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Check out the top five plays from Saturday's MLB Playoffs, which includes Kyle Schwarber, Josh Donaldson, Alcides Escobar, Daniel Murphy and Yoenis Cespedes. | 1 | 96,300 | sports |
Cell phone footage shows the aftermath of a mudslide in California. Heavy machinery is being used to dig cars out of as much as 6 feet of mud after this week's torrential downpour. | 8 | 96,301 | video |
Jerry Jones says that Brandon Weeden was "too cautious" after the Cowboys quarterback was benched in favor of Matt Cassel. Weeden posted decent individual statistics as Dallas's quarterback, but the team went 0-3. Jones told CBS Sports Radio 105.3 in Dallas that switching to Cassel will allow the team to take more chances and play more aggressively on offense. "I think [Cassel's] also got experience in basically just stepping up in the pocket and making some plays," Jones said. "Now, he will, with that experience though, do something that Weeden was not doing. Weeden was so conservative, he was coached to be conservative to a degree, but he was not taking chances with that ball. Now, we know you can't make plays if you don't take some chances. So, we'll see more of that. We could see the risk of that hit us a little bit, but hopefully we'll be getting our share of them over on the defense with this group we've got." It wasn't long ago that Jones was discussing how "gifted" Weeden was as a passer, but he's clearly soured on him in recent weeks, as this isn't the first time the Cowboys owner has backhandedly criticized the former Oklahoma State quarterback. Jones is right about the conservatism, as Weeden wasn't really allowed to take any risks by design. It's the reason for his completion rating being over 72 percent, as his pass attempts were generally shorter, high percentage efforts. Will unleashing Cassel help that much? That remains to be seen, but he's on his third team in as many seasons for a reason. It's true, however, that the newcomer is definitely more experienced when it comes to leading an NFL offense. Not that this will come as any consolation to Weeden, who is reportedly "pissed" over losing his job. | 1 | 96,302 | sports |
The best news? Chris Bosh says you can feel comfortable booing him again. It won't be a case of hitting a man when he's down. "Yeah, go ahead," he says. "I never want sympathy." There was, of course, a time when detractors took delight in eviscerating the Miami Heat forward for his sometimes-lacking rebounding totals, for holding the highest salary on the team and one of the richest in the league. That time was a year ago, when Bosh and his bank account were the picture of robust health. But then Bosh was lost at midseason with blood clots on his lung. And then no one was booing - or even given the chance to cheer as Bosh fought first for his life and then for his health. But now, as the Heat open the second half of their preseason schedule, Bosh says that, yes, you won't be viewed as a horrible person, just a passionate sports fan, if you choose to jeer at times. His health is back, as is his stamina, and his feathery jumper, as well as his desire to live up to expectations, his expectations. "I understand it's a part of it," he says of again being viewed as open to criticism. "In my position, unless you're LeBron James, people are always going to question your ability. And that's OK. "Our job is to win, and throughout my career, that's always been the thing with me. And it's like, 'Man, I'm just going to let my productivity do the talking.' If I'm doing my job, I don't listen." Saturday delivered Bosh to the Toyota Center for an exhibition against the Houston Rockets, the team that sold off players such as Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik a year ago in order to create a maximum-salary landing spot in free agency for Bosh. Instead, Bosh leveraged the Rockets' cap-clearing lust into a $119 million, five-year contract from the Heat. Bosh's $22.2 million salary this season places him sixth in the NBA, behind only the contracts of Kobe Bryant ($25 million), Joe Johnson ($24.9 million), LeBron James ($23 million) and Dwight Howard ($22.4 million), and ahead of players such as Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin. Before last season's illness, the contract and comparative salaries often was what Bosh was measured against. With the NBA a salary-cap league and the figures so readily available, it again stands as a measuring stick. "I understand that," he says. "I knew what that meant when I signed my name on the dotted line. It's always everybody's dream, 'Oh, yeah, I'm going to be the team's highest-paid player.' And then, do it, and you expect things that aren't realistic. "My job sometimes with this team is to take a lot of the bullets. You know, I can do that. That's fine. I know what I need to bring to this team, and that's making sure I compete night in and night out." Bosh was re-signed hours after James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in free agency, before Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic were added, even before Luol Deng. The revamped roster doesn't necessarily have him cast as a leading man. That likely means less statistical return on the Heat's investment. And that figures to draw notice from those seeking to criticize. But at least he's in a position where he can allow fans to bring it on, and do it in uniform, on the court, while trying to meet his own expectations. "We have a deep enough team to where it's not necessary that I score 30 points a night," he says. "That's not going to happen." As for being back, trips like this one to Houston and Atlanta are affording time to get back into the NBA grind, before the grind - and the accompanying outside analysis - begins for real. "It's just kind of like a recollection of everything," he says, "and getting back into the swing of things. "Just getting re-acclimated to everything is huge to me." [email protected]. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.winderman | 1 | 96,303 | sports |
CAIRO (AP) Egypt's first parliamentary election since the 2013 ouster of an Islamist president and the election a year later of the general who removed him began Sunday, with the outcome likely to be a compliant legislature that will back, rather than challenge, the policies of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. El-Sissi, who as military chief led the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, has since taking office 16 months ago waged a campaign to revive the country's ailing economy, fight an Islamic insurgency and assume a greater role in a turbulent Middle East all while silencing opposition at home. The 60-year-old el-Sissi has spoken vaguely of his democratic convictions, preferring instead to focus in his public comments on what he sees as the vital need for Egyptians to unite in the face of security and economic challenges and emphasizing what he terms as the close bonds between the people and the army, in which he served for some 40 years. Warning Egyptians against the chaos and bloodshed engulfing countries like Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen and counselling them to close ranks and rally behind their army have been common themes in el-Sissi's comments, which are in turn echoed by his supporters in the media. Fearing attacks by Islamic militants to disrupt the vote, tens of thousands of police and soldiers have been deployed to secure the election, many of whom were in full combat gear, complete with camouflaged fatigues, helmets and body armor. Some wore ski masks. In one polling center at Imbaba, a one-time Islamist stronghold in Cairo's twin city of Giza, dozens of troops were on guard duty and sandbagged machine-gun positions were set up. At another polling center in Giza, policemen searched voters before allowing them in and asked some to leave their bags outside. There was a resolve among early voters Sunday to keep Islamists out of the 596-legislature, with some saying they are casting their ballots specifically to ensure that. Mohammed Morsi, the president ousted by el-Sissi, belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic group now banned and labeled a terrorist organization. With a base of organized and disciplined voters, the Brotherhood won every election held since Mubarak's February 2011 ouster and until Morsi's removal in July 2013. This parliamentary election is the first since the 1980s in which the group will not participate at all, one of the reasons many are predicting a low turnout. "Those who voted did so for an illegitimate chamber because the one (el-Sissi) who called for the election is illegitimate," said Mohammed Abdel-Hameed, a 36-year-old Brotherhood supporter from the southern city of Assiut, a stronghold of Islamists. However, the Salafi Al-Nour party, an ultraconservative Islamic group that supported the ouster of one-time ally Morsi, is running in this election. Salafis won about a quarter of the vote in the last parliamentary election, held in late 2011 and early 2012. "I came to vote because it is my duty, if not enough people show up to vote, the country will fall into the hands of the Brotherhood and the Salafis. Then we will have more of a mess," said Nahed Aref, a retired jeweler, while waiting in line to cast her vote in the Giza district of Dokki. "The main issue for me is voting for candidates who are neither Salafis nor Brotherhood. We need to separate religion from politics," she said. Another retiree in Giza, Mamdouh Abdel-Aziz, 72, walked 30 minutes to reach his designated polling center and waited another 30 in line to cast his ballot. "My hope is that the election will strengthen Egypt ... and that we aren't controlled by someone with a beard or someone who uses religion for personal gain," he said, alluding to Islamists. Egyptians residing abroad began voting Saturday and will continue Sunday, the first of two days of voting in 14 provinces, including Giza and the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. About 27 of Egypt's registered 54 million voters reside in the 15 provinces where voting is taking place Sunday. Voting in Egypt's 13 other provinces, including the capital Cairo, will be on Nov. 22-23. Each stage of the vote will be followed by a runoff. Final results for the 596-seat parliament will be announced in early December. Many analysts and observers expect a low turnout despite President Abdel-Fattah's el-Sissi's impassioned call Saturday on Egyptians to come out and vote. "Line up in front of polling stations and plant with your votes the hope for a bright tomorrow for our new Egypt," said the soldier-turned-president in a televised address. The next parliament will be the first elected after the adoption last year of a new constitution, arguably the most liberal Egypt has ever had. The constitution empowers lawmakers, albeit under stringent conditions, to impeach the president, call for early presidential elections or withdraw confidence from the prime minster or individual members of his Cabinet. But analysts and observers say el-Sissi has made sure that the next parliament will be subservient to his will so that he can press ahead with his policies without the distraction of serious political opposition. A compliant chamber will harken back to those elected under Hosni Mubarak, the authoritarian leader ousted in a 2011 popular uprising, when election after election gave his National Democratic Party an overwhelming majority amid credible claims of rigging, fraud and police interference. Under a new election law he decreed last year, 448 of the house's seats will be contested by "individuals" or candidates not linked to any political group, a system that, critics say, will favor wealthy government-connected businessmen and powerbrokers with strong local patronage networks, in what is essentially a repeat of the Mubarak-era model. Only 120 lawmakers will be elected on party lists, while el-Sissi will appoint 28 others, potentially bolstering support for his rule in the chamber. Shopkeeper Mohammed Hussein predicted that, "the turnout will be low because we don't know the people running." "I personally just voted for the first guy I saw. I am only participating for el-Sissi," Hussein, 60, said after he cast his ballot in Imbaba, the Giza district. Another voter in Giza, Cairo University civil engineering lecturer Ali Abdel-Azeem, said he voted for the best known pro-el-Sissi party list, named "For the Love of Egypt." "But honestly no one has a program and they are all saying the same things," he said with a dismissive hand gesture. The election is being held amid a climate of fear not seen in decades and a tightly controlled public sphere. Backed by a population longing for stability and peace after the chaos and bloodshed that followed Mubarak's ouster, authorities have gradually shown less and less tolerance for dissent since Morsi's ouster. Security forces have since killed hundreds of Islamists in a series of deadly clashes in the summer of 2013 and jailed thousands more, of whom scores have been sentenced to death after trials criticized by rights groups as flawed or hasty. Draconian restrictions on demonstrations since late 2013 have all but killed street activism of any kind. Human rights abuses by the police go mostly unpunished or even investigated and authorities have shown little concern over recent cases of young activists opposed to el-Sissi's government or linked to the Brotherhood disappearing. Homemaker Christine Shereef, 33, stood unhappily in line outside an Imbaba polling center with her husband, Munir Murqus, who said he only convinced her to come out and vote by promising he would take her out to dinner. "We need to return the favor to el-Sissi. He saved us from the Muslim Brotherhood," said the 34-year-old Murqus, who works at a printing shop. "When el-Sissi says go vote, you go vote." "All our families are voting too, and I don't understand why," interjected Shereef, his wife. "We don't know any of these (candidates) and none of this matters, anyway. The government does what the government wants to do." ___ Associated Press writer Nour Youssef contributed to this report. | 5 | 96,304 | news |
10 Things to Never Say to Women Who Don't Want Kids Are you my unborn child from the future? No? Well then I guess you don't have anything to say to me. Follow us on Facebook. 1. "But you'll be so much happier once you have kids." Actually, there are no studies that definitely prove that people with kids are happier. Or that people without kids are happier. That said, I'd pretty damn happy right now, and if I had a kid, I'd definitely be less happy. You know, because I don't want kids. Happiness is many different things to many different people, and right now, for me, it's this tumbler of Bourbon, this stack of old Sassy magazines, and this old hairy dog snoring on my feet. Follow us on Facebook. 2. "I can't imagine not wanting kids." Great, so you know how I feel. Except about not wanting kids. We have so much in common! Follow us on Facebook. 3. "What do you do all day?" Follow us on Facebook. 4. "Who will take care of you when you get older?" Probably a nursing home. Just like you. Let's be real. Or maybe I'll take all that money I save by not having kids and get a(n EXTREMELY HANDSOME) live-in nurse and also an infinity pool and on my final day, I'll have my nurse-boyfriend hook me into an IV of margaritas and I'll drift off to sleep in my floating pool chair. Hasta la vista, baby! Follow us on Facebook. 5. "Kids give your life meaning!" No, kids give YOUR life meaning. Lots and lots of other things give my life meaning. And also, I hope kids aren't the only thing that give your life meaning, because that makes me sad. And finally, in 300 years, nobody will remember any of us, kids or no kids, so there's that. HAPPY SATURDAY! Follow us on Facebook. 6. "What do you have to talk to other people about?" EVERYTHING BESIDES THE EXPERIENCE OF SHOOTING A BABY OUT OF MY BODY. Follow us on Facebook. 7. "You'll change your mind." Maybe I will change my mind about having kids, but I'll never change my mind about you being tacky as hell. If you find yourself about to say this to a childless woman, please punch yourself in the face and then go home and watch Gigli five times as punishment. Follow us on Facebook. 8. "You should do it before it's too late." OMG, are you the ghost of Christmas Future and you know that I run out of eggs at 32 and then spend the rest of my life being a jackass to Marley because I never had kids of my own to be grumpy at? Or are you just some nosy idiot who cares far too much about whether or nor I procreate? Wait, that can't be it. I bet this is this some sort of Back to the Future situation and I have to meet and fall in love with your father so you can be born? OK, if that's what's going on, this is an acceptable thing to say. (Also, I'm sorry that you'll never be born.) Follow us on Facebook. 9. "If you've never given birth, you don't know what true pain is." Dude, that's true. Sucks to be you. Follow us on Facebook. 10. "Tick tock! Your biological clock is running out of time!" Good, that means I'm closer to not having to deal with my monthly period. Bring it, Father Time. Follow us on Facebook. | 4 | 96,305 | lifestyle |
Forget the lack of run support Cubs starter Jon Lester received Saturday night at Citi Field in a 4-2 loss to the Mets. Stay away from offering alibis for Lester related to the chilly weather, the seeing-eye singles or the dominance of Mets starter Matt Harvey. Stop making excuses for Lester, period. He never made any, and it's a good thing. BOX SCORE: METS 4, CUBS 2 "We lost," Lester said somberly at his locker after the Mets took a 1-0 lead in the National League Championship Series. "It doesn't matter how I assess it." The fairest one-word assessment: disappointing. This was the kind of game the Cubs hired Lester to win, to be the best pitcher when it mattered most. He wasn't. When the Cubs come to the Big Apple to play the Mets, they always hope to avoid seeing, well, the big apple. Yet there the shiny red sphere was in the sixth inning, rising conspicuously behind the center-field wall as the stadium attraction does after home runs. This one came off the bat of Mets catcher Travis d'Arnaud, who gave the ball a majestic 431-foot ride off Lester for the third run that turned out to be the difference. As it sailed, Lester dropped his head, similar to the way he did in the first inning when Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy drilled a home run into the right-field upper deck. Murphy's Law didn't apply all game for the Cubs, but this clearly wasn't a night when everything went right for Lester. And it had to be. Too often, Lester looked like a guy wearing No. 34 on his back and the weight of Chicago on his shoulders. There are more serious people in baseball, but they all call balls and strikes. Intensity was written all over Lester's stone face as Murphy dug into the batter's box. Then it was 1-0 Mets, and things only got worse for the lefty, who gave up four runs in 6 2/3 innings. His biggest regret came in the fifth, when Lester allowed Curtis Granderson's go-ahead single after the Cubs had tied it. "We had just gotten momentum," Lester said. "Other than the two homers, there really weren't a lot of hard-hit balls." Still, Lester welcomes the expectations that come with a $155 million contract and surely realizes he didn't meet them. It doesn't matter if he settled down to give the Cubs a serviceable effort or that his stuff often was nastier than a New York cabbie at rush hour. The Cubs didn't pay for serviceable out of a pitcher with Lester's October resume. This will go down as a blot on it, reality he accepts. Fans likely will be more forgiving of Lester than he will be of himself. Part of the presentation to Lester during free agency included a video of how Chicago would react when the team ended a 106-year drought and won a World Series. They stressed when - not if. In the minds of Cubs President Theo Epstein and Chairman Tom Ricketts, the scene represented the goal in a season or two. Lester left thinking it was possible in 2015. "I wanted to win now," Lester recalled of that meeting. The Cubs still can, of course, even if Lester was outpitched in Game 1 for the second straight series. Just as the Cubs overcame John Lackey's shutout in the opener against the Cardinals, they have plenty of life left in the NLCS after Harvey's masterful performance. "Our guys are fine, really," manager Joe Maddon said. "Sometimes you have to give credit to the other guy too. He was that good." Harvey did for the Mets what Lester was expected to do for the Cubs, quieting a lineup that entered having hit more home runs than any other postseason team: 12. Put another way, the Cubs got Arrieta'd into the eighth inning. Dominating a la Jake Arrieta, Harvey baffled hitters with an array of off-speed pitches. Whether it was publicly debating innings limits or being late for a workout, controversy has hounded Harvey. But when he left with two outs in the eighth, after giving up a Kyle Schwarber home run, the ovation from the crowd of 44,287 echoed all over Queens. The Cubs' biggest threat came in the fifth when Starlin Castro tied the game with a line drive over the head of center fielder Juan Lagares, who misread the ball. But as quickly as Cubs fans were cheering Castro's bat, they had reason to doubt his judgment. On a Javier Baez single to left with one out, Castro tried to score from second - a no-no against Yoenis Cespedes' arm. The play wasn't close, nor should have been the decision to send Castro by third-base coach Gary Jones. Abandoning awareness for aggressiveness backfired - especially for a Cubs team that used two straight squeeze bunts to manufacture runs in the Cardinals series. "We tried to take a chance with Harvey on the mound because we didn't know how many we'd have," Castro said. "I think that's what Jonesy was thinking." The Mets offense made it moot. They arrived the hotter team after eliminating the Dodgers on Thursday night while the Cubs just looked cold, literally. The Cubs live by Maddon's mantra of never letting the pressure exceed the pleasure - but nobody said anything about barometric pressure. Temperatures dipped into the lower 40s with winds whipping at 15 mph. Jorge Soler dressed as if he were competing in the Iditarod, and when he struck out looking, he did so through what appeared to be a ski mask. Now it's up to Maddon to make sure his team acclimates itself Sunday to the colder conditions and higher stakes. Kris Bryant offered a suggestion Friday in case things began to look bleak. "Bring back the magic," Bryant said, referencing the magician Maddon hired the last time the Cubs played here. The return of the Cubs' bats is a higher priority. [email protected] | 1 | 96,306 | sports |
My list actually got deeper this week. There are at least five more players I would have liked to include, but there was no doubt as to my top four. 1. LSU RB Leonard Fournette: On Saturday night, a running back averaging 204.4 yards per game met a Florida defense allowing just 99.2. The running back won, racking up another 180 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries in the Tigers' 35-28 win. One of those carries culminated with a vicious … umm … stiff arm ? 2. TCU QB Trevone Boykin. Iowa State stood no shot of containing the fifth-year senior, who completed a career-best 27-of-32 (84.4 percent) for 436 yards and four touchdowns and surpassed 500 total yards for the third time this season. 3. Florida State RB Dalvin Cook . The 'Noles star continues to produce at a near-Fournette-like clip, notching 163 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries against Louisville. His 8.7-yards-per-carry average actually tops Fournette's 8.0. 4. Stanford RB Christian McCaffrey. The Cardinal sophomore's enormous performance Thursday night against UCLA vaulted himself on to the Heisman short list. His 369 all-purpose yards raised his season average to a national-best 253 per game. 5. Baylor WR Corey Coleman. It's tough to choose between Bears quarterback Seth Russell and his top receiver, but Coleman is doing historic things. He's already got 16 touchdowns in just six games, adding three (and 199 yards) against West Virginia. Stewart Mandel is a senior college sports columnist for FOXSports.com. He covered college football and basketball for 15 years at Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @slmandel and Facebook . Send emails and Mailbag questions to [email protected] . | 1 | 96,307 | sports |
American Matt Kuchar won the Fiji International at Natadola Bay on Sunday, seeing off a blistering late challenge from three-time major champion Vijay Singh who set a new course record. World number 16 Kuchar's consistency proved the key at a tournament dogged by windy conditions. He fired a second consecutive three-under 69 to snare the title, four shots ahead of Australia's Aron Price. But it was local hero Singh who caught the eye in the final round on the course he designed for the Aus$1.125 million (US$820,000) event. Singh, who has not won an event for seven years and was in 33rd positon after Thursday's opening round, hit a seven-under 65 to shave two shots off the course record. AFP | 1 | 96,308 | sports |
(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, is storing record amounts of crude in its quest to maintain market share as it cut shipments. Commercial crude stockpiles in August rose to 326.6 million barrels, the highest since at least 2002, from 320.2 million barrels in July, according to data posted on the website of the Riyadh-based Joint Organisations Data Initiative on Sunday. Exports dropped to 7 million barrels a day from 7.28 million. "The fall in Saudi crude exports reflects the market reality," Mohammed Ramady, an independent London-based analyst, said by phone. "It's normal to see this fall knowing that the market is becoming highly competitive, with many countries in OPEC selling at discounts and under-pricing the Saudi crude." Crude inventories have been at record highs since May, a month before Saudi Arabia's production hit an all-time high of 10.56 million barrels a day. The nation has led the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in boosting production to defend market share, abandoning its previous role of cutting output to boost prices. Brent crude oil prices have slid 12 percent this year as Saudi Arabia led the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in boosting production to defend the group's market share amid a global supply glut. Brent futures for December settlement closed Friday at $50.46 a barrel in London, up 73 cents. Saudi Arabia cut back oil production in August to 10.27 million barrels a day from 10.36 million in July, according to the JODI data. The kingdom told OPEC that it produced 10.23 million barrels daily in September. It pumped at an all-time high of 10.56 million barrels a day in June, exceeding a previous record from 1980. "The rise in Saudi crude stocks is part of the market share strategy," Ramady said. "Saudi Arabia will not lower it's production below 10.2 million barrels a day, so any extra crude is going to stocks. We've seen this trend for a couple of months now, and we expect it to continue as long as Riyadh wants to preserve its share in this highly competitive market." --With assistance from Claudia Carpenter in Dubai. To contact the reporter on this story: Wael Mahdi in Kuwait at [email protected] To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nayla Razzouk at [email protected] Bruce Stanley | 3 | 96,309 | finance |
Around 3 million child brides marry across India each year, putting them at risk of domestic violence and limiting their education. But now, some women in Rajasthan are turning to the courts to have their child marriages annulled. Duration: 02:16 | 8 | 96,310 | video |
Let's talk about the awesome, unexpected, and meaningful of a down-to-the-wire Week 7. | 1 | 96,311 | sports |
INCHEON, South Korea (AP) -- Lexi Thompson broke out of a crowded pack Sunday to win the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship for her second victory of the year and sixth overall. The 20-year-old American closed with a 3-under 69 to beat Taiwan's Yani Tseng and South Korea's Sung Hyun Park by a stroke on Sky 72's Ocean Course. "It's very satisfying." Thompson said. "I always look forward to coming back to South Korea and playing in front of these amazing fans. I love Sky 72. It's a great golf course. Getting a win, it means so much." Lydia Ko missed a chance to take the top spot in the world from South Korean star Inbee Park, finishing with a 72 that dropped the 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander into a tie for fourth at 13 under with South Korea's Amy Yang and American Gerina Piller. Yang birdied the final nine holes for a 62. She became the first player in tour history to close with nine straight birdies, tied the record for consecutive birdies set by Beth Daniel in 1999, broke the nine-hole mark for relation to par at 9 under and matched the record for the lowest total at 27. Yang also tied the course record set by Sung Hyun Park on Thursday. "I don't know what just happened. Just can't believe," Yang said. "Shots were great. Early in the week I was shaky, but I don't know, this back nine was crazy good." Thompson took a two-stroke lead with a birdie on the short par-4 15th. She drove to the right of the green and hit a flop shot to 8 feet. "When I went for that green and I saw my ball bounce over, I'm like, `Probably not going to be the best chip shot, or the easiest," Thompson said. "But I love hitting flop shots out of the rough. I just opened the blade wide open and just took a big swing at it. I figured, at worst, it would run through the fringe but have a straight uphill putt." On the par-5 18th, she hit a 290-yard drive, put her 190-yard second shot into deep rough left of the green and lashed another flop to 12 feet to set up a two-putt par. "I'm overall a very aggressive player," Thompson said. "So, if I have 190 front, I'm not laying up. But it's good to play aggressive and know that I can get up-and-down." Thompson opened with rounds of 68, 67 and 69 to enter the final round a shot behind Ko and Sung Hyun Park. The 6-foot Florida player birdied the final three holes on the front nine to take the lead. She bogeyed the par-4 11th, and got the stroke back with the birdie on 15. Thompson finished at 15-under 273, earned $300,000 and is projected to jump from fifth to fourth in the world ranking. She also won in July in Michigan. Sung Hyun Park birdied the 18th for a 71 in her first start on the LPGA Tour. Playing the group ahead of Thompson, Tseng birdied the final two holes for a 68. The former top-ranked player won the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in March 2012. "Getting closer and closer," Tseng said. "I'm very feeling good about my game." Ko ended up needing to win or finish in a two-way tie for second to regain the top spot in the world. Inbee Park shot a 69 to tie for 15th at 8 under in her home event. "It was great to just see family, my niece and nephews out here," Ko said. "It's just really good to be able to play in front of them. Doesn't matter if I shoot even par, under par, over par, you don't get to play in front of family or relatives that often." | 1 | 96,312 | sports |
