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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) China's Simin Feng shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday on the Hills Course to take a five-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament. The 20-year-old Feng shot had a 15-under 272 total at LPGA International. The top 20 finishers Sunday will earn full LPGA Tour cards, and Nos. 21-45 and ties will receive conditional status. ''I played some really steady golf today,'' said Feng. ''My putting was going well, so I was able to capitalize on my ball-striking. I was just a little disappointed in the par-5 holes, I didn't make any birdies. My driver was going where I wanted it to and my irons were good.'' Cydney Clanton and South Korea's Julie Yang were tied for second. Yang had a 71 on the Jones Course, and Clanton shot a 72 on the Hills Course. Feng played on season at Vanderbilt before turning professional last year. She tied for sixth in the event last season to earn an LPGA Tour card. ''My mindset coming into the tournament was to try and win,'' Feng said. ''Instead of thinking top 20, I think trying to win gives you a little bit of an edge. I wanted to try and finish on top of the leaderboard and now I have a chance.'' Cheyenne Woods, Tiger Woods' niece, had a 73 on the Jones Course to drop from a tie for 16th into a tie for 24th at 3 under. | 1 | 97,000 | sports |
It's getting harder and harder to come up with fresh, creative superlatives for New York Knicks rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis. He's been the toast of the Big Apple through the first quarter of his first NBA season. And after another double-double on Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets, Porzingis is in pretty lofty company in Knicks history. According to multiple reports, Porzingis became just the second Knicks rookie to tally at least 10 double-doubles in his first 20 games, joining Willis Reed: Unfortunately, Reed played before box scores for individual games included rebounding tallies, so it's difficult to pin down exactly how many double-doubles Reed had in his opening stretch with the Knicks. His rookie season came in 1966-67. . @kporzee finished w/ another double-double! 2nd #Knicks rookie w/ 10 double-doubles in 20 games. pic.twitter.com/io1gu1yLNm NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 5, 2015 Porzingis with 10 double-doubles in 20 games, the second-most for a #Knicks rookie in his first 20 games since Willis Reed. #KNICKSonMSG Alan Hahn (@alanhahn) December 5, 2015 What we do know, however, is that Reed was a member of the last Knicks team to win a title in 1973. And now he has a peer, at least in one category, in Porzingis. The future in New York is as bright as it's been in a long time. | 1 | 97,001 | sports |
And you thought your roommate situation was contentious. The New York Jets (6-5) face the New York Giants (5-6) Sunday in their shared, not-so-New York space of MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The game, despite featuring two teams hovering around .500, has playoff implications. The Giants, somehow, find themselves tied atop the NFC East standings with Washington, and are looking to end a two-game skid and keep pace with football's forgettable division. Meanwhile, the Jets sit just outside of the playoff picture heading into Week 13, boasting the same record as the current AFC Wild Card teams, Kansas City and Houston. MORE: Week 13 picks, straight up | Picks against the spread | Injury reports' biggest losses What time is the Jets vs. Giants game? The Jets and Giants will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. What channel is the Jets vs. Giants game on? CBS (in select markets) will broadcast the Jets-Giants matchup. Who is on the Giants injury report? Larry Donnell , tight end Neck injury Out Brandon Meriweather , safety Knee injury Out Marshall Newhouse , offensive tackle Back injury Questionable Robert Ayers , defensive end Toe injury Probable Devon Kennard , linebacker Hamstring/Foot injury Out Justin Pugh , guard Concussion Probable Weston Richburg , center Ankle injury Questionable Nikita Whitlock , fullback Undisclosed reason Probable Who is on the Jets injury report? Dion Bailey , defensive back Ankle injury Doubtful Nick Mangold , center Hand injury Probable Calvin Pace , linebacker Abdomen injury Questionable Darrelle Revis , cornerback Concussion Out Marcus Williams , cornerback Knee injury Doubtful Brandon Marshall , wide receiver Toe/Ankle injury Probable Who will win the Jets vs. Giants game? Our David Steele picked the Jets. Here's his reasoning . Vinnie Iyer likes the Giants in his upset of the week . | 1 | 97,002 | sports |
Big12 Texas vs Baylor | 1 | 97,003 | sports |
20th Century FOX Many movies set in the 1800s frontier have boasted authenticity. Wrangling in experts to make sure the audience is thrust into a less-civilized time, the movies in this subgenre get increasingly bleak and real. It has gotten to a point where it's hard for any new movie in that setting to deliver anything that surprises the audience. But then Alejandro González Iñárritu went and made "The Revenant," which proves there's still new ground to cover in the frontier movie, and that he's one of the best directors working today. On the heels of winning the Best Director Oscar at this year's Academy Awards for "Birdman" (which also won Best Picture), Iñárritu could certainly pull off back-to-back wins in both categories this year. 20th Century FOX"The Revenant" is a masterwork of filmmaking that is as cringe-worthy violent as it is beautifully lush to look at. In the film, Leonard DiCaprio plays a Wyoming scout named Hugh Glass who has been hired, along with his son, to lead a group of fur trappers on their expedition. Domhnall Gleeson plays the captain of the expedition, Andrew Henry, while Tom Hardy is John Fitzgerald, a money-hungry fur trader who contradicts everything Glass and Henry do. Without giving too much away: Glass is mauled by a bear, left for dead, and is determined to find Fitzgerald and the others who left him behind. The story is a simple revenge tale, but trust me: There's a lot to it. Iñárritu, who adapted the story from part of a Michael Punke novel of the same name, was determined to make the film as true to life as possible. That meant little to no computer graphics and shooting the movie in natural light. Filmed mostly in remote locations in Canada and Argentina, the film contains scenes that appear as if Glass is the first person to ever set foot there. 20th Century FOXThe photography, by Emmanuel Lubezki (he won Oscars the last two years for "Gravity" and "Birdman," respectively), is breathtaking. On one hand, it captures the frantic pace of an attack by Native Americans against the fur trappers or Glass fighting a bear. The latter sequence is horrific (though perhaps not as horrific as a rumored bear rape scene ), with the camera so close to the action that the snorting by the bear makes the camera lens foggy. Between those moments of brutality, there are gorgeous wide shots that show off the natural wonder of the frontier. But the heart of the movie is DiCaprio. Always known to go all in with his roles, he goes beyond that playing Glass, who is based on a real person who traveled cross-country after being injured by a bear. Along with sustaining the mauling, which is likely a mix of real bear and CGI, though Iñárritu won't go into detail yet about how it was pulled off, DiCaprio eats real bison liver and in one scene guts a horse and goes inside it for warmth during a heavy snowstorm. Though Glass doesn't say much in the movie, it's DiCaprio's eyes and grunts that say more than words can. Most of the movie he does this growl as he breathes. Almost like, dare I say, a bear. 20th Century FOXIn a year with an unpredictable awards season and few sure things, it will be interesting to see what kind of upset wins take place. But it's hard to deny the performance DiCaprio gives in this film when it comes to thinking of the Best Actor category. Awards aside, "The Revenant" is a tour-de-force that rarely comes around anymore in the comic book-obsessed film world we live in. So go experience it. "The Revenant" opens in limited release on Christmas Day and everywhere January 8. Youtube Embed: http://www.youtube.com/embed/QRfj1VCg16Y Width: 560px Height: 315px | 6 | 97,004 | entertainment |
Seeing as how Philadelphia is known as the city that booed Santa Claus, it'd be unreasonable to expect any letup from the fan base toward Chip Kelly and the Eagles, who have been downright bad this season at 4-7 heading into Week 13. Even so, this is a pretty hot take: That's a sign outside a Christmas tree lot in Bensalem, a suburb of Philadelphia, that makes it entirely clear where the lot's operators stand on the Eagles and their current personnel. PIC OF THE DAY: Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Lot Trolls Philadelphia Eagles pic.twitter.com/UvaaMfNp2N SportsCast (@SportsCast_THN) December 4, 2015 Harsh? Perhaps; there's a bit of "bah, humbug" sentiment in that sign. And remarkably, Philadelphia is only a game out of first in the woeful NFC East. But with two of the team's next three games coming at New England and at home against Arizona, it doesn't seem likely that the situation will be a whole lot better by Christmas. So if it were up to these fans, the Eagles would be getting nothing but pink slips from St. Nick. | 1 | 97,005 | sports |
NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) -- The first time Jordan Spieth saw Albany Golf Club, he predicted Bubba Watson would love the place because it looked so open off the tee. With virtually no wind, Watson showed just how much he liked it Saturday in the Hero World Challenge. He had seven birdies, holed out a 7-iron for eagle and matched the course record with a 9-under 63 to build a two-shot lead going into the final round. The record he tied belonged to Paul Casey, who shot his 63 about 10 minutes earlier and was two shots behind. RELATED: Leaderboard Tee times were moved up Saturday to avoid a forecast of thunderstorms in the afternoon. With little wind, there was no stopping a world-class field from having their way on the Ernie Els design on the far end of New Providence island. "The key for me around this golf course, I think for everybody as we're seeing, when there's no wind -- light wind -- we can score," Watson said. "We're all good players, don't get me wrong. We're all top 50 in the world. But with no wind, this golf course is a little bit easier to make birdies." Casey had nine of them through 13 holes, and that wasn't even enough to get in the lead. "And then when I started to miss putts, I went back to pars again, which was a shame," Casey said. "Because obviously, Bubba ... I don't know where Bubba was. I wasn't thinking too much about a course record, but I was thinking it would have been nice to shoot 10 (under) or more." Watson was at 19-under 197, one short of the 54-hole tournament record Spieth set last year on his way to a 10-shot victory at Isleworth. This is the first time the World Challenge is being played at Albany after one year at Isleworth and 14 years at Sherwood Country Club in California. Spieth, in a three-way tie for the lead with Jimmy Walker and Bill Haas at the start of the day, had a 68 and fell four shots behind. "I shot 68 and got lapped," Spieth said. "It was a day where you really needed to shoot lower. Par for the course is 5 under, especially in these conditions." Watson wasn't even planning to be in the Bahamas. He originally decided to skip the tournament because he didn't have a passport for his newly adopted daughter, Dakota, and because he's going to Thailand next week, the two-time Masters champion didn't want to be away from his kids for two weeks in a row. But when Jason Day withdrew to stay home in Ohio with his newborn daughter, Watson was able to rush through the documents and play. Casey wants to support the Tiger Woods Foundation for its work with children and education. He also mentioned the world ranking points and the prize money ($1 million) for the winner. And he would like a trophy to show for his good play this year. "So there's multiple reasons, about four really good reasons," he said about the importance of winning. "Five if you count (Christmas) shopping." Even with the low scoring, Watson didn't get that much separation. Chris Kirk and Patrick Reed each had a 66 and were three shots behind, followed by Spieth and Haas, who also had a 68. Woods is the tournament host and followed along the final group throughout the front nine, occasionally giving good friend and NBC Sports reporter Notah Begay a lift. Watson started the third round one shot behind and made up ground in a hurry with birdies on the first two holes. He faced a little wind from 168 yards in the fairway on No. 4 and chose to take off a little on his 7-iron, which turned out to be a wise move when he holed it for eagle. He never saw it go in, and there isn't much of a gallery this week. "I heard a yell," he said. "At least it wasn't my mom yelling. I heard somebody." Reed was going nowhere with one birdie on the front nine when he saw the scores and figured he better get in gear. Wrapping up his worldwide tour, Reed ran off three straight birdies and then had an eagle on the par-5 15th to get back in the game. "I finally made a putt and it just kind of propelled me from there," he said. Spieth is playing his final round of the year Sunday, and he said he would fire at every flag. | 1 | 97,006 | sports |
The US space agency has released a series of sharp Pluto snapshots, billing them as the best close-ups of the dwarf planet we may see for decades. | 8 | 97,007 | video |
Sleeping in is one of the best parts of the weekend. After a long, exhausting work week, sometimes all you want to do is sleep. On Friday night, you slide under the covers, smiling in anticipation. Now you can finally catch up on your sleep. Except you can't. When you open your eyes Saturday morning, it's still early. If this were a weekday, you'd be up before your alarm. So what's the deal? We hate to break it to you, but you've pretty much done this to yourself. Your body is very good at recognizing patterns and adjusting accordingly. If you've got a 9-to-5 job, you're getting up early five days a week. This effectively sets your body clock to wake you at a certain time each day. Waking up may feel instantaneous, but it's actually a pretty gradual process. About an hour before you wake, your blood pressure and body temperature rise, as do levels of stress hormones like cortisol. Minute by minute, you become more alert until you're completely awake. You can shut off your alarm clock, but your body clock will just keep ticking. There's another reason that you probably don't want to think about: You're just not as young as you used to be. We need less sleep as we get older. Babies need between 16 and 20 hours. Teenagers should (but often don't) get nine hours a night. Younger and middle-aged adults need about eight hours of sleep a night. In general, the older you get, the harder it is to snooze the day away. Even if you do manage to sleep in, you may never fully catch up on your sleep. If your body needs eight hours every night and you only get six or seven from Monday to Friday, you'd have to sleep an extra five to ten hours on Saturday to make it up. And experts say even that may not be enough . The bottom line: Sleep when you can, and enjoy those extra weekend morning hours. Who doesn't want a longer weekend? | 7 | 97,008 | health |
Dirk Nowitzki had a bit of fun at the expense of Pau Gasol on Twitter on Saturday. Gasol sent out a message to his Twitter followers to let them know he was preparing for his 1,000th career regular-season game in the NBA, followed by a challenge to anyone who could send him the best highlight video of his career . Today I'll be playing my 1000 #RegularSeason game & I wanna celebrate with you! Upload a video with your favorite play of the ones I've made Pau Gasol (@paugasol) December 5, 2015 … in any regular season game. You can be as creative as you like… There's a prize for the best video! Use #Pau1000 Pau Gasol (@paugasol) December 5, 2015 Nowitzki responded with HIS favorite highlight that involved Gasol a player he's gone up against numerous times in his career. @paugasol https://t.co/2Nm49A8B1i #pau1000 congrats Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) December 5, 2015 Nikola Vucevic doing him dirty wasn't likely one of the memories Gasol had in mind when he sent out the challenge. Ever the good sports, though, Gasol responded with good cheer . @swish41 there have been a few of those too! Thanks for sharing mate! Pau Gasol (@paugasol) December 5, 2015 | 1 | 97,009 | sports |
The Minnesota Twins recently came to an agreement with Korean slugger Byung-Ho Park on a three-year deal worth $12 million, bringing him over to MLB to be a part of the middle of their lineup. The Oakland Athletics, meanwhile, are apparently interested in another hard-hitting Korean player: Hyun-Soo Kim, 29 in January, a free agent outfielder who spent nine seasons with the Doosan Bears of the KBO in Seoul. As Yoo Jee-ho of the Yonhap News Agency reported , the A's seem to have a very real interest in bringing Kim to Oakland: According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports , Kim possesses the third-highest batting average among players currently playing in the KBO, and is a career .318/.406/.488 hitter. Kim has 'several offers' already made to him by MLB clubs, and while the Yonhap News piece doesn't specifically name any of those clubs, the A's are presumably among the clubs vying for his services. A recent piece from Athletics Nation (the club's SB Nation affiliate) identified Kim as a 'Holy Grail'-type acquisition, so it's apparent some of the team's fans have had eyes on him for some time now. According to Yonhap News, there is a regulatory timetable for negotiations for other clubs to speak with Kim about a deal: And as stated in the the Yonhap News piece, Kim's agent Esther Lee of the Leeco Sports Agency is scheduled to attend the Winter Meetings in Nashville, Tennessee coming up next week...so this story could pick up speed accordingly once that happens. Kim is able to talk with any club other than Doosan in the KBO or any foreign league team until Dec. 5. The final negotiating period for all unsigned KBO free agents to talk to their original clubs, as well as other teams, is between Dec. 6 and Jan. 15 Should the A's strike a deal with Kim, they'd have to do some roster maneuvering as their current influx of first base/outfield/DH types is rather long. But, given the number of teams interested in outfield help, he could very well price himself away from the A's if other, deeper-pocketed clubs come calling. | 1 | 97,010 | sports |
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- It's very possible that when the new rankings come out on Monday, Michigan State could find itself at No. 1. If that happens, the third-ranked Spartans seem ready to handle the pressure. BOX SCORE : MICHIGAN STATE 76, BINGHAMTON 33 Denzel Valentine had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Bryn Forbes scored 14 points as Michigan State rolled over Binghamton 76-33 on Saturday. "We all know that where you're ranked in December doesn't matter," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "If that happens it's a feather in your program's hat. It's always good to have your team ranked high. We've been the hunter for the long time. If you're ranked one, you are the hunted." Forbes is ready if it happens. "It's always exciting to be ranked as the best team in college basketball," Forbes said. "We're looking forward to championships. That's what we're striving for." The Spartans (9-0) stormed to a 41-12 halftime lead, shooting 15 of 29 from the field, and holding cold-shooting Binghamton (2-5) to 4 of 31. For the game, Michigan State was 30 of 65 and the Bearcats were 10 of 60. "I thought we did defend well today," Izzo said. "The only disappointing thing today for me is we didn't hit some open shots and missed some layups." Valentine scored all of his points within the first 10 minutes of the game as the Spartans took a 21-5 lead. Alvin Ellis III's 3-pointer late in the half increased the lead to 30-7. Eron Harris scored nine points of his 11 points in the first half. The Bearcats didn't reach double figures until just over a minute left in the half when Dusan Perovic's 3-pointer made it 38-12. Justin McFadden led Binghamton with 10 points. The Spartans limited William Rodriguez, who entered the game at 17.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, to six points and three rebounds. "I thought we actually executed pretty well, we just couldn't put the ball in the basket," Bearcats coach Tommy Dempsey said. "You come in thinking if you make some shots you can be competitive. But when you shoot like we did, it just gets out of hand." The Spartans had a 53-33 edge in rebounds for their second highest total of the season. "I know we're not the best team in the country right now in my mind," Izzo said. "Somebody has to be it, and if they want to give it to us, we'll embrace it." TIP-INS Michigan State: The Spartans are off to the second-best start of the Izzo era, trailing only the 2000-01 team that set the record with a 12-0 start. ... Valentine set the tone for the game with a dunk off the opening tipoff. ... It was the lowest point total against the Spartans since the 92-46 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Nov. 20. Binghamton: The Bearcats trailed 9-0 before Everson Davis scored. ... The Bearcats had the youngest team in the nation last season and still have 11 underclassmen on their 15-man roster. LENDING A HAND Michigan State entered the game averaging a nation's best of 22.9 assists. They had 12 in the first half and 24 for the game. Valentine entered the game averaging 8.4 assists per contest and had four in limited action against the Bearcats. RANKING SIMILARITIES Michigan State is among five schools currently ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 in both football (No. 5) and men's basketball (No. 3). RARE MATCHUP This was the first-ever meeting between the teams. ... The Spartans are 7-1 all-time against opponents currently in the America East Conference. ... The only other time Binghamton faced a team ranked as high as No. 3 was Michigan in 2012-13. ... The Bearcats are 0-11 all-time against ranked teams and 0-6 vs. the Top 5. UP NEXT Binghamton visits Oakland University on Monday. Michigan State hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore on Wednesday. | 1 | 97,011 | sports |
New Jersey church receives community support for charitable efforts | 8 | 97,012 | video |
Islamic State said in a broadcast on al-Bayan Radio that the two main suspects in the San Bernardino Calif., shootings were "supporters" of their organization and called them martyrs. Photo: Associated Press | 8 | 97,013 | video |
There's no place like Holmes for the holidays. Being surrounded by loved ones during this time of year iswhat the season is all about and Katie Holmes knows it. "I love family time during the holidays," Katie told HELLO! at Ocean Drive 's Art of the Party soiree on Friday in Miami Beach. The 36-year-old, who is mom to 9-year-old Suri Cruise , also shared some of their family traditions. "I'm the youngest of five, and I havea lot of nieces and nephews so it's really about celebrating with themand doing a lot of arts and crafts and baking and you know that kind of thing." Katie, who graces the cover of Ocean Drive's December issue , looked red hot in an Azzedine Alaia dress with her hair styled by Ricardo Rojas, while attending the magazine's annual event fêting her cover. The Dawson's Creek actress is in South Florida this week taking in her firstArt Basel experience. She said, "I'm really enjoying it, so it's so nice to behere." Art she said is something important that she would like to instill in others. The All We Had director was happy to be down in Miami, where shesays, "I love going out to dinner [here]. I love going to the beach." Thoughthe weather put a bit of a damper on some of her plans. "This week I didn't really goto the beach." Here's hoping the sun will come out tomorrow! | 6 | 97,014 | entertainment |
QB Tyrone Swoopes did a Texas two-step against Baylor with one passing and one rushing touchdown. In this "Keurig Rewind," see how he lead the Longhorns past the Bears 23-17. This is the first time Texas has beaten Oklahoma and Baylor in the same season since 2009. | 1 | 97,015 | sports |
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) Neighbors say authorities have raided a home next door to the house where the family of shooter Syed Farook used to live in Riverside, California. Maria Gutierrez says she was told to leave her house further down the street at 1:30 a.m. Saturday for safety reasons as authorities swept in with guns drawn. She says authorities used a megaphone to tell whoever was in the house to come out. Another neighbor, Lorena Aguirre, says law enforcement broke windows and used a torch to get in the garage. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says agents served a federal search warrant at the house overnight. She declined to discuss what they were looking for. Authorities say Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in a rampage in San Bernardino, California. | 5 | 97,016 | news |
In a radio broadcast, the militant group, Islamic State, says the couple believed responsible for the shooting that killed 14 people in California were supporters of the group. Diane Hodges reports. | 8 | 97,017 | video |
Man had a fake Air Marshal ID, weapons and body armor | 8 | 97,018 | video |
Baylor showed up for a fight against Texas Saturday. Just, not on the scoreboard. A melee broke out between the two teams when Baylor's Lynx Hawthorne threw down Texas' Duke Thomas, who had just gotten an interception. This caused both teams to clear their sidelines. MORE: College football's most infamous punches | Virginia Tech's Dadi Nicolas punches referee's arm Baylor players were clearly upset, probably due to the fact they were down 17-0 at the time. Melee starts with Texas unsportsmanlike penalty and Baylor storming the field! #test7 pic.twitter.com/fIxdN7CxUj Fred Hayes (@mavens4media) December 5, 2015 Coaches and officials quelled the potential brawl before anybody let their fists fly, but officials still called an unsportsmanlike call... on Texas. Texas safety Kevin Vaccaro, like the rest of his teammates, cleared the bench to meet Baylor for a potential fight. Unlike his teammates, however, he tried to prove his toughness by breaking out some karate moves. If that football thing doesn't work out, maybe Vaccaro should try his hand at mixed martial arts. He clearly has the moves for it. | 1 | 97,019 | sports |
