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The husband and wife who carried out the San Bernardino massacre had been radicalized and had taken part in target practice, once within days of the attack that killed 14 people, the FBI said Monday. (Dec. 7) | 8 | 98,000 | video |
Former USC head coach Steve Sarkisian filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the school. The AP's Jim Litke joins CineSport's Noah Coslov to discuss the details and the likely outcome. | 1 | 98,001 | sports |
Brayden Cummings turned 6 weeks old the morning his mother suffocated him. High on methamphetamine, Xanax and the methadone prescribed to help her kick a heroin habit, 20-year-old Tory Schlier told police that she was "fuzzy" about what happened to her baby boy. Police weren't. In an affidavit, the officer who went to Schlier's house on October 17, 2014, said the mother had fallen asleep on Brayden, "causing him to asphyxiate." Like more than 130,000 other children born in the United States in the last decade, Brayden entered the world hooked on drugs - a dependency inherited from a mother battling addiction. A 12-year-old federal law calls on states to take steps to safeguard babies like Brayden after they leave the hospital. That effort is failing across the nation, a Reuters investigation has found, endangering a generation of children born into America's growing addiction to heroin and opioids. In his first three weeks of life, Brayden suffered through a form of newborn drug dependency called Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. He trembled and wailed inconsolably, clenching his muscles and sometimes gasping for breath as he went through withdrawal. When Brayden improved, Lehigh Valley Hospital released him to Schlier and the boy's father, a 48-year-old with a criminal record. But doctors neglected to take a critical step: They failed to alert child protection workers to the baby or his drug-addicted mother. Three weeks later, Brayden was dead. "I'd say he didn't have a chance in life," said David Cummings, Brayden's grandfather. "He was doomed, that kid, he really was." Reuters identified 110 cases since 2010 that are similar to Brayden's: babies and toddlers whose mothers used opioids during pregnancy and who later died preventable deaths Being born drug-dependent didn't kill these children. Each recovered enough to be discharged from the hospital. What sealed their fates was being sent home to families ill-equipped to care for them. Like Brayden, more than 40 of the children suffocated. Thirteen died after swallowing toxic doses of methadone, heroin, oxycodone or other opioids. In one case, a baby in Oklahoma died after her mother, high on methamphetamine and opioids, put the 10-day-old girl in a washing machine with a load of dirty laundry. ONE NEWBORN EVERY 19 MINUTES The cases illustrate fatal flaws in the attempts to address what President Barack Obama has called America's "epidemic" of opioid addiction, a crisis fed by the ready availability of prescription painkillers and cheap heroin. In 2003, when Congress passed the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act, about 5,000 drug-dependent babies were born in the United States. That number has grown dramatically in the years since. Using hospital discharge records, Reuters tallied more than 27,000 diagnosed cases of drug-dependent newborns in 2013, the latest year for which data are available. On average, one baby was born dependent on opioids every 19 minutes. The federal law calls on states to protect each of these babies, regardless of whether the drugs their mothers took were illicit or prescribed. Health care providers aren't simply expected to treat the infants in the hospital. They are supposed to alert child protection authorities so that social workers can ensure the newborn's safety after the hospital sends the child home. But most states are ignoring the federal provisions, leaving thousands of newborns at risk every year. Reuters found that at least 36 states have laws or policies that don't require doctors to report each case. No more than nine states and the District of Columbia appear to conform with the federal law. And statutes or policies in the other five states are murky and confusing, even for doctors and child protection workers. In three-quarters of the 110 fatalities that Reuters identified, the mother was implicated in her child's death; in others, her boyfriend, husband or another relative was. In 75 of the cases, child protection workers were notified but didn't take protective measures specified in the federal law. In Brayden's case and a dozen more, hospitals didn't report a drug-dependent baby's condition to social services and the child died after being sent home. "Those kids could and should be alive today and thriving," said former U.S. Representative Jim Greenwood, a Republican from Pennsylvania who authored the provisions in the 2003 federal law. "I would've hoped that the whole system - starting at the federal and state levels, the obstetricians and pediatricians - would've gotten it straight by now. That they haven't is a national disgrace." One reason babies go unprotected: Many states don't require hospitals to report drug-dependent newborns if the mother was taking methadone, painkillers or other narcotics prescribed by a doctor. That exemption stems from a well-meaning effort to avoid stigmatizing mothers who are being treated for addiction or other medical problems. Taking methadone under a doctor's care is generally safer for a baby and its mother than if a mother tries to stop taking opioids altogether, neonatologists said. But those good intentions ignore a difficult truth: A mother who abuses methadone or other legal opioids can be just as dangerous to her newborn as a parent high on heroin. In at least 39 of the cases in which children died, Reuters found, the mother was taking methadone or another drug that had been prescribed. "DEATHS WAITING TO HAPPEN" In each of the 27,000 cases of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome diagnosed in 2013, hospital workers were aware of the baby's condition. Patient discharge records show they treated the child for the syndrome. Doctors who specialize in these cases say the condition, while sometimes agonizing for the newborn, is treatable and needn't result in long-term harm to the child. But a diagnosis made in the first days of the baby's life should serve as a warning, they say. It often indicates that a mother is struggling with addiction, raising questions about a family's ability to care for the infant. "This is precisely the time when a woman is ripe for relapse," said Lauren Jansson, director of pediatrics at the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "She's feeling terrible, tired, depressed, anxious and guilty." Data kept by state governments suggest that thousands of these babies and their mothers are never referred to child protection services. Reuters made that determination by comparing the number of newborns diagnosed by hospitals as drug-dependent with the number of cases referred to state child welfare authorities. Only seven states specifically tracked referrals of newborns in drug withdrawal. In those states, the total number of cases logged by child protection services was less than half the number of children diagnosed. "These are just deaths waiting to happen," said Greenwood, who spent three years as a child protection worker before serving six terms in Congress. Because so many drug-dependent newborns go unreported, no one knows exactly how many children are injured or killed while in the care of parents struggling with addiction. Reuters filed more than 200 Freedom of Information Act requests with federal, state, county and city agencies, and reviewed about 5,800 child fatality reports from across the United States to identify such cases. Reporters also scrutinized tens of thousands of pages of reports by police, hospitals, medics, coroners and lawyers. By examining fatality reports and other public records, the news agency was able to identify 110 examples of children who died across 23 states. The toll is almost certainly higher. Most states made available only partial information on the circumstances of infant deaths. Some of the largest states, including New York, declined to disclose any reports about child fatalities. Even so, researchers said the Reuters investigation represents the most comprehensive examination of the perils facing drug-dependent newborns after they are sent home. "If we start looking at it like you're doing, we're going to find more of these babies," said Theresa Covington, director of the National Fetal, Infant and Child Death Review Center, a government-funded non-profit group. She called the Reuters findings "groundbreaking and heartbreaking." "IN SERIOUS DANGER" During the so-called crack-baby epidemic of the 1980s, public concern focused on whether children exposed to cocaine in utero would face long-term developmental problems. Less examined was whether babies born with narcotics in their bodies were in danger after they were treated and released from the hospital. A longstanding law, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, was amended in 2003 to address that issue. The amendment orders states to set up systems to ensure that each case in which a baby is born drug-dependent is reported to child protection authorities. Social services are then to develop a "plan of safe care" for the child. The law also makes clear that those referrals are not evidence of abuse. The House majority leader then - Tom DeLay, a Republican from Texas - spoke in Congress about the importance of the amendment. "When child protection workers aren't told that a baby was born addicted to drugs," he said, "that baby is in serious danger." The new legislation "sends a clear message to the states: Drug-addicted newborns must be protected." Although the amendment passed with almost no opposition, its impact has been limited. At the time, the National Conference of State Legislatures said that many states would need to pass new laws to meet the federal provisions. Few have. Congress offers federal funding for states that comply with the law. But the amount of money tied to the provisions is tiny. This year, it ranged from $83,673 for the District of Columbia, which does comply, to $2.8 million for California, which doesn't. Despite the widespread lack of compliance, Reuters found that no state has ever lost federal funding for failing to meet the law's provisions. Today, most states require health officials to report only babies who were exposed to illicit narcotics. That means child protection services may never learn of babies suffering withdrawal from opioids that were legally prescribed to pregnant mothers. Some state policies are so muddled that even child welfare officials are confused about the reporting requirements. Laura Velez, deputy commissioner of New York state's Office of Children and Family Services, initially told Reuters that doctors there must report all cases of drug-dependent newborns, regardless of whether the mother was taking "legal or illegal drugs." But after checking with a lawyer in her office, Velez offered a different interpretation: Doctors aren't obligated to report cases in which the mother is using prescribed drugs and "following the course of treatment appropriately." "A PANICKED, HIGH-PITCHED WAIL" At the other extreme, states such as Alabama and Tennessee have taken a punitive approach to expectant mothers battling addiction, enacting laws that make opioid abuse during pregnancy a crime in certain circumstances. Those provisions run counter to the spirit of the federal law, which explicitly states that identifying a drug-dependent newborn shouldn't be construed as requiring prosecution. Some well-intentioned doctors say the punitive measures give hospitals a strong incentive to keep quiet about certain kinds of cases. "A lot of officials - nurses, social workers - say, 'We don't report when the mother is trying to get better,'" said Ila Baugham, a retired pediatrician in North Carolina who reviews cases of unexpected child fatalities. "I always come back and say, 'Well, it's not about the mother. What about the baby?'" The White House has done little to address the problem, some doctors say. In an October speech, President Obama said he "started studying this issue - what's called opioids," when he entered office in 2009. "And I was stunned by the statistics." His administration convened a conference on opioid-dependent babies in 2012; three years later, White House "action items" included updating agency websites. Last month, Congress passed a bill directing the administration to move faster and devise a national strategy within a year. A White House spokesman said the new law "builds on ongoing efforts." Loretta Finnegan, the doctor who developed a widely used medical scale to assess Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, said she is "discouraged and frustrated" by the administration's response. Statistics showing the spike in cases have been available since at least 2012, she said. "It's 2015. When are they going to start doing something?" Finnegan asked. "We know these babies are very difficult to care for. If you do not create the proper conditions for mother and child, when they go home it's a setup for the mothers or others in the home to commit abuse." Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome are sometimes born into excruciating misery. As they go through withdrawal, some shake, struggle to eat and often sputter and choke during feedings. They suffer fits of sneezing and severe diarrhea. Many begin crying at the smallest stimulus, including a mother's smile. They can cry with such force that their bodies shudder. "It's a panicked, high-pitched wail, almost desperate, a sound you don't forget," said Kimberly Nelson, nurse manager of the neonatal intensive care unit at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The symptoms are often worst during the first five weeks of life but can last three to six months, challenging even the most patient parents. The newborns rarely achieve deep sleep. As they endure withdrawal, they crave the darkness and calm of the womb, conditions almost impossible to replicate at home. In West Virginia, cases have become so frequent that one hospital created a unit where babies are weaned off the drugs in dimly lit rooms, sheltered from bright light and commotion. "It's relentless. There's no break," said Rhonda Edmunds, a neonatal nurse in Huntington, West Virginia. "You can just imagine a sleep-deprived parent, who can't cope with her own issues, let alone their baby, and how that can lead to abuse or neglect." "YOU'RE ON THAT BABY" In the 110 deaths Reuters identified, expectant mothers typically had been using heroin, synthetic painkillers that include such drugs as Percocet and OxyContin, or methadone, an opioid often prescribed as an alternative to heroin or the other medications. Like Brayden Cummings, the Pennsylvania baby who died at 6 weeks of age, many of the children suffocated after hospitals released them to mothers unable to care for a baby. In December 2012, a Kentucky hospital sent a newborn and a prescription for Percocet home with a 28-year-old mother who was being treated for opioid addiction. Child protection authorities weren't notified about Angelica Richardson McKenney's newborn, Lynndaya. Under Kentucky law, the case didn't have to be reported because McKenney's opioid-replacement drug, Subutex, had been prescribed. Five days later, on Dec. 10, Lynndaya was dead. A 36-page state report details the final hours of the newborn's life. The night before Lynndaya died, McKenney later told police, she took three different medications: the opioid Percocet, the anti-anxiety medication Xanax, and Subutex. Lynndaya's grandmother noticed that McKenney's "knees were buckling under her when she stood." McKenney recalled that she later fed the infant but "didn't know what she did with Lynndaya after that." The next morning, Lynndaya's grandmother tried to wake McKenney, who lay at the foot of the bed. Twice, the grandmother asked where the baby was. Then she saw a corner of Lynndaya's blanket beneath McKenney. "Oh my God," the grandmother told a still-high McKenney, "you're on that baby." According to the death report, the state of Kentucky ruled that McKenney's "neglect" had caused her baby's death. Local prosecutor Douglas Miller said there wasn't enough evidence of "reckless" or "wanton" conduct, as required by state law, to charge her. Harrison Memorial Hospital and the doctor who delivered Lynndaya knew of McKenney's drug problems. The state report said that Lynndaya "tested positive for narcotics" when she was born. McKenney "has been testing positive throughout her pregnancy for opiates, benzodiazepines, and marijuana, none of which she had a prescription for," the report said. But no report about McKenney's drug use was made to child protection authorities when Lynndaya was born, state records show. Hospital spokeswoman Mollie Smith declined to talk about the case, citing medical privacy. Derek Clarke, the doctor listed on the hospital discharge document, delivered Lynndaya by Cesarean section. He later sent McKenney home with the prescription for Percocet, one of the drugs she took the night before she smothered her baby. The discharge also notes that McKenney "has been taking Subutex throughout her whole pregnancy." Contacted by Reuters, Clarke defended his decision to send McKenney home with Percocet. "Just because they're a drug addict doesn't mean we're not going to give them something for their pain," he said. The day before Lynndaya died, pharmacy records show, Clarke also prescribed Xanax, which McKenney took with the Percocet and Subutex. Studies have shown that combining Subutex and Xanax can be particularly dangerous. Clarke did not respond to questions about the Xanax prescription. McKenney said Clarke should have known better than to give her the prescriptions. "I'm an addict. It was my fault, of course, and also it was his fault for offering me the medicine." McKenney said she has been off drugs for about two years now. She said she wishes social services had been more involved when Lynndaya was born. "I think if I had been under the microscope, so to speak, I think things would have been a lot different with somebody coming in and looking at me," she said. "That probably would've changed everything." FATAL MIXTURE Other children died of drug poisoning - not from the narcotics in their bodies at birth but from doses administered after they left the hospital. In Utah, a 17-month-old girl named Jaslynn Raquel Mansfield died last year of acute methadone toxicity. Her mother, Courtney Nicole Howell, was on prescription methadone during and after her pregnancy. Howell told authorities that she twice used a syringe to mix the narcotic with Children's Tylenol. Her reasoning: Jaslynn "wouldn't eat or sleep and she wasn't her normal baby any more," according to a 42-page police report marked "confidential." "Courtney admitted that she didn't know what to do to get Jaslynn help," the report said. In August, Howell was sentenced to up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and exposing a child to drugs. "The way she chose to care for the child was reckless," Judge David Hamilton said at sentencing. "She brought the child into the world saddled with her addictions and her actions, and then she compounded that." In a phone interview from the Timpanogos Women's Correctional Facility near Salt Lake City, Howell said her newborn went through drug withdrawal at the hospital for 16 days. But the Salt Lake Regional Medical Center never reported the case to child protection services. Utah is among the states that don't require reporting cases of newborns exposed to drugs prescribed to their mothers. Louise Swensen, director of risk management for the hospital, said a baby in withdrawal wouldn't be reported to child protection unless the mother was abusing drugs or doctors had other safety concerns. Charri Brummer, deputy director of the state Division of Child and Family Services, said the state "would prefer" to be notified of all drug-exposed babies. In this case, she said, the state received no drug-related reports on Howell before Jaslynn's death. In many ways, Howell represented the kind of vulnerable parent the federal law was meant to help. Not only was her newborn going through withdrawal, but Howell also was homeless. Jaslynn's father had died three months earlier from a heroin overdose. "I feel I was lucky my daughter had to stay (in the hospital) that long because I had no place to take her," she said. After she and Jaslynn were released, Howell said, they went to live with her late boyfriend's father and then to a women's shelter. She said the hospital gave her about four micro-doses of morphine to finish weaning Jaslynn off opioids. Howell herself continued to use methadone and other drugs, she said. Today, she said, she wishes she had been reported to child protection services when Jaslynn was born. "I would have welcomed the help," Howell said, "and it would have changed my life." UNMONITORED In the case of Brayden Cummings, the 6-week-old who was accidentally suffocated by his mother in Pennsylvania, child welfare authorities learned of the boy only after it was too late. In September, Brayden's mother, Tory Schlier, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to at least 15 months in prison. At sentencing, she told a judge that she had been happy when she got pregnant but "very scared to bring a helpless human being into the world knowing that child would be my responsibility." Schlier's drug problems were no secret. When Tory was a teenager, her parents had sought the county's help for her "incorrigible behavior and drug use," a state report said. On probation for theft and pregnant with Brayden, Schlier was jailed in May 2014 after testing positive for heroin, documents show. A judge released her on July 31 - about a month before Brayden was born - on the condition that she take methadone, the opioid-replacement drug. The lawyer representing Schlier in Brayden's death said that the baby's life could have been saved had the hospital alerted social services. But when Schlier and Brayden were sent home, attorney Jennifer Rapa said, "no watch was in effect and no services were offered." Not even the county officials who reviewed Brayden's death can explain why. The review team was led by child protection workers at Carbon County Children and Youth Services, the local welfare agency. In a report early this year that has not previously been made public, the team wondered how Schlier "could have been seen by so many different professionals before and after the baby's birth and yet no one considered calling Children and Youth to file a report." Even though Schlier was on methadone during her pregnancy, social services were not alerted, the review team wrote. Then, after Brayden was born drug-dependent, he "was prescribed methadone following birth yet no one had called Children and Youth." Brayden was seen "by his pediatrician, who was also aware of the baby being on methadone, but yet no one had called Children and Youth," the review team wrote. The pediatrician, Narayana Gajula, said he was surprised to learn from Reuters that the hospital never reported the case. At the time, Pennsylvania required doctors, including Gajula, to report all cases in which a child was born drug-dependent, as the federal law spells out. "There's no doubt this baby was at risk, and the mother had already been on drugs," Gajula said. He said that his office generally calls child protective services when babies seem at risk of neglect or abuse. He assumed hospital administrators automatically reported the case to social workers, he said. "I don't know what transpired at the hospital." Citing patient privacy, Brian Downs, a spokesman for the Lehigh Valley Health Network, said neither the hospital nor its staff doctors will comment on the case or the county's report. Gajula said he saw Brayden twice in the week before the baby's death, and "it seemed to be going fine." It wasn't, Schlier wrote in a letter to Reuters from prison. She said she wished that the hospital "had someone check in at our home daily to see how things were going," for her and for Brayden. "I was an addict, and it was well known to everyone, but no one seemed to care!" It isn't clear who finally did alert child welfare officials to Brayden. The state's report redacted that information. But the report does note that the phone call didn't come until early this year - 80 days after the baby had died. In June, state lawmakers voted to change the policy for reporting babies born dependent on drugs: They loosened it. Today, if a drug-dependent baby is born to a mother using prescribed drugs - such as the methadone Schlier had been taking - doctors no longer need to alert social services. Pennsylvania's safety net for the babies of the opioid epidemic is now weaker than it was when Brayden Cummings died. (Edited by Blake Morrison. Additional reporting by Mimi Dwyer and Blake Morrison.) | 5 | 98,002 | news |
Reports indicate the 76ers are discussing a contract extension for head coach Brett Brown. Brown has a 38-147 record with Philly. Has he earned an extension? | 1 | 98,003 | sports |
U.S. equities moved lower on Monday in relatively light trading, as OPEC's lack of a production cut at its Friday meeting continued to hit crude oil, which lost 5.6% to close at $37.73 falling below its August low to hit fresh six-year lows. OPEC has maintained a production ceiling of 30 million barrels per day since 2011, although actual current production is nearer to 31.5 million, as quotas are flouted on the margins. With Iranian crude oil coming back into the market and U.S. production steady, prices look set for more weakness. In the end, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.7%, the S&P 500 fell 0.7%, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8% and the Russell 2000 ended 1.6% lower. Defensive telecom stocks led the way with a 0.6% gain, followed by utilities, up 0.3%. Energy stocks led the decliners, down 3.7%, with Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) down 2.6% and Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) off 2.7%. Stocks to Sell: 7 Stocks Analysts LOATHE Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR) soared 71.9% after agreeing to be acquired by JAB Group for $92 a share in cash in a $13.9 billion deal representing a 78% premium to the prior closing price. Wearables maker Fitbit Inc (NYSE:FIT) gained 2%, with positive coverage in the Wall Street Journal highlighting its ability to undercut the Apple Watch in one of the few hot retail areas d this holiday season. Office Depot Inc. (NASDAQ:ODP) lost 15.8% on reports that the Federal Trade Commission is challenging its proposed merger with Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS) on competition concerns. On the economic front, the chatter is shifting from the timing of the Federal Reserve's first interest rate hike since 2006 (odds of a hike later this month stand at 79% based on futures market pricing) to what comes afterwards. Currently, the market expects only two additional rate hikes in 2016. That will depend, in large part, on the pace of wage inflation in the new year. We'll get an update on producer price inflation on Friday along with the November retail sales report as the 2015 holiday shopping season rolls on. I continue to recommend subscribers nibble on defensive positions here such as the VelocityShares 2x VIX (NASDAQ:TVIX), which gained 4.2% today for Edge subscribers. Anthony Mirhaydari is founder of the Edge and Edge Pro investment advisory newsletters. A two-week and four-week free trial offer has been extended to MSN Money readers. The post Stocks Drift Lower as Oil Gets Slammed appeared first on InvestorPlace . | 3 | 98,004 | finance |
Hawaiian Local Billy Kemper won the title. | 8 | 98,005 | video |
The future once didn't look too bright for Vincent, a tabby kitten who was born missing the bottoms of his hind legs. Abandoned as a baby, Vincent was found and brought to the Story County Animal Shelter in Nevada, Iowa. Many animals with disabilities or birth defects are put to sleep. Luckily, a shelter employee took a shine to Vincent and brought him home and her daughter was a veterinary student at Iowa State University. She connected the now 3-year-old Vincent with Mary Sarah Bergh, a veterinary orthopedic surgeon. After attempting physical therapy, Bergh collaborated with a company called BioMedtrix to develop the cat a set of titanium prosthetics. The metal implants were inserted into Vincent's femur bones, and pass through his skin. According to Bergh , Vincent's bone will grow onto the titanium shaft to support his weight. Additional procedures will gradually add length to his stubby hind legs. Soon, Vincent might be able to run, jump, and play like a typical four-legged feline. Since only a couple dozen animals across the world have been outfitted with prosthetics like Vincent's, it's hard to anticipate the full outcome of his recovery. And since his titanium shafts are exposed, Vincent's legs have to be misted with an antibiotic spray twice daily to stave off infections. But Bergh is happy with Vincent's hopeful and heartwarming progress, which you can check out in the video above. All images courtesy of ISUNewsService/YouTube [h/t IFLScience ] | 5 | 98,006 | news |
Good grief. A former child actor who was the voice of Charlie Brown in three major Peanuts specials is headed to prison, reports the Associated Press, despite a last-ditch effort to withdraw his guilty plea to charges of making criminal threats. A judge sentenced him to almost five years in prison on Monday. Peter Robbins, now 59, lent his voice to a slew of Charlie Brown holiday staples, including 1965's A Charlie Brown Christmas and 1966's I t's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown . According to IMDB.com, Robbins was the first actor to voice Charlie Brown, beginning at age nine until he was 13. Robbins quit acting in 1972. Robbins' recent legal trouble stems from sending threatening letters to a manager at a mobile home park in suburban Oceanside, where he had been living, according to the AP. He also sent letters to members of the media in which he offered to pay money to have San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore killed. The threatening letters were all sent from his jail cell. He was first arrested January 2013 at the U.S.-Mexico border on stalking charges. He later pleaded guilty to stalking an ex-girlfriend and the plastic surgeon who had operated. Robbins was sentenced to five years probation, but violated its terms and was arrested again. The former actor has been in jail since late February 2015. According to San Diego local affiliate NBC 7 , Robbins has been prone to outbursts in court, this June telling the judge, "I hope you drop dead of a heart attack." At a following court date in November, Robbins claimed to suffer from a mental illness. "This is what happens when you are bipolar. You behave as if you are on drugs," he said in court. "I want justice to be served, but I'm mentally ill. ... To stick me three years into a state prison is not benefitting the justice system. I feel I'm entitled to at least a second chance." Robbins was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. December marks the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas . | 5 | 98,007 | news |
