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My wife and I welcomed a son into the world on Sunday. It's the coolest experience anyone could ask for. His only interest right now is keeping us awake 24/7. But one day -- a long time from now -- he'll need to learn something about finance. When he does, here's my advice. 1. You might think you want an expensive car, a fancy watch, and a huge house. But I'm telling you, you don't. What you want is respect and admiration from other people, and you think having expensive stuff will bring it. It almost never does -- especially from the people you want to respect and admire you. When you see someone driving a nice car, you probably don't think, "Wow, that person is cool." Instead, you think, "Wow, if I had that car people would think I'm cool." Do you see the irony? No one cares about the guy in the car. Have fun; buy some nice stuff. But realize that what people are really after is respect, and humility will ultimately gain you more of it than vanity. 2. It's normal to assume that all financial success and failure is earned. It mostly is, but only up to a point -- and a lower point than many think. People's lives are a reflection of the experiences they've had and the people they've met, a lot of which are driven by luck, accident, and chance. Some people are born into families that encourage education; others are against it. Some are born into flourishing economies encouraging of entrepreneurship; others are born into war and destitution. I want you to be successful, and I want you to earn it. But realize that not all success is due to hard work, and not all poverty is due to laziness. Keep this in mind when judging people, including yourself. 3. This may sound harsh, but I hope you're poor at some point. Not struggling, and not unhappy, of course. But there's no way to learn the value of money without feeling the power of its scarcity. It teaches you the difference between necessary and desirable. It'll force you to budget. It'll make you learn to enjoy what you have, fix what's broken, and shop for a bargain. These are essential survival skills. Learn to be poor with dignity and you'll handle the inevitable ups and downs of financial life with ease. 4. If you're like most people, you'll spend most of your adult life thinking, "Once I've saved/earned $X, everything will be great." Then you'll hit $X, move the goalpost down the field, and resume chasing your tail. It's a miserable cycle to be in. Save your money and strive to get ahead. But realize your ability to adjust to new circumstances is more powerful than you think, and your goals should be about more than money. 5. Don't stay in a job you hate because you unwittingly made a career choice when you were 18 years old. Your dad shakes his head at college freshmen choosing a major to guide their lifelong careers. Almost no one knows what they want to do at that age. Many don't know what they want to do until they're twice that age. 6. Change your mind when you need to. I've noticed a tendency for people to think they've mastered investing when they're young. They start investing at age 18, and think they have it all figured out by age 19. They never do. Confidence rises faster than ability, especially in young men. Learn the skill of changing your mind, discarding old beliefs and replacing them with new truths. It's hard, but necessary. Don't feel bad about it. The ability to change your mind when you're wrong is a sign of intelligence. 7. The best thing money buys is control over your time. It gives you options and frees you from relying on someone else's priorities. One day you'll realize this freedom is one of the things that makes you truly happy. 8. The road to financial regret is paved with debt. Also, commissioned salesmen. But mostly debt. It's amazing what percentage of financial problems are caused by borrowing. Debt is a claim on your future, which you'll always miss, in order to gain something today, which you'll quickly get used to. You'll likely use some debt, like a mortgage. That's OK. But be careful. Most debt is the equivalent of a drug: A quick (and expensive) hit of pleasure that wears off, only to drag you down for years to come, limiting your options while weighed down by the baggage of your past. 9. Your savings rate has a little to do with how much you earn, and a lot to do with how much you spend. I know a dentist who lives paycheck to paycheck, always on the sliver's edge of financial ruin. I know another who never earned more than $50,000 and saved a fortune. The difference is entirely due to their spending. How much you make doesn't determine how much you have. And how much you have doesn't determine how much you need. Don't become a money hoarder or a miser. But realize that learning to live with less is the easiest and most efficient way to gain control of your financial future. 10. Don't listen to me if you disagree with what I've written. Everyone's different. The world you grow up in will have different values and opportunities than the one I did. More importantly, you'll learn best when you disagree with someone and then are forced to learn it yourself. (On the other hand, always listen to your mother.) Now, please let me sleep. | 3 | 95,200 | finance |
A little more than 30% of American adults are college educated, a slight increase from a year ago when 29.6% of adults had at least a bachelor's degree. Education levels in the United States are by no means uniform, however, and whether Americans are college educated or not largely depends on where they live. There is a wide range of education levels not just across the country, but also within each state. Based on recently released educational attainment data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed the level of higher education in every metro area in each state. The nation's most educated metro area is Boulder, Colorado, where 58% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree. The least educated metro is Hanford-Corcoran, California, where just 11.5% of adults are college educated. The difference in college attainment rates between a state's most and least educated metro areas can be as high as 36 percentage points. This is the case in Oregon, where 53.5% of adults in Corvallis have a college degree, while just 17.1% of adults in Grants Pass have at least a bachelor's degree. While higher education levels can vary considerably, the cities with the highest college attainment rates tended to be in states with relatively high education levels overall. Bachelor's degree recipients made up at least 40% of the adult population in the most educated city in seven of the 10 most educated states in the country. With only eight exceptions, education levels in a state's most educated city exceed the national bachelor's degree attainment rate of 30.1% of U.S. adults. In the states where this is not the case, statewide education levels tend to be low compared to the nation. To identify the most educated city in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the percentage of adults who have at least a bachelor's degree in every metro area in each state from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 American Community Survey (ACS). The percentage of each area's employed population working in a particular sector, median household income, poverty rates, and median earnings by education level also came from the ACS. Annual unemployment rates came from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These are the most educated cities in each state. Alabama Most educated city: Huntsville Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.2% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.4% Median household income: $56,453 Alabama residents are far less likely to have a college degree than most Americans. Alabama's college attainment rate of 23.5% is lower than in all but six other states and well below the 30.1% of American adults who have at least a college degree. In the Huntsville metro area, however, 35.2% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, the highest educational attainment rate in the state. Alaska Most educated city: Fairbanks Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 34.4% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 95.0% Median household income: $69,820 No state has a better high school attainment rate than Alaska, where 92.9% of adults have at least a high school diploma. In Fairbanks, the high school attainment rate is even higher, at 95.0%. Similarly, while Alaska has the highest average annual earnings for high school graduates, at $35,963, high school graduates in Fairbanks tend to earn even more, with average earnings of $39,016. As is often the case nationwide, a relatively high high school attainment rate often accompanies a high college attainment rate. More than 34% of adults in Fairbanks have at least a college degree, the highest share of any metro area in the state. Arizona Most educated city: Flagstaff Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.2% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.7% Median household income: $49,757 The Arizona population has lower educational attainment than most Americans -- 27.6% of state adults have at least a college degree versus 30.1% of American adults. However, the level of education in Arizona is not evenly distributed. More than 35% of adults have at least a college education in Flagstaff, the state's most educated city. After the Arizona Supreme Court ruled last year that education funds had been illegally withheld from the school system, the state bolstered K-12 school funding. At the same time, however, Arizona university budgets were cut by nearly $100 million for fiscal 2016. Arkansas Most educated city: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 28.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 90.4% Median household income: $48,330 Adults in the Little Rock metro area have higher education levels than in any other metro area in Arkansas. However, Arkansas is one of eight states in which the most educated city has a lower college attainment rate than the national share of 30.1%. Across the state, just 21.4% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, nearly the lowest attainment rate in the country. California Most educated city: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 47.5% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 87.2% Median household income: $96,481 Residents of the San Jose metro area are more likely to have a college degree than residents in any other metro area in California. While 31.7% of California adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.5% of the San Jose area's adults have a similar level of educational attainment. Higher educational attainment often accompanies higher incomes in an area. Indeed, the typical San Jose household earns $96,481 a year, about $34,500 more than the statewide median household income of $61,933. Colorado Most educated city: Boulder Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 58.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.3% Median household income: $71,540 Boulder is the most educated city in one of the most educated states. In Colorado, 38.3% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, the second highest collegiate attainment rate nationwide. Boulder's collegiate attainment rate is even higher, at 58.0%. As is the case nationwide, a high college attainment rate often accompanies an above average high school attainment. In Boulder, 94.3% of area adults have at least a high school diploma, significantly higher than the 86.9% of American adults who do. Connecticut Most educated city: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 46.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 89.8% Median household income: $85,925 While 38.0% of Connecticut adults have at least a bachelor's degree, a higher share than in all but three other states, residents of the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk metro area have an even higher educational attainment rate. Nearly 47% of metro area adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in any other metro area in the state and the 10th largest share of all U.S. metro areas. Median income for those with a bachelor's degree in the Bridgeport area is the third highest in the nation. A typical college educated Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk area adult earns $70,771 a year -- nearly $10,000 more than the typical college educated Connecticut adult and roughly $20,000 more than the typical college educated American adult. Delaware Most educated city: Dover Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 24.2% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.1% Median household income: $55,227 Since Dover is the only metro area in Delaware, its distinction as the most educated city in the state is not especially remarkable. In fact, Dover's college attainment rate, at 24.2%, does not exceed the national or the state's education attainment rates of 30.1% and 30.6%, respectively. As is often the case in less educated areas, incomes among households in the state capital are also lower than they are across the state. While the typical delaware household earns $59,716, Dover's median household income is only $55,227. Florida Most educated city: Gainesville Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 39.2% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 92.1% Median household income: $45,353 While the state of Florida as a whole has a below-average share of adults with a bachelor's degree, the city of Gainesville has one of the highest concentrations of educated adults in the country. Nearly 40% of the North Central Floridian town has a college education. This probably is at least in part due to the presence of the University of Florida. The school, along with UF Health, the university-run hospital, employs close to 40,000 of the metro area's roughly 273,000 residents. Georgia Most educated city: Athens-Clarke County Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.5% Median household income: $41,761 While Georgia is roughly in line with the national median educational attainment rate for adults, Athens-Clarke County has a comparatively high collegiate attainment rate. Almost 36% of residents in the metro area have at least a bachelor's degree compared to the 30.1% of adults who do nationally. Those with bachelor's degrees in the area do not benefit from higher wages in the same way as similarly-educated residents in other parts of the country. Median earnings for someone with a bachelor's degree is just $31,627 in the metro area, about $19,000 less than the earnings of a typical American with a bachelor's degree. Hawaii Most educated city: Urban Honolulu Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 32.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.8% Median household income: $74,634 Roughly two thirds of Hawaii's 1.4 million residents live in the Urban Honolulu metro area. In the state's most populated metro area, 32.6% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, a slightly higher share than the 31.0% of adults in Hawaii with similar educational attainment. The American Civil Liberties Union recently sued the city of Honolulu for depriving homeless people of food during raids on encampments. However, higher rates of education often accompany better economic outcomes, and despite the media attention centered on the city's homeless population, Honolulu actually has a smaller share of impoverished residents than both the state and the country. While 15.5% of Americans are living below the poverty line, only 11.4% of Hawaiians do, and an even smaller 9.7% share of the population of the state's most educated city are living in poverty. Idaho Most educated city: Boise City Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 29.4% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.3% Median household income: $51,826 Idaho is one of just eight states where even the most educated city still has relatively few college-educated adults compared to the nation. While 30.1% of American adults have at least a bachelor's degree, a state-high 29.4% of Boise City adults have completed at least a bachelor's degree. Just one-quarter of state adults have at least a college education, the 10th lowest college attainment rate compared with other states. Illinois Most educated city: Bloomington Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 41.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.5% Median household income: $57,592 In Bloomington, the most educated metro area in Illinois, nearly 42% of adult residents have at least a bachelor's degree. In the Chicago metro area, the largest in the state and the third largest in the country, 36.1% of residents 25 and older have a bachelor's degree. The least educated metro area in Illinois is Danville, where the college attainment rate is only 13.8%. While higher college attainment rates tend to lead to lower unemployment rates, Illinois is an exception. Nearly 33% of Illinois adult residents have a bachelor's degree, while the national college attainment rate is 30.1%. Despite the higher educational attainment rate, the state's unemployment rate of 7.1% is higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.2%. Indiana Most educated city: Bloomington Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 41.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.0% Median household income: $44,963 Statewide, educational attainment in Indiana is well below national levels. Slightly less than a quarter of all Indiana adults have at least a bachelor's degree compared to about 30% of adults nationwide. In Bloomington, however, 41.9% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, much higher than the national rate and the highest of any metro area in the state. Iowa Most educated city: Iowa City Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 48.8% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 95.2% Median household income: $59,791 Iowa City is home to a larger share of college educated adults than any other metro area in the state. Close to half of all adults in the metro area have at least a bachelor's degree, a much higher share than the 27.7% of adults across Iowa with similar educational attainment. While educational attainment is higher in Iowa City than it is in the rest of the state, incomes for those with bachelor's degrees are slightly lower than statewide incomes for college-educated adults. The median annual income of those with a bachelor's degree in Iowa City is $45,445, roughly $1,400 less than the income of a typical Iowan with bachelor's degree. Kansas Most educated city: Lawrence Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 50.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 95.7% Median household income: $48,565 More than half of all adults in the Lawrence metro area have bachelor's degrees, a much higher share than the 31.5% of all adults in Kansas with similar educations. Adults in Lawrence are also more likely to have completed high school than their counterparts across the state. While 90.3% of Kansas adults have at least a high school diploma, 95.7% of Lawrence's adult residents are high school graduates. Despite higher educational attainment, incomes are lower in Lawrence than they are across the state. The typical Lawrence household brings in just $48,565 annually, roughly $4,000 less than the median household income of $52,504 in Kansas. Kentucky Most educated city: Lexington-Fayette Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 89.6% Median household income: $50,270 Kentucky is the fourth least educated state in the country with only 22.2% of adults having attained a bachelor's degree. Educational attainment in the Lexington-Fayette metro area, however, is significantly higher than it is across the country. While 30.1% of American adults have at least a bachelor's degree, 35.0% of adults in the Lexington-Fayette metro area have similar educational attainment. Higher educational attainment usually accompanies better economic outcomes, but Lexington-Fayette is an exception. Despite a relatively well educated adult population, 18.2% of the metro area's residents live in poverty, a larger share than the 15.5% of Americans who do. Louisiana Most educated city: New Orleans-Metairie Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 28.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.3 Median household income: $46,784 Less than 23% of Louisiana adults have at least a bachelor's degree, one of the lowest attainment rates in the nation. The state's most educated metro area -- New Orleans-Metairie -- while far more educated than the state population overall, still trails the national college attainment rate. Higher levels of education usually lead to higher incomes, and this is the case in New Orleans, where the typical college-educated area resident earns $46,922 a year, roughly $19,000 more than the New Orleans resident with just a high school diploma. Maine Most educated city: Portland-South Portland Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 38.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 93.5% Median household income: $59,573 The Portland area is home to numerous colleges and universities. This has likely contributed to the metro area's high college attainment rate of 38.6%, the highest in the state and also well above the national attainment rate of 30.1%. A typical college-educated Maine adult earns $40,695 annually, nearly the lowest median wage for a college educated adult compared with other states. In the Portland area, a bachelor's degree is slightly more valuable -- the median annual earnings for college educated area residents is $44,839. It is still well below the national median earnings for bachelor degree recipients of $50,450, however. Maryland Most educated city: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 37.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 90.3% Median household income: $71,501 Apart from Delaware and Rhode Island, which each have only a single metro area, Maryland is the only state where the college attainment rate in the most educated city is actually lower than the comparable state rate. Across the state, 38.2% of adults have at least a college degree versus the Baltimore area college attainment rate of 37.7%, the highest of any metro area in Maryland. The D.C. metro area, which has a 49.3% college attainment rate, includes several counties in Maryland. This significantly drives up the state's concentration of adults with a college education and is likely a reason Maryland's educational attainment rate is higher than that of Baltimore. Massachusetts Most educated city: Boston-Cambridge-Newton Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 45.2% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 90.8 Median household income: $75,667 Not only is the Boston-Cambridge area the most educated metro in Massachusetts, but also area residents are among the most educated in the country. More than 45% of adults living in the Boston region have at least a bachelor's degree. Boston proper, one of the few major urban centers in New England, is home to 35 colleges and universities, and the city accounts for over a third of the state's total college enrollment, according to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Michigan Most educated city: Ann Arbor Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 53.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.7 Median household income: $62,845 Ann Arbor is the state's most educated city. A majority of adults living in the metro area have at least a bachelor's degree. The city is one of just five U.S. metro areas where more than 50% of adults are college-educated. Ann Arbor is home to University of Michigan, one of the larger universities in the country. The presence of such a sizeable university, and the high-skilled jobs that often surround institutions like it, may explain the region's high educational attainment rate. Minnesota Most educated city: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 40.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 93.2% Median household income: $69,111 Roughly 87% of American adults have at least a high school diploma. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul Bloomington area, 93.2% of adults have completed at least high school, roughly in line with the comparable state percentage of 92.6%, which itself is the second highest compared to all states. As is usually the case, the high rate of high school completion accompanies an above-average bachelor degree attainment rate in the area. Two in five adults in the Minneapolis region have a at least a college degree, the highest in the state and one of the highest rates nationwide. Mississippi Most educated city: Jackson Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 29.4% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.6% Median household income: $46,967 A typical Mississippi households earns less than $40,000 annually, the lowest compared with other states. The median income of $46,967 among Jackson area households is considerably higher. However, it is still lower than the nationwide median household income of $53,657. Similarly, while 29.4% of Jackson area adults have at least a college education, it is still lower than the national college attainment rate. Missouri Most educated city: Columbia Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 44.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 93.5% Median household income: $50,085 The Missouri population is, on the whole, less educated than Americans nationwide. While about 30% of American adults have a college degree, only 27.5% of adults in Missouri have at least a bachelor's degree. Columbia, on the other hand, has a much higher share of residents 25 and older with a college education, at 44.7% of adults -- tied for 15th highest among all metro areas in the country. Montana Most educated city: Missoula Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 40.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 95.3% Median household income: $44,289 Home to about one 10th of the state's population, 40.9% of adults in Missoula have at least a bachelor's degree, a larger share than in any other metro area in the state. No state in the country has a lower median income among adults with a bachelor's degree than Montana. While the typical college-educated American makes slightly more than $50,000 a year, the typical college-educated Montana resident makes just over $37,000 annually. And in the state's most educated metro area incomes are even lower. The typical Missoula adult with a bachelor's degree makes just around $31,000 a year. Nebraska Most educated city: Lincoln Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 92.8% Median household income: $52,046 A college or university is likely to employ a high number of college-educated people, which also often results in a regional economy with jobs for educated residents. For this reason, it is likely that the presence of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, one of the largest public employers in the state, is one of the major reasons Lincoln is the most educated city in Nebraska. More than 35% of the metropolitan area's adult population has a bachelor's degree, compared to just over 30% of the U.S. adult population. Nevada Most educated city: Reno Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 28.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.9% Median household income: $52,728 Reno is the most educated city in Nevada, but the metro area's college attainment rate, at 28.9%, is still lower than the nationwide rate of 30.1%. Like a few other states, Nevada's education system is suffering from a "human resource crisis," as Nevada Board of Education President Elaine Wynn said in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun. Despite aggressive recruiting efforts from local school districts, roughly 1,000 teacher positions are still vacant throughout the state. New Hampshire Most educated city: Manchester-Nashua Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.1% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.2% Median household income: $71,422 The only metro area in the state, Manchester-Nashua is New Hampshire's most educated metro area by default. Despite the somewhat hollow distinction, educational attainment in Manchester is significantly higher than it is across nation. While 30.1% of Americans have a bachelor's degree or higher, 35.1% of adults in the Manchester metro area have similar education. With a college attainment rate of 35.0%, education levels across New Hampshire are roughly in line with educational attainment in Manchester-Nashua. However, incomes are much higher for college educated residents in Manchester. While the typical college educated New Hampshire resident earns slightly less than $52,000 annually, the median income among adults with a bachelor's degree in Manchester is slightly more than $61,000. New Jersey Most educated city: Trenton Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 41.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.2% Median household income: $74,961 Nationwide, 30.1% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree. New Jersey is the fifth most educated state in the country, and with a college attainment rate of 41%, Trenton is the most educated city in New Jersey. While Trenton has a higher college attainment rate than the rest of the state, it has a lower high school attainment rate than both New Jersey and the country as a whole. Nevertheless, high college attainment has likely contributed to high-paying jobs in the metropolitan area. The typical household in Trenton makes $74,961 a year, one of the highest median household incomes in the country. New Mexico Most educated city: Santa Fe Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 39.3% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 86.4% Median household income: $52,809 Only 26.4% of adults in New Mexico have at least a bachelor's degree, several percentage points lower than the corresponding national attainment rate of 30.1%. Lower levels of educational attainment often come with lower incomes. In New Mexico, 21.3% of state residents live below the poverty line, a significantly larger share than the 15.5% of Americans living in poverty. In Santa Fe, however, the trends are reversed. More than 39% of adults living in and around the state capital have a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate in the metro area is 14.2%, lower than both the state and national poverty rates. New York Most educated city: Ithaca Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 52.4% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.5% Median household income: $52,885 More than 52% of adults living in Ithaca have at least a college degree, not just the highest educational attainment rate in the state, but also one of the highest in the nation. In just four other metro areas nationwide a majority of adult residents have a college degree. Ithaca is home to a number of educational institutions, including Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Tompkins County Community College. Together, the three schools bring more than 30,000 students into the city along with numerous college-educated employees. North Carolina Most educated city: Durham-Chapel Hill Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 44.8% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.8% Median household income: $51,988 While North Carolina trails the nation in both high school and college attainment rates, Durham-Chapel Hill surpasses the nation in both measures. Almost 45% of adults in the metropolitan area have at least a bachelor's degree, significantly higher than the 28.7% and the 30.1% of adults who have similar education across the state and the nation, respectively. Together with Raleigh, the state's second most educated city, Durham-Chapel Hill forms the Research Triangle, a cluster of cities populated with research universities -- namely UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, and NC State -- and high-tech companies. Research Triangle Park was established in 1959 to stop college graduates from leaving the state by accommodating companies that could provide area residents with high-skill scientific and academic jobs. High levels of education are not uniform throughout the state. In North Carolina's least educated metro areas, less than 20% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree. North Dakota Most educated city: Fargo Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 36.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.6% Median household income: $53,867 Fargo's high school attainment rate is not only the highest in North Dakota, but also one of the highest in the country. Almost 95% of adults in Fargo have at least a high school diploma, significantly higher than the 86.9% of adults who do nationwide. Also, while just 27.4% of adults in North Dakota have at least a bachelor's degree -- lower than the national college attainment rate of 30.1% -- almost 37% of adults in Fargo do. An educated population is frequently associated with higher incomes. However, in Fargo, the median household income of $53,867 is about $5,200 less than the median household income for the rest of North Dakota. High levels of education may not be as much of a payoff in North Dakota, as the state's oil boom has provided a great number of high-paying jobs which do not require a college degree. Ohio Most educated city: Columbus Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 34.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 90.5% Median household income: $56,371 The most educated city in Ohio, Columbus, is also home to Ohio State University, the third largest college in the country. While just 26.6% of adults in Ohio have at least a bachelor's degree -- lower than the national college attainment rate of 30.1% -- almost 35% of adults in Columbus are college-educated. The high school attainment rate is also significantly higher in Columbus than it is nationwide, at 90.5% versus 86.9% nationwide. Oklahoma Most educated city: Oklahoma City Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 28.