text
stringlengths 5
144k
| label
int64 0
9
| id
int64 0
100k
| label_text
stringclasses 10
values |
|---|---|---|---|
ALCS: Blue Jays vs. Royals Game 5 in Toronto: Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer makes a great over-the-shoulder catch in the second inning. Game 5 in Toronto: Chris Colabello put the Blue Jays on the board first with a solo home run in the second inning. Game 5 in Toronto: The Royals hopes sit on the shoulder of starting pitcher Edinson Volquez. Game 5 in Toronto: Canadian mounted police color guard stand for the national anthems. Game 5 in Toronto: Royals right fielder Paulo Orlando signs autographs. Game 4 in Toronto: The Royals' 14-2 rout over the Blue Jays move them one win from the World Series. Game 4 in Toronto: The Royals celebrate a 14-2 rout over the Blue Jays. Game 4 in Toronto: Blue Jays infielder Cliff Pennington trecords the final out of the top of the ninth inning and becomes the first position player to pitch in a playoff game. Game 4 in Toronto: Alex Gordon celebrates with Ben Zobrist after scoring in the seventh inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Royals manager Ned Yost removes starter Chris Young in the fifth inning. He allows two runs over 4 2/3 innings. Game 4 in Toronto: Jose Bautista singles in the sixth inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Josh Donaldson hits a ground rule double to score Ryan Goins in the third inning. Game 4 in Toronto: R.A. Dickey gets shelled for four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings. Game 4 in Toronto: Alex Rios hits a home run in the second inning. Royals 5-0. Game 4 in Toronto: Salvador Perez reacts after being hit by a foul ball in the first inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Lorenzo Cain scores on a pass ball to give the Royals a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Mike Moustakas caps theRoyals' four-run first inning with a sacrifice fly. Game 4 in Toronto: Ben Zobrist, right, hits a two-run home run off R.A. Dickey to give the Royals a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Ben Zobrist connects on a two-run homer in the first inning. Game 4 in Toronto: Blue Jay fans arrive at the Rogers Centre. Game 3 in Toronto: The Blue Jays celebrate their win to cut the series deficit. Game 3 in Toronto: Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales hits a two-run home run in the ninth inning. Game 3 in Toronto: Royals right fielder Alex Rios makes a nice catch in the eighth inning. Game 3 in Toronto: Blue Jays coach DeMarlo Hale (center) restrains Troy Tulowitzki as he argues with home plate umpire (not pictured) before the eighth inning. Game 3 in Toronto: Kris Medlen reacts after Ryan Goins hits the third home run of the game by a Blue Jay. Game 3 in Toronto: Mike Moustakas hits an RBI single in the fifth inning to cut the lead to 9-4. Game 3 in Toronto: Josh Donaldson adds a two-run homer in the third inning to increase the lead to 9-2. Game 3 in Toronto: Johnny Cueto is removed from the game in the third inning after he allows eight earned runs over two-plus innings. Game 3 in Toronto: Troy Tulowitzki rounds the bases after his three-run home run in the third inning to give Toronto a 6-2 lead. Game 3 in Toronto: Kevin Pillar, middle, celebrates after scoring on a hit by teammate Ryan Goins. Game 3 in Toronto: Ryan Goins hits a go-ahead two-RBI single in the second that gives the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead, Game 3 in Toronto: Center fielder Kevin Pillar makes an incredible catch as he crashes in the wall on a ball hit by Lorenzo Cain. Game 3 in Toronto: Alcides Escobar, left, gives the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first inning scoring on a Ben Zobrist fielders choice. Game 3 in Toronto: Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista can't get a glove on a triple by Alcides Escobar in the first inning. Game 3 in Toronto - Johnny Cueto takes the mound for the Royals. Game 3 in Toronto: The Blue Jays and Royals line for pregame introductions and the national anthems. Game 3 in Toronto: Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello prepares for the game. Game 3 in Toronto: Fans start to line up to enter the Rogers Centre. Game 2 in Kansas City: Royals closer Wade Davis and center fielder Lorenzo Cain celebrate after taking a 2-0 series lead. Gane 2 in Kansas City: Salvador Perez celebrates with teammates. Game 2 in Kansas City: Mike Moustakas adds an insurance run in the eighth inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Alex Gordon drives in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: David Price gives up five runs in the seventh inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Mike Moustakas drives in an RBI single in the seventh inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Lorenzo Cain celebrates his single in the seventh inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Ben Zobrist starts the seventh inning off with a fly ball the Jose Bautista misplays. Game 2 in Kansas City: Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista and second baseman Ryan Goins misplay a soft fly ball in the outfield to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Troy Tulowitzki hits an RBI double during the sixth inning. Game 2 9 Kansas City: Josh Donaldson slides into home to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Game 2 in Kansas City: Royals catcher Salvador Perez catches a deadball ball that hit a wire out of bounds in the sixth inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Yordano Ventura walks off the field after the fifth inning. Game 2 in Kansas City: Alex Gordon catches a ball hit by Ben Revere in the fifth inning. Game 2 in Kansas City - Kevin Pillar scores on a Ryan Goins double in the third inning. Game 2 in Kansas City - Royals starting pitcher Yordano Ventura thanks shortstop Alcides Escobar for a fine play. Game 2 in Kansas City - David Price pitches in the shadows at Kauffman Stadium. Game 2 in Kansas City - A Royals fans holds up antlers for Mike Moustakas. Game 2 in Kansas City - Blue Jays fans show their support for Jose Bautista. Game 2 in Kansas City - Professional golfer Tom Watson throws out the ceremonial first pitch. Game 2 in Kansas City - Fans tailgate in the parking lot. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals catcher Salvador Perez, left, dumps the water bucket on starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who earns the win. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals' shortstop Alcides Escobar leaps and fires to second base to force out Dioner Navarro in the ninth inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Eric Hosmer hits an RBI double in the eighth inning to extend the lead to 4-0. Game 1 in Kansas City: Jose Bautista rears back on a close pitch from Royals' Ryan Madson in the eighth inning. Game 1 Kansas City: Royals catcher Salvador Perez is tended to after he was hit by a foul ball in the eighth inning. Game 1 of Kansas City: Reliever Kelvin Herrera pitches a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: SS Troy Tulowitzki turns a huge inning-ending double play with 2B Ryan Goins to save a run in the sixth. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals starter Edinson Volquez tosses six shut out innings before he was removed from the game. Game 1 Kansas City: Left fielder Ben Revere can't get a glove on Salvador Perez's home run in the fourth inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Salvador Perez gives the Royals a 3-0 lead with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Alcides Escobar scores on an RBI single from Lorenzo Cain in the third inning. Royals 2, Blue Jays 0. Game 1 in Kansas City: Alex Gordon high fives Ben Zobrist after scoring on an RBI double by Alcides Escobar. The Royals take a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Alex Gordon leads off the third inning with a double. Game 1 in Kansas City: Alcides Escobar is caught in a rundown by Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson in the second inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain makes a catch in the first inning. Game 1 in Kansas City: Marco Estrada gets the nod to start Game 1 for the Blue Jays. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez (center) and catcher Salvador Perez (right) walk in from the bullpen. Game 1 in Kansas City: The Blue Jays, Rays line up for the national anthem. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals fan Troy Guesnier watches batting practice from the upper deck of Kauffman Stadium. Game 1 in Kansas City: Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista shags balls during pregame batting practice. Game 1 in Kansas City: Members of the Blue Jays prepare for the game against the Royals. Game 1 in Kansas City: Blue Jays third basemen Josh Donaldson gets loose before the game. Game 1 in Kansas City: Blue Jays third basemen Josh Donaldson (right) and Royals outfielder Johnny Gomes are laughs before the game. Game 1 in Kansas City: Royals fan Chris Coats tailgates outside Kauffman Stadium. | 1 | 96,100 | sports |
As the season hits the midway point, which team in college football has been the biggest surprise of the first half? | 1 | 96,101 | sports |
Lamar Odom's condition is continuing to improve after being found unconscious at a brothel in Nevada. | 8 | 96,102 | video |
Edward Snowden spoke via satellite at a privacy lecture at New York's Bard College, where he was asked to respond to Hillary Clinton 's recent comments that he should return to America and "face the music" for what he's done. The Intercept noted that ever since he came up during the Democratic Debate, Clinton has been saying that Snowden could've taken NSA's spying public without breaking any laws if he accepted legal protections for whistleblowers. To this, Snowden said at the conference that Clinton's argument was "false" and reminded her that "truth and courage should matter in politics." "There is, in many ways, a lack of political courage in the established class that we expect to champion [our rights]," Snowden said. "Everyone knows we need change. And we have been aggrieved and in many ways misled by political leaders in the past." Snowden has stated in the past that he tried the approved whistleblower options, but that until he took measures into his own hands, his leaks never reached the public. Politifact examined whether Clinton's proposed approaches would have worked for Snowden, but their analysis of her arguments came back as "mostly false." Among other discussions at the conference included Snowden rejecting to weigh in on whether he's a hero or traitor, and his praise for the whistleblower who recently exposed the statistical accuracy of military drones. >> Follow Ken Meyer (@KenMeyer91) on Twitter | 5 | 96,103 | news |
Intel is pouring resources into a project to supply Apple's next iPhone with its next-generation LTE modem, according to a report today from VentureBeat . The team responsible for developing the Intel 7360 LTE modem chip may be as large as 1,000 people, all of whom are working to potentially oust Qualcomm and its 9X45 LTE chip as the go-to modem for Apple's handsets. The end goal, according to VentureBeat , is an Apple-made system-on-a-chip, or SOC, similar to the Ax chip found in current iPhones, yet capable of holding both the processor and the LTE modem on a single small, fast, and power efficient component. Apple would likely license Intel's technology and brand the SOC with in line with Ax series of chips, the report says. Intel is trying to oust Qualcomm as the go-to modem supplier for the iPhone Apple has thus far relied on competitor Samsung and chip maker TSMC to fabricate the iPhone 6S's A9, while purchasing Qualcomm mobile LTE modems to bring connectivity to the device. The partnership with Intel, which has its own seemingly superior fabrication methods, would give Apple an opportunity to bring more of its chip design and manufacturing in-house while cutting off other companies it's been forced to work with thus far. VentureBeat points out a number of high-profile Apple hires in the last two years from Intel-owned Infineon to bolster the case. The German semiconductor company supplied the iPhone with 3G modems before it was acquired by Intel in 2011 and Apple made Qualcomm its modem supplier. | 3 | 96,104 | finance |
The cold weather that hovered over Wrigley Field in April caused right fielder Jorge Soler often to wear a ski mask. Similar chilly weather is expected at this weekend to Citi Field, where the Cubs will play Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-seven National League Championship Series against the Mets. Javier Baez, who has the task of taking over for injured Addison Russell at shortstop, seems more concerned about hitting in cold weather than playing flawless defense in it. "I don't like the cold weather," Baez said during Friday's workout. "I'm from Puerto Rico. It's hot the whole year. I might (wear a ski mask), too. I don't think it's that cold yet." The temperature is expected to dip into the low 40s around game time. As for taking over for Russell, Baez said, "It feels normal to play shortstop. I've been taking ground balls the whole year here." Third baseman Kris Bryant said the adrenaline of performing in the playoffs will offset any weather-related discomfort. "It's not as cold as it was earlier in the year," Bryant said. Singing Schwarber: Rookie slugger Kyle Schwarber initially was embarrassed when he learned that a video of a performance of the Middletown (Ohio) High School choir was posted on the Deadspin website. "I don't know how that got out," Schwarber said after putting his head down. But Schwarber took the revelation in stride, saying he received extra credit for participating and that several football teammates of his also took part. When asked if he received an A grade for his performance, Schwarber replied with a firm yes and said, "Did you see the video?" Extra innings: Team officials were looking closely at their pitching options before finalizing their 25-man roster, which will be announced sometime after 9 a.m. (CDT). Baez batted .500 (11-for-22) when facing a pitcher for the second and third time in a game this season, compared to a .204 average (11-for-540 during the first at-bat. | 1 | 96,105 | sports |
A 19-year-old was beaten and killed at the church where his family worships. CNN's Jason Carroll reports. | 8 | 96,106 | video |
At first glance, the Mets' season series against the Cubs would present a bleak outlook for this week's National League Championship Series. Chicago won all seven meetings between the two clubs, sweeping a four-game series at Wrigley Field in mid-May and a three-game set at Citi Field from June 30-July 2. But the Mets teams that fell victim to the Cubbies were a far cry from the one that now stands four games from the team's first NL pennant in 15 years. LIVE BLOG: FOLLOW THE NLCS BETWEEN THE METS AND CUBS Although Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey and Noah Syndergaard started four of the seven games, GM Sandy Alderson notes that all three have matured significantly since the first half of the season. "I think that our young (pitchers) are a little more experienced, a little better command, more confidence," Alderson said. "From that standpoint, we're in a better position." The Cubs might not even recognize the lineup the Mets throw at them Saturday night. Daniel Murphy, Lucas Duda, Curtis Granderson and Wilmer Flores were the only four players to play all seven games against the Cubs. After that quartet, the players with the most at-bats in the season series were Ruben Tejada, Kevin Plawecki, Michael Cuddyer, John Mayberry and Dilson Herrera. In other words, the Cubs didn't actually face the team that they'll see in the coming days. David Wright, Yoenis Cespedes, Travis d'Arnaud and Michael Conforto had a grand total of zero at-bats in those seven games, yet they'll make up one-half of the starting lineup for the majority of the NLCS. "Offensively it's a different team; not totally but significantly," Alderson said. "So I don't think that 0-7 registers much concern on the part of our players, but we certainly have to turn that around. We'd like to be 4-10 at the end of this with the Cubs." The Mets' lineup might look a lot different, but the Cubs' four postseason starters Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel took the ball in six of those seven games, combining for a 4-0 record and 1.26 ERA in those outings. Unlike their series against the Cardinals a team that beat them 11 times in 19 games this season the Cubs will take the field Saturday with a little more confidence knowing they had so much success against the Mets earlier in the year. FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. "LIKE" US HERE "It does add that confidence; you know you've beaten this team," Lester said. "There is always that question mark when you face the Cardinals, can we beat these guys? You have that little bit of doubt. Here, I think it adds maybe a little bit of comfort, knowing that we have beaten them. At the same time, we can't come in here knowing that we're 7-0 and we're going to walk through this thing. We have to be on our toes and play good baseball against this team." The Mets need only look at their own history to know the insignificance of a lopsided season series. In 1988, the Mets won 10 of 11 regular-season meetings against the Dodgers, then lost a seven-game NLCS to Los Angeles. DeGrom had two of his shortest starts of the season against the Cubs, going only 5 and 5.1 innings in a pair of losses. Syndergaard allowed three runs over 5.1 innings at Wrigley in his big-league debut, while Harvey had the only strong start of the trio, tossing seven scoreless innings in a no-decision in Chicago. "I think we've developed so much as a team," Harvey said. "We've obviously added a lot of key parts, and we've really grown. I don't think any of us have really looked towards any series in the past." Although the differences aren't as glaring, the Cubs' lineup features some new names as well. Neither Kyle Schwarber nor Javier Baez appeared against the Mets this season, while Jorge Soler played only four of the seven games. "We've got a lot of work ahead," manager Terry Collins said. "They've got a few new guys, but we're still going to see Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, who are two very, very good pitchers. We just went through that with the Dodgers, so we've got to get ourselves ready." Aside from a pair of 6-1 wins, the Cubs' other five victories came in four one-run games and a 2-0 win. As far as Cubs manager Joe Maddon is concerned, most of those games could have gone either way. "I take zero stock in that whatsoever, honestly," Maddon said of the season sweep. "We won some close games; things just happened to work in our favor in those moments. Their offense wasn't nearly what it is right now, so I'm not even looking at that as being pertinent. "The only thing that matters is we know we can beat them. They know they can beat us based on what they've gone through to this particular moment. So I don't think there is any real weight to be attached to that whatsoever." | 1 | 96,107 | sports |
This famous mom will do what it takes to get her toddler to eat Breakfasts With Reese It doesn't matter how famous you are, when it comes to feeding toddlers, the challenges are the same. As parents we'll do anything to nourish our little ones' bodies, even if (especially if!) that means making food art. Thanks to Instagram, we've been able to see what parents have been cooking up, and Reese Witherspoon is one of them!Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Eggstra Special Breakfast In an interview with Conan O'Brien in May, the mom of 3-year-old Tennessee (in addition to 16-year-old Ava and 12-year-old Deacon) explained that she began making food art in an effort to get her toddler to eat a greater variety of food."I have no idea how he's alive," she jokingly said about him.Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Happy Toast Witherspoon told O'Brien, "I'll make toast and put a face on it, and he's like, 'No, I don't like it!' He's like a medieval king." Tennessee doesn't care how cute his food is or how famous his mother is he's not eating it!Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Cat or Mouse? Witherspoon asks her followers, "...is it a cat or mouse?" We're not sure. We're just wondering if this awesome creation was enough to keep Tennessee from noticing that his waffle is missing syrup.Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Not Just for Kids OK Reese, be honest: Is the food art for you or your son? We don't know very many toddlers who take coffee with their pancakes and bacon ...Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Eye See Bagels O'Brien said, "If someone put that much thought into my food, I would have so much joy in my life." We agree. How could you be anything but happy with this breakfast? Doesn't it make you smile?!Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Crazy Eyes Witherspoon said of her 3-year-old: "All he eats is white bread, ketchup and milk." We think she may be exaggerating because we've never seen a toddler turn away cinnamon rolls, especially when they're part of a face.Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Hearty Breakfast OK, this is the cutest one yet: "Love. Sunny side up..." Saturday morning breakfasts with this family look amazing!Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Blue Bear "It's a (blue) bear with a spot on his eye, see?" Witherspoon writes. We see and love it. But wouldn't hesitate to eat it anyway!Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon Turtle Time This adorable turtle is wearing sunglasses!We wish Reese the best of luck in getting her toddler to eat, but hope she'll continue to post her food art anyway. Be sure to check out her future masterpieces by following her on Instagram. Look for #FoodFun and #ToddlerFun.Share This on Facebook?Image via Instagram/reesewitherspoon | 4 | 96,108 | lifestyle |
The Ohio State Buckeyes enter this week in the top spot in college football. They are still unbeaten; still the reigning national champions. However, with the likes of Baylor, TCU, Utah and Clemson closing in on the Buckeyes, there are clearly threats to Ohio State's supremacy. Are the Buckeyes still the unanimous choice for No. 1? If you look at the AP Poll Top 25, you see the top five teams taking some of the Buckeyes thunder. 1-Ohio State (27 first place votes); 2-Baylor (13); 3-TCU (3); 4-Utah (16); 5-Clemson(1) Warranted or unwarranted, the Buckeyes are a far cry from the unanimous No. 1 team they were in the preseason poll. But when you think about it, what preseason No. 1 has maintained a perfect perception throughout the regular season? No matter what happens through the course of the season, the No.1 will lose some votes. Unless you're the 2002 Miami Hurricanes or the 2005 USC Trojans, it's never been an easy ride being the No. 1 team with a national championship to protect. The expectations are daunting, while being warped by the unobtainable concept of perfection stuck in the voters (and fans) minds. Look at Ohio State from a couple weeks ago: they survive at Indiana, and people got their jimmies rustled because the Buckeyes didn't win by enough. Some people on Twitter even went after Cardale Jones, the OSU quarterback, for almost losing the game. It doesn't matter if the Buckeyes covered the spread, the over/under, or any personal margin of victory you had established in your head, the fact is simple: OSU won. As Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said in the past, "the best thing about being 6-0 is the chance of being 7-0." At this moment in time, should the Buckeyes be No. 1? Yes. Does winning the national championship last year play a factor as to why they are still No. 1? Absolutely, the last team to stop the Buckeyes' winning ways was Virginia Tech ... last September. After that loss, Ohio State rolled past the rest of the competition last year to a championship. While that title happened last year, I will give you the benefit of the doubt this year in being No. 1 because you are the defending champions. Yes, Clemson, Baylor, TCU and Utah make cases for being No. 1. However, would those teams still be No. 1 if they had the pressure of Ohio State? Not likely. Here's a theme with the opponents Ohio State has faced: they are coming at Ohio State with everything they have. The mentality for the opposition isn't, "let's beat Ohio State," but rather, "let's beat the defending champions , Ohio State." Let's use Ohio State's last opponent, Maryland, as an example. Terrapin quarterback Perry Hills went off for 206 yards on the ground, and launched a 52-yard touchdown. For those keeping track at home: this is the same Maryland team that lost to Bowling Green, and got blanked by Michigan earlier in the year. The Buckeyes didn't struggle offensively against the Terps. They racked up 499 yards of total offense which included 291 passing yards by Jones, and over 100 yards on the ground by Ezekiel Elliott. Right now, at this juncture in the season, you can make a case for any of the top five teams being No. 1. Conversely, you could make the case that nobody deserves to be No. 1. TCU and Baylor keep winning in style, but give up a boatload of points in the process. Utah has a case for being No. 1, but does the fact that they are "Utah" hurt them? To a degree, yes. For Utah to be No. 1, they will need to run the table in the Pac-12. Look back to when Meyer coached the Utes to an undefeated, Fiesta Bowl winning season, to cap off the 2004 campaign. Utah didn't end No. 1, but ended No. 4. Granted, they were in the Mountain West. Clemson keeps on winning, but aren't blowing out the competition. Additionally, one has to believe that they might have lost some ranking ground by letting Notre Dame come back a couple weeks ago, and making the game closer than it should've been. While the Buckeyes aren't blowing out teams on the schedule, they are still No.1. Should they be the unanimous No. 1 team? Nope. But after looking at the rest of the top five, would anybody be unanimous No. 1? | 1 | 96,109 | sports |
These expecting moms know exactly how to dress up their bellies for Halloween, raising the Halloween bar for everyone. | 8 | 96,110 | video |
Kris Jenner confirms that Lamar Odom is off a ventilator and his condition is approving. CNN's Randi Kaye reports from outside the hospital. | 8 | 96,111 | video |
It's a cruel automotive world when exotics or one-offs are destroyed. This time around, bad luck has fallen on the Audi RS6 DTM, a very special wagon that Swedish freeskier Jon Olsson built earlier this year. Olsson shared the news in a personal blog post titled "R.I.P. Rs6 DTM" where he explains what happened to his one-off wagon. Earlier this week the RS6 DTM was being driven by its new owner who was robbed at gunpoint. The thieves took off with the wagon and unfortunately that would be the last time the owner saw it in running condition. The wagon was later found severely burnt and unsalvageable. It's a tragic ending to what was truly a special wagon. Olsson spent countless hours planning and executing the build. The engine was tuned to make over 900 hp and the custom bodywork was fabricated to replicate a DTM racer. After the build, Olsson teamed up with the ride-sharing app Uber and gave rides to a few lucky Uber users in Stockholm, Sweden. Uber said it received over 5,000 requests to ride in the wagon. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook Following the Uber stunt, Olsson entered the RS6 DTM in this year's Gumball 3000 rally, which started in Stockholm and crossed the Atlantic to the U.S. for a route that included Reno, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. So despite the wagon's tragically short life, it appears Olsson is glad he was able to have some fun with it. He's already working on a new build and says it will be "something just as good" as the RS6 DTM. And to the thieves, we hope your wagon-burning karma catches up with you. Source: Jon Olsson | 9 | 96,112 | autos |
US regulators say they have a lot more questions for Volkswagen, triggered by the company's recent disclosure of additional suspect engineering of 2016 diesel models that potentially would help exhaust systems run cleaner during government tests. That's more bad news for VW dealers looking for new cars to replace the ones they can no longer sell because of the worldwide cheating scandal already engulfing the world's largest automaker. | 3 | 96,113 | finance |
It's a safe bet that Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who also played for the Wolverines, isn't a fan of Michigan State. But for at least one day in 1999, he intentionally wore Spartan green. This week, WXTZ-TV in Detroit unearthed footage of Harbaugh celebrating with the 1999 Michigan State basketball team during their national title run. Why does this exist? Harbaugh's sister, Joani, is married to Tom Crean, who was then MSU's assistant coach. Crean is now the head coach at Indiana. Harbaugh probably isn't thrilled that this footage exists. But if his team beats MSU tomorrow, he probably won't care. | 1 | 96,114 | sports |
Here are 10 investing principles that should help investors enjoy long-term success. | 3 | 96,115 | finance |
Even Jupiter has to deal with shrinkage. Jupiter's famed Great Red Spot, arguably the solar system's most famous attraction, is getting smaller. New images released this week from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope confirm that the Great Red Spot continues to shrink and become more circular, as it has been doing for years. The Great Red Spot is a monstrous storm, one that roars at wind speeds of up to 340 mph, according to NASA. The storm is about 150 miles smaller in diameter than it was last year, NASA said. Though that seems like a lot, the area is still about 10,000 miles in diameter, enough to fit about two or three Earths. Could it eventually vanish altogether? "At this point, we don't know when, or even if, the Great Red Spot will disappear," NASA planetary scientist Amy Simon said in an email to USA TODAY. "The most likely case is that it will stabilize at a smaller size than it is now," she said. "It could reach that point in the next decade. It has been there since at least the late 1870s and was much bigger then." The Great Red Spot is more orange than red these days, and its core, which typically has more intense color, is less distinct than it used to be, NASA reported. Photos of our solar system from the Hubble continue to amaze and awe scientists back here on Earth. "Every time we look at Jupiter, we get tantalizing hints that something really exciting is going on," Simon said. "This time is no exception." | 5 | 96,116 | news |
Canadian rocker Bryan Adams is back with a new album "Get Up" which he hopes will emulate the success of his album "Reckless" 30 years ago. Rollo Ross reports. | 8 | 96,117 | video |