The persistent pay gap between women and men in the United States -- right up to Hollywood stars -- is emerging as a 2016 campaign issue, but experts say its root causes are complex. Working American women took home 21 percent less than men in 2014, according to a recent Census Bureau report. Sexual equality at work is a subject of constant debate in the United States, where President Barack Obama speaks often of the future of his teenage daughters and the unfairness of gender stereotypes. Of all the issues facing working women in the United States, four out of 10 Americans say equal pay is the most pressing, according to a 2014 Gallup poll. A string of recent studies and high-profile lawsuits including in Silicon Valley have highlighted a persistent gender pay gap. One of Hollywood's top movie stars Jennifer Lawrence just penned an essay hitting out at sexism in the industry, after discovering she was paid less than her male co-stars. But the pay gap cannot be blamed on sexism alone, according to Cornell University economics professor Francine Blau. Discrimination probably plays a role, she said, but it is hard to quantify. What is certain, is that male domination of certain industries and the lack of affordable child care are factors in explaining why many women are unable to reach high-paying jobs. - Lower paid jobs - The disparity has become a hot-button issue as election season heats up, especially among Democrats, who are hammering home the point that women earn less than their male counterparts. According to Blau, however, the census figure suggesting a 21 percent pay gap is "misleading." When controlling for variables such as work experience, education, occupation and industry, the real gap shrinks to as low as nine percent, she said. Education no longer tips the scales in men's favor, Blau said, because women on average now have more education than men. The male advantage in pay terms stems mainly from dominance in lucrative professions such as law, engineering, and highly skilled factory positions, Blau said. Lower paid jobs such as teaching and nursing have traditionally been considered female jobs. Still, activists say that even a small pay gap harms women. "Women are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their lifetime," said Vicki Shabo of the National Partnership for Women & Families. Lisa Maatz, the top policy adviser at the American Association of University Women, said she does "get frustrated" with people who say "it's only seven percent, it's only 10 percent." "Anybody who is working and trying to make ends meet, ten percent more is a huge deal," said Maatz, AAUW vice president of government relations. - Cultural norms - Though the pay gap has narrowed over the past 30 years, progress has largely stalled, adding fuel to the Democratic Party's call for legislation to bring women's pay into line with their male colleagues. "It is unconscionable that women earn 78 cents on the dollar compared to men who perform the same work," fumed Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail earlier this year. With an eye on women's votes, Democrats have railed against Republicans blocking legislation in Congress that would strengthen federal anti-discrimination policies. California, under Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, recently moved to address the gender pay gap with a law reversing the burden of proof in discrimination complaints: Now employers must prove there was no discrimination, instead of the employees. But conservatives say that focusing on discrimination diverts attention from more complex social factors holding women back, as well hard-to-quantify individual career choices. "You can't hold your employer responsible for larger cultural norms over which he has no control," said Andrew Biggs, an economist at American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Cornell's Blau points to research suggesting that women tend to shy away from competition, which could lead them to avoid high-paying sectors and jobs. - Hitting a wall - Women also typically engage less in salary negotiations than men -- although this leads back to the debate about discrimination and gender stereotyping. "Disturbingly, there's increasing evidence that women get more negative responses when they negotiate," Blau said. Even the Oscar-winning Lawrence admits hitting a wall in negotiations, saying she failed to press for higher pay for fear of being labeled "difficult" or "spoiled." "I don't think I've ever worked for a man in charge who spent time contemplating what angle he should use to have his voice heard. It's just heard," she wrote. Another key issue -- repeatedly raised on the campaign trail -- is the state of child care in a country where public education does not begin until a child is five years old. Unlike many developed countries, the United States has no subsidized universal child-care program. Women raising children tend to avoid companies that do not offer flexible hours or telework, narrowing their employment options. Making workplaces more flexible would be a good starting point for more equal chances, activists and economists agree. | 5 | 96,313 | news |
Africa is hosting its biggest beer festival: a 14-date marathon tour of Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban serving more than 35,000 drinkers four different types of beer -- all of them made by SABMiller. The annual Bierfest is just one example of SABMiller's strong presence in Africa, which is seen as a key driver of Anheuser-Busch InBev's planned takeover of the brewing giant. Festival drinkers are encouraged to book tables of at least six people, and bring friends, family and work colleagues to enjoy sausages and live music washed down with beer served by a "dedicated Fraulein". "We want to bring beer culture to all parts of society," Jon Monsoon, one of Bierfest's organisers, told AFP. "More and more people come to the festival every year. "We are serving beers from the No.3 Fransen Street brewery and the Newlands Spring brewery -- both of which are owned by SABMiller. "There is such enthusiasm to discover more about beer." Africa is the world's fastest-growing beer market, expanding at a predicted rate of five percent a year between 2013 and 2017, according to Canadean, a London-based research company specialising in the drinks industry. That growth rate outstrips four percent for Asia and three percent for Latin America. "Africa has seen inflation fall, foreign debt shrink and GDP rise in the last few years," Kevin Baker, account director at Canadean, said in a report released this year. "Population growth -- once feared as a major contributor to poverty -- is now perceived as an asset, with the working age population set to outgrow that of China and India." - 'Juiciest asset' - SABMiller, which generates nearly a third of its profits from Africa, operates in 15 African countries, and has a stake in 22 others through a partnership with French drinks firm Castel. Up-and-coming markets include Nigeria -- the continent's biggest economy -- Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique and Uganda, where sales are all booming. "Africa offers a young and fast-growing consumer base and an average annual consumption of nine litres of beer per person, against a global average of 45 litres," Hilary Joffe, a financial analyst, wrote in the Business Day newspaper last week. "Arguably the juiciest asset on the SAB table (is) its dominant position and deep experience in Africa, a continent in which AB InBev has no presence." But Africa will pose many challenges for AB InBev if it completes the $122 billion purchase of SABMiller, a London-listed company that has its roots in supplying beer to miners during the 1886 Johannesburg gold rush. One major test for big brewers on the continent has been to draw locals away from cheap home-brews onto commercially-made beer. To accommodate African tastes -- and cut import and tax costs -- SABMiller and others have launched beers made from cassava and sorghum, which are easily-grown local crops. Bootleg alcoholic drinks cause regular deaths across the continent, such as the 75 people killed by poisonous beer served at a funeral in Mozambique in January. "Homemade alcohol products still dominate the African market, but they pose a significant health risk," said Baker. "This is an incentive for consumers to move away from 'home brews' and instead turn to commercial beer." - Tough competition - Other key challenges include building breweries with their own electricity, water and waste facilities; and distributing beer via a network of bad roads that link countless neighbourhood kiosks and small stores. Islamist militancy in Nigeria and Kenya also poses potential risks, as do unpredictable government regulations. SABMiller has had a rocky experience in Kenya, entering the market in 1998 but withdrawing in 2002 after struggles with a local partner, and returning in 2010 when it bought Crown Beverages. Since then, it has launched several beers for the Kenyan market, including Castle Lager, Castle Milk Stout and Redds. SABMiller face tough competition in the region, which is dominated by East African Breweries, part of the drinks giant Diageo, which produces Kenya's ubiquitous Tusker lager, Tanzania's Seregenti and Uganda's Bell. In Nigeria, SABMiller is pushing hard after its late arrival in 2008, and in 2012 opened a new $100-million brewery to launch Hero beer, which it hopes will take on market leader Star lager, brewed by Heineken. "Beer is highly aspirational but expensive for most Africans… the intention is to find ways over time to progressively bring this price down," said SABMiller Africa chief Mark Bowman in a recent presentation. "It is becoming easier to do business in Africa. We have been doing it for many, many years. We have the experience, we know how to operate in Africa. I think it is a growth region." | 3 | 96,314 | finance |
World number five Lexi Thompson posted a final round, three-under-par 69 to take the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship in South Korea -- her second Tour win of the season. The American had been one stroke off the lead going into the final day, but just one dropped shot on the 11th hole and four birdies saw her clinch victory by a single stroke from former world number one Yani Tseng and Korea LPGA Tour star Park Sung-Hyung. "It's very satisfying," Thompson said afterwards. "I always look forward to coming back to South Korea and playing in front of these amazing fans .... but getting a win, it means so much." AFP | 1 | 96,315 | sports |
MLB analyst Steve Phillips breaks down Blue Jays ace David Price's collapse to the Royals in Game 2 of the ALCS. | 1 | 96,316 | sports |
Donald Trump may have plenty of favor as a Republican party presidential candidate, but he sure lacked support when venturing into Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Trump was at MSG to watch the Gennady Golovkin fight and even spent some time in the undefeated boxer's dressing room before the bout. Though he had some VIP treatment from Golovkin's corner, the rest of the people in attendance weren't as welcoming. Reporters stated and video confirms that Trump was heavily booed at the event: Donald Trump getting boo'd at pic.twitter.com/sjQryg74ZX breanna salcedo (@dashdoll__) October 18, 2015 Donald Trump just walked through MSG to thunderous boos before spending five minutes in GGG's locker room. pic.twitter.com/Mcs3u2QYLq Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) October 18, 2015 We'd say that Trump brought Golovkin some good luck as the fighter remained unbeaten with an eighth-round TKO over David Lemieux, but the Kazakh tends to take care of business pretty easily on his own. Maybe Trump was booed because MSG was filled with a bunch of Buffalo Bills fans eager to get back at him for this tweet . Or it could just be that he is a polarizing figure who elicits strong reactions whether they're positive or negative. | 1 | 96,317 | sports |
Fox How different would "Orange Is the New Black" have been if Ryan Murphy produced it? That was a very real possibility. Apparently, the "American Horror Story" co-creator originally owned the rights to Piper Kerman's memoir before the Netflix show's current creator, Jenji Kohan. "I just could never figure out how to do it," Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter . "And then the option lapsed, and it became this great big thing …" What brought the producer and writer to admit to such a loss? FoxIn the THR cover interview, Murphy recounted the 2008 FX pilot that never got made, "Pretty/Handsome," which told the story of a married man's gender transition. It, of course, sounds very much like the hit series from Amazon, "Transparent." "I've never been more sure of anything in my life because I thought the story was so beautiful, just like I think [Amazon's] ' Transparent' is beautiful," he said. "And then I get a call from John Landgraf: 'It's not going.' " Landgraf, FX's president and GM, said that the show needed more nudity than the network would have been able to air. Well, clearly, "OITNB" ended up where it needed to land. And Murphy is making the kinds of shows he's excels at: Fox's "Scream Queens," FX's "American Horror Story: Hotel," and the upcoming "American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. NOW WATCH: Lil Wayne says Drake is getting screwed out of money by his record label | 6 | 96,318 | entertainment |
With both Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart -- two of NASCAR's biggest stars and most accomplished drivers of all time -- set to call it quits from Sprint Cup competition by the end of 2016, it's only natural for folks to wonder who else among NASCAR's 40-and-over club might follow suit in the near future. Greg Biffle, who turns 46 in December, is older than both Gordon and Stewart, and is the oldest active driver in NASCAR's top series. So will he be the next one to hang it up? While it's certainly possible, don't count on it. In an exclusive interview with FOXSports.com on Saturday at Kansas Speedway, Biffle said his contract with Roush Fenway Racing runs through the end of the 2017 season and he has every intention to honor it. "The Biff" admits he isn't sure what his future holds beyond '17, but at least for now, he's not ready or willing to put a timetable on how much longer he'll keep driving in the Sprint Cup Series. And if you thought the imminent retirements of Gordon and Stewart from Cup might be influencing Biffle to move in a similar direction, think again. He insists that's simply not the case. "I've got my own plan. I'm enjoying driving these cars and love what I do," said Biffle, who joined the Sprint Cup Series full time in 2003 and made his Cup debut in 2002. "I feel like we've got still something left to accomplish. I'm looking forward to the new body that we're going to get, and the downforce (with the 2016 rules package) and the changes we've made in the company. "I want to see Roush Fenway winning races when I hang my helmet up for the last time, and I think we can do that. I know we can do that." Mired in the longest drought of his career, Biffle, a 19-time Cup winner, hasn't been to Victory Lane since June 2013 -- and it really bothers him. "It definitely does," he said. Yet he can find some solace in the fact that he's hardly the first veteran driver to endure a lengthy drought. "I think you look through the garage area and you see drivers that have struggled with that -- Matt (Kenseth), Carl (Edwards), Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick. You look at all of them, and there's been those rough patches, and this is one of them that we're in kind of as a company more than a team, as well," Biffle said. "It's been a dry spell. We've been close. What I feel good about is the few races that we've ran good at. We ran good at Charlotte in the spring and finished second, we ran good at Loudon and finished fourth, so those are races that we had a chance to win." When the time comes for Biffle to decide if he wants to continue with Roush Fenway beyond 2017, the Vancouver, Wash., native plans to make an evaluation based on multiple factors. "I'm going to wait until the end of '16 or mid-'17 or spring or something like that and see where we're at as a company, see how many wins I have between now and then. What's the fun meter like at that point? What's the health of the sport? What's going on with the rules and how the cars drive? I think all those things make an impact," Biffle said. "And then what do you have going personally? Are you happy with what you're doing and are you ready to do something different? But, I've always said all along, that I don't want to race forever. I want to watch my daughter (4-year-old Emma) grow up and go to some of those soccer and softball and all those other sports activities that she might be involved in, so I look forward to being able to do that. That's important to me, as well. And I had her later in life than a lot of people (have children), so I'll have that luxury where a lot of these team guys and a lot of these drivers didn't have that opportunity." What Biffle does know for sure is that he desperately wants to win a Sprint Cup Series championship before calling it quits. He's been close, finishing second to Tony Stewart in 2005 and third to Jimmie Johnson in 2008. Biffle also has yet to capture the sport's two biggest races, but those pale in comparison to a Cup championship, in his mind. "Let's face it: Winning a Sprint Cup title is it," said Biffle, who won a truck and XFINITY Series championship with Roush Fenway before moving up to the Sprint Cup Series with the organization based in Concord, N.C. "It doesn't matter if you ever win another race. Having a Sprint Cup trophy -- and then having all three of them -- is it. "Now, everybody wants to win the Daytona 500. Everybody wants to win the Brickyard. Those are definitely iconic races I would love to win, but if I retired with a Sprint Cup trophy, I could care less about a Daytona 500 and a Brickyard trophy. But if I retire without a Sprint Cup trophy, those are very important to me." Interestingly, Biffle suggested he has fewer aches and pains now than he did five or even 10 years ago -- another factor that makes retirement less appealing. "I almost feel better now than I did then," he said. "I work out a bit more now than I did, and I think you always gain knowledge. You're always learning something, and if you can apply those things, you learn and the cars keep changing. I think if you can continue to apply those things and use your knowledge, you can be better. That's honestly the way I feel. I feel like I've been here lots of times, I know what happens in the race, I know where the groove goes, I know what happens when they slow down, but I've just got to get the car to drive right to start with, in order to be able to apply that stuff. I feel better now than I did five years ago, and I feel great inside the car driving it." In addition to coveting a Sprint Cup championship, Biffle also has some other unfinished business. He wants to see Roush Fenway Racing -- the place where he began his career and vows to end it -- recapture the magic that made the organization a force to be reckoned with in NASCAR's premier series for the better part of 25 years. This is the first season since the Chase for the Sprint Cup was formed in 2004 that RFR failed to put any of its drivers in NASCAR's playoff. The company hasn't won a Cup race since Carl Edwards, who has since moved on to Joe Gibbs Racing, took the checkered flag in June 2014 at Sonoma. Biffle wants to help get RFR back to back to its front-running ways before handing over his seat to someone else. And even when he is ready to retire from full-time driving, Biffle won't rule out competing on a limited basis. "I would definitely entertain doing a 15- or 18-race deal," he said. "I would love that because then it makes it easier to step back because you still get to drive and you still get to come and race. If you can get in a good, competitive car and come and race for a team that wants to run 15 or 18 or 12 or 14 races, that's the perfect opportunity. Look at Mark Martin when he retired and went somewhere else and just drove for fun. But those are opportunities that are kind of unique because teams are set up for a year budget, and it's hard to balance that. But I would do that in a heartbeat." | 1 | 96,319 | sports |
MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) -- The 19th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners proved Saturday that they have more to offer than they showed last week in their loss to struggling Texas. Baker Mayfield threw for five touchdowns and Oklahoma bounced back from its Red River upset to beat Kansas State 55-0 on Saturday, the first time the Wildcats have been shut out since 1996. BOX SCORE: OKLAHOMA 55, KANSAS STATE 0 Kansas State had delivered serious scares to Top 25 opponents each of the last two weeks but the Wildcats (3-3, 0-3 Big 12) were helpless against the Sooners (5-1, 2-1). Oklahoma set the tone early, taking only 1:04 to score on its opening drive on a 22-yard pass from Mayfield to Sterling Shepard. "We had a great intensity coming into the game, and guys were fired up in the locker room," Shepard said. "Everybody wanted to show what type of team we were because of last week's loss, so we did a great job with intensity and executing our jobs." The Sooners took a 35-0 lead into halftime as Mayfield threw for all five of his TDs in the first half, including two to Shepard. He finished 20 of 27 for 282 yards. The quarterback credited the success to the quickness with which the offense moved. "It's the tempo," Mayfield said. "Defenses can't line up and do all their crazy stuff, and when we do that, I think I play better faster. I'm able to react and go on the run." Oklahoma kept rolling to open the second half. The Wildcats had benched Joe Hubener in favor of Kody Cook, who played most of the first half at wide receiver, and Cook promptly threw an interception that Zack Sanchez returned 38 yards for a touchdown that made the score 42-0. "It's disappointing, that's a big word for it," Cook said. "You're angry. You're disappointed. It's really frustrating. We obviously didn't expect to get shut out. We thought we had a pretty good game plan." The Sooners tacked on two more field goals in the third quarter, and five minutes into the fourth quarter Joe Mixon scored the first rushing touchdown of the day for Oklahoma, stretching the lead to 55-0. Mixon finished with 73 yards on 15 carries to lead a Sooners rushing attack that rolled up 232 yards. Mixon also caught three passes for 29 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The dominating win came after Oklahoma's arduous trek to get to Manhattan. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops said the Sooners left their facility at 2 p.m. Friday to drive to Oklahoma City and take a 40-minute flight to Manhattan but because of problems with various planes did not walk into their hotel rooms until 12:15 a.m. Waiting at the airport until late in the evening, Stoops said the support members of the program had to team up to deliver what amounted to a fast-food potluck so that players and coaches could have dinner. "Try and get 10 burgers, 10 tacos, 10 -- if everyone, if we had 10 people go out and get 10 whatever, we'd feed our players, and that's exactly what we did," Stoops said. "Now the players want it every week," Stoops joked. Mayfield said players were so focused that nothing could have distracted them from redeeming themselves from the 24-17 loss to the Longhorns. "Our week of practice, I knew we were ready to come out and play, no matter what happened," Mayfield said. "We could've stayed up all night and come out and been ready to play." Going into Saturday's game, Kansas State had scored in 234 straight games. The loss to Oklahoma marked the first time the Wildcats have been shut out at home since 1991. "I think all of us are embarrassed," Kansas State coach Bill Snyder said. "I can't remember being involved in a game like this since 1989, the first year we were here, and I don't even know if we had one that bad in that first go-around." | 1 | 96,320 | sports |
The Royals beat the Blue Jays 6-3 to win Game 2 on Saturday. Kansas City scored five runs in the seventh inning to take a 2-0 lead in the ALCS. | 1 | 96,321 | sports |
After Hungary closed its border with Croatia, Croatian officials are now sending migrants toward Slovenia, as they make their way to Austria. Photo: AP | 8 | 96,322 | video |
Bassist Phil Lesh, a founding member of rock legends the Grateful Dead, has revealed that he has cancer but expects to make a full recovery. The 75-year-old, who was treated for prostate cancer in 2006, has spent several weeks at a clinic in Arizona to remove cancerous bladder tumors, he wrote on Facebook. Lesh canceled shows this month of his side band, Phil Lesh and Friends, with Chris Robinson of Black Crowes fame. But he said he expected to return to normal activity after two weeks and to go ahead with concerts, including a series of New Year's performances in Port Chester, New York. "I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non-aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread," he wrote on the Facebook page of Terrapin Crossroads, the farm-to-table restaurant and concert venue he runs near San Francisco. In 1998 Lesh underwent a liver transplant after a hepatitis C infection -- after which he has regularly used his concerts as a platform to encourage fans to become organ donors. The Grateful Dead were key figures in the counterculture starting in the 1960s and revolutionized fan engagement, with "Deadheads" traveling from show to show to see them. While Lesh was not the most prolific Dead songwriter, he is considered influential in establishing the role of electric bass in rock, playing dominant chords instead of staying relegated to the background. The Grateful Dead -- minus best-known member Jerry Garcia, who died in 1995 -- played five concerts in June and July that the band said would be its last and broke an online record for ticket requests. The surviving band founders -- with the sole exception of Lesh -- have nonetheless planned a nationwide tour starting on October 29, calling themselves Dead and Company after retiring the Grateful Dead name. | 6 | 96,323 | entertainment |
Did Alabama RB Derrick Henry deserve more carries against Texas A&M on Saturday? SI's Zac Ellis weighs in and also reveals if the Crimson Tide's defense is finally back. | 1 | 96,324 | sports |
Some 300 people attended the Saturday rally, organizers told the Russian news agency Interfax, while the security forces estimated some 150 demonstrators. Most of the rally participants were over 50 years old and wore pacifist symbols. The anti-war event was organized by Russian Solidarnost movement, known for its opposition to President Vladimir Putin. "I believe that this is not the last rally, the subsequent ones will be much bigger,' Solidarnost representative Sergey Davidis told Interfax. "The nature of the matter is that consequences of Syria intervention will only get worse, and draw more attention as the crisis continues," he added. Solidarnost members and civil activists also criticized the perceived corruption within the state structures. The security forces detained one woman ahead of the event for holding up a sign with a slogan "Putin, you murderer, stop shaming Russia." The rally in the Russian capital was marked by a notable police presence. In addition, a small group of government supporters approached the protesters chanting slogans in support of the Kremlin's policy. Russia has been conducting air strikes in Syria since late September, with the proclaimed goal of destroying the "Islamic State" strongholds. The US and other Western countries accuse Russia of indiscriminately targeting all opposition forces, and acting solely in the interest of their ally, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. | 5 | 96,325 | news |