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.5% Median household income: $52,416 Although Oklahoma City is the most educated metro area in Oklahoma, it has a lower college attainment rate than the rest of the country. Just 28.6% of Oklahoma City adults have at least a bachelor's degree, less than the 30.1% of adults who do nationwide. High school attainment, however, is roughly in line with the national rate. In the metro area, 88.5% of adults have at least a high school diploma, similar to the 86.9% of adults in the rest of the country who do. An educated population frequently has more access to well-paying jobs, and Oklahoma City's unremarkable college attainment rate may explain its median household income, which at $52,416, is just about $1,000 less than the national median household income of $53,657. Oregon Most educated city: Corvallis Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 53.5% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 95.9% Median household income: $52,486 Corvallis is the most educated metro area in Oregon as well as one of the most educated regions in the country. A majority of adults in Corvallis have at least a bachelor's degree, well above the national and state shares, each at around 30% of the respective adult population. Also, Corvallis is one of only five U.S. metro areas where the college attainment rate exceeds 50%. In the state's least educated metro area -- Grants Pass -- just 17.1% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree, 36.4 percentage points lower than the rate in Corvallis, the widest education gap of any state nationwide Pennsylvania Most educated city: State College Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 40.1% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.2% Median household income: $51,367 The town of State College is home to Pennsylvania State University. While Pennsylvania's college attainment rate is lower than the national rate, State College's rate is significantly higher. More than 40% of State College adults have at least a bachelor's degree, compared to the 30.1% of nationwide adults who do. The area's high school attainment rate is also particularly high. While 86.9% of American adults have at least a high school diploma, more than 94% of State College adults do -- one of the highest high school attainment rates of any metro area. Rhode Island Most educated city: Providence-Warwick Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 28.8% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 84.6% Median household income: $55,836 Providence-Warwick is Rhode Island's most educated city. However, as the only metro area in the state, it is also the state's least educated city. Providence-Warwick trails behind the rest of Rhode Island and the rest of the country in both high school and college attainment rates. Just 84.6% of Providence-Warwick adults have at least a high school diploma, somewhat lower than the 85.8% of Rhode Island adults and the 86.9% of nationwide adults with a high school diploma. Likewise, just 28.8% of Rhode Island adults have at least a bachelor's degree, lower than the 30.4% of adults across the state and the 30.1% of Americans with at least a bachelor's degree nationwide. South Carolina Most educated city: Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 35.0% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.7% Median household income: $52,691 The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort metro area is located in the southern tip of South Carolina on the Atlantic coast. While South Carolina trails most states for high school and college attainment, the metro area surpasses the nation in both measures. In the Hilton Head area, 35% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree. This is significantly higher than the 30.1% of adults with similar education nationwide. Likewise, 91.7% of adults have at least a high school diploma, much higher than the 86.1% of South Carolinian adults who do, and the 86.9% of adults nationwide with similar education. South Dakota Most educated city: Sioux Falls Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 32.6% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 92.4% Median household income: $58,849 In Sioux Falls, South Dakota's most educated city, 32.6% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree -- much higher than the state college attainment rate of 27.8% and somewhat higher than the 30.1% of adults with at least a bachelor's degree nationwide. The typical college graduate in South Dakota makes just $40,316 a year, the second lowest earnings for residents with bachelor's degrees of any state. In Sioux Falls, earnings are not much higher. A typical bachelor degree recipient makes $41,634 a year in the metro area, about $9,000 less than in the rest of the country. The state also has one of the best high school attainment rates nationwide, and Sioux Falls is no exception. In the metro area, 92.4% of adults have at least a high school diploma, much higher than the national high school attainment rate of 86.9%. Tennessee Most educated city: Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 32.1% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.0% Median household income: $52,640 Just over one-quarter of Tennessee adults have at least a bachelor's degree, one of the lowest attainment rates in the nation. In the Nashville area, the state's most educated city, 32.1% of adults are college educated. The higher levels of education has likely contributed to lower poverty and unemployment rates in the region, as the increased qualifications offered by higher education improve access to opportunity. The Nashville area's poverty rate of 15.1% and unemployment rate of 5.2% are each lower than the respective state and national rates. Texas Most educated city: Austin-Round Rock Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 41.5% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.9% Median household income: $63,603 The Austin-Round Rock area is the most educated metropolitan area in Texas. And with college-educated residents making up 41.5% of area adults, the metro is also one of the most educated regions in the nation. However, the remarkably high level of education in the Austin area also reflects massive inequality in Texas. The state's least educated metro area, Texarkana, has a corresponding attainment rate of just 15.7%, 25.8 percentage points lower than that of Austin's. This is one of the largest such education gaps nationwide. Utah Most educated city: Provo-Orem Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 37.1% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 93.7% Median household income: $60,890 The Provo-Orem metro area is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, largely due to a local technology boom. Provo-Orem as well as Salt Lake City to the north is increasingly attracting venture capital investment. A highly educated pool of potential employees is essential for attracting technology companies in need of workers with advanced skills. While higher levels of education tend to contribute to lower poverty rates, 12.5% of Provo-Orem area residents live in poverty, slightly higher than the state poverty rate of 11.7%. Both rates are still lower than the national poverty rate of 15.5%. Vermont Most educated city: Burlington-South Burlington Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 41.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 92.1% Median household income: $61,947 The Burlington area is the only metro area in Vermont. Despite the lack of competition, however, the area has an especially high level of education. As in the most educated cities in 19 other states, more than two in five adults in the Burlington area have at least a bachelor's degree. By contrast, 34.9% of Vermont adults and 30.1% of American adults are college-educated. The city's university system, which includes the University of Vermont Medical Center, formerly Fletcher Allen, likely attracts more individuals with advanced degrees. Cities with universities tend to have highly educated populations, and the University of Vermont, based in Burlington, contributes to the area's distinction as the most educated in the state. Virginia Most educated city: Charlottesville Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 39.9% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 87.4% Median household income: $58,189 Nearly 40% of adults living in the Charlottesville metro area have at least a bachelor's degree, the highest college attainment rate of any urban area in the state. Virginia residents as a whole have only slightly lower education levels, with 36.7% of adults reporting at least a college education. While bachelor degree recipients tend to earn more than their less educated peers, such a degree is less valuable on average in Charlottesville than throughout Virginia, despite the higher levels of education. A typical college educated Charlottesville adult earns $45,979 a year, lower than the median earning for Virginians of $55,797 -- itself higher than the national earnings figure for college educated Americans of $50,450. Washington Most educated city: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 39.4% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 91.8% Median household income: $71,273 The Seattle area, like many of the most educated cities across the nation, is home to about a dozen colleges, institutes, and universities. A high concentration of educational institutions likely bolsters the level of education among Seattle residents. Nearly 40% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree in the area. Voters approved publically funded but privately run schools in 2012. In September this year, however, the Washington Supreme Court overturned the law, ruling charter schools unconstitutional. What this means for the state's charter schools is in many ways still unresolved. West Virginia Most educated city: Morgantown Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 31.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 88.8% Median household income: $41,924 West Virginia is the least educated state in the nation -- less than one in five adults in the state have at least a bachelor's degree. Particularly poor education levels in some West Virginia areas drag down the state rate, while some areas have above national average levels of education. Nearly 32% of adults in Morgantown, the state's most educated metro area, for example, have at least a bachelor's degree. While Morgantown, like West Virginia as a whole, has a lower median income than the nation as a whole, the earnings of its college-educated adults still exhibit the difference in earnings a degree provides. A typical Cheyenne adult with a bachelor's degree earns $39,716, while resident 25 and older with less than high school diploma earned a median of just $11,621. Wisconsin Most educated city: Madison Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 44.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 94.6% Median household income: $60,903 The Data Quality Campaign, a national nonprofit organization, recently recognized Madison as one of four school districts across the country that have successfully improved education using test results and other school data. Madison area residents are very well educated, not just compared to the state, but also compared to the country. Nearly 45% of area adults have at least a bachelor's degree, and nearly 95% have at least a high school diploma, each some of the highest rates nationwide. Wyoming Most educated city: Cheyenne Pct. with at least bachelor degree: 30.7% Pct. with at least high school diploma: 92.9% Median household income: $57,551 The adult population in Cheyenne, Wyoming's capital and most educated metro area, are about as educated as Americans nationwide. Just over 30% of adults in the city as well as across the country have a college education. In Wyoming, by contrast, 26.6% of adults have at least a bachelor's degree. Cheyenne has a median household of $57,551, which is higher than the national median of $63,657. The region's high share of educated adults may partially explain its higher earnings. A typical Cheyenne adult with a bachelor's degree earns $45,205, while resident 25 and older with just high school diploma earned a median of just $26,606. Read more from 24/7 Wall Street: America's Best and Worst School Systems America's Richest and Poorest Cities Highest Paid Public Employee in Every State | 3 | 95,201 | finance |
Bosses are turning to a new way of convincing employees to save more: make them do it. Companies from Apache Corp. to Google Inc. to Credit Suisse Group AG have boosted the percentage of worker paychecks automatically diverted to 401(k) plans well above the long-held standard of 3%. Some are setting aside as much as 10% of their workers' money or automatically increasing the amounts by 1% a year unless employees opt out. But not all are matching the increased savings with company contributions. The moves are the latest attempt by companies to transfer the burden of retirement costs to workers. Millions of Americans aren't putting enough money aside, despite reforms designed to bulk up nest eggs and encourage employees to sock away more. There are incentives for companies to urge more-aggressive savings. They want to ensure they can make room for younger employees and aren't left with an aging workforce that doesn't have enough money "to retire and move on," said Douglas Fisher, Fidelity Investments' head of policy development on workplace retirement. Houston oil producer Apache was among the companies to test out higher rates. It boosted its automatic employee contribution to 8% in 2012 as it tried to attract new workers. Its 401(k) costs have increased by between $4 million and $5 million annually as Apache matched the full amount for employees, executives say, but roughly 97% of its employees now participate. "If I put in less than 8%, I'm throwing money away," said Chris Lurix, a 44-year-old Apache systems analyst in Houston, who cited the company's willingness to match the higher savings rate as a partial reason why he took a job there three years ago. About 40% of working households with those aged between 25 and 64 have no retirement savings, according to a study released last spring by the nonprofit National Institute on Retirement Security. For those that do, the median balance for households with workers approaching retirement age is $104,000, a rate that experts say is one-fifth of an ideal balance, based on a retirement age of 67. "The typical American household has almost nothing saved for retirement," said Nari Rhee, manager of the retirement-security program at the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. Many employers in recent decades shed costly retirement obligations by eliminating traditional pensions that guarantee a set payout for life and replacing them with tax-deferred 401(k) plans where employees are largely responsible for saving and investment choices. Millions of new savers joined 401(k) plans but companies enrolled most participants at a 3% savings rate, partly because of guidance from the Internal Revenue Service in 1998. Companies were long reluctant to take a bigger chunk out of paychecks for fear of stirring employees' ire or taking on higher costs if they matched the larger contributions. Companies softened that stance as they recovered from the 2008 financial crisis and looked to attract new workers. Large money managers also lobbied employers to be more aggressive. The number of plans with contribution rates above the old default rate climbed to 40% for the first time in 2013, according to the latest data available from the Plan Sponsor Council of America, compared with 23% in 2006. More are currently discussing moves higher, according to industry consultants and money managers. Google began boosting its automatic savings rate in its 401(k) plan from 4% in 2008 to 6% in 2010, according to retirement researcher BrightScope Inc.. It now enrolls employees at 10%. John Casey, Google's director of international benefits, said in a statement that the company wants "Googlers saving for the long-term so they can have the retirements they want." Fidelity, Vanguard Group and other large money managers also benefit by collecting more fees on assets under management. Fidelity manages accounts for 13 million 401(k) investors across 21,000 plans, and Vanguard manages retirement accounts for 3.6 million people and 1,900 plans. Companies that have bumped up the default savings rate say they've been surprised by the lack of pushback from employees, who are free to lower their savings rate or opt out of the automatic increases. Credit Suisse braced for complaints last year when it upped its initial automatic savings rate for new employees to 9% from 6%. It did so after years of experiencing lackluster interest from the firm's roughly 8,500 employees in the U.S. when meeting to discuss increasing retirement savings, said Joseph Huber, chairman of the bank's pension-investment committee. But Mr. Huber said the bank heard concerns from only two people, who weren't previously putting any money into their 401(k) plans. Credit Suisse also decided to automatically increase the default rate by 1% a year until an employee reaches 15%. It doesn't match contributions up to the highest rate. "It's companies' biggest fear and it was radio silence," he said. Jeffrey Barnett, a 24-year-old clinical research assistant at Ohio State University who makes about $28,000 a year, said some of his co-workers grumbled at the university's 10% default savings rate. But it doesn't bother him. "It has definitely put employees in a good position, whether or not they feel that way from the start," Mr. Barnett said. Write to Kirsten Grind at [email protected] | 3 | 95,202 | finance |
The Royals defeated the Astros 7-2 in Game 5 of the ALDS on Wednesday. Alex Rios hit a two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning, while Johnny Cueto struck out eight over eight innings. | 1 | 95,203 | sports |
As USC's quarterback, Cody Kessler is accustomed to making adjustments. But he could not have predicted that during his five years with the Trojans he would play for four coaches - Clay Helton twice. "I've been through pretty much everything you could possibly think of since I've been here," he said Wednesday after practice. "But it doesn't affect me." Kessler is preparing to lead the Trojans against Notre Dame on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium. It will be USC's first game since Helton was named interim coach for the second time in three seasons. "We're excited to play and ready to get back out there," Kessler said, "and just kind of put everything behind us and play football." Kessler is familiar with tumult. The Bakersfield native came to USC in 2011 and has started games for coaches Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, Helton and Steve Sarkisian, who was fired Monday. "My phone's been ringing and people are texting me, 'Are you OK?'" Kessler said. "I'm fine. I'm great. ... I've been through this same exact situation. I know how to handle it. It's the younger guys I need to be there for." Athletic Director Pat Haden said he fired Sarkisian because his conduct did not meet the standards and expectations of a USC head coach. Kessler described Sarkisian as a great friend and coach, and wished him well. Sarkisian checked into a rehabilitation facility this week. Kessler hopes to bounce back from his performance against Washington, a 17-12 loss. He passed for 156 yards, with two interceptions, and he was sacked five times. "A lot of that is on me," he said. Kessler experienced "an off day" against Washington, said Helton, adding that he as the Trojans' play-caller should have relied more on a running game that was productive. He expects Kessler to bounce back against the Fighting Irish. "I'm not too worried about No. 6," he said. "He's a pretty good player." Helton is keeping his offensive coordinator and play-calling duties but he has ceded responsibility for quarterbacks to Marques Tuiasosopo. Tuiasosopo, a former Washington and NFL player, is one of three Trojans coaches who played quarterback, including Helton and Tee Martin. "Coach Tui is awesome," Kessler said, adding, "Him and Coach Tee, they always gave me different pointers and different stuff." Sarkisian tweets Sarkisian's Twitter account Wednesday posted a thank-you for the support he has received. Whether Sarkisian wrote the messages or someone did it on his behalf was not known. The coach entered an undisclosed treatment facility this week. "I would like to thank everyone for their huge outpouring of support and well wishes," the first of three tweets read. "This is a very difficult time for my family and me. I am facing these challenges the best I can and your support helps immensely. "I wish my Trojans the best against Notre Dame and for the remainder of the season. No one will be cheering them on more than me. Fight On!" Keeping busy Cornerback Adoree' Jackson was a recruit when USC began the first of what have become multiple coaching changes. Now he is in the middle of one. "I never even thought about or worried about it," he said. "At the end of the day I'm still going to come out here and play ball." Against Washington, Jackson played a season-high 94 plays. He was not overburdened, he said. "Not at all," he said. "I want to do more." Jackson has 10 receptions, one for a touchdown. Helton said playing Jackson 100 snaps a game would not be fair to the sophomore. "It doesn't make him totally effective," said Helton, who added defense should be Jackson's priority. Injury update Receiver Steven Mitchell Jr. is doubtful for Saturday's game because of an ankle injury suffered against Washington. Quick hits For more than a decade, USC departed for South Bend, Ind., on the Thursday before the game. This season, with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, the Trojans were scheduled to leave Friday. But when Helton became interim coach, the Trojans changed plans and will depart Thursday night. [email protected] | 1 | 95,204 | sports |
The European Court of Human Rights is to decide Thursday whether it is a crime to deny that the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turkey in 1915 was a "genocide". The landmark freedom of speech case was sparked by a Swiss court's 2007 conviction of Turkish politician Dogu Perincek after he said publicly that the "Armenian genocide is a great international lie." It gained additional attention in January when Armenia was represented by prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney at a hearing. The ECHR's 17-judge Grand Chamber, whose rulings are final, will announce its decision at 0945 GMT at a brief public hearing expected to be attended by representatives of both the Turkish and Armenian communities. It was not clear if Clooney -- who represented Armenia as a third party in the case -- would be present for the judgement. The Swiss court in 2007 ordered Perincek, chairman of the Turkish Workers' Party, to pay a fine after finding him guilty of racial discrimination for his remarks, which he repeated on several occasions. Turkey has always denied that the killings, which started in 1915, were a pre-meditated attempt by the then ruling Ottomans to wipe out the Armenians. It also says only 500,000 died, not 1.5 million as claimed by Armenia. Before the events, some two million Armenians were living in the territory of the Ottoman Empire. More than 20 nations have so far recognised the killings as genocide, a definition supported by numerous historians but vehemently opposed by Turkey. After his conviction, Perincek took the case to the ECHR, arguing that his freedom of speech was infringed. A lower chamber of the ECHR, ruling in December 2013, rejected the Swiss court's conviction, saying that Perincek's remarks fell within the boundaries of free speech. Switzerland appealed that ruling, and the case came before the ECHR's Grand Chamber. The Swiss side argues that denying that a genocide occurred is tantamount to "accusing the Armenians of falsifying history, one of the worst forms of racial discrimination". Perincek's lawyers and those of the Turkish government argue that there is no "general consensus" that the killings were genocide. Perincek's lawyer Laurent Pech said his client had "neither contested nor defended the massacres, nor did he incite hatred against the Armenians", but merely denied that the Ottoman authorities of the time had a genocidal intention. Thursday's decision may have a bearing on a case in France's highest court over whether the country's ban on Holocaust denial is constitutional. In its 2013 ruling, the ECHR said that the Armenian case had to be "clearly distinguished" from the Holocaust. Contrasting the two, the court noted that the historical facts of the Holocaust, "such as the existence of gas chambers" were "considered clearly established by an international jurisdiction". The ECHR, whose judges come from each of the 47 members of the Council of Europe, was established by the 1953 European Convention on Human Rights. | 5 | 95,205 | news |
By Meeyoung Cho Crude oil futures extended their losses on Thursday after notching up declines every day so far this week, hit by growing U.S. stockpiles and an expanding global glut. U.S. crude (CLc1) had fallen 25 cents, or 0.54 percent, to $46.39 a barrel as of 0130 GMT, after settling the previous session down 2 cents at $46.64. Front-month Brent (LCOc1) for November delivery inched down 1 cent to $49.14 a barrel, having ended the last session down 9 cents at $49.15. "(U.S. oil) remained under pressure as the focus turns to U.S. crude inventories. The sustained period of lower crude oil prices has started to impact the credit profile of companies," ANZ said in a note on Thursday. Data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute on Wednesday showed that U.S. crude inventories rose by 9.4 million barrels in the week to Oct. 9 to 465.96 million, compared with analyst expectations for an increase of 2.8 million barrels. Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 1.4 million barrels, API said. [API/S] But some analysts were optimistic on the long-term outlook for oil markets. "(Our) base case price scenario results in Brent prices reaching $85 per barrel by 2020, around $20 higher than the current 2020 futures strip of about $65 per barrel," Barclays said in a report. "What happens to oil market balances after 2016 depends critically on three main wildcards: a slowing China's impact on oil demand, the return of Iranian oil and the rate of mature field decline.". BMI Research, part of the Fitch ratings agency, said in a note that China's crude oil imports would continue to grow over the next five years at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent. "This will be a result of higher refinery run rates to produce gasoline and continued strategic stockpiling activity up to 2020, which will help to override macroeconomic headwinds to domestic crude demand," it said. Asian shares rose on Thursday and the dollar struggled near multi-week lows after weak U.S. economic data added to expectations that the Federal Reserve will delay hiking interest rates. [MKTS/GLOB] (Reporting by Meeyoung Cho; Editing by Joseph Radford) | 3 | 95,206 | finance |
Raw: Baltimore Protesters Disrupt City Hall Meeting | 8 | 95,207 | video |
KANSAS CITY -- Johnny Cueto woke up Wednesday morning, feeling completely different than any day these last three tortured months, suddenly overcome with a sense of confidence. Cueto drove to Kauffman Stadium, walked towards his Kansas City Royals' teammates, and told them that in the biggest game of their season, to go ahead and relax. "He told us he's got this,'' Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar said. "He told us, 'I'm going to throw seven innings. At least seven innings. He was so confident. BOX SCORE: ASTROS 2, ROYALS 7 "I told him, 'I know you will. I trust you. You're one of the best pitchers in the major leagues.' I know he struggled in the past, but we said, 'Forget the past. We need you tonight.'" By the time the evening ended, there were 40,566 fans screaming his name, teammates dousing him with champagne as the star of the game, and Cueto dancing across the infield, celebrating one of the greatest pitching performances in Royals' playoff history. Cueto, who perplexed the Royals all summer with his struggles, reminded everyone why they traded for him in the first place, suffocating the Houston Astros, and leading the Royals back to the American League Championship Series with a 7-2 victory. The Royals, after winning Game 5, will play the Toronto Blue Jays beginning Friday at Kauffman Stadium, in a rematch of the 1985 ALCS won by the Royals, who also captured their only World Series title. "I can't wait,'' Royals Hall of Famer George Brett said. "It's going to bring back great memories.'' Cueto, winning the first postseason game of his career spanning five starts, made it all possible, with the little help by his friends. In easily his finest performance since joining the Royals, Cueto retired the final 19 batters he faced over eight innings, giving up just two hits. He pitched out of the stretch for just one pitch. It was the longest playoff stint by a Royals starter since Bret Saberhagen in the 1985 World Series, and only Dennis Leonard in 1978 had more than his eight strikeouts. "This is what we got him for,'' Royals pitching coach Dave Eiland said. "We didn't really get him much for the regular season, but to pitch big games in October. "He couldn't pitch a bigger one than tonight.'' This was a Cueto the Royals hadn't seen since his arrival at the trade deadline, struggling for 13 weeks, going 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA, including an atrocious five-start stretch in which he yielded a 9.57 ERA. The Royals, who had never given up so much talent for a single player in franchise history, Moore said, were confused and frustrated. Cueto, insisting he was fine, dramatically changed his delivery, even altering it during games. He tried to find ways to increase his velocity. He looked for a better spin on his off-speed pitches. Nothing worked. The confidence was shot. Little did they realize that Cueto's mind wasn't right. He was thinking about his future as a free agent instead of the present. He knew that every time he struggled, he was costing himself millions of dollars every time he stepped on the mound. And every start he put more and more pressure on himself. "He's not going to lie, said Royals coach Pedro Grifol, translating for Cueto, "at times it's been very difficult to take that out of his mind.'' Yet, on this day, this glorious morning, Cueto felt free of his demons. He relished the idea that he was starting the biggest game of the Royals' season, wanting to be the man to save the Royals' season. "You could tell he was locked in,'' Eiland said. "He had a different look in his eyes. He was more intense. He was focused. He knew what this game meant for us.'' "There's no doubt that he knew there was some talk out there," Cueto said through Grifol. "What was wrong with Johnny Cueto?" But that today he was going to show everybody what he's all about in big games. "And that's what he did.'' Cueto, pitching with the most confidence he's shown all season with the Royals, strutted to mound, and played to the crowd's emotion. He shook his fists violently into the air. He pumped his chest. Waved his arms. This was his night. This was his moment. Cueto pounded the strike zone with his 94-mph two-seamed fastball. Confused the Astros with his changeup. Dazzled them with his cutter. And, oh, did he ever rely on his defense, with his teammates making one dazzling play after another, before Kendrys Morales blew open the game with his three-run homer in the eighth inning off Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel, who pitched an inning of relief. "He knew the magnitude of this game,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. "I think we all did. And from the first pitch, he just had everything going. "He was unbelievably good. "He didn't make a bad pitch all night.'' Well, ok, one. He gave up a two-run homer to Astros third baseman Luis Valbuena in the second inning on a 94-fastball that he left too high in the strike zone. That was it. He never gave up another hit, let alone a baserunner. He retired 19 consecutive batters, and lobbied to finish the game, but Yost turned to closer Wade Davis, telling him there will be plenty more opportunities. "We plan on him making four more starts,'' Eland said. Let's see, that would be two in the ALCS, and two more in the World Series, exactly what the Royals envisioned when they traded for him in the first place. The Royals certainly didn't need him for the regular season. They already had the best record in baseball when they traded for him. They had the AL Central all but mathematically clinched. The Royals wanted more. Much more. If they are going to go to the World Series again, they needed Cueto. "We left spring training feeling like it was going to be important to us to make a move,'' Moore said, "particularly in the rotation. You didn't know who was going to be available, but I thought we were going to have to do something. "We had two months to go, and a rotation that really had been struggling. The last thing we wanted to do was put ourselves in position to wear out the bullpen, because that had been our strength. "We knew Johnny would give us innings, help solidify our rotation, and be a guy that can match up well against the better teams in baseball.'' That moment was Wednesday, with the Royals now 10-1 in their last 11 postseason elimination games, losing only last year to the San Francisco Giants in Game 7 of the World Series. "I remember [Atlanta Braves president] John Schuerholz telling me that if you make a trade,'' Royals GM Dayton Moore said, "and whether it's one hit or one pitch that helps you win a playoff game, it's all worth it. "This night, that trade was all worth it.'' The Astros, who quietly conceded that they had Cueto's provided them precious few opportunities, will spend the winter knowing they've arrived onto the scene as a contender, but haunted by Game 4. It was the one that got away. They had a four-run lead in the eighth inning, and their bullpen imploded. They never should have had to face Cueto. "It's very tough,'' Astros manager A.J. Hinch said, who watched Keuchel break into tears after the game. "I got a lot of heartbroken guys in that clubhouse that really believed that we could continue on. So it hurts. It hurts to know that we put everything that we could into this season, and it ends abruptly. "But I'm proud of how we handled ourselves. I'm proud of how we responded to the challenge of a wild card game, how we responded to the challenge of playing the defining American League champions, and how we gutted it out to the bitter end.'' The Astros will be back. They will only be better. They're not going anywhere. "I talked to A.J. after the game,'' Yost said, "and I told him, "Man, you got a team that's going to be good for years to come. And what they accomplished this year, I thought that was special. The job that AJ did over there with that group, I thought was unbelievable. They're going to be a tough foe in the American League for years and year to come.'' But the Royals are there right now. Maybe this is why their clubhouse celebration was tame. There were the traditional champagne sprays and beer showers. Yet, the music died down early, and the party ended quickly. The Chicago Cubs celebrated their spring-training victories with more vivacity than the Royals' Division Series championship. "Obviously, when you do something the first time,'' Moore said, "there's an innocence about it. A raw emotion that maybe you don't know there is.'' Yet, it's also confidence that the Royals intend to be in this for the long haul. They'll celebrate in style once they reach their final goal. That's a World Series title. "Last year our focus was different," Yost said. "We wanted to break a 29-year spell of not making it to the playoffs. And I felt like the wild-card game really wouldn't mean anything, just making the wild-card game if we didn't win. "When we won, I felt like, 'OK, we accomplished our goal.' We wanted to get to the playoffs. And we eventually took it all the way to the World Series. But for me, that was kind of like a bonus. "This year it's a different story. Our ultimate goal was to win the World Series. And anything short of that is going to be a goal unaccomplished.'' Four victories down. Eight to go. And now they found their ace again. "We don't worry about what anyone thinks from the outside,'' Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain said, "we believe in each other. We know it won't be easy, but if we want to get where we want to be, we have to believe in each other. "And we believe. "You saw that tonight.'' Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @Bnightengale | 1 | 95,208 | sports |
As Lamar Odom remains in a coma after he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel on Tuesday , friends and family are praying for his recovery. On Wednesday, Odom's former mother-in-law Kris Jenner broke her silence via Instagram, and asked fans to "Please pray for Lamar," calling him "our fighter." Please pray for Lamar 🙏 #ourfighter A photo posted by @krisjenner on Oct 14, 2015 at 4:51pm PDT There have been no official updates on the 35-year-old's condition since he was admitted to Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon. His estranged wife Khloe Kardashian, along with her sister Kim and their mother, rushed to his bedside shortly after he was hospitalized, and Khloe is said to be "heartbroken" and "inconsolable." Kardashian and Odom married in 2009 after dating for just one month . Marital problems became clear after Odom was reported missing in August 2013 and reports of the basketball player's alleged substance abuse and infidelity persisted. Though Kardashian and Odom finally signed their divorce papers this past July, today it was discovered that the couple are still legally married as a judgement has not yet been entered into court. As such, TMZ reports that the reality star is currently making medical decisions for the NBA player. Earlier today, Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly told reporters that employees at Dennis Hof's Love Ranch South told 911 dispatchers that Odom had done cocaine on Oct. 10, and had used up to 10 tabs of sexual performance enhancements over a three day period. Meanwhile, it was also reported that Kourtney Kardashian's ex-boyfriend , Scott Disick, has checked into rehab for the second time this year. UPDATE: Rob Kardashian also took to Instagram where he posted a photo of himself with Odom that he captioned, "Praying nonstop for my brother!!" Praying nonstop for my Brother !! A photo posted by ROBERT KARDASHIAN (@robkardashian) on Oct 14, 2015 at 6:35pm PDT Also on HuffPost: | 6 | 95,209 | entertainment |
