday weekend shootings occurred in two police districts covered by a Ceasefire-affiliated program that managed to fund itself for the month of July. The same area saw nearly 50 shootings in August. Operation CeaseFire supporters say Chicago and roughly a half dozen other current or former CeaseFire communities need all the resources they can get. "Our kids in our communities are still dying," said Autry Phillips, executive director of Target Area Development, a nonprofit agency on Chicago's South Side that had to end its CeaseFire program. "We're going to do what we can do, but we need funding. That's the bottom line." Even before the freeze, Rauner proposed cutting CeaseFire funding by nearly $3 million this year. His spokeswoman blamed Democrats who have refused pro-business changes sought by the former venture capitalist and first time office holder, such as weakening labor unions. "The governor has asked for structural reforms to free up resources to balance the budget, help the most vulnerable and create jobs," spokeswoman Lyndsey Walters said this week. "Unfortunately, the majority party continues to block the governor's reforms and refuses to pass a balanced budget." "The Interrupters" aired as part of the "Frontline" documentary series on PBS and at film festivals across the U.S. The film featured three former gang members working to "interrupt" Chicago violence, though programs using the model have been implemented in cities nationwide and overseas. CeaseFire uses an approach founded by an epidemiologist who argued violence should be attacked like a disease by stopping it at its source. It's overseen by Cure Violence, an organization based at the University of Illinois at Chicago's School of Public Health. Researchers say CeaseFire has reduced gang involvement, shootings and retaliatory killings. But it hasn't been universally embraced. In 2013, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel opted not to renew a one-year, $1 million contract for CeaseFire programs in two neighborhoods. The decision followed criticism by Chicago police that CeaseFire staff weren't sharing information or working closely enough with them. Some program members also were getting into trouble of their own. Today, programs are operating in six Chicago neighborhoods. More than double that number have shut down in the city and in other Illinois communities, including East St. Louis and Rockford, because of funding cuts, said Kathy Buettner, Cure Violence communications director. Target Area's grant was $220,000. Combined with another eliminated grant that helped ex-offenders leaving prison, the state dollars made up 21 percent of the agency's annual budget, Phillips said. In July, Target Area used an anonymous donation to train several hundred people on how to prevent conflicts from escalating into violence. The neighborhood into which they were sent during the July 4 weekend saw none of the dozens of shootings and killings that plagued the city over those days, Phillips said. The following month, when funding was gone and programs had ended, there were 46 shootings in the same area. Inside Target Area's office, a large laminated map of the neighborhood hangs on a wall, dotted with stickers of various shapes and sizes that mark the locations where violence has occurred. The biggest, red dots indicate the sites of multiple shootings. Phillips sees each one as a failure a person his organization couldn't help. "I hate the dots," he said.
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Scotland lost out on a spot in the Euro 2016 finals when they were knocked out of the qualifier in stunning fashion as Poland scored an equalizer on the final kick of the match. The loss was a bitter one for the Scottish side, and now supporters are blaming one young fan as the game-tying goal may have never happened if he had not run on to the field causing a delay. The incident came in the 88th minute when the fan can be seen running on to the pitch during a stoppage in play. The next shot of the fan on the Fox Sports 2 broadcast was him being escorted off the field by security as the players waited to resume the match. In between, the fan stopped to take a selfie with Poland's star captain, Robert Lewandowski, who made news recently when he scored five goals in nine minutes for his German club team . The selfie was later uploaded to Instagram. It has since been taken down but can still be seen at the UK Daily Record . That photo is now being blamed for Scotland's loss. The score at the time was 2-1 Scotland. A win, and they are in the Euro 2016 finals. As regulation time ended, it was announced that four minutes of stoppage time would be added. Scotland just needed to hang on for four more minutes. This is where the controversy picks up steam. Scottish fans, and some UK media outlets, believe that only three minutes of stoppage time should have been added. Here is the reasoning from the Daily Record (emphasis ours): A total of six