An estimated 1.5 million children in the US are allergic to peanuts, an allergy that can often be so severe that the child who's allergic can't be in the same room as a peanut without their body freaking out and shutting down. To counter that extreme reaction, researchers are working on a patch that works to lessen that severity. And it's just become the first of its kind to enter phase 3 clinical trials, the last human trial needed before the FDA gets a chance to evaluate and (hopefully for the company) approve it. DBV Technologies, the French biotechnology company behind the patch, calls the approach to treating severe allergies an "epicutaneous immunotherapy," which means the immune-system-targeting drug is delivered through the skin. DBV is the first company to use this technology. Inside each patch is a sprayed-on sample of peanut protein. Once you put it on, the protein makes its way into your immune system through your skin. Since it's delivered this way, the allergen never makes it to the blood stream, which would cause the allergic reaction you're trying to avoid. Ideally, when worn daily for a year or so, the patch makes it possible for people with peanut allergies to consume a small amount of peanuts, according to David Schilansky, the company's Chief Operating Officer. For example, if someone who started using the patch initially couldn't tolerate eating 1/10th of one whole peanut, she could ideally eat roughly a handful of peanuts without any reaction after a few years of daily use (the exact timeline for the patch to take effect is still being pinned down, says Schilansky). Still, a small improvement could make a big difference. "W hen you cannot afford more than a 10th of a peanut that's really progress," Schilansky told Business Insider. That's very different from the way allergies are typically treated in practice: Before this immunotherapy method, the only way to lessen an allergic reaction was through "desensitization," a process in which you gradually introduce small amounts of the allergen into your body, in the case of peanut allergies, by eating the peanut outright. The problem with this method is that it can be very risky since it can cause an allergic reaction that spreads throughout the body through the blood stream. Other, more common methods, for treating allergies have been focused around treating the symptoms of the allergic reaction; i.e. using antihistamines like Benadryl or shots of epinephrine in extreme cases. What causes allergies? Allergies are your immune system's response to a substance that may not be harmful to others. They're the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the US. According to the CDC, an estimated 4-6% of children in the US have food allergies, with peanuts being one of the worst offenders. The patch is being studied for its effects on children aged four to 11 who can benefit the most from having less severe allergies. Allergies can be constant and life-threatening, Schilansky said. With children, the problem can be even scarier. Schilansky said that the piece of mind that comes with knowing your child won't have an extreme allergic reaction is what DBV's Viaskin is all about. "This is a new method of immunotherapy," Pierre-Henri Benhamou, DBV's CEO, told Business Insider, which means there will be a lot of room to expand. Up next, Benhamou said the company is continuing research on using the patch for other food allergies such as milk and eggs among the most common food allergies and other non-food allergies that are connected to asthma. And after that, DBV plans to explore allergy vaccines that would ideally keep allergies from happening. The Phase 3 trial, which will set DBV up for the FDA to decide whether it wants to approve the patch, is taking place in five different countries, and DBV plans to enroll more than 330 children. | 7 | 98,008 | health |
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West welcomed their son over the weekend, and we have new details about the boy's high-risk birth. | 5 | 98,009 | news |
The popular composer opens his latest musical the "School of Rock." Rough Cut (no reporter narration). | 8 | 98,010 | video |
Who got snubbed when it comes to an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony? The guys debate. | 1 | 98,011 | sports |
Reporter flooded with Internet glory after over-the-top storm live shot. CNN's Jeanne Moos gets swept away. | 8 | 98,012 | video |
Taylor Swift had more than 50 guests join her on stage during her "1989" World Tour. While some fit right in, others had us scratching our heads. | 8 | 98,013 | video |
ATLANTA Lawyers for Georgia filed court papers Monday rejecting arguments by an inmate set to be executed this week that prosecutors had used false and misleading testimony to convict him. Brian Keith Terrell, 47, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the state prison in Jackson. He was convicted of the June 1992 killing of John Watson, a friend of his mother. Terrell's lawyers argued in a court filing Friday that no physical evidence links Terrell to the slaying of the man from Covington, east of Atlanta. They also said Terrell's cousin, whose testimony prosecutors relied on, has since said he lied to save himself. Lawyers for the state countered Monday that the courts have already heard and rejected the issues raised by Terrell's lawyers. Terrell was on parole when he stole and forged checks belonging to Watson, who reported the theft but asked police not to pursue charges if Terrell returned most of the money. On the day Terrell was to return the money, he had his cousin drive him to Watson's house, where he shot the 70-year-old man several times and severely beat him, lawyers for the state have said. Terrell's cousin, Jermaine Johnson, was his co-defendant and had been in jail for more than a year with the threat of the death penalty hanging over him when he agreed to a deal with prosecutors to testify against Terrell. Johnson was allowed to plead guilty to a robbery charge, receiving a five-year prison sentence. In a sworn statement submitted Friday by Terrell's lawyers, defense investigator Melanie Goodwill wrote that Johnson has told her and defense attorney Gerald King that he was 18 and facing the death penalty and was pressured by police and the prosecutor to testify against his cousin. He told Goodwill and King he would like to give a sworn statement telling the truth but is afraid he might be arrested and put in prison for perjury if he does, Goodwill wrote. Johnson has consistently testified under oath that Terrell admitted to killing Watson, state lawyers wrote. The hearsay statement given by the defense investigator does not meet the legal bar for new consideration, they wrote. Prosecutors also misleadingly presented the testimony of a neighbor of Watson's as having said she saw Terrell at the scene, but the woman said Terrell is not the one she saw and prosecutors never asked her to identify him in court, Terrell's lawyers wrote. State lawyers argued in their filing Monday that Terrell's attorneys already argued in previous court proceedings that prosecutors knowingly presented false testimony by Johnson and misleadingly presented the neighbor's testimony. Those arguments have already been reviewed and rejected by courts, state lawyers argued. In a separate state court filing, Terrell's lawyers have challenged the safety and effectiveness of the drug the state plans to use to execute Terrell. They withdrew that challenge Monday but filed a similar complaint in federal court and asked a judge to halt his execution. The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, the only state entity authorized to commute a death sentence, denied clemency after a hearing for Terrell on Monday. As is its custom, the parole board gave no reason for its decision. | 5 | 98,014 | news |
Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill fell 4.7 percent in extended trading on Monday, after Boston College said students, including members of the men's basketball team, fell ill after dining at the popular burrito chain. Boston College spokesman Jack Dunn said that the students complained of gastrointestinal symptoms and the common factor among the students is that they had all eaten at the Chipotle restaurant in Boston's Cleveland Circle over the weekend. | 0 | 98,015 | foodanddrink |
Could he be psychic, or just really good at keeping up with the Kardashians? | 8 | 98,016 | video |
A Metro-North Railroad conductor became a choral conductor last week when he found his commuter train was carrying the Yale Glee Club. (Dec. 7) | 2 | 98,017 | travel |
CHICAGO Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez's decision not to charge a Chicago police officer who fatally shot Ronald Johnson III was made after virtually no independent investigation by her office and despite a police dashboard-camera video that shows Johnson being shot in the back while running from police, the lawyer for Johnson's family said Monday. "This is a joke," attorney Michael Oppenheimer told reporters about an hour after Alvarez laid out her reasons for not charging Officer George Hernandez. "It is the blind leading the blind." Alvarez decided against criminal charges because the dash-cam video of the shooting shows Johnson wielding what prosecutors say appears to be a gun. At a 75-minute news conference, Alvarez tried to support her decision by playing the video, a sample of 911 calls of residents reporting shots fired and recordings of officers calling in updates on police radios of men with a gun. But Oppenheimer, who in October 2014 filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Johnson's family, said Alvarez appeared to have relied solely on the flawed investigation done by the Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates police shootings, and never seriously considered charges against the officer. To bolster that claim, Oppenheimer played a portion of Hernandez's video-recorded deposition taken a month ago as part of the lawsuit in which the officer says he had never been contacted by Alvarez's office. The fact that Hernandez freely answered questions under oath for more than six hours indicates he knew he was free of any criminal probe, Oppenheimer said. "How in the world does he know he's not going to be indicted unless someone in Alvarez's office told him?" the attorney said. Johnson's mother, Dorothy Holmes, told reporters she was upset with Alvarez's decision and hoped a special prosecutor would be appointed to do a more thorough investigation. "I want (Hernandez) charged with murder," Holmes said. Alvarez, in the midst of a tough re-election fight, dismissed claims by Oppenheimer that a gun had been planted by Chicago police at the scene, saying it was unsupported by the evidence. "All of the evidence points to the fact that Mr. Johnson did indeed have a gun that evening," she said, including statements from an acquaintance who heard what sounded like a gun being cocked by Johnson and a cartridge case matching the ammunition in Johnson's gun discovered in the car he was riding in with friends that night. Alvarez said "a careful analysis of the law" showed that prosecutors could not prove any criminal charges against Hernandez beyond a reasonable doubt. She called Hernandez's use of deadly force "reasonable and permissible," citing that Johnson was running toward a police vehicle and a public park on the South Side. "Police officers are often forced to make split-second judgments in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving about the amount of force that is necessary in any particular situation," she said. To show how such events can quickly turn tragic for police, Alvarez also played a video of an unrelated shooting in which a fleeing suspect had shot and wounded an officer giving chase. Alvarez said Hernandez was aware of that shooting and referred to it in his statement to investigators from the Independent Police Review Authority. "I'm not covering anything up. I have shown everyone in this room what we have done," Alvarez said in response to a reporter's question. "We're in different times now when we're talking about transparency and what the public wants to see, and that's what we're doing. I have pretty much opened the door here for you to see our entire analysis and the evidence that we looked at and the videos we considered. "You know, I have a tough job," she said. "I think I have the hardest job in this county. And I have to make decisions each and every day, each and every day on cases like this … and you know no matter what decision I make, someone is going to be unhappy." Oppenheimer, however, continued to maintain that Alvarez was participating in a cover-up by law enforcement that began at the scene the night of the shooting. The Police Department put out an official statement shortly after the shooting that Johnson had turned and pointed a gun at officers as he ran, prompting Hernandez to fire in fear of his life. But Oppenheimer said several officers he took depositions from said they were allowed to watch the dash-cam video back at the Area Central police headquarters before any official reports were written. After viewing the video and seeing that Johnson had never turned, detectives filed a case report that day stating that Hernandez feared that "at any moment" Hernandez "could fire shots" at him or other officers on the scene, according to a copy of the report supplied by Oppenheimer on Monday. Oppenheimer said the report was written in legal language that was clearly tailored to match what was in the video. "This is a cover-up from the beginning," he said. Alvarez acknowledged that the dash-cam video of Johnson's shooting was of poor quality, but she said she believes it shows Johnson holding an object in his hand. "What we've been seeing in these particular cases is they're not Hollywood-quality videos," she said. "They're grainy, it's dark, it's blurry, it happens so fast." After Johnson fell to the ground, officers saw a weapon in his hand, prosecutors said. The weapon was loaded with 12 rounds. Johnson's DNA was recovered from the gun and investigators later connected the weapon to a separate shooting from 2013, prosecutors said. At the news conference, Assistant State's Attorney Lynn McCarthy said the prosecutor's office sent the video of Johnson's shooting to an FBI laboratory to try to establish visual proof that Johnson held a gun in his hand in the seconds before he was shot. Alvarez said the FBI decided not to take part in the criminal investigation last year after its agents had viewed the video of Johnson being shot twice. Alvarez also criticized IPRA, saying her office had asked it to question two witnesses in the case in April and only recently heard back on that. "I do have some concerns about IPRA," she said. Johnson, 25, was an occupant in a car that had its window shot out on the night of Oct. 12, 2014. Alvarez said another passenger in that car told police he heard Johnson cock a gun and instruct the driver to head back to where the shots had been fired. Johnson's shooting eight days before the killing of Laquan McDonald bore striking similarities to McDonald's death. The video of 17-year-old McDonald's slaying, released last month by the order of a Cook County judge, has led to repeated protests that have captured national attention, calls for Alvarez's resignation and a broader investigation by the U.S. Justice Department of the Chicago Police Department's use of force. But one major distinction between the two cases was allegations that Johnson was armed with a gun. Police, who described Johnson as a known gang member, said they recovered a gun at the scene, but Oppenheimer contended that police planted the weapon after shooting an unarmed Johnson. Police have said Hernandez opened fire only after Johnson pointed a gun at him during a foot chase. The details about Johnson's killing have emerged amid continued fallout over the handling of the McDonald case. The Chicago Tribune reported last week that Alvarez's office was investigating possible criminal charges in Johnson's case. Just as it had in McDonald's shooting, the city had argued in court filings since the shooting 14 months ago that releasing the video would inflame the public and jeopardize the officer's right to a fair trial if he was charged, court records show. But last Thursday, after a week of mounting pressure for transparency following the release of the video showing McDonald's shooting, Mayor Rahm Emanuel told reporters he would drop his opposition to making the Johnson video public. On the night he was killed, Johnson was in a car with friends when the vehicle's back window was shot out by an unidentified gunman. Chicago police have said that Johnson resisted arrest when officers responded to the call of shots fired and then ran. During the chase, Hernandez, at the time a tactical officer in the Wentworth Police District, pulled up in an unmarked squad car and jumped out with his gun drawn, Oppenheimer said. The video, which Oppenheimer said he has seen many times, shows that within two seconds of getting out of his car, Hernandez fired five times at Johnson as he was still running away, striking him in the back of the knee and again in the back of the shoulder. Autopsy results obtained by the Tribune show that the fatal shot traveled through Johnson's shoulder, severed his jugular vein and exited his eye socket. Oppenheimer said the squad car from which the scene was recorded began to move shortly after Johnson collapsed in the parkway, so the officers' actions in the immediate aftermath were not captured. Police reported that night that they found a pistol in Johnson's right hand a gun that Oppenheimer described as "old and rusty" and completely absent from the video footage. "There was nothing in his hand, not a gun, a cellphone, a bottle of water nothing," he said. The video was first turned over as part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Johnson's mother a few weeks after the shooting. With that case pending, U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang granted a request by the city for a protective order barring the release of the footage and other sensitive information, records show. In a separate lawsuit, Holmes' attorneys have asked a Cook County judge to order the video released under the state's Freedom of Information Act. Oppenheimer said he hoped that the recent ruling by Chancery Judge Franklin Valderrama ordering the release of the McDonald video also over the city's objections would weigh in his favor. | 5 | 98,018 | news |
Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll is out indefinitely with a right knee contusion, reports Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears. Carroll, 29, is averaging 12.2 points and 5.1 rebounds through 18 games for the Raptors, who currently sit in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings. The seven-year NBA veteran signed a four-year, $60 million deal with the Raptors in July. He spent the previous two seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks . Last year, Carroll averaged 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Atlanta. He began his NBA career in Memphis, and also made stops in Houston, Denver and Utah. • NADKARNI: Jenkins on LeBron's essay and more The Raptors (12 9) host the Lakers (3 17) on Monday night. | 1 | 98,019 | sports |
After signing Zack Greinke to a deal, how close are the Diamondbacks to competing in the NL West? Danny Graves discusses their chances. | 1 | 98,020 | sports |
Sports Illustrated Executive Editor B.J. Schecter joins 120 Sports to talk about the Heisman candidates. Did Keenan Reynolds deserve inclusion? | 1 | 98,021 | sports |
Trump wants a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States." | 8 | 98,022 | video |
The Philadelphia 76ers' rebuilding plan under general manger Sam Hinkie centered around draft picks and eventually selecting that franchise-altering player. But that plan drew criticism as the losses piled up and with the absence of that transcendent player. On Monday, 76ers co-managing owner Josh Harris announced that longtime NBA executive and one-time owner Jerry Colangelo, who is the chairman of USA Basketball, is the team's new chairman of basketball operations and special advisor to the managing general partner. It signals a change in the Sixers' rebuilding plan. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had a significant hand in Philadelphia's decision to hire Colangelo and placed a call to Colangelo to gauge his interest, two people familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports. They requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the private discussions. Don't mistake this as a PR move or a consultation role. The 76ers hired Colangelo to rebuild the team faster than Hinkie. "This season has not been easy for us and even more difficult than we anticipated," Harris said. "Our situation needed a review to make our situation better." While Harris said he believes in the plan to build sustainable success it's an admission the plan isn't going the way the 76ers had hoped and change is necessary. The 76ers were 19-63 in 2013-14, 18-64 in 2014-15 and 1-20 this season going into Monday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, and those draft picks haven't generated the player Philadelphia believes is a game-changer. During Monday's news conference, Harris, Colangelo and Hinkie said all the right things, and Colangelo indicated Hinkie would have final say on player-personnel decisions. But read between the lines. "Everyone wants to make the right decision, and ultimately someone will make the call, and Sam is in the position to make the call on the final decision. But that's after a lot of collaboration and discussions," Colangelo said. Colangelo, 76, took this job so he could make an impact, and he wouldn't be with Philadelphia if he wasn't going to have authority to make decisions. He is a longtime executive, including one-time owner of the Phoenix Suns, and an influential voice across the league. The 76ers' rebuilding plan will take a detour under Colangelo. The 76ers still want that game-changing draft pick, but routinely finishing at the bottom of the standings with no end in sight to the losing while trying to get that player is no longer the only plan. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown hinted at those detours before Monday's game, saying he thinks the team will take veterans and free agency more seriously. Right now, the 76ers have one player who is older than 25, and there is hardly any veteran presence in the locker room. Those players are necessary with a young team. Also, veterans and free agents will take the 76ers more seriously because of Colangelo. Colangelo likes to win, and he knows that you can build through a savvy combination of the draft, free agency and trades. At this stage of his career, Colangelo is the boss, and Harris understands that. Hinkie should, too. Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt . | 1 | 98,023 | sports |
Japan's economy avoided a technical recession in the three months to September, according to revised official numbers released on Tuesday. Preliminary numbers released last month showed the economy had contracted an annualised 0.8% during the period. The preliminary figures meant it was Japan's second consecutive quarterly contraction, which constitutes a technical recession. However, the revised figures show the economy expanded at an annualised 1%. Japan, which is the world's third-biggest economy, has been in recession four times since the global financial crisis. On a quarterly basis, the latest economic numbers show gross domestic product (GDP) for the three months to September grew 0.3% - instead of initial report which showed a contraction of 0.2%. Analysts said Tuesday's numbers were stronger than expected. "What's more, GDP only shrank by 0.1% quarter on quarter [in the three months to June] instead of the earlier reported 0.2%," said economist Marcel Thieliant of Capital Economics. Mr Thielant said one reason for the revision was stronger business investment, which edged up by 0.6% instead of the preliminary reported 1.3% quarter on quarter fall. | 3 | 98,024 | finance |
Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass" was nominated for Record and Song of the Year in 2014 but she also is up for 2015 Best New Artist. Here's why. | 8 | 98,025 | video |
There's a lot more to it than what I say in this video but here's what it's kinda like for me. | 4 | 98,026 | lifestyle |
Hours after Donald Trump suggested the U.S. ban Muslims from entering the United States, the leading Republican presidential candidate said America should also consider "closing the Internet up in some way" to fight Islamic State terrorists in cyberspace. #DonaldTrump advocates closing up the Internet 2 stop the process of thought/free speech. So Communist China-like. pic.twitter.com/hRab3xpVcK NotBuffytheVMPslayer (@NotBUFFY_VS) December 8, 2015 Trump mocked anyone who would object that his plan might violate the freedom of speech, saying "these are foolish people, we have a lot of foolish people." "We have to go see Bill Gates," Trump said, to better understand the Internet and then possibly "close it up." Trump characterized the problem of Internet extremism by saying, "We're losing a lot of people because of the Internet." The Internet has taken center stage in both the 2016 presidential race and the Obama administration 's current fight against the Islamic State. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton urged tech companies to "deny online space" to terrorists. Clinton then anticipated and waved away presumed First Amendment criticisms. "We're going to hear all the usual complaints," she said on Monday, "you know, freedom of speech, et cetera. But if we truly are in a war against terrorism and we are truly looking for ways to shut off their funding, shut off the flow of foreign fighters, then we've got to shut off their means of communicating. It's more complicated with some of what they do on encrypted apps, and I'm well aware of that, and that requires even more thinking about how to do it." The Obama administration spoke about cyberspace in a Sunday night speech from the Oval Office. The president said he would "urge high-tech and law enforcement leaders to make it harder to use technology to escape from justice." While less explicit and extreme a statement than Trump's, many observers took Obama's statement to be about outlawing strong encryption . Photo by Gage Skidmore /Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) | 5 | 98,027 | news |
You need to see how badly this went for a fan in Australia. | 1 | 98,028 | sports |
PHILADELPHIA The caretaker at a Philadelphia mosque found a severed pig's head outside on Monday morning, and police were investigating whether someone may have thrown it out a car window. The caretaker told police he found the head on the sidewalk near the door of the Al Aqsa Islamic Society when he arrived around 6 a.m. Monday. Police investigators said surveillance video shows someone throwing an object from the passenger window of a red pickup as it drove past the mosque Sunday night. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, prohibits Muslims from eating pork, and pigs have been used to taunt or offend Muslims. Last year, attackers in Greece placed a severed pig's head and painted anti-Muslim slogans outside an Islamic studies center in Athens. The incident in Philadelphia was condemned by Mayor-elect Jim Kenney. "The bigotry that desecrated Al-Aqsa mosque today has no place in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection has a long history of coming together in the face of challenge," Kenney said in a statement Monday night. | 5 | 98,029 | news |
LOS ANGELES One of the San Bernardino attackers practiced firing a military-style weapon at a Riverside County gun range, according to an employee who described him as a "normal guy." John Galletta, a firearms instructor at Riverside Magnum Range, said shooter Syed Rizwan Farook had practiced there before, but couldn't comment on when or how frequently he stopped by. Galletta said Farook's wife, Tashfeen Malik, had never been there. As for Farook, a co-worker at the range described him as "a normal guy," Galletta said. The company has turned over surveillance footage and sign-in logs to the FBI, he said. Galletta said Farook practiced with an AR-15 and that he brought his own weapon. It wasn't clear if that is the only type of weapon he practiced with, he said. The FBI said Monday that the San Bernardino shooters had been radicalized "for quite some time," but investigators are still trying to determine whether they had links to foreign terror organizations. Officials also said Farook and Malik had gone to gun ranges in the Los Angeles area in the days before Wednesday's massacre, in which 14 people were killed and 21 were injured. Federal investigators did not know how the couple had become radicalized, said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office. "Remember, oftentimes it's on the Internet," he cautioned. John D'Angelo of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives added that three of the guns recovered from the couple's shootout with police after their attack and from the couple's home were purchased by Farook between 2007 and 2012. The other two weapons were purchased by Farook's friend, Enrique Marquez of Riverside. Marquez entered a mental hospital after the attacks, according to two law enforcement sources. Federal authorities interviewed Marquez over the weekend after discovering that he had given the assailants two semi-automatic weapons. A source said there was no indication at this time that Marquez had any knowledge of the plot. On Sunday, the FBI seized items from Marquez's home after having spent several hours there the day before, according to neighbors. A law enforcement source said the weapons were purchased at least three years ago and that there is no paperwork of them being transferred to Farook. Federal authorities continued to scour the backgrounds of Farook and Malik to determine what sparked their radical turn and whether they received any outside financial support to carry out the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The married couple died in the shootout with police hours after their rampage at the Inland Regional Center. Bowdich called the investigation "massive." About 400 interviews have been conducted with more expected, and about 320 pieces of evidence have been collected, some of which were transported to the agency's explosive device center in Washington, D.C., to be analyzed. He clarified Monday that 19 pipes _ not 12 as reported earlier _ that could be converted into bombs were removed from the shooters' home. In addition, a reconstruction team is attempting "to ultimately paint that picture of how everything transpired that day," Bowdich said. "Our job is to continue the investigation at breakneck speed as long as we need to do that," he added. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Sunday that investigators have gained the cooperation of foreign governments, including Pakistan, as part of the far-reaching probe of Farook and Malik, a Pakistani national. The interior minister of Pakistan, where Malik attended college and Farook's parents were born, also announced the country had launched its own inquiry. As the investigation unfolded, friends and family of the shooters came forward to offer snapshots that may point to what motivated Wednesday's attack, including Farook's apparent fixation on Israel and Malik's devotion to a fundamentalist strain of Islam. Lynch, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," cautioned against drawing conclusions about the couple and said the probe was a "marathon" effort to chart all aspects of their lives. "We are trying to learn everything we can about both of these individuals," Lynch said. "We are trying to run everything to ground." Federal officials have said the couple's plot appeared to be inspired, but not directed, by foreign terrorist organizations. President Barack Obama said in a Sunday evening address that no evidence pointed to the two being part of a "broader conspiracy here at home." Describing Malik as the "wild card" in the plot, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said investigators were looking into her activities in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Malik, 29, was born to a politically influential family in Pakistan's southern Punjab province, moved to Saudi Arabia as a child and returned to Pakistan to begin studying pharmacology in 2007. Two classmates of Malik at Bahauddin Zakariya University said that while she was enrolled at the college, she also studied at Al Huda, a chain of religious institutes that promote a fundamentalist strain of Islam. "She used to go to attend sessions in Al Huda almost every day," one of Malik's former classmates told the Los Angeles Times, speaking on condition that she not be identified. A Pakistani security analyst, Ayesha Siddiqa, said Al Huda teaches women "fundamentalist" ideas, though it does not necessarily promote a jihadist agenda. Most of the women who attend Al Huda institutes wear a veil and usually come from affluent families like Malik's, Siddiqa and other experts said. A family member in Pakistan told the Times in an interview that Malik became deeply religious during college and began posting extremist messages on Facebook after arriving in the United States. In 2014, she came to the United States on a K-1 visa, also called a fiancee visa, with Farook, who worked as an inspector with San Bernardino County. The limited salary of a county employee has aroused suspicion that the cache of weapons found in the couple's Redlands home _ including pipe bombs and ammunition _ may have been purchased with funds from a foreign source, McCaul said. "I believe on his salary, he was not able to buy this on his own," McCaul said on "Fox News Sunday." Farook's father told the Italian newspaper La Stampa that his son agreed with the ideology of Islamic State leaders and was "obsessed" with Israel. But a local activist, speaking alongside one of the family's attorneys, later backtracked and said the elder Farook did not recall the comments he made to the publication. Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in the L.A. area, said the father, like the rest of the family, is "dealing with a lot of stress." "He's on medication," he said. "He doesn't recall saying that." The younger Farook, who grew up in Riverside and has family spread across Southern California's Inland Empire, met Malik on a dating website. The couple were married last year in Islam's holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and Saudi officials confirmed that Farook spent nine days in the kingdom in the summer of 2014. In May, the couple's daughter was born, according to records. This outwardly normal life masked the couple's seeming march down the path of radical terrorism. Farook and Malik had amassed an arsenal of 2,000 9 mm rounds, 2,500 .223-caliber rifle rounds and "hundreds of tools" that could have been used to make explosive devices, authorities said. The couple fired at least 65 shots when they stormed a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center, where about 80 of Farook's co-workers at the San Bernardino Department of Public Health had gathered. Twelve of the 14 who died and 18 of the 21 injured were county employees, police said. Hours later, the couple exchanged gunfire with police on San Bernardino streets, in a battle that launched bullets into homes and that terrified residents. ___ (Times staff writer Joseph Serna, Veronica Rocha, Matt Hamilton and Corina Knoll contributed to this report.) | 5 | 98,030 | news |