Every day, hundreds of people at Lebanon's northern port city of Tripoli board a ship bound for Turkey -- but for most, the trip is anything but a relaxing holiday. The ship returns nearly empty, because most of those on board are not tourists but Syrians setting out on the first stage of a journey to escape their country's conflict and build a new life. These Syrians are mostly middle-class and have the benefit of valid travel documents, meaning they can take advantage of the visa-free entry Turkey offers Syrians. But once they reach Turkey's shores, at the ports of Tasucu or Mersin, they join the thousands who have gone before them, paying smugglers exorbitant fees and risking their lives to continue their journey onwards to Europe. At the port, Lebanon's largest after that in Beirut, many are reluctant to admit the purpose of their trip. Pulling three large suitcases behind him, Abu Yahya says he has come from Damascus with his wife and two children. He looks embarrassed as he says without conviction that he is "going to Turkey to visit family". Nearby, a group of young men from Syria's central Homs province laugh. "The situation in Syria is so good that we can go and do tourism and then go home again," says Tareq, one of the group, in a sarcastic tone. Speaking more seriously, he tells AFP, "We're all here to flee to Europe." "I will flee to Greece, even if I risk death." "We'll take our chances," his friend adds. "We have nothing to lose since death stalks us in our country." - 'They talk about their future' - The service to Turkey was launched in 2010, a year before Syria's war began, and used to run twice weekly during the summer. "Now it goes four times a day," says port director Ahmed Tamer. "In August alone, we had 28,000 passengers, compared to 54,000 for all of 2014," he adds. The traffic stepped up with the closure last year of the last regime-held border crossing between Syria and Turkey at Kassab. Without the crossing in northern Latakia province, residents of the coastal regime stronghold began turning to Lebanon to make their way to Turkey. Cars bearing the licence plates of Latakia and neighbouring Tartus province line up at the port's entrance in Tripoli. Lebanon's General Security confirms that on the ship "90 percent of the passengers are Syrian" nowadays. "Most don't come back to Lebanon," Tamer says. On one trip, some 1,000 passengers departed, but only about 50 Lebanese passengers came back. One Lebanese passenger said of 40 cabins available on the boat, all were occupied by Lebanese. "The Syrians sleep on the deck or on plastic chairs," he says, declining to give his name. There are two routes: one to Tasucu that takes 13 hours and costs $170 (150 euros); and another to Mersin that takes seven hours and costs $270 a person (236 euros). "On board, all they talked about was their future and their lives in Germany," the Lebanese passenger says. - 'Where will we go?' - Lebanon is home to more than one million Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict, most of them desperately poor and many lacking the paperwork necessary to board the ferry from Tripoli. They are forced to take their chances with illegal boats that sail from beaches near the city, risking being caught by police or cheated by smugglers. "Some traffickers trick refugees," a security source tells AFP. "They take their money, tell them to meet at a beach and never show up. "Others take them to an island off the coast of Tripoli, pretending to authorities they are on a day-trip, and then when night falls a boat takes them on to Turkey or Greece," he says. These trips can also be deadly, with several cases in recent months of refugees drowning after setting off from Lebanon in smuggler boats. But the dangers have done little to deter people like Um Mohamed, who left the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmuk in Damascus. She hopes to reach Greece with her young children, but has not yet saved up the $4,000 (3,500 euros) fee demanded by smugglers. "I envy the families who have made it to Germany," she says. "I will try again." Back at the ferry pier in Tripoli, passengers face hours of waiting before they are allowed to board. Security services have tightened checks at the port after seizing several falsified passports. Families approach the boat looking exhausted, some carrying children in their arms. "I'm going to Turkey with my family," says Imad. "Then where will we go? God only knows." Some of the children appear disoriented and confused about the trip. "We're going to Turkey," says one little girl. "I'm not sure to do what." | 5 | 95,210 | news |
Austalia's head coach Michael Cheika refuses to underestimate the Scotish ahead of their quarter-final showdown against Scotland on Sunday | 8 | 95,211 | video |
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." He was asked if he has ever been in handcuffs and what ice cream flavor he would be. | 8 | 95,212 | video |
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has a new target for his barbs: Democratic contender Bernie Sanders. Trump went after the senator while speaking in front of about 5,000 people at a rally in Virginia Wednesday evening. (Oct. 15) | 8 | 95,213 | video |
It's a brisk 9:30 a.m. in Madrid, Spain, and I'm pressing deep into the loud pedal as I familiarize myself with the Jarama Circuit's 13 sinuous turns. But after just one warm-up lap, Pedro, my chaperone, snaps from calm to beast mode. "Pass them! Pass them!" Pedro yells. "We are faster than them!" I hesitate, then do as I'm told but feel a tad guilty. Guilty because I'm in an RC F coupe overtaking the 2016 Lexus GS F, today's shiny new guest of honor. How is this going to look? (To be fair, the guy in the GS F might have been going deliberately slower, maybe assuming the RC F was the quicker car of the two. We'll gather numbers on the GS F sedan soon enough, though, and expect the two F cars to be very close.) When it arrives in showrooms later this year, the GS F will sit a whole step above the swift GS 350 F Sport. And that car has already been a face-in-ice-water shock to us, topping the considerable BMW 535i in a four-way comparison, propelled there by a list of performance tricks that includes a variable-damping suspension, variable-ratio steering, and an available active rear-steering system. Surprisingly, the GS F deletes all of that, instead coming standard with a torque-vectoring differential (TVD, introduced in the RC F coupe) and a deadly-effective A-arm front and multilink rear suspension setup that's been upgraded and revised from the normal GS. Related Link: Research the Lexus GS With my time in the RC F finished, I hop in the GS F, which suddenly feels weirdly airy and spacious. However, under the sculpted hood is the same 5.0-liter V-8 found in the coupe, cranking 467 hp and 389 lb-ft of torque. And it's totally unleashed in Jarama's Turn 6, a fast and somewhat blind uphill curve. Arcing up the hill, the naturally aspirated V-8 feels simultaneously strong yet Lexus smooth, and although the eight-speed transmission sometimes hesitates to downshift in Sport S mode, it's near perfect and much more responsive in Sport S+. Turn 10 at Jarama is a blast, a fast, downhill left sweeper that dumps me into Turn 11, a sharp left turn. The GS F's Brembos bite hard approaching 11, and the car's dodge left into the turn is quick and predictable, the torque-vectoring differential really shining here as it spools torque to the critical outside wheel. Like the similarly underpinned RC F, this is an impressively balanced chassis. Paddling up through the gears along the approximately 0.6-mile main straight, I see around 140 mph, 28 mph short of the sedan's claimed top speed. Although the straight is flashing past at about 200 feet per second, there's still time to listen to the GS F's soundtrack, which is artificially dramatized by the Active Sound Control (ASC) system, which consists of two dedicated speakers, one up front and another at the rear. Overall the system is good, but just as the car approaches the 7,300-rpm redline, ASC seems to overboost the higher tones, suddenly sounding more like Gran Turismo 6 than a naturally aspirated V-8. ASC is only activated in Sport S and Sport S+ mode, but in normal modes, the GS F is as quiet as a Lexus should be, save for the slight amount of road noise from the Michelin Pilot Super Sports. In all, the GS F marks an interesting balance between a luxury cruiser and a track toy, though admittedly it's unlikely to get used much for the latter. Lexus has long touted that its main goal for its F brand is accessible performance fun but balanced. For instance, in normal driving the GS F's ride quality is stiff for a Lexus but won't surprise anyone stepping up from an IS F. This whole philosophy is recognizable, too, in cars such as the Mazda MX-5 and the Toyobaru twins. Hitting the right balance. Finding the sweet spot. It's art rather than science. What will the cynics say? They'll probably point out that the GS F is being deployed into a segment that's in a perpetual horsepower war, the Mercedes-AMG E63 and BMW M5, for example, making more than 500 horses from their twin-turbo V-8s (way more than the GS F). Does anybody who's flirting with the Lexus brand really need that much power? No. But what most of them want are bragging rights, which are wholly owned right now by the bonkers 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V. However and this is an important however when it comes to pricing, the GS F's $85,380 MSRP undercuts those two Germans by at least $10,000, though just barely underpricing Le Monster, the CTS-V. Lexus points out that the GS F is a loaded car with standard items such as LED headlights and wildly advanced safety features that would push its competitors to far higher price points. OK, so it's not quite the glass-shattering power drunk its rivals are. But with Pedro's yells to "Pass them! Pass them!" still ringing in my ears from my Jarama drama, it just might be the smart guy's ideal blend of brains and brawn. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 95,214 | autos |
TV and film buffs, get excited! Krystin Goodwin (@Krystingoodwin) has the best costume ideas to help you dress up as your favorite characters. | 8 | 95,215 | video |
Nasty weather can make being lazy seem like a good idea, but don't give in! Krystin Goodwin (@krystingoodwin) has a few simple tips to keep your energy up, despite the season's temps. | 8 | 95,216 | video |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. No matter how they exited a loss, a resignation, a retirement former members of Congress can pretty much do whatever they want with leftover campaign cash as long as it's political or charitable. Evan Bayh has kept $10 million in campaign contributions since leaving the Senate in 2011, raising plenty of questions about the Indiana Democrat's political future or perhaps his children's. Mary Landrieu has more than $146,000 since her Senate loss last year and the Louisiana Democrat is talking about giving some of it to former Republican colleagues, much to the chagrin of Democrats. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican who resigned in disgrace in 2006 after the revelation that he had sent sexually suggestive electronic messages to former male pages, is holding onto $1 million and hoping for a political miracle. In an age of furious fundraising, dozens of former senators and House members are sitting on tens of millions of dollars in unspent campaign money. They can't use it for personal expenses, but they can hold onto it indefinitely, donate it to political causes or give it to charity, as former Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman did when he gave $815,000 to a college scholarship program. Up until the 1970s, the one restriction placed on leftover campaign money was that it had to be spent on "lawful purposes," including just keeping it for personal use, said Bill Canfield, a Washington-based lawyer who is an expert in campaign finance. "It was like a savings account once you retired you could take it home," Canfield said. About 35 years ago, the Senate and House revised their rules to allow the leftover money to be used only for charitable and political purposes. The Associated Press examined campaign finance reports filed through the first half of 2015. New reports are due this week. Of his $10 million, Bayh has given away $53,700 in the past 2 1/2 years, almost entirely to Democratic candidates. That has stirred speculation of another political run, though Bayh has ruled out running for Indiana governor or an open Senate seat next year. Dan Parker, who served two terms as state Democratic Party chair at Bayh's request, said the former lawmaker might consider a future race. "He is still young and does not know what the future may hold," Parker said of the 59-year-old Bayh. But Ann DeLaney, who managed one of Bayh's gubernatorial campaigns and was the state Democratic Party chairman when he served as governor, suggests Bayh might be saving his money to create an instant campaign account if one of his children runs for office someday. Bayh is the son of former Sen. Birch Bayh. DeLaney acknowledges that many Indiana Democrats are frustrated that he's sitting on millions. "It's been a bone of contention here among Democrats who view it more as money for Democratic candidates rather than a personal treasure chest," DeLaney said. "You hear complaints about it regularly, but that's what the law allows." Former Massachusetts Rep. Marty Meehan left office in 2007 and is now the University of Massachusetts president. He still has $4.4 million in a campaign account, though he's given away nearly $1.3 million, much of it to Democratic candidates and organizations, but with a good mix of charitable contributions with a focus on education, hospitals and medical research. In Foley's case, he has given away about $360,000 since 2010, when he began re-emerging publicly. The amount is roughly what his $1.2 million has earned through investments. He's given most of it to local political candidates in Palm Beach County and charities representing issues related to him and his family substance abuse, cancer and gay rights and support groups. "At some point I'm certain I'm going to wind down the account. The likelihood of running again in the federal system is very, very remote," Foley said, adding that a congressional run could occur, "if something miraculous happens and I believe in my heart that people would give me a second chance." While Landrieu has said she was open to giving some money to Republicans, there's pressure within the Democratic Party for her not to. "She's going to be scrutinized. She knows that," said Louisiana state Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who is the state Democratic Party chairwoman. Landrieu did recently give Louisiana Democrats $25,000, Peterson said. "What I have left will go to candidates that I believe advance an agenda of economic opportunity and social justice both in Louisiana and across the nation," Landrieu said through a spokeswoman, "as well as to causes that I've fought for for decades now including adoption, foster care reform, and education reform." | 5 | 95,217 | news |
Astana, Kazakhstan: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday blasted Washington's "unconstructive position" on Syria after the Kremlin said the United States declined to host a high-level delegation from Moscow. "I believe this is an unconstructive position," Putin said on a visit to the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan. "I don't quite understand how our American partners can criticise Russia's actions in Syria in the fight against international terrorism if they refuse to hold direct dialogue even in such an important area as political settlement." "What apparently lies at the heart of the weakness of the American position is a lack of any kind of agenda," Putin said in televised remarks. "It looks like they have nothing to talk about." "Nevertheless, we are keeping our doors open and very much hope for dialogue with all the participants of this complicated process, including with our American partners." Earlier this week Putin said he was willing to send a high-profile delegation to the United States led by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. He also accused Washington of seeming not to know what its goals were in Syria. "I believe some of our partners simply have mush for brains," Putin said in those earlier remarks. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said Washington had declined to host a delegation from Russia and also refused to send its own mission to Moscow. But Washington said it was not interested in having any talks while Moscow keeps bombing Western-backed moderate rebels in Syria under cover of its fight against Islamic State jihadists. "We've said that we're not interested in doing that as long as Russia is not willing to make a constructive contribution to our counter-ISIL effort," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Wednesday. "Russia has their own agenda, and it's an agenda right now that they're pursuing on their own," he said. Putin at the weekend said that the goal of Moscow's air campaign was to "stabilise the legitimate authorities", while Washington has repeatedly said Syria's embattled leader Bashar al-Assad should go. | 5 | 95,218 | news |
The Cubs will have to wait until late Thursday night to find out their opponent in the National League Championship Series. The Mets and Dodgers play the deciding Game 5 of their division series at Dodger Stadium, with the winner playing host to the Cubs on Saturday night even though neither team had a better record. Baseball's playoff format precludes wild-card teams from gaining home-field advantage from division winners. Players always are asked which team they would prefer to play in situations like these, and Cubs ace Jake Arrieta gave the politically correct answer during Tuesday's series-clinching celebration on the field at Wrigley Field. "It doesn't matter," Arrieta said. "Two great cities. We know the energy is going to be great either in LA or New York, and obviously in Chicago." If it's Los Angeles, Arrieta will be returning to the scene of his Aug. 30 no-hitter. If it's New York, the Cubs will go in with a chance to avenge the saddest chapter in team history, the 1969 collapse at the hands of the Mets. But it probably doesn't matter much which team they play at this point. The Cubs are the hottest team in baseball, and some experts now consider them the favorites to win the World Series. Going by records, playing the Mets theoretically would be an easier road to the World Series. The Cubs went 7-0 against them this season including a four-game sweep at Wrigley in mid-May their first season series sweep of the Mets in Cubs history. But the last time the teams met was June 30-July 2 at Citi Field in New York, when Cubs pitchers allowed only one run in the three-game sweep, leaving the Mets with a 40-40 record. That was before the Mets acquired outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers and went on a second-half tear to win the NL East easily, finishing 89-73. The Cubs went 3-4 against the Dodgers in 2015, going 2-1 at Wrigley and 1-3 on the road. But they hit only .217 with a .284 on-base percentage off Dodgers pitching, with 70 strikeouts in those seven games. Clayton Kershaw struck out 14 Cubs on Aug. 28 in Los Angeles, allowing one run on three hits over eight innings. As for October history, the Cubs never have played the Mets in the postseason, and the Dodgers swept them in their last postseason appearance in 2008. That memorable NLDS ended in Dodger Stadium with a Cubs player flooding the dugout after hitting the pipes with a bat. Both the Dodgers and Mets have quality starting pitching, with the Dodgers' one-two punch of Kershaw and Zack Greinke considered the best in the game. Greinke figures to be Arrieta's closest rival in the Cy Young Award voting, which could go either way. Greinke is pitching Thursday night against the Mets' Jacob deGrom, while Kershaw won Game 4 on Tuesday in Citi Field, saving the Dodgers' season. If they stick to their playoff rotations for Saturday, the Mets likely would go with Noah Syndergaard while the Dodgers would start Brian Anderson. Jon Lester, who was 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Mets this season, likely will get the nod from the Cubs. He was 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers. | 1 | 95,219 | sports |
Sarah Hyland and other stars stepped out for a charity dinner. The modern family star wowed in white pairing a textured top with a wrap skirt. She finished off her look with golden makeup. Actress Zoey Deutch made a statement in a yellow dress with the cinched in waist flattering her frame. Rachel Bilson opted for a bold print. Her dress was a fun floral design and she added an extra pop of colour with red shoes. She was joined on the red carpet by Jeff Bridges with the pair holding up a sign saying "I believe in no kid hungry". | 8 | 95,220 | video |
DESPERATE Jeffrey Ortega wants his size 16 foot amputated after it swelled due to a genetic condition. Both of the 26-year-old's feet are twice the normal size and he lives in constant pain. Jeffrey was born with Proteus Syndrome, a rare condition that causes bones, skin and tissue overgrowth, and affects just a handful of people worldwide. Proteus has affected Jeffrey's hands, hips, and legs - and he believes amputation of his left foot will relieve his pain and stop the growth. Donations for Jeffrey's surgery can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/Jeffrey2015 Videographer / Director: Travis Mays Producer: Samantha Grillo, Chloe Browne Editor: Sonia Estal, Ian Phillips | 8 | 95,221 | video |
An electrical engineer has created a replica of the magical hammer belonging to the Marvel Comics superhero Thor, and he has succeeded in making it so that only he is "worthy" to lift it up, using electromagnetics and biometrics. Thor is a god of thunder from Norse mythology who is also seen in Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films as a superhero from the fictional realm of Asgard. After disobeying the orders of Odin, the king of Asgard, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) is stripped of his superhuman powers and exiled to Earth to live as a mortal, accompanied only by Mjölnir, a hammer protected by an enchantment that allows only the worthy to wield it. Although occasionally someone else can pick the hammer up, such as the being Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron, for the most part, no one is considered to be "worthy". But now Allen Pan, an electrical engineer who runs the YouTube channel in the US has managed to build a real Mjölnir that absolutely refuses to budge if anyone other than Pan tries to pick it up. To make it work, Pan's version of the hammer includes a microwave oven transformer electromagnet in the head of the hammer, which uses electricity from four 12v SLA batteries to produce a powerful magnetic field. The handle of the hammer, meanwhile, contains a capacitive touch fingerprint sensor attached to an Arduino Pro Mini microcontroller and a solid state relay. If anyone other than Pan tries to pick up the hammer, the fingerprint sensor will trigger the solid state relay to turn the magnets on. The magnets then exert magnetic pull so strong that when the hammer is placed on a heavy metal surface that cannot easy be lifted, such as a locked manhole cover, it is impossible to lift the hammer up. However, if Pan tries to pick up the hammer, the fingerprint scanner will authenticate that it is him and the magnets will turn off, allowing him to lift the hammer immediately. Pan took his Mjölnir to Venice Beach in California, where he challenged regular people and Muscle Beach bodybuilders to prove they were "worth". | 5 | 95,222 | news |
WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama will keep 5,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan when he leaves office in 2017, according to senior administration officials, casting aside his promise to end the war on his watch and instead ensuring he hands the conflict off to his successor. Obama had originally planned to pull out all but a small, embassy-based U.S. military presence by the end of next year, a timeline coinciding with the final weeks of his presidency. But military leaders argued for months that the Afghans needed additional assistance and support from the U.S. to beat back a resurgent Taliban and hold onto gains made over the last 14 years of American bloodshed and billions of dollars in aid. The president was to announce the changes Thursday morning from the White House. Officials said he would outline plans to maintain the current force of 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through most of next year, then draw down to 5,500 troops in 2017, at a pace still to be determined by commanders. The officials previewed the decisions on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly ahead of the president. U.S. officials have been hinting at the policy shift for weeks, noting that conditions on the ground in Afghanistan have changed since Obama's initial decision on a sharper troop withdrawal timeline was made more than two years ago. The White House has also been buoyed by having a more reliable partner in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who succeeded the mercurial Hamid Karzai last year. "The narrative that we're leaving Afghanistan is self-defeating," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday during a speech at the Association of the U.S. Army. "We're not, we can't and to do so would not be to take advantage of the success we've had to date." While officials said the Afghan policy had been under review for several months, Obama's decision to leave more forces in Afghanistan than initially envisioned was reinforced when Taliban fighters took control of the key northern city of Kunduz late last month, prompting a protracted battle with Afghan forces on the ground, supported by U.S. airstrikes. During the fighting, a U.S. airstrike hit a hospital, killing 22 people, including 12 Doctors Without Borders staff and 10 patients. Beyond the recent security troubles in Afghanistan, U.S. commanders have also expressed concern about Islamic State fighters moving into the country and gaining recruits from within the Taliban. The troops staying in Afghanistan beyond next year will continue to focus on counterterrorism missions and training and advising Afghan security forces, the officials said. They will be based in Kabul and Bagram Air Field, as well as bases in Jalalabad and Kandahar. The president's decision to keep the U.S. military in Afghanistan beyond his tenure thrusts the conflict into the 2016 presidential race. The next president will become the third U.S. commander-in-chief to oversee the war and try to bring it to a close. Until now, Afghanistan has barely factored into campaign discussions on foreign policy and was not mentioned in Tuesday's Democratic debate. The war was discussed only briefly in two Republican debates. Officials said discussions on staying in Afghanistan longer began during Ghani's visit to Washington in March. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Campbell, recently presented the president with a range of options calling for keeping more troops there based on his judgment of what it would take to sustain the Afghan army and minimize the chances of losing more ground. Officials said NATO allies had expressed support for extending the troop presence in Afghanistan, but they did not outline any specific commitments from other nations. Last week, during a meeting of defense ministers, Carter urged allies to remain flexible and consider abandoning their earlier timelines to cut troop levels in Afghanistan. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and other defense ministers were quick to agree, saying that the size of the force should be based on security conditions rather than a fixed timeline. Upending the troop withdrawal decision, however, carries broad political implications. Obama campaigned for the White House on a pledge to end America's involvement in the two wars he inherited, Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, he'll likely finish his presidency with troops back in both countries. The president did withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011, a moment he heralded as a promise kept to a war-weary nation. But the rise of the Islamic State drew the U.S. military back into Iraq last year to train and assist local security forces and launch airstrikes, a campaign Obama has said will likely last beyond his tenure. Obama announced the end of the Afghan war with similar fanfare last spring, saying it was time for the U.S. to "turn the page" on more than a decade of deadly conflicts. But his remarks at the time also foreshadowed the difficulties he would face in fulfilling that pledge. "Americans have learned that it's harder to end wars than it is to begin them," he said. ___ Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. ___ Follow Lolita C. Baldor at http://twitter.com/lbaldor and Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC | 5 | 95,223 | news |
LOS ANGELES (AP) Although Lamar Odom's marriage to Khloe Kardashian introduced him to untold millions of fans who don't know a power forward from a paparazzo, reality television notoriety was only a small part of a life largely spent in basketball. Odom won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers and an award as the league's top reserve during his 14-year pro career, adding to a trophy case that also includes an Olympic medal and a FIBA world championship medal. Odom was a can't-miss prospect from the start of his playing days in Queens, a skilled ball-handler in a rangy big man's body. His versatility got him through a truncated college career into the NBA, where he played for four franchises and became known as an invaluable teammate who repeatedly sacrificed personal statistics for team success. ''All he cared about was playing basketball,'' said Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, a longtime friend. ''He wanted to give back to the league. Every time I talked to him, that's all he talked about.'' Odom's teammates and friends throughout the sport paid tribute after he was found unconscious in a Nevada brothel and rushed to a hospital this week. Several basketball figures visited Odom's bedside, including Kobe Bryant and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. ''Lamar Odom is one of the greatest people I've ever known,'' said New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher, Odom's longtime teammate with the Lakers. ''I don't view him through the prism of choices that he's made. I view him through the heart and soul of the person that he really is.'' Odom's basketball gifts were multifold from the start. He sprouted to his full 6-foot-10 height during his prep career at Christ The King Regional High School in Queens, yet never lost the ball-handling and passing abilities of a smaller player. Anthony, another New York native and top-flight prospect born three years later, looked up to Odom's multifaceted game. ''L.O. was a point forward,'' Anthony said. ''A lot of people will tell you he was one of my favorite players coming out of high school, one of the best high school players I've seen as a kid.'' A hotly recruited prospect, Odom spent one year at UNLV without playing amid NCAA investigations. He transferred to the University of Rhode Island, where he won a conference title in his single season under coach Jim Harrick before entering the NBA draft. Odom was the fourth pick in the 1999 draft by the moribund Los Angeles Clippers, who evolved into a solid team during his four years. He was chosen for the 2004 U.S. Olympic basketball team in Athens, winning a bronze medal. After one season with the Miami Heat, Odom was traded to the Lakers in 2004 in a deal for Shaquille O'Neal. When the famed club hired coach Phil Jackson a year later, Odom became a key component of the Lakers' rise back to glory. ''He was an amazing teammate,'' Fisher said. ''Really an amazing player that possesses all the skills necessary to do everything on the floor you need done. I think his defense and rebounding was more spectacular than anything he can do on the floor offensively. (He was) one of the top reasons as to why we won championships in `09 and `10.'' Odom spent the best seven years of his career with the Lakers, hitting his professional stride in a jack-of-all-trades role. Led by Bryant and Pau Gasol, the Lakers reached three straight NBA Finals, winning two titles - the second with Ron Artest, his Queens childhood friend and former AAU teammate now known as Metta World Peace. Odom also became known for his generosity with other players, his family and even strangers. On his Twitter account, Magic Johnson said Odom would buy new suits for the Lakers' rookies each season. ''We understood what it means to be in a band of brothers, what it means to go through a lot of things together,'' said Sasha Vujacic, Odom's former Lakers teammate. ''He's someone with a heart of gold.'' Odom returned to the U.S. national team and won a gold medal at the 2010 world championships as a key contributor. When Odom won his Sixth Man award a year later, he donated the accompanying car to a Lakers children's charity. A few months after that, Odom's world began to unravel. He was stunned when the Lakers attempted to send him to New Orleans in a multiplayer deal for Chris Paul. Odom said he spent days crying over the trade, which was nullified by NBA Commissioner David Stern. Odom refused to return to the Lakers and eventually went to Dallas in another deal. The Lakers' missteps were factored into the gradual decline of the team, which finished last season with the worst record in franchise history. After a productive season back with the Clippers in 2012-13, Odom was done in the NBA. After two-game stint in Spain, he signed with the New York Knicks in April 2014 right before the season ended when Jackson, now running the Knicks, attempted to throw a lifeline to his beloved former player. Odom never played and was cut in July. He was still young enough to play again, but Odom never found the will or the clarity to get back on the courts he loved. ''We love you, man,'' Paul said after a news conference in Shanghai, where the Clippers are playing exhibition games. ''Keep fighting. He's a member of this fraternity, our basketball brotherhood, and we love you and we're all there for you, man.'' --- AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York contributed to this report. | 1 | 95,224 | sports |
The Coyotes blanked the Ducks 4-0 on Wednesday. Anthony Duclair scored a hat trick and Mike Smith recorded a 37-save shutout. | 1 | 95,225 | sports |