An apparent suicide bombing and gun attack claimed by Al Qaeda killed 10 soldiers guarding an intelligence building in the western Yemeni city of Hodaida on Friday, security sources said. The sources said two of the assailants were also killed. "Gunmen believed to belong to al Qaeda attacked the main gate of the political security building with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns after a car bomb driven by a suicide bomber attacked the back gate," one of the sources said. The group claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued online, calling its militants "holy warriors". Al Qaeda and Islamic State have both gained ground in Yemen, where a war has been raging for seven months between a Saudi-led military alliance and Houthi militiamen allied to Iran. The militant Islamist groups view the Shi'ite Muslim Houthi movement, which controls Hodaida and much of Yemen's north, as apostates deserving death. But Islamic State has also hit out against the Arab military alliance supportingYemen's embattled government. In a series of suicide bombings on Oct. 6, Islamic State killed 22 people, including several troops from the United Arab Emirates, at the government headquarters in the southern port of Aden and military bases in the city. Ground fighting and Saudi-led air strikes have killed at least 5,400 people in Yemen's multi-sided conflict, which started as a civil war among competing factions but has drawn in outside powers in a regional struggle for influence between Sunni Gulf countries and Shi'ite Iran. Jets from a Saudi-led military coalition bombed the house of Yemen's speaker of parliament on Friday, residents said, as part of a wave of attacks aimed at influential politicians. The attack hit the residence of Yahya al-Ra'i in central Dhamar province, leaving him unscathed but killing his son. Residents of the Houthi-controlld capital Sanaa reported around 60 coalition air strikes in the last two days on military bases and houses belonging to family members of Ali Abdullah Saleh, a former president and important ally of the Houthis. Five civilians were killed in the bombardment of the capital on Thursday, residents said, including at least two children. | 5 | 96,118 | news |
Scenes from college basketball Midnight Madness. Former Connecticut player and retired NBA player Donny Marshall, left, is embraced by Connecticut head coach Kevin Ollie after Marshall won a three-point shoot out against Ray Allen at the men's and women's basketball teams' First Night. Kentucky's Charles Matthews is introduced during the school's NCAA college basketball Big Blue Madness event. Kentucky Wildcats players look on during Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena. Kentucky's dance team performs during the school's Big Blue Madness event. Kentucky Wildcats fans pose before the Kentucky Big Blue Madness begins at Rupp Arena. Kentucky Wildcats guard E.J. Floreal passes the ball against forward Skal Labissiere during Big Blue Madness. Kentucky Wildcats forward Alex Poythress waves to the crowd during player introductions prior to the Kentucky Big Blue Madness. The University of Connecticut pep band performs during the men's and women's basketball teams' First Night event. A fan displays apparel before the Kentucky Blue Madness begins at Rupp Arena. Connecticut women's head coach Geno Auriemma, right, shares a light moment with men's head coach Kevin Olie during an autograph signing session at the basketball teams' First Night event. A general view of Rupp Arena before Kentucky Big Blue Madness begins. The Kentucky Wildcats bench before Big Blue Madness starts at Rupp Arena. | 1 | 96,119 | sports |
New Indoor Workouts for Fall and Winter New Indoor Workouts for Fall and Winter The onset of chillier (and sometimes just downright unbearably frigid) weather leads most of us to transition our workouts indoors for an extended period of time. I say "most of us" because we all know there are those crazy runners who'll run outside no matter how windy, cold or snowy it gets. But for the rest of us, there are many gym and at-home workouts ahead, which means if we want to make sure our exercise habit will be sustainable, we better keep it interesting. Of course, this sentiment holds true through the entire year: engaging in exciting workouts and activities that you actually enjoy is one of the best ways to make sure exercise will stay a regular part of your life . But this time of year with winter weather blues , an increasing onslaught of holiday treats and sometimes even a spike in stress levels is an especially good time to branch out and try some new tools, classes and sports. Whether you plan on holing up with at-home workouts until spring finally reappears or you're looking for the next best group exercise class to join, here's a look at some of the best new workouts to take a shot at this fall and winter. Live Streaming Fitness If you love group exercise classes but struggle to get your butt out the door when the weather is especially frightful, then you'll likely find a whole lot of value in Live Streaming Fitness . It works exactly how it sounds: the site streams live fitness classes to your computer, TV or smart device so you can follow along in real time from the comfort of your own home. And not only can you follow along, but you can communicate with instructors before and after class, too. Plus, with workout options that include everything from cardio and strength training to yoga and Pilates exercisers can easily keep boredom at bay. Excy This simple but effective tool is especially perfect for indoor exercisers who are always on the go. An ultra-lightweight and compact portable exercise "bike," Excy was designed with the busy exerciser in mind. You can use the simple setup to train your legs or arms anytime, anywhere. What's more, it pairs with a mobile coaching platform featuring on-demand workouts and progress-tracking tools. Excy will officially launch on Kickstarter on October 21st, 2015 and the makers say the first systems will be ready to ship by November 2015. Boxing If a heart-pumping group exercise workout sounds more like your style, then there's a good chance you'll find exactly what you're looking for in a group boxing class. For example, TITLE Boxing Club's "Power Hour" high-intensity interval workout combines cardio and boxing exercises into one incredibly effective sweat session that torches tons of calories while also helping you gain strength and lean muscle. Of course, boxing has been around for quite some time, but it's recently gained steam as an up and coming fitness trend that enthusiastic exercisers definitely won't want to miss out on. IndoBoard Balance Trainer Whether you want to keep your stand up paddle training on point or you're simply in search of a new way to challenge your yoga practice, the IndoBoard Balance Trainer can get the job done. Especially great for building leg and core strength, this basic but effective tool is perfect for outdoor athletes in search of an easy and innovative cross training method for the winter season. Les Mills On Demand This popular workout program has been around since 1968, so by no means is it new. But what is new and perfect for at-home exercisers is the recently launched Les Mills on demand streaming service. Now, exercisers can complete 30-minute versions of the Les Mills signature workouts (like BODYPUMP, BODYCOMBAT and SH'BAM) any time and anywhere there's an Internet connection. Trampoline Training For exercisers who are easily bored by traditional gym workouts, trampoline training is a great way to keep your exercise routine exciting and interesting. Plus, not only is this a great way to burn a whole bunch of calories in a short amount of time , it's also a low-impact, joint-friendly exercise option. Plus, this is another fitness trend that's growing in popularity all across the country, so it shouldn't be hard to find somewhere you can participate. Start by checking out Sky Zone Trampoline Parks , which have multiple locations all across the U.S. and in Canada, Meixco and Australia, too. StrongBoard Balance This versatile and portable tool will work to intensify almost any indoor workout you can think of. Whether you want to train with bodyweight moves at home or with weights at the gym, StrongBoard Balance adds a level of instability that will instantly increase the intensity of your workouts. Not only that, but it's meant for exercisers of all levels, so whether you're training at an advanced level, you're new to the fitness scene or you're recovering from an injury, you're sure to find value in this innovative platform. BodyWorksBand Resistance bands are actually pretty old school, but the BodyWorksBand adds a fun new twist to this traditional method of strength training by displaying a full-body workout across the length of the band. In other words, you won't need to research and write out a workout or follow along with a video when you want to squeeze your workout in just pick up your band and get to work. Baby Strong Workout Baby Strong is the perfect workout for new parents in search of a simple but challenging fitness routine for the winter season. The system features a deck of cards, each with a different workout move that incorporates your baby as the "weight." Essentially, you get to spend time with your little one and exercise at the same time no gym, no equipment and no babysitter required. | 7 | 96,120 | health |
The body of an infant has been recovered in North Port, Florida. Authorities say it's Chance Walsh, who has been missing for over a month. | 5 | 96,121 | news |
Check out Friday's best plays on the diamond, including Salvador Perez's home run and Edinson Volquez's clutch strikeout in the sixth inning of the ALCS. | 1 | 96,122 | sports |
Iran said on Saturday that its recent test launch of a long-range missile does not violate UN Security Council resolutions as claimed by the United States and France. "Our missile tests have nothing to do with Resolution 2231, which only mentions missiles designed to carry nuclear warheads," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told a news conference. Speaking in Tehran alongside his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, he added: "None of the Islamic Republic of Iran's missiles have been designed for nuclear capabilities." Iran announced Sunday it had successfully tested a new domestically produced long-range missile without specifying its exact range. Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan said the new missile "can be guided and controlled until hitting the target." The US ambassador to the UN Samantha Power on Friday said the missile launched by Iran is a "medium-range ballistic missile inherently capable of delivering a nuclear weapon". "This was a clear violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1929," she said, echoing similar criticism from the French foreign ministry, adding that the US would seek action at the Security Council. Resolution 1929 prohibits Tehran from conducting ballistic missiles tests. Resolution 2231, which was adopted a few days after Iran struck the July 14 landmark nuclear deal with world powers, bars Iran from developing missiles "designed to carry nuclear warheads". The nuclear deal reached with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States aims to limit Iran's nuclear program in return for lifting international sanctions. Iran insists it has no plans to develop atomic weapons. Zarif told the news conference that "nuclear weapons have no place in the military doctrine of Iran" and said that the missile programme of the Islamic republic does not violate UN resolutions. | 5 | 96,123 | news |
BEIJING A top Chinese general said Saturday that China's newly created islands in the disputed South China Sea are intended mainly to aid shipping and dismissed concerns that Beijing is seeking to strengthen its control over the strategically vital region. General Fan Changlong's remarks came as expectations grow that the U.S. might directly challenge Chinese claims in the South China Sea by sailing a Navy ship inside the 12-nautical mile (21-kilometer) territorial limit surrounding one of the man-made islands. Concerns have been growing over the rapid appearance of islands created by piling sand atop reefs and atolls controlled by China, which is now adding, harbors, air strips and large buildings. The U.S. and others have called on Beijing to halt those projects, saying they are destabilizing an increasingly militarized region. Fan said concerns that the island construction could affect freedom of navigation were unfounded. "In fact, those construction projects are mainly carried out for civil purposes," Fan told the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing. "As we have promised, the projects will not affect freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Instead, they will enable us to provide better public services to aid navigation and production in the South China Sea." China's assurances have failed to gain much traction abroad, and speaking shortly after Fan, Admiral Gary Roughead, the former U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, said the rapid expansion of the islands and a lack of clarity from Beijing "heightens suspicions and presents the potential for miscalculations." While Beijing's assurances are welcomed, confidence measures and increased transparency are needed to assuage China's neighbors of its peaceful intent, Roughead said. Fan cited the recent launch of operations by two new lighthouses on Chinese island holdings as evidence of good intentions and said Beijing was committed to resolving disputes peacefully. "We will never recklessly resort to the use of force, even on issues bearing upon sovereignty, and have done our utmost to avoid unexpected conflicts, said the general, a vice chairman of the powerful commission controlling the military that is headed by President Xi Jinping. Fan also said China would accelerate the establishment of an 8,000-member stand-by force for U.N. peacekeeping missions promised by Xi at the United Nations last month, as well as a commitment to train 2,000 foreign peacekeepers over the next five years. China will also pursue expanded military cooperation with the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian States, whose defense ministers it hosted at a forum in Beijing on Friday. That includes exploring the possibility of establishing hotlines and exchanging liaison officers between their militaries, Fan said. The ASEAN meeting and Xiangshan Forum are part of an effort by China's military to burnish its reputation in a region wary of Beijing's territorial ambitions. Four of the ASEAN countries have claims to seas and islands in the South China Sea that clash with Beijing's own. Unnamed Pentagon officials said last week that the U.S. Navy may soon receive approval to sail a ship inside the 12-nautical mile (21-kilometer) territorial limit surrounding China's man-made islands, reported the Navy Times, which is closely affiliated with the U.S. Navy. ASEAN member Philippines on Wednesday gave strong backing for such a move. Sailing within the boundary would mark the first time the U.S. has directly challenged China's territorial claims since 2012 and reinforce Washington's assertion that land reclamation does not add sovereign territory. China has also sparred with Vietnam, another ASEAN member, over ownership of the Paracel island group, leading to a confrontation last year when Beijing moved a massive oil drilling platform into contested waters. On Thursday, Vietnam accused China of sinking one of its fishing boats near the disputed islands. The incident was apparently motivated by a desire to steal the ship's catch of fish and put it out of commission. There was no evidence that any Chinese government ships were involved, although Beijing's aggressive actions are believed to embolden Chinese fishermen in the area. China's military, especially its navy, is gathering formidable capabilities, fueled by large annual increases in the military budget, which is now the world's largest behind the U.S. China is adding new ships and submarines at a rapid pace, and its first aircraft carrier will soon become operational. Meanwhile, a massive military parade in Beijing last month showcased new missiles permitting China to hit targets including U.S. Navy ships and bases throughout the region. Along with claiming almost all of the South China Sea's island groups and crucial sea lanes, China is dueling with Japan over ownership of an uninhabited chain of islands north of Taiwan, and in late 2013 declared an air defense zone that would theoretically give it control of aviation over much of the East China Sea. Many analysts believe China is now considering declaring a similar zone over the South China Sea. | 5 | 96,124 | news |
Three Palestinians were shot dead trying to stab Israelis in east Jerusalem and the West Bank on Saturday, as violence that has fuelled international concerns of a full-scale uprising showed no let-up. The deadly unrest that has raged for more than two weeks prompted a "very concerned" US President Barack Obama to call for calm as the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday. Including alleged assailants, 40 Palestinians have been killed since the violence erupted on October 1. Seven Israelis have lost their lives. The mounting death toll has prompted fears of a new Palestinian intifada, or uprising, like those of 1987-93 and 2000-2005, when thousands were killed in near-daily violence. Two of Saturday's attacks happened in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron where some 500 Jewish settlers live in a heavily guarded enclave in the city centre surrounded by nearly 200,000 Palestinians. The third happened at a checkpoint in a Jewish settlement neighbourhood of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. In the first attack in Hebron, a Palestinian tried to stab a settler before being shot dead by his victim, the army said. Palestinian security sources identified the assailant as 18-year-old Fadel al-Kawatsmi. The army said the settler was not hurt. Video circulated by Palestinian activists showed a young man wearing a kippa brandishing a pistol as shots rang out before Israeli soldiers moved in to pull him away from a body lying on the ground. In the second attack, a Palestinian woman attempted to stab a female Israeli soldier guarding the Jewish enclave before being shot dead by her victim, Israeli police said. The soldier suffered minor injuries to her hand, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. Palestinian media said her assailant was aged 16. In east Jerusalem, a Palestinian tried to stab a soldier at a checkpoint in East Talpiot but was shot dead by other soldiers. Police said the assailant was a 16-year-old from nearby Jabel Mukaber, the same neighbourhood that was home to three Palestinians who carried out gun, knife and car-ramming attacks earlier this week. Israeli security forces have deployed massively in Jerusalem to try to halt the attacks and on Wednesday began setting up checkpoints in parts of east Jerusalem, including Jabel Mukaber. But it has failed to stop the violence. - 'Inflammatory rhetoric' - The United States, which tried but failed last year to broker peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, urged leaders on both sides to help rein in the unrest. "We are very concerned about the outbreak of violence," Obama said in Washington. "It's important for both (Israeli) Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu... and (Palestinian) president (Mahmud) Abbas and other people in positions of power, to try to tamp down rhetoric that may feed violence or anger or misunderstanding," he said. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who could travel to the region soon, has spoken separately to Abbas and Netanyahu to ask them to restore calm. He told Abbas of the need to avoid "inflammatory rhetoric, accusations and actions that will increase tensions", officials said. Abbas has been under pressure over recent comments that some have labelled incitement and has called for peaceful protests without explicitly condemning the violence. But on Friday he condemned an arson attack the previous night on Joseph's Tomb, a West Bank site which is holy to Jews. The same day, four Palestinians were killed, one after posing as a news photographer to stab and wound a soldier outside a Jewish settlement. As hundreds of Palestinians joined the funeral of Ayad Awawdeh in the West Bank village of Dura on Saturday, his mother told AFP her son had "watched the news on television the whole time and exploded with anger at seeing so many horrors". Such funerals may soon be a thing of the past -- Israel has warned that it may not hand over the bodies of those responsible for attacks to their families for burial. The violence began on October 1, when a suspected cell of the Islamist movement Hamas murdered a Jewish settler couple in the West Bank in front of their children. But subsequent attacks are believed to have been the work of individuals acting independently of any organised militant group making them extremely difficult to prevent. The violence came after repeated clashes in September between Israeli forces and Palestinian youths at east Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound. The mosque compound is the third holiest site in Islam and the most sacred for Jews who call it Temple Mount. On Friday, Israel rejected Palestinian calls for an international protection force to be deployed to quell the violence around Al-Aqsa. | 5 | 96,125 | news |
Two young men were killed and two people wounded in a drive-by shooting attack at an event marking the Shia religious event of Ashura in Iran, the official IRNA news agency reported. Assailants in a car with no number plates approached a crowd of Shia worshippers in the city of Dezful, in the south-western province of Khuzestan, and opened fire at around 22:30 (19:00 GMT) on Friday, the semi-official Fars news agency said, citing an eyewitness. Hossein Karimi Yeganeh, 28, and Bahman Rezaie, 25, were killed in the attack, and two wounded people were taken to hospital, Fars said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. "It's not still clear whether the attack was a terrorist one," provincial police official Colonel Rahman Mousavi said. "Investigators are reviewing the matter and will announce the results as soon as possible." Mousavi added. The shooting took place at an event commemorating Ashura commemorations - which climax on October 24 - marking the killing of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhamad, by the army of the Caliph Yazid in 680 AD. That event lies at the heart of Islam's divide into Shia and Sunni sects. A similar attack took place at a Shia site in Saudi Arabia on Friday night, where a gunman killed five worshippers before being killed by the police. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed responsibility for that attack. | 5 | 96,126 | news |
Islamic State says it carried out a shooting at a Shi'ite meeting hall in Saudi Arabia in which five people were killed as well as the gunman. Rough cut (no reporter narration). | 5 | 96,127 | news |
WASHINGTON Rep. Trey Gowdy is a man under fierce pressure as he leads a congressional Benghazi investigation that's dismissed by Democrats as partisan and even questioned by some fellow Republicans. No matter. The former prosecutor and three-term South Carolina Republican known for his "Southern politeness" is pressing ahead, determined to get the facts about the long night of Sept. 11, 2012, when extremists hit two U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, and killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. On Thursday, as chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, Gowdy faces the star witness in the 17-month, Republican-led investigation that already has surpassed the 1970s-era Watergate probe in length. Hillary Rodham Clinton, secretary of state when the attack happened and now a Democratic presidential candidate, will testify in the highly anticipated hearing on Capitol Hill. For all the talk of how Clinton used a private email server as secretary, Gowdy pledged in a recent interview that the hearing will be "Benghazi-centric," focused on security before and during the attacks. Some questions are likely on Clinton's use of a private email account and server for government business, Gowdy said, but he maintains that his approach may "shock you with fairness." Clinton has said the use of a private server was a mistake. The 51-year-old Gowdy, boyish-looking with close-cropped silver hair, has cast himself as a fact-finder as he deals with Republicans eager to portray the attacks as a major national security failure of the Obama administration and Democrats who call the inquiry a pointless partisan exercise after some seven other investigations into the raids. Gowdy has conducted most of the committee's work behind closed doors while holding just three public hearings in 17 months, the last one in January. The panel has interviewed more than 50 witnesses including seven eyewitnesses whom Gowdy says were never questioned by other congressional committees and reviewed thousands of documents about security lapses, the military response and the administration's initial, inaccurate accounts of why the attacks occurred. House Speaker John Boehner, the driving force behind creation of the committee in May 2014, said he chose Gowdy, a member of the 2010 tea party class, because "he is one of the most professional, capable and respected members of Congress." "Time and time again, Trey has proven that he is the best person to ensure the American people know the truth about what happened in Benghazi," Boehner, R-Ohio, told The Associated Press in a statement. Democrats counter that the $4.5 million inquiry is a costly partisan hunt to destroy Clinton's White House bid and complain that they have been frozen out of some of the committee interviews. They point to the recent comments of two Republicans who suggested Clinton is the panel's target. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said last month that the committee can take credit for Clinton's diminished public standing in recent months, a comment he later retracted. On Wednesday, Rep. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y., who is not on the committee, said "a big part" of the Benghazi investigation was designed to go after Clinton. "At this point, Trey Gowdy's inquiry has zero credibility left," said Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. Clinton called the panel an "arm of the Republican National Committee." Gowdy is on the defensive on another front, too. A former Republican staffer recently said he was unlawfully fired in part because he sought a comprehensive probe into the attacks instead of focusing on Clinton. Air Force Reserve Maj. Bradley Podliska also complained that the committee was engaged in social activities such as an informal wine club nicknamed "Wine Wednesdays." Gowdy said Podliska was fired for mishandling classified information and other mistakes. Still, the chairman felt compelled to issue a statement saying his panel "is not focused on Secretary Clinton, and to the extent we have given any attention to Clinton, it is because she was secretary of state at all relevant times covered by this committee's jurisdiction." Whatever criticism, Gowdy is acutely aware that Thursday's hearing is likely to be the committee's make-or-break moment, where he can revive its credibility or see it widely discredited. Republicans blame Democrats for the partisan breakdown and say Gowdy has been patient with the administration as he seeks documents from the State Department and other agencies. "He's a lot more patient than I would have been," said Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., a member of the committee. Gowdy is "bending over backward" for Democrats who "have not lifted one finger to help us in the fact-discovery process," Pompeo said. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., said he believes Gowdy was sincere in "saying from the beginning that he wanted to do this right. But it just hasn't happened. It has not played out the way that Rep. Gowdy said it would." Before the fierce partisanship, Gowdy allowed Smith to participate in a hearing via Skype after the congressman was sidelined by surgery. Another panel member, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said Gowdy "is under immense pressure" from his party to deliver something after 17 months. Schiff, who has called for the committee to be disbanded, said he likes Gowdy, but "the intense and partisan focus of the committee on Secretary Clinton above all else has made our work on the committee difficult, to say the least." ___ Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report. | 5 | 96,128 | news |
A24 It can be hard for authors to get their books turned into movies, and even harder to get control of those movies once they're being made. For every Mario Puzo who's let in Hollywood's door (author of "The Godfather" who also penned the screenplay for all three films), there's a Stephen King who isn't (he's publicly bashed most of the adaptations of his work). And though the J.K. Rowlings, Stephenie Meyers, and E.L. James' of the world have had a lot of power in shaping their pages to screen in the last few decades, recently the movie world has opened the door even wider for input from authors in the adaptation process. Author Stephen Chbosky adapted his own novel " The Perks of Being a Wallflower " (he also directed the film), Gillian Flynn wrote the book " Gone Girl " and the screenplay (which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Screenplay), and now there's Emma Donoghue . The Irish-Canadian has written eight novels, but the adaptation of her 2010 New York Times Best-Selling book " Room " is the one that has now given her cross-over appeal as it has become one of the most buzzed about films this awards season. But what sets Donoghue apart from many other author/screenwriters is that Donoghue wrote the screenplay for "Room" before the book was even published. A24"I didn't want to have some company come along and say 'Let us take it off your hands and have some experienced writer take it,'" Donoghue told Business Insider. "I decided that, privately, I'd do a draft of it myself before anyone could tell me what to do." Donoghue had experienced the more traditional path with her previous books a production company hired on a screenwriter to adapt her stories. But those movies never got off the ground. The author had such a good feeling about "Room"'s cinematic prospect, she wanted to be ahead of the game this time. "And I wanted to be honest," said Donoghue. "If I found the right filmmaker I wanted to be able to say, 'Look, I'm not trying to force you to hire me, here's my script, can we work together?'" But Donoghue also admitted that if her book were to be made into a movie she wanted to try her best to keep it as true to what she created. "Room" is an emotional tale filled with as much tension as warmth. It follows a 5-year-old boy and his mother as they are held captive in a small shed. But a big stand-out about the book is it's told in the voice of the 5-year-old, Jack. The only glimpse we get of his mother, which he calls Ma, is from Jack's point-of-view. A24 Certainly not an easy task to adapt into a movie for the author of the book, let alone a screenwriter. But Donoghue said she wasn't afraid to rework the story so it was more cinematic. She took out a lot of the social commentary that's in the second half of the book, as well as an incident where Ma had a stillbirth before Jack was born. "You always have to streamline," she said about writing a screenplay. "I'm not left with any regrets." While taking meetings with numerous filmmakers who wanted to make the film, which included established names, she was given a ten-page hand-written letter from a fellow Irishman, independent filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson . "I had a big emotional reaction to the novel, being a parent with a young boy at that point," Abrahamson told Business Insider. "I had very strong images of how this novel should be adapted and what not to do and what to do. So the letter to Emma was, 'I know it, I know how your novel works. I promise I won't f--k it up.'" A24Donoghue instantly felt that Abrahamson got the book and got what she was doing. "He immediately got my references to Plato in the book," she explained. "He understood this was both a realistic story about people being kidnapped and a metaphor for the moment when you move from childhood into adulthood. And he didn't call it The Room ." Once Abrahamson realized that Donoghue had a script he embraced her involvement. In fact, he pushed her to keep things in the script from the book that she was reluctant to include. "One thing I changed immediately for my first draft of the script was Jack's long hair," said Donoghue, who felt that looking at a boy's hair that goes down below his shoulders in a movie would have looked bizarre. "But Lenny said, 'No, go back to the long hair.' He was just unafraid of the unconventional aspects of the screenplay." Donoghue and Abrahamson worked on the script together for months. Flying back and forth to each other's home, with almost no interference from the film's backers. They fleshed out Ma so the character in the film would be a stronger presence than in the book while still keeping Jack as the foundation for the story. The finished product is an emotional, tear-jerking ride that is excels with Abrahamson's direction and Oscar-worthy performances by actress Brie Larson as Ma and newcomer Jacob Tremblay as Jack. A24The film won the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Winners of the prize often go on to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination. For Donoghue, seeing the film was a thrill, especially watching Larson as Ma. "Ma was a very real character in my mind but for the book I had this frustrating fact that she was just through Jack," she said. "So seeing her on screen was beautiful. She's strong, and motherly." Donoghue knows that the experience she had with Abrahamson making "Room" is extremely rare. And though she wants to continue writing screenplays, so knows she'll likely never have that kind of bond and understanding with a director again (although they both say they want to work with each other moving forward). "The whole thing was made protectively," she said. "It's like the little room." "Room" opens in limited release on Friday. NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to drive a Tesla on the new Autopilot mode | 6 | 96,129 | entertainment |