You can practically hear the CIA analyst's yawn as he jotted the latest news from Havana for President John F. Kennedy's morning briefing on July 28, 1962. "Evidently the 26 July anniversary affair in Cuba was just about as dull as the May Day affair," the CIA man declared. "Castro's speech contained no surprises." Neither what was supposedly the best intelligence agency on the planet, nor the young president it served, had a clue that Cuba was about to get a lot more interesting for the Kennedy administration. In the Soviet Union, 85 ships were already loading up with bombers, missiles and atomic warheads that would turn Fidel Castro's island overnight from an economically blighted Communist annoyance into a nuclear launch pad capable of wiping out any U.S. city between Dallas and Washington, D.C. Before the Cuban Missile Crisis would end - peacefully, but just barely - three months later, Castro's sock-puppet president, Osvaldo Dorticós, would predict, almost boastfully, that Cuba could "become the starting point of a new world war." That was not just Cuban machismo. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev, during the crisis, threatened Kennedy that "we'll all meet in hell," while Kennedy brooded that "it is insane that two men, sitting on opposite sides of the world, should be able to decide to bring an end to civilization." As we reach the 53rd anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis - the label is generally applied to the 13 days in 1962 from Oct. 16, when Kennedy received the first photographic proof of the missiles, to Oct. 28, when he struck a deal with Khrushchev for their removal - a trove of newly declassified CIA documents has shed new light on just how dangerous it really was. The agency last month released 19,000 pages of the written intelligence briefings it delivered to the president each morning during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. They cover some of the hottest crises of the Cold War, from the standoff over the Berlin Wall to the Vietnam War, and perhaps a hundred or so deal with the missile crisis. The CIA briefings, known first as the President's Intelligence Checklist - abbreviated PICL, or "Pickle," as the waggish spies who prepared it liked to say - and then later as the President's Daily Brief, do not alter our fundamental understanding of the missile crisis. Over the years, waves of Cold War memoirs, oral histories and declassification of official archives - both in Washington and Moscow - have made the missile crisis one of the best-documented chapters of the Cold War. "Everything newly 'declassified' is already available from other sources," said Michael Dobbs, author of One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War and several other Cold War histories. 19,000 Pages of the presidents' daily briefs the CIA declassified last month But the briefings do provide both a broader context that explains how the missile crisis could creep up on an unaware Kennedy, and some specific details that hammer home how close the world really came to going up in a mushroom cloud. "The Cuban Missile Crisis was the most dangerous time in modern history," said Bart Bernstein, a Stanford University historian of the Cold War. "Not because Kennedy or Khrushchev, by will, would have used nuclear weapons. But because so many things went wrong. If you go back and look at it, the great shock is that none of them went more wrong and we didn't wind up in a nuclear war." Terse to begin with, in some cases the briefings have been rendered nearly senseless by CIA censorship so drastic that it irritates even former intelligence officers who wanted to study the documents. (Though occasionally they reveal an unexpectedly puckish sense of humor in America's spooks. One account of a 1967 riot in Beijing observes, deadpan, that "a mob kept the Polish ambassador in his car for 10 hours, causing him to ruin both his clothing and the upholstery.") They can also be misleading, especially in their early days, because the brief was a new tool, devised especially in 1961 for Kennedy, who wanted to get his morning intelligence report in a form something like a newspaper. "The earliest ones you're looking at, in those the Pickle was still a very experimental document," said Brian Lattell, the former chief CIA analyst on Latin America and the author of Castro's Secrets: Cuban Intelligence, The CIA and the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. "Later they become more sure-footed." But sifting through the Pickles also corrected some misimpressions of history. We tend to think of Cuba as a near-constant Kennedy obsession that produced not only the missile crisis but the Bay of Pigs, the Mafia assassination plots, the silly CIA dirty tricks like exploding sea shells and powders to make Castro's beard fall out. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the most dangerous time in modern history. Not because Kennedy or Khrushchev, by will, would have used nuclear weapons. But because so many things went wrong. -- Bart Bernstein, Stanford University historian of the Cold War That's not entirely wrong. But as the briefs make clear, Kennedy had many foreign-policy fixations. Every day the briefs brimmed with what now seems like ephemera: A coup in Yemen. An arcane dispute over river-water rights between Chile and Bolivia. Public-relations fallout over a disaster-relief loan to the West German city of Hamburg. These were not the CIA's major concerns, but the president's. "It reflects Kennedy's interests," said Timothy Naftali, a New York University historian and co-author, with Russian historian Aleksandr Fursenko, of One Hell of a Gamble: The Secret History of the Cuban Missile Crisis. "If he didn't care about it, believe me, they would have stopped writing about it. This was a newspaper with one client." Before early 1962, Cuba was mentioned only sporadically and almost never as the lead item. Kennedy's most pressing concerns, if the brief is any indication, were the tense 1961 standoff between Washington and Moscow over the Berlin Wall, and other Cold War brushfires that have since been largely forgotten, from a civil war in the Congo to the revolt of Algerian separatists against French rule. Even Vietnam, the foreign-policy issue that would come to define the 1960s, was a relatively minor consideration; until early 1963, Kennedy was much more concerned with containing a communist insurgency in Laos. When the CIA did call Kennedy's attention to Cuba, it almost always got things stupefyingly wrong. For instance, on May 21, 1962, the spy agency breezily told the president that Castro's purge of old, traditional Communist Party members of his government was driving a wedge between Moscow and Havana: "We are seeing more and more signs that Castro's current moves against veteran Communists may lead to serious problems with the USSR." Actually, we now know from declassified Soviet documents that, just five days earlier, Khrushchev and his Politburo had just decided to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, to protect Castro from another American-backed invasion like the Bay of Pigs as well as to project Soviet military power into the Western Hemisphere for the first time. A few days later, when a Soviet military delegation went to tell the surprised and deliriously happy Castro he'd be getting the missiles, the CIA saw only more signs of an escalating quarrel: "We suspect that Moscow has decided it was time for a searching review of the Soviet program in Cuba... Another sign of the USSR's displeasure and intent to tighten its political and economic reins." For the next six weeks, as Cuba and the Soviet Union were already rolling down the road toward a nuclear confrontation with the United States, the CIA kept reading all the road signs backwards. On July 19, the agency assured Kennedy that the Soviets had just inflicted a lethal snub on Fidel's brother Raúl, the head of the Cuban military. "Raúl Castro is back in Havana after two weeks in Moscow, where we believe he was seeking more and better military equipment," the agency reported. "The red carpet was out for him when he arrived in Moscow, but he left unheralded, a pretty good sign that the visit was unproductive." Actually, Raúl was just working out the final logistical details of the delivery of the missiles, which would begin the next month. There's a very serious lesson tucked away inside all these intelligence pratfalls, said NYU historian Naftali: "It's hard to get good spies." "We have this idea that the CIA is omniscient, all-knowing, all-seeing and ever-present," he said. "It's because we all lived through all these investigations in the 1970s and all the revelations of secret assassination weapons and bugged martini glasses and plot and subplots. The reality is, there have always been serious limits. "It's hard to get information about what people are thinking and doing. What the CIA is really good at is counting things from airplanes and satellites. It's a lot harder to get inside people's heads." And that's exactly how the CIA finally caught up with events during the missile crisis, taking pictures from its U-2 spyplanes and then counting and measuring the objects in them. By mid-August 1962, the daily briefs were full of ominous commentary on how many Soviet cargo ships were docking in Cuba and the number of sites being constructed on the island that matched up with the design of conventional Soviet launch pads. And CIA sources among the island's population were reporting lots of giant Soviet cargo trailers traveling the country's narrow, winding roads, leaving a trail of wrecked mailboxes and toppled telephone poles in their wake. By early September, CIA Director John McCone, a lone pariah when he began arguing that the Soviets were installing intercontinental missiles in Cuba, had convinced Kennedy. What the CIA is really good at is counting things from airplanes and satellites. It's a lot harder to get inside people's heads. -- Timothy Naftali, New York University historian But mischance and error plagued the U.S. effort to divert the missile crisis. The most persistent of them was alluded to in that same July 19 brief that dumbheadedly argued that the Soviets had rebuffed Raúl Castro in Moscow. In the very next paragraph, the CIA reported that militant Miami-based Cuban exile groups - many of them funded by the CIA itself - had obtained an old B-26 bomber and were planning to drop high explosives on Havana. "They have selected an oil refinery and an electric power plant as targets," the brief noted without comment. On July 19, the CIA still wasn't aware that Castro was acquiring nuclear warheads or bombers and missiles capable of reaching American cities, so perhaps that's why there was no suggestion that the exiles be warned to stand down. But at least five more times over the next two and a half months - all of them after the CIA itself had concluded that Cuba was being armed with missiles - the daily brief would either report attacks by exile groups in gunboats and airplanes, or warn that attacks were planned. After one such attack on Cuban naval boats, the daily brief even observed that "these incidents have given Havana the jitters. The [Cuban] army, as well as the navy, has been alerted." If the CIA spent time pondering the possible downside of lobbing bombs or artillery shells onto an island packed with Russian troops (40,000 had come along with the new weapons), nuclear weapons and itchy trigger fingers, there's no sign of it in the briefs. To be fair, a CIA warning might very well have fallen on deaf ears. As the missile crisis drew near, Kennedy continued to approve attacks staged as part of a CIA campaign of harassment against Castro codenamed Mongoose, including tossing a grenade at the Chinese embassy in Havana, an underwater bombing of Soviet-bloc ships and an ambush of three Russian anti-aircraft sites. "Any of those things could have ended with Soviet or Chinese personnel getting killed by an American operation while the missiles were pointed at the United States," Naftali said. In the end, there was only one military death: U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson, whose U-2 plane was shot down by a Soviet anti-aircraft missile at the height of the crisis on Oct. 27, five days after Kennedy had gone on television and demanded the Russians remove all its nuclear hardware and ordered a naval blockade to make sure no more arrived. More quietly, the president offered a deal: He would remove U.S. missiles from Turkey and pledge never to invade Cuba again. On Oct. 28, Khrushchev agreed, and the crisis started to fade away. The side deals would not be revealed for years, and instead a myth arose: that Kennedy's steely nerve had won a nuclear game of chicken, that Khrushchev and Castro had slunk away from confrontation with their communist tails between their legs. The CIA's daily brief on Oct. 29 predicted that both communist leaders would pay a heavy price for losing the battle of perceptions. "There are no scapegoats for this one and [Khrushchev] will be blamed by just about everyone," the agency analysts wrote. "Many whom he has bullied are probably secretly pleased." And, they added, "Castro faces a serious setback to his prestige. [He was] obviously not consulted beforehand on Khrushchev's exchanges with the President." That was one bit of CIA forecasting that was dead accurate. Two years later Khrushchev would be toppled in a bloodless coup by Soviet ministers who believed he had been a reckless fool to put missiles in the Western hemisphere. Castro, meanwhile, was so humiliated by the Soviets' failure to give him a voice in the settlement that according to his doctor he nearly suffered a mental breakdown in the weeks afterward, the KGB said in a report that was declassified in the 1990s. But once again, the CIA missed part of the picture. In Texas, a young American Marxist who once had hopes that Kennedy would end the Cold War was enraged by the way the president treated Castro during the missile crisis. In November 1963, that man, Lee Harvey Oswald, would have a fateful encounter with Kennedy in Dallas. And perhaps the missile crisis claimed one last victim. | 5 | 96,326 | news |
The Mets beat the Cubs 4-2 in game one of the NLCS. Daniel Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud both hit homers, and Matt Harvey struck out nine in 7.2 innings of work. | 1 | 96,327 | sports |
A female German aid worker who was kidnapped in Afghanistan in August has been released and is in good health, said German development organisation GIZ on Saturday. "The German GIZ employee, kidnapped some nine weeks ago in Afghanistan, is free again," GIZ said in a statement. Her general condition "is good, considering the circumstances", it said, adding that the woman was "very relieved and happy" at being released. German Foreign Minister Frank Walter-Steinmeier, on a visit to Tehran, also said he was "very relieved" at the news and thanked the Afghan government and the country's security forces, without giving details of the circumstances surrounding the woman's release. The aid worker, whose identity has not been made public, was taken on August 17 from a central Kabul neighbourhood where a number of foreign aid agencies are based. Security forces at the scene told AFP at the time that she was forced out of the vehicle she was travelling in and hauled away by armed men. The incident marked the second abduction of a GIZ aid worker since April, when an employee of the agency was kidnapped in the restive northern province of Kunduz. He was rescued in a police operation after 40 days in captivity. Aid workers in Afghanistan have increasingly been casualties of a surge in militant violence in recent years. In April the bullet-riddled bodies of five Afghan workers for Save the Children were found after they were abducted by gunmen in the strife-torn southern province of Uruzgan. | 5 | 96,328 | news |
There have been mixed reactions to the latest decision by US President Barack Obama on Afghanistan. On Thursday, he broke a campaign promise to pull out all US forces from the war-torn country before he leaves office. Now, the remaining troops in Afghanistan will remain there well after he leaves the White House. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reportedly asked Obama to keep the troops in his country when they met in Washington earlier this year. The brief seizure of the strategic town of Kunduz by the Taliban last month is said to be another reason that Obama changed his mind. The Afghan army is still seen as being incapable of facing the armed group alone. But are the remaining US troops enough to help the Afghan army? And has Obama's Afghanistan policy failed? Presenter: Rob Matheson Guests: Sharif Hassan , journalist for the Washington Post. Bette Dam , author of A Man and A Motorcycle: How Hamid Karzai Came to Power. David Sedney , former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia. | 5 | 96,329 | news |
JERUSALEM East Jerusalem, long the emotional heart of Palestinian life, is now the fiery soul of its discontent. It is not just that most of the young people suspected in this month's spate of stabbing attacks came from within the city borders, like the 18-year-old college student whose residency is being revoked by Israel after the police said she stabbed a Jewish man in the back. It is that her neighborhood of 18,000, Sur Baher, is also home to people like Fuad Abu Hamed, a successful businessman who condemns the wave of violence but shares the penetrating frustration and alienation underlying this new uprising. Mr. Abu Hamed, 44, is a lecturer at Hebrew University who runs two clinics in Israel's health system, and lives in a comfortable home among Sur Baher's tangle of crowded hills. The view from his balcony is of sprawling Jewish enclaves that he said were "built on our lands," and the ugly barrier Israel erected that splits Sur Baher from the occupied West Bank. These days, he can also see the Israeli soldiers who have blocked two of the neighborhood's exits and set up a checkpoint to search cars at the third, making the city's psychic division all the more concrete. "You have a lot of evidence that you are not a human being," Mr. Abu Hamed said ruefully. "The problem is the policy, because all the time as a Palestinian here you feel that they want to take you out of the city, you have a lot of problems that do not allow you to feel that you are part of the city. It's killing from inside all the time." In East Jerusalem, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is most personal and most profound. For Israeli Jews, the outbreak of seemingly random attacks by Palestinians most with common kitchen knives is both a vexing challenge to contain and a reminder of the inherent conundrum in their vision of a united Jerusalem. For many of the 320,000 Arab residents, the violence is an almost inevitable consequence after years of feeling like the neglected stepchildren of both City Hall and the Palestinian Authority, which is headquartered in the West Bank and is barred from operating in Jerusalem. They do not feel wanted here, or part of what is happening there. Civic and cultural institutions decamped years ago for the West Bank city of Ramallah. In East Jerusalem, there are too few classrooms, and too many dropouts. It is difficult to get a permit to expand a home; 98 illegal structures were demolished last year. Three-quarters of the population lives below Israel's poverty line. Insiders, but Outside These Palestinians are regular visitors to the contested holy site in the Old City where fears of an Israeli takeover have helped fuel the violent outbreak. They speak Hebrew and, unlike their brethren in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, can work and travel throughout Israel like any citizen giving them an intimate, daily view of all they do not have. Even as they benefit from Israel's robust economy, many seethe as they pump gas or stock shelves for better-off Jewish peers. "On the one hand, yes, you have open access to Israeli society on the other hand you also have more knowledge about the discrimination that's being practiced against you," said Sari Nusseibeh, the former president of Al Quds University and a scion of one of Jerusalem's oldest Palestinian families. "Major issues that you identify with as a Palestinian and a Muslim, your dignity and self-respect, your position, your role, these are in total and constant conflict." The uptick in aggression did not begin with the two dozen attacks that have killed seven Israeli Jews, five of them in Jerusalem, since Oct. 1. (At least 16 suspected assailants have been shot dead by Israelis, including three on Saturday, along with more than 20 other Palestinians in clashes with security forces). East Jerusalem has been a hotbed since July 2014, when Jewish extremists kidnapped and murdered Muhammad Abu Khdeir , a 16-year-old from the Shuafat neighborhood. The police reported 1,594 stone-throwing incidents in East Jerusalem over the next three months, up from 1,216 during 10 months of 2013; more than 700 people were arrested for rioting in Jerusalem during that period in 2014. The police said they detained 380 between Sept. 13 and Oct. 15 of this year, 171 of them minors. Yehuda Yemini, who spent 15 years working in East Jerusalem for Israel's Shin Bet security agency, blamed "toxic incitement" that riddled textbooks in local schools until a few years ago. "You get a generation that has grown up with the messages that a Jew is someone who comes to harm us, and endangers our religion," he said. "Even those who define themselves as secular have a lot of religious motifs. And there is a conflict between the modern, dynamic Israel they see and the narrative of the evil Israel that won't succeed." Complex Territory Arab East Jerusalem is not a single place but a series of some two dozen disparate satellites. There are isolated villages like Sur Baher, Jabel Mukhaber and Issawiya, where Israelis rarely venture, but also relatively upscale and accessible Beit Hanina, where many international aid workers and diplomats live and Israelis flock for hummus on Saturday mornings. There is the restive, drug-ridden Shuafat refugee camp, one of several hamlets officially part of Jerusalem but left on the West Bank side of the concrete barrier . And there is the Old City itself, where the cobblestone streets have been eerily empty since the stabbings. Israel captured it all from Jordan in the 1967 war, and expanded Jerusalem's boundaries to 27 square miles from 2.3. Israel's annexation was rejected by the United Nations, and most of the world considers the territory occupied. Today, 200,000 Jews live beyond Israel's original border, most in new developments widely considered illegal settlements like those Mr. Abu Hamed can see from his balcony, 2,000 scattered amid the Palestinian enclaves. Israeli leaders claim the entire expanse as their undivided capital. Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. International road maps for peace imagine Palestinian control of Arab areas and Israeli control of Jewish ones, with a special arrangement for the Old City and its surroundings. Rafat Sub-Laban, 27, who lives in the Old City's Muslim quarter, said Palestinians in Jerusalem "have sort of a schizophrenic feeling." "You're living among Israelis, you're supposedly residents to whom the same law applies, you really see it's not applied equally," he said. He told a story of being stopped this summer at the Old City's Jaffa Gate and asked for identification. "I said, 'Why?' They said, 'Because we want it.' " he recalled. "I said, 'Am I being suspected of anything?' It was a soldier girl, she said you're not suspected of anything, we just want to see your ID. They almost detained me just because I'm asking for rights under their own laws, by the way." The devolution of East Jerusalem, in many ways, was driven by the Oslo accords that set up the Palestinian Authority in the 1990s. Ramallah, the seat of the provisional government, became the beating pulse of society: Trade unions and activists set up shop there, while storied theaters and cafes off Jerusalem's Salahaddin Street shut down. "In Jerusalem now, the night life is filled with bats," Mr. Nusseibeh lamented. Zakaria Al-Qaq, an Al Quds professor who traces his roots in Jerusalem back 1,400 years, said that Ramallah has abandoned the city, with leaders invoking it as a "token" but doing nothing to solve day-to-day problems. "Their words don't go into deeds," he said. "The society is in turmoil, internally, they are fighting with each other, there's no law and order." The protest, he added, "is not limited to the Israelis." Mayor Nir Barkat of Jerusalem boasts that he has made unprecedented investments in East Jerusalem: 800 new classrooms, $130 million on infrastructure, and a $1.8 million community center in Sur Baher. To speed fire and ambulance service, and allow mail delivery, the city has also named for the first time nearly 900 streets in Arab areas, including Mr. Abu Hamed's (after Abu Hamel el Ghazali, an 11th century Islamic philosopher). Mr. Barkat invited more than a dozen Palestinian Jerusalemites to his office last week to discuss the situation, but walked out shortly after the meeting began to rush to the scene of yet another stabbing. A June poll by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion found that 61 percent of Palestinians in Jerusalem support "armed struggle" against Israel. Yet 52 percent said they would prefer to be citizens of Israel with equal rights than citizens of a Palestinian state, up from a third in 2010. Israel officially offers citizenship to all Jerusalem Palestinians, but a tiny fraction apply. Residency provides parallel benefits, except the right to vote in national elections. (With 37 percent of Jerusalem's population, Palestinians could wield influence in local balloting, but they boycott to avoid endorsing Israel's sovereignty.) Now, as part of Israel's crackdown, the interior minister is taking the rare step of revoking the residency of the college student from Sur Baher and 16 other alleged attackers plus the citizenship of two more. They would still be able to live in the city, but would lose all social-welfare benefits, like free treatment at Mr. Abu Hamed's clinics, and would need to renew visas every few months. Palestinians are outraged that no such punishment was considered for the three Jewish men on trial for the grisly burning alive of Muhammad Abu Khdeir last year. Nor were checkpoints established in their neighborhoods. Collective Punishment In Sur Baher, residents said the line of cars at the lone remaining exit on Thursday morning stretched for hundreds of yards. Moussa Dabash, 44, who runs a tour-bus company, said he was searched under his shirt and between his legs. "If I say a word, they'll accuse me of trying to stab them," he said, reliving the humiliation hours later. "The soldier who searched me, I told him, 'Why are you doing this?' He said, 'Because you are terrorists.' " Mr. Abu Hamed, too, said he was delayed. But his complaints are more fundamental than a temporary checkpoint. A couple and their two children died in a fire last year, he said, because engines are dispatched to Sur Baher from another Palestinian neighborhood rather than the closer Jewish ones. He petitioned Israel's Supreme Court in 1999 to demand a girls' school in Sur Baher, and won, but says the neighborhood now needs 20 schools, not the current 13, where classes burst with more than 40 children. The trash hauling bins down the road are overflowing, something he never sees when he goes to pay taxes on the other side of town. Yes, Mr. Abu Hamed and his neighbors can fly from Israel's airport, a privilege denied to West Bankers and Gazans. But he said he never makes it through security "without crying," because his Hebrew University ID card "means nothing I am a Palestinian in the end." | 5 | 96,330 | news |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Early in the season, Jimbo Fisher could understand if his Florida State team was a little tentative and tight during the first half. But at halftime of Saturday's game against Louisville with the Seminoles trailing 7-6, his patience was starting to wear thin. With five touchdowns in six second-half drives, the message was received. Behind 372 yards passing and three touchdowns from Everett Golson along with Dalvin Cook's fourth 100-yard game of the season, the 11th-ranked Seminoles broke it open in the third quarter en route to a 41-21 win over the Cardinals at Doak Campbell Stadium. BOX SCORE: FLORIDA STATE 41, LOUISVILLE 21 "I think you saw what a team can do in the first half when it's not totally focused or it presses itself," Fisher said. "In the second half, when the team relaxes, it played up to its capability and still have it. Just go play. I know that sounds crazy, but that's our only goal right now." Florida State is off to a 6-0 start for the third straight season and extended its Atlantic Coast Conference win streak to 28, including four this year. For the second straight season, the Seminoles are proving to be a strong second-half team. They have outscored opponents 126-47, including 62-14 in the third quarter. In a trend that continued from last week's win over Miami, the offense showed more balance. Golson, who had his eighth 300-yard game and his second since transferring to Florida State earlier this summer, completed passes to seven players and had three touchdowns. Golson, who was 26 of 38, gave the Seminoles the lead for good with 8:05 remaining in the third quarter as he connected with Kermit Whitfield for a 70-yard touchdown up the right sideline. Whitfield had career highs in receptions (nine) and yards (172). It is the eighth 300-yard passing game of Golson's career and his second since transferring to Florida State earlier this summer. Golson completed passes to seven players. Whitfield set career highs for receptions (nine) and yards (172). "In the second half we stopped pressing, then we started playing faster. We were sluggish, maybe because of the early game, but we got our mind right and started playing out game," Whitfield said. Cook had 28 yards at halftime but ended up having one of his best all-around games of the season. Along with 163 yards on 22 carries, the sophomore had a season-high four receptions for 60 yards. Cook had two touchdowns, including a 54-yard score where he broke four Louisville tackles on the opening drive of the third quarter. That is his fourth touchdown of 50-plus yards this season. Florida State remains the only team in the nation without an offensive turnover. "They really took over the line of scrimmage and when you have a guy that's fast like he (Cook) is, and a great runner, you have to be able to tackle him well and we wore down," Louisville coach Bobby Petrino said. "They did a really good job of working the clock and making big plays, converting third downs. Cook has 955 yards through six games, which according to STATS is the most by an ACC running back since 1996. The previous mark was 888 yards by Virginia's Thomas Jones in 1998. He is also still trying to manage a hamstring injury that he suffered in the Oct. 3 win at Wake Forest. Said Cook of the injury: "It felt way better this week. In practice I try to manage it and not overdo it. Some plays I get going but manage it for the game." Louisville (2-4, 1-2 ACC) was able to stay with the Seminoles for two-and-a-half quarters, but two turnovers in the third quarter derailed any momentum. Lamar Jackson, who grew up in Pompano Beach, Florida, and came into the game with a 53.6 completion percentage, passed for a career-high 307 yards and also had 32 yards rushing. James Quick had five receptions for 130 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinals had a 7-6 lead at halftime on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Quick. Florida State's lone points in the first half came on a pair of Roberto Aguayo field goals. After Cook's first touchdown, Louisville scored on its ensuing drive on a Quick 19-yard touchdown reception to take a 14-13 lead. While Louisville's first lead lasted more than 17 minutes, the second one was just 63 seconds. ------ AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org | 1 | 96,331 | sports |
New York Rangers fans didn't have to suffer quite as long as Chicago Cubs fans between championships. Their wait was 54 years between Stanley Cup victories. From 1940 to 1994. And now, someone willing to dip into their wallets is in position to own the very rink or pieces of it that the team defeated the Vancouver Canucks on in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden to capture the Cup. The Hockey News reports that Goldin Auctions has been enlisted to sell "the complete 1991-2013 NY Rangers Hockey rink from Madison Square Garden." And some of the pieces will have autographs of players from the 1994 team on them. Starting bid: $50,000. So if Mark Messier, Brian Leetch & Co. brought tears to your eyes in 1994, and you have deep pockets, this is the ultimate piece (or pieces?) of New York Rangers Stanley Cup memorabilia. The auction begins Monday, and the complete listing can be found here. (H/T The Hockey News ) | 1 | 96,332 | sports |