One program at Arizona State University's business school has a brand-new price tag: $0. Starting next fall, the W. P. Carey School of Business plans to offer full scholarships to all incoming full-time M.B.A. students. The goal is to attract students with nontraditional backgrounds and career aims, and kick off a new business curriculum, leaders say. At the heart of the decision to eliminate tuition was school leaders' desire to change the complexion of its M.B.A. class, said Carey's dean, Amy Hillman. Carey's full-time M.B.A. student body is "a fairly traditional M.B.A. class," in Ms. Hillman's words, with the bulk of graduates going into technology, manufacturing and finance, according to school placement figures. School leaders realized the sticker price for the two-year M.B.A. program which runs from $54,000 for in-state residents to $90,000 for international students deterred students who were interested in pursuing careers in nonprofits or those who felt they couldn't afford the opportunity cost of attending. They wondered what would happen if the cost of attendance were no longer a barrier. So they turned to a $50 million donation given in 2003 from real-estate mogul and philanthropist William Carey. That money had been put toward recruiting new faculty, but Ms. Hillman said her administration agreed it was time to spend the money on students. Some 86 first-year students are currently enrolled in Carey's full-time M.B.A. class, but the school will cover free rides for up to 120 students starting in the fall of 2016; the school declined to provide cost estimates. The business school enrolls more than 13,500 students in total, including more than 12,000 undergraduates and nearly 800 students in its portfolio of M.B.A. programs, which includes part-time and online degrees. The scholarships have presented Carey with a business dilemma of its own explaining the decision to current M.B.A. students, who are stuck paying for their degrees. The school has held town-hall meetings to solicit students' feedback, and reaction has been largely positive, Ms. Hillman said. "Would I rather not pay tuition? Sure," said Ryan Butler, a second-year M.B.A. student who said he provided input for the curriculum redesign. "But I'm excited about the direction of the program," he added. Some law schools have expanded scholarships or slashed tuition partly to offset the tough job market for their graduates, but job placement for b-school grads has been robust recently. About 90% of the full-time M.B.A. graduates in Carey's class of 2015 were employed three months after graduation, with average starting salaries nearing $99,000, according to the school. To some extent, the scholarships are in keeping with Arizona State's reputation for maverick moves in higher education. The university recently took over the troubled Thunderbird School of Global Management and has teamed with Starbucks Corp. to provide free online degrees for some of the coffee chain's employees. The business school is launching an online-heavy marketing campaign to raise awareness of the scholarships, and admissions officers will attend more college fairs to court entrepreneurs, single parents and nonprofit professionals and others who might reconsider the full-time business school program if it were free. "We are hopeful that Dean Hillman's initiative will enable students who may otherwise not have considered business school to pursue an M.B.A.," said Interim Provost Mark Searle in a statement. In exchange for free tuition, Ms. Hillman said she expects graduates to pay it forward by hiring or mentoring future alumni, although the school doesn't plan to formally track or enforce that guideline. | 3 | 95,226 | finance |
BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore police disbanded an overnight occupation of City Hall by activists opposed to making the interim police commissioner's appointment permanent, and at least 12 people could be seen being led away early Thursday to police vehicles. At least 25 police officers converged at the building's front entrance hours before dawn as activists were still inside participating in a sit-in over numerous demands for better policing. Several demonstrators could be seen by an Associated Press reporter as they were led off in plastic handcuffs and loaded into transport vehicles at around 4 a.m. "It is our duty to fight for our freedom! We have nothing to lose but our chains!" others watching the police operation shouted at the officers. Police said in a statement posted on their social media site that a small number of protesters had decided to leave after hours of warnings to the demonstrators. "The remaining protesters refused to leave the building. As a direct result of their failure to comply, the remaining protesters have been arrested and charged with trespassing. There are no reported injuries at this time to any protesters or officers," the police statement added. Police did not elaborate on the number of people arrested or their identities. A message left for Baltimore Police Department spokesman T.J. Smith wasn't immediately returned. Following the police operation, police were seen leaving and the complex was largely quiet by 5 a.m. Many of the protesters were student activists, including at least two juveniles who were taken into custody. The protesters said they opposed city deliberations to make permanent the interim appointment of Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, adding they had been given no chance for input. The group also wanted a sit-down meeting with Davis and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and refused to leave City Hall until city officials agreed to meet a list of demands that included better treatment for protesters, a significant investment in public schools and social services and a promise that police would avoid using armored vehicles and riot gear. The protesters also asked that officers always wear badges and name tags. After more than a dozen protesters were arrested, others left voluntarily but voiced their disappointment with the police response. "All we are doing is peacefully demonstrating. We were disrespected by Kevin Davis. He didn't take us seriously," said Kevin Wellons, 19, who left the sit-in around 3:30 a.m. with several others. Kwame Rose, an organizer who had been with the group for hours, also left with several others before police moved in. Rose said activists will continue to press for police reforms. "The politicians, they failed us today," Rose said. "All (Davis) had to do was come upstairs for ten minutes. All we wanted was for the commissioner to meet the people he's attacking. And now he's attacking us again." Davis took the interim role in July after predecessor Anthony Batts was fired amid a spike in violent crime in Baltimore. The spike followed unrest and rioting in April after the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died after suffering a severe injury in police custody. A City Council committee voted to make Davis the permanent police commissioner. Members of the Baltimore Uprising coalition, which includes both high school and community activists, had begun shouting from the upper gallery of City Council chambers as a Council committee prepared for its vote Wednesday. "All night, all day, we will fight for Freddie Gray!" the activists chanted amid calls to postpone the vote. "No justice, no peace!" The activists then began their sit-in. Davis' appointment still must be approved by the full council. A vote is expected Monday. Prior to the committee meeting, The Baltimore Sun surveyed Council members and found nine of 15 were prepared to vote for Davis at the full council meeting. If approved, Davis would earn $200,000 a year under a contract to run through June of 2020. Three of the committee's five members voted in favor of Davis. Councilman Nick Mosby, who is married to State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, voted against the confirmation, while Carl Stokes, who is running for mayor, abstained. Marilyn Mosby had decided to prosecute six officers in connection with Gray's death. All of the officers are currently awaiting trial. After Mosby's decision and the widespread unrest, homicides began to rise and residents in crime-addled neighborhoods accused police officers of abandoning their posts. Addressing the council committee Wednesday, Davis said that he remains committed to training officers to actively engage and interact with community members. Davis also emphasized his commitment to "respect and fight for the right for Americans to assemble and peacefully protest." | 5 | 95,227 | news |
Italy has a very picturesque coastline with a smattering of beautiful hidden locations nestled among the coastal mountains, tiny fishing ports and small historical resorts that cater for tourists but maintain their charm. This article will look at ten of the most charming seaside villages Italy has to offer. 1. Positano This little gem lies nestled in the mountains that tower above the sea on the Amalfi Coast. The pastel painted houses create a palette of color against the silvery pebble beach and the backdrop of the Monti Lattari. The village has one street and several sets of steep stairways that are just perfect to explore. 2. Manarola Manarola is one of five towns that make up the Cinque Terre on the Riviera. It is built on a black rock foundation with pretty colored buildings looking over a picturesque marina. There are vineyards around the hills and some beautiful views along the many paths and trails leading from the town and harbor. 3. Portofino Portofino is a beautifully picturesque fishing village popular with celebrities with brightly colored houses that stretch along the shoreline. There are several little streets that lead up from the harbor just waiting to be explored with some souvenir shops, boutiques and restaurants. It also has a marina where you can watch the yachts coming and going, art galleries and other places of historical interest. 4. Vernazza Vernazza is a true fishing village which has no access for car traffic. It is another of the towns that make up the Cinque Terra and is located between a cliff and the sea and is part of the National Park of the Cinque Terra and a World Heritage Site. The residents continue to carry on old traditions of fishing, olive oil production and wine making namely Vernaccia which means "ours." 5. Atrani This romantic town is located just a few minutes away from Amalfi and is the smallest community in the whole of Italy. It features several antique charms including houses with flowered balconies and a passageway that was created to protect the boats from storms. It is a fishing town where the houses climb up the side of the valley intermingled with beautiful gardens and lemon groves. 6. Sorrento Sorrento is a popular destination for tourists that overlooks the Bay of Naples. It is famous for Limoncello an alcoholic drink made with lemon rinds and sugar. Although there is no beach, it is a picturesque old town which has some great specialist shops including ceramics, lace and souvenirs. Sorrento is nestled between cliffs and surrounded by beautiful countryside. 7. Taormina The atmosphere in Taormina is described as magical and enchanting. It is nestled on the Monte Tauro hill with views over two bays, Mount Etna and views for over a hundred miles of Mediterranean Sea. There is a lovely blend of historical tradition, charming ambiance and culture making Taormina one of the top tourist destinations in the world. 8. Tropea This little towns is located on the edge of cliffs along a stretch on the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Calabria region. Many of the pretty, brightly colored buildings are flush with the cliff-side and overlook the beautiful beaches and crystal clear turquoise water with staircases that lead down to the shimmering white sands. The views are spectacular with the blend of the house colors and roof tiles set against the backdrop of rising mountains. 9. Riomaggiore Riomaggiore is a small village which dates back to the early 13th Century, lying in a small valley in the Liguria region. The houses around the small harbor look like they are stacked on top of each other in towers and are painted beautiful colors. The waters are crystal clear and serene and this village also forms part of the Cinque Terre with incredible views especially at twilight. 10. Monterosso al Mare Another little ancient treasure in the Cinque Terre. This small town is divided into two parts the old and the new which are divided by a tunnel which allows passage of pedestrians and cars between the two parts. This region is famous for its lemon groves, white wine, grapes and olives. | 2 | 95,228 | travel |
A mother who wanted to prove she wasn't the meanest mommy had her boyfriend duct tape her sons, 4 and 7 down and watch the movie 'Mommie Dearest'. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) explains. | 8 | 95,229 | video |
Your guests will be creeped out by their drinks with these creative cocktail ideas you can use at your Halloween party. Mara Montalbano shows us. | 8 | 95,230 | video |
Baltimore, Maryland police removed several dozen protesters from city hall early Thursday. The protesters interrupted a vote on making the city's interim police commissioner permanent. (Oct. 15) | 8 | 95,231 | video |
If there's one thing that tends to blur the line between friend and foe, it's alcohol . One glass of wine can easily morph into two. Then add shots to the mix, and your casual night out gets sloppy fast. So we had to wonder: Is it better to stay sober during the week and get crazy on the weekend or pour yourself one drink on the daily? Why It Hurts to Go Hard We hate to be killjoys, but just because you didn't partake during the work week doesn't mean you've got a free pass to rage your face off on Friday. In fact, there's a lengthy list of how heavy drinking even if it's confined to a single night can wreck your health. For starters, binge drinking (i.e. pounding four drinks if you're a girl and five if you're a guy in under two hours) boosts your risk for liver disease, which in turn damages other organs in the body, such as your heart, kidney, and brain. 1 And you may be hitting that threshold more often than you realize. One standard drink technically equals 12 ounces of regular beer, five ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of hard (80-proof) liquor meaning a couple of hefty pours at happy hour can add up fast. Worst-case scenario: Since alcohol acts as a depressant, drinking a substantial amount in a relatively short time period can lead to alcohol poisoning/overdose, coma, or death, explains Dessa Bergen-Cico, Ph.D., an associate professor of Public Health and Addiction Studies at Syracuse University. When a person consumes more alcohol than their body can metabolize at one time, the concentration of alcohol builds up in the bloodstream, suppressing vital functions like breathing and heart rate. What's more, binge drinking could also lead to scary stuff like accidents, memory problems, or alcohol addiction, warns Nasir H. Naqvi, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor at Columbia University's Division on Substance Abuse. Research also suggests that binge drinking may lead to insomnia symptoms, a higher risk of injury for women in particular (so that explains those mystery bruises), and an earlier risk of stroke just to name a few. 2 To top it off, you could end up doing stuff you wouldn't normally do while under the influence, adds Alison Moore, M.D., a professor of medicine in the division of geriatrics and psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine. After all, it's not called liquid courage for nothing; alcohol's been shown to make you more impulsive, so you may be more prone to tipsy texting, regrettable (or unsafe) hookups, and unhealthy late-night bites . 3 A final piece of bad news: Nasty hangovers are pretty much unavoidable unless you regularly drink too much. (People who do may build up a tolerance that may keep them hangover-free, says Moore not that drinking more frequently is the answer.) And giving into the drunk munchies isn't going to help: Eating or drinking water only leads to a slight improvement in how you feel the next morning, according to recent research . The only proven hangover cure: Drink less. Making the Case for Moderation Though there's controversy over just how great alcohol really is for you, there's plenty of research that points to it being more of a boon than a bummer. That said, less is definitely more: Having one drink or half a drink fairly regularly does seem to reduce the risk for heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, says Moore. 4 Drinking moderately may also boost your brain health one study suggests that it helps protect against dementia. 5 And it may up your dating game too: Having a single glass of wine (but no more) may make you appear more attractive to other people seriously, it's science! 6 But here's the funny part: You may not even be reaping many of the health rewards at least not for a few more years. "The main benefits of alcohol occur in middle age or older," Moore says. That's because people in their 20s and 30s generally don't have to deal with conditions like heart disease , stroke , and other complications that can improve from moderate alcohol intake, she explains. Moore also points out that even light or moderate drinking may not be for everybody, like women with a strong history (whether personal or family) of breast cancer. Even one drink per day may boost a woman's risk for the disease, according to a recent study. 7 Another study found that moderate drinking (one to two drinks daily) led to an increased risk of a-fib, a heart condition associated with stroke and heart attack. 8 (Liquor was associated with the greatest risk, followed by wine, but beer consumption had no association.) One last cause for concern? You find yourself using your daily drink of choice as an Rx for recurring mood or anxiety issues . If you think that could be the case, see a mental health expert, Naqvi says. The Bottom Line Sorry, boozy brunchers and part-time party people, but going on a weekend bender is just a plain ol' bad habit. As far as your overall wellness goes, drinking a little on a daily basis trumps being good all week, only to get trashed on Saturday night. The healthiest game plan: Stick to drinking in moderation (one drink a day for women, two drinks for men) and avoiding binge drinking, Naqvi suggests. And know yourself, adds Moore. Before popping bottles, consider your family health history, what or how many drinks it takes to trigger bad behavior, and whether or not you're on any meds that may have less-than-stellar alcohol interactions. Works Cited Binge ethanol and liver: new molecular developments. Shukla SD, Pruett SB, Szabo G. Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 2013, Jan.;37(4):1530-0277. Binge drinking and insomnia in middle-aged and older adults: the Health and Retirement Study. Canham SL, Kaufmann CN, Mauro PM. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2014, May.;30(3):1099-1166. Relative risk of injury from acute alcohol consumption: modeling the dose-response relationship in emergency department data from 18 countries. Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2014, Nov.;110(2):1360-0443. Heavy alcohol intake and intracerebral hemorrhage: characteristics and effect on outcome. Casolla B, Dequatre-Ponchelle N, Rossi C. Neurology, 2012, Dec.;79(11):1526-632X. Associations between Heavy Drinking and Changes in Impulsive Behavior among Adolescent Males . White, H., Marmorstein, N., Crews, F., et al. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2011 Feb; 35(2): 295 303. Red wine: A drink to your heart. Saleem TS, Basha SD. Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, 2011, Jul.;1(4):0976-2833. Ethanol protects cultured neurons against amyloid-β and α-synuclein-induced synapse damage. Bate C, Williams A. Neuropharmacology, 2011, Aug.;61(8):1873-7064. Increased facial attractiveness following moderate, but not high, alcohol consumption. Van Den Abbeele J, Penton-Voak IS, Attwood AS. Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire), 2015, Feb.;50(3):1464-3502. Light to moderate intake of alcohol, drinking patterns, and risk of cancer: results from two prospective US cohort studies. Cao Y, Willett WC, Rimm EB. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 2015, Aug.;351():1756-1833. Alcohol consumption and risk of atrial fibrillation: a prospective study and dose-response meta-analysis. Larsson SC, Drca N, Wolk A. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2014, Sep.;64(3):1558-3597. | 7 | 95,232 | health |
Alohomora! MooseRoots researched the names of 25 "Harry Potter" characters and unlocked the question of whether the series affected their popularity. Harry Potter's Influence on Baby Names The "Harry Potter" franchise has swept the nation since 1997 with books, films and eventually an amusement park (with a second one on the way!). Understandably, the notion that an ordinary kid could be capable of extraordinary things resonated with children and families taking off like pure magic. Since pop culture constantly influences the popularity of certain baby names and fads, MooseRoots went back to see if the "Harry Potter" craze affected the baby name popularity for the most well-known "Harry Potter" characters. Using data from the Social Security Administration, we looked at naming trends ranked from the least to most prominent in the series. Follow us on Facebook. #25. Amelia Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, is struck down by Voldemort in the sixth book. Amelia was the 15th most popular girls name in the U.S. in 2014, but it is doubtful that this minor character greatly influenced the upward trend. Follow us on Facebook. #24. Arabella Some people might not remember that Arabella Figg was the trusted Squib who looked over Harry while he stayed with the Dursleys in Little Whinging. Although Arabella has become much more common in the U.S. and Europe in the last decade, it is doubtful that Arabella Figg is the main reason parents choose the name. Follow us on Facebook. #23. Cornelius Cornelius Fudge, the bumbling Minister of Magic, did not exactly give himself a good name by adamantly denying the return of You-Know-Who. The name Cornelius was popular in the U.S. and Europe last century, and saw a spike in popularity from 2003 to 2004 in England and Wales. Follow us on Facebook. #22. Kingsley Kingsley Shacklebolt is the famous Auror who joins the Order of the Phoenix in book five, which was released in 2003. Since 2004, this name has become increasingly popular in the U.S. Follow us on Facebook. #21. Percy Percy was known around Hogwarts as the ultimate brown-noser. Still, he was smart and hard-working. The name rose in popularity in 2012, but this can probably be attributed to the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series. Follow us on Facebook. #20. Dudley One astute Dudley Dursley observation is that the Dursleys might not be pleasant people because they've spent their lives living with a Horcrux. Dudley Dursley was not a well-liked character, and the name is uncommon in the U.S. and Europe. Follow us on Facebook. #19. Godric Godric is an Anglo Saxton name that means "power of God," but of course fans associate the name with Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. Since the last film premiered in 2011, Godric has seen a slight popularity increase each year. Follow us on Facebook. #18. Viktor Viktor Krum is the hunky Bulgarian wizard who had his sights set on Hermione during "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." The name has been historically popular in Scandinavia, but also gained traction in the U.S. and United Kingdom when the "Goblet of Fire" book and film were released. Follow us on Facebook. #17. Lavender Lavender Brown is the Gryffindor best known for her short relationship with Ron (or "Won-Won" as she called him). The name gained popularity in 1997, but this could also be due to the popularity of the 1996 film "Matilda." Matilda's sweet and spunky best friend was named Lavender as well. Follow us on Facebook. #16. Lucius It might be surprising to learn that this Famous Death Eater's name means "light," and was a common name in the U.S. at the turn of last century. Although Lucius is an unsavory character, the "Harry Potter" fad likely contributed to this name's rise in popularity, beginning in 2001. Follow us on Facebook. #15. Minerva Minerva is an old-fashioned name for an old-fashioned character. The name has not been popular in the U.S. in about 100 years, but there was a slight increase in 2007 when "The Order of the Phoenix" came out on film, and the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was released the same month. Warner Brothers also announced its plans for "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" theme park in Orlando in 2007. #14. Remus Remus, everyone's favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and the werewolf contingent of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, certainly had an unusual name. Not a lot of historical data exists for the name Remus, although it's a classic name that commemorates one of the legendary founders of Rome. #13. Seamus Seamus Finnigan was always a friendly face around the Gryffindor common room. The Irish name is understandably more common in Ireland, and has not experienced much change in popularity over the last two decades. #12. Cedric This suave Hufflepuff came to fame in the fourth book as he competed in the Triwizard Tournament. The book was released in 2000 and the movie came out in 2005. Unfortunately, Cedric's popularity at Hogwarts did not transfer much in the baby name arena. #11. Lily Lily Potter was Harry's mother who valiantly sacrificed herself to save Harry. The name was already quite popular in the U.S. and Europe before the "Harry Potter" craze began in 1997, and has ranked in the top 100 since 2001. Lily was the 15th most popular name in the U.S. in 2011, the same year that the final Harry Potter film was released. #10. Bellatrix This unusual name is not common in the U.S. or Europe, and the Social Security Administration has only been keeping records of "Bellatrix" since 2008. In 2009, there were seven more girls named Bellatrix than in 2008, perhaps because the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" was released, and Bellatrix plays a major role in this film. Although she is one of Voldemort's most loyal servants, Bellatrix has a large fan following, making it not surprising that some people would want to name their daughter after this colorful character. #9. Draco Draco is the bad boy with a (sometimes overly) soft side. He was clearly the most popular Slytherin, which is fitting because the name Draco means dragon or serpent. While still not an incredibly common name, Draco has become steadily more popular since "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" was published in 1997. #8. Neville Although parents might have been hesitant to name their son Neville at the beginning of the series, Neville showed genuine bravery in the final battle at Hogwarts, and became a bonafide Hogwarts hero. The slight increases in popularity in 2007 and 2010 occurred when fans realized Neville's valiant nature. #7. Luna Luna Lovegood was not introduced as a main character until "The Order of the Phoenix," but she quickly became a favorite, despite her bizarre behavior and unwavering belief in Nargles. The name has been consistently popular in Europe, and gradually more common in the U.S. since 1990. #6. Severus Harry Potter only deemed the name Severus worthy for his son Albus' middle name, and others seem hesitant to name their sons Severus as well. The character Severus Snape is eventually revered as a hero, but recently there have only been five or six baby boys named Severus each year in the U.S. #5. Ginny The name Ginny is short for Virginia, but muggles know her exclusively as Ginny throughout the series. Ginny saw a spike in popularity in 2006 when "Harry Potter" mania was in full force. The fourth film had just been released (November 2005) and the publication date for the last book was announced. #4. Sirius Sirius is not a common name in the U.S. or Europe; only 24 boys were named Sirius in 2014. However, the name did become slightly more popular after 2004, when Sirius Black exemplified his heroism in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." #3. Hermione It is important to note that Hermione (pronounced her-my-oh-nee) is not a name that J.K. Rowling invented; the name was actually quite popular in the U.S. around WWI. The name came out of obscurity in 2003 when the fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was published, and the film series gained notoriety as fans anticipated the premier of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." #2. Ron Ron is arguably the most famous redhead at Hogwarts, and Harry's trusted sidekick. In the U.S., the name has steadily declined since the 1960s. However, the name experienced a few spikes in growth in England and Wales between 1999 and 2009, particularly from 1999 to 2000, when the film series began and the books remained wildly popular. #1. Harry Of course, the "Harry Potter" franchise does not have a monopoly on this name. There are quite a few famous Harrys: Harry S. Truman, Prince Harry and Harry Styles to name a few. Harry was a common name in the U.S. a century ago, but even "Harry Potter"-mania could not turn around this name's downward slope in popularity. Conversely, Harry is hugely popular in the U.K., it was the No. 1 name in 2011 and 2012. | 4 | 95,233 | lifestyle |
A top Chinese actress has had her face examined as part of a high-profile legal case in China, local media report. Actress Angelababy is suing a clinic for defamation after it alleged she had plastic surgery done on her face. Doctors who examined her on Thursday said that her looks were genuine. It came a week after her widely-publicised wedding to actor Huang Xiaoming, who has defended her, saying she "sometimes looks quite ugly". A Beijing judge had suggested that her face be examined by medical professionals to certify its authenticity. The 26-year-old actress, whose real name is Yeung Wing, went through a series of X-ray scans and tests - which at one stage involved a doctor prodding her face - at a plastic surgery hospital in the capital on Thursday. She was accompanied by notaries public and several journalists. Hospital chief Qi Zuoliang later pronounced her looks to be genuine. "Baby's entire head and facial bones do not have any signs of incisions," he told reporters, using a popular abbreviation of the actress' stage name. News of her examination dominated discussion on Chinese social network Sina Weibo on Thursday, with many of her fans expressing support. Angelababy, who first shot to fame as a model and actress in Hong Kong, has long been dogged by rumours that she had plastic surgery, with pictures purportedly showing her natural face circulating online in recent years. She is suing Beijing beauty clinic Ruili for carrying an article on its website in 2012 alleging that she had plastic surgery, and is seeking 500,000 yuan (£51,000; $79,000) in compensation. She has insisted that her unique looks come from her European heritage - her paternal grandfather was German. Angelababy married Huang last Thursday in one of the biggest and most lavish celebrity weddings China had seen, which reportedly cost 200 million yuan (£20.3m; $31.5m). Huang has previously defended the actress, saying in a 2014 interview: "Actually she sometimes looks quite ugly to me." "I'm not an idiot, I definitely can tell she hasn't had plastic surgery, sometimes she doesn't put on make up and she really looks like those ugly pictures of her." | 6 | 95,234 | entertainment |
Vin Diesel shared the most adorable text message he received from his 7-year-old daughter while filming "The Last Witch Hunter." | 8 | 95,235 | video |
MIAMI Police say they're investigating a shooting involving an officer in South Florida in which a suspect has died. Investigators say the shooting took place early Thursday in southwest Miami-Dade County. No officers were injured. Miami-Dade police spokesman Alvaro Zabaleta says officers responded to an emergency call from a drug store about 1:51 a.m. Arriving officers were told a suspect had fled in a vehicle and officers then spotted it and tried to make a traffic stop. The driver fled and officers followed. The vehicle eventually stopped and shots were fired, Zabaleta adds. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is normal procedure in a shooting involving a police officer. The race of those involved in the shooting was not immediately known. No further details were released. | 5 | 95,236 | news |
Placido Domingo is to have surgery to have his gallbladder removed, forcing him to miss conducting engagements at New York's Metropolitan Opera. "It is expected this minimally invasive procedure will allow him to resume his activities after a brief hospital stay," the Met said in a statement. Domingo had been due to conduct four performances of Tosca in October, but will now return on 2 November. Other conductors have been drafted in to fill in for the Spanish tenor. The 74-year-old was admitted to hospital on Tuesday after suffering inflammation of his gallbladder and will have an operation early next week. He has had a number of health problems in recent years. In 2010, he underwent an operation to remove a cancerous polyp from his colon, returning to performing just weeks after the surgery. And in 2013 he was treated for a blood clot in his lung, forcing him to miss several concerts. Domingo's next singing engagement is in December, when he will perform in Verdi's Macbeth at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia. | 6 | 95,237 | entertainment |
On stressful days, I just want to crank my DeLorean up to 88 mph and travel back to the 1980s, when parenting seemed less taxing and came with a far skinnier rule book. I'm not alone - a report from the Social Issues Research Centre found that nearly half of mothers think the 1970s and 1980s were an easier time to raise children. Unconvinced? Check out how simple it was for our parents: Instead of fussing over car seats, parents could toss kids in the "way back" of the station wagon and let them roll around like oranges. Everybody in the family shared one phone. Not only was a land line way cheaper than individual mobiles, but Mom always knew who was calling her kids - and her husband. It was totally acceptable to send the kids out to play after lunch and ask only that they be back by dinner. Or dark. Bug bites were a bigger concern than child predators. Swimming pools had diving boards, bicycles were ridden without helmets and newborns could sleep on their stomachs. Sure it was riskier, but think how much easier it must have been to keep kids happy. Flight attendants (back when they were called stewardesses) would bend over backwards to entertain your kids on the airplane, taking them on field trips to the cockpit, doling out coloring books, and awarding those coveted wings. Now you're lucky if you can score some 2% milk. When a preteen son saw boobies for the first time, it was in National Geographic or (gasp) Playboy - not in a hardcore fetish video readily accessed from a smartphone. Childcare was a combination of grandma and the teenager next door who charged a buck fifty an hour. Today, our babysitter makes ten times that amount, but I'm pretty sure we don't earn 10 times what our parents did. The most violent video game on the market was Super Mario Bros . To my knowledge, there were no "school hammerings" as a result. Remember the four food groups? Carbs were an essential part of the daily diet! Ice cream was considered a reasonable source of milk! Moms weren't scorned for serving a microwaved TV dinner - they were just being modern and efficient. I reflect on this when I'm shopping for organic kale and learning to make quinoa. The lower back tattoo had not yet been invented. Need I say more? I'll admit, there are a few millennial inventions that help parents, like iPads and Xanax. And sure, not everything was perfect in the 80s - we probably sucked down a little more second hand smoke than we should have - but didn't we turn out okay? On balance, I think the past is winning. Parents, there's room in my DeLorean. Do you want to join me in the 1980s, or do you think things are better now? | 4 | 95,238 | lifestyle |
Artists hired by the makers of the US show Homeland to write graffiti on one of its sets in Berlin say they wrote messages criticising the show's alleged stereotypes of Arabs and Muslims. The artists wrote graffiti reading "Homeland is racist" and "Homeland is rubbish", among others. They say they were asked to write the graffiti in June to "lend authenticity" to a set depicting a refugee camp. The episode featuring the set in question aired on Sunday. Some of the messages were briefly visible in the background of the scenes depicting a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon. The artists said in a statement that they were initially reluctant about the commission "until we considered what a moment of intervention could relay about our own and many others' political discontent with the series". "It was our moment to make our point by subverting the message using the show itself," they say. They say that no-one working on the show checked what it was that they were actually writing, with the set designers "too frantic to pay any attention to us" and the Arabic script treated as "merely a supplementary visual". In the second series of the show, its depiction of the Lebanese capital Beirut sparked criticism with many pointing out that its portrayal of the city's central Hamra Street thoroughfare bore little relation to reality. Some Pakistani viewers were also irked by the way the Pakistani capital Islamabad was depicted in a later series, as well as the fact that a terrorist character's name was almost identical to that of a previous Pakistani ambassador to the US. | 6 | 95,239 | entertainment |