substitutions were made in the second half of the game. FIFA rules state that the referee must add 30 seconds for each change, meaning an extra three minutes were due ... With no stoppages for treatment , it appears referee Viktor Kassai added an extra minute to account for the fan-cam incident. The problem with this is, there was a stoppage for treatment in the second half. In the 54th minute, Arkadiusz Milik of Poland went down after a hard tackle and the referee called for the trainers. The game was delayed for approximately 80 seconds, slightly more than one minute. Of course, that moment had long been forgotten, when in the 94th minute, and on the final kick of the game, Lewandowski knocked home a fluke loose ball in front of the net for the equalizer. Scotland's Euro 2016 dream was over. The poor lad is being skewered in the UK today. But three minutes for substitutions and one minute for the injury and it sure looks like the young fan actually had a better chance of helping Scotland by taking away precious seconds from Poland's comeback attempt. Unfortunately for Scotland, he needed to take a few more. NOW WATCH: Here's what real NFL agents think about HBO's 'Ballers'
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"While there are certainly things in my house I'd never consider cheaping out on, I'd be hard-pressed to spend more than $10 or $12 on a dinner plate . Inevitably, dishes will be sacrificed to Hurricane Kiddo or The Clumsy Husband. Keep it simple: affordable, clean designs will showcase your culinary masterpieces, and multiple inexpensive sets in rotation will keep your dining table fresh and inviting year round." - Patrick Ediger "I love swapping out accessories often, so while I always say to invest in pieces that will last a lifetime - such as upholstery - you can definitely save on decorative accessories ." - Nicole Gibbons "I collect beautiful vintage barware, but I mix and match with inexpensive thin glassware from CB2. I buy them by the dozen. They are great for parties or everyday use, stacking in a cupboard and throwing in the dishwasher. Also, if I break them, there is never any heartache." - Lindsey Coral Harper "A great home item that you can buy affordably and then elevate in style is drapery . A great trick is to purchase drapery from HomeGoods, Target, or online and then add a side border or a large base in a different color or print. This way most of the work is done, but you still get that custom look for less." - Taniya Nayak "Save on side tables Whether it's for a bedside table, or to hold drinks next to a living room sofa, these tables inevitably get used a lot and scuffed up. Once styled with a pile of art books, a perky plant or a bright bouquet, no one will notice a few scratches or scuffs." - Justina Blakeney "I never use very expensive fabrics on sofas in the primary living area, especially in homes with kids and/or pets. Anything that has to endure daily wear-and-tear from family living is not going to last forever. The shape of the piece should be classic and timeless, as well as comfortable, so that one day it can be recovered without any heartache." - Wendy Labrum "We have found really fabulous vintage nightstands and had them refinished for a great deal. There is always somewhere to save money." - Alexandra Kaehler "On the cheap, I will always go for toss pillows, as they usually get thrown around, end up on floors and get pet hair all over them." - Joy Moyler
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ROSEBURG, Ore. Holding signs saying the president was not welcome, more than 200 gun-rights activists protested Barack Obama's visit on Friday to Oregon to meet with the families of victims of last week's campus killings. The protesters stood outside Roseburg airport as Obama left a helicopter and got into a limousine that whisked him away for the private conversations at a high school. The protesters were angry about Obama's calls for gun restrictions in the wake of the shooting rampage that killed eight students and a teacher at Umpqua Community College. Some of the protesters carried holstered handguns. Others had signs saying Obama was not welcome. "By coming here, Obama is going to politicize a tragedy by saying that you have to have gun control," George Starr said as he held a small American flag. "It's not that we are bloodthirsty, it's that we want to protect ourselves and our families," he said. The attitude is shared by many people in the conservative region where it is common for residents to own guns for hunting, target shooting and self-protection. "I'm here to tell Obama he is not welcome in our county. He is exploiting the local tragedy with his gun control agenda," said Bruce Rester, a retired truck driver who was wearing a handgun in a holster over his chest. "Everybody should carry a gun. An armed society is a polite society," he said. A number of Obama supporters lined the route taken by the limousine to catch a glimpse of the president.