It is a fundamental principle of portfolio management theory to include alternative assets as part of a well-diversified portfolio. One of the most popular alternative investments for savvy investors is real estate. For those looking to hedge their holdings against inflation and enjoy the potential of a steady cash flow stream, there are two primary methods to gain exposure to this relatively stable asset class: real estate investment trusts ( REITS ) and private equity real estate (PERE) funds. We look at the nature and history of PERE funds, their benefits and how they stack up against the REITs. (For more, see: How To Invest In Private Equity Real Estate & Can Real Estate Stabilize Your Portfolio? ) What Exactly is a Private Equity Real Estate Fund? According to research by the Zell/Lurie Real Estate Center at the Wharton School of Business , sensing a need to amass a "war-chest" of equity to acquire delinquent foreclosed properties, the first pooled PERE fund was created by business magnate Sam Zell in the 1980s. While this pioneering firm raised a total of $409 million in capital, according to Preqin Research , the PERE sector has since grown to $742 billion in global assets under management as of 2014. This large growth in popularity translates to millions of dollars in management fees, as PERE firms are actively managed, and much like hedge funds, the fund managers (or general partners) earn a percentage fee based on the total committed capital. Managers of PEREs also tend to invest along with the investors (limited partners or LPs), usually with a 3-10 percent capital contribution of their own, and are precluded from forming additional funds until the capital committed to the current firm has been substantially deployed. Investors of PERE firms are generally institutional (pension funds, endowment funds, fund-of-funds, etc.) or high-net-worth individuals. These investors pool their contributions in closed-end "blind pools" in order to be deployed at the discretion of the general partner in a variety of real estate related investments, ranging in risk and returns and typically lasting three-to-eight years. The potential investments strategies that a PERE firm can pursue are: Core strategies that pursue well-diversified, low-risk/return, traditional asset classes (office space, retail, industrial and multi-family units) in established locations. Core strategies employ little to no debt, and seek to provide a steady stream of cash flows for the LPs. Core-Plus strategies employ a moderate amount of leverage, and tend to be more moderate in risk as well as return. Core-plus assets may be located in less established locations, and may require some form of value-additions. Value-Add strategies offer moderate-to-high risk and returns, and feature higher leverage than core or core-plus. The value-add strategy seeks to add value through the operation, re-leasing or re-development of acquired assets. Opportunistic strategies are high-risk, high-return strategies that target poorly-managed, vacant or obsolete assets. These strategies employ very high leverage and may involve acquisitions of entire companies or portfolios of assets, or require full development or conversion projects. Mezzanine Lending/ Distressed Debt are strategies employed by firms that are comfortable with owning the underlying assets in the event of borrower default, as the loans issued by the firms involved in this strategy have more aggressive terms than traditional lenders. Fund-of-Funds are funds that investment in third-party managed PERE firms, and offer a diversified investment solution for smaller investors seeking access to larger, exclusive firms. Benefits Investing in PEREs As previously mentioned, PERE funds are generally available only to institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. However, members of the general public can gain exposure to PEREs through publicly traded private equity funds offered through firms such as The Blackstone Group LP ( BX ), Apollo Global Management LLC ( APO ) and the Carlyle Group LP ( CG ). Owing to their actively-managed nature, PERE funds present opportunities for savvy management teams to seek out and turn-around underperforming properties and create investor wealth by executing value-added initiatives. Furthermore, the private nature of PERE funds grant management teams more direct input in the course of daily affairs, without having to worry about the ebb and flow that is inherent in public equity markets. Moreover, this private nature affords management the flexibility to pursue a variety of strategies such as, subdividing or combining different properties and selling, financing or leasing the existing real estate portfolio by any number of criteria (geography, type, etc.) PEREs vs. REITs The performances of PEREs are often compared to their publicly traded counterparts: the REITs. Some investors are willing to give up the potential sources of alpha that come with the PERE's active management, in lieu the REIT's transparency, liquidity and accountability on the public market. A 2010 study by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) compared 17.5 years of data from the U.S. REIT market and private equity real estate funds, and found that public REITs outperformed core, value-added and opportunistic funds during the full market cycle. However, the study also found that during bull market stages of the cycle (trough to peak), opportunistic funds tend to outperform REITS on an annualized basis, owing to a shorter trough-to-peak period (although core and value-added funds continued to lag). Figure 1 below showcases the net returns of PERE funds vs. REITs over the 1989/1990 to 2007/2008 span. Furthermore, contrary to the notion that REITs experienced greater returns and higher short term volatility, a 2009 article by Investments and Pensions Europe , found that once PERE returns were "smoothed out" and appraised on a daily basis like stocks, the correlation between private real estate and REITs were found to be significantly higher and increased over time. The solution? Include both asset classes to create a better efficient frontier across all points on a risk-return spectrum (Exhibit B). Exhibit B highlights the increase in risk-adjusted returns once REITs and PEREs are both added to a portfolio. (For more, see: How to Diversify with REITs .) Source: BNY Mellon Asset Management The Bottom Line For investors looking to diversify into real estate, private equity real estate funds are a good way to gain exposure to this asset class. Although not as liquid or as transparent as REITS, PERE funds helmed by an experienced and proven management team, guided by a disciplined and focused investment strategy without an over reliance on leverage, can provide a high degree of risk-adjusted returns. | 3 | 96,130 | finance |
Hundreds of people gathered in Ankara, Turkey on Saturday to remember the victims of twin suicide blasts that struck the Turkish capital one week ago. (Oct. 17) | 8 | 96,131 | video |
It's that special time of year again: leaves are changing color, people are donning coats against a new chill in the air, and pumpkins are being integrated into everyone's lives especially the lives of animals at zoos across the US. Every year, as the US gears up for Halloween, numerous zoos across the country begin taking part in a longstanding tradition: they place pumpkins in their animal enclosures and let the animals do what they please. They eat, they play, they smash. Pictures of lions, chimps, birds, and more flood the internet as they interact with the orange fruits. But one central question remains: Why? Ron Evans, the curator of primates at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, said the gourds are more than just decorative and that there is "nutritional value to a pumpkin". Some zoo workers will include treats inside the pumpkins for animals to discover. This year, Evans said his staff put sugar-free jello in the pumpkins "so it looked like brains, kind of traditional Halloween stuff". But some animals that have no interest in eating a pumpkin will receive one anyway. At some zoos, visitors will find birds with pumpkins, polar bears with pumpkins, owls with pumpkins even snakes with pumpkins. At the Cincinnati Zoo, Evans says, staff let the animals decide what to do with the gourds. Smaller animals might "just use them more for going into and hanging out", he said. They sometimes carve out the pumpkins for birds, providing them with a place to explore and "something exciting for them in the exhibit". Elephants can crush them with their feet. Polar bears can take them underwater, and then perhaps have them for a snack. Gigi Allianic a spokeswoman for the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington, said pumpkins are provided in order "to promote natural animal behavior and keep animals mentally stimulated". #grizzlybear #smashingpumpkins #detroitzoo https://t.co/I62WQSpoV7 Detroit Zoo (@detroitzoo) October 15, 2015 The Detroit Zoo says it provides its animals with pumpkins "as part of its comprehensive program of ensuring environments for animals that are ever-changing and appropriately complex". Their employees hide food items "in order to stimulate natural behaviors such as foraging or stalking", according to a press release . But the purpose behind the pumpkins doesn't end there. They are not just for the animals benefit but are also meant to entertain guests. "It's just one of many ways that we try and engage our guests and capture their imagination," Evans said. Zoo, of course, rhymes with "boo", and the zoos take full advantage of other plays on words for the Halloween season: the Cincinnati Zoo has its annual HallZooween; the Detroit Zoo holds a yearly Smashing Pumpkins event; and the Woodland Zoo puts on a Pumpkin Bash. According to Evans, zoos have been giving animals pumpkins "since the existence of zoos". But it wasn't until about 25 years ago that the Cincinnati Zoo started involving the public. It's also the perfect opportunity to get their message out about other issues, like their conservation efforts for those animals they house that are endangered. "It gives us the opportunity to talk about conservation issues or whatever else we want to tag on to it when people are there," he said. "Whenever we send out press releases about this kind of thing, we'll always put on a little conservative tag at the bottom." #gorilla #smashingpumpkins #detroitzoo #vitaminz https://t.co/c0jwQH68IB Detroit Zoo (@detroitzoo) October 16, 2015 | 5 | 96,132 | news |
MANILA, Philippines (AP) Slow-moving Typhoon Koppu weakened after blowing ashore with fierce winds in the northeastern Philippines on Sunday, leaving at least two people dead, displacing 16,000 villagers and knocking out power in entire provinces, officials said. Army troops and police were deployed to rescue residents trapped in flooded villages in the hard-hit provinces of Aurora, where the typhoon made landfall early Sunday, and Nueva Ecija, a nearby rice-growing province where floodwaters swamped rice farmlands at harvest time. After slamming into Aurora's Casiguran town after midnight Saturday, the typhoon weakened and slowed down, hemmed in by the Sierra Madre mountain range and a high pressure area in the country's north and another typhoon far out in the Pacific in the east, government forecaster Gladys Saludes said. Howling winds knocked down trees and electric posts, leaving nine entire provinces without power, while floods and small landslides made 25 roads and bridges impassable. Authorities suspended dozens of flights and sea voyages due to the stormy weather, and many cities canceled classes on Monday. By Sunday afternoon, the typhoon had veered toward the north from a westward course and was barreling across mountainous Nueva Vizcaya province with sustained winds of 150 kilometers (93 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 185 kph (115 mph), according to the government's weather agency. Satellite images showed that the typhoon appeared to be losing its eye, a sign of its dissipating strength, acting weather bureau chief Esperanza Cayanan said, adding that Koppu was forecast to move at a slow pace of 5 kph (3 mph) across the mountainous north before exiting the main northern island of Luzon on Wednesday. While weather conditions had begun to improve in some towns, and villagers had started to clear roads of fallen trees and debris, Koppu still packed a ferocity that could set off landslides and flash floods, officials said. "We're asking our countrymen not to become complacent," said Alexander Pama, who heads the government's disaster-response agency, citing how rainwater could cascade down mountainsides after Koppu passed and flood villages. That happened in low-lying villages in six towns in Nueva Ecija, near Aurora, where some residents were trapped on rooftops by floodwaters, said Nigel Lontoc of the Office of Civil Defense. A teenager was pinned to death on Sunday by a fallen tree, which also injured four people and damaged three houses in suburban Quezon city in the Manila metropolis. In Subic town, northwest of Manila, a concrete wall collapsed and killed a 62-year-old woman and injured her husband, Lontoc said. Three fishermen who had gone missing at sea were rescued off northern Bataan province, and three other missing people were found in an evacuation camp in Aurora's Baler town, he said. President Benigno Aquino III and disaster-response agencies had warned that Koppu's rain and winds may potentially bring more damage with its slow speed. But Saludes, the government forecaster, said that there was less heavy rain than expected initially in some areas, including in Manila, but that fierce winds lashed many regions. Koppu, Japanese for "cup," is the 12th storm to hit the Philippines this year. An average of 20 storms and typhoons each year batter the archipelago, one of the world's most disaster-prone countries. In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most ferocious storms on record to hit land, barreled through the central Philippines, leveling entire towns and leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing. ___ Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this report. | 5 | 96,133 | news |
BEIRUT An airstrike has killed a top al-Qaida commander and two other fighters in Syria, activists said Saturday, but it was not immediately clear whether it was carried out by the U.S.-led coalition or Russian warplanes. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Abdul Mohsen Abdallah Ibrahim al-Charekh, a Saudi better known as Sanafi al-Nasr, was killed Thursday in an airstrike near the northern Syrian town of Dana, along with another Saudi and a Moroccan member of al-Qaida's local affiliate, known as the Nusra Front. Russian warplanes have been carrying out airstrikes in Syria since Sept. 30. A U.S.-led coalition has been targeting the Nusra Front and the Islamic State group for more than a year. The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said it was not clear if al-Charekh was killed by U.S. or Russian warplanes. The Observatory, which relies on a network of activists inside Syria, said an Egyptian commander escaped the bombing. It said all four men had been dispatched to Syria by al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri. Jihadi activists on social media say al-Charekh was killed by a U.S. drone strike. A U.S. official said an American drone targeted and struck al-Charekh but the U.S. was waiting for confirmation that he was actually killed in the attack. The official was not authorized to discuss the strike publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity. Al-Charekh, the alleged leader of al-Qaida's operations in Syria, was one of six men that the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions on last year. He was 49th on a list of 85 most-wanted militants by Saudi Arabia who are outside the kingdom. The list, issued in 2009, includes 83 Saudis and two Yemenis. "America is offering its services to the Safawi (Iranian) project in the region by removing every brain who confronts this project," wrote prominent Lebanese jihadi cleric Sirajeddine Zuraiqat on Twitter. Zuraiqat is believed to be in Syria and is wanted in his home country. The U.S. killed top al-Qaida official Muhsin al-Fadhli in an airstrike three months ago. Some Arab press reports suggested that al-Charekh was a member of the Khorasan group, a secretive cell of al-Qaida operatives who U.S. officials say were sent from Pakistan to Syria to plot attacks against the West. The Nusra Front's leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, has denied the existence of the Khorasan group. In Moscow, Maj. Gen. Igoro Konashenkov said Russian aircraft conducted 36 sorties over the past 24 hours, striking a total of 49 positions. He said the airstrikes were in the province of Hama, Idlib, Latakia, Damascus and Aleppo. Konashenkov said one of the targets was a building on the outskirts of the town of Salma in the coastal province of Latakia where foreign instructors prepared militants. Syria's state news agency, SANA, said troops carried out operations in Salma and nearby areas killing and wounding at least 300 fighters. "Several vehicles and hideouts were destroyed," SANA said. Salma is in the mountains of Latakia province that is a stronghold of President Bashar Assad and is predominantly inhabited by members of his minority Alawite sect. Since Russian airstrikes began two weeks ago, Syrian troops have been on the offensive on several fronts around the country. The Observatory said government forces captured the villages of Wadihi, Sabqiyeh and Shgheidleh in Aleppo province under the cover of airstrikes. It added that fighting on the southern edge of Aleppo province killed 17 militants and eight troops and pro-government gunmen. ___ Associated Press writers Jim Heintz in Moscow and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report. | 5 | 96,134 | news |
Got a Sam's Club membership? Here are deals to snag and skip at the warehouse club. 15 Best and Worst Deals at Sam's Club In 1983, businessman-turned-entrepreneur Sam Walton founded Sam's Club to help other businessmen get deals on products and services. Today, the warehouse club's 650-plus locations help members find bargains on everything from toilet paper to TVs. But not everything in Sam's Club is a good deal . Some offers should be, well, left to Sam. GOBankingRates.com asked savings experts to weigh in on what they think are the best and worst deals at the store. Click through to see what they had to say. 15 Best Sam's Club Deals If you want to maximize your savings, here are Sam's Club deals you should snag. Find Out: Is My Sam's Club Membership Really Saving Me Money? 1. Alcohol The holidays are right around the corner, and that usually means a slightly higher alcohol budget. Sam's Club is a great place to keep it under control, said Amy Chang, lifestyle savings expert at Slickdeals.net . "Hit up the alcohol section and stock up on beer, liquor, and wine for big discounts," she said. "In fact, some designer brand liquor companies are produced in the same factory as warehouse brands. So, you'll save money without sacrificing quality." 2. Brand-Name Tires Driving your tires until they're bald might save you money, but it's a dangerous practice . Thanks to Sam's Club, though, you can be safe on the road with quality tires. "With winter approaching, now's the time to make sure your tires are in tip-top shape," said Chang. Sam's Club offers up to 20 percent savings on the same tires that auto shops sell, plus the store will mount them for you while you shop, she said. 3. Eggs, Butter and Cheese You can find good deals on eggs, butter and cheese at Sam's Club, said Teri Gault, author of " Shop Smart, Save More ." "Eggs, butter and cheese are almost always the best possible price any time of year," she said. "Expect to save 30 to 50 percent compared to supermarkets. This is due to the fact that these are staples that don't often have high-value coupons, and the most competitive sales at supermarkets are usually only on certain holiday sales events." 4. Health Screenings Healthcare is expensive that's why a free health screening could be the best deal you find at Sam's Club, said Benjamin Glaser, features editor with DealNews.com . "Sam's Clubs with pharmacies have free health screenings about every two months. And that's open to the public, not just members," he said. 5. Televisions If you need a new TV, you'll want to do careful comparison shopping. But include Sam's Club in the mix, said Glaser. "Many people might not think of Sam's Club when they're purchasing a TV, but it has very competitive prices. However, most of its best deals come from off-brands like Vizio and Hisense," he said. Related: 5 Best and Worst Deals at Best Buy 6. Gift Cards Hardly anything is better than free money to spend on your favorite meal or song, which is why you should take advantage of discounted gift cards at Sam's Club, said Glaser. "In the last year, we've seen great discounted gift card deals at Sam's Club, usually for restaurants like Dickey's Barbecue Pit or Boston Market. But there's also deals for iTunes credit sometimes," he said. 7. Batteries Energy is expensive especially when it comes in the small, portable form. But Sam's Club can help, said Regina Conway, consumer expert for Slickdeals.net. "You'll pay as much as $1 less per battery than if you purchased them full price at the grocery store," she said. This is one item where it pays to stock up, too. "Check expiration dates, but these should be several years out, so it makes sense to buy in bulk," said Conway. 8. Over-the-Counter and Prescription Drugs While she suggests always comparison shopping for medications, Conway said Sam's Club should be on the list whether or not you're a member. "Because of drug regulations, the stores cannot require you to be a member to buy prescription medications," she said. That can pay off. "Some medicine carried there can cost as much as 50 percent less than local pharmacies," said Conway. 9. Christmas Trees Sam's Club is a great place to get into the holiday spirit, thanks to deals on the most important Christmas decoration . Sam's Club, along with other warehouse stores, stock up on trees, making it easy for them to give great prices, said Conway. "Bear in mind, however, that negotiating opportunities will be thin at warehouse stores," she warned. "[Also] check out the faux tree deals at the warehouse stores. They'll get you through several seasons, saving you more each year." 10. Party Food When it's time to party, count Sam in. "Most food items sold in large quantities are not only a great deal but will keep you stocked for large family or work gatherings," said Conway. "From frozen appetizers and finger foods to desserts and gift baskets, you'll save 30 percent over local supermarket deals." One warning: Don't buy more than you need. Waste is a bargain hunter's worst enemy , after all. 11. Pet Items If you have a pet, you and your furry best friend will love Sam's Club deals, said Kendal Perez, savings expert at CouponSherpa.com . "Pet beds are a great deal from Sam's Club with prices nearly 40 percent less than competitors," she said. For instance, she found a Majestic Orthopedic Double Pet Bed, 24 inches by 34 inches, priced at $49.88 at Sam's Club, compared to $78.99 at Target and $64.73 from Walmart. Other great pet deals included treats and cat litter. 12. Select Household Appliances Ready to upgrade your coffee maker, vacuum or mixer? Perez said Sam's Club is worth a try. "Sam's Club is a great source for top appliance brands at discounted prices," she said. "For example, a KitchenAid 5-Quart Professional Stand Mixer is on sale now through Nov. 23 for $250, compared to $300 from Macy's, $330 from Amazon and $450 from Target." Other deals she suggested were on Nutri Ninja blenders, KitchenAid coffeemakers and a Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless Vacuum, which costs $370, $30 less than competitors. 13. Select Food Gifts If you like giving people gift baskets filled with goodies, Sam's Club is your spot, said Perez. "Gourmet gift baskets are a steal from Sam's Club, especially since they're easy to break apart and give as separate, smaller gifts to stretch your holiday budget," she said. She pointed toward the Alder Creek Zen Tea Tray featuring TAZO tea, which goes for $29 $7 to $21 lower than competitors. Another good deal, said Perez, is the Alder Creek Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownie Delight gift basket, saving you at least $11. 14. Frozen Fruit Are you a morning smoothie lover or afternoon pie maker? Head to Sam's Club, said Perez. "Frozen fruit is a great price at Sam's Club compared to grocery stores," she said. "For example, a 48-ounce bag of frozen blueberries from Sam's Club is $7.48, compared to $9.96 from Walmart and $9.99 from Target." Another cool deal are Dole Mango Chunks for 15 cents per ounce at Sam's Club, compared to 24 cents from Walmart, said Perez. 15. Copy Paper If you or your business goes through a lot of copy paper, Perez suggested checking out Sam's Club. "The savings on copy paper from Sam's Club can be significant compared to office supply stores," she said. She did add, however, that while Sam's Club's copy paper prices are great, at certain times, like back-to-school season, office supply stores might have them beat. 15 Worst Sam's Club Deals Passing up on bad deals is just as important as grabbing good ones. So, here are 15 Sam's Club deals you might want to skip. 1. Everyday Meat Grab the specialty meats, but leave the everyday cuts at Sam's Club, said Gault. "The one or two featured meat sales at supermarkets will beat warehouse club stores by a lot," she said. She suggested bulking up on supermarket meat sales for basics like chicken, pork chops, choice steaks and more. She said that there are always supermarket sales offering 50 to 67 percent off. 2. Some Fresh Produce Warehouse stores like Sam's Club don't offer seasonal sales on fresh produce, so often you'll find better deals at the supermarket , said Gault. "I always say bring the sales circular, or look it up on your smartphone before you pay 50 percent more or even twice as much," she said. 3. Toilet Paper and Paper Towels Paper products tend to be a pretty flimsy deal at Sam's Club and other warehouse stores, said Conway. Per sheet, toilet paper ends up being roughly the same price at the grocery store as Sam's Club. However, with a sale or coupon, you can easily find a better deal at the grocery store, she said. "Papers towels cost 50 percent less at merchants such as Target or the grocery store when on sale," added Conway. 4. Luggage The good news: Sam's Club has high-quality suitcases, said Conway. The bad news: They're more expensive than using an online coupon code. "Macy's, for example, has a two-piece Samsonite luggage set comparable to that at the warehouse clubs for a lower price," she said. "Coupled with a coupon code for 15 to 20 percent off available at Slickdeals.net, the savings are even greater." Related: How Airlines Rip You Off During Holiday Season 5. Coffee This is another good news, bad news scenario, said Jeanette Pavini, a savings expert with Coupons.com . "You can get really great deals on coffee when you shop at warehouse stores, but here's the catch: Coffee is only at its peak for a limited amount of time," she said. "So while you'll certainly save buying the 2-pound bag of coffee, it may not be optimum quality by the time you reach the bottom of the bag." Pavini suggested grabbing a coupon and hitting your local grocer instead. "Recently, I found around a dozen coffee-related offers in the beverage section at Coupons.com," she said. 6. Soda Soda, the young guns' coffee. But don't look to Sam's Club to give you the bargain basement price. Grocery stores often have great sales on soda around popular holidays and sporting events, said Conway. "Typically, during these sales cycles, you can expect to pay about 17 cents per can at the grocery store versus the normal low price at a warehouse club for 25 cents per can," she said. 7. Cereal Yes, you can buy jumbo boxes of cereal for a seemingly good price at Sam's Club, but often you can do a lot better if you wait for sales at the grocery store and use a coupon, said Pavini. "Since cereal coupons are one of the most popular coupon categories, there are always deals to be had," she said. "Plus, while unopened cereal will last for months in your pantry, once opened the big boxes may get stale before you get to the bottom." 8. Condiments Sure, that gallon of mayonnaise might be a fantastic price, but do you really want or need that much? Pavini said that considering the possibility of waste, it might be more penny-wise to wait for the fridge-sized condiments to go on sale at the supermarket. "Keep in mind that fatty-based products, like mayonnaise and olive oil, have a shorter shelf life once opened," she said. "Make sure you're able to finish it before it goes bad, or it's wasted money no matter how good the deal." 9. Pantry Items Packaged foods like canned food, pancake mix, salad dressing and almost anything in the center of the supermarket aisles are cheaper when on sale at supermarkets than at Sam's Club, said Gault. "The sale price is usually 20 to 40 percent less," she explained. "Adding a coupon makes the regular-size boxes on sale often half the cost per unit or cost per ounce than the huge bulk packages at warehouse club stores." 10. Sam's Club Membership Fee If you haven't joined yet but are thinking of spending $45 or $100 for a Sam's Club membership, Chang said you should shop around. "Before you commit to a membership at Sam's Club, look for a deal," she said. "Slickdeals.net currently has a one-year Sam's Club membership for only $25, and it comes with a $5 gift card and a free rotisserie chicken." That deal lasts until the end of the year. 11. Books If you're a big reader, don't let the warehouse store's many books pull you in. A good read might be a bad deal, said Glaser. He suggested checking online for cheaper deals, or visiting your local library. 12. Diapers Diapers can hammer a budget faster than a nursery add-on, so you might be inclined to stock up at Sam's Club. But Chang said you might want to plan a little. "Sure, it may seem reasonable to stock up on diapers as it seems babies go through them so quickly," she said. "But, babies also grow fast, which means you'll end up with diapers that no longer fit. Check out discount stores like Target for diapers and buy only what you need." 13. Perishables Any food that can go bad will if you buy too much of it. And warehouse clubs in general are great at pulling you into this trap . Unless you have a party coming up for which you need a lot of food, it's generally a bad idea to buy any perishable goods in bulk at a place like Sam's Club, said Glaser. You will likely have to throw a lot of it out, which negates most if not all of the savings. 14. Raw Seafood While Gault cheers Sam's Club pricing and quality of frozen, vacuum-sealed seafood, she said the raw seafood might not be the best deal. "Since the frozen fish is usually flash frozen on the ship moments after it's caught, I always say, 'Flash frozen fish is fresher than fresh fish,'" she said. 15. Laptops These days, just about everybody sells computers, so it's tough to know which deals are the best. But, said Glaser, Sam's Club might not be your first choice. Rarely, if ever, does Sam's Club come through with the best deals on laptops . | 3 | 96,135 | finance |