LOS ANGELES (AP) Crews on Sunday pulled dozens of stranded cars and trucks free and reopened some Southern California roads that were buried in tons of mud during flash flooding. Los Angeles County crews reopened stretches of five roads in mountain communities about 40 miles north of Los Angeles. The reopening "comes well ahead of original forecasts" with more than 40 bulldozers, dump trucks and other heavy equipment working through the weekend to shift an estimated 200,000 cubic yards of mud, according to a Los Angeles County Public Works statement. Work continued on two other roads in the Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth areas that were inundated as thunderstorms unleashed flash flooding on Thursday. In nearby Kern County, more than 100 cars, buses, RVs and big-rig trucks were trapped on State Route 58. As of Sunday afternoon, only 2 big-rigs and five cars were left to free, although efforts to remove the tons of now-hardened mud covering the highway were just beginning, said Florene Trainor, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. Officials hoped to reopen the lanes by Thursday at the latest. Geologists determined that nearby hillsides were stable so there was no fear of another mudslide should it start raining again, Trainor said in an email. The area got some morning drizzle on Sunday but no serious rain. Hundreds of cars also were stuck on Interstate 5, a major artery, but those vehicles were cleared and the freeway reopened by late Friday. Homeowners in northern Los Angeles County communities were spending their weekend digging mud out of their houses. Kerjon Lee, a spokesman for county Public Works, said Saturday that at least one of the homes in the area is considered a total loss after flooding ripped it from its foundation. Crews were continuing to assess homes in the area, and Lee said the number of those destroyed could rise. Gary and Gina Hartle, who own a 70-acre horse ranch in Lake Hughes, said they have so much work to restore their property, they have no idea how long it will take. "Our property is 75 percent devastated," Gina Hartle, 54, told The Associated Press as she surveyed the damage. "We can't access our homes too well right now because everything is washed out." She said the two homes on the land seemed like they were OK, but that one of the homes was without water because of an inundated pump, and their 20-foot trailer is nowhere in sight. "It either got buried or it's downriver," Hartle said. ___ | 5 | 96,333 | news |
The threat of harsher sanctions hitting the Russian economy has diminished, Fitch Ratings agency said on Friday. Let's just say we told you so. They maintained Russia's long term credit rating at BBB-, one notch above junk bond status. "Measures that would affect the payments system or trade have diminished. The rate of casualties and military activity in eastern Ukraine has subsided," Fitch said in a statement. The U.S. extended its sanctions for another six months last week. Sanctions have packed a wallop on the Russian economy, with weaker oil prices added salt to the wound. Both Washington and Brussels sanctioned energy and financial firms starting in July of 2014. For now, investors are hoping that they end by the summer of 2016. Much of this depends on Russian involvement in Ukraine and its adherence to the Minsk II peace accord with its former ally. Europe appears my willing to side with Russia, an important business partner with Russia. While the U.S. seems more willing to play hard ball now that the Russian government is bombing CIA-backed anti-Assad forces in Syria. External conditions have deteriorated since July for Russia as oil continued to weaken and the crisis in the Donbass region Ukraine remained heated. Ruble depreciation has continued to benefit the balance of payments, however, with imports falling 39% year on year in the last 9 months and substantial declines in services imports and outward profit remittances. Russians aren't importing because their currency is about 50% weaker than it was a year ago at this time. But on the positive side, that's helped the current account surplus, which is expected to be between 5% and 6% of GDP this year, almost double last year's This is especially good for fixed income investors holding Russian bonds. Long term institutional bond investors love government account surpluses as much as they love yield. The current account surplus has been and will be balanced by net private capital outflows, which have fallen since 2014, Fitch said Friday. "Rollover rates of private sector debt have exceeded expectations and other net outward flows have moderated," they said. "Capital markets are re-opening to non-sanctioned borrowers. As a result of these factors, and the current account surplus, demand for foreign exchange to meet debt service is not expected to generate undue pressure on reserves." Two of Russia's biggest banks Sberbank and VTB Capital were both sanctioned by the West. Crazy Putin Pix From The Internet Russia's sovereign balance sheet remains a key support to its creditworthiness. Government debt is on course to end 2015 at just 13% of GDP and sovereign net foreign assets are estimated at 26% of 2015 GDP. Reserves of the Central Bank of Russia have been steady since the first quarter, ending September at a stable $371 billion, or over 10 months of prospective current account payments. Fitch now expects that reserves will be little changed in dollar terms over the next year, year and a half. In fact, Russia's central bank suspended regular purchases of foreign exchange in July, but these could resume in support of their goal of rebuilding reserves at any time. Lower oil prices or stronger demand for foreign currency present the main downside risks to the reserves outlook. Russia's Parliament will approve its 2016 budget in the weeks ahead, with oil prices budgeted now at $50 per barrel instead of the current level of $60. Monetary policy is working to contain risks from a stronger dollar, and the central bank is targeting inflation of 4% by end-2017, central bank governor Elvira Nabiullina reiterated again in front of foreign investors attending the VTB Capital Russia Calling! conference this week in Moscow. Deposit dollarization is well above pre-2014 levels, at 41%, but pressures are being held in check. The central bank kept its policy rate on hold at 11% in September. A renewed upsurge in demand for dollars and euros, as seen in December 2014, perhaps triggered by a policy or geopolitical shock, remains a risk for Russia forecasters. But if ruble volatility is contained, as Nabiullina said she expects, at least in the near term, then average inflation could fall to 9% in 2016, from 15.5% in 2015. That ultimately opens the room for further rate cuts and in theory, stronger equity performance for Russian stocks. Russian equities, as measured by Van Eck Global's Market Vectors Russia (RSX) exchange traded fund, is up 19.8% year-to-date while the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is down 7.74%. | 3 | 96,334 | finance |
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has now spent more time in space than any American before him. He'll be breaking more records soon. | 8 | 96,335 | video |
Some Harry Potter fans might not be able to narrow down their favorite chapter from the series, but author J.K. Rowling has no such issue. Rowling was asked Saturday on Twitter by a fan: "If you had to choose one chapter from the entire HP series as your favourite, what would you choose?" Rowling's responded, "Chapter 34 Deathly Hallows 'The Forest Again.' " Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the popular series. In chapter 34, Harry enters the Forbidden Forest to face off against Voldemort, and on his way, the Boy Who Lived is visited by those close to him who have died, including his parents. Rowling has previously stated her affection for the chapter. During a 2007 visit to Today, she said it was the chapter from the final book that made her cry the most. Rowling's tweet is below. Chapter 34 Deathly Hallows 'The Forest Again' https://t.co/DniVfbTjKT - J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 17, 2015 | 6 | 96,336 | entertainment |
'Truth' image courtesy of Sony As was reported yesterday, CBS made news yesterday by refusing to accept advertising for the Sony Pictures Classic feature Truth . On its face, that's not terribly surprising. The film is technically about a rather unfortunate moment in CBS's recent history. The picture features several characters who accuse CBS News of throwing their reporters under the bus for political expediency and in order to protect the financial considerations for Viacom Inc. If the choice to refuse to sell millions of dollars worth of ad time to the Sony picture is merely a matter of personal preference, so be it. But if the idea of not allowing advertising for the film is an attempt to hide somehow the film's contents and/or blunt its message while being openly critical as a means of discrediting the picture, then I would argue the move had the opposite effect. A film that will mostly be forgotten in a few months time is now much bigger news than it was 48 hours ago. The James Vanderbilt film is a feature film adaptation of Mary Mapes's book Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power. Like the 2006 memoir, Truth concerns how 60 Minutes II producer Mary Mapes and CBS News anchor and legendary news vet Dan Rather botched a story about George W. Bush's National Guard service when it was revealed that two key documents used to establish the narrative weren't as well-verified as they should have been.The second half of the film deals with the fallout after the report airs, with online would-be fact checkers poking holes in the veracity of the documents and eventually leading to a corporate investigation, Mapes being fired, and Rather resigning in relative disgrace. It argues that the overall truth of the story, that George W. Bush got into the National Guard through nepotism and didn't necessarily fulfill his duties, was ignored and rendered irrelevant by the ensuing outcry. The feature, which stars Cate Blanchett as Mary Mapes and Robert Redford as Dan Rather, is relatively (pardon the expression) fair and balanced, with the vast majority of CBS personnel presented in a mostly positive light. The film clearly shows corners being cut and reporting being rushed for the sake of a swiftly approaching even as it presents Mapes and her team as well-intentioned journalists who presumed the truth of the story they were reporting. And the CBS executives, personified by Bruce Greenwood, David Lyons, and Rachel Blake, stand by their team until they can no longer stand by their team. Topher Grace makes a big speech about cover-ups and corporate influence, but the film makes him look about as convincing as the kids who get eaten in The Green Inferno . But if CBS believes that the film " tries to turn gross errors of journalism and judgment into acts of heroism and martyrdom," as stated CBS Corp. chief spokesman Gil Schwartz, the better solution would be merely to ignore the movie. Because, sadly, it's not going to make much of an impact absent high-profile spats such as this. I like the film, but the reviews have been mixed with many critics indeed calling it out in a manner similar to Schwartz. I think the film tries to have it both ways, which is what makes the relatively entertaining picture merely worth a view instead of worth a bunch of Oscars. And Truth will probably not be an Oscar contender this season, with Son of Saul taking up most of Sony Pictures Classics's time and energy and Cate Blanchett getting the real Oscar heat for Carol instead. And with a relatively poor debut on just six screens this weekend (around $60k for the weekend), it's probably not going to expand much, and will likely be a footnote in the 2015 Oscar season. It will fade as the likes of Spotlight (which ironically highlights impeccable journalism), Steve Jobs , and Room stand alongside whatever unscreened gems ( The Revenant , The Hateful 8 , Joy , Concussion , etc.) are deemed worthy. All CBS's glorified boycott has done is put Truth in the news while giving undue credence to the notion that the film is too hot to handle and/or is dangerous to the CBS corporate establishment. Now everything is news these days, so CBS merely saying nothing and agreeing to air commercials for the film would have been news just the same. But wouldn't the better story have been that "CBS has no strong opinions about the movie and will treat it like any other picture!"? I do like the film, and I do agree with its overall conclusion about how the scandal obscured the overall truth of the story. But it's not going to be the kind of film that is seen by millions and has a significant impact on the discourse. Maybe it should be, but it won't be. It's going to be a well-reviewed drama that fades out of view while ending up on a few "great films you missed" lists and will be held up as "the kind of film they just don't make any more." If CBS had ignored the film and/or just accepted the advertising revenue, it would have sent the message that CBS had nothing to fear from the film and/or were "good sports" in regards to a populist entertainment that didn't necessarily paint its network in the best light. Because, as Frank Miller said in the otherwise wonky The Dark Knight Strikes Back , freedom of speech is a wonderful thing especially when no one is listening. The only reason anyone is listening to Truth today is because CBS made it into a story worth paying attention to. If the intent was to lessen the film's would-be importance or social impact or to remove it from the conversation or the news cycle, well, it has done just the opposite. I sympathize with those at CBS who didn't want ads for Truth running during The Big Bang Theory or The Late Show . But in this case, the "cover up" only served to create the appearance of a "crime." | 3 | 96,337 | finance |
Why will the Seahawks defeat Carolina to even their record at 3-3 and use that to springboard to a strong finish and another playoff appearance? Because it's exactly the kind of thing they do. Or at least have done enough lately that it seems reasonably predictable. This is the annual script: Allow the drama to build, wait until it becomes dire, and then push it to the edge before finding a way. You've seen how this Legion of Procrastinators works. And now they stand 2-3 with a pair of lowly wins and three quizzical losses. It's tempting to write them off as a team that's been to the top, and had its hunger quelled by attainment - the sort of thing that can dull the edge just enough to make a difference. A loss to Carolina and that certainly will be an angle worth considering. But it's all still there for the Seahawks, with a roster as talented as any of the Super Bowl predecessors. The prime reason for expecting a quick revival is because this team is very close to being very good. The Seahawks are a 1-yard run, a couple of first downs and a defensive stop or two from being the undefeated defending Super Bowl champs. The only loss this season that wasn't in overtime was on the road at undefeated Green Bay. And they held a lead in that one, too, in the fourth quarter. It might be frustrating, but in some ways comforting to fans, that the Hawks have played nowhere close to their potential, except for long stretch on Sunday against Cincinnati. The number of veterans on the team seems to invalidate this theory, but I think this is a team that's evolving, and still adapting to new circumstances. Quarterback Russell Wilson seems in a transition phase, dealing with the problem of balancing instinct versus design. The Seahawks will be best when he finds a way to be functionally improvisational but operating within the offensive structure enough so the delicate timing on pass plays can be maintained. New tight end Jimmy Graham is a tool they haven't learned to utilize. He was fundamentally a large wide receiver who's being asked to play like a traditional tight end. The routes and role are new, but at times the connection between Wilson and Graham seems teasingly close. That should be an easy fix. Another reality should strike the Seahawks at this point. They simply don't have the same margin for mistakes as they used to. Two penalties against the offensive line in overtime killed their drives at Cincinnati. A silly penalty on Michael Bennett on an interception return by Earl Thomas near halftime cost them 50 yards of field position. They ended up with a field goal, but without the penalty, they'd been in position to tack on a touchdown instead. That's a possible four points in a game so close it went into overtime. Bennett's punitive block on Bengal quarterback Andy Dalton may have felt good, but not worth the cost to a team in need of wins. Another unconsidered aspect of adapting and changing is physical healing. Four defensive All-Pros are coming off seasons with injuries, including three secondary players who were playing hurt in the Super Bowl. At times on Sunday, both Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor missed tackles they normally make. Linebacker Bobby Wagner played part of the game with a freshly injured pectoral muscle. Even after the injuries are healed, it takes some time for the mind to allow a player to get back to being as aggressive as he had been before the injury. Maybe that's part of the defensive inconsistency. It may be hard to remember, but coach Pete Carroll's record with the Seahawks through the first 2 1/2 seasons was 18-22. That's below the Dennis Erickson Line and flirting with termination territory. But Carroll got the Hawks to finish 7-1 in the second half of the 2012 season, and since then, they've gone 34-11, with a 20-4 record after the midpoint of seasons. The schedule is going to help. They are two games behind Arizona in the division standings, but play the Cards twice, the first time at home after a bye to start a three-game stretch at CenturyLink. After the Cowboys game in Dallas on Nov. 1, the Hawks don't have a road game until Dec. 6 at Minnesota. And other than Arizona, the best team remaining is Pittsburgh (3-2), and the Steelers have to come to Seattle. Look, if the Seahawks fall to Carolina to stand at 2-4, a whole lot of things change, and unraveling is a possibility. But given recent history, a strong reversal of fortune seems more likely than a continued slide. Dave Boling: 253-597-8440 [email protected] @DaveBoling | 1 | 96,338 | sports |
Researchers at the Wolf Science Center in Ernstbrunn, Austria, have constructed what is perhaps the world's largest treadmill. Built not for fitness-loving scientists but for the wolves and dogs under their care, the treadmill was designed to help researchers gather valuable information on animal cooperation and socialization. Kim Kortekaas, a researcher at the Wolf Science Center, tells Scientific American that scientists often make up puzzles or problems for animals to solve together in order to test their cooperation but these puzzles aren't necessarily akin to anything the animals would encounter in the wild. She explains, "Many studies test cooperation in animals with the help of equipment where pairs of animals have to, for example, pull or push something together to be able to receive a reward. However, many of these experiments are very artificial and don't take into account the ecology of the animal." While wolves are unlikely to come across a treadmill in the wild, the researchers claim the running track will allow them to study wolf cooperation in a more natural setting, since wolves often run and hunt together. Kortekaas says, "The treadmill should be a more natural way of testing how willing the animals are to work and run together and afterwards share their food. Does it depend on their partner? If yes, can we also see this in their behavior or physiology?" But before researchers could use the treadmill to study cooperation, they had to train the wolves to use it. They started by teaching the animals to touch a target with their noses, then hung the target over the treadmill, slowly increasing its speed as the animals gradually acclimated to the moving walkway. Now, after a laborious training process, both dogs and wolves at the center are comfortable and enthusiastic treadmill users which means, much like the canines, the scientists' behavioral study will soon be up and running. [h/t Scientific American ] | 5 | 96,339 | news |
CAIRO The Shiite leaders of Iran and the Sunni rulers of Saudi Arabia traded insults over the deaths of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims near Mecca. The government of Bahrain, long criticized for repressing the country's Shiite majority, expelled the Iranian ambassador, after accusing Iran of shipping arms to Bahrain and trying to foment "sectarian strife." And a group of hard-line Sunni clerics in Saudi Arabia, fired up by Russia's intervention in Syria, issued a scathing sectarian call for holy war. Events over the last few weeks have raised fears of an accelerating confrontation between the region's Shiite and Sunni Muslims, with Saudi Arabia and Iran escalating their power struggle, extremists attacking Shiite mosques in the Persian Gulf and armed conflict aggravating religious differences in Iraq, Syria and now Yemen. Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter But as the violence flares and crosses borders, national and religious leaders seem as eager as ever to stoke the fires, mobilizing followers using implicit or naked sectarian appeals that are transforming political conflicts into religious struggles and making the bloodshed in the region harder to contain, scholars and analysts say. "This is unprecedented, and we don't have a road map," said Rami Khouri, a senior fellow at the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut. "When political dynamics fail, people turn back to religion. We are in this terrible moment of transition where sect is very high in people's minds." "Radical individuals are deliberately fomenting this violence," he added. "And irresponsible governments allow it to happen." The perils of sectarian polarization have been evident for more than a decade, since the United States-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. In the last few years, tensions have been inflamed by the war in Syria. The latest violent turn has been "ratcheted up by the Iranian-Saudi conflict," Mr. Khouri said. Iran's latest broadsides over the pilgrims' deaths near the Saudi city of Mecca during the hajj came as the Gulf states have taken an increasingly hard line against what they call Iran's meddling in the region going so far as to mount a large-scale military offensive in Yemen aimed at defeating a rebel group they say is allied with the Iranians. As the Sunni monarchies have rallied their citizens for war, the rulers seem ill prepared for the potential fallout: Several times over the last few months, Sunni extremists have carried out deadly attacks on Shiite mosques in the Persian Gulf. The latest was on Friday, when a gunman in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province killed five Shiite worshipers . Troubling another fault line, Russia's decision to intervene in Syria alongside the government of President Bashar al-Assad, Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia, brought calls for retaliation from hard-line Saudi clerics known as Salafis, but also mainstream Islamist groups like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, which referred to Mr. Assad as a "treacherous Alawite criminal." The Saudi clerics, denigrating their longtime adversaries, including Shiite Muslims and Alawites, who practice an offshoot of Shiite Islam, also took aim at the "Orthodox crusader Russia," which they said was picking up where the Soviet force driven from Afghanistan by Muslims more than a generation ago had left off. In an online statement signed by 55 clerics, they warned that if the "holy warriors" were defeated in Syria, Sunni nations would also fall "one after the other." Madawi al-Rasheed, a visiting professor at the Middle East Center of the London School of Economics, said the strong sectarian tone of the statement represented the sort of pronouncements that have made the region's hostilities harder and harder to arrest. "The language of sectarianism involves elimination and purification, and these are very dangerous words to use in any conflict," Dr. Rasheed said. "It makes it more difficult to see a space for dialogue and political solutions or compromises. Religious conflicts are more difficult to resolve than political ones." By invoking Afghanistan, the letter "conjured the image of martyrdom and fighting the infidels," she said, portending "a longer war." Hassan Hassan, an associate fellow at Chatham House in Britain and a co-author of " ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror ," said that Russian involvement in Syria had the potential to be a "mobilizing factor" for Sunnis, and not just extremists. There are ordinary people angered by the war and convinced that the great powers, including the United States, are colluding to prop up Mr. Assad's government. "You don't have to be a jihadist to think this is a dirty game," he said. The latest irritant is the war in Yemen, where a coalition of Sunni states, backed by the United States, is fighting a Shiite-led rebel group known as the Houthis. The Saudi-led coalition has framed the intervention in part as an effort to beat back the regional influence of Iran. "There was a collective Gulf need to stand up to expansionist Iran," Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science from the United Arab Emirates, wrote last week in an opinion piece in Gulf News , explaining the decision by the Emirates to go to war. "Yemen was the place to draw the line." Many outside observers, including former and current United States officials, believe the Gulf states have wildly overstated the degree of Iranian influence over the Houthis. And the rebels, also exaggerating, have sent fighters, including teenagers, to battle, with the admonition that all their opponents are Sunni extremists. Yemen has been left to face the increasingly ominous consequences of the war, including a sharpening of sectarianism. As states become weaker, as in Syria and Iraq, the absence of a dominant political authority creates the conditions in which extremism and appeals to religious identity flourish, analysts say. "There is no leadership, no government and no state," said Farea al-Muslimi, a visiting scholar from Yemen at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. "There is no national agenda, and a lot of guns." He said that signs of greater polarization had started to emerge in the last few years, as the Houthis battled Salafis in northern Yemen. In the lead-up to the war in March, the Houthis stormed Sana, the capital, and escalated their conflict with hard-line Sunnis, including Al Qaeda's local branch. Moderate political figures were assassinated by gunmen in the streets of Sana and Aden, in the south. One day, a Saudi satellite channel reported a suicide attack at a mosque after the war started, referring to the place as a "Houthi mosque," Mr. Muslimi said, though Yemen's Zaydi Shiites are considered doctrinally closer to Sunni than to mainstream Shiite Islam, and Shiites and Sunnis often worship together. "I thought, 'We have crossed a line. Welcome to Iraq. Welcome to Syria,' " Mr. Muslimi said. With armies, religious militias and extremist groups on the march across the region, "the moderates have lost," said Dr. Abdulla, the Emirati professor. "The forces of extremism have been unleashed in a powerful way we have not seen before," he said. "Is this the furthest we can go? Maybe not." | 5 | 96,340 | news |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Florida State players sleep-walked through the first half. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher attributed the sluggish start to a young team pressing too much, trying to prove it belongs among the nation's elite. Receiver Kermit Whitfield said the noon EDT kickoff was to blame. Regardless of the reason, No. 11 FSU appeared poised for a letdown against visiting Louisville Saturday. Then Dalvin Cook on one good hamstring woke his team up. The sophomore running back broke four tackles on his way to a 54-yard touchdown early in the second half, serving as a catalyst in the Seminoles' 41-21 victory over the Cardinals (2-4, 1-2 ACC) at Doak Campbell Stadium. BOX SCORE: FLORIDA STATE 41, LOUISVILLE 21 Fisher watched the run a blend of power and speed with his mouth wide open, perplexed by the highlight-reel run he should be well accustomed to seeing by now. "Just being me," Cook said with a sheepish grin. "That's it." Cook's first of two touchdown runs put FSU (6-0, 4-0 ACC) ahead 13-7. It fired up an announced crowd of 71,225, with thousands of students tardily sauntering into the stadium. His second score, from 14 yards out, extended the Seminoles' lead to 27-14 late in the third period and put the game out of reach. Cook finished with 163 rushing yards on 22 carries and added another 60 yards on four receptions despite dealing with a nagging hamstring pull that caused him to exit the game twice. "Once we get that momentum, there's nothing that can stop us. That put a spark in us," Whitfield said of Cook's first touchdown run. "He's a just a freak of nature. That's all I can say." Cook, who now has 955 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season, left teammates and Louisville players alike stunned with his performance. The Miami native invigorated the Seminoles, but it took a complete performance to knock out a feisty Louisville squad. The Cardinals went ahead 7-3 at the 2:20 mark in the first quarter, with freshman quarterback Lamar Jackson floating an 18-yard touchdown pass to receiver James Quick. The Seminoles had back-to-back breakdowns in coverage after starting nickel back Trey Marshall left the game due to an arm injury. FSU was held to 150 yards of total offense in the first half and went into the break trailing 7-6. "I think you saw a tale of two halves," Fisher said. "I think you saw what a team can do in the first half when it's not totally focused or presses itself, and obviously focus was the issue." The Seminoles showed glimpses of what they could be, scoring touchdowns on their first five drives of the second half. Louisville initially responded well to Cook's touchdown scamper, answering immediately with a 19-yard score from Jackson to Quick. The duo combined for three touchdowns on the afternoon and Jackson finished with 307 passing yards while completing 20 of 35 attempts. Whitfield built FSU's lead to 27-14 on a 70-yard touchdown reception mid-way through the third period. Quarterback Everett Golson who threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns despite feeling pressure from a stout Louisville defense most of the game found the speedy receiver on a check-down throw and then watched him take off for the score. FSU then stifled Louisville's comeback attempt on the next drive when freshman safety Derwin James came off the edge to sack Jackson and forced a fumble. Seminoles freshman defensive end Josh Sweat recovered the ball. Florida State got to Jackson five times and held the dynamic runner to 32 rushing yards. Cook scored his second touchdown of the game three plays after James' fumble. "They don't know how good they are," Fisher said of his underclassman-heavy squad. "They're a really good team that if it goes and relaxes and plays, it can do what it wants to do." | 1 | 96,341 | sports |