Asian stock markets teetered near their weakest levels in three weeks on Tuesday, as a rout in oil prices to near seven-year lows knocked global energy company shares and commodity currencies. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.4 percent, erasing all the gains made so far this month, with resource-heavy Australian shares (.AXJO) leading decline with a fall of 0.9 percent. Japan's Nikkei (.N225) bucked the trend, rising 0.3 percent, after revised data showed Japan had dodged a recession in the third quarter, with GDP up an annualized 1.0 percent, compared to a preliminary reading of a 0.8 percent fall. Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures (LCOc1) dropped 5.4 percent to $40.66 per barrel on Monday, after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries' (OPEC) policy meeting on Friday ended without an agreement to lower production. Keeping production at near record levels in an oversupplied market has spooked investors grappling with reduced demand from China, the world's biggest energy consumer. The focus now shifts to China's trade data for November due later in the day. Brent fell below its August trough to hit its lowest level since February 2009, when the world's economy was mired in the deepest downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. U.S. crude futures (CLc1) fell to as low as $37.50 per barrel, also hitting a near-seven-year low. The plight of oil market hit energy shares on Wall Street hard. S&P 500 (.SPX) lost 0.7 percent to 2,077.07, led by 3.7 percent decline in the S&P energy sector energy index (.SPNY). Commodity currencies were another victim, with the Canadian dollar (CAD=D4) hitting a 11-1/2-year low of C$1.3524 to the U.S. dollar, falling 1.0 percent on the day on Monday. The Australian dollar also lost steam, slipping to $0.7257 (AUD=D4), from a 3-1/2-month high of $0.7386 touched on Friday. Among emerging market currencies, the Colombian peso fell 3 percent to a record low (COP=). The U.S. currency was broadly supported as investors expect the Federal Reserve to raise rates later this month for the first time in nearly a decade. The euro was on the back foot as the short-covering rally following last week's less-than-aggressive stimulus from European Central Bank had run its course. The common currency stood at $1.0838 (EUR=), having slipped from its one-month high of $1.0981 set on Thursday. The yen was little changed so far at 123.25 per dollar (JPY=). The offshore Chinese yuan (CNH=D4) traded at a three-month low of 6.4745 per dollar. Long-dated U.S. Treasury debt prices held firm after rallying on Monday as the drop in oil prices pointed to benign inflation, potentially tempering the Fed's policy tightening path after the expected liftoff on Dec. 16. "It will be hard for the Fed to achieve their goal of two percent inflation. People have said the fall in oil prices should boost consumption but that hasn't just happened," said Daisuke Uno, chief strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said on Monday that once the Fed decides to raise interest rates, attention will shift to actual movement in inflation to see if the central bank's economic narrative proves accurate. The 10-year U.S. debt yield fell to 2.236 percent (US10YT=RR), off one-month high of 2.358 percent touched on Friday following strong U.S. employment data. (Editing by Shri Navaratnam) | 3 | 98,031 | finance |
Is Nick Jonas 'Jealous' of T.Swift's 7 noms? Find out which other artists didn't make the cut for music's biggest awards show. | 6 | 98,032 | entertainment |
New Jersey Devils players understood how aggressive their new coach John Hynes was in the second game of the season when he pulled his goalie with 3:16 remaining while the Washington Capitals were on a power play. The Capitals led 4-2 at the time. Then defenseman Matt Niskanen scored a rare empty-net power play goal to make it 5-2. Defiant Hynes pulled his goalie again, and the Devils scored to make it 5-3. "We just missed making it 5-4, and we had other chances," Devils general manager Ray Shero recalled. "I saw (Washington coach) Barry Trotz after the game, and he said, 'Holy crud, you guys were coming at us and coming at us.'" The media quizzed Hynes about why he embraced that strategy, but Shero already knew why Hynes had done that before he answered. He hired Hynes because he has no understanding of the word 'quit.' NHL POWER RANKINGS: Don't count out Bruins; Sharks tank "He was sending a message to the team that we are never going to give up," Shero told USA TODAY Sports. "We are going to play until the end, and we've done this all season. Against Ottawa, we were down two goals in the last few minutes, pulled the goalie, scored and then tied it and won in overtime. If we are down 2-0 in the first period, it's not going to be the end of game. John's message is: 'It doesn't matter what the score is.'" All of this was important for a Devils team that ranked 25th last season before Shero was hired and chose Hynes to be his coach. That change, coupled with strategic alterations to the roster, has resulted in the Devils being far more competitive in 2015-16. The 14-10-3 Devils are in the thick of a playoff race in the Metropolitan Division. "We are looking for an identity," Shero said. "We are in the middle of the pack. It's not like we are leading the division, but we aren't last either." The Devils' improvement has been driven by Cory Schneider's stellar goaltending, no-surrender defensive play and a rejuvenated offense. Last season, the Devils ranked 28th in goals per game; now they are 19th. Even though they haven't made major changes up front, they find ways to score enough. Shero's additions of Kyle Palmieri and Lee Stempniak have made a difference: Journeyman Stempniak has 21 points in 27 games and Palmieri, picked up in a trade from Anaheim, is tied for second on the team in goals with 11. He has 20 points. But holdovers such as Mike Cammalleri (11 goals) and Adam Henrique (13 goals) have been equally important because they have stepped up their game amid the fresh optimism surrounding the team. PLAYER-POWER RANKINGS: Who leads early MVP vote? Schneider's 2.11 goals-against average and .925 save percentage are well above average. His numbers would suggest he should earn a place on USA's World Cup team. You can make a case that he should start, although Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is a popular incumbent. "He has proven he is an elite goalie," Shero said. "He's leader on this team." The Devils had long held a tradition of responsible defense, developed over Lou Lamoriello's successful reign as general manager. But Hynes seems to be squeezing even more stinginess out the group. "I think it only took guys three or four days of training to realize that (Hynes) is a good coach," Shero said. At 40, Hynes is the NHL's youngest coach. He's already being mentioned as a candidate for the Jack Adams as the coach of the year. "He's a real good teacher and communicator," Shero said. "This is a profession that John has really worked at. He's a career coach. He has paid his dues. He is always well prepared. Everyone wants to play fast. But we want to practice faster. We want to defend and attack quicker." | 1 | 98,033 | sports |
The Dodgers signed free agent Hisashi Iwakuma to attempt to reduce the impact of Zack Greinke's departure. Have they done enough or is there still a hole in the rotation? | 1 | 98,034 | sports |
At 60 years old Kris Jenner proves she can be just as sexy as her daughters! The momager poses in a bikini and endless jewels for Love Magazine's Advent calendar. | 5 | 98,035 | news |
Legendary West Indies batsman Vivian Richards has backed his country to put together 'a phenomenal team' for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 championship in India. | 8 | 98,036 | video |
Check out Monday's 120 Mixtape, which includes a kid falling off a trampoline, a sports reporter getting taken out on a TD grab and fans throwing teddy bears onto the ice. | 1 | 98,037 | sports |
Digging himself a bigger hole than ever before, Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine is dragging out the inevitable. After rumors came out that Johnny Manziel would start on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, Pettine once again proved his stubbornness knows no bounds. Per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, he told reporters he was " not prepared to name a starting quarterback " for this weekend's game. He added, "I haven't spoken to the quarterbacks yet . That's where we are with it." RELATED VIDEO: Pettine talks Manziel What's becoming alarmingly clear about the Browns this year is that the quarterback situation is the least of the team's problems. Pettine and his staff have bungled the entire thing from the start. The defense, which has been among the league's most stout the past few seasons and should have been again this year, has been abysmal. And the offense, despite featuring one of the NFL's most impressive offensive lines, can't run the ball to save its life (worst in the NFL). This is all the more perplexing when you consider the Browns have one of the most dynamic rookie running backs in the league in Duke Johnson, who has been under-utilized from the get-go. Instead of letting young players like Manziel and Johnson develop, Pettine and his staff have stuck with mediocre veterans all season long, and the results speak for themselves. The embarrassing 37-3 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday was the pinnacle of sadness for this team, which is 2-10 heading into the final four games of the season. We all know Manziel is a punk kid sometimes who (gasp!) acts like a 22-year-old frat boy. Thanks to social media, his every move is cataloged by fans, but can you imagine what a guy like Ken Stabler would have been caught doing if he played in today's NFL? There is no reason for Pettine to drag this out any more. Manziel served his two-game faux suspension, and now it's time to get him back into the game. | 1 | 98,038 | sports |
The Clippers held off the Timberwolves 110-106 Monday. Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. | 1 | 98,039 | sports |
This Florida alligator took a bite out of crime. A suspected burglar died from an alligator attack while hiding from police near Barefoot Bay, Brevard County sheriffs said. Authorities found Matthew Riggins' drowned body on Nov. 23 in a lake, and were almost attacked by an aggressive 11-foot alligator near it, Major Tod Goodyear said in a statement. After the gator was euthanized by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, forensic investigators found Riggins' hand and foot inside the reptile's stomach, officials said. "He hid in the wrong place," Laura Farris, a Barefoot Bay resident told Bay News 9. Several hours before his attempted break-in, Riggins told his girlfriend he would be at Barefoot Bay to rob homes, officers said. On Nov. 13, at about 2 a.m., deputies responded to that area after hearing reports of two suspicious men dressed in black. When officers approached the two, the burglary suspects fled and hid near the lake. While hiding, Riggins called his girlfriend and said he was being chased by deputies. Police found the alligator attack victim's alleged partner-in-crime, who has not been cooperative, cops said. [email protected] | 5 | 98,040 | news |
A slow start for Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has dragged on long enough to put him on a career-low scoring pace that even he can't explain. Crosby, a two-time scoring champion and two-time most valuable player, rarely stood out in games against the Kings and Ducks last weekend in Southern California. In the past, he'd command your attention with a dazzling burst of speed, a brilliant bit of anticipation, and a brave foray through a jungle of cross-checks and elbows. This time, those special moments never happened. He came away with a goal and two assists, a modest upturn that increased his totals to six goals and 18 points in 26 games. That meant the man who took uniform number 87 because he was born on 8/7/87 ranked No. 86 in scoring through Sunday's games. Even there, he couldn't find symmetry. Kings Coach Darryl Sutter theorized Crosby's production has declined because "he's playing a more complete game" as part of the Penguins' improved defensive effort under Coach Mike Johnston. "They're playing a game that's more suited for success," Sutter said. But Crosby doesn't think he's sacrificing offense for defense the way a young Steve Yzerman did in order for the Detroit Red Wings to become Stanley Cup champions. "I think you can do both. I don't think trying to be good defensively hurts your offense. I think if anything, it helps it," said Crosby, who averaged 1.36 points per game over his first 10 seasons but is averaging .692 points per game this season. "I don't think that's on anybody but myself and on trying to bury the chances that I do get. You always want more, but if they're not coming in bunches, then the ones you get, you've got to put them in. When you're struggling a bit to score it feels like you always want more and they don't seem to come. But that's just the way it is, and you've got to find ways to produce." Not that defense is foreign to him. "Sid has always worked on every aspect of his game. Throughout the years, if someone said he wasn't a goal scorer he'd be able to go out and score 50, or said he wouldn't be able to come back from something, he always did," said Chris Kunitz, who has played on Crosby's left wing lately. "Our team has asked him to be really good on faceoffs in the defensive zone. He goes out there for almost all of those faceoffs. That's something that's new for him, but I think he's always been that complete player." From childhood Crosby was designated "The Next One," the successor to The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. Crosby helped save the Penguins' franchise after they drafted him first in 2005 and his future seemed limitless, but he missed most of the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons because of a concussion and a neck injury. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, the Penguins have gotten as far as the East finals once, in 2012-13. There's a next designated "Next One" in Edmonton's Connor McDavid, and others will follow. Will we see Crosby dominate again, in a league where scoring is at a premium? It's possible. But at 28 he feels time flying more rapidly. "During the year I missed with the concussion it felt pretty long that year, but since the most recent lockout, things have really kind of flown by," he said. "Now having played in most of the rinks and having played against most of the guys it starts to go by real quick." Board games The NHL's board of governors began two days of meetings Monday in Pebble Beach, but they weren't expected to vote on expansion. The league's executive committee and the board are still evaluating applications submitted by groups in Las Vegas and Quebec City for possible addition for the 2017-18 season. Also on the agenda: projecting the salary cap for next season, discussing compensation rules for coaches and executives who are signed by another team after being relieved of their jobs, reviewing three-on-three overtime, and evaluating the coach's review process. There's sentiment for reviews to be conducted in the NHL situation room in Toronto instead of by a referee using a small tablet device in the arena, and that makes sense in terms of getting the best clarity and detail. Slap shots -Buffalo will be the site of the World Junior Championships in 2018 and the event will include a preliminary-round game - likely between the U.S. and Canada - outdoors at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The tentative dates are Dec. 26, 2017, to Jan. 5, 2018. The tournament was last held in the U.S. in 2011. -The Edmonton Oilers have found some stability in net. Anders Nilsson has been the linchpin of their three-game winning streak and 4-1-0 surge, stopping 174 of 193 shots (.951 save percentage) in that span. The 25-year-old Swede, a former backup with the New York Islanders, spent last season in the KHL and signed a one-year deal last summer with the Oilers, who acquired his rights from the Chicago Blackhawks. -St. Louis will lose forward Steve Ott for about three months because of surgery to repair both of his hamstrings. -The Pac-12 network will televise its first two NCAA hockey games. Both will feature Arizona State - against Yale on Jan. 8 and against the U.S. under-18 select team on Feb. 28 - and both will be played at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., home of the Coyotes. Arizona State is the only Pac-12 school with a Division I hockey program. [email protected] | 1 | 98,041 | sports |
George Wrighster and Petros Papadakis debate LeBron's marketability after his massive Nike deal. | 1 | 98,042 | sports |
ROCHESTER, N.Y. Police have charged six people in connection with the abduction of two New York college students. But the details surrounding the incident, which ended when a SWAT team stormed a home near the school, remain unclear. Rochester police announced the charges late Monday night. Lydell Strickland, 26, Dennis Perez, 23, and Leah Gigliotti, 20, all of Rochester, and Samantha Hughes, 19, of Pittsford, were charged with first-degree kidnapping. Inalia Rolldan, 19, and Ruth Lora, 19, both of Rochester, were charged with second-degree kidnapping. It was not immediately clear they had attorneys. Police provided no possible motive for the incident, which ended when a SWAT team rescued the two University of Rochester seniors from a home about four miles from the school Sunday night. Police said Nicholas Kollias, of Northbrook, Illinois, and Ani Okeke Ewo, of Aurora, Illinois, were abducted and held hostage, and one suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Police said they were targeted by their assailants. They did not identify which student was shot or any other injuries either student may have suffered. The students were reported missing Saturday evening, hours after they were last seen near the school. Earlier Monday night, police said they recovered the BMW SUV that they believed the two were traveling in before they were abducted. According to a 2015 roster posted on the university's website, Ewo is a cornerback for the football team, while Kollias was listed as a defensive end on the 2014 roster. University President Joel Seligman issued a statement Monday saying: "I will, at an appropriate time in the near future, be able to provide more detail about this very serious, but isolated, incident." | 5 | 98,043 | news |
Alabama red-shirt junior wide receiver Chris Black, who played in only six games this season due to an ankle injury, has announced his intentions to transfer. Have officially been granted my Full release from the UofA. Want to thank all the coaches, fellow teammates, and fans who believed in me. Chris Black (@CB1_BAMA) December 8, 2015 God is closing one door and opening another for me in 2016 and I've decided to transfer! Chris Black (@CB1_BAMA) December 8, 2015 Black played in 25 games for the Crimson Tide over the past three seasons, hauling in 15 passes for 188 yards in 2014. He recorded his only two touchdown catches as a red-shirt freshman in 2013, and grabbed a pair of passes for 23 yards this fall. | 1 | 98,044 | sports |
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Iowa State's Georges Niang played the most complete game of his career, helping the fourth-ranked Cyclones shake off some sluggish play and eventually roll past Buffalo 84-63 on Monday night. Niang's first double-double of the season -- 31 points and 12 rebounds -- was crucial for the Cyclones (7-0), who let the Bulls get within 47-46 early in the second half. Iowa State responded with an 11-0 run and a late closing push to remain one of the nation's last unbeaten teams. "It's games like this when you need him to step up," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said of Niang. "He's terrific. Tough mismatch guy." Jarryn Skeete led Buffalo (4-5) with 16 points. The loss capped a brutal three-day stretch for the Bulls, who lost at No. 8 Duke 82-59 on Saturday. This was Iowa State's final tuneup for Thursday's home game against Iowa, a team the Cyclones revel in beating as much as anyone other than Kansas. Iowa State looked like it was looking ahead for a while. Buffalo nearly made the Cyclones pay for their poor play. The Bulls kept it interesting at the start of both halves. But Niang sandwiched two 3s around one by Hallice Cooke, and Abdel Nader's three-point play gave the Cyclones their first double-digit lead, 27-16. Still, Iowa State couldn't find much rhythm in the first half, shooting just 34 percent and committing six turnovers. Skeete then opened the second half with three straights 3s before the Cyclones got untracked. They did so behind Niang, whose steady play helped Iowa State keep the Bulls from getting close enough to make a late run at an upset. "That's not a bad team. We were struggling a little bit on defense, giving them a bunch of points late in the shot clock," Niang said. "I think our flow wasn't that great on the offensive end." Jameel McKay finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Monte Morris had 12 points with 10 assists for the Cyclones. TIP-INS: Buffalo: The Bulls might have made things even closer had they not shot just 8 of 30 from 3-point range. Buffalo shot 35 percent from the field overall. ... Buffalo has one more tough road game left, at VCU on Dec. 22, before it starts Mid-American Conference play. Iowa State: The Cyclones went on a 15-0 run midway through the first half. ... Reserve G Matt Thomas grabbed six rebounds. ... Iowa State's backcourt fought foul trouble, with Thomas and Morris committing three each. STAR POWER: Niang leaned heavily on the versatility that earned him preseason first-team All-America honors. In addition to his prowess on 3s, Niang hit a number of bank shots from tough angles, including one immediately after he forced Blake Hamilton into missing a 2-footer without fouling him. Niang later stole an inbounds pass to keep Iowa State's crucial run alive. "As soon as I got a couple going, Coach was calling my number and Monte was finding me," Niang said. COURTSIDE Morris was one of the main culprits in Iowa State's sluggish start. Ever the superstitious player, Morris changed shoes at halftime to change his luck. It worked, as Morris had all of his points and eight of his assists in the second half. "I just felt more comfortable in these low-tops. I'll give those other shoes a go later in the season." UP NEXT Buffalo hosts Binghamton on Saturday. Iowa State hosts Iowa on Thursday. | 1 | 98,045 | sports |
I'm in Oslo, and it's the perfect winter scene -- a full moon arcs high overhead, ice-white holiday lights sparkle in the darkness -- and it's the middle of the afternoon! Norway, with its northern location, has the longest and darkest winters in Europe. It's also about the least church-going country in Europe. Maybe that's why Christmas in Norway feels more like a pagan festival revering light than a celebration of Jesus' birth. In fact, the Norwegian word for Christmas, Jul (Yule), literally means "wheel," referring to the sun as it turns toward spring. Only in the 10th century did King Haakon I move the Jul winter-solstice, pagan, drinking festival to December 25 to honor the birth of Jesus. Imagine the raucous time as medieval Norwegians celebrated the ebb of winter. Carnivores were in hog heaven, enjoying an abundance of fresh meat. Jul was the time when animals were slaughtered -- which made more sense in that subsistence economy than feeding them through the winter. When the beer was brewed, the animals butchered, and the bread baked, the house was cleaned and the party began. People brought in enough wood to last the entire holiday. They gave the remaining animals a little extra hay and even lashed bundles of grain to posts outside to feed the birds. After a big feast, the leftover food was not cleaned up, but was left out overnight for the little people. If you neglected your "nisse" -- those mischievous elves of the forest -- ill fortune would hit your family. Today, even though the Christmas season -- and its Advent concerts -- boost church attendance, you see almost no Christian elements in the holiday decorations. It's almost as if Christmas, timed centuries ago to coincide with the solstice celebration, has reverted back to its pre-Christian roots. Christmas in Norway is a festival of light, seeming to promise longer days and the return of the sun. Norwegians miss the sun intensely, and they need a spirit boost during those weeks when noon feels like twilight and it's dark by 4 p.m. In good, understated Norwegian fashion, houses are decorated only with white lights -- never colored -- in the windows. You'll see some traditional candles, but electric lights posing as candles are more common. A plastic Santa or manger scene on the lawn, or garish colored lights along the eaves would probably put you in the neighborhood doghouse. It makes sense in a land that seems to have organized itself beyond a need for God. A highlight of the season is December 13, the feast day of Santa Lucia. She was a fourth-century Sicilian woman who (according to the lore) wore a head wreath adorned with candles to light the way as she helped persecuted Christians hiding in tunnels. The 13th was traditionally considered the longest night of the year. (Actually, the solstice on the 21st is the longest night, but the 13th is the day when the sun sets earliest at Norwegian latitudes.) The Scandinavian version of the legend is that a young woman born of rich and noble parents -- dressed in a white gown with a red sash and wearing a crown of lingonberry twigs and blazing candles -- traveled from one farm to the next in the early morning on December 13. She carried a torch to light her way, bringing baked goods to each house, returning home by sunrise. Today, Santa Lucia Day is celebrated in family gatherings, churches, schools, day-care centers, nursing homes, and hospitals. In comes a procession of girls, led by a young girl dressed as Saint Lucy (the "Lussibrud," or Lucy bride), with a white robe, a crown of lights on her head, and a candle in her hand. The girls carry baskets of saffron buns or ginger cookies to hand out. They're delicious with steaming coffee. If the ceremony is in a village church, the finale of the service is not "Silent Night" but "Santa Lucia" -- the same song popular in Italy but with Norwegian lyrics. As they sing, the children's choir with their leader wearing her crown of candles proceeds down the aisle and into the night, as if to spread light to the needy community. One of my most heartwarming moments in Norway came when I enjoyed St. Lucia Day in a small-town senior center, which has housed widows and seniors for over 200 years. Kindergarteners paraded in, led by a tiny blonde Lucia wearing a crown of lights. The children carried the traditional saffron buns -- a treat that brought back distant childhood memories for the adults, and kicked off lifelong memories for these kids. Endearing rituals such as these ensure that traditions stay strong from generation to generation. Lucia, whose name means "light," symbolizes hope and emergence out of the darkness, and during winter's darkest days, this celebration lightens the hearts of all who experience it. (Rick Steves ( www.ricksteves.com ) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.) | 2 | 98,046 | travel |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. By the end of the week, the trade of a mid-rotation starter and a fringe reliever for a setup man and a depth starter will fade into the background of winter meetings news, but the American League should be more worried than ever about what the Red Sox are doing. By acquiring Carson Smith from the Mariners along with Roenis Elias on Monday, in exchange for Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro, Boston has further strengthened a bullpen that was one of the weak links for a team that finished last in the East in 2015 but was not nearly as far from contending as that standing would indicate. MORE: Worst December trades, ranked | Chapman red flag for MLB's domestic violence policy The headline moves of the winter for the Red Sox are the signing of David Price to front the rotation and the trade for Craig Kimbrel to be the new closer. Smith, who had a 2.31 ERA in 70 innings for the Mariners in his rookie season, joins former closer Koji Uehara and fellow right-hander Junichi Tazawa in a setup corps that can rival what the defending world champion Royals have to offer. The 2015 Boston bullpen had a 4.24 ERA and tied for fourth-worst in the majors with a strikeout rate of 7.8 per nine innings in a total of 501 frames. Kimbrel and Smith combined to pitch 129 1/3 innings this year, with an ERA of 2.43 and a strikeout rate of 12.5. Putting their innings in place of inferior relievers, how different might things look for a team that went 36-39 in games decided by one or two runs? MORE SPECTOR: Don't sleep on Rangers in AL West Together as a quartet, Kimbrel, Smith, Uehara and Tazawa pitched 228 1/3 innings with a strikeout rate of 11.1 and a 2.84 ERA in 2015. The Royals' current top four of Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar and not-yet-officially-signed Joakim Soria combined for 255 1/3 innings, posting a 2.40 ERA with that one-third of an inning pushing the strikeout rate a tick below 9.0. It's at least a debate as to which bullpen looks more difficult to mount a late-inning comeback against, and that would have been unthinkable just a few weeks ago. With Price now basically taking Miley's spot in the rotation, jumping from No. 3 to No. 1 and pushing Clay Buchholz and Rick Porcello down to where they belong in a rotation, the Red Sox look that much better. Elias, a 27-year-old left-hander who had a 4.14 ERA in 22 games (20 starts) for Seattle, goes toward rotation depth along with Joe Kelly, Steven Wright and Henry Owens. Along with penciled-in No. 4 man Eduardo Rodriguez, who could be better than that ranking, Boston has the makings of a quality rotation to go along with a lineup that scored the fourth-most runs in the American League. MORE MEETINGS: Weiss says Rox must act boldly, too | Yost hears the cheers | Jays move on without Price The one question that needs to be asked is why the Mariners, whose bullpen is less than inspiring, would do this. The answer would be that as good as Smith looked as a rookie, Miley is a starter entering his age-29 season with two years and $15.1 million left on his contract, plus a $12 million option for 2018. He's been above 190 innings each of the last four years and fits better in Seattle than he did in an American League East that can be exceptionally rough on left-handers. Relievers are a lot more fungible than cost-controlled, reliable innings-delivering starters, and it's also possible that Aro, who had never pitched above Single-A before making it to the majors in 2015, will become something more than he appeared to be in allowing runs in five of six big-league outings. Aro did post a 3.04 ERA in 74 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, with 72 strikeouts, so there is that much for the 25-year-old to work with. It remains to be seen what else new GM Jerry Dipoto does with the Seattle bullpen, and there's plenty of winter left to make things happen. But in shipping Smith to Boston, he has helped create something that could be truly special for another team on the rebound in 2016. | 1 | 98,047 | sports |