Rutgers has an agreement with Ohio State defensive coordinator Chris Ash to become the Scarlet Knights' new coach, a person who has been briefed on the decision told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was still pending approval by the university's board of governors. A news conference to introduce Ash is expected Monday. SI.com was first to report Ash would be the next coach at Rutgers. The 41-year-old Ash has been with the Buckeyes the last two seasons, revamping a defense that had struggled before he was hired by Urban Meyer. Ohio State ranked in the top 20 nationally in total defense the last two seasons. Ash will replace Kyle Flood, who was fired after the Scarlet Knights went 4-8 this season, their second as a member of the Big Ten. Ash is an Iowa native who has never been a head coach. He played at Drake and began his coaching career there in 1997 as a graduate assistant and then defensive coordinator. He had two stints at Iowa State and was defensive coordinator at Wisconsin from 2011-12. After a year as defensive coordinator at Arkansas under Bret Bielema, Ash was hired by Meyer in 2014 to fix a defense that fell apart late in the season in losses to Michigan State and Clemson. The Buckeyes won the national championship last year and went 11-1 this season with their best defense since 2010. Ohio State is tied for fourth in the nation in yards allowed per play (4.39). At Rutgers, Ash will get to face Ohio State every season. The Scarlet Knights play in the loaded Big Ten East with the Buckeyes, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. He is the second defensive coordinator to move within the division to become a head coach. Maryland hired D.J. Durkin away from Michigan earlier this week. Rutgers is coming off a terrible season on and off the field. Flood was suspended in September for three games by the university for impermissible communication with a professor. Seven football players were arrested in September. Both Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann were fired the day after the regular-season finale. Patrick Hobbs was hired to replace Hermann. ------ Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAp ------ AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org | 1 | 97,020 | sports |
Kit was used on recordings including 'Can't Buy Me Love,' 'She Loves You,' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' | 8 | 97,021 | video |
Does anyone in the Premier League want to win the title? Yet again, the team that started the day in first place slipped up, as Manchester City opened the weekend's program by losing 2-0 at Stoke. Yet again, many of the teams immediately behind could not grasp the opportunity. Between them, the teams that ended the day in the top six picked up just nine points. That's an average of 1.5 points each. Only Arsenal (which made hard work of winning 3-1 at home against struggling Sunderland) and Leicester won. Only Leicester, which romped to a 3-0 victory at Swansea, looked like a champion. The table tells the same story. Leicester went back to the top, two points ahead of Arsenal. With 32 points from 15 games, the Foxes are the only team in the division averaging more than two points a game. In the four seasons after the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams in 1995, the champion averaged only 79 points, just over two points per game. In the 16 seasons from 2000, the champion averaged 87.5 points, or 2.3 points a game. Perhaps the target for would be champions should be 81 points. The average for second place finishers in those 16 seasons was 80 points, or 2.13 points a game, which is what Leicester is averaging. Though that average includes seasons in which the second place team stopped chasing long before the end. Leicester showed it can win, and win well, even when Jamie Vardy doesn't find the target. His record streak of goals in 12 straight games ended even though he had three shots. Instead, Riyad Mahrez hit a hat trick to take his tally to 10, tied for second in the league behind only Vardy. Manchester United, in fourth, dominated at home against West Ham but drew 0-0. Man United only managed one shot on target, while the Hammers hit the post twice. Tottenham, which is fifth, stretched its unbeaten run to 14 games despite being outmuscled and outhustled by West Brom as it drew 1-1 in a scruffy, windswept away game. Its problem is that eight of those 14 games have been draws. All traditional top teams have problems. Manchester City's central defense is a disaster area. Arsenal's midfield lacks balance. United and Tottenham have the two best defenses in the division but struggle to break opponents down. None is close to greatness. But that's only one side of the story. In many of the last 16 seasons, the relegation battle started somewhere around eighth place. This season, the Premier League's middle class is much stronger. Leicester is the most visible example but the rest of the table is a minefield filled with teams that pack a punch and have shown they aren't scared anymore. ?Things might change after Christmas when the long slog of an English season often wears down clubs with thinner resources. Yet a glance at the benches as Stoke beat City today, suggested that edge is being eroded. "What we see now in this league is that anybody can beat anybody," Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager told Sky, after his team had edged past Sunderland. Xherdan Shaqiri, who set up both Stoke's goals against Manchester City, agreed. "The Premier League this year is a little weird you see that every team can be beaten," he said. • PODCAST: Analyzing the latest arrests in the FIFA corruption case Chelsea subsides: Perhaps no result symbolizes that mood better than Bournemouth's 1-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening. Such has been the gulf between the top and bottom of the Premier League that no team promoted as champion of the second tier had beaten the reigning Premier League champion since Portsmouth won, 1-0, at home against United back in 2004. That's a run of 22 matches. And never, in the history of the Premier League, had the second-tier champion won away at the Premier League champion. Bournemouth could have led by two or three goals at half time. Thibaut Courtois, who made three great stops as his defense evaporated, saved Chelsea. Courtois, on his return, looked at once the best goalie in the league. But soccer is cruel, specially for goalies. Chelsea dominated the second half, but Courtois, flapping nervously at a corner, presented Bournemouth with the chance to score a late winner. Of course, Chelsea was robbed again. "The referee made an important mistake," José Mourinho told Sky referring to an earlier incident. "I think it's a clear penalty." Mourinho was right. Simon Francis could have got his arm out of the way as he slid to blocked Diego Costa's cross. Yet the complaint lacked Mourinho's fire. "It's all part of the game," he said philosophically. He did not even mention that Glenn Murray was offside as he headed the winner in the 82nd minute. Referee Mike Jones is clearly a fully paid up member of the global anti-Chelsea conspiracy but Mourinho seems to have given up fighting the system. On the other hand, Jones could easily have shown Costa three yellow cards. The striker took off his bib and came in from the Siberia of the Chelsea bench at half time. His appearance might have helped lift a Chelsea team that had been outshot 6-1 in the first half when it was "soft" according to Mourinho. Costa is not soft. He started kicking people at once. He could have received a card in the 59th minute. He fully earned one three minutes later for grabbing Matt Ritchie round the throat and yanking him off the ball. Costa then screamed in Jones' face when the referee had the temerity to punish the offense. That could have earned a card. Chelsea stayed in 14th place but is only three points ahead of Sunderland in the first of the relegation places. "There is no chance that Chelsea will be fighting relegation," Mourinho said, ignoring the golden rule of relegation. Teams that don't realize they are in a relegation battle are usually the one in most danger. A defensive state of mind: No sooner had Manchester City regained first place in the Premier League than it collapsed again. The 2-0 defeat at Stoke was a rout. When City had the ball, it was easy to see that a gale was blowing. When the home team had the ball, conditions seemed perfect. Mark Hughes borrowed the formula that Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool used in its 4-1 victory at City a couple of weeks ago. The Stoke manager started without a recognized striker and played a tricky, mobile quartet of attacking midfielders: Marko Arnautovic, Shaqiri, Ibrahim Afellay and Bojan Krkic. Stoke tore City apart. The home team scored twice in the first 15 minutes. It was hardly surprising that Stoke seemed to be showboating by half time. Even so, only its wasteful finishing and City's good luck prevented the final score reflecting the home team's domination. "We went a little different today," Hughes told BT Sport. "We haven't played that formation before. Today was perfect for us." "We looked at all Man City's previous games," Hughes said. "You look for flaws and you look for weaknesses you can exploit." It doesn't take a tactical mastermind to spot some of the weaknesses. Vincent Kompany, Yaya Touré and Sergio Agüerro, the team's world-class spine in its two title seasons, were all absent. It is possible we will never see Kompany defending at his best again. The two men playing at the heart of the City defense, Nicolás Otamendi and Martín Demichelis, are both too ponderous to cope with opponents who pass and move quickly. But the problem is not just that the two center backs are mediocre and physically limited. City's problems are also mental. On Saturday, it played an aggressive offside trap, which was asking for trouble. City seemed to have learned nothing from its trouncing by Liverpool. The players in front of the center backs, with the exception of Fernandinho, seemed unwilling to run back to give their defenders some cover. Again and again, City midfielders lost the ball and stood and watched as Stoke sprung into attack. Manuel Pellegrini blamed tiredness. City played in the League Cup last Tuesday and has a Champions League match this Tuesday. "Too many games for the same players," the City manager told the BBC. "We defended very badly but we also had not too many chances to score. We are playing with 13 players in all competitions." It is barely credible that the manager of the most expensive squad in Premier League history is running out of players. But maybe that's why club's like Stoke are closing the gap. Hughes suggested his team wanted the victory more. "You can talk about formations and what we were looking to do in the game but first and foremost the players have got to go out there and actually do it and that's what they did it to a man," Hughes said. City clearly has personnel problems, but on Saturday it was outfought and outthought. Ready for his close-up: It is hard to watch Arnautovic without being constantly reminded of the remark of one of his former managers, Mourinho, who said the Austrian "is a fantastic person but has the attitude of a child." On Saturday, Arnautovic scored twice with deft finishes after smart runs onto superb passes by Shaqiri. Arnautovic had three chances to complete his hat-trick. He slipped slightly as he beat Joe Hart and struck the post. Then Arnautovic was narrowly wide first with a difficult header and finally with a tricky volley from a rebound. Yet he also attracts attention for the wrong reasons. Arnautovic runs like a dressage horse. Every step cries "look at me". He even seems to be voguing when he stands still. He has a bad habit of visibly admonishing teammates. He showed up Shaqiri with an irritated wave of the hands after Swiss had squandered a selfless pass from in front of goal. What was the point? Shaqiri knew he'd missed a sitter. At the final whistle, just after he had been named Man of the Match, Arnautovic tried to start a fight with City's Fabian Delph and had to be pulled away. "This is emotions in the game," Arnautovic told BT Sport. Long after the other players had gone, he lingered on the field, fiddling with his boots. That, of course, allowed the cameras to linger on him. Yet he deserved to soak up the moment. This was a brilliant breakout performance in a breakout season. Arnautovic is good, but he is a child. Leicester's opportunity: To be top of the table once could be chance. But having ceded top spot last week, Leicester seized in back on Saturday. Its fans and players are entitled to grow excited. "We must stay calm," Claudio Ranieri, the Leicester manager told Sky TV. Sit down, have a nice relaxing cup of tea, seemed to be the message. Maybe the club could cash in on the recent fashion and sell blue mugs with message: "Stay Calm, We're Top of the League." It must be a warming though on a December night in the East Midlands. | 1 | 97,022 | sports |
The City of Angels shook on Friday not from activity on the San Andreas Fault, but from the news that Zack Greinke had signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks and would not be returning to the Dodgers as the latter end of a 1-2 punch with Clayton Kershaw. The shock Dodgers fans felt on Friday has quickly morphed to anxious curiosity as they wait for the front office, led by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, to restock the team's starting rotation, which includes much uncertainty beyond Kershaw. After failing to re-sign Greinke, the Dodgers only have left-handers Brett Anderson and Alex Wood in their rotation behind Kershaw. Both Hyun-jin Ryu (shoulder) and Brandon McCarthy (elbow) are recovering from significant injuries and are considered to be wildcards for 2016 in terms of their performance. As the Dodgers survey the market for a top-tier starter, elite free-agent pitchers are being signed at a rapid pace, as Jeff Samardzija, considered one of the best right-handers on the market, signed with the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. After failing to sign Jordan Zimmermann (Tigers) or David Price (Red Sox), the Dodgers' options are limited on the free-agent market, and are currently whittled down to Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, and Hisashi Iwakuma. With the money they would have spent on Greinke, Los Angeles could also pick up a pair of second-tier starters. Yovani Gallardo and Ian Kennedy might be options for that strategy, or a buy-low option on Doug Fister might be feasible as well. However, with the Winter Meetings coming up on Sunday, rumblings that the Dodgers will " dangle outfielders Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson to generate interest " are widespread and suggest Los Angeles might be willing to part ways with their star outfielders in order to acquire a starter. A move of such magnitude would only make sense for the Dodgers if it were for a young, relatively inexpensive starter who will be under team control for a handful of years. Atlanta Braves righty Shelby Miller, whom the Dodgers have been rumored to be interested in , fits that mold perfectly. Despite a 6-17 record with the rebuilding Braves last season, Miller is one of the most promising young pitchers in MLB, and would be a pivotal pickup for the Dodgers not just for the 2016 season, but for many seasons to come, as he's under team control through 2018. While parting ways with Pederson after the potential he displayed in the first half of his rookie season would be a risky deal, landing a significant return for Puig who is considered to be a mercurial figure in the clubhouse, and has found his way into trouble off the field again in addition to his declining performance on the field would be worthwhile for the Dodgers to explore. However, Los Angeles might have to act quickly if it's truly interested in Miller. Being snake-bitten twice might be lethal for the Dodgers' hopes of defending their NL West title. | 1 | 97,023 | sports |
Homes, businesses evacuated and residents asked to shelter in place | 8 | 97,024 | video |
FBI agents took invoices from two gun shops, as well as rounds of ammunition, weapons accessories and an iPhone when they searched the California home of the suspects in the San Bernardino shooting. Those items and others were listed on an FBI evidence receipt left behind at the home of Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik. The invoices do not say what was purchased from Cheaper Than Dirt, which according to its website is a gun discounter based in Fort Worth, and the second online gun shop, Budsgunshop.com. | 5 | 97,025 | news |
Many women are annoyed by their "baby weight," or the weight they gained during pregnancy. According to new research, though, gaining even a moderate amount of weight between first and second pregnancy can pose fatal health risks to newborns. A study involving over 450,000 women suggests gaining weight between pregnancies increases the risk of the baby dying in its first year of life, and increases the risk of stillbirth. On the opposite end of the spectrum, weight loss between pregnancies reduced the likelihood of neonatal death in babies of overweight women. Study author Sven Cnattingius, reproductive epidemiology professor at the Karolina Instituet in Stockholm, said in a press release the implications for public health are "profound." He continued: "Around a fifth of women in our study gained enough weight between pregnancies to increase their risk of stillbirth by 30-50 percent, if they had a health weight during their first pregnancy." The study was based off data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, which collected data from women who gave birth to their first and second children between 1992 and 2012. The findings showed that babies of mothers who gained over 4 BMI (body mass index) units about 11 kilograms for a Swedish woman of average height between pregnancies had about 50 percent greater risk of their baby dying within 4 weeks of life than women who were of stable weight. For mothers with a normal BMI during their first pregnancy, infant death was 27 percent greater for women who gained between 2 and 4 BMI points and 60 percent higher for mothers who gained 4 BMI units or more. In contrast, women who lose at least 6 kg before their second pregnancy had about a 50 percent reduced risk of neonatal death. "The prevalence of overweight and obesity in pregnant women has reached epidemic levels," said study co-author Eduardo Villamor, professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. "More than half of women in the [U.S.] and one in three women in Sweden are either overweight or obese at the start of their pregnancy. Our study findings highlight the importance of educating women about maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy and reducing excess weight before becoming pregnant as a way to improve infant survival." Source: Cnattingius S, Villamor E. Weight change between successive pregnancies and risks of stillbirth and infant mortality: a nationwide cohort study. The Lancet . 2015. | 7 | 97,026 | health |
HOUSTON (AP) -- Temple still has plenty to look forward to despite falling to Houston 24-13 in the inaugural American Athletic Conference championship game on Saturday. The Owls are heading to a bowl game for the first time since 2011 after wrapping up a 10-3 season. "This isn't deflating," Temple coach Matt Rhule said. "This is one of the most positive days in Temple football history. I wish we would have won, but we got down, and our kids fought back. Disappointed, yes, but we are going to play in a bowl game." Greg Ward, Jr. ran for 148 yards and two touchdowns as No. 17 Houston came through with the victory over 20th-ranked Temple. It makes Houston the Group of Five representative, earning the Cougars a trip to either the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl. Houston (12-1) jumped to a 17-0 lead with the help of two turnovers by Temple, one capped by a 47-yard touchdown run by Ward. Temple had a chance to get within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Jeremy Winchester knocked down a pass in the end zone and the Owls settled for a field goal that made it 24-13. They had two more chances to cut the deficit after that, but were stopped on fourth down both times. Temple's star senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich is proud of the turnaround the program has made in just two seasons. "You have to sit down and look at how far we have come," he said. "To go from 2-10 to 6-6 and get to the conference championship, it is an unbelievable experience. It is an unbelievable ride. I just hope the young guys take this to heart to see what they have to do to get over the hump and win the championship." P.J. Walker threw for 287 yards with a touchdown and interception and Robby Anderson had a season-high 150 yards receiving for the Owls. "It's not going to be hard to get ready for the bowl game," Anderson said. "This is a hurtful loss, but we have a lot of accomplishments. We are the first team to make it to the championship." Ward's day gave him 1,041 yards rushing this season, making him the first quarterback in school history to rush for 1,000 yards. It was his fourth 100-yard rushing game and the sixth time he's run for two scores. He was 11 of 21 for 88 yards passing. Ward's second touchdown came on a 10-yard run that made it 24-3 with less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. He was shaken up on the play after being drilled to the turf as he scored. Ward walked off after a couple of minutes and was attended to by medical staff on the sideline, but didn't miss a play. Walker connected with Anderson on a 13-yard touchdown pass that got Temple within 24-10 late in the third quarter. A 39-yard field goal by Austin Jones made it 24-13 early in the fourth. Ward evaded several defenders at the line and darted to the outside before dashing 47 yards for a touchdown that made it 17-0 with about 5 1/2 minutes left in the first half. The scramble was Houston's longest rushing touchdown of the season. The Owls cut the lead to 17-3 with a 40-yard field goal by Austin Jones about two minutes before halftime. Tyus Bowser intercepted Walker on Temple's first possession when he launched the ball under heavy pressure from Elandon Roberts. Javin Webb's 1-yard run on the ensuing possession gave Houston a 7-0 lead. ------ AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org | 1 | 97,027 | sports |
Watch this embarrassing punt from an Ohio high school game. | 1 | 97,028 | sports |
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals have signed cornerback and special teams ace Justin Bethel to a three-year contract extension. The deal, signed Saturday, puts Bethel under contract through the 2018 season. The 25-year-old Bethel made the Pro Bowl as a special teams player the last two seasons. He is to start at cornerback for the injured Jerraud Powers in Sunday's game at St. Louis. A sixth-round draft pick out of Presbyterian in 2012, Bethel has not missed a game since coming to the NFL, appearing in all 59 contests. He has 63 special teams tackles, another 14 tackles on defense, and has blocked three field goals. He got his first career interception earlier this season. --- Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL | 1 | 97,029 | sports |
With just five games left to played and 28 teams within two games of a playoff spot, there will be plenty of drama in the 2015 NFL playoff race. Here are 15 bold predictions. Through 12 weeks and prior to Thursday night's thriller between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers, 28 of the 32 teams were within two games of a playoff spot. That's the most since the league went to its current playoff format in 1990. That also means with just five weeks left in the season, there is still plenty of drama left. Here are 15 bold predictions for the 2015 NFL playoff race. 15. Seattle Seahawks Will Miss The Postseason The Seattle Seahawks have overcome a slow start to their 2015 season and currently sit at 6-5, looking to make the playoffs for the fourth straight season. However, with games against the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals on the road, things could get difficult for the defending NFC champs. 14. Kirk Cousins Will Lead Redskins To NFC East Title Who would have guessed that the Washington Redskins would be leading the NFC East at this point in the season? This may be one of the worst divisions in football, but it's going to be a fight until the very end. With three division games left against the bottom two teams in the division, the Redskins will have the slight advantage over the Giants, who have yet to play the Panthers and Vikings. 13. Carolina Panthers Will Go Undefeated The Carolina Panthers are the lone undefeated team left in the NFL, and there's really no team to stop them from ending the season that way. This is a team that knows it isn't getting the respect it deserves, which has put a chip on the Panthers' shoulder. With games against the Falcons, Saints, Buccaneers and Giants remaining, 16-0 is very doable. The Giants game is on the road, which could make it the only potential spoiler. 12. Green Bay Packers Will Win Out, Win Division, Clinch First-Round Bye Give a team like the Green Bay Packers a little boost of confidence, and the rest of the NFL had better watch out. The Packers have been a different team since starting 6-0, but after their hail-mary comeback victory over the Detroit Lions, they may have gotten the boost they needed to get back on track. The only difficult game remaining on the schedule for them is the Arizona Cardinals on the road. 11. Jameis Winston Will Lead Buccaneers To The Playoffs After going 2-14 just a season ago, it looks like the Buccaneers have found their franchise quarterback and are moving in the right direction. The Buccaneers sit just one game behind Seattle for the final playoff spot. With home games against the Falcons, Saints and Bears, and then two road games against the Rams and Panthers, the Bucs will make a late-season run. 10. Falcons Will Lose Out and Miss Playoffs For Third Straight Year After starting 5-0, the Falcons are 1-6 since. Who would have thought that this team was seconds away from going to the Super Bowl just two seasons ago? The Falcons have games against the Jaguars and Saints remaining, but there is no guarantee that they will come out with a win with the way they are playing. 9. Minnesota Vikings Will Collapse The Minnesota Vikings are riding high atop the NFC North, but that is all about to change. This is a team that benefited from a fairly easy schedule in the first half of the season, and things are about to get a lot tougher. The Vikings have to travel to Green Bay and Arizona, and their remaining games at home are against the Bears, Giants and Seahawks. If the Vikings do make the playoffs, they will certainly be battle-tested. 8. Patriots Will Lock Up No. 1 Seed The New England Patriots may be without their top four weapons, but they still have Tom Brady running the show on offense. They did hit a bump in the road against the Denver Broncos, but even then it took overtime to beat them. With games against the Eagles, Texans, Titans, Jets and Dolphins remaining, it's hard to say the Pats won't win out. 7. Brock Osweiler Will Lead Broncos To A First-Round Bye Broncos coach Gary Kubiak has said this is still Peyton Manning's team, but how can he really go back to Manning after last week's win against the Patriots? Even before his foot injury, Manning looked shaky. The Broncos are looking as good as they have all season with Brock Osweiler under center, and unfortunately for Manning, the Osweiler era in Denver will begin this year with a first-round bye. 6. Oakland Raiders Will Make First Playoff Appearance in 13 Years The ninth-place Oakland Raiders may have finally gotten it right with Amari Cooper and Derek Carr. With two games against fifth-place Kansas City, and a game against the Chargers, the Raiders can make up some ground. The Raiders also have to travel to Denver, and if they can steal that one, they will have a good shot at the postseason. 5. Andrew Luck Will Come Back Just In Time To Save Colts' Season While Matt Hasselbeck is the best untold story of the NFL this season, he is only going to be able to take the Colts so far. With a game against the Steelers on the road this week, the Colts could fall out of first place in the division with a Texans win over the Bills. Luck will come back just in time in the next week or two get the Colts back on track and win the division. 4. Pittsburgh Steelers Will Find A Way Into Playoffs The Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC, but remain on the outside looking in because of tiebreakers. Last week's heartbreaking loss to the Seahawks on the road proved that this is still one of the best teams in the league. With games against the Colts and Broncos at home, and then divisional games against the Ravens and Browns, the Steelers can still find a way in. 3. '72 Miami Dolphins Will Remain Only Undefeated Team in NFL History What the 1972 Miami Dolphins did was incredible and may never be repeated. The Panthers will have a good shot as they could make it out of the regular season undefeated, but it'll get challenging in the playoffs and Super Bowl. 2. Super Bowl 50 Will Be A Rematch Super Bowl 50 will be a rematch of one of the past Super Bowls. Whether it be Cardinals-Steelers, Patriots-Panthers, or Broncos-Packers, the odds are in favor of a rematch, and it couldn't be more perfect for the Super Bowl's 50th anniversary. 1. The Arizona Cardinals Will Win Super Bowl The Arizona Cardinals are one of the most well-rounded and best-coached teams in the NFL. They proved that last season when they made the playoffs with a third-string quarterback. This year, they are healthy and are better than ever. With a top-five defense and offense, the Cardinals are going to be tough to beat this postseason. | 1 | 97,030 | sports |