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Alex Ovechkin has faced his share of tragedy in life; when he was just 10 years old, his older brother Sergei died from a blood clot following a car accident at age 24. Ovechkin rarely speaks about his brother's death, but his family has shared a few details about Sergei's influence on a young Alex. It was Sergei who was one of the biggest supporters of Ovechkin's interest in hockey at a young age. Just one day after Sergei's death, Ovechkin's parents kept up that support Sergei originally provided by insisting Ovechkin play in his youth hockey game. Ovechkin opened up about that moment in a recent interview with Graham Bensinger which will air this weekend. "It was hard, I was crying. I remember I was crying that day," Ovechkin told Bensinger . "I was on the bench, I was crying. But my shift, my coach said okay, go play. And I played and I was crying. It was hard but at 10 years old, you obviously [don't] realize what's happening. It was a hard moment for my mom and dad, for all my family because oldest son passed away. It was a hard time." After Sergei's death, Ovechkin said he was more motivated than ever to succeed in hockey since it was up to just him and his other brother, Mikhail, to support their parents as they aged. Ovechkin did more than just succeed, however. He became one of the best Russian players to ever play the game, averaging a point-per-game pace through his first 10 NHL seasons while winning nearly every individual trophy in the league. Ovechkin has also made plenty of money. He is currently in the eighth year of a 13-year, $124 million contract, and he has plenty of endorsements from companies such as Nike, Bauer, Gillette and more to supplement his income. It looks like the Ovechkin parents will be well taken care of in ways they probably never imagined. Be sure to tune in to "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" this weekend for more on Ovechkin, his life in Moscow and his thoughts on the 2014 Sochi Olympics. (h/t Yahoo! Sports ) MORE NEWS: Want stories delivered to you? Sign up for our NHL newsletters.
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Director & actor Eli Roth is dishing on what it was like to work with actor Keanu Reeves in the movie Knock, Knock. In his upcoming film, Eli's wife Lorenza Izzo stars alongside beloved star. We sat down with Eli Roth and Lorenza Izzo and chatted about their upcoming horror flick, The Green Inferno, and asked what it was like working with Keanu for the film Knock Knock and with Brad Pitt on Inglorious Bastards. Check out the video to get all the details on working with Keanu Reeves.
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HOUSTON Brian Hoyer has his job back as Houston's starting quarterback. Hoyer won the job out of camp but was pulled in the fourth quarter of a season-opening loss to the Chiefs after committing two turnovers. Ryan Mallett has started since then, but he has struggled and Hoyer took over in both of the last two games as the Texans fell to 1-4. Hoyer replaced Mallett in the second quarter on Thursday night and threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted by Mike Adams with less than 2 minutes left to help seal the Colts' 27-20 victory. The Texans have 10 days before they'll try to get back on track when they travel to Jacksonville on Oct. 18. Although O'Brien is going with Hoyer against the Jaguars, he wouldn't commit to anything beyond that. "It's 11 one-game seasons so he's the starter for Jacksonville," O'Brien said. "I think over the last two games he's gone in there with a really good attitude, with a calmness about him, with really good mechanics. Has he been perfect? No. But I think that ... overall he's played pretty well." Mallett helped Houston to its only win in his second start when he threw a touchdown pass, but also had an interception in a 19-9 victory over Tampa Bay. His struggles continued in a 48-21 loss to Atlanta when he threw an interception and didn't lead the Texans to any points before Hoyer took over. Hoyer threw two touchdown passes and directed three scoring drives late against a Falcons defense that had pulled most of its starters. O'Brien stuck with Mallett, starting him again on Thursday and the results were much the same. A pass deflected by Arian Foster was intercepted on Houston's first drive on Thursday and Mallett was unable to get the Texans any points on the next two drives either. He took an illegal hit to the ribs on Houston's next possession, forcing him out of the game. Hoyer came in and Mallett was fine a couple of minutes later, but O'Brien went with Hoyer for the rest of the game. Mallett was not happy