There are two different sets of advice for visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, an austere swathe of desert on Arizona's border with Mexico. "Immerse yourself in a photographer's paradise!" advises a glossy tourist brochure. "Explore the abundance of plants and wildlife unique to the Sonoran desert. Guided walks through the park, as well as hiking trails, camping and picnic facilities, are available. Drive the scenic 21-mile Ajo Mountain loop ... star-studded night skies wash away the modern world." An identical-sized pamphlet on cheap paper, which you find in Mexican towns bordering the park, offers starker tips in Spanish. "Use the north star and the movement of the moon to guide you towards the north during the night. Carry one gallon of water in each hand and six litres in the backpack. You can drink cactus fruit but the skin has nearly invisible spines. Peel carefully. If you have no water, drinking urine can sustain you for a while. Don't do it repeatedly because it will become toxic." One park with two very different types of visitor. One seeking recreation, the other survival. This is the new normal on the front line of America's border crackdown. "> The 530 square mile park, a Unesco biosphere reserve , is enjoying a tourist boom. Numbers have jumped more than 30% since it fully reopened to the public last year. This may be news to Donald Trump. The leading Republican presidential candidate says criminals and rapists, among others, are swarming across an open border. He wants to build a wall to stop them and to "protect America". In 2002, Trump could have pointed to one, tragic incident: drug cartel gunmen shot and killed a park ranger, Kris Eggle. The shock of his death transformed the park. The government funnelled a chunk of the post-9/11 border security expansion to Organ Pipe, a 30-mile segment of the 2,000-mile frontier. The park ranger staff tripled from five to 15 and the number of border patrol agents exploded from 15 to 500, with a new, sprawling base. In addition to manning checkpoints and vehicle and pedestrian fences, which now stretch across much of the desert, they run fleets of helicopters and SUVs and monitor ground sensors and surveillance towers. Roads and highways bristle with guns and badges. So too Grannie Mac's Kitchen, a diner off Highway 85. When the Guardian visited one recent morning, the breakfast clientele comprised a middle-aged couple in hiking gear, two sheriff's deputies, three park rangers and five border patrol agents. "We're looking at a bright future," said Brent Range, the park's superintendent. "It's safe." Safe for tourists. But not for the dwindling number of migrants and drug smugglers who use it to illegally enter the United States. An unknown number succumb to the ferocious heat, freezing nights and treacherous terrain. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. A discarded bicycle was thought to have been left by a border crosser. Photograph: Rory Carroll for the Guardian One set of human remains is found on average each month, according to migrant activists. The wilderness is so desolate that some corpses lie undiscovered for years, degrading to skeletons or just bone fragments, their identities a mystery. "I beg them not to cross. I say don't go, don't go, don't go," said Francisco Beltran, a Catholic priest in Sonoyta, a violence-wracked Mexican town abutting the park's southern perimeter. "But they go." For would-be crossers like Albert Lavenant, marooned in Mexico, there seems little choice. He spent 35 of his 41 years in the US, working in construction and raising six children in Santa Ana, California, only to be deported in May for driving offences, he said. "What am I gonna do here? I gotta get back," he said, speaking in a Catholic church-run migrant shelter in Altar, Sonora. Lavenant drank filthy water from a cattle tank and hurt his leg during one fraught, failed crossing attempt. Should he try again via Organ Pipe, formidable natural and synthetic obstacles await. Cactus spines penetrate boots and slash clothing. Mountains and gorges rise and fall with cruel gradients. Rocky terrain twists ankles. Summer temperatures exceed 112 degrees. Border-crossers resorted to this route in the 1990s after US border security choked off traditional routes near urban centres. Border patrol agents now intercept about 23 people in the park daily, said a spokesman, Anthony Scott Good. He could not provide exact comparisons but said it marked a steep fall from previous years, reflecting a trend along the entire border. The dramatically enhanced security enabled the park to welcome back visitors, said Range, the superintendent. "It's public land owned by the taxpayer and needed to be opened." Tourists and residents cannot miss the security but seldom if ever glimpse actual border-crossers, said Hop David, publisher of Ajo Copper News , a weekly paper which serves western Pima county. David is well aware of the drama unfolding in the desert. "We had this Mexican family who called us for months asking if we knew what had happened to their nephew. It was heart-wrenching." He shook his head. "It's a horrible thing to die of heat exhaustion in the Sonora desert. Usually we don't think of them as people but they are, just like you and I, except they come from desperate conditions." Related: Bodies at the border: 'Many Mexicans have no option. This flow will not cease' No one knows how many die. The remains of 129 border crossers were recovered in the southern Arizona desert last year , the lowest number since 2001. The number so far this year is 93, said Gregory Hess, Pima county's medical examiner. Activists say the death rate has in fact increased since far fewer people are attempting to cross. "It's government policy to force them into these deadly areas in hope of deterring them," said Gayle Weyers, 73, a member of a Samaritan group which leaves water in the desert. Border patrol agents recovered nine human remains in the park last year. Nonprofit groups like Eagles of the Desert and No More Deaths found a handful of others. "The tourists are safe, and they're saying it's quiet and peaceful, but they're removing one body per month," said Scott Warren, 32, an academic and activist with No More Deaths, as he hiked to a remote spot deep in the park where colleagues had left water three weeks earlier. Scott Warren, an academic and activist with No More Deaths, stops for a water break. Photograph: Rory Carroll for the Guardian Discarded water bottles, food wrappers, socks and rusting bicycle parts indicated a trail of sorts. Ten miles to the south glinted the border fence, beyond it Mexico, an identical rocky landscape. The 15 gallons left at the site was gone. "It's satisfying to know people are getting the water," said Warren, sweating from the heat. "But for someone to hike here at this time of year..." his voice trailed off. He planned to return to replenish supplies. A border patrol helicopter buzzed overhead on the way back, swooping low, then hovering over a peak in the Ajo mountain range. The agency saves border crossers, said Good, the spokesman. It has nine 30-ft tall, solar-powered beacons in the park, each with a red button to summon help, and helicopter pilots keep eyes peeled for people in distress, he said. The agency's primary task, however, is interception, an ever-evolving game of cat and mouse. Some border-crossers, for instance, wear carpet boots, resembling big furry slippers, to cover their tracks. "It gives them an advantage but our agents are very well trained in tracking," said Good. If they make it out of the park they must then dodge highway patrols. "They have scouts and change their routes," said Patrick Hilliker, a supervisor with the Pima County sheriff's border interdiction unit. "They're watching us and we're watching them." He said most border-crossers hauled narcotics, something migrant advocates dispute. The glossy tourist brochure's advice to savour Organ Pipe's breathtaking vistas, vibrant sunsets and bird-watching opportunities is probably lost on border crossers. They don't want to "wash away the modern world", they want to reach it. The brochure does, however, make one pertinent prediction. "Adventure awaits." | 5 | 95,240 | news |
And he probably won't be welcome back for confession. | 8 | 95,241 | video |
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says defending champions Chelsea have the quality to recover from being 10 points behind the leaders in the Premier League. | 1 | 95,242 | sports |
It was Kathryn Thompson's dream to take her autistic grandson to Disney, but it was too expensive -- until a group of students stepped up to help. | 8 | 95,243 | video |
Gold futures settled higher on Thursday for a fifth straight session to score their highest settlement in about four months. Thursday's gain lifted gold futures into positive territory year to date. Speculation over an end to the metal's downtrend is growing as gold find support on the back of declines in the U.S. dollar over the past few weeks. Gold futures for December delivery gained $7.70, or 0.7%, to settle at $1,187.50 an ounce on Comex. That was the highest settlement since June 19, for a most-active contract. Year to date, prices are up 0.3% from the $1,184.10 settlement on Dec. 31. "The latest rally has been fueled by a three-week plunge in the U.S. dollar and small speculators leaning on the short side of the metal expecting it to test the $1,000 level," said Ken Ford, president of Warwick Valley Financial Advisors. The U.S. dollar index posted declines over the past two weeks, and was poised for a loss this week as expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest-rate hike this year fades. The index on Thursday, however, strengthened after data showing weekly jobless claims fell to the lowest level since the early 1970s. "Gold has entered its favorable seasonality period," said Ford. "Looking back at almost 40 years of data, gold tends to sell off between March and July then rallies into year-end." "There are various reasons why gold tends to rise during back half of the of the year…including the wedding season in India," he said. Now that gold has cleared some important technical levels at $1,156 and $1,169, there is a good chance that the "downtrend has reversed," he said. Gold futures logged losses in each of the past two years, but with Thursday's gain, turned slightly higher this year to date. Bill McNamara, technical analyst at Charles Stanley, said in a Thursday note that "the daily line chart [for gold] shows that this latest push [higher for gold] has lifted it up to and marginally though its long-term downtrend and 200-day moving average, implying that a dramatic shift in sentiment could be under way." Currently, however, gold is overbought in the short term, but "the latest move is very positive for further gains into year-end and beyond," said Ford. Among the other Comex metals, December silver added 4.7 cents, or 0.3%, to $16.164 an ounce, while December copper ended at $2.423 a pound, up almost a penny. January platinum added on $11.60, or 1.2%, to $1,007 an ounce and December palladium settled at $705 an ounce, up $4.15, or 0.6%. | 3 | 95,244 | finance |
T. Rowe Price portfolio manager Jim Murphy shares his thoughts on municipal bonds and handicaps the risk from Puerto Rico, Detroit and Illinois. | 3 | 95,245 | finance |
The government says there will be no benefit increase next year for millions of Social Security recipients, disabled veterans and federal retirees. It's just the third time in 40 years that benefits will remain flat. All three times have come since 2010. The main reason for no increase next year is low gas prices. By law, the annual cost-of-living adjustment or COLA is based on a government measure of inflation. The government said Thursday that inflation is being pulled down by lower gasoline prices. The announcement will affect benefits for more than 70 million people that's more than one-fifth of the nation's population. The total includes almost 60 million retirees, disabled workers, spouses and children who get Social Security benefits. | 3 | 95,246 | finance |
Which team would be a better matchup for the Chicago Cubs in the NLCS: the Mets or the Dodgers? Barry Rozner joins us to share his thoughts. | 1 | 95,247 | sports |
Dolly Parton has responded to rumors she has been battling stomach cancer. The legendary and iconic country singer says there is absolutely no truth at all that she has stomach cancer. Although Patron did have kidney stones removed in late September. Patron says that she is fine now and already back at work in Dollywood promoting the park's 30th anniversary. Patron is filming her new movie Coat of Many Colors which is set to air on NBC in December 2015. | 6 | 95,248 | entertainment |
There will be no Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, in 2016, which will leave the benefits of nearly 65 million people no higher next year than they were this year. It's the third time since 2010 that this has happened. The COLA decision is based on changes in consumer prices for workers as measured by the CPI-W index . The agency compares the CPI-W index average during the third quarter of this year with the average during the third quarter of last year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Thursday morning that prices during this year's third quarter actually were lower than the comparable 2014 quarter. That rules out any COLA in 2016. The absence of a COLA also means the wage ceiling subject to Social Security payroll taxes will remain at $118,500 in 2016. AARP and other senior advocacy groups feel that retirees are short-changed by basing the COLA on general consumer prices. The spending patterns of older consumers differ from shopping basket for goods and services used in the consumer price index. This measure is tracked by the CPI-E . In particular, retirees spend much higher percentages of their incomes on health care than do typical consumers, and health care inflation has been substantially higher than general inflation in recent years. The absence of a COLA next year will also have a significant impact on the premiums that Medicare beneficiaries pay for Part B of Medicare, which covers doctors, outpatient, and medical equipment needs. (Heads up for seniors: Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.) The exact amount of increases in Part B premiums is expected to be announced later by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The zero COLA means that 70% of all Medicare beneficiaries will continue in 2016 to pay the same $104.90 monthly Part B premiums they are paying this year. However, millions of other seniors are expected to pay sharply higher Part B premiums that have been projected to rise by more than 50% . The large increase for some beneficiaries is tied to Social Security rules. Part B premiums generally are paid out of people's monthly payments from Social Security. But the agency has what's called a "hold harmless" provision . It prevents Social Security payments from declining from one year to the next. With a zero COLA, the 70% of Medicare beneficiaries who pay the lowest Part B premium this way can't be required to make higher Part B payments next year. However, Medicare is required to recover roughly 25% of Part B expenses for covered doctor, outpatient and medical equipment expenses through Part B premiums. These expenses are expected to rise next year by larger-than-normal amounts, forcing Medicare to recover these higher expenses from the 30% of beneficiaries who are not held harmless. This group includes 3.1 million seniors with above-average incomes, 2.8 million enrollees who will be new to Medicare next year, and 1.6 million Medicare beneficiaries who aren't paying Part B through Social Security because they haven't begun taking their retirement benefits yet. In its annual report on Medicare released last summer, program trustees forecast these 2016 increases for different income groups: For incomes below $85,000 ($170,000 if filing jointly) Part B premiums would rise from $104.90 to $159.30. (This is what newcomers to Medicare and those who pay premiums directly will pay next year if they are in the lowest income bracket.) For incomes between $85,000 and $107,000 ($170,000 to $214,000 if filing jointly) from $146.90 a month this year to $223.00. For incomes between $107,000 and $160,000 ($214,000 to $320,000 if filing jointly) from $209.80 a month this year to $318.60. For incomes between $160,000 and $214,000 ($320,000 to $428,000 if filing jointly) from $272.20 a month this year to $414.20. For incomes above $214.000 ($428,000 if filing jointly) from $335.70 a month this year to $509.80. The measure of income used to calculate these brackets is called Modified Adjusted Gross Income , or MAGI for short. The trustees also projected a similar jump in the annual Part B deductible from $147 this year to $223 in 2016. The deductible is the amount of covered Part B expenses that a beneficiary must pay before Medicare insurance coverage begins. Their have been efforts by some in Congress to cushion the seniors hit by the steepest premium hikes from some or all of the 2016 increases, but they have so far been unsuccessful . Officials at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also have said they will be seeking regulatory remedies but have not made any announcements to date. Many of the people who are not held harmless are lower-income Medicare beneficiaries whose premiums are paid by state Medicaid programs. Many states have expressed concern about the budget impact of sharply higher Medicaid spending next year, adding pressure for Washington to devise a workaround. Next year's steep hike in Part B premiums for some beneficiaries will recede in future years when COLAs are expected to return. There also were no Social Security COLAs in 2010 and 2011, and the hold-harmless provision raised the lowest Part B premium from $96.40 a month in 2009 to $110.50 in 2010 and $115.40 in 2011. But the return of a COLA in 2012 allowed Medicare to once again spread Part B expenses to all beneficiaries, and the premium dropped to $99.90 a month. SPONSORED : Get smart advice on picking a college and paying for it, check out MONEY's best college value rankings, and find the school that best fits your student, all at the MONEY College Planner . | 3 | 95,249 | finance |
Britain's Duchess of Cambridge has an unlikely group of new friends that she shares a cup of tea with: her builders. Duchess Catherine - who is also known by her maiden name Kate Middleton - has been enjoying the company and of the workers after falling in love with the taste of their builder's brews. In true British fashion it's usually the homeowners who make the tea when they're having work done. But a source said "Kate liked her first cuppa so much she's not been shy asking for another. Every time she pops down she's handed a brew." The 33-year-old royal - who has son Prince George and daughter Princess Charlotte with her husband Prince William - is said to have got chatting to the builders after they offered to make her a cuppa when she returned home feeling tired one day. | 8 | 95,250 | video |
Will Jahlil Okafor, who's missed time with a knee injury, be ready for the season opener? On today's Sixers Insiders, The Inquirer's Marc Narducci and Keith Pompey discuss this & other injuries. | 1 | 95,251 | sports |
Still Enough Quirkiness to Fill a 408-Square-Foot Circle 10 Ways the 2016 Smart Fortwo Became Less Quirky Admit it. Unless you have firsthand exposure to the intricacies of super-urban living, the odds say you consider the quirky Smart Fortwo the least rational car in the world. If you haven't spent as much time hunting for street parking as you have in transit or don't frequent parking garages where full-size sedans stretch across the width of the lane, we get it. If you always need room for more passengers or never have to set timers to remind yourself to feed the meter, we get it. And if you only ever pull up to a three-car driveway before entering your McMansion, we get it. Then there are those who recognize the Fortwo as the key difference between making it on time to a meeting and being late. Or those who never want to see a parking space and think, "If only it were a couple feet longer." Those intimate with the art/crapshoot of urban driving will overlook the quirks and limitations and give the new Fortwo a chance. We recently spent some time with the 2016 car in the Portland, Oregon, area, marking our first Stateside contact with the diminutive hatchback. Past and current Smart patrons might recall these 10 Fortwo eccentricities, all of which have become slightly less eccentric with the new C453 generation. Related Link: Research the Smart Fortwo Something about the smile The C451's childlike, innocent smile (one filled with hopes and dreams) has been ousted in favor of C453's more punctuated joker's grin. The grille also allows the hood to lock from the outside, a big plus for the new car. Hang on maybe the new smile makes the new Fortwo quirkier. The brake pedal is no longer hinged from the floor A long time ago, drivers could operate the brakes at the wheels by pulling a hand lever. In later generations, a stop pedal might have hinged from the floor; older Fortwos did this, as well. Most modern cars use the top-hinged arrangement, which the latest Fortwo converts to. The C453 Fortwo's accelerator pedal is now hinged from the top, as well, but the C451's brake pedal seemed to attract more undue attention. Power steering for all You can still snag a 2015 Fortwo without power steering, but all 2016 versions gain standard electric assistance. The Alfa Romeo 4C totally stole Smart's thunder on the whole "steering purity" thing, as a $12,235 base Fortwo Pure of the 2008 vintage was asking $450 for the power steering add-on before it was cool to flaunt unassisted rack-and-pinions. The broad acceptance is different, of course. Sports car with no power steering: Fantastic, award-winning. Small city car with no power steering: Why is this on sale in the U.S. again? Two-spoke steering wheels are a thing of the past Are you chairman of the Steering Wheel Advocates for Two Spokes club (SWEATS)? New membership may decline with the arrival of the C453 model. The C451's atypical two-spoke steering wheel has been removed from service. In its place, a rather stylish tri-spoke, multifunction wheel takes the helm on all new Fortwos. The seats are no longer misaligned Although not as blatantly offset as the defunct Scion iQ's "3+1" setup, the C453's two seats are installed more normally. The C451 passenger seat was set slightly behind the driver so humans could retain a modicum of private space. The 2016 Fortwo is 3.9 inches wider than the previous model to help alleviate spatial concerns. Jam all ignition keys into the steering column We believe there are exclusionist Saab-fan types out there rejoicing. The C453 Fortwo moved the ignition barrel from the center console to the steering column like virtually every other non-Saab. Occupying that general console space now is nothing. The 0.9-liter, turbocharged inline-three is palatable We've finally driven the new U.S.-spec Fortwo on U.S. soil and can reaffirm (check out our Second Drive) the new 89-horsepower, 100-lb-ft I-3 isn't bad at all. Codeveloped with project partner Renault, the turbocharged three-cylinder still takes premium-octane gas like the outgoing 70-hp, 68-lb-ft I-3. But the thrum of the new engine sounds much better, and it feels less strained overall. Five-speed automated manual transmission shifts are gone The C451's five-speed automated manual transmission's shift from first to second gear was either the most endearing or most maddening part of Fortwo ownership. Maybe at first you thought the abrupt between-gear lurch signified something had gone catastrophically wrong. Then after getting used to it, you just laughed it off each time. Drivability has definitely improved now that a Getrag-sourced six-speed twin-clutch automatic (a $990 option) is in play. Watch out for the dual-clutch's takeoff hesitation, though; fine-tuning is still needed in this area. The radio comes standard Instead of charging $350 for a basic terrestrial radio with USB and auxiliary port interfaces, as with the 2015 Fortwo Pure, which starts at $14,020, Smart hikes the C453 entry price to $15,400 and throws a radio in for "free." There will even be a topline JBL sound system on offer if you're so inclined to splurge: $490 on Passion and Prime models and standard with the range-topping Proxy. Changing a flat tire involves 33 percent more work Provided you are handy with a breaker bar, loosening the 12 wheel bolts on a C451 Fortwo should take no time at all. The new platform shared with the Renault Twingo and with the overhauled suspension switches to four bolts per corner. A deal breaker for you, Smart shopper? We may have underestimated your quirkiness. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 95,252 | autos |
HONG KONG (AP) -- Venus Williams closed in on a spot in the season-ending WTA Finals by beating Alize Cornet 6-1, 6-1 Friday to reach the Hong Kong Open semifinals. The third-seeded American, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, won the Wuhan Open this month. Williams will next meet Jelena Jankovic, who beat Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 6-1. "I'm not thinking of winning that match only," Williams said. "My goal here is to win the tournament." Angelique Kerber and Samantha Stosur also advanced, and will face each other in the semifinals. Stosur beat Heather Watson 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 while Kerber defeated Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-3. "I lost my way at the outset but being a three-set match, I didn't let it bother me," said Stosur, the 2011 U.S. Open champion. "It doesn't matter if you don't start fantastic, what matters is how you finish." | 1 | 95,253 | sports |
In the midst of Lamar Odom's condition being treated as an overdose, Scott Disick has entered into rehab. The 32 year old ex of Kourtney Kardashian is seeking help for his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, which has been featured heavily on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Disick previously entered a treatment facility in Costa Rica in March, but checked out later that month. Both Scott and Kourtney have remained silent on social media. | 6 | 95,254 | entertainment |
Witness describes chaos at JFK airport | 8 | 95,255 | video |
It's all over the runways and red carpets these days: that fresh, just-out-of-the-shower look that somehow appears lit from within. And contrary to what you might think, you don't need a professional makeup artist to achieve it at home. (Though obviously, they kind of know what they're doing.) We asked three industry professionals for their best tips for nailing that youthful, delicately dewy glow. The best part? The only tools you need are your fingers and a few great products, explains Laramie, makeup artist and owner of Book Your Look. How easy is that? Step 1: Prep Your Skin the Night Before First things first: Dewy skin starts with clean skin. "You can pack on as much makeup as you want, but if your skin isn't fresh, the makeup will never look fresh," Laramie says. The best way to get flawless skin? Exfoliate! Not only does this allow products like moisturizers to penetrate and do their best work, but it also prevents your skin from looking greasy. "I recommend using Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel first, then using a face oil like Drunk Elephant's Virgin Marula Face Oil overnight," she says. A word of caution: If you have dry skin, beware exfoliating products like beads and scrubs, which can aggravate your skin. (Check with your dermatologist re: the best way to freshen up your face on the regular.) If your face is super parched, Alana Wright (a New York-based makeup artist at Wink and Blow Makeup ) suggests using a hydrating mask before that nourishing face oil to ensure your skin is reaping all the nutrient- and moisture-rich benefits. Step 2: Don't Forget the Eyes Eyes that look bright and un-puffy are key to creating a natural, youthful look. To keep that delicate skin happy, massage your favorite eye cream (we love Estēe Lauder Idealist Cooling Eye Illuminator ) all over the eye orbital. Use a pinky or ring finger to avoid pressing too hard, Wright adds. Step 3: Prime Your Base In the morning, turn that zombified slapping-on-sunscreen routine into a mini-facial. "Take a few extra minutes to actually massage the products into the skin," Wright says. "If you simply slather them on, they're probably just sitting on the surface and not absorbing into the skin, making them ineffective." First, apply a vitamin-rich serum like Ole Henriksen Pure Truth Vitamin C Youth Activating Oil to seriously boost your skin's radiance, says London-based makeup artist Philipp Ueberfellner. Next, layer on a lightweight moisturizing primer with SPF; Ueberfellner likes Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Perfect Primer . "It evens skin tone and blurs fine lines and imperfections," he explains. If you have majorly oily skin-the kind that could careen past dewy and land squarely in Shiny T-Zone Cavern-swap in a mattifying primer like Illamasqua Matte Veil , Ueberfellner suggests. Step 4: Color Correct Next, apply a tinted moisturizer or foundation to even out skin tone and seed that pretty sheen. Laramie recommends mixing Charlotte Tilbury's Wonderglow Skin Illuminator with a moisturizer for a dewy finish. Not into DIYing? Ueberfellner recommends Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer for those who don't need much coverage, and Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation for the days when you need some additional camo. Step 5: Strategically Highlight Add luster with a subtle highlighter that will catch the light beautifully, like L'Oréal Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Highlighter , applied on key areas of your face. "Dab some highlighter on cheekbones, brow bone, down the bridge of the nose and on the cupid's bow," Ueberfellner says. If you don't want to invest in another cosmetic product, sub in a swipe of coconut oil (yes, the kind you have in your pantry) in place of makeup for a subtle sheen. If necessary, apply a satin-finish concealer to any under-eye circles. "Neutralizing any natural darkness around the eyes promotes a natural brightness," Wright says. She recommends NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer or Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage . Step 6: Add Some Pigment Yes, you want a natural look, but the last thing you need is to appear too one-dimensional. Sidestep this with a wind-blown, rosy cheek. "I use a dab of creme blush, like Tart Cheek Stain , in a natural hue to bring some life back to the complexion," Wright says. If all you have on hand is powder blush, forgo it entirely and, instead, blend two shades of lipstick together on your hand and spread that lightly on your cheekbones. It'll have the same creamy effect! Step 7: Keep Your Look Natural Let your skin do the talking. "This look is supposed to give the impression of just naturally healthy, glowy skin," Ueberfellner says. "You don't want it to look too made up. Your skin can be the main attraction just by itself." To complete the look, Laramie says, "All you need to do is brush up and fill your brows with a brown pencil, curl your lashes, add a couple coats of mascara, hydrate your lips with a simple lip balm, and you're out the door." Step 8: Blot Away Ideally, a good primer will make your look last from dawn 'till dusk. But here in the real world, Ueberfellner suggests blotting the oil-prone T-zone with tissue throughout the day to prevent the dreaded shine. If you need a bit more control, he recommends using the tiniest bit of powder. " Vichy Laboratoires Dermafinish Setting Powder is amazing," he says. "It controls the shine but doesn't eliminate the glow and has a really silky texture." Remember to make it your own Sure, you can follow our steps to the letter and you'll look fantastic but beauty is not one-size-fits-all. "Treat your foundation like any other fashion accessory: mix and match," Wright says. Beyond the skin prep and illuminating highlighter, everything is optional. It's your face, ladies, and you can do what you want. Follow Marie Claire on Instagram for the latest celeb news, pretty pics, funny stuff, and an insider POV. | 4 | 95,256 | lifestyle |
Carbonara, Greasy Burgers, Water, Water, Water from Giada Laurentiis, Jenn Louis, and more. | 0 | 95,257 | foodanddrink |
According to his lawyers, former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert has reached a deal with prosecutors and expects to plead guilty to wrongdoing in a hush-money case. Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not say what the charges were, or whether Hastert, the Republican speaker from 1999 to 2007, would serve time in prison. He was charged in May with trying to hide large cash transactions as part of a hush-money scheme and with lying to the FBI. The agreement is expected to be submitted to U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin on Monday, attorneys for Hastert said during a brief court appearance. Hastert did not attend. Hastert is scheduled to plead guilty on Oct. 28. | 8 | 95,258 | video |
WASHINGTON The United States will halt its military withdrawal from Afghanistan and instead keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of his term in 2017, President Obama announced on Thursday, prolonging the American role in a war that has now stretched on for 14 years. In a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room in the White House, Mr. Obama said he did not support the idea of "endless war" but was convinced that a prolonged American presence in Afghanistan was vital to that country's future and to the national security of the United States. "While America's combat mission may be over, our commitment to Afghanistan and its people continues," said Mr. Obama, flanked by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his top military leaders. "I will not allow Afghanistan to be used as safe havens to attack America again." Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter The current American force in Afghanistan of 9,800 troops will remain in place through most of 2016 under the administration's revised plans, before dropping to about 5,500 at the end of next year or in early 2017, Mr. Obama said. He called it a "modest but meaningful expansion of our presence" in that country. The president, who has long sought to end America's two wars before he leaves office, said he was not disappointed by the decision. He said the administration had always understood the potential for adjustments in troop levels even as the miltary sought to withdraw troops from battle. But the announcement underscores the difficulty Mr. Obama has had in achieving one of the central promises of his presidency in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr. Obama conceded that despite more than a decade of fighting and training, Afghan forces are not fully up to the task of protecting their country. The Taliban are now spread through more parts of the country than at any point since 2001, according to the United Nations, and last month they scored their biggest victory of the war, seizing the northern city of Kunduz and holding it for more than two weeks before pulling back on Tuesday. Mr. Obama noted the dangers, saying, "In key areas of the country, the security situation is still very fragile, and in some areas, there is risk of deterioration." After 2017, he said, American forces will remain in several bases in the country to "give us the presence and the reach our forces require to achieve our mission." He did not specifically mention Iraq, where a full troop withdrawal has been followed by a surge in violence from the Islamic State. But he said the mission in Afghanistan had the benefit of a clear objective, a supportive government and legal agreements that protect American forces three factors not present in Iraq. "Every single day, Afghan forces are fighting and dying to protect their country. They are not asking us to do it for them," Mr. Obama said. "If they were to fail, it would endanger the security of us all." Some of the troops will continue to train and advise Afghan forces, while others will carry on the search for Qaeda fighters and militants from the Islamic State and other groups who have found a haven in Afghanistan, he said. Even before Kunduz fell to the Taliban, the administration had been under growing pressure from the military and others in Washington, including Congress, to abandon plans that would have cut by about half the number of troops in Afghanistan next year, and then drop the American force to about 1,000 troops based only at the embassy in Kabul by the start of 2017. Now, instead of falling back to the American Embassy a heavily fortified compound in the center of Kabul Mr. Obama said that the military would be able to maintain its operations at Bagram Air Field to the north of Kabul, the main American hub in Afghanistan, and at bases outside Kandahar in the country's south and Jalalabad in the east. All three bases are crucial for counterterrorism operations and for flying drones that are used by the military and the C.I.A., which had also argued for keeping troops in Afghanistan to help protect its own assets. There was no set date for the military to decrease the number of troops in Afghanistan to 5,500. The pace of that troop reduction would be determined largely by commanders on the ground, and the timing would also most likely provide flexibility to whoever succeeds Mr. Obama. President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan had also pressed for Mr. Obama to keep more troops, and many in Washington who have worked closely with the Afghans over the past several years were loath for the United States to pull back just when it had an Afghan leader who has proved to be a willing partner, unlike his predecessor, Hamid Karzai. Mr. Ghani is acutely aware of his country's need for help from the United States and its NATO allies. The American military has repeatedly stepped in this year to aid Afghan forces battling the Taliban, launching airstrikes and at times sending Special Operations troops to join the fight, despite Mr. Obama's declaration that the American war in Afghanistan had ended. But the recent fighting in Kunduz also exposed the limits of foreign forces now in Afghanistan, which total 17,000, including American and NATO troops. It took only a few hundred Taliban members to chase thousands of Afghan soldiers and police officers from Kunduz, and the Afghans struggled to take back the city even with help from American airstrikes and Special Operations forces. During the fighting, an American AC-130 gunship badly damaged a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, killing at least 22 patients and staff members and not a single insurgent. Mr. Obama apologized for the attack, which may have violated guidelines laid down by the administration for the use of force by the military after the American combat mission ended last year. Under the rules, airstrikes are authorized to kill terrorists, protect American troops and help Afghans who request support in battles like those in Kunduz, recently taken over by the Taliban that can change the military landscape. The idea behind the guidelines was to give troops leeway and to keep Americans out of daily, open-ended combat. But how much latitude Mr. Obama would allow the military moving forward was unclear. It is not the first time the administration has revised the withdrawal plans. During Mr. Ghani's visit in March, Mr. Obama announced that the United States would keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan through 2015, instead of cutting the force in half, as had been originally planned. At the time, the White House still maintained that almost all the troops would be pulled out by 2017. But with the situation in Afghanistan continuing to deteriorate, the military presented the administration with new options this summer. The plan that has been decided on for 2017 and beyond hewed closely to a proposal made by Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Obama said that 5,500 troops, along with contributions from NATO allies, which have yet to be agreed upon, would provide enough power to protect the force and continue the advisory and counterterrorism missions. Finances were also a consideration. Keeping 5,500 troops in Afghanistan would cost about $14.6 billion a year. It would have cost about $10 billion a year to maintain the much smaller force based at the American Embassy. | 5 | 95,259 | news |