David Guetta David Guetta is hoping to make an appearance on Rihanna's album. The 'Lovers On The Sun' hitmaker has revealed he put together a ballad for the 'Diamonds' hitmaker's highly-anticipated upcoming album 'ANTI' but admits he's not too sure if it will make the final cut just yet. Speaking to BANG Showbiz at Capital's Jingle Bell Ball with Coca-Cola, he said: "I made one ballad that I know she really liked but you never know until the last minute." The 48-year-old music producer also revealed he feels "honoured" to have recorded a track for the UEFA EURO 2016. He added: "I have this record I did for the UEFA Football club. That is crazy; it is a big honour for me representing my country. "I am always working on my music. I have my new song with Sia and Fetty Wap." And David previously admitted he is "incredibly excited" about the track. He said at the time: "It is incredibly exciting ... to be part of this huge football tournament in my home country. Music and football go hand in hand when it comes to celebration and enjoyment and I want to help to make this EURO the biggest and most memorable yet." David took to the stage during tonight's (12.05.15) Jingle Bell Ball alongside the likes of Coldplay, Ariana Grande and Jess Glynne. Jason Derulo, Nathan Sykes and Years & Years also performed. | 6 | 97,031 | entertainment |
Seattle has the perfect mix of urban and nature. Enjoy these stunning drone images captured by 'AboveSeattle' in this breathtaking video. | 2 | 97,032 | travel |
A homemade planet destroyer. Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET It could be that the Death Star , of Star Wars fame, doesn't only exist in a galaxy far, far away. German inventor and laser fanatic Patrick Priebe equipped a large, disco-ball-size model of the Galactic Empire's planet eraser with enough laser power to actually do some real damage while also intensifying Sith-fueled nightmares worldwide. Priebe isn't a newcomer to the destructive power of lasers. Earlier this year the YouTuber worked up a real-life Iron Man laser glove , which itself seemed kind of like a reworking of another earlier project, his James Bond laser-shooting wristwatch . But this latest homemade masterpiece ups the ante with an array of 14 adjustable lasers that Priebe focuses on the same point to deliver 84 watts of burning energy. In the demonstration below, this scale model of the galaxy's most feared weapon not only sets paper on fire and singes wood and plastic, it also cuts through a thin sheet of steel. The most impressive display, though, comes toward the end of his longer test video , when Priebe focuses his homemade weapon on a small rock, causing it to spark as he chants, "Please don't explode, please don't explode" on the video, posted Thursday. Clearly, Priebe has not yet fully embraced the power of the dark side, but given his aptitude with lasers and fascination with the Empire's weaponry, that's probably a good thing for the rest of us on Earth -- and Alderaan . And needless to say, please don't try this at home, whatever planet that might be. | 5 | 97,033 | news |
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) -- Mark Scheifele got to celebrate his game-winning goal twice. The Jets center scored with 20 seconds left in overtime to lift the Winnipeg Jets over Washington 2-1 on Saturday to end the Capitals' season-high six-game winning streak. BOX SCORE: JETS 2, CAPITALS 1, SO Defenseman Jacob Trouba sent a pass from behind the net to Scheifele, and he fired the puck low past goaltender Braden Holtby on the glove side for his 10th goal of the season. But Washington coach Barry Trotz challenged the goal, thinking Jets forward Blake Wheeler was offside. It was upheld after a review that lasted more than 5 minutes. "It's definitely a mood-killer," Scheifele said. "I was pretty jacked up and then I see them challenge it and then they're looking at it forever. So it definitely kills the mood a little bit, but all in all it's two points." Playing in his third NHL game, and first involving 3-on-3 overtime, Jets rookie Connor Hellebuyck made 37 saves to remain undefeated. "It was pretty exhausting," the 22-year-old goalie said. "For a while there, they were holding (the puck) in. That's just how it goes. They hold it in and then you get a lucky break in the other (end)." Holtby had his career-high eight-game winning streak snapped. He stopped 34 shots. Both teams got power-play goals. Andrew Ladd scored for Winnipeg and Nicklas Backstrom for Washington. The Jets were 1 for 5 with the man advantage and the Caps were 1 for 4, and all the penalties came in the first two periods. "I think it got us out of our rhythm a little bit, the PKs (penalty kills) and what not," Holtby said. "I'm not saying we played a bad game, but we just knew we need to step it up another level if we want to keep winning consistently. "We take a point, we look at it tomorrow and figure out what we can get better at and move on." Wheeler said the reviewed play was close. "I was consciously thinking to stay onside," he said. "That's the worst thing you can do when you have the opportunity coming up the ice with speed is to go offside. So, I know that. "I know I was behind the puck. And from there, I was pretty sure I waited for him to get over the blue line before I tried to kick it into gear. Maybe I just did by a hair." Trotz is still looking for his first coach's challenge win in four attempts this season. "I was pretty confident," Trotz said. "It was right away. You can clearly see his (Wheeler's) foot is up, puck goes over. And I think that was 100 percent when I watched it, or I'm 100 percent sure it was over. "We thought it was (offside) when it was originally live and then you look at the three different angles, it's no question. But, they'll give you an inconclusive statement, I'm sure, protect their guys, but it is what it is." Trotz said the call showcased faults he sees in the NHL's replay system. "It's flawed a little bit," Trotz said. "I mean, they don't want to call that in a hostile building, I'm sure. But you can't have a play like that on a six-inch tablet. You better put it on a big screen and look at it. And then have the people who are making those decisions make that decision. To me, that was a good example of that so, anyway, I don't agree with it. "The league's doing their best to do it right and I'm totally for that, but I don't know how they came up with inconclusive, so it's just my opinion." NOTES Winnipeg heads to Chicago for a Sunday afternoon game. Michael Hutchinson is 4-0-1 against the Blackhawks and is expected to start in net. ... The Capitals ended a three-game Canadian trip that included victories in Montreal and Toronto. They host Detroit on Tuesday night. | 1 | 97,034 | sports |
Virginia vs. William & Mary: #10 Virginia hosted in-state rival William & Mary and had little trouble as the Cavaliers defeated the Tribe 67-52. Tony Bennett's crew made a habit of turning good defense into good offense as the Cavs scored 22 points off of 19 turnovers in the win. Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill led all scorers with 16 points apiece. | 1 | 97,035 | sports |
NEENAH, Wis. (AP) One person has been taken to the hospital after a shooting in a Wisconsin town that prompted police to evacuate nearby homes and businesses. Spokeswoman Megan Mulholland confirms the victim was taken to Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah. She did not know the person's condition. Police say they have evacuated a number of homes and businesses after shots were fired in Neenah. A post on the city police department's Facebook page Saturday morning said that police are monitoring a "high-risk situation." No other details were immediately available. Neenah is about 85 miles northwest of Milwaukee. | 5 | 97,036 | news |
For the first time since being fired as head coach at USC and reportedly entering rehab, Steve Sarkisian was on camera talking about the Trojans. With the Pac-12 title game Saturday night, TMZ Sports wanted to know if Sarkisian would be tuning in to catch his former team. Sarkisian seemed excited about the game . Hopefully, Sarkisian is doing well. | 1 | 97,037 | sports |
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Major League Soccer's board of governors said Saturday that it supports expansion to 28 clubs, and also backed the proposed stadium location in Miami for a future expansion team owned by David Beckham and his partners. The league's current expansion plans call for 24 teams by 2020, with Atlanta, Los Angeles and Minnesota joining in the next three years and Miami taking a step to becoming the 24th team. ''There is no shortage of demand for MLS expansion teams and we believe the opportunity exists to grow beyond our current plans,'' MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. ''We will evaluate how to grow the league to 28 teams and establish a process and timeline for future expansion.'' Beckham's group plans to locate the stadium in Miami's Overtown neighborhood ''Their vision for a world-class venue within the urban core that is accessible by mass transportation is impressive, and we believe it will be an important part of the continued revitalization of the area,'' Garber said. ''We look forward to working with David and his partners to finalize plans to bring Major League Soccer to Miami.'' MLS also said it will take a two-week break from June 2-14 next year for the Copa America Centenario tournament, and noted that all matches during the final weekend of the regular season will be played on the same day and in the same time slot. | 1 | 97,038 | sports |
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Drew Doughty is the only Los Angeles Kings defenseman with much of a reputation around the NHL. His fellow blue-liners showed they're also worth watching during a remarkable second period against Pittsburgh. Jake Muzzin had a goal and two assists during the Kings' four-goal second and Los Angeles held off the Penguins 5-3 Saturday for its third consecutive victory. BOX SCORE: KINGS 5, PENGUINS 3 Defensemen Christian Ehrhoff and Doughty also scored for the first-place Kings, while Milan Lucic scored twice in their fifth straight home win. Los Angeles had just eight goals from its defensemen in its first 24 games, but the Kings added three more while Muzzin matched his career high in points. Already one of the NHL's top defensive teams, the Kings got three goals from defensemen in a game for the first time since 2007, according to Elias Sports Bureau. "I think we don't get much respect in those terms," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "Everybody just talks about Drew, and it just goes down from there. It's something that even after last season we felt that we were top-10 in production from our defense, and that's what we expect." Jonathan Quick made 17 saves to beat Pittsburgh for just the second time in his career, and the Kings scored five goals in a game for the first time this season. Two of the NHL's most effective defensive teams yielded six combined goals in a wild middle period, with Muzzin matching his career high in points over a 10-minute span. "I think we gave up a little too much tonight," Muzzin said. "But as long as we keep finding ways to win, that's what we've got to do. ... Everyone (on the defense) is playing well. Maybe the personnel isn't as highly touted, but the way we play and our character back there is the same." Chris Kunitz had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, who lost in regulation for just the second time in eight games. Sidney Crosby had a third-period goal and an assist, and Olli Maatta scored in his return from a six-game injury absence. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots in the second stop on a four-game West Coast trip for Pittsburgh, which had won three straight in Los Angeles. Even with the previous three days off, the Penguins started slowly. "You expect good starts from (the Kings)," Crosby said. "You expect them to be physical. I just thought it took us a while to get our feet under us and get the compete mentality that you need against a physical team like that. We got to it eventually, but it wasn't something that we established early on. It was too little, too late." Doughty started it with his fourth goal of the season just 4 seconds into a power play. The Norris Trophy finalist has scored goals in consecutive regular-season games for the first time since Oct. 19-21, 2013. Ehrhoff, who played 49 games for Pittsburgh last season, added his first goal for the Kings with a well-placed shot from a setup by Marian Gaborik. Lucic then scored his eighth goal off the rush. Kunitz answered with his fourth goal 23 seconds later from the slot, but Muzzin was left unmarked for his second goal of the season just 58 seconds after that. Maatta scored late in the second, and Crosby deflected home his sixth goal of the season early in the third. "I don't think we were good enough today as a team," Maatta said. "Everybody has to do a better job of competing and winning those puck battles." Gaborik earned a penalty shot with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, but Fleury stopped him. Lucic added an empty-netter for his first multigoal game with his new team. NOTES The teams meet again Friday in Pittsburgh. ... Fleury shut out the Kings twice last season. ... Kings F Trevor Lewis sat out with an upper-body injury. In his place, Jordan Weal suited up for just the fourth time all season. ... Penguins D Letang sat out with an undisclosed injury. | 1 | 97,039 | sports |
LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A man wielding a knife slashed a man in an east London metro station on Saturday, reportedly screaming "this is for Syria", before police used a stun gun to subdue him in what they described as a terrorist incident. A pool of blood near the ticket barriers at the Leytonstone Underground station, about six miles (10 km) east of central London, could be seen in footage posted on Twitter that also showed the suspect confronting officers at just after 1900 GMT. Police said initial reports indicated the man, believed to be aged 29, had also threatened other bystanders. One 56-year-old man suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. Two other people had minor injuries, police said. "We are treating this as a terrorist incident," Richard Walton, who leads the Counter Terrorism Command at London's Metropolitan Police, said in a statement. An eyewitness quoted by The Guardian and other British newspapers said the attacker appeared to claim that he was retaliating for Western attacks on Islamist militants in Syria. Police declined to comment on those reports and it was not immediately possible to independently verify them. The Leytonstone incident will draw parallels with the May 2013 murder of British army soldier Lee Rigby, who was hacked to death just south of the Thames River by two Muslim converts. Britain is on its second-highest alert level of "severe", meaning a militant attack is considered highly likely, mainly because of the threat posed by Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq who are encouraging supporters to attack the West. After Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the attacks on Paris last month that killed 130 people, British Prime Minister David Cameron won approval from lawmakers on Wednesday to bomb the Islamist group in Syria. British warplanes first bombed oil fields controlled by Islamic State on Thursday. THREAT TO BRITAIN? Cameron said air strikes would not increase the chances of an attack on Britain, since militants already viewed Britain as a top target with seven plots foiled over the past year. An eyewitness to the knife attack was quoted as saying the attacker had screamed about Syria. "I just saw a lot of people running but I ignored it and kept walking to get my train, but suddenly what I saw, I couldn't believe my eyes and what I saw was a guy with a knife," the Guardian quoted an eyewitness as saying. "As he was coming out this is what he said: 'This is what happens when you f*** with mother Syria, all of your blood will be spilled.'" Such apparently random attacks are extremely difficult to thwart because they require relatively little planning and very basic equipment. In 2013, Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale ran over Fusilier Rigby near Woolwich Barracks before setting upon him with knives and a meat cleaver in an attempt to behead him. They asked bystanders to film them with bloodied hands, calmly justifying their actions as a response to Britain's foreign policy. They were jailed for life last year. British security services say about two-thirds of their time is spent countering international militants, much of that connected to Syria. Britain's worst militant Islamist attack came in July 2005, when 52 people were killed by suicide bombs on underground trains and a bus. A beach attack in Tunisia in June this year killed 30 British holidaymakers, the biggest loss of British lives in such an incident since the July 2005 bombings. Islamic State said on Saturday that the married couple who killed 14 people in a mass shooting in California, which U.S. authorities are investigating as an act of terrorism, were followers of the militant group. (Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Chizu Nomiyama) | 5 | 97,040 | news |
It's difficult to remember the previous time the Carolina Panthers lost a regular-season game. It sure wasn't this season. They are the lone remaining unbeaten after New England went down at Denver last weekend. The Panthers (11-0) have a realistic shot at repeating the Patriots' achievement of 2007, winning all 16 regular-season outings. When they visit New Orleans on Sunday where their 15-game string began last season the Panthers can clinch the NFC South with a victory. New Orleans (4-7) has dropped three in a row and can't stop anyone, a far cry from Carolina's D. "Obviously, their defense is tops in the league," says Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, who is close: Carolina ranks second. "They're playing well. They're playing very aggressive football, very physical football. They are the main reason why they are 11-0. ... Their defensive line does a good job of creating pressure, they move around a lot. Their linebackers obviously get to the football, and they wreak havoc." The Panthers are plus-16 in turnover margin and have 28 takeaways. That havoc has translated to the offense, too. Cam Newton running and throwing, Greg Olsen catching, Jonathan Stewart rushing it's been a potent combination lately. "It's just guys are making plays when their numbers are called," Newton says. "There is no magic dust or anything that is special. It is just guys finding a way to win football games." The action began Thursday night with Green Bay's stunning 27-23 victory at Detroit. Aaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Richard Rodgers with no time left to lift the Packers (8-4) past the Lions (4-8). Green Bay got the untimed down after Detroit defensive end Devin Taylor was called for grabbing Aaron Rodgers' facemask on a tackle on what would've been the last play. Seattle (6-5) at Minnesota (8-3) Perhaps the feature presentation of the weekend, with the Seahawks finally above .500 and thinking they can stage a surge similar to last season's, which landed them in the Super Bowl. Seattle's offense has begun to crank up with Thomas Rawls at running back instead of injured Marshawn Lynch, and Doug Baldwin emerging as a No. 1 receiver. But tight end Jimmy Graham (knee) is done after getting hurt in last week's victory over Pittsburgh, when Russell Wilson threw for a career-best five touchdowns. "We're not going to change," coach Pete Carroll said of losing Graham. "We didn't really change when Jimmy got here. We just wanted to get the football there." Minnesota is for real, rebounding from a home loss to Green Bay with a solid win at Atlanta. Adrian Peterson once more is the league's best runner, and the defense is formidable. Philadelphia (4-7) at New England (10-1) New England remains formidable despite its injury woes, and a victory against the reeling Eagles, combined with a Jets loss, finishes off the AFC East race. Of most interest here could be who Tom Brady targets with his throws. Wondering if the Patriots have calls into Irving Fryar and Stanley Morgan to help their ailing receiving group? Philly has dropped three straight and four of five as questions about coach Chip Kelly's offseason moves and future with the Eagles become louder. Denver (9-2) at San Diego (3-8) The Broncos' impressive rally in handing the Patriots their first loss has gotten attention throughout the NFL in part because of who started it. Brock Osweiler seems to have learned his lessons well from Peyton Manning, who remains on the mend. Denver's defense is its sharpest tool right now, which is a good thing considering how formidable San Diego's Philip Rivers has been. Despite a slew of injuries to the offense, Rivers ranks seventh in passer rating and has thrown 23 touchdowns to eight interceptions. Kansas City (6-5) at Oakland (5-6) Some juice has been added to this long and often nasty rivalry with both teams in contention for a wild card. Kansas City's five-game winning string has been built on stingy defense, mistake-free passing by Alex Smith, a solid running game even with Jamaal Charles sidelined, and good coaching. The Raiders also have some dynamic offensive options David Carr, Latavius Murray, Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper but their defense isn't nearly as fearsome as KC's. Arizona (9-2) at St. Louis (4-7) The all-time series between the current inhabitants of St. Louis for how long? and the former is deadlocked at 36-36-2. Arizona fell at home to St. Louis in Week 4, when rookie Todd Gurley made his first start and ran for 146 yards. But these Rams are struggling, their pass offense going nowhere. They have dropped four in a row, yet are 3-0 within the NFC West. For St. Louis to have any chance, it must get a big pass rush on Carson Palmer, the NFL's No. 2 passer behind Brady. Cincinnati (9-2) at Cleveland (2-9) A playoff berth is within reach for the Bengals, who need a win over the hapless Browns and losses by Houston, Indianapolis and the Jets as the most clear entry point. There are others. But the Bengals are one game behind for overall AFC home-field advantage, and Cleveland certainly is no place to stumble. The Browns chose Austin Davis over Johnny Manziel as the starting quarterback with Josh McCown on injured reserve. What does that say about Johnny Football's future in Cleveland? New York Jets (6-5) at New York Giants (5-6) Ask each team about archrivals and there's not likely to be much mention of this matchup. Fans in the Big Apple are far more intrigued. The Giants have won the past five meetings, taking the past two, in 2007 and 2011, on the way to NFL titles. They don't seem headed on the same path and come off an awful performance at Washington. Still, they are tied atop the NFC East with the Redskins. The Jets have the good fortune of this being a "road game," and a win would re-establish their wild-card credentials. Dallas (3-8) at Washington (5-6), Monday night Now THIS is a rivalry game, one of the most intense in the NFL. Washington has two meetings left with Dallas, which of course won't have Tony Romo and is winless without its top quarterback. That alone could decide the mediocre NFC East. Dallas' Jason Witten needs two catches to become the second tight end with 1,000 catches, joining Tony Gonzalez. The Redskins have won their past five home games. Atlanta (6-5) at Tampa Bay (5-6) Talk about struggling teams, the Falcons reeled off five wins to begin 2015 and are 1-5 since. Matt Ryan's inability to protect the ball and bad decision making have haunted Atlanta, even with Julio Jones having a sensational season. Jones leads the NFL with 94 catches for 1,245 yards and he batters the Bucs: a 147.3-yard per game average. The Buccaneers are going for the first season sweep of this series since 2007. Doug Martin is second in the league in rushing behind Adrian Peterson with 1,038 yards. Indianapolis (6-5) at Pittsburgh (6-5) Matt Hasselbeck is making quite a statement for the fortysomethings. He is 4-0 filling in for the injured Andrew Luck. No quarterback in league history has won five straight starts at age 40 or older. He is as responsible as anyone for Indy's turnaround to a tie for the top spot in the AFC South. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger removed himself late from the loss to Seattle last Sunday, and he either was concussed (as coach Mike Tomlin has said) or has had migraines (as Big Ben has said). Houston (6-5) at Buffalo (5-6) Like the Colts, AFC South co-leader Houston has a difficult road assignment. And like the Colts, the Texans have been playing some solid football, led by a defense that is peaking behind star end J.J. Watt. He leads the league with 13 1-2 sacks and seems to be everywhere on the field. The Bills, on the other hand, have not made the big statements expected of a Rex Ryan defense. Worth watching will be the production of two former Clemson wideouts who have become their teams top receiving options: Houston's DeAndre Hopkins and Buffalo's Sammy Watkins. San Francisco (3-8) at Chicago (5-6) The job John Fox and his staff have done in resurrecting the Bears has been somewhat stunning considering how awful they were in September. Yet here they are with an outside chance at a wild-card berth. Four of Chicago's five remaining games are against teams with losing records: San Francisco, Washington, Tampa Bay, Detroit (4-7). The exception is at Minnesota on Dec. 20. The 49ers have lost all five road games. Baltimore (4-7) at Miami (4-7) Two of the NFL's biggest disappointments. Baltimore has a big edge here in that Ravens coach John Harbaugh is 5-0 against the Dolphins. His defense has sacked Ryan Tannehill 12 times in two meetings. Miami has become pass happy. It throws 67 percent of the time, the highest rate in the league. And the Dolphins rank 31st in third-down conversions at 28 percent. They're even worse on fourth downs, 27 percent (4 for 15). Jacksonville (4-7) at Tennessee (2-9) The Titans remain winless at home, a streak now at 11; the previous win was in 2014 over the Jaguars. The only race they are in is for the top overall draft choice. But they've been relatively competitive and they do have their quarterback of the future in Marcus Mariota. As does Jacksonville in Blake Bortles. He has 22 TD throws and needs two to pass David Garrard (23 in 2010) for the franchise's single-season record. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL | 1 | 97,041 | sports |