Viktor Arvidsson scored late in the third period to lift the Predators to a 3-2 win over the Bruins. Roman Josi scored twice for Nashville in the win. | 1 | 98,048 | sports |
The Celtics beat the Pelicans 111-93 on Monday. Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points and was 4-4 from three-point range. | 1 | 98,049 | sports |
Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann says he is happy with life in Spain amid reports linking him to the Premier League. Griezmann has established himself as one of the best forwards in Europe with his form for Atletico, having scored 36 goals in 72 appearances since his 30 million euro move from La Liga rivals Real Sociedad last year. The France international's form has attracted interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs, but the 24-year-old - under contract until 2020 - is happy in Madrid. "I do not feel the need to play in Ligue 1, nor in the Premier League or in Serie A," Griezmann said on the Canal Football Club. "I am in Spain I'm happy. Life here, football, I like it all." Atletico faces Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday, with a draw against the Portuguese side enough for them to top Group C. "We want to win all our games and we'll go out to look for the win tomorrow," he said. Benfica got the better of Atletico in their first group stage match - winning 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon - and Griezmann is aware of the dangers the side poses. "The game in Madrid was very difficult; they have great players in attack that can cause problems at any time," he continued. "We need to be combative and try to win to secure top spot in the group. "Now we know each other better, we are playing with confidence and we're difficult to score against. Our defense is very tight and I hope it remains like that." | 1 | 98,050 | sports |
Muslim Americans are pleading with Donald Trump to stop encouraging violence in demanding a "complete" halt to Muslim immigration after a New York shopkeeper was beaten in a possible hate crime. Republican presidential frontrunner Trump's inflammatory call is part of what activists have described as an unprecedented anti-Muslim backlash following the Paris attacks and the shooting in California by a couple believed to have turned extremist. "He's giving the right to people to hurt us," said Ahmed Shedeed, who moved to the United States from Egypt in 1980 with a degree in agricultural engineering and today runs a travel agency. Also director of The Islamic Center of Jersey City, he spoke to AFP at a mosque, accusing Trump of provoking hate and violence. "I'm asking him, I'm begging him. It has to stop -- all these accusations. Look at the Muslim community as part of the American mosaic and we are part of America. We are not going anywhere." Muslim Americans say they are afraid. They talk about women wearing the hijab being spat on, a Muslim taxi driver being shot in the back on Thanksgiving and a pig's head found outside a Philadelphia mosque. Just hours before the Republican frontrunner's call for an end to Muslim immigration, community leaders from New Jersey met prosecutors asking them to take seriously alleged hate crimes against Muslims. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil liberties group in the country, says it has documented a wave of abuse, vandalism and acts of discrimination in the last month. "It is reckless and simply un-American. Donald Trump sounds more like a leader of a lynch mob than a great nation like ours," CAIR executive director Nihad Awad told a news conference in Washington, DC. - Death threat - Although data is hard to pin down, the Muslim American community is drawn largely from immigrants, many of whom have prospered since leaving Asia and the Middle East in search of a better life. A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2011 estimated there were 2.75 million Muslims in the United States, although members of the community put the number anywhere from six to 12 million. After the California killings, President Barack Obama called on Americans not to discriminate against Muslims and on the Muslim community to do more to "confront, without excuse" extremist ideology. Shedeed said the speech made him proud to be American after Trump insisted so bitterly, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary that Arab Americans in Jersey City celebrated the 9/11 attacks. "We were in agony, we were in fear. We were in tears," he said. "We were scared of people like him. If Mr Trump was active at 9/11 and he was doing the same talk, I'm sure a lot of us would be hurt." Sarker Haque, the owner of a New York convenience store, was battered in the head by a man whom he said threatened to kill Muslims. He said the man came in at Saturday lunchtime and glared intently at a stack of newspapers showing the face of the female shooter in California before saying: 'hey buddy everything is free in this store?" - Afraid - After acting erratically, he said the white male in his 50s punched him in the head, saying "I want to kill Muslims." He beat him in the face and head, cut his lip, kicked him in the ribs and dislocated his left hand, requiring hospital treatment and leaving him in pain. A large bruise is still visible under Haque's eye. Haque says the attack has left him scared, for the first time. "I never felt insecure," he said. "Now I have to look left and right." Police say the suspect was arrested for assault. Haque said he believed it was a hate crime. Just outside the New Jersey town of Hackensack, mother of four Najiba Saleh says she also has lived in America for 30 years and also for the first time worries about safety. "Now I have kids, I do, I get afraid," she told AFP. Four days a week, she says, her children go to a friend's house to study the Koran. "When they leave the house they put the hijab on, you know they read the Koran they have respect," she said. "When they leave the house I get afraid, I'm, like, what if someone is driving by and they see them or they might target them?" | 5 | 98,051 | news |
The Hornets blew out the Pistons 104-84 Monday behind a season-high 20 points from Cody Zeller. Nicolas Batum finished with 13 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. | 1 | 98,052 | sports |
Don't let the stress of Christmas shopping get you down! Rob Smith (@robsmithonline) has some advice for holiday shopping without the headache. | 3 | 98,053 | finance |
LANDOVER, Md. It was the NFL's version of The Twilight Zone. Strange things just kept flowing at FedEx Field on Monday night. A fumble here. A missed field goal there. A big return. A facemask penalty. Sudden touchdowns for crying out loud. Finally. HIGHLIGHTS: Cowboys prevail in wild finish Welcome to NFC East football, the worst divisional race since, well, last year's NFC South. For all of the odd occurrences, though, nothing tops the ultimate takeaway of how an improbable 19-16 Dallas Cowboys victory over Washington impacts the standings. The Cowboys, now 4-8, are one game out of first place. No kidding. "This is a crazy game," Cowboys star receiver Dez Bryant said after a wild finish was marked by Dallas and Washington combining for 17 of the game's 23 fourth-quarter points in the final 74 seconds. Dan Bailey won it with a 54-yard field goal with 9 seconds left. "One of the craziest games I've ever been a part of," said Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel, whose NFL tenure spans 11 years and 5 teams. Cassel called it an "emotional rollercoaster." BOX SCORE: COWBOYS 19, REDKSINS 16 Over in the other locker room, it had to feel more like a natural disaster. Monday was supposed to be the time for Washington, controlling its own destiny as the division leader, to seize the moment and pull the plug on Dallas' impossible dream for a repeat crown while pulling away from the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. But it was quite evident that Washington which has been potent at home yet winless on the road is not ready for prime time … or the playoffs. Now Washington (5-7) is in a three-way tie with the Eagles and Giants as leaders of the most flawed division in the land. And with a quarter of the regular season remaining, Dallas is lurking. "It's weird," Cassel said, "but I'm thankful that that's the case right now." Quick trivia question: Cassel is the first Cowboys quarterback other than Tony Romo to win a game since? "Troy Aikman," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, facetiously playing along with the theme. Romo suffered a fractured collarbone in Week 2 and then re-fractured it in his second game back on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys had been 0-7 without him this year. Going back further, since Romo became the starter in 2006, Cassel is the first to quarterback the Cowboys to a victory since Stephen McGee, who won the season finale against Philadelphia in 2010. Years from now, it's doubtful that many will recall the details of the latest Dallas-Washington installment. OK, Lucky Whitehead's folks will remember. Whitehead, who grew up in nearby Prince William County, Va., had the big 46-yard kickoff return in the final minute to jump-start the game-winning field goal drive. For much of the night, though, the game was a snoozefest that seemed destined to go down as one of the least memorable games of one of the NFL's most intense rivalries. Through three quarters, the field goal battle was tied 6-6. But magic came late. Cassel hit Bryant for a 42-yard completion that set up a field goal. DeSean Jackson fumbled deep in Washington territory while trying to create a big punt return, setting up a Darren McFadden touchdown. But then Jackson made amends by hauling in a beautiful 28-yard TD rainbow throw from Kirk Cousins, tying the game at 16, with 44 seconds left. In the end, Dallas had the last laugh and never-say-never hope. POWER RANKINGS : Where do NFC East teams fall? When someone asked Bryant whether the Cowboys played with free spirit because they had nothing to lose, the star receiver respectfully disagreed with the premise. "We do have something to lose," Bryant said. "We're still in this thing." Of course they are. Membership in the NFC East has its privileges. *** Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell | 1 | 98,054 | sports |
The BBC's Justin Rowlatt uses an air pollution level monitor to show just how polluted Delhi is. | 8 | 98,055 | video |
PORTLAND, Ore. Heavy rains turned streets in the Portland area into creeks, interrupted bus and light rail service and forced the evacuation of at least one neighborhood. Monday's flooding caused the closure of numerous roads, and heavy rains triggered landslides. The rain also caused Portland's sewer system to overflow into the Willamette River. Officials said people should avoid contact with the river for at least 48 hours because of bacteria in the water. A big sinkhole developed in a street in Gresham, a Portland suburb. Crews were pumping water from an elementary school in Gresham, as well as cleaning up hallways and classrooms. The parking lot at Multnomah Falls, a popular tourist stop in the Columbia River Gorge east of Portland, was closed after a creek overflowed its banks. In Lake Oswego, just south of Portland, several cars were stranded in high water. Residents were evacuated from a neighborhood in Clackamas County, and the American Red Cross was opening a shelter there. Several school districts in northwest Oregon sent students home early and canceled afternoon and evening activities. The Oregon Zoo in Portland also closed. The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. It's in effect through Thursday afternoon, but rain likely won't stop until the week's end, forecasters said. Excessive rainfall could lead to a rise in area rivers, weather officials said. Officials say residents should avoid traveling and should watch for flash floods, mudslides, falling trees and power outages. They are also advised to keep children and pets away from floodwaters and avoid walking and driving through high water. Residents whose property is at risk for flooding should use sandbags. The rains are caused by several low-pressure systems moving through the region, one after the other, forecasters said. | 5 | 98,056 | news |
Mining giant Anglo American on Tuesday announced a "radical" restructuring plan that that will lead to the loss of 85,000 jobs. In a statement, the U.K.-based firm said the aim is to "transform the Company's competitive position and create a more resilient business to deliver sustainable shareholder returns." It said it plans to reduce its assets by 60%. The firm says it will eventually be left with around 50,000 employees, down from the current 135,000. Anglo American said many of the 85,000 will be employed by the new owners of the mines it sells. "While we have continued to deliver our business restructuring and performance objectives across the board, the severity of commodity price deterioration requires bolder action," said Chief Executive Mark Cutifani. He said the firm will consolidate its six business units into three De Beers, Industrial Metals and Bulk Commodities. The details of the firm's future portfolio will be set out in February, he added. The company is also suspending its dividend payments for the balance of 2015 and 2016. Anglo American shares dived nearly 9% Tuesday morning. | 3 | 98,057 | finance |
These are both funny and sad. Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) has some of the dumbest 911 calls from 2015. | 8 | 98,058 | video |
South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been bailed pending leave to appeal his conviction for murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Paul Chapman reports. | 8 | 98,059 | video |
One of my grown children called me the other day to ask if I knew of anyone who could help review a business plan for a startup technology company. Rather than offer a referral to someone else, I thought it would be easier to provide some fatherly advice and craft the following list of 8 mistakes that entrepreneurs often make when pitching to investors. During the last 15 years living and working in Silicon Valley, I have been a partner in a technology venture capital fund and most recently an angel investor. Before that I was finance and M&A lawyer for 20 years. So I thought my "fatherly advice" would be well received. Imagine my surprise when I received this email the following day: "Dad, I asked you to introduce me to someone who knows something about startups, not give me advice!" Rather than waste my carefully considered advice, I offer it instead to you: 1. The Elevator Pitch Is Longer Than One Minute If your "elevator pitch" is longer than one minute, you will have a very difficult time raising money because you will not have enough time to make a compelling investment case. This opportunity will likely arise in an elevator, at a cocktail party, or ever so carefully wedged between small talk with friends and their acquaintances. So you must make the pitch short and to the point, and make sure it showcases your knowledge. The only way to accomplish all of the above is to have a well-crafted pitch that takes no longer than a minute to deliver in an unhurried but practiced manner. Any longer and the potential investor will most likely have moved on either physically or mentally. Needless to say, this is not easy. You must be able to condense all of the information in your PowerPoint presentation (see 2 below) and business plan (see 3 below) into a brief summary. 2. The PowerPoint Presentation (aka "the Deck") Is Too Long Professional investors, such as venture capitalists and serious angel investors, do not have long attention spans. The reason is not necessarily that they have attention deficit disorders but that they need to consider, evaluate, and choose among so many startup investment proposals that 30 minutes of uninterrupted time is all you can reasonably expect to have to present your proposal. If you have been successful in the elevator pitch, you must be able to present a slide presentation in about 15 minutes, then leave time to answer questions within another 15 minutes (see 8 below). Although you may be granted more time, you must also prepare for the possibility of less time, so you need to ensure you get your main business points across before the investor conveniently excuses himself due to a "prior commitment." Bottom line: 15 minutes of presentation means no more than 12 to 15 slides. 3. Not Having a Factually Supported, Well-Written Executive Summary At the end of the day, the key to raising money is to have a carefully thought-out summary of the investment proposal (aka "the executive summary" or, the longer form, "business plan"). When raising money, you need to interest VCs or angel investors with the elevator speech and PowerPoint presentation, but you only close on the money after the investor reviews, questions, and buys in to your entire business plan. So you must spend a significant amount of time drafting a coherent and persuasive executive summary or business plan that sets forth, among other things: - the problem that the startup will be solving - the size of the market the startup will be addressing - a sustainable competitive advantage - the expected revenues and costs of the startup that are supported by realistic and detailed assumptions and projections - a description of the startup's management team - the exit for the investors (see 4 below) The best elevator speech in the world will not result in any money unless you can deliver an analytical and believable business plan explaining how an investment in the startup will make its investors rich. While there are a few experienced entrepreneurs out there who can do this in an evening, you should plan to spend weeks, if not months, perfecting a business plan otherwise the time spent on the elevator speech and PowerPoint will have been wasted. 4. Overlooking a Realistic Exit Strategy for Investors An entrepreneur's thinking process is often to make the world a better place, create a long-term business that will keep him or her engaged and richly employed, and bequeath a legacy that will take care of the entrepreneur's children and their children. In contrast, the investor's thinking process is usually "How do I make a lot of money in a short to moderate time frame (3 to 7 years)?" Guess whose thinking process controls whether the entrepreneur closes on an investment? Therefore, you must ensure your PowerPoint presentation and business plan address how the investor will make money (aka "the exit") from investing in your business proposal. Many entrepreneurs never address this basic need of investors. To avoid this oversight, you must be prepared to answer an investor's questions about how the investment will be monetized through, among other things, licensing agreements with larger companies or a strategic sale of itself to a larger company, not just an IPO scenario in which you see yourself becoming CEO of a Fortune 500 company (something that almost never happens). 5. Asking for a Non-Disclosure Agreement Almost all entrepreneurs are convinced their business idea will result in enormous wealth and, therefore, is at risk of being stolen by an unscrupulous investor. So their first thought is to have the potential investor sign a "bulletproof" non-disclosure agreement ("NDA"). But for many professional investors, such a request is a non-starter, meaning there is no longer any reason to see the 12-slide PowerPoint or incredibly detailed business plan. Unless the entrepreneur has a business idea on the order of "Son of Google," most professional investors, including both VCs and serious angel investors, will not sign an NDA because they know that there is a strong likelihood that they will have seen the idea before and will likely see it many more times in the future. Consequently, they cannot sign a document that will surely lead them to a lawsuit in the future from either this particular entrepreneur or another one. 6. Submitting Investment Proposals "Over the Transom" Raising money is all about building credibility with investors. No investor wants to invest in a deal that nobody else is interested in pursuing. Investors are very herd-like and often need the validation of others investing with them before they will "pull the trigger." Given the herd mentality of investors, you should never attempt to raise money by purchasing or collating a mailing list of VC firms or angel investor groups and then just mailing a proposal in the hopes someone will contact you to set up a meeting. This is not to say that there are not many entrepreneurs who, in fact, do mass mailings. My point is that such an approach is likely to be D.O.A. Venture capitalists and serious angel investors are often deluged with unsolicited proposals, which sit in slush piles waiting to be opened. The only real reason they might be opened is because a friend or professional acquaintance has alerted the investor that the proposal deserves a read. In other words, someone has acted as a reference or provided a recommendation, preferably before the proposal has been delivered. Only then do you have a serious chance at receiving that special phone call. 7. Discussing Valuation Too Early On in the Negotiations The courtship ritual of most couples does not start with a discussion of how much each person will be worth seven years from their first date, and how it will be divided between them if and when they part. And neither should an investment presentation begin with a similar discussion. The reason an entrepreneur often seeks an investment from VCs and experienced angel investors is to get a reliable indication of the value of their startup, which is what experienced investors do for a living. So there is no real point in preempting the process by insulting the VC or angel investor with an unwarranted starting point for a valuation. As some would say, you should just "let nature takes it course" and wait for the investor to begin the discussion of valuation and pricing with a term sheet. Any other approach risks an early termination of negotiations. 8. Failure to Listen You need to "leave your pride at the door" when making an investment presentation and be open to the investors' suggestions. The fundraising process can be grueling because experienced investors tend to ask numerous questions that likely have been posed to you before, questions that test your business model and technology platform so all parties might realize the best way of structuring an investment. Most of the time, the questions are offered in the spirit of openness to justify the investment of such a large sum of money. But rather than viewing the questioning process as an exploration of alternatives by an investor who is obviously interested in the startup (otherwise why else would the investor have met with the entrepreneur in the first place?), some people reactively resist suggestions to consider changes to their business model or technology platform. Such a reaction is likely to cause a thoughtful investor to move on. You should instead take the time to consider the investor's questions and suggestions, and view the process as useful insight into his or her thinking. I end with number 8 because such a "failure to listen" was the chief mistake made by my own child. But I guess my own mistake was forgetting that children never listen to their parents either. | 3 | 98,060 | finance |
A floating school is giving the children of a fishing community in Makoko in Lagos, Nigeria, the chance of a better life. | 8 | 98,061 | video |
Air France said an anonymous threat which led it to divert to Montreal its flight AF083 between San Francisco and Paris on Tuesday was a false alert. "After a full security search, false alert confirmed by local authorities following an anonymous threat," the carrier said in its Twitter account. The plane had taken off for Paris again. Security officials worldwide have been on high alert since Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for attacks in Paris last month that killed 130 people. (Reporting by Marine Pennetier and Alan Charlish, writing by Maya Nikolaeva; Editing by Andrew Callus) | 5 | 98,062 | news |
For months, many executives at the world's largest oil producers have been talking about prices staying lower for longer. After OPEC's decision to keep pumping full pelt that could become lower for even longer. Even before Friday, the prolonged slump in crude had forced analysts to cut their earnings-per-share estimates for the world's 10 largest integrated oil companies in recent weeks. With oil dropping to the lowest in more than six years after the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meeting on Friday, further downgrades are probably on the way. "A potential OPEC cut was the last source of hope for the bulls near term," Aneek Haq, a London-based analyst with Exane BNP Paribas said Dec. 4. "The oil majors have already started to underperform the market over the past few weeks, but this now coupled with earnings downgrades and valuations that imply $70 a barrel should put further pressure on share prices." The mean adjusted 2016 EPS estimate for Exxon Mobil Corp. has been cut by more than 9 cents a share and for Royal Dutch Shell Plc by 8.4 cents over the past month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. EPS projections for Total SA, Europe's second-biggest oil company, and Repsol SA are lower for 2016 than those for this year. Price Assumptions Those estimates assume a much higher price than the $41.19 a barrel that Brent traded at as of 9:57 a.m. in London on Tuesday. Oswald Clint, a London-based analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein has based his EPS estimates for oil majors at a Brent price of $60 a barrel, he said by phone Dec. 7. Alexandre Andlauer, a Paris-based oil sector analyst with AlphaValue SAS, has assumed a price of $63. "The re-rating of the oil companies downwards will accelerate now," Andlauer said Dec. 7 by phone from Paris. "Valuations will have to drop." Shell's B shares, the most actively traded, dropped for a fourth day, declining 1 percent in London on Tuesday. BP fell 1.5 percent, declining for an eighth day, while the benchmark FTSE 100 Index lost 0.7 percent. "The lower-for-longer scenario that oil companies are predicting is going to become lower-for-even-longer," said Philipp Chladek, a London-based oil sector analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence. "We will see some revisions in EPS forecasts in the near future because most forecasts are assuming an oil price recovery during 2016. Many will be taking that out now." Market Oversupply BP has "reset" its business to generate surplus cash flow with oil at about $60 a barrel by 2017. Total said in September investment cutbacks and project delays will enable it to fund dividend payouts at a similar price without the need to borrow. The companies may now need to rework the math as the break-even could be pushed further back, said Andlauer of AlphaValue. There's as much as 2 million barrels of oversupply in the market, and OPEC's meeting on Friday means "everyone does what they want," Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said in Vienna on Dec. 4. Russia is also producing at near record levels. Brent crude, the global benchmark, has slumped the lowest since February 2009 while West Texas Intermediate has dropped below $40 a barrel. Refinery maintenance in the first quarter of 2016 will probably slow the growth in demand and coupled with the continued oversupply oil could drop to as low as $30 a barrel, according to Eugene Lindell, oil market analyst at JBC Energy GmbH. Margin Squeeze "OPEC confirmed the bearish sentiments last week," he said Dec. 7 by phone from Vienna. "This will push prices even lower." Global margins from refining, a business that helped oil majors offset lower profit from crude production, are also being squeezed, dropping to an average $13.6 a barrel in the fourth quarter from $20 in the preceding three months, according to BP data. Crude's slump has been brutal for the oil companies, forcing them to slash spending, cancel projects and dismiss employees. Shell reported its biggest net loss in at least 16 years in the third quarter, while also lowering its oil-price expectations, resulting in a charge of almost $8 billion. Exxon's adjusted net income dropped to the lowest since 2009 and ConocoPhillips reported its biggest loss since 2008. Many investors put money in the biggest oil companies because they want a share of the dividends. Shell hasn't cut it's payout since at least the Second World War and plans to maintain it next year as well. Chevron said in August it'll keep increasing the annual dividend, as it's done for the past 27 years. Yet, some are skeptical the companies can continue to do so if low oil prices persist. Eni SpA become the first major oil company to cut its dividend this year, reducing the payout for the first time since 2009. U.S. pipeline-operator Kinder Morgan Inc. will be reviewing its dividend policy in the coming days, the company said last week. "So far, they've managed to invest and pay dividends, but this is not sustainable," Chladek said. "Something has to give." --With assistance from Javier Blas. | 3 | 98,063 | finance |