Quetta, Pakistan - Few people want to talk to Qadeer Rekhi - and even fewer want to talk about him. The 75-year-old may be affectionately venerated as "Mama Qadeer" - mama meaning "uncle" in Urdu language - but many believe it is dangerous to be too closely associated with him. For years Mama Qadeer has protested something the authorities claim does not exist - the disappearance of people who oppose the Pakistani government in the restive southwestern province of Balochistan, where security forces have battled an armed separatist movement since 2005. Mama Qadeer counts his son among the casualties of this taboo conflict. At 8am, the former bank employee arrives at his protest camp pitched outside the local press club for his daily nine-hour vigil. Some days are easier, spent in conversation with other protesters who may join in. But most days go by in silence, alone, behind the mass of pictures of missing men that line his makeshift tent. At 5pm, Qadeer collects the images around him, stores them at the press club, and leaves. When he gets home he eats a small plate of rice with chicken, the only meal he consumes each day. Maybe tomorrow will be better, he tells himself. Maybe tomorrow he will be more visible to the reporters who saunter across the street, exchanging story ideas over a quick cigarette. "Journalists from the electronic media avoid even walking close to my camp," says Qadeer. "Cameramen don't make eye contact. As for newspapers, I routinely go to their bureaus with press releases, but I always get the same reply: 'Mama, we have a family to feed. Please don't insist.' "I understand. I don't blame them." For the last six years, Qadeer has tried to draw attention to the rising number of people who have disappeared in Pakistan's largest, least developed province. Silenced Since 1948, Balochistan has gone through five armed insurgencies. Rebel groups have waged a war against the Pakistan army seeking greater autonomy, a larger share in the natural resources extracted from the province, and complete independence. But Qadeer wants none of those things. The men, women and children who join him have only one priority: to find relatives who have allegedly been snatched by intelligence and security agencies on the basis of "suspicion". Human rights activists say paramilitary forces use enforced disappearances, secret detentions and a kill-and-dump policy to silence anti-state activities and dissent. The Pakistani government denies it is responsible for deaths or disappearances, and has established a judicial commission to investigate reports of those gone missing. Determining an exact headcount is tricky. The number of missing persons can run into thousands, hundreds, or less depending on whom you ask. According to Qadeer's organisation, the Voice of Baloch Missing People, about 35,000 men and 160 women have disappeared, while 8,000 mutilated bodies have been found in the province. The independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan puts the number of disappeared p eople at 955, while Balochistan's home secretary told the senate the official tally, as of May 2015, is 156. Qadeer, a father of three, bristles at the official number. His organisation, he says, has the most accurate figure, which is collected through its regional coordinators. It was set up in 2009 after Qadeer's 32-year-old son, Shahid Jalil Ahmed Rekhi - the information secretary of the nationalist Baloch Republican Party - was abducted. Rekhi's body turned up two years later with bullet wounds and cigarette burns. Mama Qadeer said the former chief minister of Balochistan, Aslam Raisani, admitted to a visiting delegation that Rekhi was taken away by intelligence agencies. Raisani, who was sacked as chief minister in 2013 and now faces corruption charges, did not respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment. Qadeer, meanwhile, has organised roadside sit-ins in three major cities. In 2013 he and 20 protesters, mostly women, walked 3,000 kilometres from Balochistan's capital Quetta to Karachi, and then from Karachi to Islamabad - only to return home with scant media coverage and empty promises. RELATED: Families of missing Baluch march for justice During their stay in Karachi, Qadeer says Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif assured them their relatives would be produced in court soon to face alleged charges. Asif never kept his word, he says. In response, Asif told Al Jazeera that Qadeer declined the chance to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad - though Mama Qadeer insists this was because he did not receive guarantees for his safety. But those were better days. Then, Qadeer was a mild irritant to be ignored. Now, he says, he's deliberately muffled. In March, the government imposed a travel ban on him when he was about to board a flight to New York to attend a human rights conference. It was lifted in September after he petitioned in court, but he says he has not received his passport a month after sending it for renewal, and his name is still on the Interior Ministry's exit-control list. Qadeer says domestic seminars he is invited to are routinely cancelled without explanation - and one such talk had a fatal consequence. In April, Pakistani rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud was gunned down in Karachi after her cafe hosted a session on Balochistan, which featured Qadeer and three others. RELATED: Pakistani rights activist Sabeen Mahmud shot dead The incident has left him rattled. He has a vivid recollection of his last conversation with the enthusiastic 39-year-old campaigner. As the speakers were readying to leave, Qadeer remembers Mahmud saying to them, "Don't go alone. Karachi is just not safe these days. Let my friends escort you back to your hotel." Minutes later, Mahmud was shot dead in her car. "That night she was more worried about our safety then she was about her own. We lost a friend and supporter," Qadeer says. Another of his allies, high-profile TV journalist Hamid Mir, survived an ambush by gunmen in Karachi last year. While it is still unclear who nearly killed him, Mir admitted to the Washington Post in July that he rarely reports on Balochistan anymore - or investigates alleged government corruption - because of threats to his safety. The Balochistan Union of Journalists says 40 colleagues have been targeted and killed in the last decade. RELATED: Shooting the messenger in Pakistan However, the government is adamant that law and order in the province is improving, and the Interior Minister told reporters at a briefing in September that 500 insurgents have surrendered this year under a general amnesty. Even more significantly, the self-exiled leader of the Baloch Republican Party, Brahumdagh Bugti, has offered to hold peace talks with the government. Bugti is a hardliner who has advocated independence for Balochistan and opposed all political dialogue. His party was proscribed in 2012 and is considered by authorities to be a front for its armed wing, the Baloch Republican Army, which has claimed responsibility for attacks damaging infrastructure projects. Qadeer, who is rarely political, has a personal grievance with the tribal chief because of his son's involvement with his party. "Balochistan is not Brahumdagh Bugti's to negotiate," he says. "When Bugti does come back we will ask him about our children who are missing, and those who have been killed working for his party, while he lived comfortably in Switzerland." RELATED: From rallies to armed resistance in Balochistan His late son's association with a party that has relentlessly called for secession has cast a long shadow on Qadeer's campaign. For many on social media and television, this elderly man is a traitor. But he says his patriotism should not be in doubt. "I was born here, my children were born here, my grandchildren were born here," says Baloch outside the press club. "I might live for another five years if I am lucky, but I am not going anywhere. This is where I will be." | 5 | 95,260 | news |
Shares in upmarket fashion firm Burberry Group (LSE: BRBY) fell by as much as 12% this morning, after the company issued a trading update containing a thinly-disguised profit warning. The firm said if faced an "increasingly challenging environment for luxury, particularly Chinese customers" and its latest sales figures seem to confirm this. While total revenue was broadly unchanged during the first half, sales fell by 6% in Asia Pacific, a region which accounted for a chunky 38% of sales last year. This decline was offset by flat sales in the Americas, and strong sales growth in Europe and the Middle East. Although these figures aren't disastrous, they aren't great either. The market expects Burberry to deliver growth, which now seems unlikely in 2015/16. Was it a profit warning? Burberry narrowly avoided issuing a formal profit warning in today's update by saying that it expects full-year profits to be "broadly in line" with the forecasts of those analysts who have updated their forecasts during the last three months. Luckily, the firm did provide some numbers to clarify its expectations. Adjusted pre-tax profit is expected to be in the region of £445m, slightly lower than last year's figure of £456m. My calculations suggest this means adjusted earnings per share are likely to be about 75p. At the current share price of 1,245p, this puts Burberry shares on a forecast P/E of 16.5 for the current year. Too soon to buy? Burberry shares have now fallen by around 35% from their 52-week high of 1,929p. In my view it could still be too soon to catch this falling knife, but there is still a lot to like about Burberry as a potential investment. Firstly, Burberry is not at any risk of financial distress. At the end of last year, the firm had net cash of £552m. Free cash flow was £300m, double the amount needed for last year's 35.2p per share dividend. Burberry's dividend is expected to rise by 6% this year to give a prospective yield of about 3%. I expect this payout to be safe and don't see any significant risk of a dividend cut, given the firm's net cash status. A key test will be whether Burberry can maintain its profit margins. Last year, the firm reported an operating margin of 17.5%, highlighting the pricing power of the Burberry brand in stronger market conditions. The second half could be better It's also worth remembering that the second half of the year is normally more profitable than the first, as it includes the key Christmas and New Year periods. Last year, two-thirds of Burberry's sales took place in the second half of the year. The firm says that it has reallocated marketing spending to try and maximise performance during the festive period. Cost-cutting is being accelerated across the business and expansion is continuing, often through low-cost concessions within larger stores. Personally, I'd wait for Burberry's interim results, at least, before deciding whether to buy, sell or hold. I suspect the shares may drift a little until the market gets fresh information about second-half sales. However, if you are thinking about buying -- or selling -- Burberry stock, I strongly recommend you look at " 7 Simple Steps To Seeking Serious Wealth " before you take any action. This exclusive new report contains details of a stock-picking strategy which the Motley Fool's experts believe could seriously boost your investment profits. Best of all, following this strategy could take as little as 20 minutes per month! This must-read report is completely FREE and without obligation . To receive your copy today, simply click here now . Roland Head has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Burberry. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. | 3 | 95,261 | finance |
Tesco (LSE: TSCO) is pushing ahead with its recovery. Today the group announced that it has agreed the sale of 14 1development sites to a fund and clients advised by the real estate investment manager Meyer Bergman. The sale of the sites -- located across London, the South East, and Bath -- will raise a total of £250m for the retailer. Management commented that the group had reached completion on 11 of the sites, with deals on the remaining sites expected to complete in due course. These sales are all part of Tesco's plan to reign in capital spending, curtail expansion plans and strengthen its balance sheet. Tesco's huge multi-billion pound land bank is just one of the assets the company can unlock value from, to rebuild its financial position. Unlocking value It's estimated that 10,000 homes could be built on the 14 sites that Tesco announced the sale of today. But those 14 sites are just a fraction of the 49 projects Tesco announced that it was abandoning earlier in the year. Today's figures show just how much cash is tied up in Tesco's land bank. And land sales is just one of the strategies Tesco is pursuing to tidy up its balance sheet and avoid a rights issue. City analysts have been calling for Tesco to undertake a rights issue for much of the past year, but the company's management has so far avoided this drastic step. And it looks as if Tesco will be able to rebuild its balance sheet without asking shareholders for help. The sale of the group's Korean business, Homeplus, raised £4.2bn, and in the six months to August 29, Tesco generated free cash flow of £281m, compared with a £134m outflow in the year-earlier period. Many City analysts weren't expecting Tesco to generate any cash at all. Out of intensive care All in all, Tesco is slowly but surely reducing its debt and returning to health. That said, Tesco is facing an uphill struggle. Debt and debt equivalents, such as leases, stood at £17.7bn at the end of the first half. Its pension deficit stands at a staggering £4.2bn. But overall the group is making progress. Sales from UK stores that have been open at least a year fell 1.1% during the first half, but that's an improvement on the 4% decline in same-store sales reported last year. Further, the volume of goods sold rose 1.4% during the period, and the number of transactions rose 1.5% as Tesco started to win back customers. The latest figures from the City suggest that Tesco will report earnings per share of 7.4p for 2016 and 10.0p for fiscal 2017. Based on these numbers Tesco is trading at a forward P/E of 28, which is, unfortunately, the sort of multiple more suited to a high-growth tech company than a struggling retailer. City figures suggest Tesco is trading at a more restrained 2017 P/E of 21.5. Hidden gem Here at the Motley Fool, we're always on the lookout for the markets best- hidden gems and business visionaries. And we believe we've just discovered one of the market's hidden gems -- a company that has the potential to drive a three-fold increase in sales in just five years. To that end, our team of top analysts has put together this FREE report," 3 Hidden Factors Behind This Daring E-commerce Play ". This is something you do not want to miss, and we're offering you the chance to find out more for free right now -- just click here . Rupert Hargreaves owns shares of Tesco. 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. | 3 | 95,262 | finance |
Citigroup (C) delivered quarterly earnings that topped analysts' expectations on Thursday. The banking giant posted third-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share, up from $1.15 in the year-earlier period. Revenue fell to $18.49 billion from $19.98 billion a year ago. Analysts expected the company to post earnings per share of $1.28 on revenue of $18.54 billion, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate. Citigroup's stock has fallen 6.27 percent in 2015, lagging fellow banking giants Wells Fargo (WFC) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM) , both of which have already posted quarterly results. The largest U.S. bank posted revenues that missed Wall Street expectations, while Wells reported better-than-expected revenues. | 3 | 95,263 | finance |
A sharp sales slowdown in China and Hong Kong led Britain's Burberry to miss forecasts for first-half sales growth and warn of an increasingly challenging environment for luxury sales. As Tim Graham reports, it's a growing trend. | 3 | 95,264 | finance |
Reuters There are few figures in music more polarizing than Drake. The "So Far Gone" rapper hasn't wasted any time lapping his industry counterparts, reaching the top of the mainstream music world. Just six years into his illustrious career, Drake has hit the kind of milestones most artists can only dream of. And he keeps winning. In fact, 2015 might be his best year to date. From reaching 100 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 to winning the biggest rap beef in recent memory, "The Boy" has had quite a year. After releasing two albums since February, one solo and one with hip-hop counterpart Future, Drake still has the ball in his court. Drake's on top of the music scene and seems to be fastened in. If he releases his highly anticipated "Views From The 6" album anytime soon, he'll seal 2015 as "The year of Drake." Accolades aside, Drake's success has come from hard work. He started from the bottom and worked his way up. Keep scrolling to see how a biracial Jewish kid from Toronto became the biggest name in music. Born in 1986 and given the name Aubrey Drake Graham, Drake was brought up in Toronto, Canada. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/ybR00ajQNk/embed/ Width: 658px He was raised Jewish by his mother in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. AP Images Source Drake's dad moved to Memphis when Drake was very young. They had a distant relationship for a while but have since gotten close. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/hrIiVZDQLp/embed/ Width: 658px Source After growing up in a household living paycheck to paycheck, Drake began his celebrity career at age 15 on the Canadian TV show "Degrassi." Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/32qbqHDQJ2/embed/ Width: 658px While starring in "Degrassi," Drake took it upon himself to get his music career going. In early 2008, he got a call from rapper Lil Wayne asking him to join his tour. He later signed to Wayne's Young Money Entertainment label. AP Images Source Drake's first big-time mixtape, titled "So Far Gone" was released in 2009 and featured some of his biggest early hits like "Best I've Ever Had" and "Successful." Reuters Coming off of his immense success from "So Far Gone," Drake dropped his first official album in 2010, titled "Thank Me Later." Google Commons "Thank Me Later" went platinum in the US in a matter of months. Drake immediately became a household name in the music industry and was being recognized as a rising star. Reuters Source "Thank Me later" set the stakes high, but Drake continued to raise the bar. After touring for most of 2010, Drake started working on his next album, "Take Care," in 2011 and dropped it in November that year. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/vcNT_jDQC3/embed/ Width: 658px "Take Care" was another hit! It sold 631,000 copies in its first week and over 2 million copies since its release. With smash hits like "Headlines" and "The Motto," Drake took control of the airwaves once again. Getty Images Source The album was such a big hit that Drake won his very first Grammy for rap album of the year in 2012. Reuters When he got the award in the mail, he couldn't believe his eyes. He immediately started showing all of his friends and taking shots out of it. Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/cJDDaMEN12w Width: 560px Height: 315px Naturally, Drake's rising stock has put him in some of the same celebrity circles as people like Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/hjv55NDQDD/embed/ Width: 658px Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/kdi0EajQBU/embed/ Width: 658px FC Barcelona superstar Neymar. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/smKZJuDQBL/embed/ Width: 658px And "Spiderman" star Toby Maguire. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/fwXGxZDQKN/embed/ Width: 658px After "Take Care," Drake took almost two years to release another album. He did however release many singles and features in the meantime. Also, Drake has never been afraid to spend money. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/gmpFafjQEW/embed/ Width: 658px In 2012, the rapper bought a seven-bedroom, nine-bath, 7,500-square-foot home in Los Angeles. It also has an absolutely insane grotto hot tub. Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/FmVKorbeJ5s Width: 560px Height: 315px He's been known to have a private jet, or two. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/i32WNKDQBF/embed/ Width: 658px He likes cars as well. Here he is with his Bugatti Veyron. Google Commons And his Rolls Royce Phantom. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/dIyYFajQAI/embed/ Width: 658px The car most associated with him, however, is his Bentley Continental the car featured in his "Worst Behavior" music video. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/Uuv3tQjQBa/embed/ Width: 658px When he returned, he returned in true Drake fashion releasing "Nothing Was the Same" in September 2013. The album set a record for Drake, selling 658,000 in the first week and charting multiple hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Instagram Embed: http://instagram.com/p/d3nswjjQIO/embed/ Width: 658px Source Just six days after dropping the album, the Toronto Raptors named Drake "Global Ambassador." He has been affiliated with the team ever since. Reuters Source Drake didn't release an album in 2014, but he took the world stage once again when he hosted the ESPYs. He was absolutely hilarious. AP Images Source After the short break, Drake came back strong earlier this year when he released his mixtape "If You're Reading This It's Too Late." Just when the world thought Drake had reached his peak, he proved them wrong. The entire mixtape charted on the Billboard Hot 100, leaving little doubt that Drake was still at the top of the rap game. It would go on to sell 1 million copies in six months. AP Images Source The success of "If You're Reading This" and Drake's other business ventures helped him make $39.5 million in 2014, placing him third in hip-hop, behind Diddy and Jay Z. AP Images Source This past summer, as the hottest artist in music, Drake inked a deal with Apple Music to host a biweekly radio show and release songs solely on the streaming service. Getty Images Source Drake's big year was just getting started. After rapper Meek Mill challenged him on Twitter, saying Drake didn't write his own raps, Drake struck back, releasing the diss track "Charged Up" and eventually finishing the battle with the song "Back to Back." He was the obvious winner. Getty Images Read more about the beef here . Since he announced the title in 2014, Drake fans have been waiting for his upcoming album, "Views From The 6." Little did they know he would be releasing a collaborative mixtape with Future in September with little warning. The mixtape, titled "What a Time To Be Alive" immediately charted at No. 1 on Billboard. AP Images No one really knows what's next for Drake only that he'll continue to go at his own pace and be himself. He's been working on "Views From The 6" all year, and recently announced that he's devoting the rest of the year to the project. Until then, the now 28-year-old superstar has given his fans more than enough to chew on. Ap Images | 6 | 95,265 | entertainment |
Shares of First Data closed lower on Thursday in the payment processing company's Wall Street debut. The stock opened 2 percent above its $16 a share initial public offering price, but later went negative in up-and-down trading. First Data shares ended the day 1.5 percent lower. "Their biggest customers, Citi, Bank of America ... are pretty sticky, but some of their smaller customers, the smaller merchants, tend to switch based on price. A lot of the smaller merchants are going to be switching [out of First Data] to simpler payment solutions," Gil Luria, financial technology analyst at Wedbush Securities, told CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ." "It will be challenging for First Data to maintain its leadership position," he said. First Data hoped to raise as much as $3.7 billion in what was expected to be the biggest initial public offering of the year. "It's a great day for us to open. We feel fabulous about [the IPO]," CEO Frank Bisignano said on "Squawk on the Street" shortly after the stock began trading. Bisignano said he feels confident the company can compete with the likes of Square, which recently filed for its own IPO, and even Visa (V) . "If you look at what we've done over the past two years, we've really transformed the company," he said. "We were a no-growth company and we've changed that. We changed how we approached our clients ... and changed how we do business with small and medium-sized businesses." First Data's stock was the most active at the New York Stock Exchange, surpassing Bank of America (BAC) , General Electric (GE) and Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) in volume. CNBC's Gina Francolla and Reuters contributed to this report. | 3 | 95,266 | finance |
The day was Saturday, November 12, 1994. I had been dropped off by my parents at the local Regal Cinema and I ran into a young woman who I knew from our mutual dance classes. Yes, I took jazz dance lessons in elementary school and middle school; don't pretend to be surprised. Anyway, I remember this offhand circumstance where I was able to look rather cool in front of this girl, for no reason other than the movie I was attending that day. She was being forced by her family to see Tim Allen's The Santa Clause . I, on the other hand, was seeing the other movie opening that weekend, Interview with the Vampire . So, for a brief moment, my choices in moviegoing had rendered me somewhat "impressive." She had to see the PG-rated kids flick, while I got to see the sex-and-violence-filled Tom Cruise/Brad Pitt horror epic. I bring up this random anecdote because I wonder how much we're going to see this scenario play out on a slightly different level over the weekend of December 18th. The uncool kids will be checking out the PG-rated Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip . But the cool kids, they'll be the ones seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Okay, so the super cool kids will be seeing the R-rated Tina Fey/Amy Poehler comedy Sisters , but that's not the point. 20th Century Fox announced yesterday that they will be moving their fourth Alvin and the Chipmunk spectacular from its previous December 23rd date to December 18th, where it will now go head-to-head with J.J. Abrams's seventh Star Wars movie. The reason for this date change is pretty clear. The weekend before Christmas is the absolute best weekend of the year on which to open a film. As you surely know if you've done the reading, films opening on this weekend basically get two weeks of full-blown weekdays that operate like weekends thanks to the Christmas/New Years holiday. So clearly Fox believes that it can thrive alongside the Walt Disney Star Wars movie. Heck, at this point, I'm willing to bet $10 that Alvin 4 or Sisters can top the opening weekend of Star Wars . It's only $10, and if the impossible happens the odds will make me a billionaire. Why yes, I'll also toss $10 at Johnny Depp getting that Best Actor Oscar nom for Mortdecai instead of Black Mass while I'm at it. But sound Forbes-endorsed investment strategies aside, this does seem to indicate that Hollywood is aware that while The Force Awakens will likely make most of the money this holiday season, it won't necessarily make "all the money." And there is of course a history of kids flicks thriving againsts 800lb gorillas. Whether it's Honey I Shrunk the Kids vs. Batman , The Santa Clause vs. Interview with the Vampire , or Mouse Hunt versus Titanic and Tomorrow Never Dies , there is a solid history of "everybody wins!" weekend debuts of this nature. And as we all know, Mouse Hunt is the go-to example that I use to explain how nuts the legs can be for a popular kid film on this weekend. While Titanic opened with $28 million and Tomorrow Never Dies opened with $25m, Gore Verbinski's classic Mouse Hunt snagged a whopping $6m. But it went on to leg it through the holiday, earning more on its second and third weekends than it did on its first, eventually earning $61m domestic. Ditto Jumanji , which opened with $11 million on this weekend back in 1995 and legged it past $100m domestic. That goes for adult movies as well, as Scream ($6m debut, $103m total), You've Got Mail ($18.5m/$118m), Gangs of New York ($9m/$77m), and The Pursuit of Happyness ($26m/$163m) can attest. This weekend is so potent for holiday legs, coming just as vacation is starting for kids and a number of grownups, that yeah, it's worth going head-to-head against Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And no, I'm not proclaiming that The Force Awakens will absolutely challenge Titanic , but it will surely be at least the third biggest movie to ever open on this date, after Avatar and Titanic. And that makes The Road Chip the new Mouse Hunt . And yes, two out of three Alvin and the Chipmunks movies debuted on this weekend as well. Alvin and the Chipmunks snagged $46m against the $77m opening weekend of I Am Legend while Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked debuted with $23m but legged it to $133m domestic. Now the one obvious downside is that the new Star Wars film will surely play to families as well, even as this news seemingly cements the notion that The Force Awakens will go PG-13. And if you have that PG-13 movie that everyone sees ( The Dark Knight ) and the female-centric counterprogramming that everyone else sees ( Mamma Mia! ), then congratulations, you're now Space Chimps . Do I think Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip is going to play like Space Chimps (or Mars Attacks! for that matter)? No, but I do enjoy reminding everyone that Space Chimps exists and it opened against The Dark Knight once upon a time. So what is the point to all of this, beyond some weird anecdotal memories and a chance to wax poetic about Space Chimps ? Well, it shows that Fox clearly thinks there is an audience for whom Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be too intense/violent/scary/etc. and they see an opening as well as a chance to get five extra days of awesome December legs. And it shows that Hollywood believes that the Star Wars ship will raise all tides at the multiplex this December rather than pulling a Bubba-Gump Shrimp and sinking everything else at sea. History shows that Mouse Hunt thrived against Titanic while Alvin and the Chipmunks and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel prospered against I Am Legend and National Treasure: Book of Secrets in 2007 and Avatar and Sherlock Holmes in 2009. History then presumes that Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip will thrive alongside Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well. | 6 | 95,267 | entertainment |
He was described by a British columnist earlier this month as the "albino warthog" -- a name London Mayor Boris Johnson fully lived up to in Tokyo Thursday when he flattened a 10-year-old rugby fan. | 1 | 95,268 | sports |
A nationwide FBI sting focused on combating sex trafficking involving children, resulted in the arrest of 150 pimps and other individuals, and the rescue of nearly as many sexually exploited children, according to FBI officials. The youngest victim was 12-years-old, according to the FBI. The arrests were the result of Operation Cross Country IX, a nationwide law enforcement action that took place last week, officials said on Tuesday. The operation is the result of a collaboration between the FBI, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and state and local law enforcement partners across the country. "When kids are treated as a commodity in seedy hotels and on dark roadsides, we must rescue them from their nightmare and severely punish those responsible for that horror," FBI Director James Comey said in a news release. Operation Cross Country is part of the Innocence Lost program, which started in 2003, and has resulted in the conviction of more than 2,000 pimps and others, and the recovery of 4,800 sexually-exploited children, according to the FBI. PHOTOS: STL area mug shots Related: Man accused of beating wife, keeping her and son prisoner Man accused of sexual misconduct in PetSmart parking lot Woman arrested for trying to kidnap three girls in Ste. Genevieve Coun... | 5 | 95,269 | news |
The Associated Press' Ralph Russo joins CineSport's Noah Coslov to make his picks for Michigan-Michigan State, Alabama-Texas A&M and USC-Notre Dame. | 1 | 95,270 | sports |