Martin Shkreli was trying to explain himself, so he turned to YouTube. In the conference room at Turing Pharmaceuticals, the company he heads, his fingers flew across a laptop keyboard, and up popped a YouTube video on a large wall screen. It was a heartfelt appeal from three young brothers in North Dakota who suffer from a degenerative and often fatal brain condition. "Only 300 people in the country have this disease," Mr. Shkreli said. Why show the video? "I invented a new drug," to treat the disease, he said, shrugging nonchalantly. "But it's hard to sell a drug for 300 people, to go through the process. You have to charge a lot per person to make it a viable product." Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter His point was that new drugs especially for rare conditions don't come cheap and someone has to pay for them. This is more truism than earth-shattering revelation. But Mr. Shkreli has become a public villain for twisting that notion to apply to a decades-old drug that Turing merely acquired. By raising the price of that drug overnight to $750 a pill from $13.50, Mr. Shkreli became a caricature of pharmaceutical industry greed. A former hedge fund manager, Mr. Shkreli drew the wrath of consumers, became a talking point in the presidential campaign, and spurred federal and state inquiries as well as a dialogue about how and whether to control rising drug prices. As proof of Mr. Shkreli's toxicity, Bernie Sanders rejected his $2,700 campaign donation, turning it over to a health clinic instead. And in a sharp slap, just Tuesday, Express Scripts, the largest pharmacy benefit manager , endorsed the use of a compounded alternative to Daraprim, the $750 pill. That treatment will sell for about $1 a pill . Mr. Shkreli's price increase is likely to take another pummeling at a Senate committee hearing investigating skyrocketing drug prices next Wednesday. Rather than cower as he takes a beating, Mr. Shkreli seems to relish his time in the ring. He taunts his critics on Twitter or wherever he can. (Mr. Shkreli on Bernie Sanders to Fox Business Network: "I don't think he understands pharmaceuticals at all.") Most recently, he live-streamed hours of himself at his desk, talking to co-workers and viewers about medical research and investments and tapping at his computer (action high point: hair-twirling). Last month, he and a group of investors took a large stake in another drug company. He sparred contemptuously with an executive of Express Scripts at a recent Forbes conference. And he still has time to occasionally post pictures of cats rolling in cash on Twitter. In Turing's Manhattan offices last Tuesday, Mr. Shkreli, 32, wore a simple black T-shirt and dark jeans and seemed less brash than his public persona, but no less boastful. That Mr. Shkreli's elfin features are now the face of pharmaceutical greed is fine with him. While he contended that he receives little compensation from his companies, he proudly noted that he has become quite wealthy thanks to his investments. Even before the Daraprim price increase, his business practices had come under scrutiny. He acknowledged the regulatory and criminal investigations into claims of wrongdoing at hedge funds he once controlled as well as at Retrophin, the public pharmaceutical company he ran and from which he was expelled. But he was dismissive of their importance. He also dismissed critics of the Daraprim price increase, saying his biggest duty is to his investors. He recounted how, at dinner the previous night, a hedge fund investor in the privately held Turing had "beat the crap out of me" for not raising a drug price more. Besides, he said, returning to his theme: The high price on the drug Turing sells is a way to raise enough revenue to develop new medicines for debilitating illnesses. Critics say that if Turing wants to develop new drugs, it should use money from investors, like most biotech start-ups do, not burden existing patients and hospitals. "This is a stupid investment," said Dr. Carlos del Rio, a professor at Emory University and chairman of the HIV Medicine Association, referring to Turing's $55 million purchase of the Daraprim rights. "They paid a fortune for it, and now they have to recover their money." For Mr. Shkreli, money isn't the sole motivation. His name is on two patents held by his former company, Retrophin, for drugs to treat the degenerative brain disease afflicting those North Dakota brothers. He says he's working on "an even better version" of the drug at Turing. He's doing this, he added, "partly to spite my old company." Then he gave a cheeky grin. Mr. Shkreli was an indifferent student in high school and studied business in college. Yet almost anyone who knows him will remark on his ability to practically memorize medical journals and textbooks, accumulating an encyclopedic knowledge of drugs and diseases that interest him. "Martin is the smartest guy in the room at all times," said someone who worked closely with him on Wall Street. This person was reluctant to discuss Mr. Shkreli at all during a phone call, but did say, "The guy's intellect is unparalleled." His brilliance does not preclude him from sometimes behaving like an immature teenager. "He's driven by ambition to let people know that Martin Shkreli's made it," said an early investor in his first public company, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relations in the industry. "The affirmation is as important to him as the financial success." Mr. Shkreli grew up in a small apartment on Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn with his three siblings and parents, immigrants from Albania who, he said, worked janitorial and other odd jobs. Neighbors say the family kept to itself. Mr. Shkreli was clearly bright. He was admitted into Hunter College High School, an elite Manhattan public school for the intellectually gifted. But former classmates said he was more interested in chess and playing electric guitar in a band, Coney Island Whitefish, named, he said, after a Joan Jett song. He stopped attending classes and was asked to leave before his senior year. "At the school, the difference between an A and an A-minus was significant," Mr. Shkreli said. "So I said, 'How about I get a bunch of F's?'" "I didn't like the conformity of the school," Mr. Shkreli said, "the expectations." Mr. Shkreli received the credits needed for his high school degree though a program that also placed him in an internship at the Wall Street hedge fund Cramer, Berkowitz & Company. He took classes at Baruch College, worked briefly for a Wall Street investment bank and then, in his early 20s, started his own hedge fund, Elea Capital, using a couple of million dollars he obtained from an investor. Elea met its demise in 2007, when Mr. Shkreli made a $2.6 million bet that the stock market would decline. It didn't. At least not at the right time for him. "I learned a lot about using leverage, the perils of leverage," Mr. Shkreli said. "Back then, this was almost 10 years ago, I was rushing to succeed. I made a monster bet that the market would crash, and I was wrong." The lesson didn't sink in right away, as Mr. Shkreli kept taking big risks. Despite Elea's failure, Mr. Shkreli was able to attract enough money to start a second, bigger hedge fund, MSMB Capital. In 2011, while still running MSMB, Mr. Shkreli started Retrophin, which adopted a business strategy that had been used by other companies like Questcor Pharmaceuticals and Valeant Pharmaceuticals. It acquired old, neglected drugs, usually for rare diseases, and raised their prices to be closer to those of modern drugs. Retrophin, for instance, raised the price of Thiola, used to treat a disease that causes kidney stones, to $30 a pill from $1.50. Mr. Shkreli said that higher prices made the supply more secure and were better for patients because they gave the company the financial wherewithal to educate doctors about the diseases and possible treatments. Many cases of cystinuria, the disease Thiola treats, are undiagnosed, he has said. But there was discord within the company. On Sept. 30, 2014, Retrophin announced that its board had replaced Mr. Shkreli, effective immediately. A lawsuit filed by Retrophin this summer illuminates some of the strife. According to the suit, which seeks $65 million in damages, when the MSMB hedge fund ran into trouble on a bad bet in the market, Mr. Shkreli began an elaborate shell game, using Retrophin cash and assets to pay off discontented MSMB investors. Retrophin also disclosed in regulatory filings that it had received a subpoena relating to an investigation by the Justice Department into Mr. Shkreli's transactions. In an emailed statement, a spokesman for Retrophin said that the board replaced Mr. Shkreli "because of serious concerns about his conduct" and that a subsequent investigation "identified substantial self-dealing and breaches of fiduciary duty." When asked about the lawsuit, Mr. Shkreli waved his hand dismissively. "It's rife with inaccuracies," he said, adding it contained "vile accusations." As with other setbacks, Mr. Shkreli's ouster from Retrophin did not seem to impair his ability to start something new, in this case Turing. The company announced in August that it had raised $90 million, an unusually high amount for a first round of financing for a biotech company. Mr. Shkreli says he owns about half of the company. He would not reveal the other investors, but people on Wall Street say they include some hedge funds that made a lot of money on Retrophin. Turing's first big move was the one that made Mr. Shkreli notorious. He paid $55 million for the American marketing rights for Daraprim, a 62-year-old drug for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be devastating for babies and people with AIDS. The immediate price increase brought the cost of a course of treatment for some patients to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Shkreli could do this because in the United States, unlike many other countries, there are no drug price controls. Daraprim is so old that it no longer has patent protection. A generic company could sell a lower-priced copy, but revenues from the drug were so small, until now, that no generic company was interested, and it would take a few years for one to get regulatory approval. Moreover, at both Retrophin and Turing, Mr. Shkreli has tightly controlled distribution of the drugs, making it difficult for generic companies to obtain the samples they need for testing. The New York State Attorney General's office has asked Turing about this, saying it may violate antitrust laws . Many proposals have been made for reining in drug prices, but they face opposition, particularly from the pharmaceutical industry. One that the Obama administration favors, but which is now prohibited by law, is to let Medicare negotiate with drug companies, using its huge buying power to wring discounts. Another idea is to allow imports of drugs from Canada and other places where prices are far lower. Last month, the Republican senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and John McCain of Arizona urged the administration to allow imports, particularly in cases like Daraprim, though they did not name that drug, in which a company has acquired the American marketing rights and jacked up the price but the drug remains available at a lower price abroad. At first, in response to the outrage over the increase, Mr. Shkreli said he would lower the price. But he never lowered the list price of Daraprim, instead saying that Turing would offer discounts of up to 50 percent to hospitals. He now says the extra money will be used to develop better drugs for toxoplasmosis and other diseases. The company has begun a clinical trial of a drug for severe forms of epilepsy. "Haters, please tell me about the latest in apicomplexa genetic drift," Mr. Shkreli posted on Twitter to counter skeptics who say that a new drug for toxoplasmosis is not needed. "You are all Protozoa experts equipped to judge and advise me, right?" Mr. Shkreli said that he made virtually no money from his hedge funds, but that his Turing stake and the $100 million he said he made selling Retrophin stock after he left made him very rich. Plus, he said he pocketed $30 million to $40 million this year selling short the stock of two companies, Celladon and Vital Therapies, whose products failed in clinical trials. This year, he flew some Turing employees to Las Vegas to watch a boxing match. In late November, Mr. Shkreli led a group of investors that acquired 70 percent of KaloBios, a biotechnology company that days earlier had announced it would shut down because its drugs had failed in clinical trials and it was running out of cash. Mr. Shkreli, who said he saw promise in one of KaloBios's experimental drugs, was named chief executive, and several other Turing executives were also appointed to top posts at KaloBios. While the two companies are being run separately, Mr. Shkreli said on Thursday that KaloBios was "exploring opportunities" with Turing. Shares of KaloBios, which were selling for a dollar or two when Mr. Shkreli bought them, are now above $30. Still, it is likely to be a few years before Retrophin, Turing or KaloBios gets a new drug to market. Until then, it will be hard to say if Mr. Shkreli really is good at developing new drugs or just exploiting old ones. Seemingly secure in his wealth, Mr. Shkreli has started putting money toward philanthropy. (He also collects arcana, including a credit card formerly owned by the Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and Enigma encoding machines.) Earlier this year, he started the Shkreli Foundation, run by his sister Leonora, which he said has given more than $3 million to various causes. Dr. David Feifel, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, is also a recipient. He said Mr. Shkreli contacted him out of the blue two years ago and later donated $100,000 to help with his research on new treatments for depression. "He's more complex than the cartoon character," Dr. Feifel said. The foundation also gave a $1 million gift to Hunter College High School. Was this a way of showing he had made it, despite not graduating? "Maybe. Maybe that's right," Mr. Shkreli said, nodding thoughtfully. "That you could do it, doing it your own way." He added that he was considering an even bigger donation of $5 million or more. Some alumni have started a campaign to raise $1 million so the school can return Mr. Shkreli's donation. He smiled at that. "Fine. Let them do it. Whatever," he said. "But can they raise $5 million?" | 3 | 97,042 | finance |
'Campaigns with video raise 115 percent more money than ones without,' says crowdfunding expert Sally Outlaw. | 3 | 97,043 | finance |
In four years, Terry Pegula has taken the Buffalo Sabres from a solid, well-supported organization into one of hockey's most powerful franchises. When Terry and Kim Pegula purchased the Sabres in 2011, one of their major goals was to transform Buffalo from a small-market city with a solid fanbase into Hockey Heaven. At the time, it seemed as far-fetched for Buffalo to surpass cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Pittsburgh as a hockey power players as did Pegula's promise that the Sabres would win the Stanley Cup in three years or less. With the recent announcement that Buffalo will become the first American city to host back-to-back IIHF World Junior Championships in 2018, and that the crown jewel of the tournament would be an outdoor game between the USA and Canada at Ralph Wilson Stadium, it's clear that the Pegulas have accomplished their goal. The Sabres and the city of Buffalo are now one of the premier power players not only in the NHL, but in the world of hockey. Since taking over as owners, the Sabres and the city of Buffalo have hosted or been awarded the following events: the 2016 NHL Draft , the 2015 and 2016 NHL Draft Combines, the USA All-American Prospects Game, the U-18 Women's World Championships, the Sledge Hockey World Championships, an NWHL team in the Buffalo Beauts, and now the 2018 World Juniors. Essentially every major organization in men's and women's professional and junior hockey has decided to host a premiere event in Buffalo over the past few years, and the city has rolled out the red carpet each and every time to make those events not only special, but successful. Hockey Heaven, indeed. The Pegulas and the city of Buffalo, with all of the economic growth they've encouraged over the past few years, the completion of the HARBORCenter complex, and the successful track record in hosting they've shown since taking over the Sabres, have proven that they are now among the NHL's most powerful and influential owners. The Sabres are expected to make a play for an upcoming NHL All-Star Game and the 2018 Winter Classic to coincide with the outdoor World Junior game, and I'd be surprised if they didn't get one or both of those events, thanks to the Pegula family's combination of classiness and wealthiness, each of which seems to be endless. From the disaster of the Rigas family to being owned by the NHL to Tom Golisano's unwillingness to spend, the Sabres ownership situation has been underwhelming, to say the least, for the 20 years before the Pegulas. But now that Buffalo has one of the NHL's power players at the helm, the reality of Hockey Heaven has arrived in Buffalo, and it's here to stay. | 1 | 97,044 | sports |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A white piece of tape ran down the back of a black folding chair on the Syracuse sideline Saturday, with the words "COACH" and "BOEHEIM" written in black ink. That seat remained empty throughout the game. And instead of the suspended Hall of Fame coach yelling at his players or pleading with officials, assistant Mike Hopkins was in charge of the Orange for the first time. BOX SCORE: GEORGETOWN 79, SYRACUSE 72 With Jim Boeheim beginning his nine-game NCAA ban, and Hopkins filling in, No. 14 Syracuse lost 79-72 to old rival Georgetown, thanks in large part to senior center Bradley Hayes' career-high 21 points. "He's always with us, at the end of the day. He built us. Built the program," Hopkins said about his boss, then paused, eyes red and welling with tears. "I wanted this one for him tonight." Michael Gbinije scored 23 points for Syracuse (6-2), which has dropped two straight games, including being beaten at home by Wisconsin on Wednesday. The Orange trailed by as many as 21 points against Georgetown (4-3) in the schools' first meeting since Syracuse left the Big East for the Atlantic Coast Conference after the 2012-13 season -- and Boeheim, as associated with his team as any coach in college basketball, was nowhere to be found. The game was played two days after the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee upheld the suspension of Boeheim but decided he would begin serving it immediately -- during non-conference action. A March ruling said the suspension should be served during ACC play. The 71-year-old Boeheim will miss six non-conference games and three ACC games, returning to coach the Orange against North Carolina on Jan. 9. He cannot be around his team during the suspension. "Imagine, all of a sudden, someone came and said that you can't talk to your father for a month. And they lived down the street. ... That's tough," said Hopkins, who played for Boeheim, has been his assistant coach for 20 years, and in June was designated as his successor. "But we'll get through it. We've been through a lot. Coach Boeheim is one of the greatest people when dealing with adversity. As a coach, coaching my first game, not the ideal situation," Hopkins continued. "I would love to be able to call him and ask him what he thought, as a mentor." Georgetown coach John Thompson III said about Hopkins: "He's prepared. He knows what to do." Other than Hopkins' role, not much looked different about Syracuse. There was the familiar 2-3 zone, for example, except when some full-court pressure helped trim the deficit as low as six points in the final minute. "We're not looking to change anything," Gbinije said. "We're just going to keep doing what we were doing before Coach Hop was basically the head coach. We still run the same sets. Same defense. Same players." Isaac Copeland scored 14 points, and freshman Marcus Derrickson added 13 points and 10 rebounds for Georgetown. The Hoyas led 36-24 at halftime, and Hayes capped an 11-2 run that made it 47-26 with a three-point play, successfully putting in a follow-up off an offensive rebound on his third try. "Just dug ourselves too big of a hole," Hopkins said. COONEY'S SHOOTING Syracuse G Trevor Cooney was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting. RENEWING RIVALRIES In addition to facing Syracuse again, the Hoyas' loss to Maryland on Nov. 17 was those nearby schools' first regular-season meeting since 1993. "We all understand how much history Georgetown and Syracuse has," Hayes said. Noted Cooney: "Felt like a Big East game to me." MR. IMPROVEMENT Hayes never had scored more than eight points until this season. He had 19 in an opening loss to Radford, then topped that Saturday. "He will have a lot more moments like today," Thompson said, "before this year is over." TIP-INS Syracuse: The Orange have lost five of their past seven games against Georgetown. Georgetown: After starting 0-2 for the first time since 1998, the Hoyas have won four of their last five games, with the only loss to defending national champion Duke. UP NEXT Syracuse hosts Colgate on Tuesday. Georgetown hosts Brown on Monday. ------ Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich | 1 | 97,045 | sports |
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) -- Brandon Doughty finished off his final home game for Western Kentucky with something he didn't believe was possible when he came to the school in 2011 -- a conference championship. Doughty threw for 410 yards with three touchdown passes and Western Kentucky came from behind to defeat Southern Mississippi 45-28 in the Conference USA Championship Game on Saturday. "This is just the start of our program. Winning a conference championship, I would have never thought we would have done it five or six years ago. But we did it today and it's just the start," Doughty said. Doughty finished with 34 completions in 52 attempts, shaking off a first-half interception that helped put the East Division champion Hilltoppers in a 14-point first-half hole. "I don't think we were executing early in the game. We kind of got away from it and got caught up in the moment a little bit. We had to settle down a little bit, myself included," Doughty said. The Hilltoppers (11-2, 8-0) trailed 21-7 at the 9:46 mark of the first half and 28-21 early in the third quarter before scoring 24 unanswered points to put the game away and claim their first C-USA championship. Western Kentucky joined the conference two years ago. "This is what we were shooting for, the conference championship," Hilltoppers coach Jeff Brohm said. "Last week (against Marshall) was big for us. We got the win and got to advance to the conference championship game. To me this was our Super Bowl. "I feel great about what we've accomplished to this point, and our reward is to go to a bowl game and see if we can add to it." The Hilltoppers find out Sunday what bowl invitation they will receive. Taywan Taylor had eight catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns for WKU. Nick Mullins was 15 of 30 for 181 yards with a touchdown for Southern Miss, but threw three costly interceptions. Western Kentucky scored on its first possession of the game on Doughty's 5-yard touchdown pass to Antwane Grant, but the Golden Eagles (9-4, 7-1) scored 21 straight points to take a two-score lead in the second quarter. Southern Miss benefited from two short Western Kentucky punts, getting the football at the WKU 45 and going five plays for a score with Jalen Richard capping the drive from two yards away to tie the game. On the next series, Southern Miss took over at the Hilltopper 32 and scored six plays later on Michael Thomas' 5-yard touchdown reception from Mullens. The Golden Eagles built on their lead when Kalan Reed intercepted Doughty's pass and returned it 40 yards for a score. But the Hilltoppers scored two touchdowns in the final 2:52 of the first half to tie the game. Western Kentucky first went 75 yards in 19 plays, with Doughty scoring on a 3-yard scramble to cut into the Southern Miss lead. Then, with 1:11 to go, the Hilltoppers took possession at their own 3. Doughty marched Western Kentucky downfield, getting the tying touchdown on a 2-yard pass to Taylor with 11 seconds in the half. Southern Mississippi regained the lead on its first possession of the second half. Ito Smith broke through the line and raced 37 yards to put the Eagles up 28-21. Western Kentucky answered with Garrett Schwettman's 37-yard field goal to cut the lead to 28-24. On the ensuing possession, Hilltoppers cornerback Wonderful Terry picked off Mullins' pass and returned it to his own 33. From there, WKU took the lead, going 67 yards in five plays with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Doughty to Taylor, putting Western Kentucky ahead for good with 1:19 to play in the third. The Hilltoppers continued to pad the lead as Doughty hit Taylor on a 54-yard pass that set up Andre Ferby's 2-yard touchdown to push the lead to 38-28. Ferby then capped another touchdown drive with 5:01 to play to ice the game. "We got worn out in the second half -- our defense did," Southern Miss coach Todd Monken said. "We weren't able to move the football like we are capable of. We got out-coached. We got out-played today. That's the way it is. But, I am proud of our team. We've come a long way." | 1 | 97,046 | sports |