The Michigan Wolverines defense suffered a big blow midway through the second quarter of Saturday's game against the Michigan State Spartans when linebacker Joe Bolden was ejected on a questionable targeting penalty. Spartans quarterback Connor Cook took off with the football on 2nd-and-9 from the Wolverines' 45-yard line. Rather than subject himself to a huge shot from a defender, Cook slid down after a gain of six. After the slide was complete, Bolden came in a bit late and hit Cook high. However, it appeared as though either his momentum or a block forced him into the quarterback. The referees immediately threw flags and called a targeting penalty. After review, the call on the field stood, resulting in Bolden's ejection. It was a questionable targeting call to say the least. In fact, not even Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott agreed with the call: That call💩 EzekielElliott#⃣1⃣5⃣ (@EzekielElliott) October 17, 2015 Michigan State scored a touchdown a few plays later to snap Michigan's shutout streak, which lasted more than 212 minutes, or 14-plus quarters. [ Dr. Saturday , Vine] | 1 | 96,342 | sports |
SOUTH BEND, Ind. It was a fitting way to end an awful week that University of Southern California Athletic Director Pat Haden would fall ill before Saturday's kickoff at Notre Dame Stadium. The 62-year-old Haden felt dizzy before kickoff and needed medical attention. He is already a man with a pacemaker and he faced increased duress this week for his handling of the Steve Sarkisian firing. Haden visited a local hospital and flew home on a private plane. He was reported to be "fine" and resting comfortably, but that almost seems impossible with the problems facing his program in the coming weeks and months. Working under almost surreal circumstances, and after a very shaky start, USC played commendably for interim Coach Clay Helton. The effort fell short, as Notre Dame claimed a 41-31 win. BOX SCORE: NOTRE DAME 41, USC 31 "It wasn't for lack of effort," Helton said of the defeat. Give the Trojans credit for showing resolve. They looked at first as if they were going to go gentle into a cold October night. Notre Dame scored 21 first-quarter points, the most points it has scored in any quarter against USC. The Irish were a play or two from busting the game open, yet USC rallied to make a game of it. That doesn't change the fact the Trojans limped home as a wounded 3-3 team with an ailing athletic director. The plight is somewhat similar to 2013, when Haden fired Lane Kiffin early in the season and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron had to take over. USC suffered a hard-fought loss that year at Notre Dame, and faced Utah at home the next week. It's the same setup this year, with Helton instead of Orgeron. Two years ago, USC shook off the Notre Dame loss, rallied behind Orgeron and defeated Utah the next week, 19-3. The Trojans ran off four more wins and Orgeron kept spirits high until a Nov. 30 loss to UCLA. It is possible USC could pull a repeat this year. "I truly believe this is a good football team that can be great," Helton said. "There's no reason that we can't go win the Pac-12 South." Big difference: Utah is much better than it was in 2013. And the program tension is palpably different this year. Haden inherited Kiffin and was responsible only for propping him up until he had to fire him. This is different. The Sarkisian failure is Haden's failure the dynamic is different. There are those who wonder, this time, whether Haden should even get to hire the next coach. Short term, the program could turn any number of directions: up, down or sideways. USC isn't getting healthier. Last week it lost center Max Tuerk for the season and Saturday, star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster hobbled his way out of the game. There were positive signs. The offense rebounded strongly after an inept performance against Washington. USC finished with 590 yards of offense. "Any time you go out and get almost 600 yards something is going right," Helton said. And the defense, after a horrible start, stiffened enough to at least allow the Trojans to get back in the game. USC was in a tie game, at 31-31, in the fourth quarter. Ten years after "Bush Push," there were even signs fate might intervene and deliver USC another gift. There was drama, again, at the left (front) pylon at the south end zone. In 2005, the "Bush Push" epic played out in that quadrant. Quarterback Matt Leinart fumbled in that corner, in the closing seconds of an air-tight game. Screaming Notre Dame fans stormed the field thinking the ball rolled out of the end zone for a touchback. The ball, though, rolled out at the one, setting up Leinart's winning sneak, aided by Reggie Bush's historic help. Saturday, Notre Dame was dominating, 21-10, late in the first quarter, seemingly ready to put the game out of reach. Irish receiver Torii Hunter Jr. took a short pass near the goal line and appeared headed for a score to make it 28-10. Adoree' Jackson, though, stripped Hunter of the ball, but this time it did roll in the end zone. USC's Cameron Smith jumped on the ball for the touchback Notre Dame needed in 2005. The touchback saved USC and allowed the Trojans to stay in the game. They crawled back to cut the score to 24-17, then tied at 24-all before the half, then took the lead at 31-24 in the third quarter on Cody Kessler's scoring pass to Taylor McNamara. USC pulled out all stops. "We came in and said we were going to fire every bullet," Helton said. Notre Dame, though, had a bigger chamber and more bullets. USC left wondering what it had left behind but, more important, what's to come. | 1 | 96,343 | sports |
VATICAN CITY Pope Francis canonized the Catholic Church's first married couple in modern times on Sunday, declaring the parents of the beloved St. Therese of Lisieux saints in their own right. Francis told followers gathered in St. Peter's Square that the couple, Louis and Zelie Martin, "practiced Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters." Francis is particularly devoted to the 19th century French Carmelite nun, fondly known as "The Little Flower," who died at the age of 24 in 1897 and was later honored with the title doctor of the church. Francis has had a copy of Therese's "Story of a Soul" on his bookshelf since his days as a novice. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, he had her image on his desk. And he has said that whenever he has a problem, he directs his payers to Santa Teresita, as she is known in Spanish, and often a white rose appears to him as a sign that she has heard his prayers. Her parents were canonized at the start of final week of his big bishops' meeting on families. His aim is to provide Catholic families with saintly role models who took particular care to educate their children in the faith: The Martins bore nine children, only five of whom survived. All five became nuns, including the youngest, Therese, at age 15. "It's the first time a couple have been canonized as a couple, and this is a beautiful sign for Christian families, who often are left without any support and have to go against the grain, especially in the West, to live and educate their children in the truth of creation and with that love that God has given us in Christ," said the Rev. Romano Gambalunga, the postulator who followed the saint-making case through. It is not insignificant that both miracles required for the canonization concerned the inexplicable cures of newborns born with what doctors determined to be life-ending ailments. When the Martins were beatified in 2008, the "miracle" concerned little Pietro Shiliro, born in the Italian city Monza in 2002 with a congenital lung deformation that doctors said he could not survive. The priest who was called to baptize him encouraged his parents to pray to the Martin's intercession. After a month in the ICU, during which he came close to death, he was released and is now a healthy teenager. The second miracle needed for the Martin's canonization concerned little Carmen, born at 28 weeks on Oct. 15, 2008 in Valencia, Spain after a difficult pregnancy. Two days later, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage that caused near-fatal blood poisoning. Her parents went to the Carmelite nuns seeking guidance; they suggested they pray to the intercession of the Martins, who had just been beatified on Oct. 17, 2008 in Lisieux. After three months in the hospital, Carmen was released, cured, on Jan. 2, 2009 the 135th anniversary of the birth of the Martin's youngest daughter, Therese. ____ Barry reported from Milan. | 5 | 96,344 | news |
During his visit to Tehran, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier confirmed on Saturday that the German aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan had been released. She was "doing well considering the circumstances," Germany's top diplomat said. The details of her rescue have not been made public. The aid worker, who has not been named, was abducted in mid-August in Kabul, in the district of Kala-e-Fatullah, where many foreigners live. Two armed men stopped her car and pulled her out by force. According to news agency DPA, she was working for Germany's aid agency GIZ. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries worldwide. "We are very relieved and happy that our employee is free again," GIZ spokesperson Tanja Gönner told DPA news agency on Saturday. In spring, another GIZ aid worker was abducted by the Taliban in northern Afghanistan. After six months, he managed to escape. In October 2014, a hostage who had been a member of the German aid organization Welthungerhilfe was released after more than two-and-a-half years in captivity. das/tj (dpa/AP) | 5 | 96,345 | news |
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) -- The Toledo Rockets are off to their best start in 18 years thanks to the passing of Phillip Ely. Ely threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters to power No. 22 Toledo over Eastern Michigan 63-20 on Saturday. He completed 18 of 27 passes. BOX SCORE: TOLEDO 63, E MICHIGAN 20 The Rockets (6-0, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) led 28-6 at halftime, and then Ely really warmed up. He threw touchdown passes on Toledo's first two possessions of the second half, connecting with Corey Jones for a 55-yard score and then with Cody Thompson on an 88-yarder four minutes later. "We went into halftime and discussed coverages we'd seen and felt like we could get the ball downfield a little more," Ely said. "The (offensive line) was protecting well all day and it was a great job by our receivers getting downfield." The touchdown to Thompson was the fourth longest completion in school history, and it wasn't the only record book-worthy play of the game against an Eastern Michigan (1-6, 0-3) defense that entered the game ranked 118th in scoring defense (40.7 points) and 116th in total defense (495.3 yards). "That's a play we run in practice all the time - a pump, double-move route - and Phil threw a great ball," said Thompson, who caught the ball near midfield and raced up the sideline for the score. "I'm glad we finally hit a big play." Toledo sophomore Terry Swanson busted loose for a 90-yard run late in the second quarter that set up Kareem Hunt's 4-yard touchdown run on the next play. The long run -- also the fourth longest in school history -- was a payback of sorts for Hunt, who converted two fourth-down runs on an earlier drive that ended with Swanson scoring on a 9-yard run. Swanson's long run was also the fourth longest in school history --and the longest that did not result in a touchdown. He said he's preparing for a long week of ribbing after getting caught from behind by EMU's Ray Tillman. "I looked up at the Jumbotron a few times and didn't see anybody coming," Swanson said. He added that he was "shocked" when he felt Tillman's contact. Damion Jones-Moore also scored a rushing touchdown for Toledo, which finished with 611 yards of total offense. Ely also threw touchdown passes to Michael Roberts and Diontae Johnson, was relieved by sophomore Michael Julian after the Rockets built a 49-6 lead late in the third quarter. Julian was 4 of 6 for 46 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown to Zach Yousey. Quarterback Reginald Bell Jr. returned to the Eastern Michigan lineup for the first time since suffering a broken jaw in a season-opening loss to Old Dominion. The dual-threat sophomore completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards and rushed for 28 yards on 14 attempts. He threw one interception and was sacked four times before being replaced in the fourth quarter by Brogan Roback, who started the five previous games for the Eagles. Eastern Michigan's Darius Jackson rushed for 113 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns. --- AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org | 1 | 96,346 | sports |
A Ventura County, California, surfer made a strange discovery when he stumbled upon a venomous yellow-bellied sea snake. | 8 | 96,347 | video |
REUTERS/Oleg Popov Thanks in part to advances like email, Facebook, and Twitter, mail carriers will be all but obsolete in the not-so-distant future. By 2022, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 28% decline in postal-service jobs, totaling around 139,100 fewer positions. Mail carriers aren't the only ones whose jobs are disappearing. Technology and market shifts have affected a wide range of fields. Based on the BLS's occupational outlook data , here are 15 American jobs that are on their way out. Printing worker Justin Sullivan / Getty Images According to the BLS , printing workers inspect random samples during print runs to identify problems and make adjustments. Median annual pay: $34,100 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 276,000 Projected decline by 2022: 5% Why it's declining: Newspapers and magazines have seen substantial declines in print volume in recent years, as these media have increasingly moved to digital formats. Fisher Flickr / Phillip Capper According to the BLS , fishers catch and trap various types of marine life. Median annual pay: $33,430 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 31,300 Projected decline by 2022: 5% Why it's declining: Declining fish stock, improvements in fishing gear and vessel design that increase fish hauls, and increasing competition from farm-raised fish and seafood imports contribute to the job decline. Desktop publisher Shutterstock / Jack Frog According to the BLS , desktop publishers use computer software to design layouts for books, newspapers, and other published items. Median annual pay: $37,040 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 16,400 Projected decline by 2022: 5% Why it's declining: Graphic designers, web designers, and copy editors are increasingly taking on desktop publishing tasks. Metal or plastic machine worker REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido According to the BLS , metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate automated and computer-controlled machinery. Median annual pay: $32,950 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 1,013,200 Projected decline by 2022: 6% Why it's declining: Advances in technology, foreign competition, and changing demand for the goods these workers produce all contribute to job decline. Insurance underwriter Flickr / jseliger2 According to the BLS , insurance underwriters determine the risk of insuring a client. Median annual pay: $62,870 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 106,300 Projected decline by 2022: 6% Why it's declining: Automated underwriting software allows workers to process applications more quickly than before, reducing the need for underwriters. Flight attendant Flickr / Chris Goldberg According to the BLS , flight attendants focus on customer safety and service during flight. Median annual pay: $37,240 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 84,800 Projected decline by 2022: 7% Why it's declining: Continued economic difficulties and union contracts may prevent airlines from hiring new flight attendants. Power-plant operator, distributor, or dispatcher Ashley Pon/Getty Images According to the BLS , power-plant operators monitor power-generating equipment such as nuclear reactors from control rooms. Median annual pay: $68,230 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 60,700 Projected decline by 2022: 8% Why it's declining: Advances in technology and increased energy efficiency will contribute to decreases in employment for the occupation. Floral designer Scott Olson / Getty Images According to the BLS, floral designers use their sense of artistry and knowledge of different types of flowers to choose the appropriate flowers for each occasion. Median annual pay: $23,810 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 62,400 Projected decline by 2022: 8% Why it's declining: People continue to buy fewer elaborate floral decorations than before. Logging worker David McNew/Getty Images According to the BLS , logging workers harvest thousands of acres of forests each year. Median annual pay: $33,630 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 43,900 Projected decline by 2022: 9% Why it's declining: US policies limit the logging industry's ability to cultivate raw forest material. Jeweler or precious-stone and metal worker REUTERS/Edgar Su According to the BLS , jewelers and precious-stone and metal workers design, manufacture, sell, adjust, repair, and appraise jewelry. Median annual pay: $35,350 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 32,700 Projected decline by 2022: 10% Why it's declining: Most jewelry manufacturing is now done outside the country. Travel agent Tim Boyle/Getty Images According to the BLS , travel agents typically sell transportation, lodging, and admission to activities to people planning trips. Median annual pay: $34,600 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 73,300 Projected decline by 2022: 12% Why it's declining: Travelers' ability to use the internet to research vacations and book their own trips is expected to continue to suppress demand for travel agents. Reporters, correspondents, or broadcast-news analysts Ronald Martinez/Getty According to the BLS , reporters, correspondents, and broadcast-news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. Median annual pay: $37,090 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 57,600 Projected decline by 2022: 13% Why it's declining: Declining advertising revenue in radio, newspapers, and TV will negatively affect the employment growth for these occupations. Farmer or rancher Reuters/Mike Blake According to the BLS , farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers typically operate establishments that produce crops, livestock, and dairy products. Median annual pay: $69,300 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 930,600 Projected decline by 2022: 19% Why it's declining: As land, machinery, seed, and chemicals become more expensive, only well-capitalized farmers and corporations will be able to buy many of the farms that become available. Semiconductor processor REUTERS/Mike Brown According to the BLS , semiconductor processors review the manufacturing process for materials used in semiconductor manufacturing. Mean annual pay: $33,020 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 21,300 Projected decline by 2022: 21% Why it's declining: Automation at fabricating plants using more precise robots is expected to grow, resulting in plants needing fewer workers. Postal-service worker REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth According to the BLS , postal-service workers sell postal products and collect, sort, and deliver mail. Mean annual pay: $53,100 Number of people who hold this job in the US: 491,600 Projected decline by 2022: 28% Why it's declining: Automated sorting systems, cluster mailboxes, tight budgets, and greater use of online and telecommunication services reduces the need for postal-service workers. | 3 | 96,348 | finance |
Believe it or not, I'm not one of those moms who don't let their kids eat all of the Halloween candy. I've made amends that it's just going to be one sugar-filled bender of a night for them, and I'm OK with that. For my own personal sanity, however, there are a few items that I will always remove from my children's little plastic pumpkins. So if I'm going to make it through their post-Halloween hangover, then these types of candies simply must be eliminated. 11 Items I'll Be Removing From My Kids' Plastic Pumpkins This Halloween Believe it or not, I'm not one of those moms who don't let their kids eat all of the Halloween candy. I've made amends that it's just going to be one sugar-filled bender of a night for them, and I'm OK with that. For my own personal sanity, however, there are a few items that I will always remove from my children's little plastic pumpkins. So if I'm going to make it through their post-Halloween hangover, then these types of candies simply must be eliminated. Nerds Have you ever seen a child successfully eat a box of nerds without spilling 99 percent of its contents on the floor? I haven't. Source: Flickr user Incase Tootsie Rolls My kids want to like these, they really do, but they are always disappointed and spit them out. Also, have you ever stumbled upon an unwrapped Tootsie Roll? It means you'll have to play the "Uhhhh, is that poop?" game, and as the mom of a 3-year-old boy, I'm so over that one. Source: Flickr user Allison Carter Jolly Ranchers These things have always made me nervous in terms of choking hazards, but also, my children will either suck on them for hours or bite them instantly, neither of which bodes well for my dental bill. Source: Flickr user Amy Fun Dip Just like I don't make a habit of handing my kids the sugar packets to snack on while we're at a restaurant, I'm not going to be handing them this stuff, either. Not to mention that I highly dislike the feeling of sugar under my feet . . . Source: Flickr user Timothy Tolle Pixie Stix Pixie Stix are basically Fun Dip but with a much faster method of ingestion. So, yeah, reference "Fun Dip." Source: Flickr user bryan t Individually Wrapped Candy Hello, anyone ever hear of Hallo-weed ? Sorry to all you weird individually wrapped candies (I'm especially looking at you, "Mary Jane" Peanut Butter Kisses), but you ain't touching my kiddos' lips. Source: Flickr user Jeffrey Murphy Dubble Bubble Oh, Dubble Bubble, I used to love you with your little jokes inside. Now, sorry, but you're out. Too many times have I found you stuck where you shouldn't be (my child's hair, my brand-new carpeting, under a table) and that's not cool. Source: Flickr user James Green Butterfingers Butterfingers are delicious, I agree. However, that flakiness that makes them so tasty is also what makes them my worst nightmare when you hand them to my children. One bite equals Butterfinger apocalypse all over my house, which is followed by requests that I help scrape it off their teeth. So not worth it. Source: Flickr user Joana Urquia Ring Pops They're like Jolly Ranchers that my children stick on their hands and lick repeatedly. Or, if I'm lucky, they'll lick 'em for about half an hour and then want to place them on my counter to save for later so we can do it all over again in about three hours. Source: Flickr user Alyssa L. Miller Dots Dots are another one that get spit out right into my hand 100 percent of the time - no matter how much I try to convince my tots that they really don't like them. Source: Flickr user Pete Markham Raisins Yes, I know it's not candy, but here's the thing. My kids usually love raisins, but when put next to actual candy, they want nothing to do with raisins and suddenly think they are the worst thing on earth. I like to give raisins a fighting chance and will be removing them from the buckets. Source: Flickr user John Davey | 4 | 96,349 | lifestyle |
Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh addressed the final play of the Wolverines' stunning 27-23 loss to Michigan State in his postgame press conference. | 1 | 96,350 | sports |
Sheikha Lubna called on all nations to intensify relief efforts and close the "ever-expanding food gap" Hunger is a threat to world security, two leading political figures have warned, urging the international community to act on the issue. In separate speeches, HH Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, the UAE Minister of International Cooperation and Development, and US Secretary of State John Kerry both said the issue of food security has huge social, economic and humanitarian implications. Sheikha Lubna, also head of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Humanitarian Foreign Aid, called on all nations to intensify relief efforts and close the "ever-expanding food gap". According to UAE news agency WAM, she said immediate action is needed and that food shortages are not only caused by natural disasters, such as floods and quakes, but also political conflicts. Meanwhile, Kerry, in a speech at the Milan Expo, said that unrest tied to climate change-induced agricultural failure poses an international threat. The expo is focused on food security. Kerry said: "Make no mistake: the implications here extend well beyond hunger. This isn't only about global food security; it's about global security period." He said drought-spawned mass urban migration in Syria up to 1.5 million people from rural areas to cities exacerbated political tensions ahead of the start of Syria's civil war, which has contributed to the world's worst refugee crisis since World War II. "I'm not suggesting the crisis in Syria was caused by climate change obviously, it wasn't," Kerry said. "It was caused by a brutal dictator who barrel-bombed, starved, tortured and gassed his own people. But the devastating drought clearly made a bad situation a lot worse." Kerry urged governments to act quickly against climate change because without such action, he said, "the horrific refugee situation we're facing today will pale in comparison to the mass migrations that intense droughts, sea-level rise and other impacts of climate change are likely to bring about". "The hard truth is that unless the global community comes together to address climate change, every one of these challenges droughts, floods, extreme weather, ocean acidification, hunger and malnutrition will only become more pronounced," he said. In addition to dealing with the broader global security challenges of climate change, Kerry said the immediate issue of hunger among large segments of the world's fast-growing population must be addressed. That requires urgent action to regulate fishing, make agriculture sustainable, eliminate waste and bring food to where it is needed. Sheikha Lubna, speaking on World Food Day, echoed the view that hunger was a threat to global security. According to WAM, she said the lack of food security has massive humanitarian, social and economic impacts that lead to a fall in productivity, and deterioration of public health, well-being and the ability to learn. [email protected] | 5 | 96,351 | news |
Seth King wants his kids to get to school on time. So every time he has to write a late note, he writes up a wild excuse and posts it to Instagram. | 8 | 96,352 | video |
Amateur videos purport to show Russian aircraft bombing areas in Homs, Syria, and the aftermath of an airstrike in Damascus. Rough Cut (no reporter narration) | 8 | 96,353 | video |
This "Wheel of Fortune" contestant probably should have thought a little longer before trying to answer this puzzle. | 8 | 96,354 | video |
Ohio State beat Penn State 38-10. JT Barrett came in at quarterback and scored two TDs on the ground and threw for two more. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for over 150 yards and a TD for the Buckeyes. | 1 | 96,355 | sports |
And the ACLU isn't happy about it. | 8 | 96,356 | video |