The US announced on Thursday that it would send Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East to calm tensions as a spate of attacks, mostly stabbings, continued in spite of Israel's new security checkpoints across Jerusalem and the hundreds of soldiers called in to support the ranks of police and military already deployed in the nation's biggest cities. Thursday saw the recent surge of unrest enter its third week as frustrated Palestinian youths ignored pleas both from the Israeli government and their own president, Mahmoud Abbas, to show restraint. In his first televised remarks since the violence began, Abbas said he could only support "peaceful and popular" resistance against Israel. On Wednesday, a 23-year-old stabbed a woman of around 70 near a crowded bus station in Hebron, before being shot dead by police in front of terrified commuters, bringing the death toll up to three Palestinians and eight Israelis. Hundreds more have been wounded in clashes with Israeli forces. On top of the strengthened military presence and the checkpoints in East Jerusalem, where most of the attackers came from, Israel's security cabinet introduced new restrictions on residency permits for Palestinians, introduced curfews in some parts of Jerusalem and eased firearms laws for Israelis. None of this, however, has successfully curbed the violence - placing added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to assuage fears of a third full-scale Palestinian uprising. Israel slams US 'hypocrisy' In response to the new slate of security measures, US State Department John Kirby voiced American worries about "reports of security activity that could indicate the potential excessive use of force," by Israel. The remark, a clarification of earlier words made by John Kerry, prompted Israeli Police Minister Gilad Erdan to retort that "there should be a limit to the American State Department's hypocrisy." "Every sane person knows full well how the police in the United States would act if militants armed with knives and axes murdered civilians in New York and Washington," Erdan told Israel Radio. His statement was later echoed by Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, who accused Washington of "misreading" what was at stake. es/kms (AFP, dpa, Reuters) | 5 | 95,271 | news |
London Mayor Boris Johnson accidentally knocks over a schoolboy during a street rugby match in Tokyo. Julie Noce reports. | 5 | 95,272 | news |
It's a new era for the Green Car Of The Year. In the past, the theme of the award was to take a broad look at alternative powertrains and pick the best among them. "Clean diesels" from the Volkswagen group were often among the finalists and won the award twice. For the 2016 edition - which will be handed out at the LA Auto Show next month - not a single diesel made the list. There's little wonder why. Green Car Journal , which names the winner with a panel of experts, had to strip two VW brand vehicles of their past wins. The 2009 VW Jetta TDI, which won in 2008, and the 2010 Audi A3 TDI, which won in 2010, have both lost their titles now that the world knows about the "defeat devices" that VW installed in many of its TDI vehicles around the world. So, what does that leave us with for 2016? Two plug ins, a hybrid, and two gas vehicles. The two electric vehicle are the Audi A3 e-tron and the Chevy Volt, while the all-new Toyota Prius (which will come with a plug-in version later) is the lone pure hybrid. Rounding out the pack are two efficient gas models: the Hyundai Sonata and the Honda Civic. This is the tenth year for the Green Car Of The Year, and it will be interesting to see if diesels can come back into the award's good graces (for the record, no diesels were among the finalists in 2013, either) in the future. For now, we'd like to know who you think should win. You can read more about the finalists in the press release below and then cast your vote in our poll. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2016 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR Green Car Journal to Reveal Winner of 11th Annual Award at LA Auto Show Press & Trade Days, November 19 LOS ANGELES, CA (October 15, 2015) Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the magazine's prestigious 2016 Green Car of the Year® award. The 2016 models include the Audi A3 e-tron, Chevrolet Volt, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, and Toyota Prius. An increasing number of vehicle models are considered for the Green Car of the Year® program each year, a reflection of the auto industry's expanding efforts in offering new vehicles with higher efficiency and improved environmental impact. Green Car Journal has been honoring the most important "green" vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show, since its inaugural award announced at the show in 2005. "This is the strongest field of finalists we've seen in our annual Green Car of the Year® program," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com. "Each of the five nominees makes a strong environmental statement in distinctly different ways, with a common strategy of recognizing what's most important to today's drivers. Their use of wide-ranging powertrain technologies underscores that all approaches are essential to achieving important environmental goals." The Finalists: AUDI A3 E-TRON The A3 Sportback e-tron is Audi's entry in the hot plug-in hybrid vehicle market. This five-door hatchback uses lithium-ion batteries and a 102 hp electric motor to deliver up to 19 miles of all-electric driving, after which its 150 hp, 1.4-liter gasoline TFSI engine provides power for extended driving in efficient hybrid mode. CHEVROLET VOLT Chevrolet's second generation Volt features sportier styling, better performance, and a lighter and more powerful two-motor drive system. The five-passenger, extended range electric now drives up to 53 miles on batteries alone, with its 1.5-liter gasoline powered generator creating on-board electricity to deliver an overall 420 mile range. HONDA CIVIC Now in its tenth generation, the all-new Honda Civic delivers exemplary fuel efficiency in an affordable, conventionally-powered model. The Civic thoughtfully blends hybrid-like fuel economy and appealing style, with an array of desired amenities and advanced electronics that meets the needs of a great many drivers. HYUNDAI SONATA Hyundai's stylish 2016 Sonata offers it all with efficient gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid choices within the Sonata lineup. New this year, the hybrid delivers up to 43 highway mpg and features distinctive styling cues. The Sonata Plug-In Hybrid drives up to 24 miles on batteries with additional range on conventional hybrid power. TOYOTA PRIUS The venerable Toyota Prius emerges in 2016 a completely redesigned model, faithfully delivering the attributes expected of an industry-leading hybrid with important design, technology, and efficiency updates. It features a familiar yet bolder exterior and incorporates suspension and other improvements to deliver improved driving dynamics. The Green Car of the Year® is selected through a majority vote by an esteemed jury that includes celebrity auto enthusiast Jay Leno, plus leaders of noted environmental and efficiency organizations including Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, board member of Global Green USA; Dr. Alan Lloyd, President Emeritus of the International Council on Clean Transportation; Mindy Lubber, President of CERES; and Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to Save Energy. During the award's vetting process, Green Car Journal editors consider all vehicles, fuels, and technologies as an expansive field of potential candidates is narrowed down to a final five. Finalists are selected for their achievements in raising the bar in environmental performance. Many factors are considered including efficiency, EPA and CARB emissions certification, performance characteristics, 'newness,' and affordability. Availability to the mass market is important to ensure honored models have the potential to make a real difference in environmental impact, and finalists must be available for sale by January 1st of the award year. About Green Car of the Year® Since 1992, Green Car Journal has been recognized as the leading authority on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment. The GCOY award is an important part of Green Car Journal's mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry. CarsOfChange.com presents 'green car' articles online along with a focus on connectivity. Green Car of the Year® is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc. Hashtag: #GreenCarJournal About the Los Angeles Auto Show and Connected Car Expo Founded in 1907, the Los Angeles Auto Show (LA Auto Show®) is the first major North American auto show of the season each year. The show's 2015 Press & Trade Days begin with the Connected Car Expo (CCE) at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live on Nov. 17, followed by LA Auto Show's vehicle debuts and press and trade events at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Nov. 18 and 19. LA Auto Show will open to the public from Nov. 20-29. The third annual CCE will unite automotive and technology professionals in an effort to increase development and foster relationship-building in the connected car industry, providing attendees with access to the key players and top media constructing the future of automotive mobility. The CCE conference is where the rules for how vehicles are made, sold, serviced and owned are changing and where the playbook is being written. Named "Best Car Tech/Connected Car Trade Show" by AUTO Connected Car News, CCE is where the new auto industry gets business done, unveils groundbreaking products and makes strategic announcements in front of media from around the globe. LA Auto Show is endorsed by the Greater L.A. New Car Dealer Association and is operated by ANSA Productions. To receive the latest show news and information, follow LA Auto Show on Twitter at twitter.com/LAAutoShow or via Facebook at facebook.com/LosAngelesAutoShow and sign up for alerts at www.LAAutoShow.com. For more information about CCE, please visit http://connectedcarexpo.com/. Hashtag: #LAAutoShow | 9 | 95,273 | autos |
A big group of female friends seems like the ultimate status symbol these days-my Instagram feed is filled with brunches for 10; brides are flanked by hoards of chiffon-clad, mermaid-blowout-sporting bridesmaids; and you can't order custom sweatshirts that say WITCH CLIQUE for three-they'll sell them to you only in bulk. But what does that say about people like me, who have just a few close friends? Are we supposed to feel less than? I like having a big group of acquaintances, and you'd hardly call me antisocial. My birthdays are well attended, and I can work a room. But when it comes to close friends, I max out at two or three-period. In fact, I am staunchly in favor of having a small group of close friends, and it's made my life immeasurably happier. I wasn't always like this. In previous iterations of my social life, I had tons of close friends. We swapped secrets, faced life as a team, and kept in constant communication. My phone was always blowing up with one crisis or another, and I don't say this just to seem like a martyr: I definitely got a sense of purpose from being "the person you call." It made me feel needed-and, perhaps pathetically, valued. But I also rarely slept or took care of myself. I spent almost no time alone. And, I should note, these relationships weren't always reciprocal. I felt drained all the time. Having six or seven close friends was like making a bunch of promises I couldn't keep, and I agonized over not being able to provide enough emotional energy to everyone. I clearly remember the night that two close friends went through awful breakups and I couldn't be in both places at once. I started leaving my phone in my partner's car so I could avoid everyone, and gradually my social life turned into watching Frasier by myself. He never asks too much of me, and he'll never let me down. Gradually my social life turned into watching 'Frasier' by myself. He never asks too much of me, and he'll never let me down. Was there something wrong with me? Did I lack some fundamental human impulse that made me want to cultivate a flock? Are most people simply better equipped to deal than I am? Apparently, the stress I felt over my multiple intimacies is not unique. According to Dr. Brian Gillespie, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology at Sonoma State University, people who attempt to maintain more close relationships than their individual constitution supports can suffer what sociologists call "role strain." "Role strain," Gillespie explains, is "frustration over multiple social obligations (i.e., demands on your time and energy) [and] an inability to meet the expectations of your social role (e.g., as a friend)." "In other words," Gillespie says, "it's stressful when you're trying to be too many things for too many people." There are three attributes that constitute "close" friendship, Gillespie notes: emotional support (like talking you through a breakup), instrumental support (helping you move), and companionate support (watching Frasier with you). Close friends likely provide at least two or, ideally, three of these types of support. Everyone is different when it comes to their social needs, but Gillespie says that having "a few close friends who provide emotional, instrumental, and companionate support [is] better for you than [having] an overload of acquaintances who provide none of those things." Gillespie has found that "people were much more satisfied when they reported they were happy with their friends overall-regardless of how many they had." This opinion is hardly uncommon: Multiple therapists say that their clients frequently feel worn too thin by the number of relationships in their lives. And that can have a real impact on mental health. New York City based psychotherapist Liz Morrison, LCSW, says that when a person "has too many relationships, symptoms of depression and anxiety can begin to develop." In her experience, there is a "healthier" option, and it's having a smaller group of close friends. Juggling the many personalities and needs that come with a large group can actually feel isolating. (Who among us has not been surrounded by people only to feel utterly alone? If you've never experienced this, you've clearly never been to a Costco.) Being stressed out by the number of relationships in your life can also have physical repercussions, as psychotherapist Emily Roberts, MA, LPC, explains. "If you are trying to please everyone, you suffer," she says, and the stress of balancing so many relationships at the cost of your own self-care can cause sleeplessness, exhaustion, and even ulcers. And the effects of long-term stress shouldn't be ignored: digestive problems and heart disease, for example. These feelings are echoed in a number of conversations I've had with women in my social circle-ranging in age from early twenties to early thirties. They all reported feeling overwhelmed by too many close friendships at one point or another, and most said that as they aged, they whittled down their friend groups to better fit their needs. Sometimes it happened organically, and other times it was more deliberate. As my friend Cami* put it, she's "more intentional with [her] time and energy" at this point in her life, and she wants to dedicate her resources only to friendships that truly fulfill her. My friend Anne* likened close, intimate friendships to a full-time job, with all the emotional drain that comes with so much responsibility. Being able to zoom in on one or two people makes life easier, and it makes these friendships much stronger. There are, of course, people who can maintain a large number of close friendships, but I can't tell you how they do it. Close friendship involves getting brunch with someone and then also taking them to an urgent care for a UTI and sometimes emailing about podcasts with their parents and having a key to their apartment. These types of all-encompassing relationships sustain me, but can't scale. And I don't want them to-there's a romantic specificity to these relationships, a clubhouse of our very own. And because I'm not responsible to a big group, I'm better equipped to nurture the relationships I do have. I can spend three hours on the phone with my best friend a few nights a week (this really happens, and our partners think we need medical attention). So I say: Wear your mini-squad as a badge of pride, and never stress over getting a brunch reservation for 10. Does anybody want to go in on a custom sweatshirt order? I'm going to have a few extra. * Names have been changed in case any of these people ever run for president and have to pretend to be a friend to all of America. | 7 | 95,274 | health |
There's no better place to read between the grip than the hug. It's like a gauge of human emotions. Weak, halfhearted hugs are disappointing and can demonstrate obligation or distraction, but it's the hug that goes from friendly to "let's get a room" that I'm interested in. Learn how to discern the "we're just friends" hug from the "something more" - and more - hug. Friendly Hug These hugs may be longer than a hello hug between friends, but the "we're just friends" variety works like this : Your arms go below his shoulders while his go around yours. His hands may wander if you stay long enough, but really shouldn't go beyond your midback or upper arms. There may be a quick peck on the cheek, which you can analyze based on previous hugs or if he kisses other girls. A longer hug when one of you is comforting the other rarely means anything beyond friendship, but can! "Something More" Hug If the friendly hug gets friendlier then something more may be behind it. When chests touch while both people hug each other's shoulders, it's considered a heart-to-heart hug. It's definitely a sign that there's more where that came from. The placement of hands is also key. If hands wander longer and farther than normal, then it's probably not your imagination - but his! "Make No Mistake About It" Hug Whether you're in a relationship or not, if there is lower-body contact, then you two are either having sex or will be very soon. When a guy hugs you from behind (hopefully you know him . . . well!) then he can't wait to be alone with you. Longer and tighter hugs signal intense feelings, and they demonstrate commitment when done in public. | 4 | 95,275 | lifestyle |
Here is how four women handled this ticklish, potentially dangerous dilemma. 1. Take the lust home Brenda, 35, and married seven years, recalls, "I loved my husband Dan and we were settled into a stable if boring routine." Clearly a bit too boring. Shortly after she returned to work after three years of being a stay-at-home mom, Brenda felt sexual stirrings for a co-worker. She recalls, "I found myself lusting after Karl. In boring meetings I would fantasize about what he looked like under the pin-striped suits, and all the things I wanted to do to him once I got him naked… Don't get me wrong. Karl and I had nothing in common and anyway, I wouldn't do anything to blow up my marriage." Her solution: "I got a babysitter for the kids and did all the things I wanted to do to Karl to my husband! A sexual romp for Dan and me was long overdue. We both needed to remember our life together had way more to offer than co-parenting duties and someone to warm our feet during the winter!" 2. Regard the crush as a wake-up call to work on marriage For Lisa, having a crush was a wake-up call that her marriage was on the rocks. The 30-year-old admits, "Tom was my first real boyfriend and we'd grown so distant over the years it often felt like I was living with a stranger. In the 10 years we'd been together, he'd gone from being the first person I confided in when stuff was on my mind to dead last!" The object of her infatuation was an older married neighbor she once regarded as a father figure. "I realized that my new feelings toward Bill were more due to the fact that, unlike my husband, he listened to me and seemed to care about my happiness." Lisa suggested to Tom the two attend counseling sessions. She says, "It really opened the dam. We started sharing feelings, things we'd been bottling up for years because we were afraid of hurting the other's feelings…" Today the connection between the couple is reignited. "Therapy was a lot of hard work, and often very painful, but I have my husband back. And yes, our sex life has gone from non-existent to hot-hot-hot!" 3. Put boundaries on time spent with your crush Amy's feelings for her co-worker, Tim, grew largely because the two spent so many hours together. "He was my work husband we'd do lunch, dinners if we had pressing deadlines, took all our coffee breaks together… no wonder it started to feel dangerous." Married 14 years, the 40-year-old says, "Most dangerous Tim and I had started teasing each other and using sexual innuendos. I found myself dressing as provocatively as one can on the job to see if he'd notice." Her husband noticed her inattention. "When Rick asked me if everything was alright between us, I seemed really distant, I took stock in a hurry. I reined stuff in with Tim. Things stayed friendly between us but I stopped the sexual tension stuff and also the long, private meals and personal sharing." Thankfully it did the trick. Her emotional attention is back where she wants it on her marriage. 4. Flirtation isn't the only way to handle personal restlessness Marie found herself crushing on a man she ironically met through her husband of five years. The 33-year-old confides, "When John brought home Paul, a friend he'd met at his bowling league I found my perpetual state of boredom lifting for the first time in ages. Suddenly there was someone, something, fun to think about for the first time in ages. John noticed, and asked, only half joking, 'Why do you keep asking me if Paul is coming over again? Should I be jealous?'" She did some intense soul searching and realized for too long life had been stale. "It wasn't my husband who bored me. I was boring myself. I'd stopped pushing myself doing anything fun or interesting or challenging." Marie not only sought and won a work promotion, she took up some new adrenaline-creating hobbies surfing and diving. Even better, her husband joined in these new pursuits. Marie shares her new-found wisdom: "It's never good to become too complacent with life. That's when we look for diversion in someone else. Thank goodness I didn't wreck my marriage over my personal restlessness!" | 4 | 95,276 | lifestyle |
CNBC's Simon Hobbs talks with Craig Kreeger, Virgin Atlantic CEO about the future of airline travel. | 3 | 95,277 | finance |
A new federal study has found dietary supplements, particularly ones for weight loss or increased energy, cause roughly 23,000 ER visits a year. | 7 | 95,278 | health |
Authorities have released the 911 calls of those who found former NBA star Lamar Odom unconscious. | 8 | 95,279 | video |
We can't believe, but Celine Dion's boys are all grown up! Remember Celine's little guy Rene Charles? Well he's not so little anymore! Click the video to see what the teen looks like now! Yep, it's hard to believe he's already 14! And remember Celine's twins? They're growing up before our eyes too! Check out the pic of Celine with her boys Eddy and Nelson celebrating their upcoming fifth birthday at Disneyland! It really is the happiest place on earth! | 6 | 95,280 | entertainment |
This is the latest face of civility at a Donald Trump rally: A man caught on camera cursing out an immigration activist and spitting on him. A video of that encounter is just one show of the tensions that erupted as the blabbering billionaire businessman brought his GOP presidential campaign to Richmond, Va., Wednesday night. Shortly after Trump started his speech to 5,000 people at the Richmond International Raceway, about a dozen Latino student protesters heckled him, shouting "We're here to stay" and "Dump Trump," according to reports from the scene. Trump supporters nearby stole the protesters' signs, shoved them and yelled, "Go back where you came from!" Then came one troublemaking Trump lover, who spat in the face of one protester and yelled "F--- you!" eight times in 11 seconds until fellow fans pulled him away, as seen in video from a reporter. The hothead hasn't been identified. Henrico County Police did not immediately tell the Daily News if there were any arrests at the event. This is at least the second time a xenophobic nut let loose at a rally for Trump, who has roused his supporters against undocumented immigrants. Less than a month ago, Trump remained silent as a man at a New Hampshire rally told him Muslims are "a problem in this country" and insisted, incorrectly, that President Obama is one. After public uproar about Trump's non-response which had no effect on his continuing dominance of GOP polls the candidate said he was not "morally obligated" to correct the man. Unsurprisingly, Trump himself was in fighting mode as well Wednesday night, saving most of the venom in his hour-long speech for Democratic contender Bernie Sanders, whom he called a "maniac." Trump said the proudly socialist Vermont senator is a "socialist-slash-communist," and accused Hillary Clinton of trying to copy Sanders' views during Tuesday's first Democratic debate. "She's got to give everything away 'cause this maniac that was standing to her right is giving everything away, so she's following," Trump said. "We have to be careful." His remarks came the same day Trump's campaign dropped an anti-Sanders ad online, saying the senator isn't tough enough to handle a "dangerous" world with Islamic extremists in it. It's unclear if Trump knew about the ruckus at his Richmond rally. After it ended, he posted a crowd photo on Instagram and wrote: "Incredible crowd in Richmond, Virginia tonight! So much spirit and energy!" [email protected] | 5 | 95,281 | news |
Polish prosecutors on Thursday opened a libel probe against a US historian after he claimed Poles killed more Jews than Germans during World War II. Last month, German newspaper Die Welt ran an article by the Polish-born Princeton University professor Jan T. Gross in which he sought to explain Poland's wariness of accepting Syrian migrants streaming into Europe by referring to anti-Semitism during the war. "The Poles, for example, were indeed rightfully proud of their society's resistance against the Nazis, but in fact did kill more Jews than Germans during the war," wrote the 68-year-old Jewish historian. The Warsaw prosecutor's office has since received more than 100 complaints from individuals and organisations saying they found Gross's claim offensive, according to office spokesman Przemyslaw Nowak. Nowak told public television that the office was acting under a paragraph of the criminal code that "provides that any person who publicly insults the Polish nation is punishable by up to three years in prison". Foreign ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski said last month that Gross's article was "historically untrue, harmful and insulting to Poland". Warsaw historian Andrzej Paczkowski told AFP "there are no reliable figures regarding the number of Jews killed by Poles and the number of Germans killed by Poles." But Paczkowski, who is also a council member of the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) that is charged with investigating Nazi and Communist-era crimes, said he "would not be totally surprised if Gross were right". "But his vision of things runs counter to the heroic image Poles have of themselves." Gross is well known in Poland, where he caused shock in 2001 with his book "Neighbours" in which he revealed that in 1941 during the Nazi German occupation, several hundred Jews were massacred by their Polish neighbours in the town of Jedwabne. Between 340 and 1,500 Jews died during the massacre, according to historians. IPN concluded in 2003 that the killings were indeed committed by Polish villagers at the instigation of German Nazis. "Neighbours" drove then Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski to apologise to Jews worldwide for the crime. It provoked unprecedented soul-searching about the complex relationship between ethnic Poles and Jews before, during and after the war, in overwhelmingly Catholic Poland. Prosecutors had twice already looked into whether Gross defamed Poland in his earlier books "Fear" and "Golden Harvest". But those preliminary investigations in 2008 and 2011 were shelved after prosecutors found no evidence of a crime. | 5 | 95,282 | news |
Tom Szczerbowski/Getty With two runners on and the fifth and deciding game of the American League Division Series tied in the bottom of the 7th inning, Jose Bautista crushed a Sam Dyson pitch into the upper deck of the Rogers Center to give the Jays a 6-3 lead. In a postseason that's already had its fair share of absolutely monstrous home runs (looking at you, Yoenis Cespedes), none has been quite as important as Bautista's last night. Nor has any single home run caused so much outrage. After Bautista went yard, he unleashed arguably the most triumphant bat flip you'll ever see. Take a look for yourself: Throwing it all the way to the #ALCS : http://t.co/NBTKKkJoS5 #ComeTogether pic.twitter.com/f2kjDcAuiV Unsurprisingly, a celebration like this caused serious outrage around the baseball world, as many players and spectators felt that Bautista's bat flip was unnecessary and unclassy. Here's Rangers pitcher Cole Hamels weighing in: Cole Hamels: "It's hard to be politically correct. It's tough to see. A lot of us on our team don't carry ourselves that way." Dyson, who surrendered the homer, accused Bautista of disrespecting the game . "Jose needs to calm that down, just kind of respect the game a little more," Dyson said after the game. "He's a huge role model for the younger generation that's coming up playing this game, and I mean he's doing stuff that kids do in Wiffle ball games and backyard baseball. It shouldn't be done." Curt Schilling, on ESPN afterwards, said he understood Bautista's emotion but also said he hoped Bautista would be ready to get hit next season when the two teams faced each other. Others felt that Bautista's celebration was totally deserved. "It's the biggest moment of his baseball life. If it's not worthy of celebration, I don't know what is."- @Espngreeny pic.twitter.com/2PqQAZIgWH Former Blue Jay Joe Carter seemed to have the most reasonable (if also biased) stance on the whole matter. @MikeAndMike in the playoffs and a late inning go ahead HR, there is nothing wrong with what @JoeyBats19 did. Regular season it's a nae nae. Now remember, the Jays haven't been in the playoffs since 1994. They trailed 0-2 in the series, and in Game 5 they quickly fell behind 2-0. After Toronto rallied to tie the game, the Rangers took a controversial 3-2 lead in the top of the 7th, as Rougned Odor scored from third on the Unintentional Interference Rule: when Jays' catcher went to throw the ball back to the mound, it accidentally careened off Shin-Shoo Choo's bat and went dribbling down the third baseline. Odor raced home. The umpires reviewed the play (and reviewed it again), and after they upheld the run Toronto fans started belting trash from the stands onto the field in protest. Had the Jays not rallied and the Rangers had held on to win, it would have been one of the more controversial clinching games in recent baseball playoff history. Oh, and here's Joey Bats himself dropping the mic on the whole matter: Here's @JoeyBats19 dropping the greatest one word answer OF ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/IAD4qNEGqO | 1 | 95,283 | sports |
A weaker stock market and worries about the Federal Reserve raising rates this year have hit a niche investment product often used to generate income. Closed-end funds became popular income investments since safe-haven investments like the U.S. Treasury 10-year note yield around 2 percent. Closed-end funds are regulated under the same rules as traditional mutual funds and have some similarities, such as holding certain assets. However, the number of assets in a closed-end fund doesn't change, which means shares of these funds are traded among investors on an exchange. In traditional mutual funds, assets rise and fall as investors buy and sell shares into and out of the fund itself. The share price of closed-end funds (CEFs) will usually trade at a discount or a premium to the actual holdings in the fund itself, and the share price is affected by investor sentiment, says Cara Esser, closed-end fund strategist and senior analyst at Morningstar, a Chicago-based financial research firm. "Right now, we're seeing a lot of discounts in the markets because people are worried about global growth. They're worried about rising interest rates by the Fed. … The discounts/premium will follow, in general, market trends, so when the market is selling off, closed-end fund discounts are widening," she says. Phil Blancato, chief executive officer of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management in New York, says the weakness seen in closed-end funds reflects the losses seen in many dividend-paying investments . "It doesn't really matter what you're in; anything paying a dividend is getting hurt," he says, because of the Fed possibly raising interest rates. Blancato says the losses in closed-end funds were greater because many use leverage to amplify the income return, so the combination of being a dividend-paying investment and using leverage has hit the funds doubly hard. That's caused the big discounts to the funds' net asset value. In many cases, he says, "the underlying holdings are trading at discounts of as much as 10 percent less than what they are worth because of the leverage. These securities make for a wonderful dividend investment in most markets, and I'm a fan of them. But when the market is not in favor for dividend-paying securities … they really get punished." Are they worth a look? Given that the Fed will eventually raise rates, does it make sense to go into these funds? Blancato and Maury Fertig, chief investment officer of Relative Value Partners in Northbrook, Illinois, say yes. "There is still going to be a need for yield and for income, and you're not going to get that in T-bills or cash. You may be better off staying in bonds, buying CEFs or other income vehicles than sitting in cash and waiting for something else to happen, like money market rates going to 3 percent again. That's years away," Fertig says. There's still a lot of uncertainty about what the Fed will do, he says, noting that the Fed may raise rates modestly and slowly, "in which case, you're still better in a CEF than in cash." Blancato says investors in these funds need to have some patience, as CEFs are more volatile than traditional fixed-income securities because of the leverage. "That's what people need to keep in mind; you own these for the outside dividends. They're going to come with the volatility because of the leverage. As long as you're willing, you've got give it 16 months, 18 months, 20 months. Then you'll reap the reward on the other side," he says. Closed-end funds are available in many parts of the markets in fixed income, equities and commodities. The funds hit the hardest in the past few months have been in master limited partnerships, which invest in different segments of the U.S. energy industry and in fixed income, Esser says. The MLP funds were tarred because of the extreme weakness in the energy market in general, while the fixed-income funds sold off because of fears of rising interest rates, she adds. How to find discounts. Fertig says he sees the best deals in fixed-income funds. Since uncertainty remains about when the Fed will raise rates, Fertig says his picks are in shorter-duration bond funds , which are bonds that mature in five years or less. "If interest rates go up, you're not susceptible to principal erosion. If the Fed raises rates by 50 or 100 basis points, you can still make money in funds because of the yield advantage," he says. His first pick is the Blackstone Senior Floating fund (ticker: BSL). As a floating-rate fund, its assets will rise as interest rates increase. It is trading at a 7.5 percent discount to net-asset value and with a yield of 6.6 percent. "It's a term trust. That means in five years' time, it will be liquidated at the NAV and the discount [will be] gone. So you'll earn the yield of 6.6 percent and the 7.5 percent appreciation to NAV. I like that," he says. The Nuveen Mortgage Opportunity Fund (JLS) invests in mortgage-backed securities, primarily nonconforming residential-backed mortgages, which means they're not backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, Fertig says. It has a duration of 4.5 years, and as a term trust, it will liquidate in November 2019. "It trades at a 12 percent discount with a 6.7 percent yield. If rates go higher, it may lose some NAV, but you'll capture that 12 percent discount in four years. Last year, it traded at a 7 percent discount," he says. Blancato says in the MLP space, Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return (KYE) is his pick. It is a midstream MLP, meaning it invests in energy infrastructure. "They have good securities and are wonderful managers. It's a high-quality midstream CEF," he says. Blancato also sees opportunities in the municipal bond closed-end fund space. "Municipal bonds have sold off a bunch, and it's not warranted. You can get the wonderful yield of a muni bond portfolio. Part of it is tax-free, but the leveraged part is not," he says, cautioning that investors should avoid states and cities with high debt like Illinois or Detroit. "In the muni bond space, I'd look at some of the majors there, such as the bigger bond providers the PIMCOs or Putnams of the world. You want a quality bond manager shop to be behind those in this environment," he says. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 3 | 95,284 | finance |