The Seattle Seahawks placed second-year wide receiver Paul Richardson on injured reserve on Saturday, ending his season. Running back DuJuan Harris was elevated from the team's practice squad to take Richardson's spot on the 53-man active roster. The team's top pick in the 2014 draft, Richardson played in just one game during the 2015 season after spending the first eight weeks of the campaign on the team's physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The 23-year-old caught just one ball for 40 yards in second quarter of the Seahawks' Week 10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 15, exiting with a hamstring injury after the catch. MRIs after that game revealed damage to the hamstring, but Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said that Richardson thought he might be able to return to practice in the couple of weeks following the injury. As recently as Wednesday, Carroll said Richardson had a "great shot" to play in Sunday's matchup versus the Minnesota Vikings. But the optimistic tone shifted sharply on Friday, when Carroll said the injury simply wasn't responding to treatment the way the team had hoped. "His hamstring just isn't coming back," Carroll told reporters before the team left for Minnesota. "We're just disappointed. Maybe he can continue to get back. It's just lingered a bit." Visit seattlepi.com for more Seattle Seahawks news . Contact sports reporter Stephen Cohen at [email protected] or @scohenPI . | 1 | 97,047 | sports |
Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have found that gene therapy can safely rebuild the immune systems of older children, adolescents, and young adults with a rare immunodeficiency disorder. The disorder, called X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1), is caused by mutations in the IL2RG gene and primarily affects males. It prevents infection-fighting immune cells from developing correctly; this means patients are highly susceptible to life-threatening infections. The research is set to be presented by Dr. Suk See De Ravin of the NIAID at The American Society of Hematology 57th Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla. Currently, stem cell transplants (ideally from a genetically-matched sibling donor) are the only lifesaving treatment for infants with SCID-X1. If a sibling match is unavailable, the baby can receive stem cells from a parent, but it will only partially restore immunity. Regardless of where stem cells come from, patients receiving these procedures still need lifelong treatment and may experience complex medical problems, including chronic infections. In the latest study, researchers examined the safety and effectiveness of gene therapy in combination with low-dose chemotherapy in five sCID-X1 patients. The patients were between age 7 and 24, and were all experiencing worsening immune systems despite previous transplants from a parent. The scientists began by removing stem cells from the participants' bone marrow, then used a lentiviral vector to deliver a normal IL2RG gene to the cells. The cells were then inserted back into the patient after low-dose chemo, which helped the stem cells establish themselves and start producing new blood cells. According to a press release , two of the patients who received the therapy showed significant improvements in immunity and clinical status, with one patient still showing improvement three years after therapy. The other patient, despite making improvements in immunity, unfortunately died of pre-existing, infection-induced lung damage two years after gene therapy, suggesting the importance of early treatment to prevent irrevocable organ damage. The other three patients who received this type of therapy between 3 and 6 months ago are beginning to show some improvements in their immune function . The researchers are still monitoring the surviving patients and plan to continue doing so. They hope to be able to "determine the safety and effectiveness of lentiviral gene transfer as a treatment for children and adolescents with this immunodeficiency since transplant procedures aren't always effective." Source: De Ravin SS, et al. Lentiviral hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy for older patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency. NIH/national Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The American Society of Hematology 57th Annual Meeting. 2015. | 7 | 97,048 | health |
When it comes to the game of weight loss, metabolism is the star player. These easy, healthy overnight oat recipes stacked with metabolism boosting ingredients 25 Overnight Oats That Boost Your Metabolism in the Morning by Cassandra Talmadge When it comes to the game of weight loss and weight management, metabolism is the star player. Think of your metabolism like a fire. In order for it to continuously burn, you have to keep feeding it. But if you feed it the wrong things, like water for instance, you can cause it to dwindle. And if you don't feed it often enough or at all it goes out. So here's the biggest diet dilemma: How do you ignite a dull metabolic fire? These 25 Overnight Oat Recipes are easy to prepare and stacked with metabolism boosting ingredients so that you can start tipping the game in your favor. And for even more ways to keep you calorie burn in high gear, check out these 55 Best-Ever Ways to Boost Your Metabolism . 1. PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 199 calories, 7.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 276 g sodium, 27 g carbs, 3.6 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 6.1 g protein (calculated without salt) Peanut butter and cheesecake at breakfast this is one decadent combo you don't want to pass up. Rich in healthy fats and protein, peanut butter provides an amazing energy boost and helps stabilize blood-sugar levels. Incorporating this metabolism-revving food into your breakfast means you'll have more energy to start your day and fly through that mid-morning slump. And things get deadly (for fat anyways) when dairy is thrown into the mix. In fact, studies conducted at The Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee suggest that consuming calcium-rich foods, like yogurt and milk, may help your body metabolize fat more efficiently. Need we say more? Get the recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron . 2. CINNAMON ROLL OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 360 calories, 9.5 g fat (3.5 g saturated), 225 mg sodium, 51.2 g carbs, 6.2 g fiber, 18.3 g sugars, 18.6 g protein (calculated with unsweetened almond milk, non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, and no powdered sugar) Skip the sticky cinnamon roll and spoon this recipe instead. Thanks to the Greek gods, this recipe is a metabolism trifecta. Not only is yogurt is packed with gut friendly bacteria, calcium and satiating protein, studies indicate that eating it as part of a reduced-calorie diet can increase metabolism. Plus probiotic rich foods help the gut process food more efficiently. This recipe will satisfy your morning sweet tooth and get that metabolism humming! Get the recipe from Creme de la Crumb . 3. PUMPKIN PIE OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 327 calories, 12.8 g fat (1.4 g saturated), 137 mg sodium, 51 g carbs, 12.3 g fiber, 14 g sugars 10.3 g protein (calculated with unsweetened almond milk) We know you never want to see a Thanksgiving food again (until next year). But this recipe just might just change your mind. It's full of belly-slimming, metabolism revving ingredients and provides ample energy to get you through your morning meeting. And to boost your energy and fat burn further, read up on these 40 Ways to Lose 4 Inches of Body Fat . Get the recipe from Begin Within Nutrition . 4. OVERNIGHT VANILLA OATS Nutrition per serving: 353 calories, 9.5 g fat (1.0 g saturated), 86 mg sodium, 49.3 g carbs, 6.7 g fiber, 18.3 g sugars, 24.6 g protein (calculated with nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt) Heat things up with these vanilla oats that provide half of your daily calcium demands (49%), which research suggests is metabolically significant. This is because calcium increases thermogenesis, or core body temp, boosting metabolic activity. And the benefits don't stop there. Polyunsaturated fats found in heart-healthy walnuts activate genes that reduce fat storage and improve insulin metabolism. For even more amazing ways to slim down, check out these 30 Things to Do 30 Minutes Before Bed to Lose Weight . Get the recipe from Sweet Phi . 5. MOCHA BANANA CHIA-OATMEAL BREAKFAST PARFAIT Nutrition per serving: 294 calories, 8.7 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 8.5 g fiber, 11.6 g sugar, 8.7 g protein (calculated with unsweetened almond milk and 2 Tbsp maple syrup) According to a study published in the journal Physiology&Behavior, the average metabolic rate of people who drank caffeinated coffee was 16 percent higher than that of those who drank decaf. And espresso is coffee on steroids, providing five times more caffeine per 100 gram serving. If you're looking to lose weight, skip your morning frap and whip up this Breakfast Parfait instead. Looking for more healthy foods to add to your a.m lineup? Check out these 50 Best Breakfast Foods for Weight Loss . Get the recipe from Healthy Happy Life . 6. CREAMY AVOCADO OATS Nutrition per serving: 453 calories, 24.9 g fat (4.3 g saturated), 7 mg sodium, 69 g carbs, 16 g fiber, 7.8 g sugars, 16.4 g protein (calculated without salt) Nutrient boosting, hunger squashing, fat burning and thanks to their monounsaturated fat content, metabolism enhancing avocados are the creme de la creme of fruits. And the earlier you sneak them into your diet, the better (even if it means blending them into your oats). In fact, in a study published in Nutrition Journal, participants who ate half a fresh avocado with lunch reported a 40 percent decreased desire to eat for hours afterwards. We love the green fruit so much that we named it one of the 25 Best Foods for a Toned Body ! Get the recipe from The Organic Dietition . 7. BUCKWHEAT OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 285 calories, 7.9 g fat ( Low cal, low sodium and super low sugar (we're talking less than two grams) these Buckwheat Oats are the perfect way to start your day and maximize your metabolism because they digest so slowly. The harder your body has to work at digestion, the longer your metabolic rate is elevated. No time for eggs? No problem. Buckwheat is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the amino acids your body cannot produce on its own. To learn more about primo sources of the flat-belly nutrient, check out these 29 Best-Ever Proteins for Weight Loss ! Get the recipe from Running to the Kitchen . 8. MATCHA OVERNIGHT OATS WITH BERRIES Nutrition per serving: 380 calories, 8.4 g fat (1.5 g saturated), 98 mg sodium, 74 g carbs, 14 g fiber, 26.2 g sugars, 9.4 g protein (calculated with ¾ cup unsweetened coconut almond milk in place of ½ cup light coconut milk + ¼ cup unflavored almond milk) We were thrilled to stumble upon this one because matcha powder is a magic metabolic potion. The concentration of EGCG, the compound in green tea that burns fat and actually stops it from forming, is 137 times greater in matcha than your tea bag! Plus it contains 100 times the antioxidants. To learn more about the fat burning powers of tea, check out The 17-Day Green Tea Diet , developed by the bestselling authors of Eat This, Not That! Get the recipe from Oh My Veggies . 9. RASPBERRY JAM OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 199 calories, 6.0 g fat (0 g saturated), 3 mg sodium, 42.2 g carbs, 13.2 g fiber, 28.4 g sugars, 4.8 g protein Chia seeds are associated with a laundry list of health benefits including improved digestion, vibrant skin, weight loss and increased athletic endurance and metabolic activity. These Raspberry Jam Overnight Oats are packed with the superfood and they provide a whopping 94 percent of daily Vitamin C demands. Get the recipe from VeguKate . 10. CARROT CAKE OVERNIGHT OATS This is one breakfast cake that isn't as naughty as it is nourishing. Banana , dates, carrot, almond milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, coconut yogurt...the wholesome list goes on and on. At this point you probably recognize a few metabolism increasing ingredients like bananas, dairy and chia seeds. However, let us introduce you to cinnamon. A series of studies printed in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that adding a heaping teaspoon the brown powder to a starchy meal may help stabilize blood sugar and ward off insulin spikes, which allows your body to metabolize carbohydrates more efficiently. As a nutrient bonus, this recipe meets 100% of daily Vitamin A requirements. Nutrition per serving: 286 calories, 5.3 g fat ( Get the recipe from VeguKate . 11. APPLE CRUNCH BREAKFAST PARFAITS Nutrition per serving: 495 calories, 32 g fat (5.5 g saturated), 30 mg sodium, 35.6 g carbs, 10.5 g fiber, 18.9 g sugars, 15.9 g protein (calculated without coconut flakes, 1.5 tbsp coconut oil, agave nectar) An apple a day does more than just keep the doctor away it can help prevent metabolic syndrome, reduce abdominal fat and even limit the amount of fat your cells can absorb. So how does Golden Delicious shrink your waist? A recent study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber eaten per day, visceral belly fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years. Luckily for you, this recipe contains just that! Get the recipe from To Her Core . 12. BANANA BREAD OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 392 calories, 15.1 g fat (1.7 g saturated), 85 mg sodium, 55.5 g carbs, 8.6 g fiber, 20 g sugars, 12.2 g protein (calculated without salt and unsweetened soy milk) Bananas provide essential pre and post workout nutrients like fiber, B Vitamins and potassium, that do everything from providing sustained energy to promoting healthy muscle performance. But we saved the best part for last. Prior to ripening, bananas are rich in something called resistant starch , which slows digestion causing more efficient fat oxidation. In fact, one study found that replacing just 5 percent of the day's carbohydrates with a source of resistant starch can boost post-meal fat burn by up to 30 percent! Green-ish bananas tend to be on the bitter side, so throwing them into smoothies or oatmeal allows you to rep the benefits without sacrificing flavor. Get the recipe from My Darling Vegan . 13. PB&J OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 209 calories, 10.7 g fat (2.0 g saturated), 165 mg sodium, 25.4 g carbs, 3.9 g fiber, 13 g sugars, 6.2 g protein (calculated with unsweetened almond milk and organic peanut butter) Who doesn't like a hearty PB&J? The problem is the classic sandwich is that it's usually processed nightmare. This wholesome spin is just the opposite. Organic peanut butter, pure maple syrup oats, almond milk, whole grain oats and strawberries create an energy serging bowl that will have your metabolism buzzing! This dish also packs a serious dose of vitamin C, a nutrient that's been show to ward off flab-producing stress. And speaking of recipes that can help you shed the pounds, be sure to check out these 23 Best Protein Shake Recipes for Weight Loss . Get the recipe from Begin Within Nutrition . 14. FLAX AND BLUEBERRY VANILLA OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 404 calories, 10.9 g fat, 8.4 g fiber, 29.5 g sugar, 14.4. g protein (calculated using 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/4 oz walnuts, 1 tablespoon brown sugar) Don't be fooled by their size flaxseeds are a serious weight loss weapon packed with vitamins, amino acids and fiber. Both protein and fiber play key roles in metabolic activity. In fact, research has found that because protein is more difficult for the body to break down and digest than other nutrients, it can increase post-meal calorie burn by as much as 35 percent! Not sure you're getting enough? We've got you covered with these awesomly delicious high protein snacks . Get the recipe from Pinch of Yum . 15. MOOSE TRACKS OATS Nutrition per serving: 315 calories, 9.6 g fat (2 g saturated), 87 mg sodium, 41.8 g carbs, 5.8 g fiber, 10.6 g sugars, 16.4 g protein (calculated with skim milk) Seems counterintuitive, but we actually need fat to lose fat. And the right kinds of fats and oils maximize your metabolism, keep your brain cells firing, and squash hunger. Healthy monounsaturated fats, like the coconut oil in this recipe, can actually help you burn calories! And for more fats that can make you fit into your skinny jeans, check out these Best Fats for Weight Loss! Get the recipe from Fit Foodie Finds . 16. TOASTED PISTACHIO AND PINEAPPLE MUESLI Nutrition per serving: 405 calories, 19.8 g fat (2.2 g saturated fat), 12 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 15 g protein (calculated with ⅓ cup skim milk) Pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie and lowest-fat nuts out there. In fact, you can actually much of 48 of these green guys and it's totally acceptable (it's actually a one ounce serving). And even though they're considered low-fat, pistachios still provide a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats. Losing weight is hard enough, so make it easier for yourself by opting for foods that allow you to eat more, for less. And speaking of low-cal eats, check out these 50 Snacks With 50 Calories or Less . Get the recipe from How Sweet Eats . 17. SLOW COOKER PEACH OATMEAL Nutrition per serving: 381 calories, 15.4 g fat (1.4 g saturated), 310 mg sodium, 49.6 g carbs, 4.8 g fiber, 28 g sugar, 14 g protein (calculated with raw honey, 1 medium peach and walnuts) The combination of peaches, cinnamon, and protein-rich nuts delivers a naturally sweet and wholesome breakfast that will keep hunger at bay all morning long. Opt for a real peach over canned. The drizzle of raw honey delivers just enough sugar and a serious surge of metabolism-boosting energy. Get the recipe from Yummy Healthy Easy . 18. PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 362 calories, 15 g fat, 2.7 g saturated fat, 7 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 10 g protein (calculated with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1 Tbsp each of almond butter and dark chocolate chips) If you aren't pumpkin-ed out by now, it's worth keeping a few cans of the puree stashed away in your pantry for recipes like this. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Overnight Oats are packed with satiating fiber and metabolism enhancing protein. And how often are you actually allowed to eat cookies at breakfast without being seriously naughty? Get the recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron . 19. ORANGE INFUSED OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 241 calories, 5.6 g fat ( Skip your glass of sugary OJ and try this instead for half the sugar, six times the fiber and four times the protein. Plus this recipe is packed with metabolism firing ingredients like chia seeds , cinnamon and of course, oats. Get the recipe from Running to the Kitchen . 20. KIWI COCONUT CASHEW OVERNIGHT OATMEAL Nutrition per serving: 327 calories, 8.4 g fat (1.2 g saturated fat), 55 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 11.4. g protein (calculated with soy milk) Kick-start your weight loss journey with this tropical-inspired recipe that will increase your metabolism, shrink your waistline and keep the sniffles away. We're putting the spotlight on kiwis an under-utilized flat-belly fruit in our opinion that has been shown to reduce bloating and constipation and improve immunity. But we also can't forget to mention that cashews are one of these 6 Best Nuts For Weight Loss ! Get the recipe from Jeanette's Healthy Living . 21. OVERNIGHT CHOCOLATE CHIA OAT PUDDING Nutrition per serving: 287 calories, 9.9 g fat (1.9 g saturated), 76 mg sodium, 35 g carbs, 17.7 g fiber, 7.4 g sugars, 9.9 g protein (calculated without sweetener and reduced fat coconut milk) Thanks to flavonoids, chocolate actually helps to regulate metabolic activity by lowering stress hormones that can cause you to store more fat. And further research claims that it can also cut craving, decrease body fat, control appetite and reduce inflammation. But we're talking small portions, so don't go crazy. Get the recipe from To Her Core . 22. MAPLE FRENCH TOAST OVERNIGHT OATS Nutrition per serving: 263 calories, 5 g fat (1.7 g saturated), 46 mg sodium, 46.6 g carbs, 5.6 g fiber, 14.9 g sugars, 9 g protein French toast is traditionally a calorically dense meal that causes some serious belly fat . But this version tosses a wholesome breakfast food into the mix to deliver the same comfort food feel without the guilt. Plus, every single one of its ingredients provide an opportunity for a serious metabolism kick! Get the recipe from Fit Foodie Finds . 23. SWEET POTATO PIE OVERNIGHT OATMEAL Nutrition per serving: 343 calories, 10.5 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 8.3 g fiber, 19 g sugar, 11.2 g protein (calculated for two servings) You probably don't typically throw sweet potatoes into your oats, but we've got a slew of reasons why you need to start. These orange spuds are packed with energy boosting nutrients and contain a low cal, high fiber ratio that makes them a metabolic power player. Plus, they're low in the glycemic index, meaning the body slowly absorbs them, keeping you fuller longer. Did we mention they're one of our 30 Best Foods For 6-Pack Abs ? Get the recipe from Fo Reals Life . 24. OVERNIGHT OAT &QUINOA Nutrition per serving:* 468 calories, 7.8 g fat (1.1 g saturated fat), 289 mg sodium, 82 g carbs, 10.1 g fiber, 17.4 g protein Quinoa is a nutrient powerhouse packed with minerals, fiber and protein. In fact, it's one of the few grains considered a total protein, helping you torch fat and shed pounds. Adding quinoa may up the carb count, but it's well worth the payoff in nutrients, energy and better metabolism. Get the recipe from Family Gone Healthy . 25. OVERNIGHT BLUEBERRY COBBLER OATMEAL Nutrition per serving:* 307 calories, 2.9 g fat (0 g saturated fat), 68 mg sodium, 62 g carbs, 8.1 g fiber, 28.7 g sugars, 10 g protein (calculated with skim milk and 1 tbsp of agave nectar in place of 3 tbs of brown sugar) Cobbler is usually a buttery, sugary, low-nutrient mess, this reinvented recipe contains real ingredients that won't put you in a sugar coma before lunch. It will, however, ignite your internal calorie burning oven, thanks to th powers of honey. Get the recipe from Deliciously Yum . Can't get enough oatmeal? Be sure to check out these 50 Best Overnight Oats Recipes ! | 7 | 97,049 | health |
COLUMBUS, Ohio The Columbus Crew have a significant injury at the worst time imaginable. Striker Kei Kamara, an MVP finalist who tied for the MLS lead with 22 goals this season, will be a game-time decision for Sunday's MLS Cup final after injuring his right leg. MORE: Watch Timbers' Darlington Nagbe | Tony Tchani key in Crew midfield | Nat Borchers' big day Columbus plays host to the Portland Timbers at 4 p.m. ET Sunday. Addressing the media shortly after Saturday's injury at MAPFRE Stadium, Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said he could not provide a definitive update. He added: "My guess right now is he'd be available." The club's Twitter account provided information once Kamara had been evaluated, confirming the 31-year-old will be a game-time decision. Update: Kei Kamara suffered a right leg knock during Saturday's training session and will be a game-time decision on Sunday. Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) December 5, 2015 Kamara, who is from Sierra Leone, followed up his stellar regular season with three goals in four playoff games. Jack McInerney, who has two goals in six matches since an August trade from the Montreal Impact, is the likely replacement if Kamara can't go. "The top goal scorer in the league would not be playing in this game, so it would affect us," Berhalter said. "We'd have to regroup, come up with another idea, another plan, and try to execute in how many hours have we got? 27 hours." | 1 | 97,050 | sports |
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Landen Lucas led No. 4 Kansas' rebounding domination over Harvard on Saturday. He grabbed four offensive rebounds and four defensive rebounds and six of the boards came in the second half of the Jayhawks' 75-69 victory. BOX SCORE: KANSAS 75, HARVARD 69 Lucas started the second half in place of Jamari Traylor, who didn't pull down a single rebound in the first half. Lucas finished with five points, four in the second half. "He's by far our best big," Kansas coach Bill Self said of Lucas. "He defended (Zena Edosomwan) great. And (he's) a terrific player. (Lucas) was by far the only big guy we had who could guard him one-on-one." Frank Mason III scored 21 points and Perry Ellis and Devonte' Graham added 12 points for Kansas (6-1). "We were disappointed in not really paying attention to details," Mason said. "Giving up open looks and easy baskets." Some of those "details" were how Harvard scored 32 of its 69 points in the paint and had 11 offensive rebounds. Freshman reserve Weisner Perez had 15 points, Tommy McCarthy added 11 and Edosomwan had 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Crimson (2-6) in their third straight loss. "Our message for our kids for this game was concentration, composure, confidence and competitive," Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. "If we could try to see if we could attack those c-words and we thought that we would feel good about ourselves." Midway through the first half, freshman Cheick Diallo pulled up and hit a mid-range jumper to put Kansas up 15-12. That jumper started a 17-4 run for the Jayhawks. Kansas scored only four points in the final 6 minutes of the first half. The Jayhawks came out of halftime scoring four points in less than 40 seconds, but fell flat offensively after that, going a full 2 minutes without scoring. In that time, Harvard cut Kansas' lead from 13 to nine, and subsequently got within four after Evan Cummins dunked. The pairing of stagnant offensive play and ineffective defense from Kansas allowed Harvard to get within one with under 12 minutes to go. "We had to be scrappy," Edosomwan said. Kansas managed to get some cushion from two layups, one from Svi Mykhailiuk and the other from Lucas, but that five-point lead was short-lived. On the ensuing possession, McCarthy released a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, bringing Harvard back within one. Forty-five seconds later, it was a tie game. "I've always had a knack for playing in the moment and playing my strengths," McCarthy said. "I never really back down from anyone. I'm pretty confident in myself and my abilities. When it was time to step up, I tried to just do my best." And then Kansas surged. Ellis completed a three-point play and hit a jumper two possessions later to put the Jayhawks back up by five points. Two 3-pointers later, the Jayhawks found themselves up by seven with 4 minutes remaining. The Crimson cut into the lead once more with under 3 minutes to go, but it wasn't enough. TIP-INS Harvard: Edosomwan's double-double was his third of the season. Kansas: The Jayhawks have never lost to an Ivy League school. STAT LINES Wayne Selden Jr. of the Jayhawks is shooting 62.9 percent (22 of 35) from behind the arc. That ranks him No. 7 nationally. WELCOME HOME Kansas basketball Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard was recognized during a timeout for being named the 2015 Naismith Contributor to Women's Basketball. Woodard played at Kansas from 1978 to 1981 and was the first woman to play for the Harlem Globetrotters. UP NEXT Harvard visits Boston University on Tuesday. Kansas hosts Holy Cross on Wednesday. | 1 | 97,051 | sports |
Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West and rapper Kanye West announce the birth of baby boy in Los Angeles on Saturday. Edward Baran reports. | 6 | 97,052 | entertainment |
Baylor, a 21-point favorite at home to Texas on Sunday, looked ugly early in their matchup, going down 17-0 late in the first quarter. Then the game got uglier. Baylor was at midfield with wide receiver turned fourth-string quarterback Lynx Hawthorne calling the signal with 43 seconds left to play in the quarter. He looked downfield for an open receiver but instead found Texas defensive back Duke Thomas, who intercepted Hawthorne and returned it roughly 30 yards toward the Texas sideline. A body slam tackle on Thomas by Hawthorne at the end of the play was not well-received by the Longhorns bench, many of whom came onto the playing surface. That immediately drew the Baylor team off its bench, all the way across the field, but coaches and officials were able to regain order, such as it was. The only flag thrown was for unsportsmanlike conduct on Texas safety Kevin Vaccaro, who came off the bench and shoved Hawthorne in the back while he was down. | 1 | 97,053 | sports |
More than three quarters of Americans believe distracted walking is a "serious issue," according to a new survey from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS); that's 78 percent of U.S. adults (who the academy lovingly refers to as "digital deadwalkers"). Yet, 74 percent believe "other people" are usually or always walking while distracted not them. The AAOS found this "it's not me, it's you" mentality can be applied to a bevy of walking behaviors. For example, 90 percent of survey respondents said they see walkers talking on the phone, though 37 percent admitted to doing the same thing. Other distractions include engaging in conversation, listening to music (maybe this energy-boosting playlist ), using a smartphone, and generally "zoning out." At the end of the day 31 percent said distracted walking is something they're "likely to do" and 22 percent even said it was funny. Experts disagree. "Today, more and more people are falling down stairs, tripping over curbs and other streetscapes and, in many instances, stepping into traffic, causing cuts, bruises, sprains, and fractures," Dr. Alan Hilibrand, chair of the AAOS Communications Cabinet, said in a statement . "In fact, the number of injuries to pedestrians using their phones has more than doubled since 2004 , and surveys have shown that 60 [percent] of pedestrians are distracted by other activities while walking." Hilibrand reported some age disparities, too: Apparently, of those injured in a distracted walking incident, women aged 55 and older are most likely to suffer serious injuries, while millennials are least likely to be injured despite reporting higher rates of walking incidents. New Yorkers are also more likely to walk distracted than walkers living in other cities. More of AAOS' findings can be seen in the infographic below. To reduce risk of injury, the AAOS advises pedestrians to practice being safe and alert in a variety of ways. For starters, if you're listening to music, maintain a volume that allows you to still hear the sounds of traffic and your surroundings. If you have to make a phone call or send a text, stop and do so as opposed to walking and texting. And definitely avoid jaywalking, as well as stepping off or onto curbs without looking up major intersections first. Don't forget elevators and stairs. | 7 | 97,054 | health |
Sitting on Santa's lap can be downright terrifying for kids with autism, but luckily The Caring Santa Program helps special-needs children meet Santa on their own terms. | 8 | 97,055 | video |
John Hynes has already received plenty of early attention as a possible Jack Adams Award winner for his work with the New Jersey Devils. Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien also has to be on that list, along with Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff. The Washington Capitals' Barry Trotz also should to be among the favorites for coach of the year. The class of deserving candidates is large. But my pick goes to Detroit Red Wings first-year coach Jeff Blashill. Blashill's first NHL head coaching job comes with overflowing pressure, and somehow he has managed to guide the Red Wings to the seventh-best record at 14-8-4. Usually, first-year coaches face minimal pressure because they have inherited a struggling team. Blashill's situation is far different. He faces major expectations because he replaced Mike Babcock, the highest-profile coach in the game. Babcock left town with a .649 winning percentage over 10 seasons. Blashill is replacing a guy who was given $50 million to take his act to Toronto. As if that wasn't challenging enough, Blashill inherits a playoff qualification streak that has lasted 24 years. Talk about pressure. Some may argue that Blashill was stepping into a desirable situation, but sports fans in Detroit understand that taking over a good team doesn't guarantee success for a first-year head coach. PHOTOS: December's NHL stars Everything was supposed to be fine because Detroit was a quality team when popular Dave Lewis succeeded Scotty Bowman in 2002. We know how that worked out. That's how Babcock ended up in Detroit. When Jim Leyland retired from managing Detroit Tigers, the team was talented enough that fans believed that Brad Ausmus would be able to keep the competitive fires burning. But that transition hasn't been smooth either. Even though Blashill had been groomed by the Red Wings to be their head coach, Detroit fans still wanted to see proof that Blashill could be as effective as Babcock. If the Red Wings were struggling, the buzz would be strong about how the Red Wings should have found a way to keep Babcock. The season is still young, but Blashill has delivered in the face of unrelenting pressure. Perhaps some coaches are accomplishing as much as Blashill has thus far, but none of them have conquered a bigger challenge than he has. | 1 | 97,056 | sports |
Strong winds are forecast for Brazil's already turbulent economy and there's no chance of sunshine before resolution of President Dilma Rousseff's impeachment battle, market observers say. Volatility is the key word as Brazil's Congress embarks on what could be months of intense debates over the fate of the unpopular leftist president, whose second term so far has been plagued by deep recession and a giant corruption scandal at the heart of the political and business establishment. The initial reaction to the launching of the impeachment process last Wednesday was a euphoric jump in the Sao Paulo stock market, up five percent at one point before closing with its best performance of the year up 3.29 percent. Markets are disappointed with Rousseff's managing of the economy. Brazil is in deep crisis now, with inflation more than double the government target of 4.5 percent, a GDP shrinking 4.5 percent year-on-year, and unemployment rising inexorably. Many investors would welcome the impeachment of Rousseff, who leads the Workers' Party, because the constitution requires she be replaced by her centrist vice president, Michel Temer, from the coalition PMDB. Temer is "much more acceptable to the market than the Workers' Party government of Rousseff," said Paulo Gomes, chief economist at Azimut Brasil Wealth Management, citing Temer's expected ability to enact reforms breathing life into the economy. "Investors would very much like to see a more neo-liberal politician, different to the Workers' Party," said economist Felipe Queiroz, predicting "a lot of instability" on the stock market. Although impeachment itself would be traumatic, Brazil would "come out stronger" in the long term, said Andre Leite, economist at TAG Investimentos. - Uncertainty - However, the flash of enthusiasm was quickly tempered by fear of uncertainty as Brazil's slow-moving train wreck accelerates, with no clear idea of which way it will turn. Despite that initial bump, Ibovespa, the main Sao Paulo index, closed the week 2.23 percent lower. The real also failed to maintain its post-impeachment announcement gains. So far this year the currency has lost about a third of its value against the dollar. "Brazil needs economic stability," Gomes said. "Many support impeachment thinking that it will improve the economic situation in the country. But this is not guaranteed and in the short term it will make the situation even harder, because it will cause problems with passing economic reforms." Now the main hope for the presidency appears to be that the impeachment fight ends quickly. A win could mean coming out with a renewed mandate and authority. "The impeachment is going to bring more clarity. Instead of being a threat hanging over us, we will confront it. When we confront things, it's generally better," Finance Minister Joaquim Levy said Friday. Levy said he looked forward to demonstrating "our objectives, our policies. This is what the government wants to do." | 5 | 97,057 | news |
Check out highlights of the Blue Demons' win. | 1 | 97,058 | sports |
The Broncos' lead in the AFC West may be virtually out of reach, but everyone loves a little rivalry. The Chiefs (6-5) surge into Oakland to face the Raiders (5-6), riding one helluva hot streak. Kansas City has won five in a row. And in Oakland, Derek Carr's play and a slow rebuild finally rewarded , has inspired some hope. The Chiefs currently sit atop the AFC Wild Card standings as they heat up despite losing Jamaal Charles early in the season. The Raiders are not outside the playoff picture, either, as they linger in the AFC's ninth spot. If they can stop Kansas City's win streak, they will sit in a position their division rival Chargers know well from year's past: A December surge away from a late-season charge into the playoffs. But it starts on Sunday. Here's what you need to know. MORE: Week 13 picks, straight up | Picks against the spread | Injury reports' biggest losses What time is the Chiefs vs. Raiders game? The Chiefs-Raiders game will be broadcast at 4:05 a.m. ET. What channel is the Chiefs vs. Raiders game on? In select markets, CBS will air Chiefs vs. Raiders. Who is on the Chiefs injury report? Mike DeVito , defensive end Shoulder injury Probable Tamba Hali , linebacker Knee injury Probable Jeff Allen , guard Ankle injury Questionable Justin Houston , linebacker Knee injury Out Mitch Morse , center Concussion Out De'Anthony Thomas , wide receiver Concussion Out Eric Fisher , tackle Neck injury Probable Allen Bailey , defensive end Calf injury Questionable Charcandrick West , running back Hamstring injury Probable Husain Abdullah , safety Neck injury Out Dustin Colquitt , punter Knee injury Probable Chris Conley , wide receiver Hand injury Probable Dee Ford , linebacker Back injury Probable Travis Kelce , tight end Groin injury Probable Josh Mauga , linebacker Heel injury Probable Spencer Ware , running back Hamstring injury Probable Marcus Cooper , cornerback Thumb injury Probable Who is on the Raiders injury report? Neiron Ball , linebacker Knee injury Out Rodney Hudson , center Ankle Injury Doubtful Taiwan Jones , running back Knee injury Doubtful Keith McGill , cornerback Ankle injury Out Charles Woodson , safety Shoulder injury Probable Neiko Thorpe , cornerback Knee injury Questionable Who will win the Chiefs-Raiders game? SN's David Steele weighs in on the rivalry and sees the Chiefs prevailing. Our Vinnie Iyer goes with the Chiefs as well. Here's his reasoning . | 1 | 97,059 | sports |
US actor Bill Murray said as he received a lifetime achievement award at the 15th Marrakesh Film Festival that he had a "heavy heart" because of the deadly attacks in France and California. | 6 | 97,060 | entertainment |
Megan Rapinoe suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee Friday while the United States women's soccer team was training in Hawaii. Rapinoe, a key member of the American team that won the 2015 World Cup this summer, will require surgery. She likely will miss the team's Olympic qualifying tournament in February and her participation for the 2016 Games in Rio is in doubt. It's the third major knee injury for the midfielder, who twice tore her left ACL in college. "I know I'll be in the best hands moving forward and I'll be doing everything I can to get healthy as soon as possible," Rapinoe said in a statement. "This is obviously a very difficult time, but I do feel super confident in my recovery as I've gone through this before and I know what the process will be like." One of the 10 finalists for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year award, Rapinoe has scored 31 goals in 113 appearances with the national team. The Seattle Reign player was also part of the U.S. team that won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London. "All of our hearts feel for Megan and she's certainly a major part of this team, both on and off the field, so to see her go down is tough," U.S. coach Jill Ellis said. "Players getting injured is always, hard, but all of her teammates know that one of the strengths of this team is depth and everyone in the player pool is prepared to step up as we continue to prepare for Olympic qualifying." The soccer tournament at the Rio Games starts on Aug. 3. | 1 | 97,061 | sports |
Jeff Gordon just can't contain his emotions. So in Friday's fitting farewell speech at the NASCAR awards show, Gordon did what everyone expected. He wept. He fought back tears even as they flowed. MORE: NASCAR's night of honors | Dale Earnhardt Jr., undisputed popularity king Having worn his heart on his sleeve throughout his career, Gordon went out a hero. He took with him the warmth of fellow drivers, of NASCAR and its fans. Gordon's night included an introduction from actor Tom Cruise, who summed up Gordon's stature as a champion driver and a statesman for the sport in one sentence. "He felt as comfortable discussing a championship with George Bush as he did breaking down a Homestead race with Kyle Busch," Cruise said. The actor, whose career includes the stockcar racing movie "Days of Thunder," then introduce "my friend, the four-time champion, the legend Jeff Gordon." Video of Cruise's intro showed Gordon uttering an expletive version of "really?" into his child's ear, apologizing and then welling up. After Cruise's appearance came another surprise. NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France conferred on Gordon the seldom-given Bill France Award, a recognition that had not been presented since Gordon's car owner, Rick Hendrick, was honored in 2009. "You're the very definition of a champion, and quite simply, you changed the sport for the better," France said. Indeed, Gordon's most emotional moment during a heartfelt speech came when he choked back tears while thanking his car owners for hiring him in the first place. "Rick and Linda Hendrick, thank you so much for choosing me to be your driver," Gordon said. "I'm so proud to say I only drove for one car owner and the best car owner my entire Sprint Cup career." After a Sprint Cup season packed with honors from each and every track, during which he was stoic and grateful, Gordon was overcome. "It's been absolutely amazing, and I couldn't have ever imagined how my life would turn out," Gordon said as tears flowed. "Now here I am, 25 years later, stepping away from one of the most prestigious series in all of motorsports and a fulfilling career that can only truly be described as remarkable." | 1 | 97,062 | sports |
The current NFC playoff picture will play out in real time Sunday as the Seahawks (6-5) travel to TCF Bank Stadium to face the Vikings (8-3). If the season had ended last week, these two teams would represent the No. 6 and No. 3 seeds in the NFC, respectively, and would face off in the Wild Card round. Instead, the two teams face off in Week 13. The Vikings hope to keep their slim lead over the Packers in the NFC North, while the Seahawks teeter precariously on the edge of a playoff berth, period, having long lost sight of the Cardinals atop the NFC West standings. The game features two seemingly lopsided position-battles that could play closer than fans might guess. Russell Wilson will look to outduel Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, while an abdomen injury to Marshawn Lynch means the more raw, but promising Thomas Rawls will try to match Adrian Peterson's output. MORE: Week 13 picks, straight up | Picks against the spread | Injury reports' biggest losses What time is the Seahawks vs. Vikings game? The Seahawks-Vikings game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. What channel is the Seahawks vs. Vikings game on? Fox (in select markets) will broadcast the Seahawks vs. Vikings game. Who is on the Seahawks injury report? Marshawn Lynch , running back Abdomen injury Out Will Tukuafu , fullback Concussion Questionable Paul Richardson , wide receiver Hamstring injury Out Marcus Burley , cornerback Ankle injury Questionable Demarcus Dobbs , defensive end Concussion Out Jordan Hill , defensive tackle Toe injury Out Patrick Lewis , center Knee injury Probable Earl Thomas , free safety Hip injury Probable Jeremy Lane , cornerback Knee injury Probable Michael Bennett , defensive end Undisclosed reason Probable Who is on the Vikings injury report? Linval Joseph , defensive tackle Foot injury Out Andrew Sendejo , safety Knee injury Out Harrison Smith , safety Knee injury Questionable Anthony Barr , linebacker Hand/Groin injury Questionable Robert Blanton , safety Ankle injury Probable Trae Waynes , cornerback Ankle injury Probable Who will win the Seahawks vs. Vikings game? Our David Steele sees the Seahawks winning a close one. Here's why . Vinnie Iyer also goes with Seattle. Because at one position, he sees , they have the upper hand. | 1 | 97,063 | sports |
REUTERS/Victor Fraile Not every retailer had a great 2015.Some brands seriously struggled.These are some brands that did not fare too well many suffered from low sales and misguided sartorial choices. Some companies filed for bankruptcy.Here's hoping 2016 will be better for them. quiksilver surfer falling waves Not every retailer had a great 2015. Some brands seriously struggled. These are some brands that did not fare too well many suffered from low sales and misguided sartorial choices. Some companies filed for bankruptcy. Here's hoping 2016 will be better for them. J. Crew J. Crew has been on the down and out since 2014 . In its most recent quarter, comparable sales were down 12%. "This [change] does not happen overnight," CEO Mickey Drexler iterated on a recent earnings call. "As its latest set of results attest, J Crew is a mess," Neil Saunders, CEO of consulting firm Conlumino, wrote in a research note this December. Gap Gap's woes have been apparent, and CEO Art Peck has not been shy about detailing the company's struggles. Its sister brand, Old Navy, has been outpacing it . Peck explained on a earnings call this summer that shoppers should expect to see changes come spring 2016. The brand has started taking steps to improve, by making major hires at the executive level and getting designs in stores faster. This fall, the selections looked more promising , but third quarter earnings showed yet another dip in comparable sales by 4%. Macy's In the third quarter, the brand showed it was hurting same store sales fell 3.9%, and the brand is anticipating a dip in the fourth quarter, as well. On the call, CFO Karen Hoguet outlined four reasons the brand is showing wear and tear: people aren't buying fall apparel because the unseasonably warm weather, tourist spending is down, growth at the namesake stores is slowing, and the demand for its largest brand. To help spike spending, Hoguet said the brand would increase sales. But sales while appealing to consumers can hurt retailers. "That will be good for consumers, but it will obviously put pressure on our own margins," CEO Terry Lundgren said on an earnings call. Worse, Macy's has delved into serious discounting with its Backstage off-shoot, and it could hurt the department store. Fabletics Kate Hudson's Fabletics was under fire this fall when customers started calling the company a scam . BuzzFeed reported that customers had to call in to cancel their membership subscriptions, and that it was very tough to get out of the billing cycle. The company has amassed over one thousand complaints to the Better Business Bureau . In late October, the company announced that it would be reviewing some of its customer service policies. Dick's Sporting Goods Dick's Sporting Goods is scrambling to keep up with the changing pace of athletic wear. The company sells Nike and Under Armour, but people can buy those brands elsewhere or, they look for store-specific brands, like Lululemon or Athleta. The company has been taking step forwards with Carrie Underwood's Calia brand and the company's specialty store, Chelsea Collective. An unseasonably warm fall burned the brand , too. Jos. A Bank Jos. A Bank had been scaling back on its infamous "buy-one, get-many free" deals on suits, and as a result, sales started to tank . The company, which was acquired by Men's Wearhouse last year held its final wild sale recently. The retailer is hoping this will help business, but people primarily shopped at Jos. A Bank for the outrageous sales. "It's this focus on newness that will give us the best shot at winning a larger share of closet with existing customers and expanding our reach to new and younger customers," Men's Wearhouse CEO Doug Ewert said on an earnings call in September. Aeropostale Aeropostale has lost favor with teens. Piper Jaffray surveyed teens to find out where they are and aren't shopping in its semiannual Taking Stock With Teens Survey. The brand ranked at the top for brands that upper-income females no longer wear. Between 22 and 32% of teens surveyed over the past two years said they no longer shop there. In its most recent quarter, comparable sales dipped 10%. The New York Stock Exchange gave the brand a listing warning in September as its shares had dipped below $1. American Apparel American Apparel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this fall, In an attempt to lure in customers who were put off by the famously provocative ads and controversial former CEO Dov Charney's allegedly inappropriate behavior the retailer toned down its image a move that ultimately drove away American Apparel's fan base. "I think the biggest error was not adjusting with the times in terms of both brand image and ranges," Neil Saunders, CEO of consulting firm Conlumino, wrote in an email to Business Insider, at the time of the filing. Quiksilver Quiksilver, once a beloved surfer brand, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. "After careful consideration, we have taken this difficult but necessary step to secure a bright future for Quiksilver," CEO Pierre Agnes said in a release . The brand suffered a variety of problems, but at its core problem is its niche, which is just no longer trendy.. "There's just fewer kids out there that think the surf market is cool," analyst Mitch Kummetz told The Los Angeles Times . "The heyday of the late 90s and the early 2000s is a distant memory." Sears Sears has been on the brink of death. The company, which also includes Kmart stores, has lost more than $6 billion since 2012. Apparel is a weak spot for the brand. "I wish Sears wasn't an apparel retailer, as this category has never been its strong suit, but the company keeps on trying, to no particular end. I understand what the company hope is apparel is bought more frequently than washing machines and so they hope to drive more traffic to the stores, but the styling is totally off-point and off-trend," Paula Rosenblum, an analyst at RSR Research, said in an email to Business Insider in October. Nasty Gal Nasty Gal had some hard times in 2015, even though. Jezebel shed light on a lawsuit wherein a Nasty Gal employee was allegedly laid off for being pregnant. The story, which deals with events in 2014, struck a chord in the media. But Nasty Gal denied the alleged events described in the lawsuit. ""The accusations made in the lawsuits article are false, defamatory and taken completely out of context. The layoffs in question were part of a larger restructuring of departments we completed over nine months ago," a Nasty Gal representative said in a statement to Pret-a-Reporter . "The lawsuits are frivolous and without merit." | 3 | 97,064 | finance |
AUSTIN, Texas -- Formula 1 has a storied but tempestuous history domestically, and leader Bernie Ecclestone's recent ruminations on it reveal a dichotomy. In an interview with Russian television in which he said he was "not very enthusiastic" about America's affinity for democracy, but before a press briefing and being told two reporters he was about to meet were "the Americans" he espoused a desire for four domestic races, particularly one in Southern California. The state of Texas announced recently that it will reduce its contribution to the staging of the Austin race by 20 percent, likely endangering it. Haas F1 Team owner Gene Haas has espoused a hybrid of patriotism and pragmatism in launching the team, but has tempered expectations even with the Ferrari affiliation and signing an experienced but potential-laden prospect in Romain Grosjean as lead driver. Ferrari factory driver Esteben Gutierrez was announced as his teammate. "I think so far he's doing everything right," Zak Brown, executive chairman of Just Marketing, Inc., told USA TODAY Sports. "Obviously, we haven't seen the product on the track yet, but his alignment with Ferrari was very good, getting Grosjean was an excellent move, team principal Guenther Steiner is very experienced. They're keeping their head down and just getting on with it. "They're not making bold and brash predictions like when BAR (failed team British American Racing) came (in 1999), they said they would win their first race. He has the money to do it. He has the people in place, so I think he will make a good impression. Like all new teams (it) will take some time, but I think he will be respectable and here to stay and I think that will help North America, because I think people want to support the local team. I think it will be good for them and F1 in North America." Haas said his immediate goal is to prove his team is logistically capable of competing each week, nabbing points when possible. Steiner fantasizes about "mid-pack," somewhere around the top 10 in a field that usually has 20-some cars. Next season, a record 21 races are scheduled. "We are not here to be last. It sounds almost arrogant," he said. "I don't want to be arrogant, but we will not (be) happy being last. Just participating is not what Gene or the team wants to do." Ecclestone, holding court amid a raft of tables in the F1 communications office, surrounded by vases of yellow roses one of the few subtle visual cues the U.S. Grand Prix was being held in Texas and Martini glasses of cashews said a competitive Haas F1 Team would be a boon for the series' reach into North America. But even then, he didn't gush about it. "Super," he said. "Competitive: good." Haas admits that Ecclestone, whom he described as the "Godfather of Formula 1" because of his power and often cryptically coded dialogue, worried him when he first expressed interest. Meeting Ecclestone at the USGP in Austin three years ago was among the first of many checkpoints Steiner helped Haas negotiate. "I think he's got his own agenda, but he's certainly not afraid to speak his mind," Haas said of Ecclestone. "I think he can scare a lot of people when he speaks his mind. He scared us quite a bit." But he couldn't scare him off. And that might eventually be to the benefit of Formula 1. Follow James on Twitter @brantjames | 1 | 97,065 | sports |