about the decision and appeared to be moping on the sidelines. "Ryan's a competitor and he wants to play, but we have to do what's best for the team and that's what we think is best for the team right now," O'Brien said. O'Brien has liked the way Hoyer has played in the two games since the season opener, when he seemed a bit tight. "There's no position that's more important than quarterback when it comes to consistency," O'Brien said. "Over the last however many quarters he's played (Hoyer's) been a consistent player for us." Notes: Along with their quarterback switch, the Texans are also dealing with another injury to last year's top overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, though this one doesn't seem serious. He had a walking boot on his right ankle in the locker room on Friday, but O'Brien said he's OK and should play against the Jaguars. Clowney played just four games as a rookie last season because of various injuries before season-ending microfracture surgery. He was injured early in Thursday night's game, but missed only a couple of plays before returning to the field. ... The Texans should get receiver Cecil Shorts back for the next game after he sat out Thursday with a shoulder injury, but Nate Washington (hamstring) is day to day. ___ Online: AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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The Seattle Mariners fired manager Lloyd McClendon on Friday after two seasons as new general manager Jerry Dipoto chose to bring in his own field boss. Confirming: McClendon out as #Mariners manager. Some coaches gone, too. First reported: @RyanDivish . Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 9, 2015 Seattle announced the decision less than a week after the Mariners concluded a disappointing 76-86 season. Seattle started the year with expectations of contending in the AL West and reaching the postseason, but instead finished in fourth place in the division. Dipoto was hired to replace Jack Zduriencik the final week of the regular season and said he would take his time evaluating whether McClendon would return. McClendon was under contract for the 2016 season. "I have a great deal of respect for Lloyd, as a person and as a manager," Dipoto said in a statement. "It is a credit to his professionalism that the team continued to play hard through the final day of the season. However, after extensive conversations it became clear to me that our baseball philosophies were not closely aligned." The Mariners said hitting coach Edgar Martinez and infield coach Chris Woodward have been invited to remain with the Mariners staff. Pitching coach Rick Waits and coach Chris Prieto have been invited to remain with the organization in different roles. All other coaches on the major league staff will not return. McClendon raised hopes of a turnaround in Seattle after the Mariners went 87-75 in his first season and missed the playoffs by one game. But Seattle could not sustain the success from the first season and, combined with Zduriencik's firing, McClendon's status was in doubt once Dipoto took charge. McClendon was 163-161 in his two seasons with the Mariners and was the only black manager in baseball. Dipoto's decision means Seattle will have its 10th manager -- full-time and interim -- since the club's last playoff appearance in 2001. "I look in the mirror every night and I know I gave it everything I had every day," McClendon said on the final day of the regular season. "And, I said this earlier, my players gave me everything they had every day. Some nights it was good enough, some nights it wasn't very good. But, the effort was always there." Dipoto came to Seattle after leaving behind a rocky relationship with the Angels and manager Mike Scioscia, who was already entrenched when Dipoto was hired in Los Angeles. Rather than try to force a relationship in Seattle, Dipoto will now be able to bring in someone he wants to work with. McClendon was well-liked by his players in Seattle, specifically Robinson Cano. But the success of the first season -- when Seattle had a lackluster offense but outstanding pitching -- couldn't carry into the second year. Seattle's bullpen regressed significantly, the offense slogged through the first half of the season led by the struggles of Cano, and the Mariners could never recover from a 2-9 homestand in late May and early June. Seattle was McClendon's second chance as a manager. McClendon was the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2001-05, going 336-446. Pittsburgh never won more than 75 games or finished higher than fourth in the NL Central during his tenure and he was fired in early September of the 2005 season.