An Air France flight from San Francisco to Paris was diverted to Montreal "as a precaution" after an "anonymous threat," the airline told AFP on Tuesday. Flight AF083 from San Francisco to the main Paris airport of Charles de Gaulle touched down just before midnight local time in Montreal, the firm said. "Local authorities will begin checking the plane, passengers and baggage," Air France said in a statement to AFP. "An investigation will be carried out by the authorities to identify the origin of the alert," added the airline, which apologised for the "inconvenience and delay" to its passagers. France has been on high alert since a jihadist rampage in Paris on November 13 in which 130 people died. | 5 | 98,064 | news |
See the "Best Money Experts'" strategies to save more in 2016. 8 Simple Ways to Stretch a Dollar Living within your means is the foundation of financial health. But, that's easier said than done. If you find yourself in the red at the end of too many months, you're not alone. "Sticking to a budget" is the No. 1 financial challenge for Americans, according to a recent GOBankingRates survey. To get the best savings advice, GOBankingRates turned to the smartest money experts out there the finalists of our " Best Money Expert" competition, presented in collaboration with Ally Bank. We asked them: "What are the best ways to stretch a dollar?" In response, these experts delivered strategies to save more, spend less and make room in your budget for what's really important. Click through to read their tips. 1. Go on a Spending Freeze Nicole Lapin , a consumer expert and author of New York Times best-seller "Rich Bitch," shared this advice for those looking to get more out of their budgets: "Go on a spending freeze with your partner, colleagues or best friends." To put this spending freeze in action, Lapin suggested looking for everyday ways to spend less, like staying in with inexpensive bottles of wine over heading to the bar, or hosting a clothing swap with friends instead of going on a shopping spree. Lapin is a big believer in the power of friends to support each other in creating better financial habits. "Create a support system, and help each other," she said. For example, if you really want to buy something but you have a savings goal, "save with a friend," Lapin suggested. "She likely has something on her wish list, too, and it's easier to commit to saving long-term if you go in on it together." You can even up the ante, and "Create a friendly competition around who is doing best at cutting expenses think 'The Biggest Debt Loser,'" said Lapin. You'll see big results as you work to curb overspending, but a strong support system is key. "As money issues become more intense, a like-minded community will keep you sane and moving in the right direction," Lapin said. 2. Stop Mindless Spending Tony Robbins, a life coach and author of "MONEY: Master the Game," said that stretching the value of a dollar means spending it on what will add the most value to your life. "Focus instead on the returns you'll reap tomorrow," Robbins said. "Often you can have the same level of enjoyment, if not more, by doing something simple." For instance, if you're getting together with friends, why not skip the $50 restaurant meal and "order in a couple pizzas and beers and split the cost among your group?" Robbins suggested. "Trade one good time for another, save yourself about $40 each time out, and you'll be way ahead of the game." While saving $40 at a time doesn't sound like much, this kind of mindfulness adds up. "[Save $40] once a week, and put those savings to work, and you could take years off your retirement time horizon," Robbins said. That $40 a week adds up to $2,000 a year, which you can use "to harness the power of compounding and help you to realize big, big gains over time." "How big? How about $500,000 big?" Robbins said. "That's right, a half million dollars. How? With the power of compounding at 8 percent over 40 years, that $40 weekly savings $2,080 per year will net you $581,944." 3. Always Be on the Lookout for Savings "Always look for a way to save, and don't let saving opportunities pass you by," said Jeanette Pavini , a finance reporter and spokesperson for Coupons.com. Pavini makes it her mission to help readers find easy and simple ways to save a little everywhere they shop. "There are so many opportunities to save out there, and it typically only takes a nominal amount of effort to take advantage of them." "In fact, I almost never make a purchase without applying some type of savings," Pavini continued. "For example, buy a box of cereal on sale, apply a coupon from Coupons.com, get 2 percent back in credit card rewards, clip the box top so 10 cents goes to my child's school, and use my grocery store loyalty card so I get points toward gas saving. One box of cereal five different savings strategies." 4. Try Envelope Budgeting For those who have trouble sticking to a budget, "I recommend that on payday, you take out the dollar amount you need until the next pay period and split it up among your envelopes," said Clark Howard , host of popular nationally syndicated radio program "The Clark Howard Show." "When one envelope empties, you either take money from another envelope or you do without until next payday." Moving to a cash-only system can help you cut spending and get in the habit of more carefully considering purchases. "Debit cards and credit cards can be the Bermuda Triangle of your wallet because it's so easy to lose track of finances when you use them," Howard said. If you're more high-tech, Howard said, you can try a method invented by his executive producer, Christa. "She hit on the idea of putting money into different accounts for different purposes," Howard said. "Today, she has three checking accounts and one savings account." 5. Stack Discounts to Lower Your Grocery Bill Kyle Taylor , founder of popular personal finance blog ThePennyHoarder.com, gave this personal finance tip to families looking to stretch their dollars: "Groceries are often one of the largest expenses for families, so it makes sense to start here when you're looking for ways to cut back." For true savings, Taylor's advice is to look beyond the obvious. "We all know about couponing, but saving money is way easier when you know how to stack discounts." Instead of settling for using just a coupon to save, you can combine that coupon with other savings strategies to cut your grocery budget down to size. "Utilizing an all-of-the-above strategy has helped me reduce my grocery bill by more than half," Taylor said. A favorite tip that Taylor uses is buying discounted gift cards from sites like Raise.com, which includes cards from grocers like Kroger, Whole Foods and Target. "These gift cards are sold for 1-25 percent below face value, meaning that I've saved money before ever stepping into the grocery store," Taylor said. "I stack those savings on top of my regular coupons and then combine it with grocery rebates from apps like Ibotta and Checkout51." 6. Get More Money Flowing In Of course, the advice to "spend less than you earn" is an equation that has two parts how much you spend and how much you earn. Entrepreneur and performance coach Josh Felber has made it his mission to help people achieve success by following their passions, and in his view the best way to approach the "spend less than you earn" equation is to focus on the second part. Instead of trying to stretch dollars, "always have a consistent flow so you don't have to stretch," Felber said. There's a limit on how far you can cut your spending everyone needs to cover the basics. But if you focus and invest in earning more, there's no limit on how much your income can grow. 7. Put Your Money to Work Another "Best Money Expert" finalist, Robert Kiyosaki , emphasized the importance of getting more out of your money. "Invest it," said the entrepreneur and author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad," the self-proclaimed No. 1 personal finance book in the world. Investing is the key to achieving true financial freedom. "Put your money to work for you … instead of working for money all your life," Kiyosaki said. 8. Negotiate To truly stretch a dollar, never accept an initial price or offer. Whitney Johnson , an investor, innovator and author of bestselling book "Disrupt Yourself: Putting the Power of Disruptive Innovation to Work," said that you should "negotiate, even when you think you shouldn't." Negotiating is one of the best ways to make sure you're getting the most value for your time, money or other resources. Johnson suggest following this advice, or "else you will earn too little or spend too much." Fail to negotiate, and you'll lose out on dollars you could have saved or bigger paychecks you could have earned. | 3 | 98,065 | finance |
Six months into its acquisition by Verizon for $4.4 billion , AOL is doing some trimming of its workforce. TechCrunch has learned, and confirmed, that AOL has laid off around 100 employees as it looks to eliminate overlap with its new owner and decentralize some functions. "The market changes and we at AOL change ahead of the market," Caroline Campbell, AOL's SVP of of Brand and Communications, said in a written statement. "As we have continued to do over the last six years, we have re-aligned a handful of key customer functions to put our consumers and customers more squarely at the center. We have done 3 years of deals in the last 6 months. We are aligning the organization for the same level of growth in 2016." This latest round of layoffs breaks down as two-thirds of AOL's Membership division, and the rest in roles like marketing, advertising and social that were not tied to any specific AOL-owned brand like TechCrunch or Huffington Post, but instead worked across several organizations. The company is looking to take away some of that operations layer and put more emphasis on people who are working on specific businesses. To that end, from what we understand, there is also going to be some hiring in the first part of the new year; and some of the people who were laid off yesterday may move to other roles as a result of the strategic change. On the Membership side, it's not too much of a surprise to see AOL trimming staff. Things like AOL dial-up subscriptions have surprisingly, considering the wider trends in the market and AOL's own emphasis on content and ad tech continued to account for a significant chunk of AOL's revenue. Even as late as 2013 , Membership was AOL's biggest revenue generator. More recently, Membership is still a significant but decreasing revenue area. In Q1 of this year the last time AOL filed financials as an independent company Membership accounted for $182.6 million, or about 30% of revenues. But Internet subscriptions and customer service connected to that are also areas that massively overlap with what AOL's new owner, Verizon, does. So in a move for integration and cost efficiencies, it makes sense that this would get addressed. But even while AOL is working on ways to decentralize some functions, it's also looking at ways of leveraging economies of scale to help vault its brands and advertising into the next generation of media business. Earlier today, Tim Armstrong, AOL's CEO, was on stage at Disrupt in London, where he commented on how the plan will be to invest more into individual companies; and work on moving away from outdated ad formats like display ads, and outdated metrics like page views. But from what we understand, this could also come with a larger overhaul. This could include several brands moving on to a new CMS to help create native ads that would run across several properties and also so that AOL could interface more easily with third-party platforms like Facebook and its push into Instant Articles. Verizon has shown that it's in an acquisitive mindset in its shift to becoming more of a media business and there have even been rumors that it could be one of the companies interested in making an offer for Yahoo, and perhaps other properties that are seeing their valuations getting hit in the market today. It will be worth watching whether Verizon-owned AOL lays off further employees as it focuses on what is growing and cuts out what is not. AOL currently has around 6,000 employees, and in January, ahead of the Verizon sale, AOL closed several sites that were underperforming and eventually laid off 150 employees , with an emphasis in sales. Earlier there have been other restructuring moves, in part around its former struggling hyperlocal news service Patch . | 3 | 98,066 | finance |
The Chicago police department releases a graphic dashcam video of the police-involved shooting of Ronald Johnson from October 12, 2014. The video comes amid rising tensions in the city following the release of a different police-involved shooting video just days before. | 8 | 98,067 | video |
Good bye Canada! Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) salutes the crowd as he exits the game for the last time in Canada against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, in Tornoto, Canada. Elusive strike Nashville Predators right wing Viktor Arvidsson (38) eludes Boston Bruins goalie Jonas Gustavsson (50) as he sets up his goal, during the third period against the Boston Bruins on Monday, in Boston. Brought down Tight end Jason Witten #82 of the Dallas Cowboys is tackled by strong safety Kyshoen Jarrett #30 and cornerback DeAngelo Hall #23 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on Monday, in Landover, Md. Defending the rim Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, center, blocks a shot by Jared Sullinger of the Boston Celtics in the first half on Monday, in New Orleans. Full stretch Manila Mavericks player Serena Williams returns the ball against the Japan Warriors player Mirjana Lucic-Baroni during their women's singles match in the International Premier Tennis League on Monday, in Pasay City, Philippines. Battle for the board Detroit Pistons forward Ersan Ilyasova, center, Charlotte Hornets center Frank Kaminsky, left, and guard Jeremy Lin try to grab a rebound during the first half at Time Warner Cable Arena on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C. Canucks down Sabres Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhard (23) goes down against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Adam Cracknell (24) and forward Derek Dorsett (15) during the second period at Rogers Arena on Monday, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Spurred to victory San Antonio's Tony Parker (C) goes up for a shot as he splits the defense of Philadelphia 76ers' Jahlil Okafor (R) and Nik Stauskas during the first half on Monday, in Philadelphia. Knocked out of bounds Lucky Whitehead #13 of the Dallas Cowboys is knocked out of bounds by punter Tress Way #5 of the Washington Redskins in the first quarter at FedExField on Dec. 7 in Landover, Md. Game winner Matt Duchene #9 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates with John Mitchell #7 after his game winning goal against the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center on Monday, in Denver, Colorado. Thumping header Scott Dann of Crystal Palace scores the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday, in Liverpool, England. Washington cheer The Washington Redskins cheerleaders perform during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, in Landover, Md. Helping hand Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside (21) holds up Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) while dunking the ball during the second half at American Airlines Arena on Monday, in Miami, FL. Flying Eagles San Diego State Aztecs forward Winston Shepard (13) is fouled by Biola Eagles forward Jeff Gonzalez (15) during the first half at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl on Monday, in San Diego, CA. Sliding tackle Mirko Boland of Braunschweig (R) challenges Kevin Akpoguma of Duesseldorf (L) during the Second Bundesliga match between Fortuna Duesseldorf and Eintracht Braunschweig at Esprit-Arena on Monday, in Duesseldorf, Germany. Spot on Paige Spiranac of the United States in action during her practice round as a preview for the 2015 Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on the Majlis Course at The Emirates Golf Club on Monday, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Ground effort Drago Vukovic of Fuechse Berlin throws the ball against Davor Dominikovic and Christoph Foth of HBW Balingen Weilstetten during the handball game between the Fuechsen Berlin and dem HBW Balingen-Weilstetten on Monday, in Berlin, Germany. Jam in the waters (L-R) The Costa Rican, Italian team, and French teams compete during the men's down river race at the World Rafting Championship 2015 at Citarik river on Monday, in Sukabumi, Indonesia. Diverse poses Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu poses with volunteers during the 8th ASEAN Para Games on Monday, in Singapore. Bailed out Oscar Pistorius (L) speaks with his defence advocate Barry Roux in the dock at the North Gauteng High Court for a bail hearing, on Dec. 8, in Pretoria, South Africa. | 1 | 98,068 | sports |
The U.S. Navy's new Littoral Combat Ship would be ineffective at hunting for mines because an underwater drone made by Lockheed Martin Corp. that's supposed to find them doesn't always work, the Pentagon's weapons-testing office found. While mine-hunting is intended to be the primary combat mission of the ship, the drones required to detect underwater explosive devices from a safe distance have failed 24 times since September 2014, according to Navy test data provided to the Defense Department's Office of Operational Test & Evaluation. Most recently, the drones failed 14 times over 300 hours in a five-month round of preliminary trials at sea that ended Aug. 30, according to the data. Crippled drones were towed to port seven times, and the intense combat testing required for increased purchases has been delayed. The Navy plans to spend $864 million buying 54 drones from Lockheed, the biggest U.S. contractor. Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, has scheduled a Jan. 19 review of the drone's reliability woes, the latest setback for the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program. Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon's director of combat testing, prepared a 41-page classified assessment dated Nov. 12 for the review. An independent team named by the Navy also is reviewing the drone program because the service realizes "reliability performance has not been acceptable," Captain Thurraya Kent, a spokeswoman for the service, said in an e-mail. Lockheed's Response Lockheed spokesman Joe Dougherty said in an e-mail that the drone "exceeded or met key performance parameters during a Navy- led development test conducted in early 2015.'' He said the Remote Minehunting System is "the only system on track for delivery that can fill" an "imminent capability gap." Equipped with a mobile sonar made by Raytheon Co., the drone is supposed to provide the ship with a system that can spot underwater explosive devices without sailing near them, as current Avenger-class mine-hunting ships must do. "We remain confident the RMS is the most mature system to identify and destroy mines," Dougherty said. A Lockheed brochure posted online and dated 2014 says the drone "meets or exceeds all key performance parameters and is available today." Previous Questions The drone failures add to previous questions about how much value the U.S. will get from what's now supposed to be a $23 billion program to build 32 Littoral Combat Ships in two versions made by Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed and Austal Ltd. based in Henderson, Australia. Both versions depend on the drones to detect mines from a safe distance. In 2014 then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel truncated the original plan to buy 52 Littoral Combat Ships, built to operate in shallow coastal waters, citing reservations about the vessel's effectiveness in combat and vulnerability to attack. Later, he approved a Navy proposal to buy 20 modified ships after 2019 with improved armor, sensors and weapons. The Navy spent $109 million buying the first eight drones, spare parts and logistics services from Lockheed in 2005. The drone was supposed to complete combat testing and be declared ready for combat by September of this year. Lockheed stands to gain more than $700 million in orders for the remaining 46 drones. That includes as much as $400 million in February for the next order of 18 that Kendall will review. Gilmore, the testing chief, found there's "sufficient information available, based on testing to date, to conclude" the Littoral Combat Ship "would not be operationally effective" or maintainable if deployed in combat with the current mine- sweeping modules, Marine Corps Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Gilmore's spokesman, said in an e-mail describing the study's unclassified conclusions. The system's "reliability remains far below what is needed to support" the mine-hunting mission, Rankine-Galloway said. It's unclear whether the drone "will ever achieve its reliability goals" of operating 75 hours between major failures, "but given the history of the program, it may require more design changes than the Navy has been considering," Rankine- Galloway said. The Navy's program to date "has not substantially grown the reliability," he said. The conclusion was based on data showing not only that critical mine-hunting systems were unreliable but also that the drone was vulnerable to mines and possessed limited communications capability. Airborne System Further, the Littoral Combat Ship's separate, airborne- based AN/ASQ-235 mine neutralization system currently can't disable "most of the mines contained in the Navy's own real- world threat scenarios," Rankine-Galloway said. The system, which would be deployed on MH-60S helicopters, is intended to destroy the mines found by the drones. Kent, the Navy spokeswoman, said the mine-hunting system "has demonstrated the ability to meet operational requirements." Still, "reliability performance has not been acceptable during the most recent" evaluation. Since September 2014, the drone has experienced 24 "operational mission failures" blamed on poor workmanship, design deficiencies, wear and tear or training procedures, Kendall was told Nov. 3 in a memo from David C. Brown, his deputy for development testing. "Considering the focused effort put into improving" the drone's reliability since 2010, the latest poor performance "puts into question whether the current" design "will ever meet the Navy's reliability requirement," Brown wrote. | 3 | 98,069 | finance |
On Tuesday , Nov. 10, six days after Justin Trudeau, leader of the Liberal Party, was sworn in as prime minister of Canada, I was shown into his office on the third floor of the Parliament building in Ottawa. A dark oak-paneled room, it contained a jumble of outsize furniture chosen by the previous occupant, Stephen Harper, whose Conservative Party was in power for a decade. The office had the air of a recently abandoned bunker shelves bare, curtains drawn, personal effects hastily removed. Trudeau's father, Pierre, occupied the same office for 16 years during the 1960s, '70s and '80s, and the new prime minister would shortly install his father's old desk, a symbol of restoration but also an emphatic rejection of his predecessor. The squat, bulldoglike bureau left by the departing prime minister, Trudeau implied, was a reflection of Harper's autocratic manner. ''We're going to move this place around,'' Trudeau said. ''This is very much the last guy's style, not mine. I'll have a smaller desk in the corner and a bigger couch so we can sit down and actually have discussions. I'll put a reclining seat over there, for me to read.'' He smiled as he mentally redecorated the space, the Canadian version of the Oval Office. ''It's a different approach.'' Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter There is virtually no transition period in Canadian politics, and it was clear that the electoral win on Oct. 19 had caught Trudeau, his staff and the country by surprise. During his first days in office, his small, overworked campaign team tried to cope with the unexpected demands of governing. With so many positions to fill, they had issued a call for résumés on social media and received 22,000. Trudeau, who is 43, was still working on getting his staff to call him ''Prime Minister.'' For years, he was ''Justin,'' and staff members often still referred to him that way. ''It's like your really smart friend suddenly became prime minister,'' Kate Purchase, his communications director, told me. ''People in the street will either call me 'Prime Minister' or 'Justin,' '' Trudeau said. ''We'll see how that goes. But when I'm working, when I'm with my staff in public, I'm 'Prime Minister.' I say that if we're drinking beer out of a bottle, and you can see my tattoos, you should be comfortable calling me 'Justin.' '' In person, Trudeau was as upbeat and friendly as nice as might be expected of a politician with a campaign mantra of ''Sunny Ways,'' a reference to the optimistic adage of Wilfrid Laurier, a Liberal prime minister at the turn of the 20th century. Trudeau is 6-foot-2 and has an athletic build, his hair neatly trimmed after years experimenting with a variety of shaggy manes. There was little of the pomp of the powerful just an aide named Tommy, who brought him half a tuna sandwich and a cup of chicken-noodle soup for lunch from the cafeteria downstairs. This was the first print interview Trudeau had granted since taking office, and in his presence there was a palpable sense that he was still figuring out exactly how to play this new role how to talk, how to gesture, how to adopt the mien of a world leader. Despite his studied manner, he was prone to providing glimpses of his unguarded self. ''It's very, very cool to have the president call up, and I say, 'Hello, Mr. President.' I've never met him,'' Trudeau said. He dropped his voice an octave to imitate President Obama: ''Justin, I like to think of myself as a young politician. The gray hair caught up with me, and it'll catch up with you. But calling me 'Sir' makes me feel old. Call me 'Barack.' '' Trudeau shook his head, amazed. ''That's going to take some getting used to.'' One week later, a new geopolitical relationship between America and Canada would begin in a conference room in Manila at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting, when Trudeau and Obama sat down for the first time to talk. In an age of a rising China, Middle Eastern chaos and Russian belligerence, it may sound strange to say, but the United States has no relationship more important than the one with Canada. The country is one of America's largest trading partners (on par with China), a peaceful neighbor and a crucial ally in global affairs when the relationship is functional, as it hasn't been in recent years. Harper's hawkish foreign policy put him at odds with Obama on the Iran nuclear treaty, Israeli-Palestinian relations and Syrian refugees. In domestic affairs, Harper was strongly in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline, which Obama resisted; the president killed the project two weeks after the Conservatives lost. The discord may largely have ended with Trudeau's election, though Canada will be less likely to participate in airstrikes against ISIS in the Middle East. The 45-minute session in Manila was casual and friendly; two of Obama's campaign aides worked for Trudeau's campaign, and the president followed the Canadian race and knew of the excitement the victory had generated around the world much as his own triumph had in 2008. In a private conversation, the president advised Trudeau to be active early, but also to think about calibrating sky-high expectations with a long-term plan for governance. Obama shared his impressions of various world leaders, suggesting whom to build relationships with and whom to steer clear of. Obama issued an invitation to Washington, and later to a state dinner to be held in the new year, the first honoring a Canadian prime minister in 19 years. The president went out of his way to make clear that he looked forward to spending personal time together, with their wives. ''There was an air of mentorship but not in a paternalistic way,'' Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said. ''Trudeau's going to be on the stage for a long time. He's got a ton of talent.'' ''It was nice to confirm in person how like-minded we are on so many issues,'' Trudeau told me. ''He said that seeing my family on TV on election night reminded him of his election in 2008 with his family. I'm looking forward to having a beer with him.'' The election this fall was nothing less than an existential struggle over what it means to be Canadian. On one side, there was Harper's vision of a nation in an age of terror, in a world afire with conflict. On the other was Trudeau's moderate liberal belief that the world is not riven by an epic clash of civilizations, and that cultural and religious and linguistic differences and openness are Canada's strength. What the world knows as a progressive modern Canada was created largely under the rule of the Liberal leader Lester Pearson and then Pierre Trudeau in the '60s and '70s, when the country began to sever its ties with Britain and assert its own identity. The country created a new flag, replacing the Union Jack with the Maple Leaf, and adopted a national anthem. Quintessential Canadian characteristics universal medical care, bilingualism, multiculturalism, a strong voice for peace and development at the United Nations were born during that era. The earliest major political initiative of Pierre Trudeau in the late '60s was to decriminalize homosexuality. ''The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation,'' he said. In rapid succession, Trudeau legalized abortion, funded the arts and promoted a race-blind immigration policy, which over time would transform the great cities of the country into polyglot metropolises. Defeating the son of Pierre Trudeau would have been a metaphysical vindication for Harper. For the past decade, Harper did all he could to undo the legacy of the older Trudeau, internationally, domestically and symbolically. In defense of ''old stock'' white Canada, Harper denigrated the United Nations, made the modest attire of Muslim women a political issue and recast Canada's role in the world as part of a grand alliance to defend Western civilization. Harper freely admitted to loathing the older Trudeau, despite an adolescent fascination, writing ungraciously after his death in 2000 about meeting him for the first time in the streets of Montreal. ''There I came face to face with a living legend, someone who had provoked both the loves and hatreds of my political passion, all in the form of a tired-out, little old man.'' Harper's greatest ambition was to destroy Trudeau's vision of the country: ''He continues to define the myths that guide the Canadian psyche, but myths they are.'' As a Canadian expat living in America, I became acutely aware of the election's symbolic importance in September, when the body of a little Syrian refugee boy washed up on the shores of Turkey. The child had relations in Canada who tried to help the family immigrate, but Harper had maintained a hard line on Syrian refugees, claiming national security was more important than the humanitarian crisis, and the family was forced to try to escape the war by sea. After the boy's death, Harper's government continued to inveigh against Muslim ''jihadi'' immigration in a way that struck me and many others as astoundingly un-Canadian, at least in a historical sense. But the nation's self-image was precisely what the Conservatives were determined to remake. For a decade, Harper remained in office through a mix of artful