Palestinians in the West Bank town of Dura attended the funeral of Eyad Awawdeh, who was killed this week when he posed as a journalist and tried to stab an Israeli soldier. (Oct. 17) | 8 | 96,136 | video |
Last week, Netflix stock plunged 10% as a new quarterly report put the company's performance below expectations, including less-than-anticipated subscriber growth. Netflix, in turn, blamed a variety of different factors, including a switch to chip-based debit and credit cards for consumers, but said very little about what may be wrong with the service itself. I think it's time to look at exactly that. I have cable. I have Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime and HBO Go. I subscribe to Netflix and pretty much all its competition, and so I'm in a prime position to observe the limitations of the service. And there are plenty. Netflix's Movie Selection is Terrible This is old news, but such old news, it's kind of miraculous it hasn't gotten much better over the years. With almost 70 million subscribers, you would think that Netflix would have gotten enough clout to add a ton of movies at a reasonable pace, and yet the rate at which new movies are added is painfully slow, and because of licensing deals, what good movies they do have often depart after a few months. But the stinkers? They seem to stay around forever (I swear to god The Perfect Host has been recommended to me 86 times since I signed up years ago). It remains a miracle to me that Netflix still even has a DVD-by-mail service, and that it has a much wider selection of movies through that service. I understand this is an issue with the rights-holders, but Netflix needs to be a better negotiator. It needs to reach a point where there simply are no more movies that can be mailed to you on a disc but not streamed online. It's 2015, it's just silly. Netflix's competition, cable OnDemand or Amazon Video or Google Play, don't have the best free movie selections either. But they do have the ability to rent movies separately from the free service. So if there's something you really want to see, it probably is possible. While Netflix prides itself on offering everything it has for one price, this situation means that consumers will often open up their competitors' apps to find what they were actually looking for, even if it costs extra. Netflix's TV Selection is Great, But Aging and Slow It's no secret that anyone using Netflix for any amount of time is probably binge-watching TV shows, not watching movies. Netflix has a truly unparalleled selection of TV that its rivals can't match in terms of volume or quality. But as the years go by, many avid Netflix-ers will start to reach a pretty hard limit on shows that interest them. It's going to be a different selection of shows for everyone, but given how much Netflix users watch the service, eventually, you're going to have watched the vast majority of shows that truly interest you, and new, potentially interesting shows aren't being added quickly enough. And if they are, they're currently-airing shows, not ones where you can consume the whole series in a few weeks or months. Netflix does have many of the best shows ever made in its roster, from Breaking Bad to Arrested Development to Friday Night Lights and so on. But at a certain point, you're going to have watched the vast majority of shows that catch your interest. Granted, that may only be 10% or less of the shows Netflix offers, but there is a limit there, and old classics are not being supplemented by new classics all that quickly. The other problem with Netflix's TV offerings is speed. It takes a long time for new seasons of shows to get added to Netflix, meaning you have to be behind the times for months before you can catch up on many shows. This encourages many to A) still have cable to DVR shows as they happen or B) use other services like Hulu (which uploads many new shows the next day for free) or Amazon (which sells episodes or seasons individually immediately after they air). Again, Netflix is limited by the deals it has in place. Hulu is owned by the networks themselves, hence the fantastic level of access for man new shows. Amazon offers a paid route which is against Netflix's core philosophy. While all Netflix content may be under the same price banner, the cost is the speed at which new shows appear on the service. Netflix Originals Have a Myriad of Issues Netflix originals are in a weird place right now. Many of them are high quality, but I would argue that they haven't found a true mega-hit since their first two original shows, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black , and even both of those have seen a direct decline in quality since they first aired. Outside of those, there's a kind of "mid tier" of programs that look like sweeping epics and Emmy bait, but in practice are mostly average. I'd put Narcos, Marco Polo, Bloodlines and Sense8 in that category. Honestly, Daredevil is probably the best original show Netflix has put out in eons, but that might be the comic fanboy in me talking. A problem with all of these shows, from the mediocre to the excellent, is that their cultural impact is limited by the binge-watch/release model of how they're distributed. It's great for the consumer. I love watching an entire season over a weekend or week or month, rather than having it be spread out half a year. But the problem is that the cultural conversation about these shows is severely limited as a result. It's why it seems unlikely Netflix will ever have its own Walking Dead or Game of Thrones . I'm watching write our own Erik Kain write reviews for The Walking Dead and they get a few hundred thousand views every week from people wanting to read and discuss the latest developments and predict what happens next. It's just not possible to have those same conversations about Netflix shows. Even shows that should be perfect for that kind of discussion like Daredevil are released and forgotten about two weeks later because the entire season has been consumed by everyone. Sure, we'll all be interested for another week or so when season two rolls around, but it's hard for any of these shows to have a lasting impact because of this system, I'd argue. I do think Netflix's ability to invest in original content makes it stand out from its rivals, and now seeing it get into the film business with a literal Oscar-contender like Beasts of No Nation is something else, but the system does have its drawbacks. - In summary, I think Netflix has far greater problems than chip-based credit cards. There are plenty of other issues with the service itself that discourages subscriber retention or growth. When Netflix was the only streaming game in town, its explosive growth made sense, but now? There are a half dozen other streaming sites offering the same service, often with better features. Netflix will have to step up its game if it wants to retain its place as the industry leader. Follow me on Twitter , on Facebook , and on Tumblr . Pick up a copy of my first sci-fi novel, The Last Exodus , which is now in print and online. What should Destiny do with its $500M budget? Watch below: | 3 | 96,137 | finance |
"It was embarrassing but not serious." Johnny Manziel went on Twitter Friday night in an attempt at damage control, as news spread that the high-profile Cleveland Browns quarterback has another off-the-field incident on his record. Chalk up that effort as another incomplete pass for Johnny Football. Not serious? Who is Manziel trying to fool? Maybe he's fooled himself into believing that his episode in Avon, Ohio, on Monday stemming from an argument with his girlfriend wasn't a big deal. But we know better. Fortunately, no one was hurt after Manziel, according to a witness, dangerously passed on the shoulder at high speed on a stretch of I-80. And his girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, is seemingly willing to forgive and protect after engaging in some form of a physical contact with Manziel, according to the police report. They weren't arrested, either, after police, according to their report, determined that Manizel who spent 10 weeks in rehab during the offseason had consumed alcohol earlier on Monday but wasn't intoxicated while driving erratically and arguing with his girlfriend in public. Shoot, the police made that determination without even administering a breathalyzer, which makes me wonder whether Manziel caught a break from the cops because he was a celebrity or had stumbled upon a real-life version of Barney Fife. No breath test? Some people would be met with excessive force by merely encountering police. And just think, police were called twice, by two witnesses from different vantage one from the highway and another from a neighborhood. Yet the former Heisman Trophy winner tweets that it was not serious. It's very serious. And it's a case to test the legitimacy of the NFL's new personal conduct policy, with the components including investigations that are run independent of the course that, say, bumbling or biased police may or may not pursue. Add the possibility of domestic violence to this case which lacks a Ray Rice video, and may seem less of a threat without a woman wearing bruises and the credibility of the experts the NFL enlisted since last year to deal with this hot-button issue may swing in the balance. If Manziel, given his history, doesn't view it as a serious matter, then it's further proof that he needs a reality check in addition to whatever clinical support may be in order to help him deal with his issues. Another passage from Manziel's Twitter feed: "I know I would stop and check if I saw a couple arguing on the road." Really? Like always? In what part of town? More Manziel: "It probably looked more serious than it was." It looks like someone is in denial. The Browns put out a statement on Friday from GM Ray Farmer, acknowledging that they were aware of the incident. Farmer said he'd have no further comment. Then again, with Manziel tapping away on Twitter, what could they say? That Manziel acknowledged, according to police, he consumed alcohol is the super-sized red flag. Manziel has never publicly said what led him to enter rehab, but it's fair to question whether drinking alcohol months later (if not sooner) is part of the program. That the Browns will have tough decisions regarding his future with the team is a given. Even if they believe Manziel is on the right path and for weeks since he got out of rehab, the reports have been glowing about his maturity and focus there's another episode to provide the Browns with a reality check. How can they trust Manziel for the long haul? Maybe with a long haul of no incidents. But banking on that would be foolish. Of course, this is so much bigger than football. It's about Manziel as a person. He may not see it, but he still needs some help and presumably the NFL's program will make a difference, with counseling support even more important than getting suspended. Perhaps Manziel who had incidents while at Texas A&M that added risk to Cleveland's decision to invest a first-round pick in him can put it all together. But that won't happen until he realizes that there's a big problem. If the problem is alcohol, it's the type of problem that prevents you from having another drink. Manziel may have indeed bought into that idea while in rehab. But, no doubt, there's still work to do. Other items of interest as Week 6 rolls on … GALLERY: Ranking Week 6 games Who's hot: Andy Dalton. Maybe the ultimate barometer for how much the Bengals quarterback has raised his game will come in the playoffs. But in heading to Buffalo averaging 300 passing yards per game to spark an undefeated team, Dalton is surely building momentum. Coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat Seattle was undoubtedly a confidence boost, but it was also reflective of a trend. Dalton's has sizzled in two-minute situations and he's the straw stirring a versatile offense that has consistently moved the chains with the lowest three-and-out rate in the league. If he keeps it up, this just might be the season that the Bengals win a playoff game. Pressure's on: Russell Wilson's bodyguards. If the Seahawks can hand Carolina its first loss of the season (Cam Newton is 0-4 vs. Seattle), the defending NFC champs would be 3-3 … just like last season. But Seattle will be hard-pressed to make another Super Bowl run if Wilson continues to get pummeled behind a rebuilt offensive line. The Seahawks have allowed an NFL-high 22 sacks, one reason why coordinator Darrell Bevell's mention of trust resonates. It works both ways. Wilson may need to trust that his blocking will hold up, but his bodyguards must also demonstrate that they'll keep him safe. It takes time for an O-line to develop cohesion, and in this case underscoring O-line guru Tom Cable's challenge, there's also a learning curve for two converted D-tackles starting on the unit. With Marshawn Lynch poised to return, a week after rookie Thomas Rawls sparkled, a physical, dominant running game is still the foundation for effective O-line performance. Key matchup: Larry Fitzgerald vs. William Gay. Fitzgerald returns to Pittsburgh, where he starred on the college level, and it seems like the 12th-year vet has discovered a fountain of youth. The Cardinals' star leads the NFL with six TD receptions four more than he had all of last season. Inside the numbers (35 catches, 490 yards) and the return of a healthy Carson Palmer, Arizona coach Bruce Arians (he, too, returning to old stomping grounds) has created impact with his liberal use of Fitzgerald in the slot. The Steelers, pressed to rebuild the secondary this season, will likely shift Gay inside against Fitzgerald, with safeties Mike Mitchell and Will Allen in support. Interestingly, Pittsburgh has found little use for Brandon Boykin, the slot corner obtained from Philadelphia in a summer trade. Then again, maybe there's a surprise looming. Rookie watch: Shane Ray. With DeMarcus Ware sitting out at Cleveland because of back issues, the Broncos will get an extended look at an edge rusher of the future. Ray, once projected as a top-10 pick, saw his stock tumble until Denver snapped him up at 23rd overall. But playing behind Ware and Von Miller, he has to wait his turn. The past two games he played roughly a third of the defensive snaps and notched sacks in back-to-back games. On Sunday, it will be interesting to see how he measures up against Joe Thomas, arguably the NFL's best left tackle. Next man up: Marcus Cannon. When Greg Hardy wreaked havoc during the first half last Sunday, Bill Belichick and Co. adjusted by providing left tackle Nate Solder with tight end blocking help to protect Tom Brady's blind side. Now Solder is done for the year with a torn biceps, forcing more adjustments. Inserting Cannon would be the easiest move on paper, with the first test at Indianapolis. But Belichick may have other ideas, like starting Cannon at right tackle and flopping Sebastian Vollmer to the blind-side role as was the case in 2009 when Matt Light was sidelined for five games. Sometimes using two moves to address one issue is more trouble than its worth. But when protection for the face of the franchise is at stake, the bottom line is making the right moves. Regardless, Cannon, a fifth-year pro, is in the mix. Stomach for an upset: Dolphins at Titans. The Titans are 2½-point favorites while in the midst of an NFL rarity a four-game home stand, with a bye week attached. It's also unusual that a team fielding the NFL's top-ranked pass defense would blow double-digit, second-half leads in back-to-back losses. Now comes a mystery opponent in Miami, which is coming off a bye and maybe with a new energy under interim coach Dan Campbell, who stepped in for the deposed Joe Philbin. Perhaps a new identity for the Dolphins will include a rushing attack, as they have leaned entirely too much on Ryan Tannehill, who is completing just 56.7% of his throws. If the playoffs were today: The Vikings (2-2) would be in, as the sixth seed. That's because, besides the four division leaders and Atlanta (5-1), no other NFC team has a winning record. Minnesota can get back over .500 by handling Kansas City, which would likely be directly related to Adrian Peterson. As expected, Peterson has come back to power the rushing attack, averaging an NFL-best 93 yards per game. But the passing offense armed by Teddy Bridgewater has been sorry, ranked last in the NFL. Say what? Sammy Watkins turned up the heat in telling the Buffalo News he isn't happy with the amount of touches he has been getting in the Bills offense. He's probably right. GM Doug Whaley traded up to draft Watkins fourth overall out of Clemson. But in the process of venting, Watkins dissed Rex Ryan the new coach who inherited the big-play wideout and has indeed talked up (imagine that from Ryan) the need to feature Watkins. As if the uncertainty surrounding quarterback Tyrod Taylor's knee injury, LeSean McCoy's quest to come back quickly from another hamstring injury and rookie back Karlos Williams concussion issues aren't enough for the Bills offense to deal with, there's this fresh dose of me-first. Did you notice? The Texans head into Jacksonville with an NFL-worst minus-8 turnover margin, and a defense that has collected just two takeaways. Sure, Houston has a problem at quarterback (Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett or none of the above?), but the big-play drought for the defense has been stunning. Last season, the Texans led the NFL with 34 takeaways. Stat's the fact: Last weekend, Aaron Rodgers finally had his streak of consecutive passes at home without an interception snapped at 587. But the Packers carry another impressive streak into Lambeau Field for Sunday's tilt against the Chargers: Green Bay's defense has recorded a sack in 41 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the NFL. Fantasy vs. Reality: Uh-oh. Ryan Mathews on the injury list. The Eagles running back, No. 2 in the rotation behind DeMarco Murray (and No. 2 back behind Frank Gore on Marion Motley Crew, in the 20-team Super League), was listed as limited in Friday's practice with a groin injury. It's uncertain how the surprising injury revelation will affect Mathews' availability for the NFC East showdown against the Giants, but history provides caution. In five seasons with the Chargers, Mathews missed 20 out of 80 regular-season games due to assorted injuries. Philadelphia offers hope of a new pattern, bolstered by Chip Kelly's sports science program. Then again, it's football. Injuries happen. | 1 | 96,138 | sports |
Two Palestinians were shot dead on Saturday when they tried to stab Israelis in separate attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. | 5 | 96,139 | news |
American director Martin Scorsese attended a ceremony at the Lumiere fest in Lyon Friday night to receive the seventh Lumiere award. | 8 | 96,140 | video |
An Australian fast-food chicken franchise called Chicken Treat says it has hired a hen named Betty as head of its Twitter account. For the last week, the company's tweets have been mostly nonsensical strings of characters typed by Betty as she pecks at or walks over the keyboard. The company will continue this exercise until Betty successfully tweets a five-letter word in English, which will apparently earn her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. She seems to be making progress on Thursday, she typed "bum." Ironically, Betty is unwittingly working to promote a firm that exists only to execute and barbecue her own brethren. | 3 | 96,141 | finance |
The surprising pros and cons of Utah's restrictive laws. Why would the owner of a popular restaurant that made the 2012 Bon Appetit Top 50 decide to close it just a year-and-a-half later? In the case of Ryan Lowder and Plum Alley, the answer lies in three familiar words: location, location, location. No, not the actual spot a prominent corner next to Lowder's flagship establishment, the Copper Onion but, rather, the fact that it's in Salt Lake City. Sixty-two percent of Utah's residents are members of the teetotaling Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the will of that majority exerts itself repeatedly through the state's alcoholic beverage statutes. Although strides have been made recently, Utah still has some of the country's quirkiest and most restrictive regulations , including its infamous ( if perhaps overblown ) restriction on beers that are more than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight. "Because we've got non-drinkers making all these laws, and then a healthy amount of them also involved in enforcement, there's not a lot of consistency to the laws as they're actually enacted," says Lowder. The story behind Plum Alley's closing is actually the story of Plum Alley's opening . Lowder's dream for the space was a craft cocktail bar: a place for Copper Onion guests to have a drink while waiting for a table, or for just anyone to have a drink, period, without being required to get food. But halfway through construction, Utah's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control announced that they were out of "club licenses," full-service licenses which are based on population estimates (there's one for every 7,280 residents, which adds up to a current total of 382 for the entire state). So, as Lowder told Eater in early 2013 , he turned the space into an Asian-influenced restaurant. "Utah's limits on alcohol put into cocktails makes it difficult to make them of satisfying quality." With a restaurant license, Plum Alley could still serve liquor, beer, and wine, but only if 70 percent of its revenue came from food, and only with the only-in-Utah restriction known as "the Zion Curtain," which is a sort of dressing screen for alcoholic beverages. All restaurant bartenders are required to keep and make the drinks behind this partition, lest sober (or underage) customers should accidentally catch a glimpse of rye. But despite Plum Alley's local popularity and BA nod, Lowder and his staff never forgot their original concept. When a full-service club license became available, they decided Plum Alley would be no more (it may eventually return at another location). In its place came Copper Common , which opened in March of 2014. The debut of Copper Common and the likes of Bar-X (part-owned by Modern Family actor Ty Burrell and his brother Duncan), Finca, and the Rest have given Salt Lake a craft cocktail scene just like any other major city. But here are some of the ways in which cocktails in Utah are unlike cocktails anywhere else : You Are The 1.5% Whether it's served neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail, hard liquor is restricted to a 1.5-ounce serving . But in a cocktail, you can use 2.5 ounces of spirit in total, as long as the other ounce comes from a secondary spirit. "The one thing I always try to explain to our guests is, 'If you're looking for a stiff drink, you need to go after a cocktail, not just something neat to sip on,'" says Copper Common beverage director/bar manager Maureen Segrave-Daly. "I can't pour you two-and-half ounces of bourbon, but I can make you a bourbon cocktail with an ounce and a half of bourbon and an ounce of something else." Theoretically, you can order an ounce-and-a-half of bourbon with a one-ounce chase of something else. You just can't have two servings of the same spirit, and the 2.5 ounce limit means there's no way to serve a "double" even if you could. "What's more difficult than anything else," says Segrave-Daly, "is explaining to someone why he can't get a double scotch, even though the person next to him has a scotch cocktail that's twice the size of a neat scotch." On top of that, the state will not let you have two drinks in front of you if they have the same base spirit or add up to more than 2.5 ounces. Legally speaking, a nearly finished drink still counts as the full, original amount of liquor, so at Copper Common, they will clear off your first drink before pouring you another. "We've have to change a lot of recipes, tweak them to fall within the laws." Recipes Must Be Adjusted "Utah's limits on alcohol put into cocktails makes it difficult to make them of satisfying quality," says Glen Warchol, who, as the managing editor of Salt Lake magazine, knows this as both a customer and a journalist who regularly writes about the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. "A classic margarita is usually made with two to three shots of tequila, not to mention orange liqueur with a shot of fresh lime juice way over the line," Warchol says. "And a legal-martini looks like a splash of gin in the bottom of your glass." When it comes to a margarita, that's a slight exaggeration: Portland, Oregon-based bartender Jeffrey Morganthaler's recipe , for instance, calls for two ounces of tequila and an ounce of triple sec, so to make it Utah-legal, you'd just have cut 25 percent of the tequila and adjust the rest accordingly. "You can still make your cocktail recipes with the right proportion, they're just going to be a little bit smaller than they are other places in the country," Segrave-Daly says. But sometimes bigger changes must be made. "We've had to change a lot of recipes, tweak them to fall within the laws," says Segrave-Daly. "A lot of the cocktails that are on our list are things that our bartenders have played around with at home." That bartender might bring in something using Cointreau ("which a lot of us prefer," says Segrave-Daly), but Cointreau is 80 proof, whereas many triple secs are less than 50. To fit the requirements, that swap might be made. "Of course, it's going to change the flavor of the drink a little bit as well." Amaro, vermouth, and liqueurs are also key ingredients, as cocktails can also use another 2.5 ounces of any beverage that is less than 20 perfect alcohol (40 proof), for a total of five ounces. "We utilize fortified wines a lot, since they're typically under 20 percent, and can bulk up the drink a little bit," says Segrave-Daly. Special Orders Got a favorite small-batch bourbon or obscure liqueur? Both bar managers and private citizens have to buy their liquor through the state, and, as you might expect from a state run by people who consider alcohol a vice rather than an ingredient, they aren't always getting the best stuff . "That is one of the most tedious processes to deal with in this state," Segrave-Daly says. "If it's a pretty popular and limited product, some people just won't ship here, because it's not worth their time." Special orders are only available by the case (even as an individual consumer), so Copper Common has a huge, climate-controlled inventory room enabling them to stock up on more than 50 special-order whiskeys, digestifs, and aperitifs, and nearly 400 cases of special-order wine and liquor in total. That also allows more time to pass between the hassle of new special-orders. "We probably sit on four times more booze and wine than most places," Lowder says. Segrave-Daly says that for years, Monte Alban was the only mezcal the state carried, so everything else was a special order. Michter's Whiskey took almost 18 months to get. "I ordered that when we were Plum Alley and it showed up when we were Copper Common," she says. "I've found that we make a more consistent Manhattan than most places I've been outside of the state." Consistent Quality and Consistent Revenue For a bar owner, the fact that the drinks must be carefully metered to avoid DABC punishment (over-pouring, free-pouring, or having too many drinks in front of a patron are all considered "serious" violations, in the same category as serving minors) means liquor doesn't disappear as easily from a restaurant's bottom line. "You don't have that closing bartender who's pouring doubles for his friends." It also means more easily repeatable recipes, which can equal better drinks . "From my experience working in New York, a lot of bartenders, when they can free-pour, and they get busy, they just start going for it, and you get a wildly different product every time," Lowder says. "I've found that we make a more consistent Manhattan than most places I've been outside of the state." | 4 | 96,142 | lifestyle |