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Every two minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which means you're reading a lot of stats like that one lately, and seeing lots of temporarily pink products in the grocery store. The month might conjure the image of middle-aged, gray-haired women marching for a cure. But we don't always hear the stories of women who have it in their 20s or 30s-and then move on and live a whole life afterward. There are the obvious repercussions to fighting breast cancer-losing your hair, potentially losing your breasts, losing your vision of the future. And there are the less obvious ones, like losing your sex drive. Breast cancer and its treatment can leave women with lower libido, a poor body image, and painful penetration. It adds insult to terrible injury. The following women all opened up to us about how breast cancer transformed their sex lives. There's Felicia, 31; Shiana, 27; Arleen, 37; Candance, 31; Emily, 34; Janice, 40; and Allie, 27. Their stories are often sad, but always powerful-and an excellent reminder to anyone reading to appreciate and praise your body for everything it does. Marie Claire: What was your treatment like? Candance: My treatment started with removal of both breasts and reconstruction. I had 16 rounds of chemo and 33 rounds of radiation. I lost my hair and nails, and my chest got discolored from radiation. Shiana: I lost hair, my face broke out...there were mouth sores and a lot of swelling. At times I would need assistance bathing because my bones ached. Emily: I found the whole medical process dehumanizing. In order to try and get my body "fixed," I had to hand it over to myriad medical professionals. In doing so, I lost all sense of autonomy. Janice: I found going through active treatment easier. There was this anticipation that afterwards things would get back to normal. Things definitely don't go back to normal. MC: Did your doctors talk to you at any point about how having breast cancer might affect your romantic or sex life? Allie: When I was first diagnosed my doctor asked what my plans were for child bearing. It was never a conversation about having sex itself. Arleen: My doctors never communicated to me that my sex life would be affected. In fact, I thought I was going to go back to normal once treatments were done. My desire for sex is gone. Emily: My oncologist said "no rough sex," and to use protection. My partner and I did more research, and we understood that "no rough sex" meant that we shouldn't do things that could tear the very weak mucous membranes of my orifices because I had no immune system. MC: Did you struggle with body image issues at all? Janice: Looking back, I had this idea that I was getting a free boob job. When I would say it the doctor would laugh and say, "Yes, you should look for the silver lining." I didn't realize that this would be the opposite of a boob job. It is a neuter job. Candance: Even though I have been through the plastic surgery, I didn't look at myself for the first year and a half. To this day I have not taken my shirt off in front of anyone but my plastic surgeon. Emily: I worried that people seeing my body would think I was some kind of monster. Shiana: I had gained a lot of weight due to steroids. I still deal with not having my hair and no eyebrows...it makes me feel insecure. Arleen: I have a long scar along the side of my breast which doesn't bother me as much as how the breast actually feels-it hurts to the touch. MC: How did treatment for breast cancer affect your sex life? Arleen: I've only been able to have sex a few times in four years. I'm currently taking Tamoxifen, and it has affected my vagina to the point that I can no longer have intercourse without feeling discomfort. Allie: Let's face it, bringing a guy home is a little tricky when you're bald. Janice: I was bald, had scars post-surgery, no nipple, and there was even lots of bleeding while having sex. I have to give guys credit: Never once did they make me feel less than sexy. Emily: I was unable to perform as I would have liked sexually because I was physically unable to do so for a long time. We had to find new ways of being intimate and sexual that weren't painful for me. MC: If you have a long-term partner, how has having cancer affected the dynamics of your relationship? Arleen: My partner sees me as a porcelain doll. He thinks my body is too sensitive and often feels discouraged to have sex. The few times we have tried, it's hurt me so much that we've pretty much given up. Felicia: My boyfriend has been the most loving and supportive partner throughout this whole mess, and I am so thankful for him. But the lack of sex has been a cause of major frustration. I can't help but secretly fear that he might one day just give up on me so that he can get back to living a normal life for a 30-year-old. Candance: For me it didn't really make a difference. He thought of me as being beautiful regardless. Besides, he's more of a butt guy. MC: If you're dating, when do you bring up your breast cancer? Allie: The truth is I haven't been able to date yet. I'm just starting