politics, successful economic management and falling crime rates as well as inept opposition. During that era's elections, the more progressive vote split between the Liberals and the New Democrats, a party to the left of the Liberals, allowing Harper to retain the prime ministry. During most of the recent campaign, Trudeau's Liberal Party was running third behind the Conservative Party and the New Democratic Party. But after the death of the Syrian boy and Trudeau's strong performance in five contentious debates, voters began to abandon the New Democrats, coalescing around Trudeau in the hope of defeating the prime minister. ''People decided to line up behind whoever was going to beat Stephen Harper,'' Trudeau told me. ''I was of the mind that even if there was uncertainty about my own personal ability to run the economy, there was the feeling that the party had a team and history that meant we'd get the compromises and balances you have to make. So I could take much bigger risks to challenge the orthodoxy.'' While campaigning, Harper portrayed Trudeau as the feckless, high-taxing son of the former prime minister, a novice whose surname was his sole qualification for high office. One of many areas of confrontation during televised debates was a law Harper proposed that would have allowed the government to revoke citizenship for Canadians with dual nationality if they were found guilty of terrorism in effect making Canadians born in another country a separate class of citizen. ''Why would we not revoke the citizenship of people convicted of terrorist offenses against this country?'' Harper asked Trudeau incredulously. ''A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian,'' Trudeau replied defiantly . ''And you devalue the citizenship of every Canadian in this place and in this country when you break down and make it conditional for anyone.'' Conservatives countered that Trudeau was naïve, rejecting Canada's role in the war on terror and instead emphasizing soft-minded issues like global warming. ''The focus on climate change as the 'top threat,' while important, is also code for isolationism and an unwillingness to deal with the Islamic State and terrorism in general,'' said Christopher Alexander, former minister for citizenship and immigration in the Harper government. Alexander remains convinced the country has made a large, potentially tragic mistake in electing Trudeau. ''There was a strong thread of nostalgia in the Liberal campaign for a simpler time, for a more peaceful world and the nostrums of Trudeau's father when Canada didn't have to deal with global terror threats,'' he said. Harper's defeat at the hands of Pierre Trudeau's son had obvious dramatic dimensions of the classical Greek variety, redeeming not just the family name but also Pierre's view of the nation. The younger Trudeau has appointed a cabinet from a wide sweep of ethnic groups and made a point of choosing equal numbers of men and women. Virtually every Trudeau initiative, from tax policy to an embrace of the L.G.B.T.Q. community to relations with China, seemed a rebuke to the previous administration. Government scientists, who had been effectively prevented from talking to the press lest they contradict Harper's skeptical view of climate change, now shared their research with reporters in tones of relieved amazement. Even Trudeau's simple act of answering questions from journalists in Parliament's press theater a space like the White House's briefing room took on myriad meanings. Harper hadn't held such a news conference in six years. ''It's a whole new world,'' a reporter muttered as Trudeau approached the lectern. ''I don't know what to do with myself.'' No political figure provokes stronger feelings in Canada than Pierre Trudeau. Depending on whom you ask, he was either the personification of a sophisticated and ambitious Canada or a socialist wastrel libertine. Pierre's father made a fortune in gas stations, netting $1.2 million in 1932, which freed his son from the need to work just as Justin never had to make a living. As a young man, Pierre traveled to Africa and Asia, studied at Harvard and the London School of Economics and socialized with Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir in Paris. During his time as prime minister from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1984, the Montreal-born boulevardier was despised in western Canada for an energy policy that enriched the eastern provinces. He was also hated by separatists in Quebec, who saw him as a quisling for Anglo elitists. Yet in many ways he was a visionary. At the time, Canada's Constitution could be changed only with the approval of Britain's Parliament, a colonial vestige. In 1982, this provision was done away with, and Trudeau in effect became a Canadian founding father. An intellectual who approached issues with an analytical and a creative mind, he fashioned a constitutional legal landscape midway between America's rights-based rules and the unwritten and informal British approach. Trudeau gave his son a front seat to history. When he was a boy, Justin met Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan (who recited verses from the poem ''The Shooting of Dan McGrew''); Richard Nixon toasted the toddler in Ottawa, predicting he would become prime minister someday. But the younger Trudeau told me he never discussed the subject with his father until the last year of his life. ''He was much more focused on having substantive conversations,'' Trudeau said. ''Politics didn't fit into that for him.'' The younger Trudeau has a bachelor's degree from McGill University and a teaching degree from the University of British Columbia, but despite his pedigree and inherited wealth, when he reached adulthood his life was remarkably unremarkable. He traveled the world and smoked marijuana and snowboarded and worked as a bouncer at bars, eventually ending up teaching high school in Vancouver. Justin Trudeau's lack of qualifications to be prime minister were obvious, as was his lack of his father's erudition but he considers himself to have undergone his own peculiar kind of schooling. Trudeau points out that he has visited nearly 100 countries, many of them for international summit meetings with his father, which provided an intimate understanding of statecraft. Travel has also given him compassion for the less fortunate around the globe. In his memoir, ''Common Ground,'' Trudeau described a moment from a boyhood trip to Bangladesh, recollecting it in the kind of mawkish language his opponents ridicule but that is plainly heartfelt. On state business with his father in Dhaka, the younger Trudeau saw a poor old man with a bicycle wait patiently while their motorcade swept by. He was suddenly seized with empathy for the man, realizing that there were billions of people on earth, each a unique individual, each with a story. ''I have never looked at my life and my circumstances in quite the same way since,'' he wrote. The drama of the Trudeau family has long played out in the Canadian imagination, much like that of the Kennedys in America. Justin Trudeau's mother, Margaret, was 22 in 1971 when she married Pierre, then 51. He was the prime minister and a famous eligible bachelor; he was also a workaholic and a notorious skinflint. After giving birth to three boys in quick succession, the beauty dubbed ''Maggie T.'' by the press smoked marijuana while under the watch of Mounties, ate peyote before giving a speech in Venezuela and left her husband to party at Studio 54 in New York. The Trudeaus eventually divorced. According to Margaret's own account, she had affairs with Teddy Kennedy, Ryan O'Neal and at least one Rolling Stone. Despite the glamorous trappings, a central part of the Trudeau family story is rooted in tragedy, in the death of Justin's younger brother Michel at the age of 23, in an avalanche on a backcountry ski trip in British Columbia in 1998. His death seemed to touch off a downward spiral in Pierre. A deeply religious man with a Jesuitical cast of mind, he began to doubt his faith. Michel's death was also devastating for Margaret, and Justin tended to her. It was only later, after Margaret was committed to a mental institution, that she learned she had an undiagnosed case of bipolar disorder; she has turned the cause of mental health into her life's work. The death of Pierre Trudeau in 2000 marked the beginning of Justin Trudeau's public life. As the eldest son, then 29, he was asked to give the final eulogy for one of the towering figures in Canada's history. The state funeral in Montreal for the older Trudeau remains one of the most significant events in Canadian television history, and Justin was the unquestioned star, delivering an emotional remembrance with the touch of a natural orator. '' Je t'aime, Papa ,'' he said, laying his head on the coffin in an instantly iconic gesture of national grief. Justin Trudeau entered politics eight years later, running for Parliament in Papineau, a working-class, multiethnic district in Montreal. Trudeau distinguished himself with hard work and an appetite for retail politics; Trudeau's father never loved pressing the flesh, but his son's greatest talent might well be his common touch. When Trudeau won that year, in an upset, it was news but of the celebrity and nostalgia variety. The younger Trudeau's road to victory as prime minister truly began on a Saturday night in 2012 in a boxing ring in Ottawa. At the time, the Liberal Party was leaderless and lost, after a devastating defeat in the election of 2011 reduced its seats in Parliament to only 34, roughly one-tenth of the total at the time. The sensible way forward seemed to be a merger with the larger New Democratic Party. Aiming to change the political dynamic, Trudeau literally picked a fight. In what looked like a publicity stunt, he challenged a 37-year-old Conservative senator named Patrick Brazeau, known as Brass Knuckles, to three rounds of boxing to raise money for cancer research. Everyone expected Trudeau to receive a royal beating, including his wife. Brazeau had a black belt in karate and a military background, and he grew up on hardscrabble First Nations reservations; his bar brawler's physique, tattoos and trash-talking bravado made him the three-to-one favorite by fight night. That Saturday evening, the country tuned in to a conservative news channel to see Trudeau ''the shiny pony,'' according to the right-wing political commentator who was calling the fight stunned by roundhouse rights and haymaker lefts from Brazeau. But then something unexpected happened: Trudeau found his feet and worked his jab. The tough-guy senator was punched out, too tired to raise his arms. His face alternated among outrage, fear and bloody-nosed confusion as Trudeau beat him senseless. The bout was stopped in the third round , saving Brazeau the indignity of hitting the canvas. The commentator recognized the importance of the victory. ''I can hear it already,'' he sighed. ''Trudeau for leader.'' Slipping through the streets of Ottawa on Nov. 10, six days after his swearing-in, I sat with Trudeau in a motorcade that was comically polite. His peloton of four black S.U.V.s stopped at lights, signaled respectfully, followed the speed limit and used no sirens or police escort. It was like a skit satirizing Canadian manners. We were headed to an arena packed with 16,000 youths gathered to celebrate a nonprofit called Free the Children. In a nice bit of political stagecraft, Trudeau had appointed himself minister of youth, inverting the significance of a post generally seen as marginal. I asked the prime minister if the fight with Brass Knuckles Brazeau had been part of a larger plan a piece of agitprop aimed at turning around his political fortunes, and with them the nation's. Trudeau gazed out the window for a moment, contemplating, then turned to me and offered a clipped nod and a sly smile. He knew perfectly well the power of symbols and had intended to exploit that power. ''I saw it that way a little bit,'' he said, his voice betraying a distinct note of guile. ''The fight was going to be a way of highlighting and surprising people with what I am. It wasn't about proving anything to myself other than perhaps as a reminder that I'm very good at sticking to and executing a plan. But it was a way of pointing out to people that you shouldn't underestimate me which people have a tendency to do.'' Riding in a motorcade as he had as a boy, but never as the center of attention, Trudeau chose his words carefully. ''There was a perception that I'd grown up with a silver spoon in my mouth,'' he said. ''I'd boxed for 20 years on and off, so I knew that the worst-case scenario was that I was going to take a brutal beating but stay standing until at least near the end. I was confident I could take a punch. I knew I had the stamina to last three rounds. People were saying that maybe he was still smoking while he was training. I was absolutely focused on my training. One thing people are starting to realize is that I work incredibly hard at everything I set my mind to.'' One year later, the Liberal Party elected him leader, and two years after that, the country elected him prime minister. The scale of Trudeau's underdog victory was stunning: With a comfortable majority of 184 seats in Parliament, and Liberals in seats spread across the country, he won an undeniable national mandate. As he has managed the transition from campaigning to governing, he has presented an ambitious agenda: funding infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy, supporting programs to reduce childhood poverty, investigating the disappearance and murder of more than 1,000 First Nations women, introducing a rigorous carbon-capture policy, legalizing marijuana. The Canadian system does not have the same checks and balances among branches that the American system does, so Trudeau can implement his policies without being stymied by right-wing opposition. As an example of his thinking, Trudeau noted his decision to raise taxes on the top 1 percent of earners while lowering middle-class taxes, even as his government funds infrastructure improvements. He knew that Canada would run a deficit, which was unusual for a country known for fiscal probity, but he believed it was the way forward. ''Confident countries are willing to invest in the future,'' Trudeau said, ''not always follow the conservative orthodoxy of balanced budgets at all costs.'' In the face of the Syrian refugee crisis, Trudeau had pledged to bring 25,000 civilians fleeing war to Canada by the end of the year a cry that rallied the nation in his honeymoon days. The shootings in Paris didn't change this policy, but he has decided to slow the process to ensure it is orderly and safe. (By Jan. 1, 10,000 will be admitted.) But if the Paris or San Bernardino attacks had happened in Montreal or Winnipeg before the election, he may well have lost, an illustration of the fragility of democratic institutions in the age of terror. Trudeau said he wants Canada to be free from the politics of fear and division. ''When a mosque was vandalized in a small rural community in Cold Lake, Alberta which is as conservative as you can imagine in Canada, with the stereotypes around that the entire town came out the next day to scrub the graffiti off the walls and help them fix the damage,'' Trudeau told me. ''Countries with a strong national identity linguistic, religious or cultural are finding it a challenge to effectively integrate people from different backgrounds. In France, there is still a typical citizen and an atypical citizen. Canada doesn't have that dynamic.'' Terrorist groups have specifically said they are targeting Canada and Canadians. And on the subject of national security, Trudeau's critics say he's a lightweight and a dangerous one. Trudeau's most radical argument is that Canada is becoming a new kind of state, defined not by its European history but by the multiplicity of its identities from all over the world. His embrace of a pan-cultural heritage makes him an avatar of his father's vision. ''There is no core identity, no mainstream in Canada,'' he claimed. ''There are shared values openness, respect, compassion, willingness to work hard, to be there for each other, to search for equality and justice. Those qualities are what make us the first postnational state.'' Stepping out of the S.U.V., eager to plunge into the crowd, Trudeau seemed like a man at the beginning of a very big, and very uncertain, journey. ''I'm excited to be on the world stage,'' he said, with peculiar Canadian understatement mixed with dynastic confidence. ''I think people are starting to see that I'm actually reasonably fit for this office.'' Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of The New York Times Magazine delivered to your inbox every week. | 5 | 98,070 | news |
Pope Francis marks the start of an extraordinary Jubilee year for the world's 1.2 billion Catholics at the St Peter's basilica. | 8 | 98,071 | video |
Sumdo, India - At sunset, a group of Tibetan nomads gather at a large prayer wheel in the isolated Indian mountain village of Sumdo. Light from the setting sun catches the faces of men, women, and some children, but there are few young families. Where are all of the nomads going - and why? The people gathered this evening are refugees who fled China's Cultural Revolution in the late 1960s, crossing from western Tibet over the mountains to India's side of the Changthang Plateau. When they arrived in India, many of them joined another group of nomads already living there - Ladakhi pastoralists who have lived in the region for thousands of years, moving seasonally with herds of goat, sheep and yaks. As of last year, 2,300 Tibetan nomads were living in eight camps on the Changthang Plateau. India is home to about 80 million nomads, who belong to hundreds of distinctive groups. Many make their livelihoods as travellers, blacksmiths, craftsmen, storytellers, entertainers and herdsmen. But, while the situation for nomads in India differs from village to village and state to state, most nomadic communities are witnessing a breakdown in traditional modes of living. On the Changthang Plateau, the biggest obstacles nomads face are the harsh environment, climate change, lack of education, poor healthcare and economic instability. Sonam Palkyi and Yungdung Dolma fled from western Tibet in the 1960s, and have lived outside Sumdo, a small Tibetan settlement on the Changthang Plateau, ever since. Today, they are both in their 60s. They say the difficulties posed by Changthang's evolving landscape cannot be underestimated. Every year, their pastureland shrinks, likely because of a combination of climate change and increased tourism in the area. Palkyi is quick to note the trials of nomadic life. "Many animals die during the winter when supplies are cut off. Generally for nomads, it is all problems," she said. " But we don ' t have any choice. So we have to live this life anyway. We had to escape from Tibet. So this is the only option we have." While both women's sons have left for the town of Choglamsar, on the outskirts of Leh, their daughters remain at home and assist their families with herding. According to Dolma, the main obstacle to their children's development - especially that of their daughters - is lack of education. In a place where people depend on shrinking grasslands for their income, and do not receive much governmental assistance, education is seen as a way towards a better future. Although there is one small primary school in Sumdo, children seeking quality education must board at schools in the Leh area, and these schools are becoming more expensive. Their economic situation is challenging, said Palkyi. "We get almost nothing… During summer we sell some dairy products like butter and cheese. And we sell wool and cashmere. So that's the only source of income for us. But half the income we have to spend on animals themselves, so our income is very limited." Tibetan and Ladakhi nomads living in Changthang say they are forced to sell their cashmere to a government-run cooperative with a monopoly on the trade. Many nomads are underpaid, forced to accept the only deal they can get, although some independent merchants visit during the summer. Given the economic difficulties, a large number of Tibetan and Ladakhi nomads are no longer able to sustain a nomadic lifestyle. Many move to urban areas, such as Leh or New Delhi, to pursue work in the service industry. The nomads of the Changthang Plateau are not alone in the challenges they face. According to Elliot Fratkin, a professor of anthropology at Smith College, pastoralist societies - in which people make their living by herding animals, often taking them from one place to another to graze - currently face greater threats than ever before. These threats include " the expansion of farmers, ranchers, and game parks on their lands; the privatisation, commodification, and subdivision of the range; the growth of cities, the outmigration of poor pastoralists to urban areas, and dislocations brought about by drought, famine, and political conflict". Nomadic societies also have to grapple with a legal system that often works against them. Nomads generally lack the legal protection needed to maintain their traditional lifestyles in a rapidly modernising world, and they are frequently invisible from human rights treaties and jurisprudence. Land that nomads use is often viewed as empty land that the government can "reclaim", forcing inhabitants to resettle and adopt a new, sedentary lifestyle. Dr Jeremie Gilbert, a reader in law at the School of Law and Business at the University of East London, suggests that international human rights law based on "precepts of universality and equality" could ensure that nomads are officially recognised and protected. "Right now, law predominantly supports a sedentary approach to citizenship and justice," Gilbert noted. "To get citizenship, one needs a permanent abode. To get access to justice, one needs a permanent residency." One place to start might be with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, suggested Gilbert. If nomads are protected at the international level, he explained, it is more likely that legal recognition will follow at the national and state levels. Fortunately for the nomads of the Changthang Plateau, the Indian government is uninterested in the harsh, inhospitable high-altitude plateau they call home. But their economic challenges remain daunting. The market for many of their crafts, natural fibers and homemade dairy products is shrinking - which could eventually cause their way of life to die out. Are there ways of overcoming the many difficulties these nomads face? Can technology be harnessed to improve living conditions and provide a platform for small start-ups? Can nomads' heritage can be preserved for posterity? And if many nomads would happily abandon their lifestyle given the opportunity, is this a bad thing? These types of questions are paramount for Dhondup Tashi, the Central Representative Officer of the Sonamling Settlement for Tibetan Refugees, based in Choglamsar. "Tibetan nomads in Changthang region are the ones who preserve the genuine Tibetan culture in the true sense," he said. "They not only preserve the culture in physical form, but they also live the culture in every way in their daily lives, from morning till evening." | 5 | 98,072 | news |
Fans of the Los Angeles Dodgers weren't the only ones whose hearts were broken when the Dodgers were outbid by the Arizona Diamondbacks for starter Zack Greinke. At the Winter Meetings on Monday, new Dodgers manager Dave Roberts talked about the visit he paid ace Clayton Kershaw over the weekend, and revealed what he and Kershaw talked about. When the subject of Greinke came up, Roberts said Kershaw was "disappointed" to lose Greinke from the team but that he understood the financial reasons for it and is generally pleased with the direction in which the organization is going. In Greinke's three seasons in Los Angeles, he and Kershaw formed one of the best starting duos in recent history, posting a collective 104-34 record and 2.10 ERA with 1,327 strikeouts over 185 starts. Since being outbid for Greinke, the Dodgers have acquired free-agent righty Hisashi Iwakuma, who is currently projected as the Dodgers' No. 2 behind Kershaw. The 34-year-old posted a 47-25 record with a 3.17 ERA in his four seasons in MLB with the Seattle Mariners. Roberts' visit to Kershaw came at the lefty's off-season home in Dallas on Sunday, where he spent four hours getting to know the ace of his new club. "You look at the players that have meant so much to the organization and obviously perform at Clayton's level, that's kind of an obligation for me and something that I recognize and kind of wanted to build that trust with him," Roberts said of his visit. "So definitely, it was very important for me, maybe it was equally as important for him, too." | 1 | 98,073 | sports |
Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius was released on bail Tuesday, as he vowed to appeal against his murder conviction for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. South African judges last week found him guilty of murder, overturning his earlier conviction on the lesser charge of culpable homicide for killing Steenkamp, a model and law graduate. Pistorius, 29, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and black tie, appeared relaxed at the bail hearing in the Pretoria High Court, chatting with his legal team before standing in the dock to hear the judge's ruling. He was released from jail in October to live under house arrest at his uncle's house in Pretoria after serving one year of his five-year prison sentence for culpable homicide -- the equivalent of manslaughter. Under the new conviction for murder, he faces a minimum 15-year jail term that may be reduced due to time already spent in jail and the fact that he is a first-time offender. "The applicant is released on bail of 10,000 rand ($690)," judge Aubrey Ledwaba said, adding Pistorius would remain under house arrest. Ledwaba said Pistorius would be allowed to leave the house at set times with official permission, staying within 20 kilometres (12 miles) of his house. The High Court will reconvene on April 18 to hear an update from Pistorius's lawyers on his attempt to appeal to the Constitutional Court, South Africa's highest court. Pistorius's bail application outlined the basis of his planned Constitutional Court appeal against the murder conviction handed down last week by the Supreme Court of Appeal. He accused the appeal court of overstepping its authority by revising the first trial's finding that "I genuinely and honestly believed that my life and that of the deceased were in danger". Pistorius spoke in court only to calmly say "I do" when asked whether he made his bail application voluntarily. No date was announced for his re-sentencing. A lawyer for Steenkamp's family told AFP that they "understand it is his constitutional right to (appeal), but believe it is a delaying tactic as they do believe that he is guilty of murder." - 'Clutching at straws'? - Martin Hood, a criminal lawyer based in Johannesburg, told AFP that Pistorius was "clutching at straws" by trying to take his case to the Constitutional Court. "The Supreme Court of Appeal's judgement was clear, simple, lucid,' Hood said. The Paralympic gold medallist's lawyers had earlier said he cannot afford further legal battles as he had been left penniless by huge bills. After the hearing, Pistorius reported to the Correctional Services headquarters to be fitted with an electronic monitoring tag. Officials told AFP it would be placed on his wrist. On the streets outside the court, South Africans voiced their displeasure with Pistorius, saying he was not prepared to take responsibility for his actions. "He's supposed to get 15 years in jail, he deserves it," said Thomas Mdlule, a 30-year-old selling newspapers on a nearby corner. "He must be inside jail, not under house arrest." Pistorius killed Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine's Day two years ago, saying he mistook her for an intruder when he shot four times through the locked door of his bedroom toilet with a pistol he kept under his bed. He denied killing her in a rage and, during his dramatic trial, sobbed and occasionally vomited in the dock as details of his lover's death were examined in excruciating detail. Finding him guilty of murder the court of appeal said that it was "inconceivable that a rational person could have believed he was entitled to fire at this person with a heavy calibre firearm". The double-amputee sprinter, known as the "Blade Runner" because of the prosthetic legs he used on the track, has been doing community service at a Pretoria police station in recent weeks. He killed Steenkamp at the peak of his fame, and he has since lost his glittering sports career, lucrative contracts and status as a global role model for the disabled. No family members from either side were in court Tuesday. The bail application revealed Pistorius is enrolled in an online business and law course run by the London School of Economics. It also said he would seek employment while on bail. | 1 | 98,074 | sports |