Darrelle Revis, the New York Jets fantastic cornerback, was asked the other day for his general impression of Washington, the Jets' opponent Sunday. "They run the ball very well," he began. Revis was then asked about Kirk Cousins, Washington's decidedly mediocre quarterback. Darrelle danced around the question as if he were covering a wide receiver, blanketing the question but never making contact. He said the Jets would probably try to force Cousins to throw on the run. Cousins does have five touchdown passes in five games for Washington, which could jump into a tie for the NFC East lead this weekend if it beats the Jets and Philadelphia, appearing to be back in form, upends the New York Giants. But Cousins also has six interceptions none more costly than his pass in overtime last Sunday that was intercepted by Atlanta defensive back Robert Alford and returned 59 yards for a touchdown in overtime that promptly ended the Falcons' 25-19 victory. | 1 | 96,143 | sports |
Manchester United bounced back from its drubbing against Arsenal to beat Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park. Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney sealed the win for Manchester United shortly after the hour, with his first away goal in 11 months, after Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera had given the visitors a halftime lead. Elsewhere, Raheem Sterling scored a first-half hat trick and Wilfried Bony netted twice as Manchester City beat Bournemouth 5-1 to maintain its grip on first place in the Premier League. With striker Sergio Aguero injured, Sterling picked up the scoring duties by putting City ahead with a tap-in in the seventh minute and Bony added the second four minutes later. While Glenn Murray pulled one back for Bournemouth in the 22nd, Sterling restored the two-goal lead with a superb solo effort in the 29th, dribbling past two defenders in the area before slotting a low shot into the net. He completed his hat trick on the stroke of halftime and Bony netted his second in the 89th as City maintained its two-point lead of crosstown rival Manchester United. Meanwhile, Chelsea returned to form in the Premier League with a much-needed 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge. After a tentative start from both sides, Jose Mourinho's team took the lead through Diego Costa. Villa defender Alan Hutton scored an own goal for Chelsea's second, deflecting Costa's shot beyond Guzan on 54. The result will ease pressure on Mourinho, whose side now has its third win from nine games, but his counterpart Tim Sherwood has not led Villa to a win since the first game of the season. Results: Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham Everton 0-3 Manchester United Manchester City 5-1 Bournemouth Southampton 2-2 Leicester City Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool West Brom 1-0 Sunderland | 1 | 96,144 | sports |
MEXICO CITY Fugitive drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was flown to a mountainous region of his home state of Sinaloa following his daring July 11 escape from prison through a mile-long tunnel, a federal official said Saturday. Based on this information, the search for the world's most wanted drug lord has focused in recent weeks on a rugged area that stretches from Sinaloa into neighboring Durango state, part of Mexico's famed Golden Triangle drug-producing region that is considered Guzman's home turf, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. The official said that after his escape from the maximum-security prison where he was being held not far from Mexico City, Guzman was taken to the central state of Queretaro. From there, he was flown in a small plane to the Sinaloan mountains, the official said. Several days ago, Mexican Attorney General Arely Gomez told Congress that authorities had captured a pilot who aided Guzman after his escape. The federal official said Saturday that it was the pilot who flew the escaped drug lord in the small plane. Late Friday, Mexico's government said Guzman had avoided capture in an operation in the mountains of northwestern Mexico. A statement by Mexico's Security Cabinet said officials think the legendary drug lord injured a leg and his face fleeing Mexican marines in the rugged terrain. It provided no details on when or exactly where the operation took place, but the area of mountains of Sinaloa and Durango is in northwest Mexico. The statement cited information-sharing with international agencies for leading authorities to the area. Guzman previously escaped from another maximum-security prison in 2001, and evaded capture for years in the mountains of Sinaloa. His most recent escape strained relations with Washington, which had formally requested the drug kingpin's extradition just weeks earlier. A variety of U.S. officials, including lawmakers and law enforcement officials, had called for Guzman's transfer to the U.S. since his arrest in February 2014. Mexican officials, however, said Guzman wouldn't be sent to the U.S. until he had served time for all of his crimes in Mexico. Guzman escaped through a sophisticated tunnel that opened in the floor of his cell's shower. A surveillance video of Guzman's cell shows him walking to the shower where there was a blind spot in the security camera's view crouching down and then vanishing. Mexico has issued arrest warrants for 23 former officials, guards or police officers for allegedly participating in his escape. In addition, 10 civilians are being held under a form of house arrest. Guzman is considered the power behind the lucrative Sinaloa Cartel. | 5 | 96,145 | news |
Negotiators from the United States and the European Union resume talks Monday on a huge trans-Atlantic free trade area, with mistrust and public opposition standing in their way. The 11th round of discussions, to be held in Miami, will address a still substantial list of differences on key issues between the two sides, after more than two years of talks on the ambitious Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. But they come after Washington scored a major triumph with the agreement two weeks ago to set up a Pacific free trade group with Japan, Canada and nine other countries. Both groupings aim at broadly lowering trade tariffs and non-tariff barriers, a relatively small issue between the United States and Europe, where trade taxes are already very low. But they also aim higher, at setting what the White House calls the rules for 21st century trade and investment, with special focus on digital trade and intellectual property issues, and on harmonizing regulations for global business. A deal would tie together two giant economies that are home to some 850 million people and account for about half of global output. But the success of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Talks will not necessarily make the hefty task of getting Americans and Europeans to agree on a similar project any easier. Supporters say a transatlantic trade deal will give a strong boost to economic growth and job creation. But on both sides of the ocean, most intensely in Europe, the talks have been branded a Trojan horse over a broad and secretive watering down of important public regulations that could threaten health and environmental standards to the benefit of powerful multinational corporations. Showing that the opposition has not weakened, the "Stop TRIP" movement has collected three million signatures in support of its effort to halt the negotiations. It drew as many as 250,000 people to an anti-TRIP protest in Berlin on October 10. Politicians on both sides are also expressing misgivings, especially around the intense secrecy of the negotiations, with a top French official recently lashing out at Washington's stance. "There has to be substantial changes in the general mindset, that is in trust, reciprocity, and access to documents," French Foreign Trade Minister Matthias Fekl said early this month, warning of a "halt, pure and simple" to the talks. - Trust issue - Opponents have, in particular, focused on the inclusion of an extra-national investor-state dispute (ISDS) mechanism in the talks, which would allow foreign investors to challenge governments via a trans-national tribunal. Critics say that could give them more power over local laws and policies, and effectively more rights than a country's citizens have. They also say ISDS is unnecessary. "Given the advanced judicial systems of both the US and EU, ISDS is an unwarranted risk to domestic policy-making at the local, state and federal levels," said the US labor federation AFL-CIO. Faced with a public outcry, the European Commission, in charge of the talks, proposed as an alternative a special court of magistrates to handle such foreign investor litigation. EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said in early August that the general atmosphere of distrust was a barrier to reaching a pact. "For now, the negotiations are very difficult to sell in the European Union because they have yielded nothing concrete," she told AFP. "We will put everything on the table, see where we are and how to advance," she said. "I hope we will be in a position to make joint announcements with Mr. Froman to give substance to the negotiations," she added, referring to her negotiating counterpart, US Trade Representative Michael Froman. The Miami talks will not cover ISDS, as the EU develops its alternative proposal. They will focus, for one, on government procurement standards that favor local businesses. US states are especially resistant to pushes to open their contracts to foreign competitors. "State-level procurement in the US is very important for us," said an EU Commission official this week. Other issues under discussion are "very technical," the official said, including technology-related regulations, and more tariff issues. Put off, probably to the final rounds, will be farm issues, extremely contentious as Europe holds substantial barriers to US products and are loath to weaken their standards. | 3 | 96,146 | finance |
Fugitive Mexican drugs lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman suffered face and leg injuries as he narrowly evaded a police operation to recapture him, officials have confirmed. The operation happened in north-west Mexico in recent days but few details have been released. Guzman, head of the Sinaloa cartel, escaped from a high-security prison in July through a specially dug tunnel. His escape was an embarrassment for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto. The government said in a statement that efforts to recapture Guzman had been focused in the north-west of the country, not far from Guzman's native Sinaloa state. "As a result of these actions, and to avoid his capture, in recent days, the fugitive engaged in a hasty retreat, which, according to the information received, caused him injuries to one leg and the face," the statement said. "It's important to clarify that these injuries were not a product of a direct clash," it added, without giving further details. The statement added: "The security cabinet continues to conduct all actions that will allow the recapture of this criminal." Mexico has arrested several prison officials since Guzman's escape. Investigators said he had inside help to flee through a tunnel that ran 1.5km from under a shower in his cell to outside the prison. After his escape, Guzman took to Twitter to taunt the police and insult President Pena Nieto. Guzman was first arrested in Guatemala in 1993 and spent nearly a decade in another maximum-security Mexican jail before escaping, reportedly in a laundry basket. He was on the run for 13 years before being held again in 2014 after a series of high-profile arrests of associates and covert surveillance by the US authorities. | 5 | 96,147 | news |
The yellow bellied sea snake usually lives its entire life in the ocean, but unfortunately, we live in unusual times. The serpent was seen at least twice last week in Oxnard, California a city just north of Los Angeles County's famous beach-side locale, Malibu. Rising ocean temperatures and the normal cyclical warming of the Pacific Ocean known as El Niño are thought to be driving the snakes to new areas, according to Heal the Bay, a non-profit environmental advocacy group. The group says this species of snake hasn't been reported in California since 1980 (during another El Niño period). After Heal the Bay posted information about the snake on its Facebook page, others stepped forward to report their own sightings around the area, in the comments section of the post. Pelamis platura as the creature is scientifically identified, typically inhabits warm waters. Here's a handy map from the IUCN Red List , showing in orange where the serpent usually lives. It is unclear if the two reported sightings were of the same snake or different snakes. The snake from the second sighting was transported to a US Fish and Wildlife Service's office nearby and died soon after according to the Los Angeles Times. | 5 | 96,148 | news |
Already reeling from the accusations surrounding the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup competitions, FIFA has been plunged into a new scandal relating to the 2006 edition. Although vehemently denied by the German Football Federation (DFB), corruption claims made by Spiegel weekly newspaper on Friday would have felt like yet another body blow to world football's governing body. On top of the Swiss investigation into the attribution of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 tournament to Qatar, and the surrounding bribery scandal that has seen 14 people arrested by American and Swiss authorities, now Spiegel have claimed that votes for the 2006 edition played in Germany were bought. It's another mess that FIFA can ill afford with its president Sepp Blatter having already been suspended for 90 days due to suspicions a two million Swiss franc ($2 million, 1.8 million euros) payment he made to UEFA counterpart Michel Platini was not above board. Platini has also been suspended for the same period by FIFA's independent ethics committee, as well as the organisation's secretary general Jerome Valcke. Seven former FIFA officials were arrested by Swiss authorities in May as the United States attempts to have them extradited to face charges of accepting bribes. Spiegel claimed on Friday that the DFB had borrowed 10.3 million Swiss francs in 2000 from the now-deceased former CEO of German sportswear giant Adidas, Robert Louis-Dreyfus in order to buy the votes of four Asian members of FIFA's 24-strong executive committee. Germany won the bid to stage the 2006 World Cup ahead of South Africa by 12 votes to 11, with one abstention. Spiegel claimed the DFB then transferred 6.7 million euros (the equivalent exchange rate for the borrowed Swiss francs at the time) to a FIFA account in 2005 to reimburse Louis-Dreyfus. The DFB preempted Spiegel's claims by issuing its own statement on Friday admitting they had made that last payment to FIFA, but denying it had any connection to the 2006 World Cup. On Saturday, DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach categorically denied any illegal activity by the Germans. "There was no slush fund," he insisted. "The World Cup was not bought." Niersbach added that the internal investigation had not been completed but said: "I can definitively exclude that this payment was linked to the World Cup." German media have jumped on the story, however, with popular daily Bild running the title: "Was the 2006 World Cup bought?". But for FIFA, it is yet another blow to the already waning confidence in an organisation that runs the world's most popular sport. The 2010 World Cup has not been spared suspicion due to a $10 million payment made by South Africa to then FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who is currently fighting extradition from his Trinidad and Tobago homeland to the US to answer corruption charges. Both FIFA and South Africa deny any wrongdoing. American authorities are also examining previous World Cup events after another former FIFA official, Chuck Blazer -- who, like Warner, has been banned for life from football-related activities -- turned whistle-blower and admitted to accepting bribes from Morocco and South Africa over the bidding process for the 1998 World Cup, eventually won by France. The succession of scandals prompted FIFA in June to decide to suspend the nomination process for the 2026 World Cup. | 1 | 96,149 | sports |
LAHORE, Pakistan It's largely taboo for women to walk alone on the street here. Those who dare often suffer disapproving glances, scolding or catcalls. Now a group of young women are fighting that discrimination, one teacup at a time. Led by Pakistani blogger Saadia Khatri, 24, the women photograph themselves at dhabas roadside stands selling food and tea that traditionally cater to men throughout South Asia and post their pictures on social media with the hashtag #girlsatdhabas. Khatri started posting the images in May on a lark, after she graduated from Mount Holyoke College and found life at home stultifying when compared to her New England liberal arts school. "What inspired me was simply the daily frustrations of facing resistance in doing the most ordinary things in our cities," said Khatri, who lives in Karachi. "It started with just venturing out in the city, among ourselves." The women's campaign went viral. "It has become a collective effort to reclaim spaces traditionally dominated by men," Khatri said. "We want to encourage and facilitate women to find their own voice." Khatri and another Mount Holyoke alum, Natasha Ansari, 25, started a Tumblr blog and invited women to post photos of themselves at dhabas . The blog now features thousands of pictures of women sipping tea, chatting, eating, reading and smoking in public routine activities in the United States but rebellious behavior in Pakistan. Women in India, Bangladesh and Nepal have also submitted photos. "Women have to reclaim their space in every field in Pakistan, be it entertainment, sports or any other field," said civil rights activist Fouzia Saeed, who is also executive director of the Lok Virsa museum in Islamabad. "Initiatives like these are A??? must for society." She noted that Pakistan has grown more conservative and hostile to women's rights in recent years. "Historically, the space for women has been reduced in Pakistan," Saeed said. "In 1960s or before that even in our mothers' era there was more space and openness. I recall biking wasn't considered a taboo then. The space for women has shrunk over decades." Khatri and Ansari also launched #girlsplayingstreetcricket, referring to the popular bat-and-ball game. "Most of us could narrate childhood instances where we were either told by the boys playing street cricket that we can't play with them, or discouraged or not allowed by parents to play cricket on the streets because it was something girls aren't supposed to do," Ansari said. "So the idea came very naturally to us, and we organized a cricket match in Karachi, where 15 young girls came out to play." Men haven't openly resisted letting women enter their traditional turf, Khatri said. But other women and some relatives have expressed doubts. "This is a novel idea, and many find it hard to accept it openly," Khatri said. "This has led to some discouragement and safety concerns, especially from families about putting ourselves out there." Lubna Khan, 23, of Lahore, is typical of the campaign's critics. "If you ask me, I don't feel comfortable sitting in a men's only dhaba," Khan said. "It's my choice to not be in a place where men are smoking, cracking vulgar jokes among themselves." "I don't have to prove my 'existence' through such an initiative," she added. "I go out and work for my well-being. That's enough for me to 'reclaim my space.'" Women like Khan have every right to dislike dhabas, Ansari said, but she should have the right to patronize them if she wants. "We've faced negative criticism," she said. "Many times it is from people who don't fully understand our stance behind initiating this project." The women are now raising money to open a dhaba explicitly for women in Karachi in the next year. They envision the dhaba as a place for activists to meet, share experiences and plan for the future, as well as have fun and relax over a cheap cup of hot tea. "We want to facilitate women to come together and address issues of public space access and harassment," Ansari said. "And to plot more ways to create resistance around the issue of women's mobility and visibility in public space." | 5 | 96,150 | news |
Relive Friday's top stories, including the Royals statement win over the Blue Jays in the ALCS and the Sharks shootout victory against the Devils. | 1 | 96,151 | sports |
Coinciding with the start of the four-day autumn festival, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe donated a sacred "masakaki" tree bearing his name to the contentious war shrine. The shrine, which is widely seen a symbol of Tokyo's militarist past, has been a source of diplomatic tension between Japan and its neighbors for several years. But local media said, in light of an upcoming summit seeking to boost ties between Japan, China and South Korea, that Abe would not visit the controversial site - something he and other Japanese leaders have done regularly in past years. Abe's previous visits have drawn immediate criticism from Beijing and Seoul, which suffered under Japan's military aggression in the years before and during World War Two. Both neighbors have complained that Japan has showed a lack of remorse over its wartime hostility. Tokyo insists it has made amends including war reparations. The Yasukuni shrine honors Japan's war dead, including some senior military and political figures convicted of serious crimes in the wake of the country's Second World War defeat. The accompanying museum also paints Japan as a frustrated liberator of Asia and a victim of the war. Nationalists, including many Japanese MPs, maintain that the shrine is merely a place to remember millions of fallen soldiers who died for the state. Many people are set to visit the site during the four-day festival. Abe made the ritual offering on Saturday, a day after he said he expressed his willingness to hold bilateral meetings with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Park Geun-hye. The three-way regional summit, to be held in Seoul on November 1, is the first leaders' meeting since May 2012. Park, who has been particularly critical of what she describes as Japan's lack of atonement for colonial-era abuses, said she was open to a dialogue with Abe. Relations between Japan and its neighbors have thawed over the past year, despite the ongoing shrine controversy, following recent meetings between Abe and Chinese President Xi JinPing. | 5 | 96,152 | news |
Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi called for unity in volatile Rakhine state on Saturday in an impassioned election rally, tackling head-on bitter religious divisions between Buddhists and Muslims that have shaken the former junta-run nation. The opposition leader has faced international disappointment at her reluctance to speak out in support of marginalised Rohingya Muslims in the western state, but is also viewed with suspicion among Buddhist hardliners who see her as sympathetic to the minority. In a speech to hundreds of supporters in Rakhine's Thandwe town, Suu Kyi said it was critical that people nationwide could live "without discrimination based on race and religion". "All citizens in the union need to unite... great hatred and fear does not benefit our country," she said, repeating recent assertions that her political opponents had tried to use religion as a tool in campaigns for the November 8 polls. Myanmar's general elections are tipped to be the freest in generations for a nation that languished in poverty and isolation under almost half a century of military rule. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) -- contesting its first nationwide vote in 25 years -- is expected to shunt out the army-backed ruling party, which has overseen a quasi-civilian transition since junta rule ended in 2011. But there are rising fears that the polls could act as a flashpoint for religious intolerance that has festered in Myanmar since deadly unrest between Buddhists and Muslims swept across Rakhine in 2012, later spreading to other parts of the country. Radical monks have surged in prominence in recent years, preaching a message that Muslims threaten the very fabric of Buddhist-majority Myanmar. In Thandwe -- the gateway to Myanmar's most popular tourist beach resorts -- a wave of anti-Muslim rioting in 2013 killed at least six and left a legacy of fear in the region. Those anxieties were on display at the rally on Saturday, where Suu Kyi took questions from both Buddhists and Muslims. Asked by a Muslim man how the NLD would prevent religious discrimination, the veteran activist said a government under her party would prioritise the rule of law, a common response from the Nobel laureate. But she slammed a Buddhist asking her to respond to rumours that her party would usher in a Muslim take-over of the country, saying the very question risked "inciting racial or religious conflict". | 5 | 96,153 | news |
A series of recent government maneuvers in Alabama may prevent some citizens from voting across large swathes of the state, particularly in poverty-stricken Black Belt counties. Related: Barack Obama calls on Congress to restore Voting Rights Act The first of the moves happened a year ago, when Alabama enacted a law requiring voters to present government-issued identification at the polls. The second happened two weeks ago, when the state shut down dozens of driver's license-issuing offices, leaving 28 counties with no means of issuing the most common form of ID. The Republican governor, Robert Bentley, says the office closures are a cost-cutting measure. Opponents say they are an effort toward disenfranchisement that harkens back to Alabama's painful past. A half-century ago, Bloody Sunday in Selma led to the Voting Rights Act, removing obstacles for black voters. While politicians and activists squabble in the state capital, many residents in isolated, rural areas have not yet heard of the changes or grasped their impact. In Hale County, Sandra Smith works as the clerk at a state department of transportation office. On Friday, she did not know that the county no longer issued driver's licenses. "Well, I don't like that," she said. Then her face brightened. "I live in Perry County, so I should be OK." Not so Perry County has also lost its license offices. She gestured toward a photo of the governor hanging on the wall. "Last I heard Mr Bentley was working to stop this?" she said. "I don't know what people are going to do." Wilcox County is the poorest county in Alabama, and one of the poorest in the nation. Outside the courthouse in the county seat of Camden, Willie Moton sat on a corner selling vegetables and melons. He is 72, and most days he spends about 10 hours on the corner. On a good day, he said, he sells $30 in produce. On Friday he tallied up his sales in a tattered notebook, and grinned. "This is a great day," he said. He had made $33. When told the state had closed Wilcox County's driver's license offices, his face fell. "Oh, no. I hate to hear that," he said. "My license has expired." The nearest license office, now, is in Selma, about 45 minutes away. Wilcox County's circuit clerk, Ralph Ervin, said Moton was lucky he can get his license renewed at the probate court in Camden. He could also acquire a voter identification card at the county registrar's office. The problem is Moton, and many others like him, don't know how to navigate the various bureaucracies. Across the state a half million voters one in five don't have a photo ID. And even when they do, Ervin said, people who live beyond walking distance will struggle to get there. Working cars are so rare in Wilcox County, he said, that a native ride-sharing barter economy has grown up. When Ervin needs to gather a jury of 12 county residents for a trial, he said, he regularly sends out more than 200 subpoenas, because so many candidates will be stricken from jury duty because they have no transportation. "I know it's hard for people outside to understand," he said. "This is what poverty means." The idea of people here finding ways to and from farther towns, he said, is nearly impossible: "The state is cutting from those who have the least." Ervin's forebears were slaves on the Ervin plantation in Wilcox County. On Friday, as he worked out the implications of the two-step change requiring ID to vote, and then shutting down the most common ID provider his voice rose. "Black people made it past the poll tax, literacy tests, everything, to get the right to vote. Driving is a privilege, but voting is a right," he said. "Too many people fought and bled and died for the right to vote, and now they're taking it away." Here he arrived at an accusation that is starting now to rumble across other counties: "It's deliberate. It's done by design." It's a way, he said, of consolidating power in the wealthier and whiter centers of Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile. Bentley argues otherwise. Where the state's critics see purpose, he said, there is only coincidence. Both sides could be right. In the Alabama's early history, its agricultural heart became known as the Black Belt because of its dark, rich soil. Now it's often called that because of the color of its residents' skin. That was never the intended meaning of the term but in reality slaves were concentrated in those counties directly because of that same soil. Likewise, Alabama's officials may not now conspire to isolate the state's black citizens but they make up the vast majority in the affected, impoverished counties. Outside the Wilcox County courthouse in Camden, Willie Moton's friend Breston Hughes sat next to him. The two waited together for customers to stop for tomatoes or sweet potatoes. "These politicians all talk about their Christianity, but what would Jesus say to them?" Hughes said. "When they talk about cutting waste, the waste they're talking about is poor people. We are the waste." Hughes is 76; he said he lives on a monthly social security income of about $1,200. Moton smiled. "Man, I wish I got that much," he said. His monthly social security check, he said, was $700. So he'll just keep hauling watermelons and sacks of peanuts, he said, until his back gives out. | 5 | 96,154 | news |
VATICAN CITY Pope Francis will tour a Kenyan slum, meet with Muslims and evangelical Christians and visit a refugee camp in the conflict-torn Central African Republic during his first trip to Africa next month, the Vatican said Saturday. Francis will also pay tribute to Uganda's martyrs during the three-nation trip Nov. 25-30 that will bring him face to face for the first time with the effects of Islamic extremism and Christian-Muslim violence on the continent. The Vatican on Saturday unveiled the itinerary of the whirlwind trip that will pose security risks that have largely been absent on Francis' foreign trips to date. Francis arrives first in Nairobi, where highlights include a tour of the Kangemi slum and a meeting with representatives of Kenya's multi-faith community. Kenya has been facing the threat of attacks from al-Shabab Islamic militants ever since it sent troops to fight Somali rebels in 2011. Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida, has conducted major attacks in Kenya, including the 2013 attack on Nairobi's Westgate mall and an April attack on a university in Garissa that killed nearly 150 people, many of them Christians and non-Muslims. Francis is likely to condemn religiously motivated violence and call for greater interfaith harmony. On Nov. 27, Francis travels onto Entebbe, Uganda where he will visit both the Anglican and the Catholic sanctuaries to fallen martyrs and celebrate a Mass in their honor. The 45 Anglicans and Catholics were killed during the persecution of Christians in the region from 1885-87. Pope Paul VI canonized the 22 African Catholics in 1964. In Bangui, Central African Republic, Francis will tour a refugee camp, meet with the evangelical community and visit Bangui's central Koudoukou mosque for an encounter with the Muslim community. Francis has previously prayed in mosques in Jerusalem and Istanbul. The Central African Republic has been rocked by violence since the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition toppled the president in 2013. Widespread human rights abuses committed by Seleka led to the formation of a Christian militia known as the anti-Balaka, who have targeted Muslims and sent tens of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries. The Seleka leader, Michel Djotodia, resigned under intense regional pressure in 2014, and a transitional government is steering the country but renewed violence has recently flared. ___ Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield | 5 | 96,155 | news |