(Reuters Health) - People with diabetes are much more prone to depression and stress than other individuals, and these mental health problems in diabetics are tied to an increased risk of strokes and deaths from cardiovascular disease, a U.S. study suggests. The worst outcomes may result when people with diabetes suffer from both stress and depression at the same time, the study found. This trifecta of health problems was linked to more than double the risk of death from heart disease faced by people without any of these medical issues. "Our study is one of the first to show a pattern of increased likelihood of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in those with diabetes compared to those without diabetes first with increased likelihood for either (stress or depression) alone, and then an even higher likelihood when both behavioral co-morbidities were reported," lead study author Doyle Cummings of East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, said by email. To assess the impact of these mental health problems on heart disease and stroke risk, Cummings and colleagues reviewed data on nearly 22,000 adults including close to 4,100 with diabetes. People in the study were 64 years old on average, 58 percent of them were female, 42 percent were black, and 56 percent lived in the southeastern U.S. region known as the "Stroke Belt" for its high prevalence of these cardiovascular events. At the start of the study, roughly 19 percent of participants had diabetes, while 10 percent reported increased depressive symptoms and 28 percent reported elevated stress. Among subjects with diabetes, those reporting heightened stress or depression or both were more likely to be women, black, poor, and live in the Stroke Belt. For people with diabetes, having either stress or depression increased their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 53 percent, compared with diabetics without these mental health problems. Diabetics with both stress and depression had more than double the death risk. For those without diabetes in the study, there was a trend toward a greater risk of death from cardiovascular disease when they had stress or depression but the difference between people with and without these problems wasn't big enough to rule out the possibility that it was due to chance. The study wasn't designed to prove that stress or depression cause strokes or death from cardiovascular disease. Other limitations of the study include a lack of data on how long people had diabetes, which can influence cardiovascular risk, and the potential that certain factors not measured in the study might have influenced deaths, the authors concede in Diabetes Care. Even so, the findings point to the need for more clinicians to screen for depression and stress in primary care settings, where most people with diabetes receive care, Cummings said. "In our culture, it's easy to be sidetracked by all the other things that we commonly think about checking when someone has diabetes, such as monitoring their blood sugars daily and taking medications, and watching for things like high blood pressure, foot sores, cholesterol, and kidney problems," said Dr. Erik Vanderlip of the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. "We often forget to think about depression and stress as independently contributing to heart disease through mechanisms which we haven't yet fully figured out," Vanderlip, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email. "So we rarely screen for it, or diagnose it, despite having treatments that can change it over time." SOURCE: Cummings DM et al. Consequences of Comorbidity of Elevated Stress and/or Depressive Symptoms and Incident Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetes: Results From the REasons for the Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. Diabetes Care. 2015. | 4 | 97,066 | lifestyle |
The estranged relatives of Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani woman accused of shooting dead 14 people in California, say she and her father seem to have abandoned the family's moderate Islam and became more radicalized during years they spent in Saudi Arabia. Malik, with her husband Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, is accused of storming a gathering in San Bernardino, California, on Wednesday and opening fire in America's worst mass shooting in three years. Investigators are treating Wednesday's attack as an "act of terrorism." On Saturday, the Islamic State (IS) group claimed the couple as their followers. There is no evidence yet that IS directed the attack or even knew the attackers. Malik's killing spree has horrified her Pakistani relatives. Her father cut off contact with his family after a feud over inheritance, they told Reuters, and moved to Saudi Arabia when his daughter was a toddler. There, it seems, he turned to a stricter form of Islam. "From what we heard, they lived differently, their mindset is different. We are from a land of Sufi saints ... this is very shocking for us," said school teacher Hifza Bibi, the step-sister of Malik's father, who lives in Karor Lal Esan town in central Punjab province. Sufism, a strain of Islam popular in parts of Pakistan, emphasizes a mystical, personal religious connection. Devotees often play music and dance at shrines, and their practices are looked on with suspicion by orthodox Muslims. "Our brother ... went to Saudi and since then he doesn't care about anyone here," Bibi said. "A man who didn't come to attend his own mother's funeral, what can you expect from him?" Tashfeen Malik returned to Pakistan and studied pharmacy at Bahauddin Zakaria university in Multan from 2007 to 2012. She lived in a university hostel. An identity card said she was 29 years old at the time of the shootings. "She was known to be good student with no religious extremist tendencies," an intelligence official based in the nearby town of Layyah told Reuters. Malik's uncle Javed Rabbani, a clerk in the town's education department, said he has not seen his brother in 30 years. "We feel a lot of sadness but we also feel ashamed that someone from our family has done this," he said. "We can't even imagine doing something like this. This is a mindset that is alien to us." Malik visited Pakistan in 2013 and 2014, security officials told Reuters, but it's unclear who she met or where she visited. Pakistani media reported she had links to the radical Red Mosque in the capital of Islamabad, but a cleric and a spokesman at the mosque said they had never heard of her before. (Additional reporting by Amjad Ali in ISLAMABAD and Syed Raza Hassan in KARACHI; Writing By Katharine Houreld; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) | 5 | 97,067 | news |
"By maturing, we self-actualize." "We dream, we vibrate, we are reborn." "Choice is the driver of purpose." If you found yourself rolling your eyes at the above quotes, congratulations: Your cynicism may be a sign of intelligence, according to a study published in November in the journal Judgment and Decision Making. Researchers led by Gordon Pennycook from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, claim to have proven that people who buy into pseudo-profound quotes are less intelligent. As they write in their paper, On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bullshit : Those more receptive to bullshit are less reflective, lower in cognitive ability (i.e., verbal and fluid intelligence, numeracy), are more prone to ontological confusions and conspiratorial ideation, are more likely to hold religious and paranormal beliefs, and are more likely to endorse complementary and alternative medicine. The paper, which uses the word "bullshit" 200 times, defines bullshit as a meaningless string of buzzwords in correct syntactic structure. "Thus, bullshit, in contrast to mere nonsense, is something that implies but does not contain adequate meaning or truth," write the authors. Examples of pseudo-profound bullshit were generated by two websites, a " New Age Bullshit Generator" which compiles profound-sounding words, and a website that combines words from spiritual writer Deepak Chopra's tweets to make meaningless sentences. The researchers then asked 280 Waterloo University undergraduates to rate the profundity of 10 bullshit statements on a scale from 1 (not at all profound) to 5 (very profound). The mean profoundness rating was 2.6, which is in-between "somewhat profound" and "fairly profound." When participants were asked to take a series of cognitive tests, including numeracy and verbal intelligence tests, the researchers found negative correlation between cognitive ability and high profundity ratings. Several other similarly-structured small-scale tests, using actual tweets from Deepak Chopra, (the study write-up notes "others have claimed that some of the things that he has written seem like "woo-woo nonsense" )," conventionally profound statements ("A wet person does not fear rain.") and mundane statements ("Newborn babies require constant attention") support the researcher's initial finding: buying into the profundity of bullshit in particular seems linked to lower cognitive ability. The study is fun to read, but the researchers seem to believe their work has serious value. Bullshit is commonplace, write the authors, and "using vagueness or ambiguity to mask a lack of meaningfulness is surely common in political rhetoric, marketing, and even academia." It's likely that we all bullshit some of the time, they add, and perhaps understanding other people's bullshit can help up cut down on our own. | 4 | 97,068 | lifestyle |
Making the 1,300-mile journey through Western Europe from Syria is a treacherous feat, and one that requires many tools: Water. Food. But the most important may well be the Internet, and, more specifically, a smartphone. More than 4 million people have fled Syria's civil war since 2011, most of them headed for the beleaguered nation's neighbors. Many of these displaced people rely upon smartphones to find safe passage. Maps and GPS help chart the best course. Messaging apps provide a lifeline to loved ones. Apps of every kind help find a place to sleep, translate foreign languages, offer guidance on what to pack, and help manage money. Almost every need is met with mobile. | 3 | 97,069 | finance |
The millennial generation is choosing different ways to bank than their parents did. A "Business Insider" survey found 38 percent of millennials say they don't use a brick-and-mortar branch for their banking needs, except to use an ATM. More than one in four say they visit a branch bank less than once a month. Lauren Lyons Cole, personal finance editor for "International Business Times," joins "CBS This Morning: Saturday" to weigh in on what this means for the future of banking and the actions banks must take to attract millennial customers. | 3 | 97,070 | finance |
Laurent Fabius, COP21 president, meets UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon early Saturday, before negotiators from 195 nations delivered a blueprint for a pact to secure humanity from the consequences of emissions of climate-altering greenhouse gases. | 8 | 97,071 | video |
The treasure on board could be worth billions of dollars. | 8 | 97,072 | video |
An expedition in the Pacific Ocean captured footage of a deep-sea squid which is rarely seen alive. | 8 | 97,073 | video |
John Terry acknowledges he is yet to decide whether he will remain at Chelsea beyond the end of his contract but has backed manager Jose Mourinho to reverse the club's dismal early-season form. Stamford Bridge skipper Terry's current deal expires at the end of the season and the emergence of Kurt Zouma means his place in Mourinho's starting XI is far from guaranteed. Speaking to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in an interview for the Daily Mail, Terry revealed he was happy to wait to determine his next career move. "I think I'll wait, yeah. I don't know at the minute," he said. "As you get older, you start to look down that route. I'm doing my coaching badges at the minute. I'm looking at TV. I've done some bits for Sky and BT. I have never known [how] players can go week after week not playing. This is the first time in my career where I have not been a regular in the team. I couldn't see myself doing that for a year or two years. "But, at the same time, I couldn't even begin to think about being somewhere else or playing for someone else. Chelsea is my club. I've been here 20 years. I've looked into coaching. Playing-wise, [if I went to another club] it certainly wouldn't be here [in England]. America, maybe. But physically I feel like I can still play. Do I want to play? Of course I do. But then decisions come in to it with your family. What if you go somewhere and it doesn't work out? Everything else comes into play, doesn't it?" Defending Premier League champion Chelsea sits 14th after a poor start to the season, but Terry supports the club's decision to stand by Mourinho. "If you look for stuff [that is wrong] you will find it," he added. "You could sit there after a game and find a million things. I'd prefer to say, 'S**t result, let's just move on.' I've had some managers who overanalyze things but nothing is there. Some will see that you have conceded goals at set pieces, so they will practice 20 corners. It does nothing. If anything, it does the opposite. It highlights things and makes people worry. So the manager has just been like, 'Let's get on with it.' The quality is there, everything is there. "Listen, [Mourinho's] stability is massive for the club going forward. What the club have done is set a precedent and said he's the man to take us forward. He will do. This squad of players won the league last season. There is no difference. It's a bad run of form. Really bad. When you have been at the top for so long, it's horrible. You don't want to go out after games, you don't want to show your face in public. It's that level." | 1 | 97,074 | sports |
When Pradheep and Kirti Shanker were first engaged in 2001, he was a radiology resident in Michigan and she was a medical student still in Hyderabad, India. They had met in India through family members and applied for a fiancée visa in the hopes of marrying and starting their lives together in the United States. But first, officials wanted a swath of documents from the couple a valid passport, a statement from her local police station confirming no criminal history, school transcripts, bank statements, financial verification, proof of employment and more. Before she could move in with the man she loved, Kirti Shanker was interviewed at the consulate in India on her personal background, work history and the couple's relationship, to determine its veracity. It was onerous, to be sure, but Pradheep Shanker didn't complain. He understood the need for such measures. Nearly 14 years later, the same visa that allowed Kirti Shanker to come to the country and eventually gain citizenship is under fire as authorities continue their investigations into the backgrounds of the alleged San Bernardino, California, shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik. The reason: It was revealed that Malik was a Pakistani citizen who had entered the U.S. in 2014 on a K-1. Lawmakers have already begun to question the fiancé visa procedures, with Republicans on Friday demanding a comprehensive review into the U.S. visa system. Counterterrorism and FBI officials also began looking into Malik's immigration records to determine whether any red flags had been raised during her processing, or if there were "gaps or loopholes that need to be plugged" in the K-1 visa system. #SanBernadinoShooting wife was here on K-1 Visa, passport from Pakistan. Tell me again how great our vetting process is #immigration Victoria Sullivan (@VSullivan4NH) December 3, 2015 Farook and Tashfeen Malik met in Pakistan and eventually moved to the U.S., where they had a daughter just six months before they opened fire Wednesday at a government health care center, killing 14 people. The FBI said Friday the shooting was officially being investigated as an act of terrorism, following reports that authorities believed Malik pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and posted a statement online pledging support for the militant organization. Lawyers and immigration experts describe the K-1 visa process as anything but lenient. The Shankers applied for the K-1 in spring of 2001, but didn't receive an interview until six months later. The visa took an additional several months after that to be approved, but Pradheep Shanker said he suspected it would have taken longer if he hadn't been in contact with a U.S. senator to help expedite the process. "At the time I was just happy about it, I just wanted to get all the paperwork out of the way," he said. But he added that he understands the criticism that has already sprung up surrounding the K-1 visa and the thoroughness of its background checks. Americans' mentalities are shifting on immigration, he said, and though he is pro-immigration, he would support heightened security screening for those entering the country on similar visas. Pradheep Shanker said that from the couple's experience with the K-1 process, the extent of the terrorism-related questions didn't go beyond asking if she was a terrorist, affiliated with terrorists or had ever funded a foreign government. "Now with events changing I think you've got to change with the events. Clearly people are now saying, 'Oh this is a loophole we can use,' and we have to adapt to that," he said. "This is a threat. We at least have to make it a focus." . @PressSec says that standards for K-1 "fiancé visa" screening are "not as strict" as the the "most rigorous" screening that #refugees face margaret brennan (@margbrennan) December 4, 2015 But legal experts said K-1 visas are not the most pressing problem in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting. Fiancé visas are already rarely issued, relatively speaking, due to the rigorous process already in place to screen for security threats and determine whether the relationships are authentic. In other words, if Malik's sole purpose in migrating was to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil, there were easier ways of entering the country than through the K-1 visa process. Matthew Kolken, an immigration lawyer based in Buffalo, New York, said he wouldn't characterize the K-1 visa as a "loophole," as some critics have begun to do. The application process is extensive, and he said the K-1s are frequently denied because consular officers haven't been satisfied the applicants' relationships are real. "The Department of State is going to screen these individuals and they're professionals. They do their job well, and they also take their jobs very seriously," he said. A New Visa to Worry About: The K-1 for Intended Spouses | Center for Immigration Studies https://t.co/PPzuPR0066 Jessica Vaughan (@JessicaV_CIS) December 4, 2015 The immigration system cannot simply shut down in the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, Kolken said. If someone with the intention of doing harm wants to come into the United States and they're not on a terrorist watch list, haven't been refused a visa in the past and haven't committed an immigration violation, there's very little the government can do to deny them a visa, Kolken said. "Statistically speaking, I'm only aware of one individual in the history of the program who has allegedly engaged in a terrorist attack," he said, referring to Malik. Furthermore, an overhaul to the K-1 visa requirements could actually punish American citizens, who are simply hoping to bring their future spouses into the country, said Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration analyst for the Cato Institute in Washington. "For the minority of people who try to do that, shutting down that pathway makes it more difficult for Americans to marry the people they want to marry," he said. "If we're going to shut it down or change it, we need to make sure it's for a good reason." | 5 | 97,075 | news |
Scott Weiland's cause of death has been determined as cardiac arrest after emergency dispatch calls were leaked to the media. In the call, the dispatcher says the 48-year-old singer wasn't breathing and suffered from cardiac arrest at the time he was found. TMZ obtained the recording of the call between Minnesota's Bloomington Police Department and the Hennepin County Sheriff's Department. The former Stone Temple Pilots frontman was found dead on his band The Wildhearts' tour bus. Since then, Weiland's bandmate Tommy Black has been arrested for felony drug possession after small amounts of cocaine were found on the bus. | 6 | 97,076 | entertainment |
ISIS militants described the two people who stormed a party in Southern California and shot 14 people to death as "supporters" of the terror group. | 8 | 97,077 | video |
A 48-year-old woman, who was reportedly depressed, killed an 81-year-old man when she landed on him after allegedly jumping from her 7th-floor home in a suicide attempt. | 8 | 97,078 | video |
There's still a few weeks left to wait for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," but a group of fans in France have found a great way to pass the time: a competitive lightsaber league. Founded in September, the Saber Sport League describes itself as France's premier lightsaber school. If you speak French, definitely check out their website . Keep reading to learn more about these light-wielding warriors. The French Academy of the Sport Saber League was founded by three big-time "Star Wars" fans in September. It's definitely grown since then. Members practice their lightsaber skills and compete against other members. While these lightsabers probably wont slice your hand off, members wear protective gear just to be safe. It looks totally intense. The lightsabers look just like the ones in the movies. A closer look at some of the equipment league members use Here's a peek inside a recent training session. Just look at that focus. Check out the league's awesome logo. "Established a long time ago." Practice makes perfect. Looking at this, you can almost hear that iconic lightsaber hum. One thing is for sure ... The Force is definitely strong in Paris. REUTERS/Charles Platiau | 5 | 97,079 | news |
A long range effort from Western Sydney Wanderers' midfielder Mitch Nichols sent his team top of the A-League. | 8 | 97,080 | video |
Protesters interrupted Donald Trump's North Carolina rally at least 10 separate times Friday night in the most staged, disruptive protest of the mogul's presidential campaign to date. | 8 | 97,081 | video |
NEW HAVEN, Conn. Ivy League universities are parting ways with the title of "master" for leaders of residential colleges, a label with roots stretching back to the universities of medieval Europe that many now see as evoking slavery. Harvard and Princeton have eliminated the title, and Yale is weighing whether to change it. Although the master title has long been a source of misgivings, with some holding the positions preferring to be called by their first names, a push for change gained steam amid protests around the country as colleges moved to address student concerns about inclusiveness and the racial climate on campuses. Undergraduates at the three Ivy League schools are assigned to a number of colleges, where the masters, who are drawn from the university faculty, oversee social and academic programs and serve as advisers. Princeton administrators announced last month that the masters at its six colleges had decided to drop a title they described as anachronistic and historically vexed. "We believe that calling them 'head of college' better captures the spirit of their work and their contributions to campus residential life," Dean Jill Dolan said. At Yale, the current debate picked up with an email from Stephen Davis, a professor who has been known as head of Pierson College since rejecting the title of master. In August, according to the Yale Daily News, he wrote to his college, "I think there should be no context in our society or in our university in which an African-American student, professor or staff member or any person, for that matter should be asked to call anyone 'master.'" Yale President Peter Salovey has said he expects the university to make a decision on the issue before the summer. Last month he announced several other changes including a new center devoted to race and ethnicity and new faculty positions dedicated to the histories, lives and cultures of under-represented communities. Harvard announced last week that it plans to change the term "house master" for a new title to be determined later. "The desire to change this title has taken place over time and has been a thoughtful one, rooted in a broad effort to ensure that the college's rhetoric, expectations, and practices around our historically unique roles reflects and serves the 21st century needs of residential student life," Harvard Dean Rakesh Khurana wrote to students. "The house masters feel confident that a change in title at this point in time makes sense on very many levels." | 5 | 97,082 | news |
LONDON Authorities in Britain have closed roads, evacuated homes and issued severe flood warnings as stormy weather hits the country. Weather forecaster the Met Office issued its highest red rain warning for northwest England and southwest Scotland, as Storm Desmond brings strong winds and heavy, persistent rain to those regions. The agency says it expects up to 200 mm (7.9 inches) of rainfall in the northwest region of Cumbria, especially over exposed mountains. The Environment Agency also warns of significant flooding around the country as river levels rise. Dozens of highways and main roads were closed Saturday due to landslides or flooding. | 5 | 97,083 | news |