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush's political stock has fallen sharply over the past few months. The debate now taking place among Republicans is whether that stock is undervalued or a fair reading of the current shape of his campaign. The latest quarterly financial reports brought new questions for the candidate who began the campaign with assets none of his rivals could match. He raised barely more in the third quarter than he did in the second even though his second-quarter fundraising amounted to just 16 days of activity. His average daily fundraising dropped sharply from one quarter to the next. Bush advisers cry foul at some of the interpretation of his fundraising prowess. Yes, as the son and brother of former presidents, he is supposed to have a big network of potential givers. But, they argue, look at what Mitt Romney raised in the third quarter of 2011 when he, as the GOP front-runner, had the biggest fundraising network of any of the candidates. Romney raised less than a million dollars more than Bush did this time. That's one way to look at it, but pull back a bit and you can see the potential trap Bush's team has set for itself. By this time four years ago, Romney had raised just over $34 million. That compares with Bush's total of about $25 million to date. Romney then had almost $15 million in cash available. Bush has about $10 million. Third-quarter fundraising is notoriously difficult for all candidates. The next quarter will provide another opportunity for comparison between Bush 2016 and Romney 2012. In the fourth quarter of 2011, Romney's network produced another $24 million and ended the year with almost $20 million in cash available. Bush will have to step up his pace significantly if his team hopes to keep making comparisons to Romney. Bush advisers say it's tough to raise huge amounts of money in a field with so many candidates. That's indisputable. Still, he has drawn critical coverage for fundraising numbers that either lag or are about equal with others in the Republican field who started with far fewer assets. So far this year, he's raised less than Ben Carson, slightly less than Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.) and slightly more than Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.). His third quarter fundraising was second best behind Carson. The Bush and Rubio campaigns were squabbling late in the week over the exact amounts of cash in the bank and available for the nomination campaign as opposed to the general election. Their quibbles were over relatively insignificant amounts of money. The bottom line is that Bush's campaign account is competitive with that of Cruz, Carson and Rubio, and it is well ahead of two other mainstream conservative candidates, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Donald Trump, the self-funder, is in a different category. The third-quarter-fundraising reports tell one part of the story of the Republican campaign over the summer. Polling tells another. Overall, the biggest surprise well-documented and often-cited has been the staying power of Donald Trump as the GOP leader. In July, he led the Pollster.com average of national polls, its average of Iowa polls and its average of New Hampshire polls. That's still true today, although in each case his support has grown. In July, Trump's national poll average was just under 15 percent, according to Pollster.com. His current average nationally is just over 28 percent. In Iowa, he's risen from 14 percent in June to almost 24 percent today. In New Hampshire, he's is up from about 20 percent to about 28 percent. What's happened to Bush during the past three months? Nationally, Bush was running second in July with an average poll rating of 13 to 14 percent. Today he's fallen to just about 8 percent and is fourth overall. In Iowa, his average has dropped a couple of points (within the margin of error) and his standing is now fifth rather than third. In New Hampshire, he's gone from second place in the poll average to fifth and his support has fallen several points. With Kasich and Christie farther down, Bush and Rubio are seen on a collision course in the mainstream conservative competition. Rubio has gotten the better of the coverage of late, the aspirational fresh face versus a candidate with experience and a family name that is a mixed blessing. Rubio's debate performances have been well praised, and his approach to campaigning similarly has been commended for its patience and potential. There are caveats, however. Rubio raised less than half of what Bush collected in the third quarter. In fact, he raised a million and a half dollars less than Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who quit the race last month. He raised about as million less than Carly Fiorina. The same holds for what the polls show. Between July and today, Rubio's poll numbers nationally have ticked up a point and he continues to occupy third place. In Iowa, he's lost a point and has dropped from fifth to sixth. In New Hampshire, he's also lost a point and dropped one place, to seventh. This is not evidence of a surge. If Bush has performed below expectations as a candidate, Rubio has not yet played up to the potential for attracting support that some Republicans see in him. Bush's financial advantages now rest almost exclusively with his super PAC. The committee raised $103 million through the second quarter. (Third quarter results are not yet available.) That amount dwarfs what all the other Republicans have available, save for Trump's personal fortune. The committee has already spent $13 million on television ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. The group has reserved a total of $23 million in television time through the end of the year plus another $17 million for those states in January and February. The committee announced recently that it had reserved $17 million in ad time for states with contests on March 1. There's little evidence that the money spent over the past month has begun to boost Bush's stock, although his advisers say there are signs of improvement in his personal image, which they hope is a precursor to improvement in his overall standing. Advisers to the Bush super PAC said they had not set times or targets by which to measure whether the hefty spending on advertising was paying dividends. "We have a benchmark for success and it's to win more delegates," super PAC leader Mike Murphy said in an e-mail message relayed through one of his colleagues. One Bush adviser said the campaign has hit its financial targets for the quarter and is focused on the "blocking and tackling" of building a broad and sustainable campaign operation capable of going the distance. Money for television ads and investment in organizations in the states are certainly important, but mechanics can carry a campaign only so far. What a winning campaign needs is a candidate who can begin to inspire Republican voters. That remains the biggest challenge for Bush and there's little his advisers can do about that. | 5 | 96,357 | news |
J.J. Watt is a late addition to the Texans injury report. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is questionable with an illness. The Texans did not specify the nature of Watt ailment. The @HoustonTexans have added DE J.J. Watt to the injury report with an illness. He is questionable for Sunday's game vs. Jacksonville Texans PR (@TexansPR) October 17, 2015 PHOTOS: Week 6 action | MORE: NFL injury report Week 6 Houston plays at Jacksonville on Sunday. On Friday, Watt made a surprise visit to the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Watt even dressed like Batman for the occasion. JJ Watt is... BATMAN Posted by Houston Texans on Thursday, October 15, 2015 | 1 | 96,358 | sports |
Iraqi forces backed by Shi'ite militia fighters say they have retaken a mountain palace complex of former President Saddam Hussein from Islamic State fighters, as government forces push ahead on a major offensive against the insurgents. Mana Rabiee reports. | 8 | 96,359 | video |
Much like the other players who will soon become his classmates, Vance Jackson was sold on UConn after his visit. "It just felt like home," Jackson told the Courant in a telephone interview early Saturday morning. "I felt like, the way UConn plays, coach Ollie and the other players are going to make me better." Jackson, 6-foot-8 small forward who is attending Prolific Prep in Napa, Calif., this season, visited UConn on Sept. 25 and announced on Friday via Twitter that he was coming to Storrs. He has been on UConn's radar for two years, back when he was playing with Daniel Hamilton at St. John Bosco High School in the L.A. area. He is a unique player, with exceptional perimeter shooting for a player his size and defense-stretching range. "That's just from being in the gym," Jackson said, "working on my game." According to MaxPreps, a high school sports website, he averaged 19.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 steals last season, the type of "position-less" versatility coach Kevin Ollie likes. After visiting UConn, Jackson went to see Cal-Berkeley. He had also considered Arizona and Southern Cal, but didn't visit those schools. The success Hamilton had at UConn last season, when he was the American Conference rookie of the year, helped Jackson feel comfortable with the idea of moving 3,000 miles from home. "That helped me a lot," Jackson said. "We're from the same area. I wanted to challenge myself, step outside the box. I knew it was going to be all right." Jackson, who is ranked in the top 50 among 2016 recruits by ESPN, is the fourth ranked player from the class of '16 to commit to UConn, along with guard Alterique Gilbert, and forwards Mamadou Diarra and Juwan Durham. ESPN ranked UConn's recruiting class fifth in the country before landing Jackson; the website 247sports.com, after Jackson committed, has UConn's class third, behind Michigan State and Duke. The Huskies are still pursuing others for 2016, including guard Hamidou Diallo of Putnam Science Academy, who was at First Night. And with Virginia Commonwealth transfer Terry Larrier, not considered in the class rankings, becoming eligible next season, UConn undoubtedly will have as much talent coming in as any program in the country next season, assuming all eventually sign their National Letters of Intent, or a financial aid agreement. It would be a young, completely new Huskies team, with seniors Omar Calhoun and Phil Nolan and fifth-year transfers Shonn Miller and Sterling Gibbs all departing after this season, and with the possibility of Hamilton and Amida Brimah turning pro. "I just want to win," Jackson said, "I want to be part of a great team. I'm always going to have that chip on my shoulder. I still need prove myself every day. When I get to UConn, I know people are going to be watching me." Enoch Impressing At 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, freshman Steven Enoch is as imposing as any Husky. Ollie says he has "probably surprised him the most" in the early practices. "He's good, he's big, he's skilled," Ollie said. "He can shoot it outside, he's poised and he's a sponge. He wants to get better. It's a beautiful thing when a kid wants to get better, and whatever you say, he's always on edge, hanging on every word. You know, he's coachable. He works very, very hard and it's not like we have to put any weight on him. He's 250 pounds already and he just turned 18." Enoch, who rose from the junior varsity team at Norwalk High to a major Division I prospect seemingly overnight, has long dreamed of playing at UConn. No longer a spectator at First Night, he showed some graceful dance moves - he says he had been working on those - and finished second to Shonn Miller in the dunking contest. "His motor is unbelievable," Miller said. "It keeps going and going and going. Defense, rebounding, offense, everything, his motor is really hot." Said Enoch: "That's how I've been taught the last two years, at [St. Thomas More] prep school, and here at UConn." Enoch has been bonding with Brimah, the only Husky taller than he is. "Amida's work ethic - he lives in the gym, basically," Enoch said. "When he works out, I work out with him, and during those workouts we go against each other a lot and it makes both of us better." The Huskies had to make a quick turnaround from First Night. They were at Rentschler Field by 10:15 Saturday morning to sign autographs at the Homecoming football game against South Florida. The players, who also signed posters for fans in the lobby at Gampel Pavilion for an hour on Friday night, set up in the tent outside Gate B in The Rent as fans streamed by steadily for an hour. The Huskies first action is Nov. 1, a preseason game against the University of Tampa at Gampel Pavilion at 2 p.m. | 1 | 96,360 | sports |
LAS VEGAS Lamar Odom's ability to communicate with his wife Khloe Kardashian and members of his family had improved by Saturday morning, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports. The person asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Odom's progression to the point where he could interact regularly with others was a further step forward, the person said, from the events of Friday. On Friday, according to Odom's friend and former college basketball coach Jim Harrick, the 35-year-old opened his eyes and responded to a statement of affection from Kardashian. No formal statement in regards to Odom's medical condition had been released Saturday morning. He remains at Sunrise Hospital, near the Las Vegas Strip, where he was taken after being found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel on Tuesday. Odom and Kardashian were living separately prior to the incident, but their divorce has not yet been finalized. Detectives investigating the events that led to Odom's hospitalization, after alleged use of cocaine and sexual-performance enhancement tablets, had released no further details as of Saturday morning. | 1 | 96,361 | sports |
In response to Jennifer Lawrence's scathing examination of the wage gap between actors and actresses in Hollywood, Bradley Cooper has pledged to partner with the actresses he's co-starring with when negotiating his contracts for upcoming films. "I don't know where it's changing otherwise but that's something that I could do," Cooper told Reuters. "Usually you don't talk about the financial stuff, you have people. But you know what? It's time to start doing that." Cooper admitted that he was upset upon learning that the male leads in American Hustle himself, Jeremy Renner and Christian Bale were all paid significantly more than co-star Amy Adams, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role. Adams "should have been paid more than everybody," Cooper said. "She worked every day on that movie and got paid nothing. It's really horrible actually, it's almost embarrassing." | 8 | 96,362 | video |
It's been a dramatic weekend for Indian conglomerate Tata. On Saturday, police have been sent to the Tata Motors assembly line in Jamshedpur, a company town if there ever was one, as the Tata-city is facing labor unrest. Oddly, newcomers to Tata are battling for more wages. Guys, this is no way to get hired long term. Regardless, 200 trainees created a human barricade at the Tata Motors entrance today in protest of higher wages and more time off. "We have not been given any grade in the company and our wages are even less than a laborer," one of the trainees told The Economic Times. He was described as sitting in front of the main entrance for over two hours with other protesters. Police arrived and dispersed the group within about two hours. Tata Motors officials said the main issue behind the protest was the demand to adjust holiday pay. Tata's flagship enterprise, Tata Steel, also announced labor news on Saturday. It's reducing its headcount by 1,200…in the U.K. The job cuts will hit its plant in Scunthorpe, England, which employs 3,000 people and is the biggest steelworks in Britain. Jobs will will also be shed two plants in Scotland Clydebridge and Dalzell the BBC reported today. The layoffs may be seen as a positive for Tata Steel stocks, traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Tata Motors will be unfazed by the trainee protest. The Top 5 Employers Hiring In 25 Major Metros | 3 | 96,363 | finance |
If Tom Brady Sr. is right, this Sunday's New England Patriots-Indianapolis Colts game could be a blowout. The Colts are hosting the undefeated Patriots on "Sunday Night Football" in a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, which New England won 45-7. However, that game will always be remembered for what happened after the final whistle blew Deflategate. Sunday presents the first chance for quarterback Tom Brady and his teammates to exact some revenge against the Deflategate whistle blowers, but the Patriots weren't about to say that publicly . So The New York Daily News' Gary Myers asked Brady's father for his thoughts on the Deflategate rematch. He was a bit more forthcoming . "The main thing I want is to see them win. As long as they have one point more than the Colts, I'm fine," Tom Brady Sr. told Myers. "That being said, I'd like to see them put 60 points on the board, and love to see Tom throw for 500 yards and eight touchdowns. That's me dreaming. That kind of comes from me." He added: "I don't have any inside information that, 'Yeah, we're going to pick them apart. Tommy never says that. He always says, 'We're going to win.'" Brady Sr. was outspoken about his son's innocence in Deflategate from the start. He criticized the Wells Report when it was released, and he even called into a radio show to defend his son. Ultimately, he got to see his son's suspension overturned by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman. That part isn't a dream for Brady Sr. | 1 | 96,364 | sports |
Firefighters in Pasco County, Florida surprised their colleague, Kathy Babcock, who is battling breast cancer, with a video that's gone viral of her colleagues dancing and making posters for her. More than 400 firefighters participated. (Oct. 17) | 8 | 96,365 | video |
Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has drawn the ire of the influential National Rifle Association (NRA) by saying that the United States should consider a gun buyback scheme, similar to that introduced in Australia in the late 1990s. Clinton was asked a question about why the US did not consider a buyback scheme, as she addressed a town hall meeting in Keene, New Hampshire on Friday. "Recently, Australia managed to get away, or take away tens of thousands, millions of handguns. In one year, they were all gone. Can we do that? If we can't, why can't we?" a man asked Clinton. The question referenced the buyback policy that Australia introduced in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 , where gunman Martin Bryant killed 35 people using a variety of guns at a historic tourist site in the island state of Tasmania. As she answered the question at Friday's town hall meeting, Clinton said that the evidence appeared to "support" Australia's policy. "By offering to buy back those guns, they were able to curtail the supply and set a different standard for gun purchases in the future," she said, before adding that she did not know how such a scheme could be implemented in the US. "I do not know enough detail to tell you how we would do it, or how would it work, but certainly your example is worth looking at," she said. Following the Port Arthur massacre, Australia banned a large range of semi-automatic and automatic weapons, and provided a 12 month firearms amnesty and compensation scheme, where 640,000 prohibited guns were bought back by the government. The policy has been lauded as having greatly reduced the number of firearm-related homicides in Australia. Reacting to her answer on Friday, however, the NRA came out swinging against the Democratic frontrunner, with a post on its website saying that "the Australian and UK 'buybacks' were merely an attempt to mollify firearm owners whose property had been declared contraband and subject to seizure". "If you own a gun now, take heed. President [Barack] Obama and now Hillary Clinton finally made clear what they're really after - national gun confiscation," the post said. Gun control has become an election issue after a spate of recent mass shootings in the US. Earlier this month, nine people were shot dead at the Umpqua Community College in Oregon. It came just a few months after nine people were shot dead at a historic black church in Charleston, South Carolina. Following the Oregon shooting, President Obama mentioned the Australian example as he again called for the country to consider how it can change its gun laws. "We know that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths," he said. "So the notion that gun laws don't work, or just will make it harder for law-abiding citizens and criminals will still get their guns is not borne out by the evidence." | 5 | 96,366 | news |
The Canadiens topped the Red Wings 3-1 on Saturday. With the win, Montreal improves to 6-0-0 for the first time in franchise history. | 1 | 96,367 | sports |
The way Royals first-base coach Rusty Kuntz saw it, Kendrys Morales was going to hit either a ground ball or a fly ball. He wasn't going to hit a line drive, even though he had done just that in his previous at-bat, defying his normal tendencies. Slowly but surely, the Royals were igniting. A fluke hit by Ben Zobrist had started their seventh-inning rally from a 3-0 deficit. Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer had followed with opposite-field singles, reducing the Blue Jays' lead to 3-1. And now here was Morales, leaving Kuntz with a decision. BOX SCORE: ROYALS 6, BLUE JAYS 3 Oh, the Royals had some luck Saturday in their 6-3 comeback victory in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Zobrist's routine fly ball dropping between second baseman Ryan Goins and right fielder Jose Bautista, that was luck. The byproduct of crowd noise and home-field advantage perhaps, but still luck. What followed was not luck, at least not to anyone who watched the Royals in last year's Wild Card Game or in Game 4 of the Division Series against the Astros. Saturday was Crazy Royals Comeback No. 3, and in some ways it was the most stunning of all. Blue Jays left-hander David Price had a one-hitter when the seventh inning began. He had retired 18 straight hitters, thrown only 66 pitches in six innings. If not for Kuntz's decision to start Hosmer on an 0-1 changeup to Morales, maybe Price would have gotten the double-play ball he needed, and maybe the Royals' five-run inning never would have happened. RELATED: The play that changed ALCS Game 2 But Kuntz's decision -- and countless decisions like it by manager Ned Yost and his coaching staff over the past two seasons -- are part of the reason the Royals are so good. The idea, Kuntz said, was to keep the slow-footed Morales out of the double play. The data supports Kuntz's claim that Morales usually hits the ball on the ground or in the air -- Morales' ground-ball rate in the regular season was 44.9 percent, his fly-ball rate 34.7 percent, his line-drive rate 20.4 percent, according to FanGraphs. To Kuntz, though, Morales' tendencies seem even more extreme. "One line drive in the last three months, I'll take my chances," the coach said, smiling. Yet even then, his decision could have backfired. The previous line-drive out by Morales -- a bullet to Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson -- had given Kuntz pause, causing "the rabbits to start turning in my head." Another line drive by Morales with Hosmer running, and it's a double play. A ground ball by Morales with Hosmer not running, same outcome. Only a fly ball entailed little risk; Hosmer could have scampered back to first safely. Kuntz said the staff already had discussed the situation in the dugout, deciding -- as the Royals usually do -- "we gotta go." Price, mind you, had not allowed a single stolen base during the regular season, prompting Hosmer to crack afterward, "Good thing I found out now instead of before." Asked if he was surprised that Kuntz ordered him to run, Hosmer came up with another good line, saying: "I saw Billy Butler steal a base last year in the postseason. I'm not surprised at all." In any case, the last laugh again belonged to the Royals. Morales hit a grounder to short, a likely 6-4-3 double play if Hosmer not been running. But Hosmer reached second safely and Cain scored from third, reducing the Jays' lead to 3-2. The Royals would add two more run-scoring hits off Price in the inning and another off reliever Aaron Sanchez. Only one of their six hits was pulled. Much of the talk afterward was about Zobrist's popup that fell between Goins and Bautista, a ball that Goins called for and admitted that he should have had. Zobrist spiked his bat in frustration after lofting the ball to right, thinking it was an out. He mused later that he might have advanced to second if he had actually run hard. "It hung up long enough for the right fielder to get there," Zobrist said. "Somebody has to charge and make the play. It's tough when the crowd is that loud and you think maybe the outfielder is calling you off. I've done that, too." At the time, it appeared the tiniest of openings -- the second Royals hit off Price, and not much of a hit at that. But a barrage of singles followed, just as it did in the five-run rally against the Astros in Game 4 of the Division Series comeback. The two comebacks featured a combined 11 hits, only one for extra bases -- Alex Gordon's go-ahead double that knocked out Price. None of this should surprise us anymore; it's how the Royals roll. Kuntz said afterward that his own call was more lucky than good, reasoning that Morales easily could have lined into a double play. But it didn't turn out that way, did it? Nope, the Royals are lucky and good. And they lead the ALCS, two games to none. | 1 | 96,368 | sports |
There was a very scary moment on the sidelines in South Bend just before Saturday night's USC-Notre Dame game kicked off. USC AD Pat Haden collapsed on the field. NBC's television cameras and media on the sideline captured the scary scene. Video of #USC AD Pat Haden on the sideline pregame from NBC. pic.twitter.com/J491No5BFZ Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) October 17, 2015 #USC AD Pat Haden wasn't feeling well on the sidelines before the game. Medical staff huddled around him. pic.twitter.com/NMzPb2R3yV Daily Trojan Sports (@DT_Sports) October 17, 2015 Haden reportedly is feeling better, which is a great sign. It's unclear what exactly happened to him. Per USC- Pat Haden took a knee on sideline, felt light headed. Went with medical staff to locker area and is sitting up, appears to be OK. Ashley Adamson (@AdamsonAshley) October 17, 2015 He is stable and sitting up in locker room, spokesman said. Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) October 17, 2015 Haden has certainly been under a lot of stress lately. Hopefully he is okay. | 1 | 96,369 | sports |
NAPA, Calif. Johnny Miller isn't having the best week at the Frys.com Open at Silverado's North Course. His coveted course record is taking more shots than Donald Trump at a Republican debate. Thursday, it was Brendan Steele shooting 63 to tie the mark Miller shot here (with the aid of a hole-in-one) in the opening round of the 1974 Kaiser International Open. Saturday, it was Louisiana State University alum Andrew Loupe's turn. Loupe fired 63 but had a look at 62 because the final hole was a par 5. Loupe had a 30-footer for birdie but gassed it four feet past the hole and made a clutch comebacker for his par and a record-tying 63. Still not bad. "I really wanted to birdie 18 because I knew it was for the course record," Loupe said later. "Plus, I've never shot 62 in competition before." NEWSLETTERS: Sign up to get the latest golf news in your inbox That's all right, it would be poor form for a guest to break the mark held by the course's owner -- Miller was part of the group that purchased the Silverado Resort & Spa in 2010. Miller's mark stands but there's always Sunday's final round. The round left Loupe at 13 under par and tied for second with Kevin Na, one stroke behind 54-hole leader Brendan Steele. Loupe, who turns 27 next month, is just the find-the-secret-in-the-dirt kind of golfer that Miller would like. He was a star basketball player in high school in Baton Rouge, La., before he focused on golf. It has been an uphill struggle for him in pro golf but he feels like he turned a big corner when he won one of the Web.com Tour qualifying series tournaments last month at Ohio State University's Scarlet Course. "That was huge," Loupe said. "I really needed to close one out just to have that confidence the next time around on this level, just to know that I have it in me and have a little validation." Loupe's hot round happened because of a hot start. It sounds easy but the North Course's first four holes are considered the meat of the course. He's a big hitter but it was his putter that got hot. Driver, sand wedge to 15 feet, birdie on No. 1. "It's a great way to start a round, rolling one in like that." At the par-3 second, Loupe made a six-foot putt for birdie. "I hit a 4-iron that was a ten out of ten, if you know what I mean." Sweet. Loupe sank a 20-footer for birdie at No. 3. "It was a huge bender, with perfect speed, one of the best putts I've hit all year." A good drive and a wedge to six feet was good for birdie at the fourth. At the par-5 fifth, "I had 13 feet for eagle to go six under par through five holes and missed it." He made the return putt for birdie. He somehow messed up his streak at the sixth, making bogey despite having sand wedge in from 83 yards, but that was his only mistake. Ten birdies, one bogey and a 63 that briefly threatened to erase Johnny from the Silverado record book. Loupe wore a purple golf shirt in honor of his alma mater's colors, purple and gold. He tries to wear purple on game days -- LSU played Florida just after he polished off his 63 -- and on Sundays. Tiger Woods has red, Rickie Fowler has orange -- nobody has claimed purple yet, Loupe was told. "It's mine then," he said with his engaging wide smile. You have to win to own a color and Loupe knows just how hard it is to succeed at this level. He was in contention at the 2014 Valero Open going into the final round and shot 75, finishing fourth. Now, after a few years of dispiriting Monday qualifying and failed Q-schools, he's got his foot in the door on the tour. He feels more prepared to succeed now than at any time in his life. "My struggle to get here is a big part of this," he said. "I still have so far to go but I feel like I can go a long way in this game." He was chasing Monday qualifiers for a few years, on the PGA Tour and on the Web.com Tour, and coming up short by one stroke or losing in playoffs. It can make you question your game even though you shot 65 or 66 and didn't get in the tournament. It's a test of will. "It's easy to just come up short with a lot of good game," he said. "It happened to me for a couple of years. I just refused to give in." It was 2012 and Loupe was in Springfield, Mo., trying to qualifying for a Web.com event, the Price Cutter Charity Championship. He lost in a playoff on a Monday two weeks earlier, missed by a shot the week before. This time, he shot a bogey-free 67 and lost another heartbreaker in a playoff. He went to his car in the parking lot and sat there for about two hours. He sent out a group text to his supporters -- his mom, a friend of his mom's, a buddy who is now caddying for him (Wayne Birch) and another friend. He'd text the score and whether it was good enough. This time, he texted: "67, no good." There was silent meditation. There was self-questioning. His group responded with encouragement, but a golfer after a failed score is mostly inconsolable but as Loupe said, "It's all love." He got choked up for a brief moment upon dredging up this memory, his face temporarily flushed. Then he finished the story. He got out of the car and told himself, I'm going to do this. "It's just that…" Loupe pauses, trying to find the right words. "I don't have a Plan B. I've never come up with one. It would almost be a distraction." So he soldiered on. At PGA Tour Q-school that year, he was practically out of contention. Then he bogeyed nine of the final 13 holes and got his card on the number. "That just reinforced to me that you never give up," he said. "Never." It's a tough game and the competition is fierce. Not everyone is a Johnny Miller phenom or an instant star like Jordan Spieth. Most players who make it to the PGA Tour must survive a demanding journey to get there. Loupe is on his way. He's in a good position in the middle of a leaderboard that's tightly bunched at the top going into Sunday's finale. He's got a chance but more important, he's got confidence that was earned in a crucible. "It's very easy to doubt yourself, especially on Mondays," Loupe said. "I know I'm good enough. Self-belief is a choice." Tourney host Johnny Miller would agree. | 1 | 96,370 | sports |