Michigan fans could not be more all-in on head coach Jim Harbaugh, and for good reason. The Michigan alumnus has engineered what is a remarkable turnaround, and it only took a few games for the defense to become one of the best in the nation, and the offense to be efficient enough to take advantage. Since day one, UM fans have totally bought into the various Harbaugh quirks, especially his dedication to cheap khaki pants. College GameDay is in Ann Arbor ahead of Michigan v. Michigan State, and one fan created an awesome Michigan flag, using khaki pants to make the 'M.' Check it out here . That's very clever. Well done. | 1 | 96,156 | sports |
Brad Keselowski got the first starting position at Kansas, and as such received a children's pedal car. Carl Edwards got something better. At Keselowski's expense, Edwards will run Sunday's Chase for the Sprint Cup race from the best pit position available. MORE: Chase standings | Drivers in trouble | Edwards has one coming from Dale Earnhardt Jr. UPDATE: Keselowski was fastest in Saturday's first practice, cutting a lap at 189.960 mph. Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano were right behind. Edwards was 12th among the Chase drivers at 187.585. Keselowski turned a best lap of 188.930 in the "happy hour" practice. The only guy going faster? Jimmie Johnson at 188.983. Normally that plum pit goes to the fastest qualifier. But Keselowski forfeited it because his team couldn't get the No. 2 Ford through technical inspections before races and qualifying. His Penske team drew four written warnings for minor infractions, including at Charlotte. Brad Keselowski's pole prize? Pedal car but not the best pit stall. (Getty Images) NASCAR also punished Tony Stewart's team for inspection failures. Keselowski, the Chase's bubble boy at No. 8 in the standings, was left with the 42nd pit selection. Stewart picked last. Oh well, that pedal car was a hit with his daughter. This family is P1 at @kansasspeedway pic.twitter.com/ptCGdp9f17 Matt Humphrey (@matthumphreycar) October 17, 2015 Keselowski's daughter Scarlett had surgery in June to correct a life-threatening throat condition. She is 5 months old, so it will be a while before she is ready to drive. Keselowski told media members he isn't worried about his pit location. "It's like getting a nice piece of cheesecake without the toppings," he said. Starting first, after all, is what it's all about. "It's nice to be fast this week," Keselowski said. "We weren't anywhere near as fast as we wanted to be at Charlotte (last Sunday), which was frustrating. "And I'm not sure I could answer why we're faster this week, but sometimes that stuff just comes and goes, and you don't really understand why. But when you have speed, you've got to make the most of it." On Saturday, Keselowski shrugged off a query about his pit stall location. "That's a good question for when the race is over," he said, "but I think right now it is what it is and we'll make the most of it." Edwards, who is from Columbia, Mo., and considers Kansas his home track, has no problem benefiting from Keselowski's forfeiture and getting the stall closest to the pit road exit. "That's a gift," Edwards said. "We'll take it." Edwards is sixth in the Chase standings. If he holds his place, Edwards will advance to the Chase's third round. After Kansas comes Talladega, and Chase drivers who win those races would earn a berth in the Eliminator Round of eight drivers. Logano qualified by winning at Charlotte. Keselowski has the 11th stall. | 1 | 96,157 | sports |
The gang takes a look at Friday's best plays on the ice, including Brock McGinn's first career NHL goal and Dustin Byfuglien's spectacular game-winning score. | 1 | 96,158 | sports |
A final group of migrants makes it into Hungary as soldiers close its southern border with Croatia to stop the inward flow. Paul Chapman reports. | 5 | 96,159 | news |
Smart Malls will initially be rolled out in five metro stations Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced new services including Smart Malls, which will enable users to shop using an interactive screen. The project, launched by the RTA in conjunction with Etisalat, is being rolled out in five metro stations: Mall of the Emirate, Damac Properties, Dubai Internet City and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank on the red line and Baniyas Station on the green line. Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA's Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, said: "The Smart Mall project implementation will be kicked off by selling food items, but afterwards other products will be added such as clothes and electronics. Two smart kiosks will be deployed offering the same services in order to ensure the privacy of customers. "Through the Smart Mall, the customer can select items required from those on offer, drop them in a shopping basket, and pay through a credit card. Items purchased will be delivered to the place and time selected by the customer. The RTA is considering other payment options, such as NOL card, or mobile phone (Etisalat Balance)." The RTA plan to install 100 smart air-conditioned bus shelters offering free internet to passengers Another initiative involves the construction of 100 air-conditioned bus shelters offering free internet to passengers. About 50 stations will be constructed over the next two months, and the remaining 50 are planned for January next year. Al Tayer said: "This initiative is taken in implementation of RTA's strategic goals of bringing happiness to people, encouraging the use of mass transit systems, and improving the infrastructure of public transport means in a creative style replicating the Dubai Metro stations model. "The initiative would also support the transition towards the smart city, improvements in providing information to public transport riders, and higher customers' satisfaction with public transport means." [email protected] | 5 | 96,160 | news |
Every time I pass through an airport which is pretty often I worry about the radiation I'm exposed to at airport security and then on the plane. But in a recent look at the evidence about the health effects of frequent flying, I learned that there's probably no need to fret: For the vast majority of travelers even pretty frequent fliers it seems the bigger worry is jet lag's effects on the body. "Few would realize that frequent jet lag disrupts genes that influence aging and heightens the risk of having a heart attack," the University of Surrey's Scott Cohen , who has studied the dark side of hypermobility , told me. For those who nearly live on planes, like airline crews, radiation can be a concern. "Some frequent fliers would be surprised to learn that their exposure to radiation exceeds that of nuclear power workers," Cohen said. The International Commission on Radiological Protection sets radiation guidelines for human health, recommending dose limits of 20,000 microsieverts per year, averaged over five years (so 100,000 microsieverts in five years) for radiation workers, and 1,000 microsieverts per year for the general public. Most of us even pretty frequent fliers don't get anywhere near those limits. You get about 40 microsieverts of radiation on a flight from Los Angeles to New York, so you'd need to hop on about 25 such flights a year to hit the limit for the public. As you can see, there's no need to worry about airport screening that exposure is super minimal, and even the health risk for frequent fliers is considered very small. To learn more, see our story on the health risks of frequent flying . | 2 | 96,161 | travel |
Everton manager Howard Kendall at the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup at De Kuip stadium, Rotterdam, 15th May 1985. Everton beat Rapid Vienna 3-1 to win the cup. David Cannon Getty Images Everton's greatest-ever manager Howard Kendall has died at the age of 69. Kendall won the title with the club as a player in 1969 as part of the famous 'Holy Trinity' along with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey, but undoubtedly his best achievements came when he returned to Goodison Park in 1981. Within three years he had won the First Division championship, repeating the feat in 1987, while also winning the FA Cup and European Cup-Winners' Cup in the club's most successful era in which the Toffees became a powerhouse of British football. "It is with great sadness that Everton Football Club has learned of the passing of Howard Kendall," said a statement from the club. "The most successful manager in the history of the club and one of the greatest players to pull on the Everton jersey, he passed away in hospital in Southport this morning at the age of 69, surrounded by loved ones. "The thoughts of everyone associated with the club are with Howard's family at this difficult time and it would be appreciated if everyone could respect their request for privacy." Although he is best remembered for his time at Everton, County Durham-born Kendall also had spells at several other clubs. A midfielder, he played for Preston in the 1960s, and Birmingham, Stoke and Blackburn in the 1970s, prior to a stint as player-manager of the Ewood Park club from 1979 until 1981. He returned to Goodison Park in May 1981 as player-manager, before hanging up his boots. After initially failing to spark an upturn in fortunes, a late goal in a League Cup tie at Oxford proved the catalyst and they reached the final of that competition before winning the FA Cup. The following season they won the league title, finishing 13 points clear of runners-up Liverpool, and the European Cup-Winners' Cup, defeating Rapid Vienna, while losing the FA Cup final to Manchester United. Liverpool pipped them to the title and FA Cup the following year - before Kendall's Toffees regained the Championship. He left in 1987 to manage Athletic Bilbao and further management spells followed at Blackburn, Athletic Bilbao, Manchester City, Notts County, Sheffield United and Greek sides Xanthi and Ethnikos Piraeus - as well as two more stints at Everton. | 1 | 96,162 | sports |
The calendar says it's still spring in Rio de Janeiro, but the coastal Brazilian city is suffering through one of the most severe bouts of hot weather of the past century. | 5 | 96,163 | news |
Brad Keselowski doesn't necessarily like the fact that a NASCAR penalty forces him to choose a bad pit stall for Sunday's Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. That's because Keselowski knew even before taking the pole that he and Tony Stewart would have last dibs on choosing a pit stall for Sunday's race, as a result of penalties that NASCAR levied against both drivers earlier in the week. So instead of getting first choice on a pit stall -- as the pole winner typically does -- Keselowski, along with Stewart, was forced to choose last. At least Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series champion and one of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, was able to put a somewhat comical spin on the frustrating situation. "I guess it's like getting a nice cheesecake with no toppings," Keselowski said after leading all qualifiers with a lap in excess of 195 miles per hour in qualifying. "I still like cheesecake. We'll make the most of it." After getting the last pick (along with Stewart), Keselowski was left with pit stall No. 11 -- a less-than-ideal spot that is sandwiched between the stalls of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Greg Biffle. Keselowski, however, wasn't inclined to speculate on how being left with a bad stall would impact his day on Sunday. "I don't know how it's going to affect (me)," Keselowski said. " ... Until the race is over and you've seen everything play out, it doesn't really matter." At least Keselowski knows what kind of cheesecake he likes. "Call me a traditionalist," he said, "but strawberry." What a great day, thank you #2crew @Team_Penske https://t.co/H6uGpRAg0J Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) October 17, 2015 | 1 | 96,164 | sports |
You're more likely to find a narcissist in the C-suite than on the street, research suggests. Common signs You're more likely to find a narcissist in the C-suite than on the street, research suggests. That's because the traits that make narcissists so difficult to hang out with or date including a constant need for validation, a willingness to control people, and a ruthlessness in getting their needs met happen to make them super effective at rising up the ranks . To help you figure out if you, or perhaps your boss, are a narcissist, we combed through the psychology literature looking for patterns of narcissistic behavior. We also spoke with Joseph Burgo, Ph.D., a psychologist and the author of " The Narcissist You Know ." Here are common signs of narcissism. This is an update of an article originally written by Vivian Giang, with additional contributions by Drake Baer. You are a bad sport. Burgo says some narcissists are bullies and one of their most troublesome traits is their tendency to be a sore loser and a sore winner. For example, when they lose in a sports match, they might try to humiliate the referee. When they win, they might gloat excessively or act abusive to the losing party. You constantly feel underappreciated. The kind of people that Burgo calls "grandiose" narcissists always hold a grievance against the world. They typically feel entitled to something better and think they're not getting the recognition they deserve from others. If you're not grandiose, then you're introverted, hypersensitive, defensive, and anxious. Psychologists talk about the " two faces of narcissism ." On one end there's the hyper-aggressive, super-loud Donald Trump type. But there's a softer form of narcissism, too. It's called "covert narcissism," which is denoted by introversion, hypersensitivity, defensiveness, and anxiety. "Both shades of narcissism shared a common core of conceit, arrogance, and the tendency to give in to one's own needs and disregard others," Scientific American reports . You think everyone else is stupid. Many narcissists are know-it-alls, and have a hard time getting along with coworkers and friends because they refuse to believe they could possibly be wrong about anything. Burgo has observed that these narcissists walk around with a marked sense of superiority to others and have a "my way or the highway" approach to decision-making. You really like to swear at people. Psychologists Nicholas Holtzman and Michael Strube from Washington University in St. Louis found in a study that subjects who scored higher in narcissism are argumentative and curse more than their modest counterparts. They also tend to use more sexually explicit language. You are self-righteous. Narcissists often believe their views are inherently superior to other people's perspectives. But what they truly value is the attention they receive for holding those views. For example, Burgo said, a narcissist might believe he has a closer connection to God but it's more important to him that other people acknowledge this connection and admire his deep sense of spirituality. You feel justified in being mean to people. "Vindictive" narcissists generally know vengeful or antisocial behavior isn't acceptable. But they feel okay about acting that way because they constantly feel they've been wronged, Burgo said. What's more, they often take offense where it's not intended, meaning they're constantly hearing people say, "That's not what I meant!" You enjoy leading others and telling them what to do. Narcissists typically enjoy leadership positions since they are able to dominate others and fulfill their need for constant positive reinforcement. You are an entertainer. "A narcissist monk would not be good, but to be Kanye West and a narcissist is fantastic," said University of Western Sydney psychologist Peter Jonason, an expert on social psychology. You hate having to feel emotions. The "very fact of having a feeling in the presence of another person suggests you can be touched emotionally by friends, family, partners, and even the occasional tragedy or failure," says Harvard Medical School psychologist Craig Malkin . That's why narcissists abhor them. Feeling an emotion "challenges their sense of perfect autonomy," he continues. "To admit to a feeling of any kind suggests they can be affected by someone or something outside of them." As a result, narcissists tend to change the topic of conversation when feelings come up especially their own. You are likely young and male. After 34,653 face-to-face interviews, psychologist Frederick Stinson found that men tend to be more narcissistic than women across their lifespans. Narcissism is believed to peak during adolescence and decline with age. You are regarded as attractive and dress better than other people. Narcissists are generally rated as more stylish and physically attractive, according to a study conducted by Simine Vazire, a psychologist at Washington University. Instead of listening, you just wait to speak. Anita Vangelisti, a psychologist at the University of Texas in Austin found that narcissists typically prefer to keep the conversation centered on themselves, "making exaggerated hand movements, talking loudly, and showing disinterest by 'glazing over' when others speak." You are a serial romantic. Burgo also identifies a group of narcissists he calls "seductive." These people fall in and out of love quickly and easily, often with people they don't know very well. They think their partner is absolutely perfect a complement to their own perfection until reality sets in, they realize their partner is flawed, and they end the relationship. You cheat in relationships. Psychologists Joshua Foster at the University of South Alabama and W. Keith Campbell at the University of Georgia found that narcissists are more likely to cheat once they think their partners are committed. They also seem to get a rush out of convincing others to engage in promiscuous sexual acts that they normally do not participate in. People dump you after you've been dating for about four months. Through his research, Campbell found that the four-month mark the apparent satisfaction peak in any dating relationship is typically how long it takes for someone dating a narcissist to see their true colors. You put some people on pedestals. Malkin says the logic goes like this: "If I find someone perfect to be close to, maybe some of their perfection will rub off on me, and I'll become perfect by association." With that ideal in mind, narcissists cozy up to people they find perfect be it a colleague or a crush and then get really disappointed when that person isn't as impeccable as they imagined. Because for a narcissist, everything has to be perfect. You like to put other people down. Narcissistic people intentionally put down others in order to maintain a high positive image of themselves. "Seeking admiration is like a drug for narcissists," said Mitja D. Back, a psychologist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. "In the long run it becomes difficult because others won't applaud them, so they always have to search for new acquaintances from whom they get the next fix." This also explains why narcissists typically maintain only weak relationships. Your parents ignored and adored you. According to Sigmund Freud , a combination of parental rejection and excessive admiration is more strongly linked to adult narcissism than if one childhood experience consistently existed without the other. The inconsistency and whiplash of the parent's attitude towards their children will eventually cause for a "deep craving for admiration" and lead the narcissistic to lead a life searching for fleeting ego boosts. You choose your friends to look cool or take advantage of people. Narcissistic men and women have different ways of choosing friends . Women choose male friends with high social status so they can feel a sense of worthiness. Guys choose bros who can "wingman" for them when they're trying to pick up girls. You always have to be in control. Just as narcissists hate to talk about their feelings, "they can't stand to be at the mercy of other people's preferences," Malkin says. "It reminds them that they aren't invulnerable or completely independent that, in fact, they might have to ask for what they want and even worse, people may not feel like meeting the request." This is why they can be controlling without getting angry. In the case of romantic relationships, narcissists control people with disapproving glances, calls to change plans, and chronic lateness. This allows narcissists to undermine other people's ability to make choices. By doing that, narcissists maintain their sense of total autonomy which they so desperately need. | 7 | 96,165 | health |
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court has so far resisted elaborating on two landmark decisions that established a nationwide right to defend one's home with a gun. That could change with a new appeal filed by gun owners that challenges a Chicago suburb's assault weapons ban. The appeal by Dr. Arie Friedman and the Illinois State Rifle Association argues that the City of Highland Park has violated their constitutional rights by banning some of the most popular semi-automatic guns in the United States, as well as ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds. The justices put off consideration of the appeal last week. In recent years, the court has almost always deferred action on an appeal before agreeing to take it up. The court could say as early as Monday whether it will hear the case. Friedman is a practicing pediatrician and owner of semi-automatic weapons. He lost a bid for the state Senate as a Republican in 2012 in a campaign in which some conservatives complained about his support for abortion rights. In recent days, Friedman has used his Twitter account to offer tips for Israelis who want to arm themselves in public. He did not respond to messages left with his medical practice. The Supreme Court's 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller and the 2010 decision in McDonald v. Chicago focused mainly on the right to defend one's own home. Gun rights groups have failed repeatedly to get the justices to say how broadly the Second Amendment protects gun rights. The court has turned away challenges to gun laws at least three other times in cases that involved whether people have a right to be armed in public. Even though lower courts have mainly upheld gun restrictions, the Highland Park case arises out of a decision by the federal appeals court in Chicago that struck down the only statewide ban on carrying concealed weapons, in Illinois. In 2013, when state lawmakers reacted to the court ruling by making it legal to carry a gun, they gave cities around the state 10 days to come up with local restrictions on assault weapons, or forfeit their right to do so. Highland Park was one of fewer than 20 municipalities, all in the Chicago area, to enact regulations or bans, according to the rifle association. The city's assault weapons ban was upheld by the appeals court in a 2-1 decision. "If a ban on semi-automatic guns and large-capacity magazines reduces the perceived risk from a mass shooting and makes the public feel safer as a result, that's a substantial benefit," Judge Frank Easterbrook wrote for the court. Variations of the Bushmaster AR-15, one of the guns specifically banned by Highland Park, were used in the Newtown, Connecticut, school massacre and the theater shootings in Aurora, Colorado. In dissent, Judge Daniel A. Manion said individuals, not elected officials, get to choose which guns they prefer for self-defense. "To limit self-defense to only those methods acceptable to the government" creates an "enormous transfer of authority from the citizens of this country to the government a result directly contrary to our Constitution and to our political tradition," Manion wrote. Twenty-four states and other gun-rights groups are supporting the appeal at the Supreme Court. The justices' refusal to say more about gun rights has allowed, even encouraged, federal judges to take a narrow view of the meaning of the Second Amendment, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said on behalf of the states. "It is time for this court to intervene." The case is Friedman v. City of Highland Park, 15-133. ___ Follow Mark Sherman on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/shermancourt | 5 | 96,166 | news |
The Australian rugby squad is aiming for continuous improvement, despite the loss of key players Israel Folau and David Pocock for Sunday's quarter-final clash with Scotland. | 1 | 96,167 | sports |
Expensive costumes, carving gigantic jack-o'-lanterns and literally sleeping with the dead are just some ways to take Halloween to the extreme. | 8 | 96,168 | video |
There are two kinds of people in life: The first kind paint a big R on their chest and rock out with a megaphone at a Memphis-Cincinnati game. The other kind of people paint an E on their chest and point at the guy rocking out on the megaphone. Which kind of person are you? Don't be the person that paints an E on your chest. Rock out, live it up. Be a R type. Life is way better on the R side: And he was back at it again on Oct. 17 against Ole Miss. | 1 | 96,169 | sports |
Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton hit Republicans on the economy in a speech in Alabama, saying, "there is a pattern of Republicans getting us into economic messes, and Democratic presidents having to come in and clean them up." (Oct. 17) | 8 | 96,170 | video |
If you are running a startup business, you are likely cash-strapped. You would probably like to get the most bang for your buck. Towards that goal, your tendency might be to put marketing and and public relations efforts on the back burner. However, this is not a good strategy since your marketing efforts are likely to generate a higher level of awareness about your business and pay off in the future, even if there is no immediate payback. Here are a few ways that you can engage in some marketing and public relations initiatives without spending a lot of money and without hiring the services of a professional marketing or public relations person. Why Engage in Marketing? Marketing efforts are a way to let potential customers know that your firm exists and what need it satisfies. Only then will they be aware that you could satisfy their need. Then, they might be interested in buying your offerings and you will gain new customers. Besides, you could differentiate yourself from the competition with your marketing efforts. This will help customers think of you when they have a need for your product. Identify Target Audience An important aspect of a marketing strategy is to identify your target audience so that you can engage with the right people who are likely to have a need for your product and spend money on it. For instance, if you are selling women's apparel, you wouldn't attract much demand by advertising your wares on a website or publication that is targeted at men. Thus, before you even start your marketing efforts, make sure that you are expending your efforts in the right direction. Generate Publicity See if you could make your story interesting enough to get coverage in your local paper. That way, people in your community will know that your business exists and will consider you should the need arise. Another way to generate some publicity is to share your story with your college magazine so that they could consider writing about it. Sponsor Events One more strategy to get your brand name out there is to sponsor an industry or community event. You could even sponsor just one portion of an event so that you don't have to spend a lot of money. This generates awareness of your product or service and what benefits it offers. Social Media Social media also offer avenues to share input about your business with the world. You could put up a Facebook profile or tweet about your business on Twitter, for instance. With this approach, you should be careful to naturally engage your audience and not make your advertising efforts too obvious. Also provide some incentives for people to "like" your business on Facebook or retweet or "favorite" your Twitter posts. For instance, you could provide a product giveaway for every fiftieth person, for example, that "likes" your product or retweets it. Blog See if you could do a guest blog for a website that attracts your target audience. This will generate awareness and publicity for your business although you will have to be subtle about this and not directly promote it. For instance, you could blog about some newsworthy industry issue. Other bloggers could also link to this content, thereby generating more publicity for you. A product placement strategy, whereby you could provide a blogger an incentive to write about your product, is another approach. Do Your Own Public Relations Another way to conserve your scarce startup resources is to do your own public relations efforts . Everyone you meet everyday provides an opportunity for public relations outreach. You know your own story well and that of your product or idea, and have more of an incentive to pitch it to others than any professional public relations agency you hire. The Bottom Line Marketing and public relations efforts are important to generate awareness of any business. Even if you are a cash-strapped startup, you should not neglect this important activity that is likely to help develop your customer base. There are ways of engaging in marketing outreach efforts without dipping too much into your scarce finances. | 3 | 96,171 | finance |
Most of us who follow professional sports like to think we're experts in the field. So if you're a sports fanatic and were watching "Jeopardy!" on Friday night, there's a good chance your eyes lit up when you saw the "Final Jeopardy" answer was about baseball. But solving the sports-themed riddle proved a little harder than imagined, at least for the contestants. Here's the clue : Must sheepishly admit that I couldn't come up with tonight's baseball themed Final @Jeopardy question. Can you? pic.twitter.com/zVKPcRqrAU Ben Reiter (@SI_BenReiter) October 16, 2015 The correct response is below, but see if you can guess this one on your own. All three contestants responded incorrectly with guesses of the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and New York Mets. Contestants on "Jeopardy!" always seem to struggle with sports questions, but we can't blame them here, as this one is really tricky. So what was it? The Los Angeles Angels, of course. "Los Angeles" translates from Spanish to English as "The Angels," thus making the team's full name "The Angels Angels." If you were stumped, don't feel bad. We couldn't figure it out either. | 1 | 96,172 | sports |