to feel more like myself, and I'm not really sure how or when I would tell someone my nipples are two-dimensional. Janice: At Stage 3, I don't blurt it out, but if something comes up in conversation that would require me to hide information or lie, then I tell the person. I'm surprised that it's never been a deal breaker. Emily: I was worried that people would think I was a monster with my big scars and lack of breasts. But one said, "Your ass is so bangin' if you had tits too I might lose my mind." My current partner googled what the physical sensations in my chest might be. She wanted to know how it felt! It was a very kind and thoughtful gesture, as well as a pragmatic one. MC: Is there anything you've discovered in your romantic and sex life that you want to share with women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer? Candance: I would tell women who have been diagnosed to love yourself regardless. Live like you have literally been given a second chance. Felicia: While there are no easy answers, the one thing that has moved mountains for my partner and me is our commitment to communicate honestly, openly, and with empathy. Allie: What I've discovered most recently is that even with 30 extra pounds and a buzz cut, people still find me attractive and pay attention to who I am and what I have to offer. MC: Is there anything you've discovered you want to share with women who have not been affected by breast cancer? Arleen: We never really think we can get cancer, especially at a young age. I think educating ourselves about breast cancer and other gynecological cancers is important. Allie: It is important to be aware of your body and to not be afraid to take good care of yourself. And also, be kind to one another; being a woman is difficult enough without judgement from other women. Shiana: There are many things that bother me that people say or sometimes ask. Like when people say "It's just hair, it will grow back," or "You don't look sick." Janice: Enjoy our beautiful whole body thoroughly. Don't take it for granted. You never know when something will be taken from you. Candance: Love yourself wholeheartedly. It begins with you. Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV.
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health
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There's a changing of the guard at work in the Beckham family. In a new interview with KEY 103, David Beckham, 40, admitted his 16-year-old son Brooklyn is officially more popular than the former soccer stud . "It's interesting going out with him though because he gets so much attention when we're out," David marveled, according to the Daily Mail. "We normally get people now coming up and saying, 'would you mind taking a picture with me,' and they're actually talking to Brooklyn rather than myself. And I'm the one that takes the picture!" Brooklyn, the eldest of David and Victoria Beckham's four kids, is also starting to date -- and yes, he's already had the prerequisite birds and bees sit-down with his dad. "I've definitely given him relationship advice," David said. "Obviously, he's 16 years old so a few years back we had 'the talk.' But Victoria was in the room and we kind of had a chuckle and he was kind of looking at me as if to say, 'why you doing this in front of Mum?!'" Not that David has any problem embarrassing his kids in the name of safety. He admitted that when Brooklyn went on his first date, "I sat five tables behind him," to keep an eye on things. And when it comes time for David and Victoria's only daughter , Harper, who's now just 4, to start dating? "Don't worry about that," David said, "when it comes to my little girl's first date I'll be right next to her!"
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entertainment
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Dow Jones announced Friday that hackers breached its system and possibly accessed payment information for some former and current subscribers. The News Corp (NWSA) unit, which includes The Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch, said data was possibly taken from fewer than 3,500 people. The system was breached between August 2012 and July 2015. Dow Jones CEO William Lewis noted the company found "no direct evidence that information was stolen." The hackers appeared to target contact information in order to send fraudulent messages to customers, he added. Dow Jones notified individuals whose information may be vulnerable. An investigation into the breach is ongoing. This story is developing. Please check back for further updates. Click here for the latest on the markets.
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A small group of Eritreans left Italy for Sweden on Friday, the first contingent of asylum-seekers to be relocated under a European Union scheme to ease the burden of the migration crisis on frontline countries.
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Japan's crippled Fukushima nuclear plant opens its doors to the media as workers move closer to completing the construction of a barrier between the complex and the sea.