The Inquirer's Joe Juliano & CineSport's Noah Coslov preview Penn State-Ohio State by talking about protecting Christian Hackenberg, defending Ezekiel Elliott & by devising the perfect game plan. | 1 | 95,285 | sports |
CHICAGO, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert is expected to plead guilty to wrongdoing in a hush-money case as part of a deal with prosecutors, his lawyers told a federal judge in Chicago on Thursday. Prosecutors and defense attorneys did not say what charge Hastert would plead guilty to or whether the Republican speaker from 1999 to 2007 would serve time in prison. He was charged in May with trying to hide large cash transactions as part of a payoff scheme and lying about it to the FBI. Federal prosecutors allege he promised to pay $3.5 million to an unnamed individual from his hometown of Yorkville, Illinois, to conceal past misconduct. The individual who was allegedly receiving hush money from Hastert has not surfaced publicly. But anonymous law enforcement officials have told several media outlets that Hastert was trying to cover up sexual abuse of a male student decades ago when he worked as a high school teacher and wrestling coach. The agreement to change his plea to guilty from not guilty is expected to be submitted to U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin on Monday, attorneys for Hastert said during a brief court appearance. Hastert, 73, who is free on bond, was not required to attend Thursday's hearing and was not in court. Hastert has not spoken publicly since his indictment. He is expected to plead guilty on Oct. 28. Hastert was the longest-serving Republican speaker leading the House for eight years before leaving Congress in 2007 and becoming a powerful lobbyist. After his indictment, Hastert resigned from the Dickstein Shapiro lobbying firm in Washington and from the boards of exchange operator CME Group Inc and REX American Resources Corp. His alma mater, Wheaton College in suburban Chicago, removed his name from a policy center. He was a teacher at Yorkville High School in the 1960s and 1970s. Lawyers for both sides said in September they were negotiating a plea deal to keep the case from going to trial. Durkin had asked both sides to bring him an agreement this week, or he would set a trial date. Defense attorney Amy Richardson, who is not involved in Hastert's case but often handles financial fraud matters, said it is unlikely Hastert will avoid jail time if he pleads guilty to a charge of "structuring" cash withdrawals to avoid detection by banking officials. Such a plea could avoid the public release of potentially embarrassing information about the case, however. "One of the best side effects of taking the plea is that material regarding reported sexual abuse will not come out," said Richardson, of the firm of Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis. Richardson said Hastert also may decide to waive a sentencing hearing, which otherwise would allow people to talk about his past behavior, both good and bad. According to the indictment, Hastert withdrew $1.7 million in cash from his bank accounts from 2010 to 2014. He is charged with structuring $952,000 of the withdrawals, taking the funds out in increments of under $10,000 to evade a requirement that banks report large cash transactions. Hastert then told the FBI he was keeping the cash for himself, which the indictment said was a false statement. Each of the charges carries a possible maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. (Writing by David Bailey; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Tom Brown) | 5 | 95,286 | news |
LPGA star Natalie Gulbis shows you how to pick an intermediate target and align your driver to hit more fairways. | 1 | 95,287 | sports |
Tourists flock to London's Tate Modern, but visitors might be scratching their heads at the sight of a pile of boxes filled with soil. CNN's Isa Soares reports. | 2 | 95,288 | travel |
Teeth from a cave in China suggest that modern humans lived in Asia much earlier than previously thought, and tens of thousands of years before they reached Europe, researchers say. This discovery yields new information about the dispersal of modern humans from Africa to the rest of the world, and could shed light on how modern humans and Neanderthals interacted , the scientists added. Modern humans first originated about 200,000 years ago in Africa. When and how the modern human lineage dispersed from Africa has long been controversial. Previous research suggested the exodus from Africa began between 70,000 and 40,000 years ago. However, recent research hinted that modern humans might have begun their march across the globe as early as 130,000 years ago. [ See Photos of Our Closest Human Ancestor ] One place that could shed light on the spread of humanity is southern China, which is dotted with fossil-rich caves. Scientists analyzed modern human teeth that they unearthed in Fuyan Cave in southern China's Hunan province, which is part of a system of caves more than 32,300 square feet (3,000 square meters) in size. Excavations from 2011 to 2013 yielded a trove of 47 human teeth, as well as bones from many other extinct and living animals, such as pandas, hyenas and pigs. The scientists detailed their findings in the Oct. 15 issue of the journal Nature . The researchers found these teeth are more than 80,000 years old, and may date back as far as 120,000 years. Until now, fossils from southern China confirmed as older than 45,000 years in age that can be confidently identified as modern human in origin have been lacking. "Our discovery, together with other research findings, suggests southern China should be the key, central area for the emergence and evolution of modern humans in East Asia," the study's co-lead author, Wu Liu, of China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, told Live Science. These newfound teeth are smaller than counterparts of similar ages from Africa and elsewhere in China. Instead, they more closely resemble teeth from contemporary modern humans. This suggests different kinds of humans were living in China at the same time archaic kinds in northern China, and ones more like modern humans in southern China. The researchers said these findings could shed light on why modern humans made a relatively late entry into Europe. There is currently no evidence that modern humans entered Europe before 45,000 years ago, even though they made it as far as southern China at least as early as 80,000 years ago. The investigators suggested that Neanderthals might have prevented modern humans from crossing into Europe until after Neanderthals began dying off. "It may be that that Europe was too small for two intelligent and behaviorally complex species that were seeking the same type of resources," study co-lead author María Martinón-Torres at University College London told Live Science. Perhaps Neanderthals faded away after dealing with thousands of years of isolation and harsh winters, and "maybe it was only at that time that Homo sapiens could finally make it into Europe," Martinón-Torres added. Still, Neanderthals might not be the main reason for the relatively late entry of modern humans into Europe, said archaeologist Robin Dennell at the University of Exeter in England, who did not take part in this research. Instead, modern humans may have colonized the southern zones of Europe and Asia before the northern zones because the former were warmer than the latter, Dennell wrote in a commentary article in the Oct. 15 issue of Nature. The jury is still out on exactly what triggered the dispersal of modern humans. "What is especially needed now is archaeological evidence (sadly lacking in Fuyan Cave) to indicate whether the initial dispersal of our species was caused or facilitated by cognitive developments (such as symbolism or complex exchange systems), or was simply an example of opportunistic range extension," Dennell writes in his commentary, adding that southern China could hold the answer. Follow Live Science @livescience , Facebook & Google+ . Original article on Live Science . In Photos: New Human Relative Shakes Up Our Family Tree In Photos: Amazing Human Ancestor Fossils from Dmanisi Image Gallery: 3-Year-Old Human Ancestor Revealed | 5 | 95,289 | news |
Cold chills. Throbbing head. Muscle aches. Fatigue. The sweats. If you experienced those symptoms today, you'd probably just regret putting off your flu shot this year. But if those things cropped up in 1485, your family would likely start planning your funeral. In the late 1400s and early 1500s, these symptoms almost certainly meant you had fallen victim to the mysterious "English Sweating Sickness," a disease that struck without warning and could kill within hours. From 1485 though 1551, five epidemics of this terrifying disease swept through England, and once through Europe, with mortality rates from 30 to 50 percent . The illness seemed to be prevalent among upper class males, so the royals and their cohorts were particularly affected. Because of this fact, the sweating sickness may have changed the course of history. In 1502, just six months after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Arthur, Prince of Wales, died suddenly at the age of 15. Though an official cause of death wasn't recorded, some historians believe Arthur was another sweating sickness fatality. As the oldest male child in the family, Arthur would have ascended to the throne if he hadn't succumbed to the illness. His younger brother, Henry, Duke of York, ended up taking the crown instead. You probably know him better as Henry VIII, who married his brother's widow seven years later. She was the first of his six wives, of course. Though it's been difficult for modern-day doctors and scientists to trace the origins of the English Sweating Sickness, there's been educated speculation that it was the result of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), which wasn't even recognized until 1993. Spread by certain rodents , HPS has the exact same symptoms and a similar mortality rate: 38 percent. But even if 16th century doctors were aware that the English Sweating Sickness was really HPS, there's little they could have done to this day, there is no cure or vaccine that will stop it. The CDC's advice? Avoid rodent infestations, which was a lot harder to do in 16th century England. | 5 | 95,290 | news |
Pam, the Queen of the Isle of Man, has a very impressive talent. | 8 | 95,291 | video |
Just 'plane' scary! | 8 | 95,292 | video |
Lamar Odom is reminding us how difficult the end can be. Sports often are said to build character and prepare athletes for "real life," but the character being built can be good or bad, dependent on varied factors. What is less discussed is how athletes prepare for life after their sports careers are over. There have been numerous cases where athletes do not transition well after their careers are over. Not even 30 months after his last NBA game, Odom is on life support in a Las Vegas hospital after losing consciousness in a legal brothel. His story is one on the extreme end of a long line of tales of athletes struggling to leave behind the games they loved. MORE: Odom's career in photos | Odom just needs 'something to hold on to,' says mentor Odom played in the NBA from 1999 to 2013, a remarkably talented player and beloved teammate. He shined in the Los Angeles spotlight, first as a star with the Clippers, then as a two-time NBA champion with the Lakers. He found even more fame as the former husband of Khloe Kardashian, becoming a regular on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and getting a spinoff, "Khloe & Lamar." One of Odom's first coaches and long-time mentors, Alvin Gentry, told Sporting News that Khloe was a positive influence on Lamar, whose life has been full of turmoil. Odom's father had been addicted to heroin, his mother died when he was 12 and he lost a son who was only 6 1/2 months old, as chronicled in a 2009 Sports Illustrated feature . Odom certainly has had his challenges, the turmoil that helps us understand the bouts with depression and drug abuse in the years after his career ended. While some athletes imply they are ready for life after sports, when the time actually comes, coping with the new life is usually not easy. Predicting athletes' responses to the end of their careers is almost impossible, yet in some cases similar reactions occur. Still, responses can be as varied as the athletes involved. Many athletes experience a typical grief response similar to dealing with other catastrophic life events such as a death in the family or loss of the home due to a fire. Sometimes a crucial factor is the reason for the end of the athlete's career. For athletes who choose to retire on their own volition, there is a greater likelihood being able to better handle the retirement scene. Having a sense of being in control of one's own destiny is an important psychological factor that should not be overlooked and can have a lasting impact on the early years of the athlete's new life. If, as with Odom, an athlete is cut or has to retire due to injury or illness, it can be common for the athlete to experience resentment, depression, and a "life is not fair" outlook in the time following the end of the career. The athlete was not allowed to stop playing on his or her own terms, which can feel like unfinished business. A common reaction for athletes at the end of their sports career is to experience a sense of a loss of identity. Being an athlete has been an important part of his or her everyday life, and now that part of their personality or lifestyle is gone. The sometimes imposing challenge is to try to find another life endeavor to help fill that void. In most cases, the new adventure will not enjoy the media and fan attention or status that comes with being a popular athlete. Some former athletes have been successful in business ventures (Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan) or as sports announcers (Charles Barkley, Doug Collins) that "keep them busy." Yet these endeavors usually do not provide the same adrenaline rush experienced while playing sports. In attempting to find action exciting and exhilarating as playing sports, sometimes athletes will make risky choices to re-live those feelings. In my work with current athletes, they often experience difficulties during the offseason because of the lack of a required, structured schedule. Once a career has ended, this problem can be more magnified. Now athletes have more time on their hands and more freedom to use that time as they see fit which can be positive or negative depending upon the athletes' choices. Having been involved in a very structured environment for numerous years, then to suddenly have a lot of time available, can be overwhelming, scary, or at least difficult transition. As is true in non-sport contexts, even though one may look forward to retirement, it can still be a tricky time in anyone's life. For athletes whose careers are experienced within a condensed time-frame and in high-profile style, the challenge presented may be the truest test of sports' reputation for preparing participants for real world experiences. Dr. Kevin L. Burke is a Sport Psychology Professor and consultant at Queens University in Charlotte. Contact Dr. Burke at kevinlburkeenterprises.com and follow him on Twitter: @SportPsyching. | 1 | 95,293 | sports |
Is the Big Ten a three-team or two-team fight? Is there an elite team in the SEC or just a bunch of really good ones? MORE: SN's latest Power Rankings | SN Midseason Awards We hope to find the answers to those questions Saturday. Big games litter the schedule. See who our staff experts, along with celebrity pickers Chipper Jones, Corey Brewer and John Isner took. PREVIOUS PICKS: Week 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 Standings Through Week 6 games Straight up (overall and last week) 47-15 (9-1): Bill Bender , Sporting News 46-16 (8-2): Chipper Jones , retired MLB player 46-16 (9-1): Mike Griffith , MLive.com 44-18 (9-1): Ken Bradley , Sporting News 43-19 (8-2): John Isner , professional tennis player 43-19 (8-2): Corey Brewer , Houston Rockets 42-20 (9-1): Matt Hayes , Sporting News LINEMAKERS: Odds to win natinonal title don't sleep on Clemson Against the spread (overall and last week) 38-24 (6-4): Mike Griffith , MLive.com 34-28 (9-1): Corey Brewer , Houston Rockets 30-32 (3-7): John Isner , professonal tennis player 27-35 (4-6): Ken Bradley , Sporting News 26-36 (4-6): Chipper Jones , retired MLB player 26-36 (6-4): Matt Hayes , Sporting News 23-39 (5-5): Bill Bender , Sporting News LINEMAKERS: Fournette odds-on favorite to win Heisman UCLA at Stanford When: Thursday, 10: 30 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: Stanford (-5.5) Bender: Stanford 27-24 Bradley: Stanford 31-24 Brewer: UCLA 35-31 Griffith: UCLA 27-24 Hayes: Stanford 31-23 Isner: Stanford 27-20 Jones: Stanford 37-31 What we're saying Griffith: Stanford's offense has scored 40 or more points in three straight games for the first time since Andrew Luck was its quarterback. The Bruins, however, will be out for revenge after being upset by the Cardinal last year. MORE: Week 7 Pac-12 Power Rankings Iowa at Northwestern When: Saturday, noon TV: ABC The line: Pick'em Bender: Iowa 20-17 Bradley: Iowa 27-23 Brewer: Iowa 21-17 Griffith: Iowa 20-10 Hayes: Northwestern 20-17 Isner: Northwestern 20-10 Jones: Northwestern 27-24 What we're saying Bender: Iowa is dealing with a rash of injuries, but the Hawkeyes have won three of the last four in this series and rank second in the Big Ten in rush defense (78.0 yards per game). It will be tight, but a late score propels the Hawkeyes to victory. Griffith: Iowa is on a roll, and Northwestern is coming off the sort of 38-0 loss at Michigan that makes players take a long look in the mirror. Iowa is the more physical team and knows what it's about. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are in the midst of an identity crisis. MORE: Week 7 Big Ten Power Rankings Louisville at FSU When: Saturday, noon TV: ESPN The line: FSU (-6.5) Bender: FSU 31-24 Bradley: FSU 24-20 Brewer: FSU 38-24 Griffith: FSU 27-20 Hayes: FSU 27-23 Isner: FSU 37-13 Jones: FSU 31-17 What we're saying Bender: Everett Golson still hasn't thrown an interception. Can you give him a little credit? He'll be tested by Louisville's pass rush, but another strong day from Dalvin Cook allows Florida State to stay unbeaten. Brewer: FSU should win this one at home. I picked against them last weekend at home, so I refuse to make that same mistake twice. I like Louisville to keep it close in the first half, but Everett Golson will take care of things late. MORE: Week 7 ACC Power Rankings Alabama at Texas A&M When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: CBS The line: Alabama (-4.5) Bender: Alabama 31-27 Bradley: Alabama 27-24 Brewer: Texas A&M 41-35 Griffith: Alabama 24-21 Hayes: Texas A&M 30-27 Isner: Alabama 35-20 Jones: Alabama 27-20 What we're saying Hayes: Maybe this is the game where Tide QB Jake Coker puts it all together. Or maybe Texas A&M DC John Chavis, who has had much success against the Tide, finds a way to extend Coker's uneven play and force key turnovers. Isner: Bama has found its mojo after the thrashing of UGA. Saban has them exactly where he wants his team. Will be a great atmosphere but Bama will pull away in the end. Jones: Texas A&M is having a great season but they are gonna have to beat Bama before I'm a believer. Bama wins and covers. MORE: This week's AP Top 25 Michigan State at Michigan When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: Michigan (-7.5) Bender: Michigan 23-20 Bradley: Michigan 17-13 Brewer: Michigan 27-24 Griffith: Michigan State 24-23 Hayes: Michigan State 19-17 Isner: Michigan State 28-24 Jones: Michigan 24-20 What we're saying Bender: The spread is too high. Michigan State's two losses to Michigan under Mark Dantonio are by a combined six points. Connor Cook is the best quarterback the Wolverines have faced this season, and he'll test that secondary. Michigan State jumps out to an early lead here, but can the Spartans withstand the injuries in this one? Michigan wins maybe on a late field goal in an instant classic in this in-state rivalry. Griffith: The Spartans have won 10 straight games and 11 Big Ten road games in a row, but more importantly, they've won the last six games they've been in that have been decided by seven points or less. That streak dates back to a Rose Bowl win over a Stanford team that looked a lot like these Wolverines. Hayes: Michigan hasn't gotten enough out of the quarterback spot all season. Jake Rudock's turnovers have gone way down the last three weeks, but this game, this atmosphere, this rivalry, is much different. This is where Spartans QB Conner Cook makes his mark in his senior season. MORE: The worst loss for every Big Ten team Florida at LSU When: Saturday, 7 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: LSU (-6) Bender: LSU 23-13 Bradley: LSU 30-21 Brewer: Florida 24-20 Griffith: LSU 27-23 Hayes: LSU 16-13 Isner: LSU 30-13 Jones: LSU 34-24 What we're saying Jones: Can't believe Grier is done. Really heartbreaking for all Gators. Certainly influences the line and ultimately the game. Whole key is stopping Fournette. LSU is a tough place to play so I think they win the game. I do think the Gators keep it close until a late score by LSU covers the spread. Brewer: I am picking UF here because I am a Gator for life, but I am very worried about this one. No Will Grier is trouble, but I think Treon Harris can win this game under the lights in Baton Rouge. If Florida can find some way to contain Fournette and make LSU have to throw on our great corners, we can win it. Hayes: The game plan for each: don't screw up. Load up on defense to stop the run (LSU TB Leonard Fournette, Florida TB Kelvin Taylor) and force the quarterbacks (LSU's Brandon Harris, Florida's Treon Harris) to win the game. All things being equal (see: turnovers), Fournette will break through and be the difference. MORE: SN's Week 7 SEC Power Rankings USC at Notre Dame When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. TV: NBC The line: Notre Dame (-5) Bender: Notre Dame 38-23 Bradley: USC 34-31 Brewer: Notre Dame 38-24 Griffith: Notre Dame 34-31 Hayes: Notre Dame 30-24 Isner: Notre Dame 31-14 Jones: Notre Dame 31-20 What we're saying Isner: J ust too much controversy surrounding USC at this moment. Notre Dame still has a lot to play for this season. MORE: Ranking the best 1-loss teams Penn State at Ohio State When: Saturday, 8 p.m. TV: ABC The line: Ohio State (-17) Bender: Ohio State 38-17 Bradley: Ohio State 42-20 Brewer: Ohio State 42-24 Griffith: Ohio State 38-17 Hayes: Ohio State 31-13 Isner: Ohio State 30-17 Jones: Ohio State 41-17 What we're saying Bender: The Buckeyes are breaking out the black uniforms for this one, a chance to flex their muscles in primetime at Ohio Stadium and remind everybody who the defending national champions are. The Nittany Lions are the only Big Ten team that's won at The Horseshoe at night, but that was back in 2008. Ohio State pulls away in the second half here. Griffith: Remember how the Nittany Lions took Ohio State to overtime last year? Yes? Well the Buckeyes also remember that, and that should serve as the right wake-up call for the Ohio State offense. Penn State is a banged up team, and Christian Hackenberg will get sacked early and often. DIRTY DOZEN: 12 players you wish were on your team Arizona State at Utah When: Saturday, 10 p.m. TV: ESPN The line: Utah (-7) Bender: Utah 34-24 Bradley: Utah 40-28 Brewer: Utah 35-20 Griffith: Arizona State 30-28 Hayes: Utah 34-28 Isner: Utah 45-30 Jones: Utah 34-24 What we're saying Hayes: Travis Wilson says he has to play better. If he does, no one in the Pac-12 will beat Utah. HAYES: Travis Wilson gives Utes best chance at perfection Oregon at Washington When: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. TV: ESPN2 The line: Washington (-1) Bender: Oregon 41-38 Bradley: Washington 31-27 Brewer: Washington 38-30 Griffith: Oregon 30-27 Hayes: Washington 27-24 Isner: Washington 34-30 Jones: Washington 27-24 What we're saying Bradley: It's amazing how perception changed so quickly with the Ducks after a 42-point loss to Utah and loss last week to Washington State. It begins and ends with QB play and it's clear Oregon was spoiled with having Marcus Mariota running the show. | 1 | 95,294 | sports |
Ukraine, Japan and Egypt won seats at the UN Security Council on Thursday as world diplomacy is overshadowed by tensions with Russia and bloodshed in the Middle East. Senegal and Uruguay were also among the five countries that garnered the required votes for council seats during a secret-ballot poll held at the UN General Assembly. The five countries ran unopposed for the non-permanent seats after regional groups put them forward as their choice, but the contenders still had to garner two-thirds of votes cast. Applause and cheers broke out in the assembly hall after first results showed Senegal had won the largest share, picking up 187 votes followed by Uruguay with 185. Japan picked up 184 votes, Egypt won 179 and Ukraine 177 in the 193-nation assembly. Ukraine's candidacy had been closely watched amid expectations that sparks will fly with permanent council member Russia, which is accused of supporting separatist rebels in the war in eastern Ukraine. After the results were announced, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko posted a victorious "Yes, we did it!" on his Facebook page. The vote "opens new possibilities for Ukraine to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he wrote. Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin hailed the result as "a very important day for Ukraine" and stressed that his country "understands the value of peace, struggling under Russian aggression." Kiev's envoy "will be making the case for Ukraine, for our fight" at the council, Klimkin told reporters. The newly-elected members will begin their two-year stint on January 1, replacing Chad, Chile, Jordan, Lithuania and Nigeria. - Japan eyes permanent seat - One of the most experienced non-permanent members, Japan, will be taking its seat for the 11th time as it is locked in an island dispute with China and bristles at Beijing's global role. Tokyo is also making a push at the United Nations for expanding the 15-member council and making Japan a permanent member, a plan fiercely opposed by China and resisted by Russia and the United States. Japanese Ambassador Motohide Yoshikawa said Tokyo wants to make the council "stronger and also more open" and recalled that Pope Francis had spoken out in favour of Security Council reform during his UN visit last month. Taking a tough line on North Korea, Japan is expected to raise concerns about the Pyongyang regime at the council even though China sought to block discussion about human rights when it came up in December. Yoshikawa said he hoped that the council will "be seized" by North Korea's dismal rights record "at the appropriate moment" and decide on the how to deal with the "betterment of the human rights issue." Egypt is returning to the council for the sixth time as Yemen, Libya, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories join Syria on the list of Middle East crisis spots. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said his country will work "to resolve the very many issues" on the UN agenda. The five newcomers will join the other five non-permanent council members: Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela. The campaign for a seat at the top diplomatic table caps months and, in some cases, years of lobbying by contenders. As voting got underway, delegates at the General Assembly were handed gift bags with chocolates from Ukraine, tea from Japan, pens from Senegal and a football from Uruguay. | 5 | 95,295 | news |
Federal health officials expect the number of people insured on the state and federal exchanges by the end of 2016 to be about half the number estimated earlier by the Congressional Budget Office. The total number of people who bought plans and paid premiums is expected to be about 10 million by the end of next year, up only about 1 million from this year. That's far lower than Congressional Budget Office estimates that topped 20 million. HHS has found that far fewer companies are planning to drop coverage than originally expected, and that fewer employees are planning to shift to buy insurance on the exchanges. "We haven't seen much of a shift at all," said Richard Frank, HHS' assistant secretary for planning and evaluation. Some say the relatively small increase has more to do with the price of the plans. "This is totally unsurprising and driven by the high cost of Obamacare's exchange-based plans," said Avik Roy, a senior fellow with the free-market Manhattan Institute. As for the lower-than-expected estimate for 2016, instead of reaching a plateau, HHS is "seeing a much longer path" to getting people insured, said Frank. More than 25% of those who are uninsured and eligible to buy plans on the federal and state health insurance exchanges are expected to select plans during the open enrollment that starts Nov. 1, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell said Thursday. The other 75% are "a little harder to reach," said Burwell. Those who don't have health insurance in 2016 will face a penalty of $695 per person on their taxes for the year. HHS also said is "working hard to improve the customer experience" and has added new tools to the federal Healthcare.gov website to make it easier to shop for plans, Burwell said. "We want to make it easier for consumers to find the right plan at the right price," she said. A new HHS report also provided some of the demographics of the 10.5 million uninsured people who are eligible for exchange plans: Almost half are between 18 and 34. Nearly 40% are in families earning between 139% and 250% of the federal poverty level, which is about $30,000 $60,000 for a family of four). Almost 8 in 10 have an income that may qualify them for financial assistance. More than a third are minorities. About 19% are Hispanic, 14% are African-American, and 2% are Asian. About 57% are male. Young people, especially men, are in the group known in health care circles as the "young invincibles," which doesn't tend to think insurance is needed. "This open enrollment is going to be a challenge, but ultimately, having fewer uninsured Americans to sign up is a good problem to have," said Burwell. Follow @JayneODonnell on Twitter. | 5 | 95,296 | news |
A POLICEMAN has been shot after armed officers carried out a raid in Scriven Street, Hackney. A male officer, who is yet to have been officially named, is in a stable condition at an east London hospital. The shooting took place at roughly 12.45pm. A man was arrested at the scene, but it is unclear if he was the shooter. In a statement the Met Police said: "An authorised firearms operation by officers from the Met's Specialist Firearms Command (SCO19) and Trident Area Crime Command was taking place in Scriven Street, E8 when a firearm was discharged."There are no reports of any other injured persons at this time." Videographer / Director: Jack Stevens Producer: Tom Gillespie Editor: Jack Stevens | 8 | 95,297 | video |
Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on Thursday said it plans to cut 250 jobs in its Missiles and Fire Control business by late November as part of an overall "belt tightening" drive. Lockheed confirmed the news, which was first announced to workers this week, in a statement. The company said the workforce reductions would include some involuntary layoffs, affecting people at various locations. The business employs about 15,000 workers. "This action is a normal response to changes in our overall business base," the company said. "Our programs are performing well and our future outlook remains strong in Missiles and Fire Control." Lockheed said the layoffs would affect most of its U.S. operations to some extent, except the contract it has to provide logistics support to the U.S. Special Operations Command, and a its technical services business, which is under a strategic review for a possible sale or spinoff. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Christian Plumb) | 3 | 95,298 | finance |
The preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll features two No. 1 teams North Carolina and Kentucky but there are a handful of up-and-coming teams in the top 25 worth focusing on based on their potential for a major March ascension. Maryland (No. 3 in Coaches Poll, 28-7 last season): The Big Ten Conference favorites are title contenders on paper future NBAers Melo Trimble and Jake Layman return, Duke transfer Rasheed Sulaimon is eligible right away and Diamond Stone is poised to be one of the best freshmen in the country. Mark Turgeon finally has all the pieces in place in his fifth season. But the Terrapins' re-emergence is only a projection at this point. High expectations are a good thing and all signs suggest the Terrapins have what it takes to cut down nets in March and April. Oklahoma (No. 8 in the Coaches Poll, 24-11 last season) Among the three Big 12 schools in the top 10 Kansas and Iowa State being the other two the Sooners have the most experience and stability. They return four starters, including reigning conference player of the year, Buddy Hield, a preseason national player of the year candidate who bypassed the NBA to give this Oklahoma team a Final Four ceiling. The Jayhawks and Cyclones bowed out of the NCAA tournament early last March, and Oklahoma broke through to the Sweet 16. Now there's momentum for more from Long Kruger's veteran team. California (No. 14 in Coaches Poll, 18-15 last season) Landing two top-10 recruits when your name is not John Calipari means Cuonzo Martin has a freshman class to be reckoned with. Arizona and UCLA are more proven contenders in the Pac-12, but the abundance of talent on this roster, which includes the return of Tyrone Wallace (17.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 4.0 apg), makes it hard to rule out the Bears as Pac-12 favorites. This team's success will hinge upon Martin's ability to mesh and develop all the weapons at his disposal. LSU (No. 19 in Coaches Poll, 22-11 last season) Ben Simmons is the most talented player in college basketball. That's a fact. Whether the 6-10 freshman lives up to it is another thing. Same goes for LSU, a program that certainly underachieved last season under Johnny Jones and has knock-off-Kentucky ability. A veteran backcourt fueled by Tim Quarterman and Keith Hornsby will help foster a strong team culture for a youthful team that is short on maturity and long on talent...and confidence. "I think we'll win the national championship," freshman Antonio Blakeney told reporters over the summer. Setting the bar high isn't a bad thing, eh? Vanderbilt (No. 20 in Coaches Poll, 21-14 last season) The SEC's longest-tenured coach, Kevin Stallings, has a roster poised to challenge Kentucky and fend off other SEC foes (ahem, LSU). The Commodores, who won 10 of their final 14 games last season, have an adept inside-out attack that starts with 7-footer Damian Jones, who should take an All-American-type leap as a junior. Jones controls the paint, and Vandy's perimeter game is as good as it gets returners Matthew Fisher-Davis, Riley LaChance, Luke Kornet and Wade Baldwin all made at least 40 three-pointers last season. Title teams usually have a mixture of either good depth, experience, a talented big man or excellent shooting. Vanderbilt has all of them. | 1 | 95,299 | sports |
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