Quietly undefeated through the first five games of 2015, Memphis made a statement Saturday. Quite a loud one, actually. The No. 22 Tigers fell behind quickly 14-0 but stormed back to beat No. 12 Mississippi 37-24 . The Rebels remain alive in the SEC West, but their hopes of a storybook season and a berth in the College Football Playoff all very real after an upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Sept. 19 are dashed. Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, on the other hand, might have made himself some money Saturday. Lynch completed 39 of 53 passes for 384 yards and three touchdowns. It marked the fifth consecutive game in which the 6-7, 245-pound redshirt junior has thrown for more than 300 yards. What's more, Lynch displayed all the throws NFL scouts love. He threw rockets and touch passes, threw across his body safely and launched the deep ball. On a day when Memphis showed no ability to run consistently until late in the fourth quarter, Lynch kept the chains moving. He was particularly sharp on third down, finding wide receiver Anthony Miller again and again for first downs. Memphis has won 13 in a row and looks like the best non-Power Five team in the nation. "Lynch is one of the best-kept secrets in college football," Ole Miss linebacker Mike Hilton said before the game. Not anymore. This week's other winners and losers in college football: Oklahoma: After a shocking loss to a Texas team that appeared in danger of disintegrating, Oklahoma traveled to face a generally tough Kansas State team. Not since 1999, in coach Bob Stoops' first year in Norman, had the Sooners lost back-to-back games. They still haven't. Oklahoma put on a road clinic as quarterback Baker Mayfield threw five touchdown passes. The 55-0 final score sounded like an old-fashioned Oklahoma win from its wishbone days, which suits Sooner Nation just fine. Florida State: The Seminoles have lost one game in the past three years and still don't seem to get much respect. They certainly didn't earn any in the first half against Louisville when they trailed 7-6 at home. But in the second half the Seminoles showed the kind of explosive offense they had in 2013, when quarterback Jameis Winston won the Heisman Trophy and led them to the national championship. Everett Golson threw for for three touchdowns while Florida State running back Dalvin Cook had another 100-yard game (his fourth this season) and the Seminoles romped 41-21. Oregon: Yes, the Ducks are still off to their worst start since 2004, but Saturday's win at Washington showed they have a winning option at quarterback in a healthy Vernon Adams, and their defense appears to be slowly learning how to protect against the pass. Northwestern: How quickly fortunes can change in college football. Northwestern was one of the toasts of September. A 16-6 victory in the opener against Stanford was looking better and better as the Cardinal began beating teams handily. Then the Wildcats went to Michigan. They limped out last week after a 38-0 licking and returned home seeking to recharge and keep alive their hopes of winning the Big Ten West. Instead, Iowa came in and whipped Northwestern 40-10 . The win means Iowa (7-0) should rise in the rankings as Northwestern vanishes, and the Hawkeyes control their destiny in terms of getting to Indianapolis for the Big Ten championship game. Texas A&M: Texas A&M expanded Kyle Field, turning it into a spectacular venue and the biggest in the SEC. But under coach Kevin Sumlin the Aggies have never beaten a top 20 team at home. That ugly streak remains alive after No. 9 Alabama (6-1) came to town and beat previously undefeated No. 10 A&M 41-23 . The Aggies boast one of the best groups of skill-position players in the SEC, and quarterback Kyle Allen has seemed to improve week after week. In the first half Saturday, however, Allen threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns, and Alabama rolled to a 28-6 lead. It was reminiscent of last year when Alabama waxed A&M in Tuscaloosa 59-0. To its credit, A&M battled back, but the Aggies could never make up the lost ground. Florida: The Gators are still off to their best start since 2012, and they had a tough assignment at LSU, but they are 0-1 with Will Grier on suspension, and you wonder if they have the confidence necessary to make a run at the SEC East title. Michigan: Once, people would have said everything was coming up roses for Michigan in 2015. The Rose Bowl isn't the same holy destination it used to be for Big Ten teams, but there wasn't any question Michigan, back in the rankings and 5-1, was one of the best stories in college football. New coach Jim Harbaugh, a Michigan man, had instilled the team with a ferocity it had lacked for some time. Michigan wasn't beating people, it was shutting them out week after week. In a nasty miracle for Wolverines fans that won't soon be forgotten, however, rival Michigan State beat Michigan 27-23 on the last play of the game . It had been a gem between two good teams, but it turned crazy on the final play: Michigan punter Blake O'Neill fumbled the snap and then tried to kick the ball while getting spun sideways, and Michigan State's Jalen Watts-Jackson caught the ball and ran it 38 yards into the end zone as time expired. | 1 | 96,371 | sports |
The United States conceded two quick goals at the start of the second half to fall 2-0 to Nigeria in its first match at the 2015 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. Nigeria, the defending champion, dominated most of the game and finished with a 19-4 shot advantage. Nigeria came out nervously but soon settled into the game after winning a pair of corner kicks within the first five minutes. Neither led to a clear-cut opportunity, but forward Victor Osimhen did get behind the U.S. defense in the 10th minute through the run of play before skewing a shot wide off the outside of his foot. U.S. playmaker and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Christian Puliši? created two chances for the U.S. not long after, though Nigerian goalkeeper Akpan Udoh cut out one cross before Haji Wright put another from close range over the bar. Puliši? was consistently the brightest American player at both ends, driving toward the endline in attack and winning multiple challenges in defense. Nigeria continued to threaten throughout the first half and put several crosses toward Will Puliši?'s goal. Right back John Lazarus in particular overlapped frequently and looked for central teammates with crosses from all angles. Most of them went wayward and the American goalkeeper finished the first half with a solitary save to his name. That effort came in the 42nd minute off another Nigerian corner, but Osimhen's header bounced once before nestling comfortably into Will Puliši?'s hands. On the other end, the slight attacking flurry spearheaded by Christian Puliši? and sporadic set pieces aside, Udoh had little to do. Nigeria's pressure would finally pay off just five minutes into the second half. U.S. center back Auston Trusty scuffed his clearance on another Lazarus cross from the right, barely getting it outside the six-yard box. Funsho Bamgboye had his follow-up shot blocked by Hugo Arellano, but Chukwudi Agor buried the second rebound from close range. Osimhen's persistence resulted in the second Nigerian goal in the 61st minute, as he ran onto a header from Agor off an American goal kick to put his shot past Will Puliši?. The goal seemed to inspire Nigeria and further break down the U.S.'s confidence, as the Golden Eaglets continued to control the tempo and finished with 58 percent possession over 90 minutes. • U.S. U-17 stars Pulisic, Barbir expect World Cup success despite group U.S. coach Richie Williams waited until going down two goals to make an attacking substitution, pulling off Haji Wright for Luca de la Torre. Alejandro Zendejas moved to right wing, with de la Torre taking up his usual position in central midfield next to Christian Puliši?. That gave some life to the American attack, mostly focused down the right flank, but didn't result in any obvious chances. Nigeria still looked likelier to score, and Udochukwu Anumudu forced Will Puliši? to palm his swerving shot over the crossbar in the 75th minute. The U.S. threw numbers forward as the clock wound down, but Nigeria's defense held firm. To finish off a frustrating day, Trusty saw a straight red card as he stood on Osimhen's lower leg after fouling the Nigerian forward with three minutes remaining. The Americans now face another tough opponent in Croatia on Tuesday, and a second loss could end the U.S.'s chances of advancing past the group stage before facing host nation Chile in the final group game on Friday. | 1 | 96,372 | sports |
Some 300 people attended the Saturday rally, organizers told the Russian news agency Interfax, while the security forces estimated some 150 demonstrators. Most of the rally participants were over 50 years old and wore pacifist symbols. The anti-war event was organized by Russian Solidarnost movement, known for its opposition to President Vladimir Putin. "I believe that this is not the last rally, the subsequent ones will be much bigger,' Solidarnost representative Sergey Davidis told Interfax. "The nature of the matter is that consequences of Syria intervention will only get worse, and draw more attention as the crisis continues," he added. Solidarnost members and civil activists also criticized the perceived corruption within the state structures. The security forces detained one woman ahead of the event for holding up a sign with a slogan "Putin, you murderer, stop shaming Russia." The rally in the Russian capital was marked by a notable police presence. In addition, a small group of government supporters approached the protesters chanting slogans in support of the Kremlin's policy. Russia has been conducting air strikes in Syria since late September, with the proclaimed goal of destroying the "Islamic State" strongholds. The US and other Western countries accuse Russia of indiscriminately targeting all opposition forces, and acting solely in the interest of their ally, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. djxx (AFP, Interfax) | 5 | 96,373 | news |
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Police say a shooting at the ZombiCon gathering in Florida killed one person and injured four others. Lt. Victor Medico of the Fort Myers Police Department said the shootings began at 11:45 p.m. Saturday, The News-Press reported (http://newspr.es/1jMJamf ). He said police were searching for a suspect, and the four people hurt had injuries that were not life-threatening. No details were immediately available about the suspect or victims. Police did not immediately return a phone call. The annual festival had been expected to draw more than 20,000 fans dressed as zombies, the newspaper said. Medico said the scene was described as "shoulder to shoulder." A statement on the ZombiCon Facebook page said organizers were saddened by the news and the group takes the safety of its patrons very seriously. | 5 | 96,374 | news |
10 Teas That Will Put You Right to Sleep 10 Teas That Will Put You Right to Sleep There are plenty of over-the-counter meds that claim to help you sleep throughout the night , but wouldn't you prefer to aid insomnia the all-natural way? To do so, all you have to do is kick back, relax, and sip on a cup of hot tea. Herbs have been used in medicine in southern and eastern Asia for thousands of years. Tea is made by infusing dried, crushed leaves or herbs in hot water, and it's no secret that drinking it provides plenty of health benefits . Whether it be settling your stomach , burning fat , curing a cold , or helping you sleep , there's a wide range of teas to choose from that can help you in many ways. Losing sleep? Drink these alone or mix them together to make a dreamlike creation, it doesn't matter; there are plenty of teas that can help. Take a look at this list of teas that include just the right qualities to ensure a better night's sleep. Catnip Tea You've probably heard of the catnip plant before, but did you know that it's used to make medicine ? The nepetalactone in catnip is an organic compound that aids many things, and insomnia is one of them. Catnip isn't just for the kitties, so buy a collection of catnip tea bags and watch the magic happen. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Tea When it comes to "bedtime teas," Celestial Seasons has mastered the magic potion. In order to ensure the best night's sleep, they created their famous Sleepytime Tea , featuring lemongrass, spearmint, linden flowers, and chamomile a plethora of ingredients that will knock you out in minutes. Chamomile Tea Chamomile is a range of daisy-like plants that's been used as traditional medicine for years and years. Thanks to its many healing ingredients, such as apigenin and bisabolol , it is often mixed with other plants to create the ultimate nighttime drink. Decaffeinated Green Tea Due to the hectic nine-to-five American lifestyle, many of us suffer from lack of sleep that's caused by stress. Thankfully, green tea contains theanine an amino acid that has been proven to help reduce stress. If you stress less , you'll get more rest. Lavender Tea The essential oils extracted from the lavender plant have the ability to reduce anxiety, stress, and postoperative pain all contributing factors to insomnia. Not only does it help your body , but it tastes and smells amazing, too. Lemon Balm Tea According to the University of Maryland Medical Center , lemon balm has been used to help with sleep since the Middle Ages. As a member of the mint family, lemon balm has the ability to soothe your mind and reduce your anxiety . Plus, it tastes delicious. Peppermint Tea An upset stomach can cause you to toss and turn all throughout the night. Luckily, peppermint can calm your stomach muscles , improving the flow of bile and easing your pain. It smells divine, tastes like a dream, and makes you feel better. If you're feeling a little queasy as you get ready for bed, we suggest making peppermint tea. Otherwise, you might have a long night ahead of you. Rooibos Tea Rooibos is a broom-like legume plant from South Africa. When brewed as a beverage, it creates red rooibos tea , which is rich in iron, potassium fluoride, and magnesium . All of these minerals are believed to help combat insomnia, so drink up! St. John's Wort Tea Also known as hypericum perforatum , St. John's wort is a yellow flowering herb. Many tea brands such as Yogi and ALVITA have taken full advantage of its healthy properties by including this herb into their tea mixtures. St. John's wort includes hyperforin and hypericin , both said to help fight insomnia. Valerian Tea Many teas on our list help ease problems like anxiety and stress , resulting in better sleep. That being said, valerian is one of the few herbs that is actually said to have sedative properties , but only in the safest and most natural way possible. Studies have yet to find what chemical in valerian that actually makes you sleepy, but it's made from the root of a plant and is harmless. | 7 | 96,375 | health |
The marquee matchups of Week 7 lived up their billing, and Michigan State-Michigan produced what is sure to be the greatest ending of the season. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the week: 1. Two pivotal Big Ten results will shape the conference's title race and playoff chase The dramatic finish to No. 7 Michigan State's 27 23 win over No. 12 Michigan with the Spartans trailing by three, Jalen Watts-Jackson recovered a botched punt and returned it for a touchdown with no time remaining understandably received most of the attention in the game's aftermath. But now that everyone's jaws have returned from their dropped positions, it's important to recognize the critical impact of this result. Saturday's loss likely ends Michigan's College Football Playoff chances. It's possible that if the Wolverines won out, Michigan State and No. 1 Ohio State both dropped some surprising games and Michigan won the Big Ten title, it could sneak back into the top four. But with two losses, the Wolverines would need chaos to strike far too many teams to have a real shot. A Big Ten championship is more reachable, as Michigan's other loss to Utah came out of conference, but the Wolverines would still need some help and a win over Ohio State. As cruel as it is that such a freak play could be so decisive, that's Michigan's reality. Michigan State however is in the best position to challenge Ohio State for a Big Ten East title. The Spartans and Buckeyes meet on Nov. 21 in Columbus, but Michigan State has now passed a critical test that Ohio State won't face until the final week of the season. (The Buckeyes offered one of their best performances of the season Saturday with a 38 10 victory over Penn State.) The Spartans entered Saturday on the heels of uninspiring wins over Purdue and Rutgers; though they hardly dominated Michigan, they were the better team even before Watts-Jackson's touchdown gave them their first lead of the game. Perhaps this will jumpstart Michigan State and halt its slide from No. 2 in the AP poll after Week 3 to No. 7 this week. On the other side of the Big Ten, the division race looks much clearer. No. 17 Iowa ran over No. 20 Northwestern 40 10 in Evanston on Saturday, pushing the Hawkeyes' undefeated mark to 7 0. There's a very real chance that Iowa could finish the regular season 12 0. The Hawkeyes' remaining matchups are vs. Maryland, at Indiana, vs. Minnesota and Purdue and at Nebraska all games in which Kirk Ferentz's squad should be favored. The Hawkeyes boast a powerful running game, one that racked up 294 yards on the Wildcats despite losing starter Jordan Canzeri to injury in the first quarter. Iowa will present an interesting case for the playoff selection committee once the committee begins releasing its rankings on Nov. 3. The Hawkeyes could easily get to 12 0 with zero wins over ranked opponents. Wisconsin and Northwestern were both ranked at the time Iowa beat them, but the Badgers have fallen out of the rankings and Saturday's loss will likely knock the Wildcats out, too. Still, the Hawkeyes have a clear path to the Big Ten title game, and if they beat Michigan State or Ohio State there, it'll be nearly impossible for the committee to leave them out of the playoff. 2. LSU is the SEC's front-runner And then there was one. The No. 6 Tigers handed No. 8 Florida its first loss of the season Saturday while No. 10 Alabama took down No. 9 Texas A&M, leaving LSU as the lone undefeated team in the SEC. The Tigers earned their perch atop the conference with a narrow 35 28 victory over Florida, decided by a fake field goal that kicker Trent Domingue carried 16 yards for what proved to be the winning score. Star running back Leonard Fournette continued his quest for the Heisman Trophy with 180 rushing yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Brandon Harris chipped in with 202 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Tigers' defense held the Gators to just 55 yards on the ground on 31 carries. The Tigers' strengths are obvious Fournette and a defense that is giving up just 4.5 yards per play, and so too are its flaws even in one of Harris's best games this season LSU still had a 41-to-19 run-pass ratio. But in a season in which no team looks perfect, there's something to be said for simply knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are. LSU must get past a potential trap game against Western Kentucky next week and then has a bye week before traveling to Tuscaloosa to take on Alabama, which kept its division title hopes alive by beating Texas A&M 41 23 Saturday. The Tigers also still have matchups with SEC West contenders Ole Miss and the Aggies. • ELLIS: Texas A&M blows chance vs. Alabama to take next step The road certainly isn't easy, but now unlike every other team in the conference the Tigers don't have to be perfect. While one loss would likely sink Alabama or Texas A&M from the conference race and the playoff race, LSU can afford to drop a game though doing so could expose it to the whims of a divisional tiebreaker. That's the margin for error the Tigers have earned by their 6 0 start. 3. It'd take a lot going right to happen, but Memphis gives the Group of Five a playoff shot The Tigers earned their first victory over a ranked opponent since 1996 when they toppled No. 13 Ole Miss on Saturday 37 24. The win positions Justin Fuente's squad to make a run at an undefeated season, one that, if the right pieces fall perfectly into place, could send Memphis to the playoff. Paxton Lynch gives the Tigers an elite option under center, a feature sorely lacking from many of the SEC's playoff hopefuls. Lynch powered Memphis's offense Saturday with 384 yards on 39 of 53 passing with three touchdowns and one interception. The Tigers' defense took a beating in a 44 41 win over Bowling Green and 53 46 victory over Cincinnati, but it did its part Saturday to pull the upset. Ole Miss converted just 4 of 13 third-down tries and failed on its two fourth-down tries. The Rebels got almost nothing on the ground, gaining just 40 yards on 24 carries. Now that Memphis has passed its toughest test, there's no reason the Tigers aren't capable of running the table. So the question turns to where such a run would leave Memphis. The American Athletic Conference is clearly the strongest Group of Five league this year, so conference play will offer the Tigers some chances to impress the playoff committee, particularly if they can go on the road and beat Houston and Temple, both currently undefeated, in consecutive weeks in November. Houston is currently No. 24 in the AP poll, while Temple is just outside the top 25, so when combined with the Ole Miss victory, a 12 0 Memphis would likely have a better résumé than a 12 0 Iowa. Still the Tigers don't control their own playoff fate. Even if they go unbeaten they'll need some help. Houston, Temple and Navy continuing their hot starts is critical to the reputation of the American. More importantly, Memphis needs Ole Miss to go unbeaten for the rest of the season. The Rebels still have just one conference loss and hold the tiebreaker over Alabama after beating the Tide in Bryant-Denny Stadium. If Ole Miss wins out, it'll win the SEC West. If it wins the conference championship game, it'll likely be the SEC's best shot at a playoff berth. Could the committee really take a two-loss power conference team over an unbeaten Group of Five team that beat it head-to-head? No, but the committee could instead pass over both for teams from the other Power Five conferences. Still, with the flaws nearly every team has shown this season, it's hard to imagine any Power Five team finishing the year unbeaten, and it's possible fewer than four could finish with one loss. That's the type of widespread chaos that could send Memphis to the playoff. | 1 | 96,376 | sports |
Relive Saturday's top stories, including the Royals rally against the Blue Jays, Michigan's heartbreaking blunder and Connor McDavid's nice night for the Oilers. | 1 | 96,377 | sports |
Police in Delhi say they have arrested two teenagers for allegedly raping a toddler, in the latest incident of sexual violence against a young child in the Indian capital. Top police officer Dependra Pathak said police had questioned more than 250 residents of the western Delhi neighbourhood where the two-year-old girl was raped and left bleeding in a park on Friday night. In a separate incident, police on Saturday arrested three men for raping a five-year-old in an east Delhi suburb. The rape of the two little girls comes a week after a four-year-old was raped and brutalised in New Delhi. Outrage The attacks add to a grim catalogue of sexual assaults in India, many of which have sparked domestic and international outrage. The fatal gang rape of a young student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 led to an outpouring of anger over frightening levels of violence against women. India recorded 36,735 rape cases in 2014, with 2,096 of them in Delhi. Experts say those figures likely underrepresent the true scale of the crimes, Still, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, executive director of the International Civil Society Action Network, told Al Jazeera that the women's movement in India have been successful in bringing international attention to the number of sexual assaults in the country. "I think as much as we might say that the levels of sexual assault have gone up, it may well be that it's the reporting of these assaults that have increased and that's in large part because of the women's movements in India," Anderlini said. "But we also need to recognise when these [assaults] are new forms of violence against women and, specifically, violence against girls and children." | 5 | 96,378 | news |
Toyota will be using this year's Tokyo motor show to communicate why talking cars are the future of cleaner, safer personal mobility. The Smart Mobility City 2015 is an event running alongside the main Tokyo show this year that will be examining the relationship between automobiles, people and society and the role of personal mobility in the city of tomorrow. And it is where Toyota will be showcasing the progress it has made with its Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that enables cars to communicate with each other and with infrastructure elements such as traffic lights. In other words, connected cars, an area where all automakers are busy developing solutions, but where Toyota is trying to establish an early lead. By the end of 2015 it will have two cars -- the Crown and the Prius -- on sale in Japan that boast the technology and is aiming to roll ITS out to European and US customers by 2017. Cars packed with radar, sensors and cameras can automatically stay in lane, maintain a safe speed from the vehicle in front and can even apply the brakes if a pedestrian steps out in front without looking as the latest high-tech safety features from the likes of Mercedes, Audi, BMW and, most recently Tesla, aptly demonstrate. However, no set of cameras, no matter how smart, can see what's coming around a bend or at a blind junction. Hence car-to-car communication. If all cars 'talked' to each other to say where they were, there would be no need to see around a bend in the first place. That's the concept behind car-to-car communication and its related car-to-infrastructure communication technologies and at the Smart Mobility City a specially adapted Prius will be demonstrating how these technologies can make approaching junctions, turning right into traffic and maintaining a safe distance simpler, safer and more intuitive. In Japan alone, 40% of road traffic accidents are caused by a driver failing to notice vehicles or pedestrians at or near intersections. The system can also help authorities better manage the road network. Knowing in real time how many cars are using a stretch of highway gives advanced warning of potential congestion while drivers can better conserve fuel by knowing if and when the traffic light is about to change from green to red. | 9 | 96,379 | autos |
Big12 West Virginia vs Baylor | 1 | 96,380 | sports |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas They recently completed renovations on this magnificent palace, millions upon millions of upgrade spent to make it look and feel like big time college football. Spent millions on a new defensive coordinator and even more on state-of-the-art weightlifting and nutrition centers, the straight cash spigot from deep pocket, 10-gallon hats running oil and energy in nearby Houston streaming full-go since a kid named Johnny gave everyone a hint of what royalty could be. HAYES: Five things we learned from the game | MORE: Best Week 7 photos Then the real deal strolled onto Kyle Field and showed everyone at Texas A&M what it looks like. Gut punch after gut punch after gut punch. "We went and took it," says Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland. "We already had our mistake this year. It can't happen again." It is here where we trot out the spread is dead and long live big boy football mantra after Alabama's 41-23 victory, the easy out for another big game the Tide swallowed whole. But doing so would only diminish the enormity of what happened, and the beautiful symphony of a champion staggering but never wavering, stumbling but never falling. Welcome, everyone, to playing with everything on the line. Week after week, game after game. The scary part: A month after a home loss to Ole Miss essentially left Alabama in win-or-walk mode for the College Football Playoff, the Tide still aren't playing their best football. "We're not a finished product by any means," said Alabama quarterback Jake Coker. "We have to stay alive. It doesn't get more simple than that." If we've learned one thing from this Alabama team halfway through the season it is this: they're not the best team in coach Nick Saban's nine years in Tuscaloosa, but they might be the most resilient. They're not the offensive precision of Baylor, or the defensive might of Michigan. They're not quarterback-centric like TCU, or pressuring the quarterback like Utah. They're not the glitz and glamour of Ohio State and Texas A&M. They are, more than anything, the one team in the nation with no pretenses. They're flawed, they know it and they compensate for it by grinding out big wins in big games like no one else all while knowing one more SEC loss ends the season. "There are a lot of things we can fix, a lot of things we can do better," Saban said. "We still haven't played our best game." WHAT WE LEARNED: Michigan-Michigan State | Baylor | Iowa And they're still a long way from a finished product, one that has less than a month before LSU comes to town in the defacto SEC West Division title game. The offense is one-dimensional and the defense has no identity, other than a propensity to turn interceptions into touchdown s. Four times in the last three games, Tide defensive backs have done just that and freshman cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick did it twice against the Aggies. They practice interception returns every week: everyone on defense run to the closest outside number and block. "The best way to get a big play," Saban said. It happened a school-record three times on three horribly thrown balls; three gifts that Alabama turned into touchdowns and used to outscore its own offense. What could be wrong with that? "I was giving it to (Tide offensive coordinator Lane) Kiffin about that," Ragalnd said. "We'll get better on offense. We have all the confidence in the world in them." There is no "them" in the Alabama offense; only "him" bruising tailback Derrick Henry. At some point this season, some team may figure out how to stop Henry (32 carries, 236 yards, 2 TD). Until then, Alabama's offense will continue to be one-dimensional, an understated here-it-comes, try-and-stop-it running game and a quarterback who does absolutely nothing special but does just about everything they ask of him. Saban likes to think of his team as an NFL organization. This Alabama team, maybe the least equipped to win a championship since his first team that lost to Louisiana-Monroe at home, is a walking, talking version of an NFL team: games are either laughers, or it's the fourth quarter and someone has to make a play. But here's the difference between Alabama and just about everyone else in college football: someone usually does. From Henry's punishing running to a secondary that doesn't necessarily cover well but can catch an interception and then figure out how to get to the end zone (four pick sixes in the last three games). There's something comforting about a team with so many flaws how can Alabama have a passing game with no consistent threat on the outside? that continues to live in the moment and push back at every turn since an unthinkable home loss to Ole Miss. They sucked the air out of the big game in Athens, taking Georgia's hot, efficient passing game and turning it into an utter mess. They clamped down on an Arkansas team with new life, and held them to 220 total yards. Then they strolled into this expansive, expensive moshpit; this shrine to all things bigger in Texas, and made the Aggies buckle and bend on a knee 15 minutes into the game. It wasn't always pretty (4 for 16 third downs), and it wasn't anything like the Alabama teams of the past. But at this point, with so much riding on every game, maybe we should just sit back and enjoy the ride. And watch the carnage. "But we can't keep making it interesting," Ragland said. One step away from getting better. One step away from losing it all. Maybe playing with everything on the line isn't so bad after all. | 1 | 96,381 | sports |