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Jack Dorsey was named permanent CEO of Twitter on Monday, and a big reason he got the job was that as a co-founder, Dorsey isn't afraid to make the tough, necessary decisions. He isn't wasting much time. Twitter is planning company-wide layoffs next week, according to multiple sources. It's unclear how much of the staff will be culled, but insiders say it will likely affect most, if not all, departments. The downsizing comes at the same time Twitter is restructuring its engineering organization to make it leaner and more efficient, these sources say. It's likely that many of those impacted by the layoffs will be engineers, which make up about half the staff. A Twitter spokesperson told Re/code, "We're not commenting on rumor and speculation." Those close to the company have argued for years that Twitter has become too bloated. It reported roughly 4,200 employees last quarter, more than double the roughly 2,000 employees it had in Q2 2013 just before the IPO. Twitter's user base has grown less than 50 percent in that time. Of course, some of the growth has come via acquisitions Twitter has made plenty over the past two years. But still, the feeling from those close to the company is that Twitter's engineering team is much larger than it needs to be. The reorg also aligns with what Dorsey has been preaching for the last four months: That Twitter needs to be more focused. In June he told Re/code that the company needed to do a better job of "clarifying ownership" around projects, and he restructured Twitter's product team in August to do just that. Now, it appears, the rest of the staff will be reshuffled, too.
| 3 | 92,395 |
finance
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A year before three young boys were found stabbed to death in the back seat of a car, their risk of abuse at home had been marked as "high" by a Los Angeles County department's program intended to guide social workers' level of intervention. This week, Los Angeles County's Department of Children and Family Services officials will convene a high-level review to determine whether social workers made mistakes investigating allegations of abuse and whether the department missed opportunities to save Luis, Juan and Alex, whose father, Luiz Fuentes, is now charged in their deaths. The brothers, ages 8, 9 and 10, had been the subject of several calls to the county's child abuse hotline alleging physical abuse by their father. More than a year after the last report, authorities allege, Fuentes fatally stabbed his sons and then stabbed himself. Fuentes has been charged with murder, and police say he is the sole suspect in the case. He has not yet entered a plea. Irene G. Nunez, a deputy public defender representing Fuentes, said that the defense is investigating his entire life history and has learned that his father was murdered when he was a small child. Fuentes' wife, the boys' mother, died of a brain aneurysm. "This is such a heartbreaking tragedy," Nunez said. "His despair and depression basically destroyed everything he loved - everyone he loved." DCFS officials have been publicly silent about their findings, and the presiding judge of Los Angeles County's Juvenile Court, Michael Levanas, has so far declined to release the case records in response to a petition by The Times. But confidential DCFS case records obtained by The Times indicate that officials believe their initial inquiry has uncovered no egregious errors. In the weeks since the boys' bodies were found, social workers and county attorneys have pored over case notes and interviewed witnesses to develop an account of the county's supervision of the family in the years preceding the deaths. For five years, the family lived with Fuentes' girlfriend, Josefina Barrales, in her South Los Angeles home. But because of problems between the couple, Fuentes and the boys moved out of the home, Barrales said. They moved in with his sister, then left after a month or so. After that, he would tell Barrales he was staying in a motel, or sometimes sleeping with the boys in his car, she said. Although Barrales, who has a 3-year-old son with Fuentes, maintains there was no abuse in the home, social workers investigated the family three times between 2010 and 2014. The department's involvement with the family began in March 2010, when someone called the county's child abuse hotline to say that Fuentes had struck Luis, then 5, on the face with a belt, according to the case records. Social workers responded, but Fuentes and his sons all denied the allegations and the investigation was marked "inconclusive," the records say. Six months later, on Sept. 3, the child abuse hotline received another call from someone who said Luis had shown his teacher a bruise on his stomach that he said was left by his father's belt. Luis reportedly told the teacher that Fuentes also beat his brothers. County doctors examined the child and determined his bruise came from abuse, the records say. Juan denied being abused and Alex showed the social worker a light red mark on his arm, but declined to say where it came from, according to the records. The boys were removed by social workers from Fuentes' care that day and moved to Barrales' residence, but they were returned to their father on Oct. 27 because of a court order, the records say. At the time, social workers linked the abuse to Fuentes' grief over the death of his wife - the boys' mother - in 2008. Fuentes was ordered by the juvenile court to undergo grief counseling and participate in classes on parenting skills, the records show. On Nov. 29, 2011, social workers recommended that the case be closed, and a court officer agreed. At that point, Fuentes had completed parenting classes but attended only one counseling session. He blamed his busy schedule for the lapse, court records say. Now, officials are analyzing whether the department was correct to close the case without more compliance from the father - and whether appropriate treatment of his