WASHINGTON A closely divided Supreme Court on Tuesday struggled to decide "what kind of democracy people wanted," as Justice Stephen G. Breyer put it during an argument over the meaning of the constitutional principle of "one person one vote." The court's decision in the case, expected by June, has the potential to shift political power from urban areas to rural ones, a move that would provide a big boost to Republican voters in state legislative races in large parts of the nation. The basic question in the case, Evenwel v. Abbott , No. 14-940, is who must be counted in creating voting districts: all residents or just eligible voters? Right now, all states and most localities count everyone. The difference matters because people who are not eligible to vote children, immigrants here legally who are not citizens, unauthorized immigrants, people disenfranchised for committing felonies, prisoners are not spread evenly across the country. With the exception of prisoners, they tend to be concentrated in urban areas. Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter Their presence amplifies the voting power of eligible voters in those areas, usually helping Democrats. Rural areas that lean Republican, by contrast, usually have higher percentages of eligible voters. The case, a challenge to voting districts for the Texas Senate, was brought by Sue Evenwel and Edward Pfenninger, who asked the court to require states to count eligible voters. They are represented by the Project on Fair Representation, a small conservative advocacy group that has been active in cases concerning race and voting. The case's partisan overtones were not acknowledged during the argument, but the court's four Democratic appointees asked questions suggesting that they generally favored counting everyone while several of the five Republican appointees said that voter equality was an important interest. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., for instance, seemed attracted to counting only voters. "It is called 'one person, one vote,'" he said. "That seems designed to protect voters." But Justice Sonia Sotomayor said there were other interests at stake. "There is a voting interest," she said, "but there is also a representation interest." She meant that politicians represent all of their constituents, not just the people who can vote. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underscored that point by noting that women were counted when districts were drawn long before they gained the right to vote in 1920. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy seemed to be looking for a middle ground. "You should at least give some consideration to this disparity you have among voters" in different voting districts, he said, adding that it may be possible to achieve both goals. "Why is one option exclusive of the other?" he asked. Lawyers defending Texas's approach said the resulting districts would be misshapen and drawn without regard to other considerations, including county lines and race. Ian H. Gershengorn, a deputy United States solicitor general, gave an example. "Manhattan has 9 percent children," he said. "Brooklyn has 30 percent. If you have to do both, what you're doing is pairing people from part of Manhattan and pairing them with voters in Brooklyn." The Constitution requires "counting the whole number of persons in each state" for apportioning seats in the House of Representatives among the states. Justice Elena Kagan said it struck her as unlikely that a different rule should apply for purposes of drawing state districts. "How you go from that being mandated," she said, referring to counting everyone, "to it being prohibited in the state context is something that I still can't quite work myself around." The Supreme Court has never definitively ruled on who must be counted. The "one person one vote" principle, rooted in cases from the 1960s that revolutionized democratic representation in the United States, applies to the entire American political system aside from the Senate, where voters from states with small populations have vastly more voting power than those with large ones. Everywhere else, voting districts must have very close to the same populations. In court papers, Ms. Evenwel and Mr. Pfenninger said that they lived in "districts among the most overpopulated with eligible voters" and that "there are voters or potential voters in Texas whose Senate votes are worth approximately one and one-half times that of appellants." Their lawyer, William S. Consovoy, said the case boiled down to a simple proposition. "One person can't be given two votes while their neighbor is given one vote," he said. Scott A. Keller, Texas's solicitor general, defended his state's decision to count everyone. "The only question the court has to resolve here is whether the equal protection clause requires every state to change its current practice and use voter population to reapportion," he said. "The answer is no." But Mr. Keller added that the decision of whom to count should be left to the states, leaving open the possibility that states could count only voters. "It's our position," he said, "that we could choose a reliable measure of voting-eligible population without running afoul of the equal protection clause's guaranteed against invidious discrimination." Mr. Gershengorn, representing the federal government, argued in support of Texas, but only to a point. He said the court should not allow states choices beyond counting everybody. Last year, a three-judge panel of the Federal District Court in Austin dismissed the case, saying that "the Supreme Court has generally used total population as the metric of comparison." At the same time, the panel said, the Supreme Court has never required any particular standard. The choice, the panel said, belongs to the states. There are practical problems, many political scientists say, in finding reliable data to count only eligible voters. Justice Ginsburg mentioned a brief filed by Nathaniel Persily, a political scientist at Stanford Law School, that said there is only one constitutionally required and reliable data set: the census. But the census counts everyone, the brief said, and there are no comparable data for eligible voters. Short of requiring the government to collect new data, the brief said, a ruling requiring districts to be based on equivalent numbers of eligible voters would be impossible to put in place with anything like the confidence provided by the census. Mr. Consovoy responded that courts have accepted other sources of data to assess other kinds of voting rights violations. Before the court heard arguments on Tuesday, it issued a unanimous decision in a different election-law case, Shapiro v. McManus , No. 14-990, arising from a challenge to Maryland's 2011 congressional maps. Democrats, the challengers said, had gone to elaborate and unconstitutional lengths to create oddly shaped districts to favor their candidates. A single federal trial judge dismissed the case, saying it did not present issues serious enough to warrant convening the three-judge court ordinarily required by a federal law in cases concerning apportionment of congressional districts. "Perhaps petitioners will ultimately fail on the merits," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for a unanimous court, but the law "entitles them to make their case before a three-judge district court." Follow the New York Times's politics and Washington coverage on Facebook and Twitter , and sign up for the First Draft politics newsletter . | 5 | 98,075 | news |
A teenager sees a relatively tall box in front of him at the gym. He works to improve his jumping abilities. He attempts to reach the box. As he jumps, he does not gather enough momentum. His knees hit the box and he is instantly propelled backwards onto the floor. | 5 | 98,076 | news |
Half of Beijing's private cars are ordered off the streets and many construction sites and schools closed after authorities in China's smog-shrouded capital responded to scathing public criticism with their first-ever red alert for pollution. | 8 | 98,077 | video |
It's no secret the Lakers (3-18) aren't going to contend for a championship, or even a playoff spot, anytime soon. Still, Byron Scott's decision to bench Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell for Monday night's game against the Raptors was a head-scratcher. MORE: Scout breaks down the top rookies | Bold predictions for the Warriors After all, the team has spent its last two draft picks on Randle (seventh overall in 2014) and Russell (second overall in 2015) as it prepares to move past the Kobe Bryant era and into the future. And after a rough start, Russell was starting to turn the corner, averaging 13 points and five assists in December. Larry Nance Jr. and Louis Williams started over Randle and Russell, respectively, but the result was more of the same the Lakers lost 102-93. Randle actually had a good game off the bench, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in 21 minutes. Russell didn't fare as well, scoring just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. MORE: Sixers name Jerry Colangelo chairman "Everybody has a story at the end of the day, as far as what they've been through to get to where they want to be or where they're at at that point," Russell said, via ESPN , when asked about being taken out of the starting lineup. "Hopefully, I can look back at this and laugh." Chances are the rookie from Ohio State will be able to do so at some point. The question is whether his coach will be there to laugh with him the rest of the season and beyond. Stud of the Night Kristaps Porzingis stole the show from Dirk Nowitzki and Carmelo Anthony on Monday night. The 20-year-old rookie scored 28 points on 13-for-18 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-4 performance from the 3-point line, as the Knicks came up short, 104-97. Dud of the Night The Sixers faced a Spurs team that was without Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, and still got blown out 119-68. Philadelphia shot 34.7 percent for the game and scored just 29 first-half points. Tweet of the Night Kevin Garnett turned back the hands of Father Time for a few seconds in Minnesota last night, and we were here for it. Kevin Garnett, he who is 39 years of age, posterizes Blake Griffin. #TWolves #Clippers pic.twitter.com/DaC73VaiVW https://t.co/yfxZLueZQa Timberwolves Social (@TimberwolvesSoc) December 8, 2015 Looking ahead Warriors (22-0) at Pacers (12-7), 7 p.m. ET: The victory train rolls into the heartland against a dangerous Pacers team. Considering the hapless Nets and Jazz gave the Warriors a good run in the past week, the Pacers have as good a shot as anyone at beating the Warriors. | 1 | 98,078 | sports |
Bold prediction time: The vehicle you see here will one day become Toyota's best-seller. I'm not the only one who believes that Toyota does, too. At the debut of the updated 2016 RAV4, Toyota said that it expects its compactish crossover to one day crest the 400,000 sales marker, beating the mighty Camry in sales. Vehicles such as the 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid a big new addition to the larger updated 2016 RAV4 lineup will also serve as an important step toward Toyota's goal of selling mostly emissions-free vehicles by 2050. Those two predictions go a long way toward providing some sort of background to the upgrades Toyota made to the 2016 RAV4 lineup. Always a strong player in the segment (in November, the RAV4 overtook the Ford Escape for second place in the compact crossover sales race), Toyota found that many of its most loyal customers were unhappy with how carlike their formerly rugged RAV4 had become when the fourth-generation model debuted in 2013. Customers were also displeased with the hard plastics inside and excessive noise, vibration, and harshness. Research the Toyota RAV4 on MSN Autos The updated RAV4 does much to win back the favor of those customers. For starters, the RAV4's gets a nose lift (literally) to give drivers a more SUVish look over the hood. With the lift comes a new front end with a revised grille, new LED headlights, and a faux skidplate, all of which help to improve the RAV4's aerodynamics. The design is tidied up in the rear with a new bumper and new taillights, and revised rocker panels tie the whole design together along the RAV4's profile. Inside, the ragtag combination of plastic, pleather, and contrasting finishes has been simplified for a more premium design. The bones of the interior are the same, but the fit, finish, and quality of the materials have vastly improved. Take the door cards, for instance. Toyota said that customers complained about the feel of the hard plastic upper section of the door on their arms, so Toyota fixed the issue with soft-touch padding. The automaker also added soft-touch padding to the dashboard, put in a new steering wheel, and revised the center console's design and trim. The cabin is finished off with extra sound deadening under the floors and in the doors. For better or worse, the base 2.5-liter I-4 with 176 horses is unchanged, but the RAV4 Hybrid is the final piece of the puzzle. For a brand as synonymous with hybrid vehicles as Toyota is, it's surprising it took the automaker 22 years and two low-selling RAV4 EVs before it tried a hybrid version. Like the Camry Hybrid it shares its major powertrain components with, the RAV4 Hybrid has a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 mated to a hybrid transaxle containing an electronically controlled CVT, an electric generator, and an electric motor. The traction motor, dubbed Motor Generator 2 (MG2), works as we've come to expect of hybrid-electric motors: by assisting the internal combustion engine while accelerating, taking over while coasting, and driving using nothing but electrons under the right conditions. Also included in the hybrid transaxle is a generator, MG1, which functions both as a starter for the internal combustion engine and as a generator of electricity for the battery pack and electric motors. Yes, motors. All RAV4 Hybrids are all-wheel drive with a rear-mounted electric motor (MGR) supplying additional power and traction. Despite the lack of a mechanical linkage between the two axles, as much as 50 percent of the drivetrain's power can be sent to the rear wheels. Bringing the whole system together is a small 1.6-kW-hr nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery intelligently packed underneath the rear bench seat. Total system power is 194 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. Although the Hybrid badges on the RAV4 Hybrid's front quarter panels might initially put off some enthusiasts, most will be pleasantly surprised at its dynamic performance. Toyota estimates an 8.1-second 0-60-mph time for its hybrid crossover, three-tenths of a second quicker than the last non-hybrid RAV4 we tested. In driving the new RAV4 Hybrid back-to-back with a non-hybrid variant, the electrified version certainly feels more powerful than the 18-hp gap would otherwise suggest. Nailing the throttle results in the gas engine quickly and smoothly firing up as the RAV4 zips forward. Accelerating at a more reasonable pace oddly feels quicker, as you get a quick burst of juice out of the electric motors before the gas engine kicks on and you get going on your way. The hybrid powertrain offers up enough passing power at freeway speeds to satisfy all but the most enthusiastic of drivers, the CVT pitching in and quickly changing its shift logic to mimic a six-speed automatic during passing maneuvers. The RAV4 Hybrid is most in its element at city speeds, as its EPA scores of 34/31/32 mpg city/highway/combined would suggest. Watching the RAV4's motors and engine trading off the work via the large Entune infotainment display is oddly hypnotizing. The RAV4 Hybrid seamlessly works the motors and engine independently of each other; one minute you might be driving at 45 mph on just the front and rear motors, and the next the engine and front motor are powering the front wheels while the engine does double duty charging the battery. I can only imagine the complexity of the computer code needed to make the hybrid's components work together so seamlessly. Ultimately, the updated RAV4 lineup is a solid improvement on the current-generation crossover, with none more impressive than the hybrid variant. Toyota initially expects a 15 percent take rate on the RAV4 Hybrid, but given its EPA figures and that it starts at $29,270 for a well-equipped RAV4 Hybrid XLE just $700 more than a non-hybrid XLE I'd be surprised if more buyers weren't seduced by the hybrid variant. With Toyota's lofty goals for this potential Camry killer in sight, the hybridized RAV4 may just be what Toyota needed to get over the hump. 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid BASE PRICE $29,270 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, front/rear motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV ENGINE 2.5L/112-hp/206-lb-ft Atkinson cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 67-hp/199-lb-ft front and 67-hp/199-lb-ft rear electric motors; 194 hp/199 lb-ft comb TRANSMISSION Cont. variable auto CURB WEIGHT 3,950 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 104.7 in LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT 181.1 x 72.6 x 65.9 in 0-60 MPH 8.1 sec (mfr est) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 34/31/33 mpg ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY 99/109 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.60 lb/mile ON SALE IN U.S. Currently Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,079 | autos |
A small group of wealthy Chinese investors recently poured $10 million into a luxury condominium project in New York's Westchester County. The redbrick building, set to open next year, will feature a pool and a roof deck offering sweeping views of the Hudson River. None of the people bothered to visit the site before plunking down their money. "It was a relatively easy deal," said Rick Singer, a New York real-estate investor who introduced the Chinese investors to the project's developer. "It gave the Chinese what they wanted." The investors' objective, in part, was to move money out of China and into U.S. commercial property, said brokers who have arranged similar deals for wealthy Chinese in recent years. That goal became more pressing over the summer, after a plunging stock market rattled investors and a sharply slowing economy prompted Chinese officials to devalue the nation's currency. Authorities beefed up enforcement of rules designed to keep money from exiting the country. Many wealthy Chinese worry that Beijing could strip them of their wealth or inflate away their savings by cheapening the currency further, brokers said. That motivates them to move large sums outside the country, ideally without drawing attention. China has been the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys since 2008, but more recently its buying interest in the U.S. has spread to Chinese companies and wealthy individuals. A Chinese insurer earlier this year paid $1.95 billion for New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel a record price for a U.S. hotel sale after Chinese regulators relaxed rules for big insurers investing in overseas real estate. Wealthy Chinese also have been eager to buy houses or apartments in the U.S. After a five-year spending binge, Chinese displaced Canadians as the top foreign buyers of U.S. homes for the 12 months to March, according to the most recent data from the National Association of Realtors. While wealthy Chinese home buyers have pulled back on U.S. purchases in recent months amid the market turmoil at home, investors looking for commercial property have kept buying aggressively, brokers said. Many have centered on unlikely investments such as small office buildings, chain hotels and other nondescript properties in and around big U.S. cities, seizing an opportunity to place greater sums of money outside their government's reach. Over the past couple of years, Chinese investors have acquired a strip mall near Long Beach, Calif., a Marriott hotel near Los Angeles International Airport and a waterfront office building on New York's Staten Island, according to property records, brokers and other parties in the deals. They have helped fund at least two big condo projects in Westchester County and purchased large swaths of property in the Queens, N.Y., neighborhood of Elmhurst, according to the people and property records. "It isn't just about finding yield, but about parking their capital," said Joshua Zegen, co-founder at New York-based Madison Realty Capital. His firm made a loan to the developer of a $100 million luxury apartment development in Queens that counts wealthy Chinese among its investors. Big Chinese companies have been piling into glitzy U.S. commercial property in recent years, paying record sales prices for the Waldorf Astoria and Baccarat hotels in New York and planning one of the tallest buildings in San Francisco. Those types of deals could suffer if the Chinese government continues an effort launched amid the stock-market rout to discourage companies from investing heavily abroad instead of at home. China's middle-class families, meanwhile, have received attention for their purchases of individual homes and condo units in U.S. cities. Those transactions could be cooling, too, brokers say, as Beijing tries to keep money from exiting the country. Individuals can invest up to $50,000 a year overseas, and officials vowed to enforce those laws strictly following China's stock-market plunge in the summer. Chinese shares have since recovered some of the lost ground. Wealthy individual investors, by contrast, have long flouted the rules by sending capital to the U.S. through family and friends, wealth advisers and private bankers say. Some have export-oriented businesses, which pay them in dollars that they keep overseas through real estate and other investments. Data released Monday showed China's foreign-exchange reserves fell in November to their lowest in more than two years, fueling concerns about Beijing's ability to stem capital outflows. If anything, said Katie Kao, a New York real-estate broker, the threat of additional capital controls including a move by the Chinese government in September to tighten control over foreign-exchange transactions could spur ultrawealthy Chinese to divert even more money to the U.S. "They want to move faster and make more investments in the U.S.," said Ms. Kao, who is also a founding president of the Asian Real Estate Association of America's New York east chapter. Determining the amount of U.S. commercial real estate owned by this group is tricky because they usually cover their tracks. As with many other wealthy buyers of U.S. real estate, Chinese like to transact through private companies or through a local partner. New York developer Steven Wu, for example, has been the public face of a Queens residential project that tapped numerous high-net-worth investors from China to help buy the site for $53.5 million, according to a person familiar with the project. In other instances, wealthy Chinese investors pool their capital through a firm that buys property on their behalf. Hong Kong-based investment firm Joint Treasure International Ltd. last year sold an eight-acre site in Beverly Hills on behalf of a wealthy Chinese investor and other Asian investors for more than $400 million, four years after buying it for about $150 million. Brokers say the impact of Chinese money is concentrated in certain metro areas. In New York, for example, neighborhoods with sizable Chinese communities are attracting a rising tide of money from wealthy mainland Chinese. In Flushing, Queens, where people of Chinese and other Asian descent make up nearly half the population, commercial-property sales have totaled $1.2 billion this year through November, according to CoStar. That is up 44% from the full year in 2014 and more than double the amount in 2013. The average price a square foot this year for these transactions is $382, compared with $234 in 2013, CoStar data show. Chinese investors have been particularly aggressive bidders for commercial real estate on and around Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst. Over the past 18 months, Cushman & Wakefield made eight property sales along the street. Chinese investors had the winning offer six times, and were the runner-up bid the other two times, said Tom Donovan, vice chairman of broker Cushman's capital markets group. "It is definitely impacting pricing," said Mr. Donovan. "There are not enough buildings for sale, and with aggressive buyers coming in, it has had a good uptick in price." Some Chinese high-net-worth investors from Shanghai recently joined with New York investment firm Borland Capital Group in the $40 million acquisition of 66 condo units in two of the tallest buildings in Westchester County: the Ritz Carlton in White Plains and Trump Plaza in New Rochelle. Founder Brent Borland said the plan is to rent out the condo units for a period and then eventually put the units back on the market. "When we look to exit," he said, "our Chinese partners will have the ability to sell these units to buyers in China." | 3 | 98,080 | finance |
WASHINGTON Food companies are mounting an aggressive year-end push to head off mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods. The food industry wants the labeling to be voluntary, and it hopes to get a provision in a massive spending bill that Republicans and Democrats want to wrap up this week. If that becomes law, states could not require companies to disclose whether their products contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The House passed similar legislation earlier this year, but the Senate has not yet acted. Even so, food companies and farm groups say Congress must step in before Vermont becomes the first state to require GMO labels next summer. "It is imperative that Congress take action now to prevent a costly and confusing patchwork of state labeling laws from taking effect next year and spreading across the country," a coalition of groups representing growers and the food industry said in a letter to House and Senate leaders. The country's largest food companies say genetically modified foods are safe and that labels would be misleading. They argue that its costs would be passed on to consumers. Supporters of labeling counter that consumers have a right to know what's in their foods, and Congress shouldn't be trying to pre-empt states. They have pushed state legislatures to pass labeling laws, with the eventual goal of having a federal mandatory label set by the Food and Drug Administration. Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, like resistance to herbicides. The majority of the country's corn and soybean crop is now genetically modified, with much of that going to animal feed. Corn and soybeans are also made into popular processed food ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, corn starch and soybean oil. The food industry says about 75 percent to 80 percent of foods contain genetically modified ingredients. The FDA has said GMOs on the market now are safe, and the federal government does not support mandatory labels. "What's at stake for farmers and consumers without action is that American farmers and food companies will be faced with uncertainty," said Claire Parker of the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, the group that wants Congress to step in. Supporters of labeling are trying to fight the industry effort with television ads in the Washington area and in Vermont that reminds consumers about the FDA's recent approval of genetically modified salmon, which would not be labeled. "If your state wants to label GMOs, Congress is trying a year-end sneak attack to block your right to label," the ad says. If passed, the industry-backed legislation would pre-empt any state labeling requirements. So far, Vermont is the only state set to require labeling and its law would take effect in July 2016 if it survives a legal challenge from the food industry. Maine and Connecticut have also passed laws requiring labeling, but those measures don't take effect unless neighboring states follow suit. "It's about states having the right to do this," said Andrew Kimbrell of the Center for Food Safety, the group behind the ad. Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said she thinks the issue is too controversial for the year-end spending bill, which lawmakers must pass before leaving for the holidays. She and Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., have been working to find a compromise. "We have a lot of folks on our side of the aisle that are very opposed," Stabenow said. Hoeven said he has been heavily lobbied on the issue by food companies. "I am still trying to come up with a compromise that brings both sides together, and it doesn't seem like we'll have that by year-end," he said. The legislation that passed the House was sponsored by Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas. In addition to blocking states from requiring the labels, it would step up FDA oversight by requiring that any new genetically engineered products be reviewed by the agency before they can be sold. That process is now voluntary for most modified foods. It would also create a new certification process at the Agriculture Department for foods that are labeled free of GMOs. ___ Follow Mary Clare Jalonick on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mcjalonick | 0 | 98,081 | foodanddrink |
"Furious 7" star Tyrese Gibson revealed that he bought his young daughter, Shayla, her own island as a gift. Rachel Holt (@ItsRachelHolt) has the fully story. | 8 | 98,082 | video |
There's a 66.1% chance that the U.S. stock market will rise in 2016. If you're like most investors, you're encouraged by those odds. After all, the current bull market can't last forever, and, depending on how you count it, it's already one of the longest in U.S. stock market history. In fact, the odds of the stock market rising next year would be the same even if we currently were in a bear market. That's because the market's odds of rising in a given year have nothing to do with how it does in prior years. Historically, those odds have been very close to two out of three. Investors who find this result hard to fathom are guilty of what statisticians call the "gambler's fallacy." A common instance of this fallacy comes when we think that, after a coin comes up heads in six consecutive coin flips, there are better-than-even odds that the next flip will be tails. A coin, of course, doesn't remember whether its previous flip came out heads or tails, so the odds are 50-50. The situation that applies to the stock market is remarkably similar. Take a look at the chart, which summarizes what I found upon analyzing the Dow Jones Industrial Average back to its creation in the late 1890s. Notice that the odds of the market rising in a given calendar year are almost identical, regardless of whether the market in the previous year rose or fell. For example, the Dow historically has exhibited a 66.7% probability of rising following years in which the Dow rose, versus a 65% probability following losing years. Those odds are statistically indistinguishable from the 66.1% odds of rising that apply to all calendar years since the Dow's creation nearly 120 years ago. Though you initially may be disappointed that the stock market's fate next year has nothing to do with this year, I would argue that it's actually good news. If the market did take the past into account, it would suffer from "unnecessary and unhealthy turmoil," according to Lawrence Tint, chairman of Quantal International, a firm that conducts risk modeling for institutional investors. In an interview, he said: "We can be comforted by the fact that reasonably efficient markets always base their level on anticipated future returns, and do not include history in the calculation." Notice that this doesn't mean the stock market can't perform well in 2016. The point is that, if it does so, it will have nothing to do with how it's done this year. | 3 | 98,083 | finance |
Muslim Americans respond to Donald Trump's anti-Islamic tirade with outrage, saying the US presidential contender is "giving the right to people to hurt our community". | 8 | 98,084 | video |
The United States has agreed with Singapore on a first deployment of the U.S. P8 Poseidon spy plane in Singapore this month, in a fresh response to China over its pursuit of territorial claims in the South China Sea. China, which is at odds with Washington over the South China Sea, said on Tuesday the move was aimed at militarizing the region. In a joint statement after a meeting in Washington on Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Singapore Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen welcomed the inaugural deployment of the aircraft in Singapore from Dec. 7 to 14. A U.S. defense official said further deployments in Singapore could be expected. The move comes at a time of heightened tensions in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire energy-rich waters, through which more than $5 trillion of maritime trade passes each year. The Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims. "I think this kind of increase in military deployment by the United States and pushing regional militarization does not accord with the joint long-term interests of the countries in this region," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news briefing. China believes that Singapore, like other countries in the region, wants to see a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia, she added. The United States already operates P8s from Japan and the Philippines, and has also conducted surveillance flights from Singapore's neighbor, Malaysia. The statement said the P8 deployment in Singapore would "promote greater interoperability with regional militaries through participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises, while providing timely support for regional HADR and maritime security efforts." HADR is an acronym for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief operations. The United States and Singapore have long-standing defense ties and the announcement of the P8 deployment was part of an enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement signed by Carter and Ng, which also covers cooperation in fighting transnational terrorism and piracy. Washington has criticized China's building of artificial islands in the South China Sea's disputed Spratly archipelago, and has conducted sea and air patrols near them recently. Last month, U.S. President Barack Obama called on countries to stop building artificial islands in the sea and militarizing their claims. He said the United States would continue to assert its freedom-of-navigation rights. China responded by saying it would continue to build both military and civilian facilities on the islands. Last month, U.S. B-52 bombers flew near some of China's artificial islands and at the end of October a U.S. guided-missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of one of them. In May, the Chinese navy issued eight warnings to the crew of a U.S. P8 that flew near the islands, according to CNN, which was aboard the U.S. aircraft. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Nick Macfie) | 5 | 98,085 | news |