What is an Instagram ad? Back when the company first announced it would be interrupting everyone's photo feed with ads, Instagram said that brands would have to be "creative and engaging" in their approach. They'd have to fit in seamlessly alongside the never-ending stream of food shots, pet photos, vacation scenes, and newborn babies we all constantly swipe through. In a blog post, Instagram said, "After all, our team doesn't just build Instagram, we use it each and every day." And sure enough, the initial batch of advertisers stayed true to Instagram's vision and delivered ads that looked like they belonged on the platform. They were actually photos often pretty good ones . Instagram even gave the brands special tools that regular users still can't access. Advertisers can make galleries, whereas you and I still have to post every photo individually like buffoons. Brands can also post 30-second videos. But normal humans? We're still limited to half that length. And yet, even with all this special treatment, the quality of ads on Instagram is taking a very noticeable dive. These are Instagram ads done right. Notice that they're actual photos . I saw this mind-numbingly boring iPhone 6S ad while browsing my feed yesterday. It stopped me cold in my tracks, and I reacted instantly (and strongly) with disgust. There's nothing special about this ad. There's no style or any real element of photography to it. Zero creativity is involved, and I can't see how anyone could possibly call this engaging. It's just a boring promo graphic of the iPhone on a white background. This is what you'd expect from Google search results; it totally misses the warm and imaginative notes that Instagram says it's aiming for. There's no doubt a balancing act that comes with trying to build a strong ad business that doesn't somehow annoy millions of users. People love Instagram. I love Instagram. It's my favorite of the big three social platforms, despite the fact that I spend far more time on Twitter every day. And for the most part, I haven't really been too bothered by the ads I've seen. That's why this one, and a few others of late, have stuck out so badly. These things aren't supposed to have fine print, Sprint. If this effortless garbage is an example of where things are headed, Kevin Systrom (who at one point claimed to approve many ads himself) should probably recalibrate and remind Instagram's advertisers that the bar for quality here is higher than some banner ad on a webpage or at least it's supposed to be. Instagram's doing tremendous work on the consumer end; it's built some great new filters and finally gives users full creative freedom to post photos in any orientation. But there's something to be said for overall experience. Bad ads won't make me stop using Instagram. They'll just make Instagram and its ad partners look, well, pretty lazy. | 3 | 96,173 | finance |
Kyle Busch held off fellow Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth and the rest of the field to win the Kansas Lottery 300 XFINITY Series race at Kansas Speedway on Saturday. Kenseth finished second, followed by Joey Logano, Ty Dillon and Regan Smith. Series points leader Chris Buescher overcame a speeding penalty en route to a respectable sixth-place finish that helped him maintain a healthy lead in the standings. Busch had to overcome his own speeding penalty and some damage to the right side of his No. 54 Toyota from incidents earlier in the race. Then he had to beat Kenseth on one final green-white-checkered restart to get the win. It was quite a battle over the last 30 laps between the JGR teammates, but ultimately Busch prevailed because, he said, his car was slightly better overall than Kenseth's. "My tongue was hanging out. I can't imagine what Matt felt like," said Busch, who led a total of 56 laps overall. "He was driving way harder than I was. But, man, when you've got two really good race cars like that, you've just got to bring them home. "(Team owner) Joe (Gibbs) might get mad at us if we tear 'em up. But Matt raced me really, really hard, door-to-door down the straightaways. Then down in the corner and in the middle of the racetrack, my car was really good. I could see he was moving around, trying to find anything that could gas his car up. I had plenty of that." Busch thus raced to his fifth XFINITY victory of the year and record-extending 75th overall. Busch also became the winningest NASCAR driver in Kansas Speedway history with four. He won XFINITY races n 2007 and 2014 and a NASCAR Truck event in 2014. After Kenseth led the first 117 laps and 148 in all, Busch grabbed the lead for good in his Toyota with 15 laps to go. Busch appeared to have seized control on the 147th lap. But during a subsequent caution, he ran into debris that damaged the right front of his car and dropped him back into the field. When the race resumed to green-flag racing, Busch returned to contention and rode Kenseth's bumper before taking the lead. Another caution with four laps to go extended the race to a green-white-checkered finish. "This was a good day for us and something to build off of hopefully for tomorrow," said Busch, who could battle his teammate again in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at the 1.5-mile track. Kenseth was philosophical after being forced to settle for second. "As much as I love Kyle, and he's a great teammate, it gets aggravating sometimes watching him win all the time on TV (in the XFINITY Series). It's even more aggravating to get beat by him," said Kenseth, laughing. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | 1 | 96,174 | sports |
WACO - Baylor players were careful all week leading up to the West Virginia game to say that revenge wasn't important, even after the Mountaineers ruined their hopes of making the College Football Playoffs last season. But after a convincing 62-38 thrashing of the Mountaineers on Saturday, the Bears conceded that last year's loss might have had a little more motivation than they admitted. BOX SCORE: BAYLOR 62, WEST VIRGINIA 38 The scoring binge enabled them to tie a college football record by becoming only the second team in history to score at least 60 points in five consecutive games. The other was Oklahoma in 2008. "We just erased last year and tried to make a statement for this year," Baylor cornerback Ryan Reid said. Baylor coach Art Briles harped on his team's losing record in three previous games with the Mountaineers. "We felt a lot of desire, a lot of need to clear our name," Briles said. "We didn't feel like we had a good name in West Virginia, so that was kind of our motivation." Any perceived slights were wiped out during an impressive start to the second half. Baylor erupted for touchdowns on consecutive drives of 82, 75, 52 and 60 yards to build on a 27-17 halftime lead. And if the wonks who gauge style points tuned out late in the game, the Bears had the ball at the WVU 1 in the final seconds before electing to take a knee on the game's final play. The victory enabled the No. 2 Bears (6-0, 3-0), to become bowl eligible for the sixth straight season and prove a point to skeptics who might have wondered if their offense could keep humming against one of the Big 12's best defenses. "It had nothing to do with rankings or getting bowl-eligible, nothing to do with anything other than when people talk about us up there, we want them saying good things about our football program," Briles said. "We didn't feel like we had earned the right up until today. So maybe now, they'll say Baylor's got a decent team." The No. 2 Bears (6-0, 3-0) extended their nation-best home winning streak to 19 games. "We've got a point to prove every time we step on the field and especially at home," Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman. "We just have to put our foot down and be at our best." Coleman might have lived up to that claim more than anybody Saturday with 10 catches for 199 yards. His three receiving touchdowns boosted him past Kendall Wright's previous single-season record of 14 touchdown grabs. Coleman now has 16 TDs in six games. "It's crazy," Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee said. "He's on pace to go for like 32 right now. One missed tackle or one missed play we're going to get you. He's doing an incredible job and we all are as a receiving corps." West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen came away impressed after his defensive backs were repeatedly burned by the speedy Coleman. "You can put me on record," Holgorsen said. "Corey Coleman is the best player in college football." Coleman received a lot of help from an offense that rolled up 693 yards and 8.2 yards per snap against a defense for West Virginia (3-3, 0-3) that allowed only 23 points in its first three games. Seth Russell became only the second player in Baylor history with 300 yards passing and 100 rushing yards in the same game after passing for 380 yards and five touchdowns and adding a career-best 160 rushing yards and another score. He has accounted for at least three touchdowns in each of his seven starts. "Man, I'm having a hard time finding faults, I really am," Briles said about his junior quarterback. "He's pretty complete, and I'm talking about mentally and as a teammate and everything else." | 1 | 96,175 | sports |
Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista's miscue in the top of the seventh inning started a five-run rally for the Royals. Kansas City ended up picking up the 5-3 win over the Blue Jays on Saturday. | 1 | 96,176 | sports |
Saturday's best catches and interceptions are sure to impress. This week's edition of "Jiffy Lube Expert Hands" includes sensational grabs by Stanford's Francis Owusu, Louisville's James Quick and other gridiron studs from across the nation. | 1 | 96,177 | sports |
Forget Deflategate for a minute. Despite all the talk about Tom Brady, the lasting image of the New England Patriots' AFC Championship game rout last season was the running game overpowering the Indianapolis Colts defense. Chuck Pagano won't have to worry about stopping Jonas Gray this time, but his defense has yielded 657 yards in its last three game against the Patriots. That pace can't continue in Sunday's prime time rematch, or Brady will have most of his work already done for him. "Our No. 1 goal is to stop the run," Colts defensive end Kendall Langford said, according to the Indianapolis Star . "But this team's a new team. That team is a new team." New England hasn't had to rely on its 29th-ranked rushing attack much with Brady on an MVP pace. But Dion Lewis, who's questionable for Sunday, has been a revelation, and LeGarrette Blount remains effective as a late-game hammer. The Colts must corral the run without bending to personnel adjustments that leave them vulnerable to a big strike from Brady. A steady effort from the defensive line has the rushing defense ranked No. 19 so far this year. But Indianapolis' numbers might be skewed by a passing defense opposing teams are eager to attack. The Colts rank 28th in passing yards allowed and have yet to face an upper-echelon aerial attack. Getting Brady off the field won't be easy for the Colts defense. But it will be next to impossible if the Patriots have a repeat performance on the ground. Here are four other matchups that will define Week 6: Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch vs. Carolina Panthers LB Luke Kuechly It's unclear what the respective stars of the Seahawks offense and Panthers defense will provide in their returns from multi-game absences. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Friday that Lynch was "back to full health" after being sidelined by a hamstring injury. Despite the emergence of undrafted rookie running back Thomas Rawls, Lynch's presence is crucial to a Seahawks offense still sorting itself out. Even though Lynch is averaging 3.4 yards per carry, he allows the team to return to its established offensive identity. That's needed more than ever given the league-high 22 sacks allowed on Russell Wilson and an inability to integrate tight end Jimmy Graham. Kuechly is back for the first time since suffering a concussion in Week 1, though coach Ron Rivera might limit his contributions. But he should solidify an already stout run defense and keep Wilson out of comfortable situations. Cincinnati Bengals receivers vs. Buffalo Bills defensive backs One week after surviving the Seahawks' defensive line, the Bengals now must withstand the Bills' blitzes. Andy Dalton is enjoying a career year, thanks in part to the stellar protection of the offensive line and a lessened reliance on A.J. Green. If Dalton has his time against Buffalo, he could find easy opportunities for his receivers to make big plays. And for all the hype placed on Rex Ryan's defense, the Bills rank 23rd against the pass and have just nine sacks in five games. Still, cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby have been standouts so far this year. Both will need to be solid in coverage as well as tackling in space against Green, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu and Tyler Eifert. Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown vs. Arizona Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson Ben Roethlisberger's absence takes a little luster off this showdown. But it still features two of the game's best young talents going head to head. Brown's average has plummeted from 145.3 receiving yards per game to 43.5 since Michael Vick took over as starter. The downfield passing attack that Brown thrived in has been shelved in favor of safer opportunities. But the Steelers will have to take their chances at some point, as Le'Veon Bell can't carry the offense alone. Vick needs to take trust Brown, even in a tough matchup. The slimmed-down Peterson is enjoying a resurgent season as one of the league's best cornerbacks. Brown's shiftiness and double moves might be tough to handle, but expect this to be a largely one-on-one showdown. Philadelphia Eagles QB Sam Bradford vs. New York Giants secondary This could be Bradford's long-awaited breakout game. The Eagles quarterback has back-to-back solid performances under his belt, but his comfort level hasn't remained consistent over the course of a full game. Monday night might provide the same kind of opportunity the Eagles took advantage of last week, when its run game finally got on track against the New Orleans Saints. The Giants' pass defense ranks last in the NFL, and the pass rush is non-existent. Cornerback Prince Amukamara's injury only heightens the concerns in New York. But Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was Bradford's coach for two years with the St. Louis Rams. He'll need to dial up something special against his former pupil to keep the Giants atop the NFC East. | 1 | 96,178 | sports |
Arizona landed a commitment from Lauri Markkanen on Saturday, a native of Finland considered by scouts to be a five-star talent. Markkanen, an athletic 6'10" forward, told Scout.com of his decision while taking an official visit to campus. Markkanen had visited Utah and North Carolina in the past week and had past interest from programs including Duke. "I think I have a chance to go play against great guys every day in practice," Markkanen said. "I think I can get minutes here. I like everything I see here. "I'm glad I have a chance to commit now and relax," he added. "All three schools are great and I knew it was going to be hard, but I think I made the right choice." Markkanen is the first 2016 commitment for Sean Miller and Arizona. He opened eyes at NBA All-Star Weekend in February with a strong showing at a Basketball Without Borders camp in New York, and followed that up with a big summer at the FIBA U18 European Championships. He averaged 18.2 points and 6.3 rebounds for Finland in the competition. The commitment is a major coup for Arizona, who graduate big men Kaleb Tarczewski, Ryan Anderson and Mark Tollefsen after the season. Markkanen is a rangy, mobile forward with developing skills and a solid jump shot and should be firmly on NBA radars before long. His frame is large enough that he could potentially play some center with some added strength. His addition helps compensate for the loss of forward T.J. Leaf, who chose to reopen his recruitment over the summer after committing to Arizona earlier in the year. Arizona's other targets for the 2016 class include five-star prospects Josh Jackson and De'Aaron Fox. • Projecting this season's top scorers - Jeremy Woo | 1 | 96,179 | sports |
Things are looking up for Lamar Odom. The basketball player has "opened his eyes" as he continues to seek treatment at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas, according to Entertainment Tonight. However, TMZ is reporting that Odom's body movement including eye function is involuntary. Odom's estranged wife Khloé Kardashian, father Joe Odom, his two kids Destiny Odom and Lamar Odom Jr. and their mother Liz Morales are in town to be by his side. Kardashian has asked Dennis Hof, the owner of the brothel at which Odom was found unconscious earlier this week, to refrain from speaking with the media of respect for the delicate situation. | 1 | 96,180 | sports |
Typically entrepreneurs (and their investors) view capital sources in two camps: equity-based and debt-based. Many entrepreneurs barely have their business idea on paper before they explore giving away equity in exchange for capital (think Shark Tank ) or take on debt before they've established revenue. Special thanks to Lara Hodgson and John Hayes of NOW Corp who are investing in ways to help small businesses free up their existing capital. While having an impassioned conversation with Hodgson about the opportunities that exist by using 'revenue' as a source of capital, she shared an analysis with me outlining capital source types. She suggests that there are in fact 4 sources of capital: equity, debt, grants and sales/revenue. Equity as a source of Capital There are 3 types of equity for funding operations: Public Equity, External Private Equity and Internal Equity. Public equity or securities include IPOs and crowdfunding efforts. The stakes are high, the reporting and regulatory requirements are higher. External private equity is capital raised from angels, VCs and institutional private equity. These forms of capital ideally come with business advisory support because the cost of this capital is high and the investment in keeping these investors informed or integrated is time intensive. Internal equity is owner's equity or retained earnings that sometimes ends up attached to debt instruments in the form of guarantees. Equity is a high cost, high risk and high maintenance form of raising capital and it is not for the novice. Debt as a source of Capital Some entrepreneurs who aren't prepared to venture into equity capital and frankly may not need to if the funding sought is under $200,000 seem happy to take on debt as a necessary element of growth. Debt includes commercial and industrial loans/leasing, real estate and unsecured debt. There isn't room here to go into every form of debt, but you probably read most in the business press about Commercial & Industrial Lending. C&I lending is any loan to a business not secured with real estate. Few of us have commercial real estate sitting around to use as collateral and so we assume debt with other asset-based lending (ABL). While we may find lenders that offer unsecured loans, typically we secure our debts with receivables or inventory. These capital sources include leases (where the equipment is the collateral), factoring (where loans are secured by the receivables themselves), receivables discounting (also called 'recourse factoring' where the small business still maintains the liability for non-payment) or a Merchant Cash Advance. I previously viewed factoring and merchant cash advances as safe, ready cash until Hodgson pointed out an interesting flaw in the model that can negatively impact an entrepreneur's ability to grow with this form of financing. As business owners we regard our receivables as assets of the business, but in factoring and merchant cash advances, those transactions are classed as liabilities. This means that while you may get your hands on that cash quickly, your balance sheet isn't really pretty because you've just taken your receivables asset and booked it as debt. You're not showing any balance sheet progress. While you may have cash for operations, your financial position looks no better and you likely won't qualify to assume other loans or debt. This is a critical distinction to Hodgson. Having the cash you need for today's operations doesn't help you secure the financing you need for tomorrow's operations. I don't know any entrepreneur in business to run a revenue flat operation…they want to grow. It takes capital to grow and so a funding solution that only enables you to acquire the capital you need to stay where you are today is not a growth solution. Grants as a source of Capital Most people think of non-profits when they think of grants, but the truth is there are grants available in sectors that are critical to our economy or national interests. Think of the growth in the healthcare sector as regulations have taken hold and innovation is being incentivized. There is a wealth of information on Federal grants available to small businesses on the Small Business Administration (SBA) website . In my own state of Georgia, we have several high-growth workforce development initiatives that are accompanied by grant opportunities. I recommend doing some research on your state or industry's mission-critical economic drivers and see if you may be missing out on potential grants. Revenue as a source of Capital Finally, there is the category of cash equivalents or near-cash equivalents. Cash equivalents include accepting checks or electronic funds transfers. Near-cash equivalents include merchant services such as accepting business credit cards for payment. A new category of near-cash equivalent (or revenue accelerators, as NOW Corp refers to its NOWaccount) is a payment service that in practice works similar to factoring but is not booked as debt. This is where Hodgson gets really fired up because a payment service that gives you near immediate access to your cash from receivables, without being booked as debt, leaves the business cash healthy and balance sheet healthy. You have the cash to operate today while being eligible to use other forms of debt for growth. Have your broadly considered your capital options? The next time you look at your cash balance and capital needs, don't oversimplify your options. You don't need to give 35% of your business to Mark Cuban (although I'm sure he'd love to have a piece of your 'New Age Lemonade Stand.' ) You also don't need to hold off on starting your business until you can secure an SBA loan. Start today generating revenue, turning it into cash and using your own capital and the creativity that got you into business for yourself to grow the next great American business. How great would it be to be able to say, 'I built this business, I kept my equity and I keep growing my own capital pool'? Pretty great, I'd say. | 3 | 96,181 | finance |
Rita Ora Travis Barker and Rita Ora have reportedly split. The Blink 182 drummer enjoyed a brief romance with the 'I Will Never Let You Down' singer after meeting for the first time at the Power 106 All-Star Game in Los Angeles on September 20 but the duo are believed to have called time on their relationship already. According to the Daily Mirror, Travis said: "I don't have that ¬longing to be in a relationship 24/7." The swift demise of their relationship comes as a surprise after Travis previously gushed about Rita. Explaining how they met, he said: "I performed with Tyga and Kid Ink. We had just met through passing. We have a mutual friend named Willie T. I had walked up and he was like, 'Yo, take a picture with Rita.' And I was like, 'OK.' "We just took a photo together, but obviously she's stunning and she's awesome." The 39-year-old rocker admitted he and Rita, 24 - who wore a black and white cheerleader uniform at the event - only spoke briefly that night, though he was able to introduce his 11-year-old son Landon to her and she left a lasting impression. He added: "Of course Rita Ora was like the only hot cheerleader at the whole spot, so you couldn't help but notice her." | 6 | 96,182 | entertainment |
On Sunday the Cubs will try to succeed where the Blue Jays failed earlier on Saturday: win Game 2 of their respective League Championship Series behind their ace to bring the series home tied at one game apiece. As if they needed added incentive, there's this nugget to keep in mind: Of the 75 teams to fall behind 0-2 in a best-of-seven series in major league history, just 13 (17%) rallied to win the series. That doesn't bode well for Toronto, which is already down 0-2 against Kansas City in the ALCS, and it's a daunting prospect for Chicago against the Mets in the NLCS. It also adds to the weight of history that the Cubs carried into this series the franchise has not won a pennant since 1945, more than a decade before any of the other teams remaining in this year's postseason even came into existence and makes Game 2 an especially critical contest for Chicago. Fortunately for the Cubs, they'll have the right man on the mound. Cubs at Mets Series: NLCS Game 2, Mets lead 1-0 Time: 8:07 p.m. ET TV: TBS Starting Pitchers: Jake Arrieta (2-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. Noah Syndergaard (0-1, 3.68 ERA) • If Chicago manager Joe Maddon could choose any pitcher in baseball to start this game, he'd probably pick Arrieta. The 29-year-old righty has been dominant since the start of summer, posting a 1.00 ERA over his last 22 starts dating back to late June. Arrieta faced the Mets twice during the regular season, once before that stretch began and once early in it. In both games, the first at home, the second on the road, he held them to one run over eight innings, and in the two starts combined he allowed eight hits and two walks in 16 innings against 17 strikeouts. • Despite all that, Arrieta's last start, which came in Game 3 of the Division Series, was his first since June 16 in which he allowed more than three runs or failed to complete six innings (he did both, allowing four runs in 5 2/3 innings, though he still struck out nine against just two walks). That outing raised the question of whether or not Arrieta may finally be running out of gas. He has already thrown 243 2/3 innings, 67 more than his career high of 176 2/3 from a year ago. His strong peripherals and consistent velocity in that game suggest that the poor outing was likely just the law of averages finally catching up to him, but for the first time in months, there's reason to have less than 100% confidence in Arrieta heading into a start. • MORE MLB: Full postseason schedule, start times, TV listings • Given that Arrieta has taken such a big leap forward this year, it seems silly to consult his career records against the individual Mets hitters. Still, it's worth noting that while this will be Yoenis Cespedes's first time facing Arrieta as a Met, he did hit a home run off him on June 10 while still with the Tigers, his only hit against Arrieta to date. Meanwhile, the hitter Arrieta has faced more than any other in his career is New York leadoff man Curtis Granderson, who continued his hot postseason with a a pair of RBIs in the Mets' 4-2 Game 1 win. Granderson has excellent career numbers against Arrieta, having gone 10-for-30 with two doubles, a triple and three home runs, but he is just 1-for-5 against him this year. • Two days after making his first career relief appearance in Game 5 of the NLDS, Noah Syndergaard will take the mound for the Mets. His only career start against the Cubs was his major league debut on May 12 at Wrigley Field, a game in which he faced off against Arrieta and lost. That day Syndergaard gave up three runs on six hits and four walks while striking out six in 5 1/3 innings, but, given the circumstances, it seems unfair to give that outing much weight going into this game. More significant is Syndergaard's overall performance this season at Citi Field, where he has gone 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA in 12 starts. He also fared well in two road appearances in the Division Series against the Dodgers. In his Game 2 start, he allowed just one run while striking out eight through six innings but departed in the infamous seventh and was charged with two more runs from a rally that included Chase Utley's controversial slide. Then in Game 5 he protected a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning with a dominant frame that included two strikeouts and a walk. • As impressive as Syndergaard was in the Division Series, he reportedly threw upwards of 100 pitches in the bullpen before working his 17-pitch inning in Game 5. That was Thursday, giving Syndergaard just two days of rest since that unfamiliar usage. Syndergaard hadn't pitched in relief since he was a 19-year-old Blue Jays prospect in A-ball in 2012, so it's unclear how the disruption of his usual schedule will impact him in this start. Still, it seems likely that if he can give the Mets six strong innings, they won't ask him to go any further. Having used only closer Jeurys Famlia out of his bullpen in Game 1, Mets skipper Terry Collins should have no qualms about utilizing a quick hook with the 23-year-old fireballer. • Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber hit his fourth home run of this postseason in Game 1, a 459-foot shot that stands as the longest of this postseason according to MLB.com's Statcast. If he hits another it will set a career postseason record for a player under the age of 23. As it stands, he has tied the mark held by Mickey Mantle, Andruw Jones, Miguel Cabrera and Bryce Harper. The full list of players with multiple postseason home runs prior to the age of 23 is just as impressive. Jimmie Foxx hit three and Albert Pujols, Johnny Bench, Reggie Smith, Tony Kubek, Evan Longoria, Brian McCann and Carlos Correa each hit two. Schwarber and the Mets' Daniel Murphy, who also hit his fourth in Game 1, lead all still-active players in home runs this postseason. • Game 1 was cold, but Game 2 is likely to be colder. According to the forecast on weather.com, the temperature in Flushing is expected to be 43 degrees at first pitch and feel like 38. In addition to making the proceedings look like Cobra's company softball game , the cold is likely to suppress runs , which were already likely to be rare given the quality of the pitching matchup at pitcher-friendly Citi Field. Among other things, the ball simply doesn't carry as well in the thin, cold air. That might seem like a bigger problem for the Cubs than the Mets, but New York has actually out-homered Chicago 97 to 92 since trading deadline (postseason included) despite playing one fewer game. | 1 | 96,183 | sports |