It's not a secret that Urban Meyer hasn't stuck around for long at any of his previous coaching stops. His longest tenure was six seasons with the Florida Gators. As year four concludes with the Ohio State Buckeyes, a report surfaced from one website that the NFL's Cleveland Browns were all set to offer Meyer the head coaching position with a package that was so lucrative, it reportedly included an ownership stake in the team. Saturday, Meyer responded to those reports and made it clear that he intends to stay with the Buckeyes for the long term : Statement from Urban Meyer RE: coaching speculation that doesn't actually exist pic.twitter.com/t6f3qDqgM7 Ben Axelrod (@BenAxelrod) December 5, 2015 Meyer has a 49-4 record with a Big Ten championship and a national title during his time in Columbus with a team that, if things play out in their favor, could end up in the College Football Playoff for a second straight season. | 1 | 97,084 | sports |
Regina Kuruppu, an employee at the Inland Regional Center, huddled beneath her desk and began to pray aloud as she heard terrified screams coming from one story below. She spoke to AP Friday about the deadly incident in San Bernardino. (Dec. 5) | 8 | 97,085 | video |
Dino Babers is Syracuse's 30th head coach. As a head coach at Bowling Green, Babers put together a record of 18-9 in two seasons. He is known for implementing elements of Baylor's high-powered offense in his programs. Here we share with you some other interesting facts about the Orange's new head man, his career, and how he'll fit in at the Cuse. | 1 | 97,086 | sports |
Dec 5 (Reuters) - Police have ended a shooting and hostage situation that caused injuries to an officer and one other person and prompted evacuation of homes and businesses near a motorcycle shop in Neenah, Wisconsin on Saturday, officials said. Police responded to shots being fired at Eagle Nation Cycles in Neenah and a report of potential hostages around 9 a.m. local time, city Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson said at a press conference. Neenah is a city of about 25,000 people some 100 miles (160 km) north of Milwaukee. "The scene has been made safe," Wilkinson said. "We are just going through the final clearing operation but we believe we have everybody accounted for. There is no threat to the community." Wilkinson did not say if anyone was arrested nor take questions, but Green Bay television station WLUK reported two people were in custody and WBAY reported one person was in custody. Wilkinson said the injured officer is fine and will return to duty. He was not sure of the condition of the other person. A police dispatcher in Neenah said any updates would be on the department's Facebook page. On its Facebook page, the Neenah Police Department said it had evacuated homes and businesses. People had been asked to stay at least a quarter mile away from the scene. (Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Chris Reese) | 5 | 97,087 | news |
Once upon a time, those tiny bottles and miniature soaps that lined hotel sinks were filled with generic and subpar, for lack of a better word, crap. Only the most indiscriminate of guests would dare to lather up with them and even then, it was for off-brand uses like shaving our legs with hotel conditioner. (Which, by the way, still works like a charm.)Then, suddenly it seemed that rooms were stocked with legit brands and luxurious products that we not only wanted to use, but weren't embarrassed to scoop up and dump into our suitcases (possibly stalking unattended cleaning carts to pilfer a few more). And airlines got in on the action, treating fancy fliers sitting in the front of the plane to Dopp kits packed with petite versions of prestige skin-care offerings. With that in mind, ahead, we rounded up our favorite beauty loot with images of exactly what you'll get every time you fly or book a night in a hotel. Trust us these will definitely help relieve the stress of travel. The Brand: Le Labo Where You'll Find It: Fairmont Hotels Every scent this cult New York City-based fragrance brand creates is addictive but Rose 31 stands out. Perhaps it's because its creators have managed to make rose, a floral note associated with grandma's potpourri, chic and pleasing.Now, you can hoard generously sized bottles (1.5 fl. oz.) of Le Labo's shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion plus bar soap spiked with the perfume if you stay at any of the Fairmont Hotel properties. Seems reason enough to book a night there, stat. . The Brand: Cowshed Where You'll Find It: United Airlines flightsFlying in first or business class is pretty awesome in and of itself (Flat beds! Free drinks whenever you please! Edible airplane food!), but receiving a Dopp kit stocked with Cowshed goodies is a pretty nice bonus. And that's exactly what you get when you fly United from the U.S. to some far-flung locale. When you sit down in business class, you'll find a leather pouch on your seat packed with the British brand's Cow Pat Moisturising Hand Cream (.34 fl. oz.), Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm , and a Chamomile Refreshing Toner Towelette, plus essentials like socks, an eye mask, and ear plugs. Meanwhile, lucky ducks in first class receive the added benefit of Jasmine Toning Eye Balm and just enough of the Quinoa face cream (.17 fl. oz.) to get them through the long flight. . The Brand: Malin+Goetz Where You'll Find It: Morgans Hotels Morgans Hotels is known for its cool, on-point interior designs. Every detail is considered and that extends to the rims of the sinks and showers, which are lined with aesthetically and olfactively pleasing Malin+Goetz hair- and body-care. Created exclusively for the hip chain's properties, including NYC's Hudson Hotel, various Mondrians, and Miami's iconic Delano Hotel, this deluxe sample set consists of a small Rum Bar Soap plus bottles of Rum Body Wash, Peppermint Shampoo, Cilantro Conditioner, and Vitamin B5 Body Moisturizer (all 1.35 fl. ounces). These are amenities you'll definitely want to stock up on before you ship out. . The Brand: Fresh Where You'll Find It: Meritage HotelsWhat's better than bunking at one of Meritage 's four (soon to be five) spa-like California properties? Leaving with an armful of TSA-friendly Fresh goodies. Debuting the Fresh Amenity Collection, the hotels and resorts come fully stocked with generously sized bottles (1.35 fl. oz.) of Hesperides Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel and Body Lotion and Seaberry Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner. Bonus: Anyone shacking up in a suite will find the cult-fave Soy Face Cleanser in their colossal bathroom. Score. . The Brand: Clarins Where You'll Find It: Air France flightsFor travelers flying in the business-class section of Air France, there is skin-care salvation in the form of Clarins. Prepare for hours spent soaking up dry, re-circulated air by indulging in one of four 20-minute facials in the airport lounge. Once on board, crack open the super-cute wash bag to reveal the usual comforts like a comb and toothpaste, and best of all a HydraQuench Cream to slather on your parched face as well as lip balm to soothe your chapped lips. If you prefer not to sleep in your makeup ( you shouldn't !), the mini beauty bar offers two types of cleansing waters to take it all off. . The Brand: Bulgari Where You'll Find It: Emirates AirlineIf you've seen those Jennifer Aniston ads for Emirates Airline, you know the ultra-rich don't travel like the rest of us. Got money to burn? You can book your own private suite, luxuriate in an onboard shower, and drown your flying anxiety in fancy booze at the bar. So obviously the swankiness extends to the amenities. The Emirates travel pack includes a scented Bulgari towelette (because a baby wipe just would not do), plus small bottles of the brand's indulgent body lotion, facial moisturizer, and even a .5-fl.-oz. flacon of its signature fresh, woody fragrance. It's basically like spending a day in a mini spa only waking up 8,000 miles away from where you started. . The Brand: Elemis Where You'll Find It: British Airways flightsMost of us step off the plane looking worse for the wear. But if you fly up front on BA , with all the fancy people, chances are you'll disembark looking fresh as a daisy. The reason, you ask? The airline has teamed up with fellow Brits Elemis to put together a four-step skin-care set.The pack includes a Soothing Apricot Facial Wipe, teeny-tiny (.2 fl. oz.) tubes of Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream , and a mini Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm, which all address high-altitude-related skin-care needs . . The Brand: Red Flower Where You'll Find It: American Airlines flights Red Flower 's ingredients and scents are inspired by beauty rituals around the world, so it seems like a no-brainer for the brand to offer travel amenities. And American Airlines offers its business and first-class passengers the appropriately named Wanderlust collection. The fragrance is inspired by globetrotting journeys, but its aromatherapy properties also help you chill and lift the brain fog that inevitably descends during a long flight. Use the included .34-fl.-oz. Moisture Balance Face Cream, .5-fl.-oz. Soothing Hand and Body Lotion, Nourishing Lip Balm, and Reviving Hand and Face Towelette liberally and often throughout your flight. (And ask for a refill if you need one!) . The Brand: Birchbox Where You'll Find It: JetBlue flightsFlying in JetBlue's new-ish first-class section, Mint ? You're in for a treat. Birchbox has collaborated with the airline on a deluxe kit designed to help you look fresh when you disembark. There's a "grooming option" for dudes, FYI. To keep things interesting, Birchbox will be switching up the offerings every few months. The current assortment includes a mini tube of Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (clutch after a red-eye), a .17-fl.-oz. tube of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (a pro travel staple), a .34-fl.-oz. tube of Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum (don't forget to wear SPF in flight), and a .5-fl.-oz. jar of Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixer Oil . Sign. Us. Up. . The Brand: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Where You'll Find It: Baccarat Hotel in New York CityLegendary French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian had whipped up fragrances for just about everyone when he decided to create his own namesake, ultra-luxe perfume line. One of his latest Rouge 540 is inspired by New York City's super-posh Baccarat (as in the crystal) Hotel, and is now available beyond the original 250 hand-signed, crystal-flacon-encapsulated versions. If you happen to find yourself ensconced in one of the hotel's obscenely fancy rooms, you will find shampoo, conditioner, body cream, and a candle infused with Kurkdjian's intoxicating woody creation. Or you can just splash out for the fragrance, hang out in the lobby, and pretend you're a high roller. . Like this post? There's more. Get tons of beauty tips, tutorials, and news on the Refinery29 Beauty Facebook page . Like us on Facebook we'll see you there! . | 4 | 97,088 | lifestyle |
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic Ray Allen has hit clutch shots in front of thousands of fans, and starred on the big screen alongside Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington, so the veteran shooting guard is no stranger to pressure-filled situations. That is, until he had to decline President Obama's golf outing invite. Yes, Jesus Shuttlesworth told Obama thanks, but no thanks. "There was a spot open a couple years ago and 'Zo (former NBA center Alonzo Mourning) was playing with (Obama). I had a game that day," says Allen, who was a guest of David Ortiz's Celebrity Golf Classic charitable event in the Dominican this weekend. "(Obama) was playing at 10 a.m. I was like, 'I really would love to, but I don't know if I can make that work.' I'm a guy I'm at all practices, I'm ready to be there. I wouldn't feel right to go play golf." Allen consulted his Miami Heat teammates, who were all behind Allen hitting the links with the Commander in Chief. "They're like, 'Man, the president ... You should do it! We don't care. It's just a shoot-around' (during the morning). Every guy in the locker room said, 'Dude, you should go play with the president. We got a game, and you'll be here for the game.' They respect who I am, my reputation," says Allen. "They're like, 'We know you're going to be ready for the game.'" But when Allen went to team administration to ask permission, that's when he hit a road block. It's not difficult to envision the notoriously demanding Pat Riley going soft for a golf outing on game day even if it's with the president. "They were somewhat against it and obviously that's how the team side was. So I never ended up doing it," says Allen. Flash forward to the end of that NBA season, 2012-13, when Allen drained one of the most famous postseason shots over the Spurs' Tony Parker in the final seconds of Game 6 of the NBA Finals. The basket helped force overtime, the Heat eventually won and went on to capture their third title after beating San Antonio in the decisive Game 7. "We went to the White House later on that year. That was the first thing (Obama) said: 'How about this guy? I give him the offer to play with me and he says that he can't make it because he has practice. What a team guy.' I said, 'Score one for the good guys.' As much as I would have loved to do it, it wasn't about me. I was part of a team. Those are decisions that teammates make," says Allen. Allen declining Obama's invite didn't seem to have any lasting repercussions, however. Allen says he has since played golf with Obama "several times," including this past August in Martha's Vineyard with reigning NBA champ Stephen Curry, his dad and former NBA player, Dell, and Mourning along for the ride. "We actually spent like the week up in Martha's Vineyard. Me and Curry played, 'Zo was out there. We played quite a few rounds. (Obama) and I were partners, so of course we won. One day we played Steph and his dad, Dell. I played with Dell Curry in Milwaukee, so a lot of history in that foursome," says Allen. It's one thing to work the pick-and-roll or hit a jumper with Tim Duncan in your face, but quite another to be alone with the leader of the Free World for four hours on the links and be on you're A-game for conversation. Allen, though, says Obama was just a "normal and regular" guy outside the Oval Office. "You know when you meet somebody for the first time what do you say to him? There's so many questions, because I'm political at times. We talk world events, all my friends. What better guy to talk current affairs or world events with? But I would never do that," says Allen. "But it got to a point where we talked about everything 'cause you're out there for four, five hours. We started talking about life things. He's the president, he has presidential things that he has to deal with. As a human being, you have certain issues. It was interesting just having a conversation and realizing how normal and regular that he is. "He loves playing golf. He loves sports. Just to be out there so many people criticize him because he's playing golf. We all need a reprieve from our everyday existences. I felt like for the time that we spent, it helped him go back and do his job a little bit better." And how did the President fair with his drives, short game and putting? "He's improved from the first time I played with him until now. He's hitting the ball well. Just like anything, if you're not doing it every day especially with golf… You can't trust it, because it will slip away from you in a heartbeat," says Allen. "It's a constant struggle for all of us. For him, he's like, 'I'm going to get there. One day I'm going to be seeing you guys every day and I'm going to be taking your money.' We had a great time." Allen hasn't played basketball since the Heat lost to San Antonio in the 2014 NBA Finals rematch. While he politely declined to discuss his basketball future after taking practice swings at the Punta Espada course Saturday "I don't have anything to talk about," he said smiling Allen dropped plenty of hints that retirement, perhaps more golf outings with Obama, and even a possible reunion with Washington and Spike Lee for a sequel to "He Got Game," might be around the corner. Just don't look for Allen to make professional golf his second act after basketball. "Realistically, I respect the job that (PGA) Tour players do. Everybody sees the great golfers out there in the world and how easy they make it. But you've got to shine a light on those that are professional that don't win, have never won, that are struggling to keep their car," says Allen. "That's a chase that I don't want. I've been traveling enough in my lifetime. You have to continually find that desire to be out here. I could hit balls for two hours. But then to do it every day, it's a huge grind. And there's no guarantee that when you do it one day, you'll be good on the golf course." FOLLOW THE DAILY NEWS SPORTS ON FACEBOOK. 'LIKE' US HERE Allen says he and Lee, the Oscar-nominated director and rabid Knicks fan, have "talked about" doing a sequel to the 1998 film "He Got Game," where Allen played Jesus Shuttlesworth, the son of Washington's character, Jake Shuttlesworth. "We've been kind of mashing ideas back and forth. We just have to really sit down and say, 'This is something we want to do,' start putting a script together," says Allen. "We have some ideas. We have a couple people committed but the main person that we need to know if they can be a part of it is Denzel. He's the one that's going to make the movie go. We need to make sure that we can put together a good script and definitely get him. "But it's interesting now with time, there's so many opportunities, especially movie-wise, because I can go on location anywhere. Time is whatever I make it right now. That's a beautiful thing." | 1 | 97,089 | sports |
Wearables are finally here to stay, but it might still take some time for every shopper to find their ideal band. | 3 | 97,090 | finance |
Let's settle this once and for all, shall we? There were rumors that Adriana Lima, Brazilian supermodel of Maybelline and Victoria's Secret fame, was getting jiggy with Justin Bieber in May of 2014. Seems unlikely, but let's ask her about it a year and a half later just to clarify. Hey Adriana Lima. | 8 | 97,091 | video |
Thailand marked the eighty-eighth birthday of its revered but ailing King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Saturday. Well-wishers gathered at Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital, where the king has been since being re-admitted in May. | 5 | 97,092 | news |
Police in a Detroit suburb say Emma Watson Nowling was fatally shot after her soccer practice on Thursday. | 5 | 97,093 | news |
Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were all on target in the same match for the first time since April as Real Madrid cruised to a 4-1 win over Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu. Not since last season's 9-1 triumph over Granada had the 'BBC' trio all notched on the same day, but they proved key to Rafael Benitez's men making eight straight wins at home against their city rivals. Benzema broke the deadlock inside four minutes with his first Liga goal in over two months, and he added a second soon after with Madrid dominant. Getafe was unable to take its chances on rare ventures forward and paid the price as Bale and Ronaldo added to the score before the interval. However, Madrid showed nowhere near the same adventure in the second half and failed to keep a clean sheet with Alexis netting a consolation header for Getafe, though the win was enough to put pressure on La Liga leader Barcelona ahead of its meeting with Valencia later on Saturday. Ahead of kickoff the home fans whistled the name of Denis Cheryshev, with the Russian's appearance in Madrid's midweek Copa del Rey match at Cadiz resulting in the team's expulsion from the tournament. But Benzema ensured that and the 4-0 humiliation at the hands of Barcelona in Madrid's last Bernabeu outing was quickly put to the back of Madrid supporters' minds when he swept home Pepe's brilliant, low cross from the right at the back post inside four minutes. Benitez's side continued to look dangerous, with Vicente Guaita turning a Ronaldo free kick around the post before keeping out a header from Benzema with 11 minutes played. It didn't take long for the Frenchman to add to his tally, however. Ronaldo was held back inside the box as he attacked Bale's header but Benzema collected the ball and fired into the back of the net though the Portugal captain appealed for a foul while his teammates celebrated. Benitez's team eased off, but, after a pair of poor attempts from Getafe, Ronaldo cushioned a cross down to Bale who bent a fine finish inside the far post from the right-hand side of the box. The Portuguese forward finally got on the scoresheet himself in the 38th minute, racing in behind Roberto Lago and picking out the opposite corner with a low drive. Benzema curled over from edge of the box soon after the restart but, with a four-goal cushion, there was less urgency from Madrid in the second half. Getafe grew in confidence through enjoying a greater share of possession and pulled one back in the 70th minute when Alexis towered over Pepe to power a header home, prompting whistles from the crowd. Fran Escriba's side was unable to build a late and unlikely comeback as its winless run away from home now extends to 11 Liga matches. | 1 | 97,094 | sports |
Supermodel and Empire guest star Naomi Campbell suffered a wardrobe malfunction this week after leaving the London home of friend Madonna. Campbell, who wore a black pinstriped pantsuit, had a nip slip when her low-cut velvet top snagged as she got into a car outside the residence. She was accompanied by an unidentified man. Madonna appeared to be hosting a small party for friends. Supermodel Kate Moss, who rose to fame in the '90s along with Campbell, also attended. Campbell and Madonna have been friends for years. Campbell appeared in Madonna's famous 1992 documentary Sex. | 8 | 97,095 | video |
Best places to celebrate Christmas Christmas is a wonderful time for a holiday, with cities around the world hosting colorful markets, spectacular decorations and various festive events. Rome, Italy People from all over the world visit this city to attend special midnight mass services. Budapest, Hungary The antique buildings of Budapest gleam with Christmas lights during the holiday season. New York, USA One of the world's largest holiday destinations, New York, dazzles during this special time of year with music, shows and lots of holiday spirit. London, UK Lights illuminate the city and vibrant markets keep visitors busy and entertained. Berlin, Germany Germany does Christmas markets so well that 'German markets' are a regular festive fixture across Europe. But the market at Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt is one of the best. Zurich, Switzerland The freshly made Nidelzältli toffees available at the Christmas markets are a real delight. Vienna, Austria Vienna's main Christmas Market is one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to the late 13th century, and is just one of the reasons to visit the city during the holiday season. Montreal, Quebec, Canada Montreal's strong French influence brings a European feel to this city that blazes with Christmas cheer in the winter months. Prague, Czech Republic Splendid gothic architecture and unusual folkloric customs make Christmas in Prague an extreme delight. Madrid, Spain From Christmas markets to a number of pop-up ice rinks, there is plenty of attractions for tourists this time of year. Brussels, Belgium Brussels is known for having two Santas (St. Nicholas and Pere Noel) that makes the city alluring during Christmas time. Its annual Winter Wonders Christmas market was voted the 'most original in Europe' by British tour operators. Paris, France The city lives up to the tag 'City of Lights' with a glittering display of Christmas lights all over town. The market and ice-skating underneath the iconic Eiffel Tower are big draws for visitors. Sydney, Australia Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and Town Hall look stunning during the Christmas light show. San Francisco, USA Lights, a great market and ice skating are some of the reasons why this city draws so many tourists during the Christmas holidays. Anchorage, Alaska, USA If you are looking for a white Christmas, Alaska is the best choice. It has a packed schedule of winter carnivals, sled dog races, ice carving competitions and community snowshoeing expeditions. | 2 | 97,096 | travel |
Soon Porsche's Mission E will be more than just a concept car, and its competition will be fierce. | 3 | 97,097 | finance |
With the way things have gone for Texas this season, ending it with a win against Baylor would be a positive thing. A win is a win, right? For the Longhorns, that's the positive takeaway. MORE: Best of 2015 season | Best photos of Baylor vs.Texas But all they're going to hear about is how they nearly blew a 20-point lead with Baylor using a receiver it's not even fair to call him fourth string quarterback who hasn't taken a snap since his junior year in high school. And it was obvious. Two of Lynx Hawthorne's first three passes were picked off. He only completed 10 of 22 passes for 64 yards the completions were mostly thrown down the line to a receiver and the Bears were forced to try any way they could to run the ball. They ran for 395 yards on 66 carries and nine players recorded carries. It nearly worked. They cut the lead to 23-17, but fumbled near midfield late in the fourth quarter during a potential game-winning drive. Losing three of their last four leaves the Bears out of the Sugar Bowl as they struggled after starting quarterback Seth Russell was lost for the season. Texas improved to 5-7 in Charlie Strong's second season with wins over two of the Big 12's best, Baylor and Oklahoma. The Longhorns held Baylor to its lowest point total all season, despite giving up 479 yards, and forced four turnovers. Baylor ventured into Texas territory eight times. Five of those eight trips resulted in two turnovers on downs, an interception and two missed field goals. Baylor entered the game ranked first in college football with 50.8 points per game. Offensively, Texas quarterback Tyrone Swoopes was efficient, going 12 of 19 for 151 yards and a passing and rushing touchdown. Running back Chris Warren III rushed for 106 yards, and six different receivers caught a reception. Even kicker Nick Rose showed up to play, going 3 of 4 on the day while booting a 53-yarder. Sure Baylor fought, but they appeared more interested in letting their fists fly early rather than show up to win a game. It wasn't pretty Texas let the Bears come back from down 20-0 and to say the Longhorns don't have a lot to improve on next season would be fallacious. But no other team in the country has beaten both No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 12 Baylor all season, and none team has accomplished that feat since Oklahoma State in 2011. That's something Strong and Texas can hang their hat on. But the win at Baylor could be more than a good ending to an abysmal season season. It could and should serve as a springboard into next year. | 1 | 97,098 | sports |
A bystander captured graphic footage of a Miami Beach police officer fatally shooting a man suspected of bank robbery. CNN's Alina Machado has the details. | 8 | 97,099 | video |
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