depression might have helped to prevent his deterioration in later years. "It is disappointing if those activities were ordered by the judge or agreed by the father but never completed," said Philip Browning, the department's director. Barrales said she doesn't recall Fuentes taking classes, and in a previous interview with The Times said she believes he was suffering a severe depression. As far as she knew, he had never gone to therapy, despite losing his father at a young age, his mother when he was about 18 years old and later his wife, she said. DCFS did not record contact with the family again until someone made a call to the child abuse hotline on April 9, 2014, to say that the boys were the victims of physical abuse by their father and emotional abuse by him and his romantic partner, the records say. The caller said Alex, then 6, had misbehaved in school the day before and his father punished him by striking him on the chest with a belt, the records say. An initial review by social workers of the family's case records uncovered no efforts to speak to the boys at school separately from their father. Social workers did not speak to them until an appointment with Fuentes on April 22, when he and the children all denied abuse, and Alex recanted the account that he had previously told his teacher, case records say. Without confirming that the Fuentes boys were not interviewed separately, Browning said he was frustrated to read case files showing that children are not always interviewed apart from their accused abusers. "That should be done in every case," he said. Barrales confirmed that a social worker visited in April, but said that's the only visit she recalls. "There was one occasion, where they thought he'd hit Alex," Barrales said. "But it wasn't true ... they never found anything." A doctor reported no signs of abuse during an August visit and follow-up visits by social workers yielded no signs of anything amiss. Still, in August of last year, social workers calculated the family's risk with a computer program that is meant to use statistical information to help guide their level of intervention. The program - known as Structured Decision Making - uses a list of multiple choice questions to collect information. Some of the information submitted by the social worker was incorrect, the records show. The worker, for instance, said the father had never had a previous mental health problem despite the depression documented by social workers in 2010. The worker also said there was no history of substance abuse, despite a previously acknowledged DUI arrest, case records show. It is unclear whether the information was available to the social worker, because the department's computer system was conflating multiple families' case histories into one, and it was difficult to discern what information applied to the Fuentes family and what information applied to other families, case records say. "There's a joke that DCFS is on the cutting edge of 1990," Browning said. "We are still working an antiquated state system of which we have very little control." He noted that the California Department of Social Services is planning to replace the data system, but it is years behind schedule. Despite the missing information, the Structured Decision Making program recommended that social workers "promote" the case and remove the children or provide services inside their father's home, the records show. The program scored the children's risk of abuse as "high." Social workers decided to instead "override" the recommendation, and they marked the latest allegation as "inconclusive," the case records show. The department's review will analyze whether the decision was appropriate, Browning said. The department shows no recorded contact with the family after closing its investigation last year until the boys died, according to the family's case file. In the months before their death, the boys were homeless and living with their father in his car, case records say. The father and his sons received $204 in food stamps each month, and the father's June 22 application for CalWorks welfare benefits was denied, case records show. DCFS social workers wrote that they did not yet understand why the CalWorks application was denied during a period when the family was under such obvious financial distress. In a previous interview with The Times, Barrales, who worked with Fuentes at the Farmer John meat processing facility, said he had told her shortly before the deaths of the boys that he didn't have any money. The DCFS internal review, which will probably take place Friday, is one of several the department has held over the last three years in response to recurrent cases of children dying of abuse and neglect after mistakes by social workers and breakdowns in the rickety computer systems that support them, Browning said. "The goal is to identify what we might do differently in the future and consider any employee discipline that might be warranted," Browning said. [email protected]; Twitter: @gtherolf [email protected]; Twitter: @brittny mejia
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Is it wrong to make $1000 by credit card hopping? The Moneyologist weighs in on Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero and points out hidden risks for consumers. Photo: Getty
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finance
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Lionsgate releases the final trailer of 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2' ahead of the film's release in late November. Rough cut (no reporter narration).
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video
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The country that started the Arab Spring has been recognized for its mostly peaceful transition to a democracy, with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Nathan Frandino reports.
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video
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