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa It looks like a Bobby Jindal campaign stop, but there's something strange afoot. Believe Again, not Jindal 2016, has rented out an Amvets hall. Believe Again, not Jindal, kicks off the evening Monday with free T-shirts that read "America did not create religious liberty, religious liberty created America," and a promise that the candidate will talk a lot about this. "When I say super PAC, how many people think of a nameless, faceless, shady organization that bombards your television with commercials?" asks Jill Neunaber of Believe Again. Most of the 109 people in the room raise their hands. Good enough: Neunaber explains that Believe Again is a "different kind of super PAC" that has invited Jindal to "have a conversation with you." Shortly thereafter, Jindal arrives, and the conversation begins. Cowboy boots tucked under his jeans, the governor of Louisiana gives a notes-free speech that hones the most popular lines from his other notes-free speeches. "My daddy wasn't president," he says, whacking Jeb Bush. "It is time to fire everybody," he says, whacking well, everybody. He tells a voter worried about sharia law that Louisiana has banned it, and he tells one who's angry about the Supreme Court that Congress should make liberal justices recuse themselves. It's a stitched-together campaign, a swaggering conservative message and it may be starting to work. According to the campaign-tracking group Democracy in Action, Jindal has spent 55 days in Iowa, tied with 2012 do-over candidate Rick Santorum for the most Hawkeye State turf time. Neither candidate has received any national lift. Both have been relegated to the "undercard" debates that only Carly Fiorina managed to escape. But a new NBC/WSJ poll found Jindal rising to 6 percent in Iowa "tied with Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio," as Neunaber happily put it. In the average of polls collected by RealClearPolitics, Jindal has escaped the bottom tier. Bob Vander Plaats, president of the Iowa-based Family Leader, has even written a letter to RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, telling him to cram another lectern onto the debate stage for Jindal. "A lot of times when people talk to me about the race, they will talk about whoever's in the news," Vander Plaats said. "After we've been talking, they'll say, 'I really like that Bobby Jindal.' And historically when you're a lot of people's second choice, that bodes very well for you." Jindal has gotten there by remixing campaign tactics that have survived the chaos of this primary. Only Donald Trump has taken more shots at his rivals. Only Jindal has held a news conference with no purpose other than to attack a rival (Trump). And few campaigns depend more on a super PAC. Jindal's third-quarter financial report revealed just $261,000 in the bank. The campaign raised $574,438 in that reporting period; it spent $832,214. But Believe Again hauled in close to $4 million, much of it from a mysterious nonprofit called America Next, and it's all being sprayed across Iowa. The downside, said former Iowa GOP political director Craig Robinson, is a campaign that has marched across Iowa rather than marching with Iowans. "It's very much a closed-loop system of Jindal loyalists, where one of the smartest things to do in Iowa is to get someone to help show you the way, to help you run the traps," Robinson said. "If he had taken a more traditional approach, find some Iowans right away willing to help him in the process, I have no doubt he'd be higher in the polls." The skills that persuaded Robinson were on display in Cedar Falls. Like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Jindal moves effortlessly between cornball jokes "my wife was my high school sweetheart, but I wasn't hers" and sulfuric attacks on the "establishment." Like Trump's, Jindal's tax plan is estimated to deprive the Treasury of $9 trillion over 10 years. Like Cruz, Jindal sarcastically praises the Democratic Party for elevating Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and says the opposition is "honest," whereas Republicans lie to their base and govern like liberals. "When they lost their 60th vote, Harry Reid didn't give up on Obamacare," says Jindal, calling for the end of the Senate filibuster. "If the other side is willing to shove Obamacare and socialism down our throats, somebody on our side needs to fight just as hard for freedom." The Jindal stump speech is a litany of ways to dismantle Washington; the Jindal Q&A is a way for him to repeat that, more loudly. Jindal, who turned against Common Core education standards after the right rejected them, tells a woman worried about the feds and schools that the Obama regime doesn't think "we're smart enough to run our own lives." "There's only three things I think the Department of Education should be doing," Jindal says. "One on deregulation, secondly on transparency, and thirdly, true civil rights enforcement not all the political stuff." Jindal's say-anything-conservative approach pulls out exactly the crowds he's looking for. (Believe Again, naturally, did most of the outreach, sending cards to the homes of potential voters.) When Jindal asks for "the worst thing President Obama has done," at least two people cry out, "He was born." One loping question about gun rights Jindal believes in no restrictions turns out to be motivated by fear that a military training program called Jade Helm 15 was part of the president's dark design. "Some of the troops have already been trained for Jade Helm 15," Kris Oberheu, 61, explains after the speech. "Obama's goal and he totally is a Muslim is to get the police out of the way and have martial law. If he has martial law, he doesn't have to leave office." Oberheu, like everyone else at the speech, got to stick around for a conversation and a photo. Jindal refuses to leave his events until the last hand is shaken. He's talking to voters long after the Believe Again curtain has been rolled up and the T-shirts given away. In an interview, he's downright cheerful about the economists screaming about the trillions of dollars his tax plan would cost. "I think that's great," says Jindal. "That was intentional. You've got to shrink the size of government." Any suggestion that he is pandering to the most active conservative voters in Iowa is dismissed as pure snobbery. "There is this arrogance on the left," Jindal says, still smiling. "People used to respect each other's differences. Now, too many people on the left think if you're conservative, you can't be smart." | 5 | 96,382 | news |
Check out how this Texas Tech offensive lineman converted a 2-pt conversion. | 1 | 96,383 | sports |
These 15 MLB veterans would really benefit from going to a different team this offseason. Whether it's likely to happen or not, all of them would be better for it. OF Josh Reddick - Oakland Athletics Reddick was initially so upset about the Josh Donaldson trade last offseason that he wanted to be traded as well. Of course, that ended up not happening, but after Oakland's terrible season, you bet he wants out now. Only time will tell if the team can get something done. OF Yasiel Puig - Los Angeles Dodgers While Puig hasn't been in the league as long as some of the other guys on this list, he has still established himself as much as a veteran. The Dodgers are growing weary of his antics and would love to be able to move him this offseason. Now, the only problem is finding someone willing to deal with his baggage. SS Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers Andrus had a bit of a bounce-back season this year, but with so many talented middle infielders breathing down his neck in the organization, he'd be better off going somewhere else. If Texas really has an eye toward the future, they will deal Andrus this offseason and get a return of prospects that are nearly major-league ready. SP Jered Weaver - Los Angeles Angels Weaver hasn't been an ace in several years and he might never be one again. However, he can still be a No. 2 or 3 starter for a competitive team. Now that he's overstayed his welcome in Los Angeles, he would be better served going somewhere else to play out the rest of his days. SP CC Sabathia - New York Yankees First thing's first: Sabathia needs to get help for his alcohol addiction, which is what he's doing this offseason. After that, he can focus on baseball. The pressure and bright lights of New York City likely aren't helping him much with that problem, so going to a smaller market team with less pressure could be ideal. However, the Yankees are unlikely to want to eat much of his contract in any potential trade. SP Homer Bailey - Cincinnati Reds What a disaster of a contract the Reds signed Homer Bailey to. That means it will be nearly impossible to move him, but you have to think Bailey wants out. He will never really live up to the expectations of his contract and now he's stuck on a team entering a rebuilding phase. That's definitely not somewhere any veteran wants to be. 1B Pedro Alvarez - Pittsburgh Pirates Alvarez is one of the better left-handed power hitters in baseball, but he doesn't even start every day in Pittsburgh. He gets regular playing time, but he could be the star on a different team. Of course, he will have to improve his numbers against left-handed pitching, but he really could emerge as a superstar. With such a deep roster blocking that growth in Pittsburgh, he would be better off somewhere else. OF Carlos Gonzalez - Colorado Rockies When healthy, Carlos Gonzalez is one of the best power hitters in baseball, which is what will make him one of the top trade targets in the sport this offseason. There's a good chance the Rockies will deal him, but only if they get a suitable prospect load in return. Sure, Gonzalez won't get to have his numbers inflated by playing at Coors Field half the time, but he will also likely get to play for a contender if he's dealt this winter. 3B Pablo Sandoval - Boston Red Sox Sandoval's time in Boston has already been disappointing and he shouldn't want to put himself through endless scrutiny through the remainder of his long-term deal. It's not impossible that the Red Sox would try to move him if they found the right deal, but there's a good chance he's stuck in Boston for the foreseeable future. OF Matt Holliday - St. Louis Cardinals Holliday has been banged up a lot in recent years and with the Cardinals having so many talented young outfielders like Randal Grichuk and Stephen Piscotty, it's time for Holliday to go. The team is going to try to re-sign Jason Heyward this offseason and if they do, there's not really anywhere for Holliday to go. St. Louis would be better served dealing him now and Holliday would be better off finishing his career elsewhere. 1B Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies Philly has been trying to get rid of its former all-star first baseman for a while now, but it seems like their asking price is too high. Howard would love to help out a playoff contender instead of playing for a team in the middle of a rebuild, but his huge contract makes it hard for a deal to get done. The Phillies will have to be creative if they want to move the former franchise cornerstone this winter. SP Chris Sale - Chicago White Sox Sale is just 26 years old, but he has been in the league for six seasons now, which makes him a veteran and he has to be wanting out of Chicago. The White Sox haven't been to the playoffs during the course of his career and it doesn't look like they're headed there anytime soon. A power pitcher with so much talent wants to be pitching in meaningful games. Sale hasn't done that much in his career so far. OF Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers With his five-year, $105 million contract extension kicking in next season, there's just about no chance Braun will be traded, but you have to imagine he wants to be dealt. Milwaukee looks to be re-tooling over the next couple years at the very least and that's not what a veteran superstar wants to be going through during their prime. OF Giancarlo Stanton - Miami Marlins After signing his massive 13-year, $325 million extension last season, there's no way Stanton will be dealt, but he has to be regretting signing that huge deal right about now. Miami made every effort to surround him with a competitive team, but none of that worked out and he missed most of the season due to injury. Luckily for him, he can opt out of the deal after five more seasons. Unfortunately for him, he might be through his prime by that point. 3B Evan Longoria - Tampa Bay Rays Longoria is the only real superstar hitter on the Rays roster, but he hasn't played like it in a couple seasons. Who knows what has been causing that, but a change of scenery could help solve it before his prime is over. With so many competitive teams in the AL East, getting out of Tampa Bay now might be Longoria's only chance at playing for a contender again in his career. | 1 | 96,384 | sports |
Fergie and Josh Duhamel Fergie and Josh Duhamel want to expand their family. The couple already have son Axl, two, together and Fergie revealed the pair would love to have another child as soon as possible but she wants to focus on her solo album and upcoming tour first. Fergie told E! News: "After the album and the tour, we would love to have another child. Absolutely." Speaking previously, Fergie told Allure: "I felt that it was either going to be another baby or an album. And I had to decide which one first. How long can you hold on to a song for?" Meanwhile, Fergie hopes she and Josh have a little girl next as she would love to share her achievements with her, including her own fragrance she designed with Avon. She said: "My gosh, it would be amazing to give my little girl her own fragrance collection done by Mommy. Wow, that would be special." Fergie previously joked she was tempted to end their relationship after Josh told her he wanted five children. She said: "We negotiated early on to have two kids, because he said he wanted five. And I was on the date going, 'OK, well, we could be really good friends, but my limit is two.' This was date two or three. That was it. Why waste time?" | 6 | 96,385 | entertainment |
The hype train is leaving the station! The United States under-17 national team begin their World Cup campaign today in Chile . They take on Nigeria in their first Group A match. This young side is full of talent and potential, but have suffered several bad results leading up to this tournament. Despite the poor form, hopes are high that this crop of talent can become something special. USA Lineup (4-3-3) William Pulisic (Richmond United); Matthew Olosunde (New York Red Bulls Academy), John Nelson (Internationals), Auston Trusty (Philadelphia Union Academy), Hugo Arellano (LA Galaxy Academy); Eric Cavillo (Real So Cal), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), Alejandro Zendejas (F.C. Dallas); Haji Wright (New York Cosmos), Joe Gallardo (Monterrey), Joshua Perez (Unattached) Richie Williams' lineup for the first group game looks features very little surprises and resembles most of the lineups we saw at the CONCACAF Championships in January. While the attacking four of Pulisic, Wright, Gallardo, and Perez are all bright talents, keep an eye on the full backs Olosunde and Nelson. Both are very talented and extremely gifted with technique. How to Watch Who: United States U-17's vs. Nigeria U-17's Where: Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos; Santiago, Chile When: Saturday, October 17, 4 p.m. ET How: Fox Sports 2 and Telemundo | 1 | 96,386 | sports |
Authorities in Mexico say Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was injured while escaping a raid. CNN's Nick Valencia has more on the story. | 8 | 96,387 | video |
ANN ARBOR, Mich. A fan was treated for a heart attack and taken to a hospital after No. 7 Michigan State stunned No. 12 Michigan 27-23 on Saturday with a last-second score. University of Michigan spokeswoman Diane Brown says she didn't know if the fan had the heart attack before or after Jalen Watts-Jackson returned a punter's fumble 38 yards to give the Spartans the victory with no time left. The spokeswoman also didn't know if the fan was rooting for the Wolverines or the visiting Spartans. It was a busy day in and around Michigan Stadium for medical personnel and police. Brown says 76 people needed treatment, including 12 that were taken to the hospital. Seven were arrested, including four for minors in possession of alcohol, two for disorderly conduct and one for resisting and obstructing. | 1 | 96,388 | sports |
Last week the University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies issued what it called an unconfirmed report from an unspecified source that Cuban troops had been seen in Syria "in support of Syria's dictator Assad and Russian involvement in that country." US news channel Fox News repeated the claims on Wednesday and said an unnamed US official had "confirmed" them. On Saturday the Cuban government called the reports "irresponsible and unfounded." Havana's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it "categorically denies and refutes the irresponsible and unfounded information regarding the supposed presence of Cuban troops in the Syrian Arab Republic." On Thursday, a White House spokesman said the US government had seen no evidence to indicate the reports were true. Cuba has recently restored diplomatic relations with the US. The socialist government has hosted talks between the Colombian government and left wing guerrilla fighters in an attempt to end a decades-long conflict. In the 1970s and 1980s Cuba sent troops to Africa in support of leftist governments, but has limited its overseas engagements in recent years to medical and social projects - such as sending hundreds of medical workers to help combat the Ebola outbreak in western Africa. Cuba enjoys friendly relations with Russia and Iran - both of whom support the al-Assad regime. Both Syria and Cuba are members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) of 120 countries which are not formally aligned with, or against any major power bloc. Its founding members were India, Indonesia, Egypt, Ghana and Yugoslavia and it was set up in 1961. The coordinating bureau of the NAM is in New York. jm/bk (Reuters, AFP) | 5 | 96,389 | news |
Richard Hunter of the Love Ranch spoke about finding former NBA star Lamar Odom in his room at the Nevada brothel. | 1 | 96,390 | sports |
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- Alabama kept scoring on passes -- all thrown by Texas A&M. Quarterback Jake Coker was just fine with that. "Three touchdowns defensively is hard to beat," he said. "I will take that any day." Derrick Henry ran for a career-high 236 yards and two scores and No. 10 Alabama added a school-record three touchdowns on interception returns to get a 41-23 win over No. 9 Texas A&M on Saturday. BOX SCORE: ALABAMA 41, TEXAS A&M 23 Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC) built a 28-6 lead in the second quarter thanks to 55- and 6-yard touchdown runs by Henry and interception returns of 33 and 93 yards. Christian Kirk returned a punt 68 yards for a score just before halftime and Texas A&M (5-1, 2-1) added another touchdown on a 3-yard reception by Ricky Seals-Jones after a fumble early in the third to cut it to 28-20. But Alabama kicked two field goals before Minkah Fitzpatrick's 55-yard interception return for a score -- his second of the day -- made it 41-23 and sealed the victory. "We had a lot of guys play a lot of plays. They got hot, they got tired, and we got our second wind and kept playing," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. Kyle Allen, who entered the game having thrown 79 passes without an interception, was 20 of 40 for 263 yards with a touchdown and a career-high three interceptions. Freshman Kyler Murray took over for a few possessions and was also picked off. "You can't play the way we did tonight by giving away 21 points against a quality football team and expect to win," Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. The Aggies got within 34-23 with a 36-yard field goal with about eight minutes left. They were driving again after a stop on defense when Fitzpatrick became the first player in Alabama history to return two interceptions for touchdowns in a game. "Three scores on defense is unprecedented probably and some kind of record," Saban said. "Minkah with two is fantastic for the freshman." Henry, who extended his school record by scoring in his 12th straight game, had already surpassed his previous career-best of 148 yards rushing with 10 minutes left in the second quarter and he had 178 at halftime. "You have to say a lot about the offensive line," Saban said. "They did a good job of creating holes, and Derrick took advantage of them . Derrick is a workhorse for us." Alabama was up by 8 when Adam Griffith made a 32-yard field goal to make it 31-20. Kyler Murray was intercepted on the last play of the third quarter and the Crimson Tide added a field goal on the ensuing drive. Murray played the last possession of the first half and the first one of the third quarter which resulted in a punt. Cyrus Jones fumbled the return and it was recovered by Donovan Wilson. Allen returned and connected with Seals-Jones on a 44-yard pass before finding him again for a 3-yard touchdown on the next play to cut the lead to 28-20 early in the third. Myles Garrett blocked a punt on Alabama's next possession and it was recovered by the Aggies. But A&M's offense stalled and they came away empty after a missed 52-yard field goal attempt. Kirk had his second punt return for a touchdown this season when he took it back 68 yards to cut the lead to 28-13. Kirk became the first A&M player to return two punts for TDs in a season since Aaron Glenn in 1993. A crowd of 105,733 including former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara, Astros star rookie Carlos Correa and former A&M and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans attended the game. Taylor Bertolet made field goals of 54 and 52 yards in the first half for A&M. Allen's high throw was intercepted by Eddie Jackson and he took it 93 yards for a touchdown to make it 28-6. Jackson tight-roped the sideline and zigzagged away from several would-be tacklers for the third-longest interception return in school history. "Kyle was flushed out of the pocket and trying to get it to us," Seals-Jones said. "That's part of the game. That happens." Alabama took a 7-0 lead when Fitzpatrick returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown on A&M's second drive. Henry burst through the line and juked Armani Watts a few yards down the field en route to a 55-yard touchdown run that pushed Alabama's lead to 14-0 with about 5 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. "I focus on the game and trying to win," Henry said. "I didn't care about the yards. I was trying to do all I can do to help us win the game." | 1 | 96,391 | sports |
Robert Nkemdiche, the Ole Miss junior defensive lineman some project as the top pick in the 2016 NFL draft, suffered a concussion in the first quarter against Memphis and is out for the game. Nkemdiche actually got hurt on offense, as the Rebels were using him to carry the ball in a short yardage situation. Nkemdiche has five solo tackles for a loss this season and with his brother, senior Denzel Nkemdiche, are regarded as the anchors of No. 12 Ole Miss' defense. Ole Miss led undefeated and 22nd-ranked Memphis 14-10 in the second quarter. | 1 | 96,392 | sports |
George Clooney George Clooney has ruled out running for political office. The 54-year-old actor admitted he would hate to be a politician as it looks like "hell". Speaking during a press conference for 'Our Brand Is Crisis', he said: "I've been asked that for almost 20 years now and the answer is just no. Who would ever want to live like that? I'm friends with a lot of those guys and I just think it's hell." While George has no interest in entering politics, he praised those who choose to do so as he believes it is an extremely tough job. He said: "I commend people who go into public service because it's such a horrible way to get elected, it's such a horrible time while you're in office. I think people will argue over things they believed in six or eight years ago because it's not their guy saying it." Meanwhile, George recently admitted to feeling less intelligent than his human rights lawyer spouse Amal and doesn't think there's any question that she is smarter than him. He quipped: "I get to wear the trousers and she gets to be the smart one; that's a fair deal, that's a fair trade. I was asked, you know, 'Is she the smart one in the family?' and I don't think anyone would argue with that, do you? "Often times I feel like an idiot talking to my own wife. It's never good." | 6 | 96,393 | entertainment |
Wales are "gutted" to be out of the Rugby World Cup after giving away too many penalties | 1 | 96,394 | sports |
HOOVER, Ala. Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton is telling black Alabama Democrats that she'd champion voting rights in the White House. She says Republicans are dismantling the progress of the civil rights movement. Clinton blasted Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley for closing driver's license offices in 31 counties where most residents are African-American. Alabama requires photo identification to vote. The Democratic front-runner says, "This is a blast from the Jim Crow past." Clinton also mocked Republican presidential candidates Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush for their opposition to restoring Voting Rights Act provisions the Supreme Court struck down. About 700 people attended a luncheon for the state's largest black Democratic Party caucus. African-Americans are crucial to Clinton's campaign. They will likely make up a majority of the Democratic primary electorate in several Southern states. | 5 | 96,395 | news |
The UN refugee agency urges Croatia to keep its borders open to migrants, as Slovenia orders army to help maintain order, after Hungary seals its borders. Diane Hodges reports. | 5 | 96,396 | news |
Photos: Lamar Odom and the Kardashians Lamar Odom and then-wife Khloe Kardashian arrive at the Philippe Restaurant West Hollywood grand opening in Oct. 2009. From left, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian at the Teen Choice Awards in Aug. 2010. Lamar Jr., Lamar Odom, daughter Destiny, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Kourtney Kardashian at the 2011 Teen Choice Awards held at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Aug. 2011. Khloe Kardashian called hubby Lamar Odom her "Lammy." But sadly, the union didn't last. A photo from Season 12 of 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians,' the family's hit E! show. From left: Kendall Jenner, Rob Kardashian, Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian Odom, Kim Kardashian, Bruce Jenner, Kris Jenner and Kylie Jenner. Khloe and Lamar Odom seemed so happy for so long. Here they are in 2010 at an event in Hollywood. Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian on June 7, 2012, in Orange, Calif. Los Angeles Lakers' Lamar Odom and his wife, Khloe Kardashian, pose with his trophy as the winner of the 2010-2011 NBA Sixth Man Award, as the basketball league's top reserve, at a news conference in Los Angeles on April 19, 2011. Khloe Kardasian and Lamar Odom debut their unisex fragrance Unbreakable at Perfumania in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 12, 2011. Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom, of the Dallas Mavericks, sit rinkside as they take in an NHL hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Dallas Stars on March 16, 2012, in Dallas. | 1 | 96,397 | sports |
Millions of Americans shivered through a chilly Saturday, and some have already seen snow. The Weather Channel reports the coldest air mass of the season has descended on the nation's Midwest and Northeast, plunging temperatures into the 30s and even high 20s in some locations. Freeze warnings and frost advisories blanketed a stretch from Iowa south to Mississippi and east through Maine, according to the National Weather Service. The cold blast was expected to last through the weekend. Nearly 4 inches of snow were on the ground in Dyer Brook, Maine. Meanwhile, Marquette, Michigan, picked up 2.5 inches of snow, which is the highest daily total the city has seen in October since 1976, according to the National Weather Service. | 8 | 96,398 | video |
Organizers of Santiago's annual Zombie Walk say the event that's meant to promote equality and tolerance of zombie culture attracted 5,000 of the Chile's ghoulish undead. Mana Rabiee reports. | 8 | 96,399 | video |
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