Since Moscow started its air campaign in Syria on September 30, the Syrian army and its allies have launched four ground offensives against rebel forces in northern and central Syria. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, regime troops recaptured at least five villages south of Aleppo that had been under rebel control. Activist Omar al-Halabi, who is based in northern Aleppo, told DPA news agency that Russian jets backed Syrian government troops by carrying out more than 15 raids on several villages. Furthermore, three senior commanders of the Islamist al-Nusra Front were killed in the western part of Aleppo. The activists did not say whether the three had been killed by Russian or US-allied warplanes. Syrian forces are also trying to lift a siege imposed by the militant group Islamic State (IS) on the Kweires airbase in the north-eastern sector of Aleppo. The government's goal in capturing the airbase is to allow Russian warplanes to use it for future airstrikes, according to activists from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 'Our national interests' Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Moscow's air war was an attempt to protect its own national interests and security. "Of course we are not fighting for specific leaders, we are defending our national interests, on the one hand," he stated. "And secondly, we have a request from the lawful authorities (of Syria). That is the basis we are working on. The president (Vladimir Putin) said this: it's obvious that if we don't destroy these terrorists there, they will come to Russia." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP that government troops still faced fierce resistance in the central province of Homs in spite of Russian air support. More than 250,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict started with peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011. das/ls (AFP, dpa) | 5 | 96,184 | news |
Spanish police have arrested 81 people in a country-wide child pornography sting. CNN's Natalie Allen reports. | 8 | 96,185 | video |
COLUMBUS, Ohio J.T. Barrett played finisher for Ohio State, running for two red-zone touchdowns in the first half and then taking over full-time for Cardale Jones in the third quarter, as the top-ranked Buckeyes played another round of quarterback roulette in a 38-10 victory against Penn State on Saturday night. Wearing black uniforms for the first time, the Buckeyes didn't look like themselves, though they did look a lot more like the dominant team many expected the defending national champions to be this season. BOX SCORE: OHIO STATE 38, PENN STATE 10 Ohio State (7-0, 3-0 Big Ten) still doesn't have a definitive answer at quarterback, but the Buckeyes have a 20-game winning streak. Barrett added two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to make it 38-10 and draw chants of "J.T.! J.T.!" from the blackout crowd of 108, 423 for Dark Night in the Shoe. Jones started, as he has all season, but was only 9 for 15 for 84 yards. Barrett, as he did last week, entered when the Buckeyes got inside the 20 in the first half and helped Ohio State complete three trips there with touchdowns. After two unproductive third-quarter series, Jones was benched. Freshman Saquon Barkley provided most of the offense for Penn State (5-2, 2-1) with 194 yards rushing. Ohio State coach Urban Meyer seemed to find a two-quarterback combination last week with Jones playing the big part of the field and Barrett taking over inside the opponents' 20. It worked great in a rout of Maryland. Not so against a pretty good Penn State defense that came in leading the nation in sacks. So again the question is, as it has been since last January, who is the Buckeyes No. 1 quarterback? Jones, who led the Buckeyes to the national championship, or Barrett, who was the Big Ten player of the year. Ezekiel Elliott was once again a constant for the Buckeyes with 153 yards rushing, his 12th straight 100-yard game. Aside from Jones' struggles, it was Ohio State's best game of the season. Braxton Miller got involved in a variety of ways with eight touches for 63 yards and a touchdown and the Buckeyes committed no turnovers. Penn State knows exactly who its quarterback is but Christian Hackenberg was again poorly protected against Joey Bosa and the Ohio State pass rush. Last season, Bosa ended Ohio State's double-overtime victory with a sack and he had one of five sacks Saturday night against Hackenberg. The junior seemed to be favoring his back after getting dumped in the third quarter and finished 7 for 13 for 120 yards and a touchdown. Penn State leaned on Barkley, who had missed the last two games with a foot injury. He made a difference, but his long touchdown run that could have put Penn State up 10-0 in the first quarter was wiped out by a holding call on right guard Brian Gaia. Barrett gave Ohio State a 7-3 lead with a 5-yard TD run early in the second quarter and Elliott finished the next drive by darting and bouncing off tacklers for a 10-yard score. Barrett closed the next drive, too, taking a keeper on the zone read 13 yards for the score. Penn State opened the second half with a three-play touchdown drive, capped by DaeSean Hamilton stretching to the pylon for an 8-yard touchdown reception to make it 21-10. | 1 | 96,186 | sports |
Check out highlights of Corey Coleman and the Baylor Bears as they dominate West Virginia. | 1 | 96,187 | sports |
Two terrific goals give Ajax all three points at Heracles, league leaders move four clear at the top | 1 | 96,188 | sports |
The award for strangest star in the universe just went to KIC 8462852. And while some are saying that this star could be harboring a giant structure built by an advanced alien civilization, the scientists behind the hype are saying otherwise. Business Insider recently spoke with two of these astronomers to find out what's really going on and if this structure really is proof of alien intelligence or a complete hoax. For some background: A postdoctoral graduate at Yale, Tabby Boyajian , and Penn State astronomer Jason Wright, recently discovered a bizarre and mysteriously giant structure orbiting the star that's unlike anything they've ever seen. And now they're doing what scientists do best: weighing all of the possible explanations until more data comes in that can rule out the wrong reasons in favor of the right one. Right now, there are many options on the table, including a giant swarm of comets, left-over chunks from a broken-up planet, and last but certainly not least an alien-built megastructure. But we won't know for sure until more data is collected. Is it aliens? As Penn State astronomer Kimberly Cartier told Business Insider about the coverage: "It's gotten a bit out of hand." What's more, she said that the probability of this exciting, yet wildly confusing, observation being aliens is "very low." She also emphasized: "Just to clarify, neither [my colleague] Jason [Wright] or myself ... are advocating that it is an alien megastructure, but we also can't completely rule it out." Cartier works with Wright who is spearheading the search for these megastructures as a way to enhance the SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) project. The two collaborated on a scientific paper about how to go about finding these structures back in 2009. Moreover, Wright recently blogged about his work with KIC 8462852. His post does an excellent job of presenting the data in a straight-forward, non-hyped way. But as he recently told Atlantic reporter Ross Andersen, "Aliens should always be the very last hypothesis you consider, but this looked like something you would expect an alien civilization to build." We asked Wright how he felt about the hype his quote has since spawned. "I think the star is really inexplicable, but I would put the probability that [aliens] is what it is as very low." What's really going on Right now, the only scientific information astronomers have for star KIC 8462852 is its light curves, which is an estimate of how much light Earth receives from the star over a given period of time. These light curves reveal that something giant, about half the width of the star, is blocking the light but in bizarre bursts that are anything but periodic. If the obstruction were a planet eclipsing the star, it would block the light with a predictable pattern as the planet orbited the star. But "the eclipses have very strange shapes in the sense that whatever is blocking it is not a circular object," Wright told Business Insider. "And there's lots of them lots of things blocking the star. When you put all that together, there's nothing like that [anywhere else] in the sky. It's unique and very very strange." These light curves were first collected by a post doctoral fellow at Yale, Tabby Boyajian . After Boyajian presented them at Penn State, Wright took an immediate interest and soon after contacted Andrew Siemion, who works at the Berkeley SETI Research Center. The two submitted a telescope proposal to study the star in more detail that is still pending. What wright would like to do next is take what are called spectra of the star. Spectra are a critical tool in astronomy that allows researchers to essentially take a chemical fingerprint of an object that tells them what it's made of. "I want to see spectra when its dim and spectra when its bright and compare the two," Wright said. "And the difference should tell us what the light is passing through and tell us whatever is blocking it, what that's made of. That will be very diagnostic." Is Earth doomed? In the mean time, as we wait for Wright and Siemion to collect more information, it is worth addressing the possibility that if (and that's a very big if) this structure were made by an alien civilization, is Earth doomed? To that, Cartier said absolutely not. If the structure were artificial, it would be what Cartier and Wright describe as a Dyson sphere, which is a type of energy generating device and was first described by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in a 1960 paper in Science. "The structure itself is not meant to support life, Cartier told Business Insider. "It's something called a Dyson sphere, which is essentially a large porous series of solar panels ... that's meant to capture some of the starlight and convert it into usable energy for a civilization that's orbiting farther out in a region that would be more habitable." While constructing a Dyson sphere would require a tremendous amount of resources, it does not take technology that is vastly advanced to our own to build. That means, these potential alien beings have not likely invented warp drives to skip across the galaxy just yet. "Certainly to build a structure that big requires a lot more resources and potentially more advanced technology than we currently have available to us," Cartier told Business Insider. "However that doesn't imply that they have the capabilities to travel all the way here to Earth." Moreover, if this, in fact, were a Dyson sphere, it would be a work in progress because of its apparent shape, Cartier later told Business Insider in an email. The star KIC 8462852 is over 1,400 light years from Earth. So, don't worry, the world won't be coming to an end due to an alien invasion any time soon. NOW WATCH: This 3-minute animation will change the way you see the universe | 5 | 96,189 | news |
Everyone knows Americans don't agree on pronunciations. That's great, because regional accents are a major part of what makes American English so interesting. Joshua Katz, a Ph.D student of statistics at North Carolina State University , just published a group of awesome visualizations of Professor Bert Vaux and Scott Golder's linguistic survey , which looked at how Americans pronounce words (via detsl on /r/Linguistics) . His results were first published on The Abstract , the NC State University research blog. Katz gave us permission to publish some of the coolest maps from his collection. The pronunciation of "caramel" starts disregarding vowels once you go west of the Ohio River Residents of the far north have an oddly Canadian way of pronouncing "been" For whatever reason, it's a "boo-wie" knife in Texas and D.C.* UPDATE: Enthusiastic Marylanders have alerted us that there is indeed a town named "Bowie, Md." that is pronounced "Boo-wie." That solves that. No word yet from Texans. UPDATE 2: From a Texan: "It's pronounced Boo-wie because it's named after Jim Bowie (pronounced Boo-wie), who played a major role in the Texas revolution. That explains why we're the only ones who pronounce it correctly." Americans can't even agree how to pronounce crayon. The South is the only place where you'll try to call your "law-yer" instead of your "loyer" The South is also really into slaw. The North and West call it coleslaw. This is the deepest and most obvious linguistic divide in America. It's also an example of how everyone in south Florida pronounces things in the northern U.S. style. We are a nation divided over mayonnaise. Some of the deepest schisms in America are over the pronunciation of the second syllable of "pajamas" Okay, this one is crazy. Everyone pronounces "Pecan Pie" differently. Everyone knows that the Midwest calls it "pop," the Northeast and West Coast call it "soda," while the South is really into brand loyalty. Tiny lobsters are tearing this country apart. So are traffic circles. The Northeast corridor puts "sear-up" on their pancakes. Philadelphia is just making it up as it goes along. Let's ignore the East Coast/West Coast split and notice that Wisconsin and Rhode Island call a water fountain a "bubbler." The Northeast [and south Florida] puts on sneakers, everyone else finds a pair of tennis shoes. The West Coast is really into their freeways. Seriously? Alabama and Mississippi that is terrible. Most of America realizes that New York really is "The City." These exist?! Massachusetts, Long Island and Jersey are the only places that see a difference between Merry, Mary and marry. | 5 | 96,190 | news |
Don't want to get sick this season? Sure, you know the basics: Carry hand sanitizer everywhere. Grab public-bathroom door handles with paper towels. Hold your breath when your unwell-looking subway seat partner starts coughing. Bad news, germaphobe: Your meticulous habits aren't doing much to protect you. Here's a look at all the weird germ-avoidance behaviors that are likely not doing you any good: 1. Avoiding public transit A team of geneticists recently made headlines after their mission to document all the bacteria on the New York City subway turned up nearly 600 different species of microbes. (The vast majority of which were "unidentifiable.") Almost all of them were totally harmless. After all, literally every surface in the world around you is covered in bacteria. Roughly three pounds of your body weight is accounted for by bacteria alone. The idea that things can be "perfectly clean" is a myth we need bacteria to live. More importantly, there's evidence to suggest that exposing yourself to everyday pathogens such as those carried on our skin, in our intestines, and on the bodies of pets and insects might actually be good for you, especially if you get exposed at a young age. 2. Holding your breath when someone around you sneezes or coughs When someone sneezes or coughs without covering their mouth or nose, they're essentially shooting their bacteria out into the air. Sneeze particles travel at speeds approaching 200 mph; cough particles travel about 50 mph. If you're already within range of the nasty germs, there's little chance that holding your breath will keep them from coming into contact with your mouth, nose, or eyes. It'll stop you from pulling in any bacteria hanging directly in front of your face, but that's about it. 3. Carrying hand sanitizer with you everywhere Hand sanitizer doesn't kill all germs, so stick to soap and water when you can. Norovirus , for example, a pathogen that's most often transferred via infected food and causes diarrhea, and C. difficile, which can cause deadly diarrhea and most commonly affects older adults, are immune to sanitizing gels. So long as it's got a hefty amount of alcohol (the CDC recommends only using solutions with 60% or more), though, sanitizer will kill as much common bacteria as soap and water can. 4. Covering toilet seats with seat liners Public bathrooms first started stocking their stalls with these flimsy, frustrating sheets shortly after a husband and wife, who reasoned that toilet seats could spread infectious diseases, patented their invention in the 1920s. Thankfully, we now know this is far from true . Viruses like HIV and herpes are fragile, meaning they don't survive very well outside of a nice, warm human body. Like most other hard surfaces, though, toilet seats can carry common microbes like E. coli and infection-causing streptococcus , but you'd have to touch them and then touch your unwashed hands to your mouth or eyes to get sick. So long as you're washing your hands after doing your business, you should be fine. 5. Using paper towels to grab door handles Bathroom door handles and grimy subway poles seem like ripe breeding grounds for bacteria. One geneticist recently likened holding a subway pole to shaking hands with 10,000 people. Not quite: While dirty hands can carry E. coli and other potentially harmful bacteria, most of the microbes you'll find on handrails and door handles are harmless. Plus, if you're grasping handles with towels to avoid touching them and then putting the towels in your pocket or purse, you're merely transferring the bacteria to another spot where you'll touch it later. | 7 | 96,191 | health |
Earlier this week, Jennifer Connell was called the "Aunti Christ" for bringing a $127,000 lawsuit against her 12-year-old nephew for breaking her wrist with his enthusiastic hug. #Auntfromhell started trending on Twitter, and Connell was publicly vilified for blaming an innocent child. But her lawsuit makes perfect sense from a legal standpoint, and it seems those who rushed to judge have more to feel guilty about than Connell herself. Tom Baker, law professor at Pennsylvania University, tells Quartz that the lawsuit is "entirely routine" and "unremarkable." He explains that, although Connell was suing her nephew, any compensation would have been paid by liability insurance as is the case with most tort lawsuits in the United States. Connell has said that she needs the compensation to pay for medical bills, and that her insurance company only offered $1 compensation before the lawsuit. Her law firm, Jainchill & Beckert, said in a statement, "Our client was never looking for money from her nephew or his family. It was about the insurance industry and being forced to sue to get medical bills paid." Baker says that, though he doesn't know the details of Connell's situation, it seems likely that she needed to bring a lawsuit because her health insurance didn't cover the cost of her medical care. He adds: One of the main things that predicts whether someone brings a lawsuit is whether they have medical needs that are not met by their health insurance. When I hear about it, I don't think 'That terrible greedy aunt'. I think, 'She probably didn't get all her health expenses paid'. You might say that's the real problem. Connell has said it was "heartbreaking" to be publicly attacked by so many strangers. "It was a complete shock to me. It was amazing how I walked into court that morning and walked out all over social media," she said in an appearance on the TODAY show . Though Connell's lawsuit may seem odd to those outside the legal profession, Baker says that she does not deserve such aggressive criticism. "It does seem unfair to me. I think it reflects the rush to judgment and vilify people on Twitter," he says. Connell is not the first person to face such widespread condemnation on Twitter. Earlier this year, Jon Ronson explored the phenomenon in his book So You've Been Publicly Shamed, in which he outlined several cases where individuals were humiliated on social media. Twitter condemnation is a poor from of citizen justice and, in this case, was entirely undeserved. The #Auntfromhell sounds like a rather nice aunt after all, and Connell deserves our sympathy more than our outrage. | 5 | 96,192 | news |
Portuguese authorities are battling to free an empty oil tanker which ran aground near Lisbon after breaking down at sea. Rough cut (no reporter narration). | 5 | 96,193 | news |
The Horned Frogs quarterback threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score as TCU beat Iowa State 45-21. Boykin had 436 yards through the air and 74 on the ground in the victory. | 1 | 96,194 | sports |
The Royals used a five-run seventh inning Saturday to complete yet another postseason comeback and win Game 2 of the AL Championship Series 6-3 over the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. The Blue Jays got on the board first in the third inning, ending the Royals' 18-inning postseason scoreless streak. MORE: Best photos from Blue Jays-Royals ALCS | Ned Yost compares his starters to Braves' HOF'ers The Jays added two runs in the sixth as Royals starter Yordano Ventura allowed RBI hits from Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki. Trailing by three runs with Blue Jays ace David Price dealing, the Royals in the seventh inning strung together five singles and a double to take the lead. Relievers Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis shut down the Jays in the eighth and ninth as the Royals completed their fourth comeback win this postseason. Here are our five takeaways from Game 2: 1. One bad inning derailed Price's attempt at his first postseason win. Entering with an 0-6 record and a 5.23 ERA in six career postseason starts, Price looked like the Cy Young Award candidate that he is for most of the game. After allowing a leadoff single to Alcides Escobar to begin the game, Price retired 18 straight batters before the wheels came off in the seventh. Miscommunication between Ryan Goins and Jose Bautista allowed a Ben Zobrist flare to drop in right. The Royals took advantage of the error, getting singles from three of the next four batters to tie the game at three. Alex Gordon then doubled and Alex Rios drove in two additional runs. Price now owns a 7.02 ERA this postseason. 2. Top to bottom, the Royals lineup is a threat. In each game, only one Kansas City batter (Alcides Escobar, Game 1 and Mike Moustakas, Game 2) has had a multi-hit performance thus far in the ALCS. In Game 1 the Royals' 1-4 batters hit .333 with three RBIs, in Game 2 it was the 6-9 batters producing with four RBIs. 3. Encarnacion is still a dangerous hitter despite a finger injury. The strained ligament in his left middle finger is still affecting the Blue Jays slugger. His bottom hand slipped of the bat multiple times Saturday, but the All-Star still made great contact , going 2 for 4 with an RBI. He is now batting .320 this postseason. 4. Kevin Pillar has had the most consistent bat for the Blue Jays. With his double in the third, Pillar has now hit safely in 21 of his last 25 contests, batting .385 with 12 doubles and 13 RBIs over that span. He has reached base safely in 24 of his last 25 contests. 5. Tulowitzki is showing signs of life. The All-Star shortstop and prized offensive acquisition entered Game 2 in the midst of a 2-for-25 postseason slump, but Tulo snapped out of it in Game 2 going 2 for 4 with an RBI double. What's next: Game 3 in Toronto on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. The Royals will send Johnny Cueto to the hill hoping for a repeat performance of Game 5 of the ALDS. In that game, Cueto allowed just two hits, while retiring 24 of 26 batters faced, including the final 19. Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67 ERA in the regular season) will toe the rubber for the Jays as the talented 24-year-old looks to give the Jays their first win of the series. | 1 | 96,195 | sports |
ROSEBURG, Ore. Chris Mintz, a college student celebrated as a hero for running toward danger when a gunman opened fire at Umpqua Community College, says the shooter showed no emotion as he shot Mintz five times. Mintz shared his story in a lengthy statement posted Friday night on Facebook. He describes his experiences in exacting detail, from the normalcy of the morning to the excruciating pain of being shot to the moment his friend, a medic, arrived. "He was so nonchalant through it all, like he was playing a video game and showed no emotion," Mintz wrote of the shooter. "The shots knocked me to the ground and felt like a truck hit me." Mintz wrote that he hesitated to share his account out of fear that it would be too painful for some people to read, and he offered an apology to anyone negatively affected. He said the first responders and hospital workers were "the real heroes, they saved us." Since the story of Mintz's bravery became public, an online campaign has raised more than $800,000 to help with medical bills and his expenses while he recovers. On Oct. 1, Mintz was in an adjacent classroom in Snyder Hall when everyone heard yelling. When they heard gunfire, Mintz held the door as everyone fled. "We all took off running down the breezeway toward the library, a boy and I collided while running because of the chaos and it knocked me to the ground. A counselor kept screaming that someone needed to tell the people in the library, and I told her id do it," Mintz wrote. He ran through the library to notify people of the shooter, then burst through an emergency exit and ran back toward Snyder. "I saw a young girl who seemed to just be showing up to school and I yelled at her 'you cant be here' 'there's somebody shooting, you need to leave,'" Mintz wrote. "Her face, it changed, she seemed so scared." Not knowing where the shooter was, he reached Snyder and peered through a glass panel on a classroom door, he wrote, and saw a woman's foot wedged in the door. A man farther away who was hiding behind cars startled him, warning him he'd get shot. "I could only see one of the students through the door, she was screaming and yelling and covered in blood, I motioned my finger over my mouth communicating to be quiet and motioned both my hands down for them to stay down (at the time I didn't know the classroom was full of people, I thought it was only the two of them.)" He put his back against the door and waited, he wrote, as he heard sirens approaching. Suddenly, he wrote, the shooter opened a classroom door, leaned half his torso out and started shooting. After Mintz fell to the ground, he was shot again in the finger, and the shooter said, "That's what you get for calling the cops." "I laid there, in a fetal position unable to move and responded 'I didn't call the cops man, they were already on the way.' He leaned further out of the classroom and tried to shoot my phone, I yelled "its my kids birthday man" he pointed the gun right at my face and then he retreated back into the class," Mintz wrote. "I'm still confused at why he didn't shoot me again." Mintz tried to push himself into the classroom, but he couldn't move, he wrote. "My legs felt like ice, like they didn't exist, until I tried to move. When I moved pain shot through me like a bomb going off. " After what felt like days, he wrote, an officer arrived and tried to sort out whether Mintz was the shooter. "A friend came out of the classroom and kneeled down beside me, traumatized and crying, I think she tried to pray with me, the only thing I could say was 'its my son's birthday' 'please call my sons mom and tell her, I can't pick him up from school today,'" Mintz wrote. And then his friend, an emergency medical technician, arrived, one of the first responders on scene. "When I saw him," Mintz wrote, "I KNEW WE WERE ALL GOING TO BE OK." | 5 | 96,196 | news |
Wondering whether your state might be holding valuable assets belonging to you that you weren't even aware of? It's easy to get an answer and to make a claim. Every U.S. state has established a program, usually within the state treasurer's office, to facilitate the return of unclaimed property to its rightful owners. Generally, the property is listed in databases that are accessible online. Instructions for making a claim vary from state to state; in some cases that can be done online, while in other cases applications must be printed out and mailed to the state, possibly after being notarized. States do not charge a fee for processing claims and returning property. A national database accessible at http://missingmoney.com/ has been established by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. The association's website also provides contact information for the unclaimed property programs in every state and some Canadian provinces via this link: http://www.unclaimed.org/ | 3 | 96,197 | finance |
After decades of space exploration, why exactly does Mars continue to inspire? Both the red planet and NASA are coasting on a wave of newfound popularity, taking center stage in big-budget Hollywood productions. The favorable treatment of NASA by Tinseltown comes at a time when the space agency recently discovered evidence for flowing water on Mars. The space agency last week openly declared colonizing the planet within the next 20 years "an achievable goal. | 8 | 96,198 | video |
Manchester United recorded a rare away win at Goodison Park on Saturday, and by a comfortable 3-0 scoreline. An impressive first half performance was rewarded with goals from Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera , before Wayne Rooney signed and sealed things in a rather less convincing second half display. United made a good start to the match, and for once their possession was backed up by a pleasingly high tempo. They quickly began to dominate the game, and went close when Matteo Darmian fizzed a lethal low ball across the Everton penalty area within 10 minutes. Unfortunately Wayne Rooney couldn't quite stretch to meet the delivery, and the Toffees survived. But not for long. It was only a few minutes later that Ander Herrera lashed a powerful shot goalwards, which Tim Howard could only beat over the crossbar. Everton failed to deal with the ensuing corner, and after bouncing around in the area, the ball landed kindly for a free Morgan Schneiderlin at the far post. The Frenchman made no mistake, tucking it home with a power and placement that Anthony Martial would've been proud of. Within five minutes United's lead was two, with the second coming courtesy of a delicious cross from Marcos Rojo. The stand-in full-back's ball was met by the head of the onrushing Ander Herrera, whose header was powerful enough that Howard didn't stand a chance of stopping it. From there to the break it was plain sailing for United, who'd turned in one of their best halves of the season. The second period was rather more ragged in its opening, and United struggled to deal with the increased intensity of their hosts. Arouna Koné wriggled free of Rojo all too easy within minutes of the restart, though skewed his shot into a mass of bodies in the penalty area. Moments later Aaron Lennon fed Romelu Lukaku , though he was denied at the near post by an excellent David de Gea save. United looked on the ropes until a handy loose pass by Everton centre-back Phil Jagielka just past the hour. It was intercepted by Schneiderlin, who sent Herrera clear on the counter-attack down the right. A fine ball to Wayne Rooney later, all the United captain had to do was roll the ball past Howard. For once, he didn't disappoint, and the visitors went three clear. Everton remained admirably industrious, but without reward, and United kept a hold of their clean sheet. | 1 | 96,199 | sports |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.