Dogs are silly, which makes them excellent playmates. They are a ton of fun, energized and all around great pets. Just like people, dogs also have a clumsier side. They can trip, fall and miscalculate their distance in order to get something. This is a compilation of silly, clumsy dogs. | 5 | 98,086 | news |
U.S. stock index futures pointed to lower open on Tuesday after a sharp decline in oil and iron ore prices weighed on sentiment ahead of next week's Federal Reserve meeting. U.S. bond auctions are also being closely watched by markets, as yields move ahead of the Fed's plans to liftoff from zero interest rates. The Treasury auctions one- and 12-month T-bills as well as three-year notes (US3Y) Tuesday. Crude prices edged up from nearly seven-year lows on Tuesday as China reported strong commodity imports despite economic weakness but, overall, the market remained weak due to global oversupply compounded by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' decision to keep output high. Benchmark Brent and WTI futures both fell over 6 percent the previous session to reach 2015 lows, and they are closing in on levels last seen during the credit crunch of 2008/2009. Should they break through 2008/2009 lows, the next downward target would be levels not seen since the early 2000s. Internationally traded Brent futures were up 50 cents at $41.23 a barrel early on Tuesday. U.S. crude was trading at $37.89 a barrel, up 24 cents from its last settlement and close to the 2015 and seven-year lows of the previous session. Spot iron ore also fell to a fresh decade-low below $40 a ton to a fresh decade low. "Yesterday's slide in oil prices, takes most of the headlines. In terms of global significance this may be a bigger deal than the slide in iron ore prices, but the latter represents a bigger percentage slide over almost any timeframe," said global strategist at Societe Generale, Kit Juckes. Earnings due for release on Tuesday include AutoZone (AZO) , Toll Brothers (TOL) before the bell, with Costco, (COST) Dave & Buster's (PLAY) , Krispy Kreme (KKD) and Smith & Wesson (SWHC) all due after market close. In Europe, equities were trading lower on Tuesday amid the rout in oil prices. Reuters contributed to this report. | 3 | 98,087 | finance |
A South African court granted bail to Oscar Pistorius on Tuesday, following the Olympian's conviction for murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. | 8 | 98,088 | video |
Brett Kennedy, a roboticist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, breaks down the plausibility (or lack thereof) of Star Wars characters like R2-D2, C-3PO and the new BB-8. | 8 | 98,089 | video |
From Pluto to Enceladus, Kepler 452-b to Mars and possible alien mega-structures Patrick Jones (@Patrick_E_Jones) has the top moments from space in 2015. | 8 | 98,090 | video |
Kellogg, Coca-Cola Enterprises and a group of other companies have committed to targets certified by independent assessors to cut their carbon emissions, they said on Tuesday. The initiative came as negotiators gathered in Paris try to reach an accord on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and is intended to go beyond the often vague promises of corporate action on the issue. U.N. Global Compact, a voluntary U.N. scheme, and non-governmental organizations including the U.S.-based World Resources Institute (WRI) have been attempting to persuade business to set carbon goals since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The WRI and its partner organizations said more than 100 companies had committed within the next two years to set targets, assessed on the basis of U.N. standards as a meaningful contribution to warding off a global average temperature rise of more than 2 degrees Celsius, viewed as a threshold for potentially catastrophic climate change. Coca-Cola Enterprises (the European bottling partner of Coca-Cola, Dell, Enel, General Mills, Kellogg, NRG Energy, Procter & Gamble, Sony and Thalys have already had goals approved equating to nearly 2 billion barrels of oil not burned over the lifetime of their targets. Kellogg, which like other food companies is sensitive to extreme weather that inflates the cost of ingredients and makes them scarce, committed to a 15 percent reduction in emissions intensity per tonne of food produced by 2020 versus 2015, the joint statement said. "It's a core business issue in terms of, can we have enough access to foods over time?" Diana Holdorf, chief sustainability officer at Kellogg, said in Paris. "Security of supply is critical to our business." Other corporate climate commitments linked to the Paris conference included Unilever, Nestle, Procter & Gamble and others saying last month they had signed up to emissions targets. | 3 | 98,091 | finance |
Our fifth annual Go List highlights 25 incredible destinations, including exotic beaches, cities for culture vultures, natural wonders both near and far, major celebrations, and a lot more, as picked by our globe-trotting experts. America's National Parks Be a part of the year-long celebration of the most stunning landscapes in the United States. With the National Park Service commemorating its 100th anniversary in 2016, there has never been a better time to explore and be inspired by America's majestic national parks. Throughout 2016, all parks, including the venerable Yellowstone and Yosemite, will celebrate the centennial with activities and initiatives that allow visitors to revel in their natural, historical, and cultural splendor. Whether you take scenic drives through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, climb the soaring peaks at Rocky Mountain National Park, raft along the raging Colorado River at the Grand Canyon, spot wildlife in Grand Teton National Park, or hike by otherworldly rock formations at Badlands National Park , the awe-inspiring landscapes and ample recreational opportunities make a trip to any of the United States' national parks a thrilling adventure. Where to Stay: Many national parks throughout the United States have historic hotels within their borders. Opened in 1904 in Yellowstone National Park, the rustic Old Faithful Inn captivates guests with its eight-side fireplace and four levels of balconies in its distinctive lobby. In Yosemite National Park, the elegant Ahwahnee hotel, which opened in 1927, features Native American design motifs and stained-glass windows, and a stunning dining room with a high-beamed ceiling. Insider Tip: If you plan to visit several national parks in 2016, consider purchasing an America the Beautiful Annual Pass . This $80 pass gains you entrance to all national parks and national wildlife refuges. If you're a senior citizen (62 or older), the $10 Senior Pass gives you lifetime entrance to national parks. And thanks to the White House's Every Kid in a Park initiative, fourth graders and their families can gain free entry to all national parks throughout the 2015-16 school year by registering online. When to Go: Top times to go to national parks in the northern half of the United States are late spring through early fall, when temperatures are generally pleasant. Parks in the southern United States are often best visited in winter. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's National Parks Guide Luke Epplin Sicily The largest island in the Mediterranean boasts a nascent wine scene that will surprise and delight any oenophile. Anyone who's spent time on this captivating island off the tip of Italy's boot already knows its many pleasures: gorgeous beaches, magnificent Greek and Roman ruins, breathtaking scenery, vibrant cuisine, well-preserved Baroque architecture, a melting-pot culture, and so much more but none of that is new. What has changed, however, is Sicily's ascendancy as a winemaking region, one that has connoisseurs excited but has yet to garner mainstream attention, since many visitors don't stray from the beaches and coastal cities. There was a time when Sicilian grapes were largely used for jug wines, but that era has passed, thanks to the formation of the DOC Sicilia Consortium in 2011, which led to the adoption of higher-quality viticulture standards across the island. The proof is in the product, which visitors can taste all over Sicily: Approximately 700 producers now cultivate more than 20 kinds of indigenous grapes, and you can swirl a glass at venerable estates like Tasca d'Almerita , Planeta , and Valle dell'Acate , among others. Wine producers are scattered across the island, making it fairly easy to work vineyard visits into any itinerary without traveling too far. Where to Stay: There's a full range of hotels and resorts for every taste and budget, but note that it's common for properties to close during the height of summer and the dead of winter. In Palermo, the Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa is ideally located in the old town and features throwback splendor. For a truly magical experience, book a stay at Tasca d'Almerita's Tenuta Regaleali estate , where you can sleep and dine in a baglio, a working farm villa that's been active since the late 19th century. Insider Tip: If you're staying for an extended period of time or if you've been to Sicily before, it's worth taking a ferry or plane to one of Sicily's outlying islands. The small volcanic island of Ustica is known for its marine reserve and coastal caverns, and Pantelleria, located just 37 miles from the coast of Tunisia, is famous for its capers, dessert wines, and hot springs. When to Go: Sicily's peak seasons are May to June and September to October, when the weather is at its best, but crowds (and room rates) are at their highest. You can find discounts in July and August, but be prepared to face triple-digit high temperatures. November through April is the off-season, when you can find great deals but won't be able to enjoy the beaches, although the thermostat rarely drops below a mild 50 degrees. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Sicily Guide Michael Alan Connelly Guadeloupe You'll find a blend of Afro-Caribbean customs and French style on these exotic tropical islands. Long considered an undiscovered gem among Francophiles and in-the-know Americans, the French-Caribbean archipelago of Guadeloupe is an increasingly sought-after destination among sun-seekers and nature lovers looking for an affordable alternative to St. Barth. Many of the beaches here, particularly on the outer islands, are unspoiled, and the mountainous Parc National de la Guadeloupe offers miles of hiking trails through tropical rainforests. With budget airline Norwegian Air's recent introduction of nonstop service from Baltimore, Boston, and New York, it's easier than ever to experience the sidewalk cafés, palm-fringed beaches, and small inns of this Creole-flavored, rustic-chic Caribbean island. Where to Stay: Perched on a cliff on Grand Terre, the luxurious La Tôubana Hotel and Spa has the best ocean views in Guadeloupe. Inland, on a former coffee plantation on Basse-Terre, the bungalows at Le Jardin de Malanga make the perfect romantic hideaway. Insider Tip: The official language is French, and many of the islanders also speak Creole. Most hotel staff and taxi drivers in the large towns speak English, but fewer do in the countryside. A French phrasebook can be helpful in more remote locations on the islands. When to Go: Rooms at the deluxe resorts can fill up from mid November through May, but the rest of the year the island is quiet and prices drop as much as 40 percent. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Guadeloupe Guide Eric Wechter Abu Dhabi The capital of the United Arab Emirates offers luxury, adventure, and, soon, three major cultural institutions. This opulent city on the Persian Gulf is on the cusp of becoming the Middle East's fine-arts darling, with the Louvre Abu Dhabi opening in late 2016, in a striking building designed by Jean Nouvel, and the new Guggenheim , the largest in the world, set to open in early 2017. The Louvre will exhibit work from several French museums (including the Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée d'Orsay, and the Palace of Versailles); the Guggenheim, housed in one of architect Frank Gehry's futuristic masterpieces, will show modern and contemporary art from its parent foundation's extensive collection, with temporary exhibitions that will focus heavily on contemporary Middle Eastern works. Joining these two juggernauts in the Saadiyat Island Cultural District is the Norman Foster designed Zayed National Museum , also scheduled to be completed in 2016. And then there's Abu Dhabi's natural beauty, which has long enticed travelers: It's only a stone's throw from the epic Empty Quarter, the largest contiguous sand desert in the world, where adventurous types can try sports like dune bashing and sand boarding. Where to Stay : The new 34-story Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi will open for business in spring 2016. With 190 guestrooms, a rooftop pool, and a huge garden overlooking Al Maryah Island's waterfront promenade, travelers seeking unlimited indulgence, as well as culture and adventure, will have one more reason to visit. Staying in the desert in a Bedouin-inspired encampment is an iconic experience, and Qasr Al Sarab by Anantara offers one of the best. Every luxurious room, suite, and tented villa boasts vast views of the towering sand dunes. Insider Tip: Always dress demurely, and during the summer, be prepared for extreme heat outside and extreme cold inside: The A/C in Abu Dhabi is set proportionately opposite to the temperature outside. When to Go: Hotels are busy year-round thanks to business travelers. For tourists, fall and winter are best, when temperatures hover pleasantly in the 60s and 70s. Be aware that summer heat curtails most outdoor activities. Plan Your Trip: Visit our United Arab Emirates Forum Margaret Kelly St. Helena New flights allow you to experience one of the world's most remote places. If you've heard of St. Helena, it's probably because it was where Napoléon Bonaparte was exiled and died, chosen because of its remoteness. That's both the blessing (almost 500 unique endemic species) and curse (no cell phones) of this 47-square-mile speck in the South Atlantic between South America and Africa. Much is likely to change here once a new airport opens in 2016, offering air service for the first time in the island's history, but nothing happens quickly on St. Helena. If you've ever wanted to experience the thrill of discovery, this may be your best opportunity to do so in relative comfort. Much of the island is not so different from when it was discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, and the friendly islanders will be happy to show you around the sights, both historic and natural. Where to Stay : Most accommodations are in the island's capital, Jamestown, where you'll find the historic Consulate Hotel and the simple Town House Bed & Breakfast . But there are also simple guesthouses and self-catering accommodations. Insider Tip: If you're energetic, be sure to climb to the top of Diana's Peak. At 2,700 feet, it's the highest point on the island, and the surrounding forest contains many plant species found nowhere else in the world. When to Go: A mild, tropical climate makes St. Helena a great place to be year-round. There are no real seasons, though the rainiest time is from March through early May. June through August are the coldest months. Plan Your Trip: Visit St. Helena Tourism Doug Stallings Guam The furthest-flung U.S. territory is a tropical paradise waiting to be explored. Guam is more than just a pretty little island with perfect year-round temperatures, powdery white beaches, gentle waves, teeming coral reefs, Rodeo Drive worthy boutiques, and delicious culinary traditions. The island's 2016 cultural calendar is packed with festivals and cultural events, including the Guam International Marathon, the LIVE International Music Festival, Guam BBQ Block Party, and the annual Shop Guam Festival. The year's highlight will certainly be the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts , or FESTPAC, an event hosted every four years by a different country in Oceania. It's the Olympics of cultural events, but it's based on cultural exchange rather than competition. It will bring together over 2,500 performers and artists for two weeks of food, festivities, art, and the celebration of culture and heritage. Guam isn't the easiest (or cheapest) place to get to, but this event is well worth the effort. Everyone needs a passport to enter, but round-trip tickets aren't required for U.S. citizens a danger when you're visiting paradise. Where to Stay: The gorgeous beaches of Tumon are where Guam's nicest hotels are located, including the Dusit Thani , the island's newest five-star resort. It's sleek and contemporary, with ocean views, beachside lounges, and four outstanding restaurants, all of which have tables overlooking the bay. The Hilton Guam Resort and Spa , also in Tumon, is a remarkably good value. It has a private beach, a water park with five swimming pools, and tennis courts. Insider Tip: It's hard to leave the pristine beaches, but take a day or two and venture inland to explore the island's villages, landmarks, and 4,000-year history, from its Chamorro roots and Spanish colonization to the Japanese occupation during World War II. When to Go: With temperatures that range from low 70s to mid-80s, there's no off-season in Guam. However, July to November is considered the rainy season, and this is when hotel rates are at their lowest. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Guam Guide Margaret Kelly Ecuador This vibrant South American nation is so much more than a gateway to the Galápagos. The Galápagos Islands may be on everyone's travel bucket list, but it's time for travelers to take a closer look at the rest of the country. Ecuador is small enough that visitors can go whale-watching, hiking, and museum-hopping all in one trip. Quito the highest capital city in the world, at 9,350 feet, and the first city to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1978 is home to 500-year-old plazas, one of the highest aerial lifts in the world, and exotic New Andean cuisine. Elsewhere, you can stand with one foot in both the northern and southern hemispheres at the Intiñan Solar Museum ; marvel at the otherworldly 35,000-acre Mindo Cloudforest Reserve , which reaches elevations of more than 15,000 feet; and visit pristine beaches in Santa Elena province and along the often-overlooked Emerald Coast. Where to Stay: In Yasuni National Park, Sani Lodge will give you an authentic Amazon experience, complete with bird watching, hiking, and a visit to an indigenous community. In Quito, stay at the Hotel Patio Andaluz , in a renovated colonial house. The hotel is in the heart of the Old City and close to churches, galleries, and nightlife. Insider Tip: For a unique experience, book a trip on the Tren Crucero , a luxury vintage train that starts in Quito and winds its way through past snow-capped mountains and volcanoes in the Andes en route to the city of Guayaquil (or vice versa). The four-day adventure includes an excursion to Cotopaxi National Park , where you can see the wildlife that inhabits one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. When to Go: Because Ecuador is on the equator, Quito and the Andes have a fairly constant temperature year-round. Avoid the Amazon during the rainy season, from December to April it's best to visit in October and November. On the coast and in the Galápagos, it's best to visit from October to May for sunny days and warm temperatures. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Ecuador Guide Teddy Minford Adelaide An under-the-radar Australian city for lovers of food, wine, and the arts. Once overshadowed by flashier cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide has recently emerged as one of Australia's most vibrant and surprising destinations. This laid-back capital of South Australia enchants visitors with its world-class arts festivals, thriving culinary scene, abundant parkland, pedestrian-friendly downtown, and top-notch shopping. The hip, high-end eateries that have popped up in the city center speak to Adelaide's status as an emerging culinary hot spot, and foodies will revel in the famed Central Market, where they can wander through stalls overflowing with freshly caught seafood, kangaroo meat, and local cheeses. Elsewhere, the Art Gallery of South Australia , the Migration Museum , and South Australian Museum will appeal to devotees of culture and history. Just outside the city lie the pastoral Adelaide Hills, where lush forests and idyllic towns await. What's more, Adelaide offers easy access to the Barossa Valley , one of Australia's most celebrated and scenic wine valleys, just an hour northeast of the city. Where to Stay: Just north of the city center, the North Adelaide Heritage Group offers perhaps the most unique lodgings in town: Eighteen historic buildings everything from a meeting chapel to a fire station that have been converted into antiques-filled luxury apartments. If you're seeking more lively accommodations, The Franklin Boutique Hotel, situated above a pub in the city center, has a relaxed, quirky vibe. Insider Tip: During the summer, Adelaide hosts renowned arts festivals seemingly every weekend. In February and March, visitors can choose from three exceptional events: the Adelaide Festival of Arts , Australia's oldest arts festival; the Adelaide Fringe Festival, during which costumed performers wander the streets; and the WOMAdelaide Festival, a celebration of world music that draws nearly 100,000 spectators. When to Go: Despite the fun activities in summer, the mid-afternoon heat might be too intense for some visitors. For cooler weather and fewer crowds, aim for fall or spring. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Adelaide Guide Luke Epplin Faroe Islands With stunning landscapes and an artistic scene that's rich in Scandinavian cool, these remote islands are the new Iceland. Although technically part of Denmark, this enchanting archipelago of 18 islands has more in common with neighboring Scotland and Iceland. Challenging, ice-carved landscapes of lush green highlands dotted with ancient sites, deep fjords, and dramatic cliffs teeming with seabirds attract hikers and bird watchers from all over the world. But there's plenty going on indoors, too. Prestigious culinary innovator Koks is reinventing traditional Faroese cuisine and, along with Etika , bolstering the islands' reputation for outstanding sushi. Elsewhere in the cool capital of Tórshavn , hip knitwear mavens Gudrun & Gudrun are flying the flag for Faroese fashion, and the vibrant music scene embraces everything from folk to doom metal, best experienced at one of the many summer festivals, including the G! Festival (July 14 16). In cities and tiny villages throughout the islands, architecture blends Scandinavian minimalism with a colorful aesthetic that nods to the islands' Viking heritage. If you're not convinced, note that the islands are remote enough to earn you instant bragging rights. Where to Stay: Overlooking Tórshavn and built right into the hillside, Hotel Foroyar is at the vanguard of the new Faroese cool (check out the grass-sod roof). On-site experimental restaurant Koks won the 2014 Nordic Prize for best in Scandinavia. In the remote village of Gjogv, where all of the Faroese-style buildings have been preserved, the cozy Gjaargurdur Guesthouse has an unbeatably scenic setting, and its hearty breakfasts fuel guests for a day of exploring. Insider Tip: To fully appreciate the drama of the weather-buffeted, constantly changing seascape, grab a seat on a helicopter . The service is subsidized by the government to link the more remote islands, so it's surprisingly affordable to take a ride. When to Go: Early May to late July sees the most stable conditions, with long days and warmer temperatures. Visiting in winter means very little daylight; in December, it's already dark by 2 pm. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Tórshavn Guide Róisín Cameron Bavaria If celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany is on your bucket list, 2016 is the year to do it. In 2016, Germany commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot (Beer Purity Law), the 1516 legislation that dictated how Bavarian beer could be made, thus ensuring its exceptional quality in perpetuity. Accordingly, Munich, the state's capital, will host a more-festive-than-usual Oktoberfest (September 17 October 3) that will certainly draw larger-than-normal crowds. Beyond the beer steins, Munich charms visitors with its elaborate gardens, outstanding museums (including the new Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism ), and ornate palaces. The rest of the southeastern state of Bavaria remains the most enchanting part of Germany, with fairy-tale castles, medieval towns, towering cathedrals, beautiful forests, and stunning mountain vistas, all of which can be enjoyed on a trip along the Romantic Road . In conjunction with the anniversary, the Bavarian State Exhibition (April 29 Oct. 30) will also plan "Beer in Bavaria" programming at the Aldersbach Brewery two hours northeast of Munich. Where to Stay: For unparalleled service and scenery, book a stay at Schloss Elmau , the luxury retreat that hosted world leaders during the G7 Summit in June 2015. The aesthete-friendly Sightsleeping Hotels portfolio maintains a distinguished collection of jury-selected castles, palaces, and designer hotels throughout Bavaria, all available for overnight stays at varying prices. Insider Tip: If Oktoberfest doesn't appeal to you or the timing isn't right, consider attending Munich's Spring Festival (April 15 May 1), which isn't nearly as crowded and coincides with better weather. No matter what time of year, you can visit the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum , tour the facilities of legendary breweries such as Paulaner , and feast on classic Bavarian cuisine at local institutions like Augustiner Keller . When to Go: Depending on what you're looking for, every season has something to offer. Winter means fewer crowds in popular tourist spots, as well as skiing in the Alps. Springtime is Spargelzeit, when Bavarians go wild for green and white asparagus. Summer and fall are peak tourism seasons, and the best times to enjoy beer gardens and mountain hikes. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Germany Guide Michael Alan Connelly Fez Move over, Marrakesh this Moroccan city isn't playing second fiddle anymore. For years, Fez stood quietly in the shadow of flashy Marrakech, but that's irrefutably no longer the case, given the wave of luxury hotels, restorations of crumbling riads, and arrival of new restaurants, shops, and galleries. The oldest of Morocco's imperial cities, Fez is really three cities in one: medieval Fez el-Bali (Old Fez), thirteenth-century Fez el-Djedid (New Fez), and the twentieth-century Ville Nouveau, built by the French. Fez el-Bali is the main draw, an atmospheric warren of hundreds of alleys housing merchants, markets, and workshops that have remained largely unchanged since the eighth century. It's one of the largest car-free urban areas in the world, and the narrow passages are alive with the exotic sights, smells, and tastes that travelers love. Artisans here continue centuries-old handcrafting traditions, making it one of the most unique and enticing shopping and touring destinations in the world. Thus far, the development hasn't gotten out of hand, but a new airport terminal has increased annual visitor capacity fivefold, meaning you might want to get here before it becomes just like Marrakech. Where to Stay : You're here to immerse yourself in Old Fez, so make sure you stay in the medina. Choose from small, intimate riads or dars like the lovely Dar Roumana , with just five suites in a sumptuously restored home that showcases the work of Fez's famous artisans. The on-site French restaurant is excellent, and breakfast is served on the stunning rooftop terrace. For the height of luxurious pampering, the Palais Sheherezade & Spa has exceptional service, gorgeous suites, and a French-influenced, 8,000-square-foot spa. Insider Tip: In Fez el-Bali's souk, visit the Terrase des Tanneurs to see how the leather has been tanned and dyed since medieval times, but be prepared for some noxious smells you'll be given a sprig of mint to hold to your nose. When to Go: The best time to visit Fez is between September and April, before the high season and heat of summer. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Fez Guide Caroline Trefler San Sebastián One of Spain's top culinary destinations is a 2016 European Capital of Culture. At the heart of Spain's culturally unique Basque Country , San Sebastián is one of the region's most popular cities, renowned for its beautiful promenade and La Concha beach. As a European Capital of Culture it shares the honor with Wroclaw, Poland, in 2016 it will host hundreds of events throughout the year that highlight dance, theater, and art. Many of these events will be held in the new Tabakalera International Centre for Contemporary Culture , built inside a former tobacco factory, adding to the city's existing status as an arts destination, thanks to the annual San Sebastián Film Festival and cultural events at the Kursaal . And then there's the food: Every night is a pub crawl for traveling gourmands, as the historic streets of the Parte Vieja (Old Town) are packed with cutting-edge and traditional pinxtos (Basque tapas) bars and restaurants. Other top gastronomic attractions include the Basque Culinary Center , Mercado de la Bretxa, and world-class restaurants such as Arzak . Where to Stay : Two grande-dame hotels grace San Sebastián's shores. The Hotel Maria Cristina is the city's most luxurious stay and the choice of stars in town for the film festival. For a view of La Concha's idyllic coastline from your window, stay at the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra , located right on the promenade. Insider Tip: Every pintxo bar handles food orders differenty, so just ask the bartender how it works. You can usually help yourself to a plate of cold tapas, but order warm dishes from the barman. When to Go: Summer is the best time to go to San Sebastián, with sunny beach days and various festivals on tap; August, when many Europeans are on vacation, can be crowded, as revelers come to party during Semana Grande (Great Week) with an international fireworks competition in the bay. September, with the film festival and whaleboat regattas, is another top choice. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's San Sebastián Guide Salwa Jabado Cuba Extraordinary history and culture await on a fascinating island nation in the midst of sweeping changes. Cuba is likely on the verge of a post-embargo phase that promises many changes to its travel landscape. Visitors in search of the historic conditions of a country previously "frozen in time" are coming in droves. Currently, booking with a licensed tour operator is not only the easiest way for U.S. visitors to see Cuba, it's also the best, because these immersive journeys provide intimate access to the Cuban people and their extraordinary culture. Most operators are still able to offer small-group, personal explorations of the country, but demand for the top operators is increasing, and packages are getting booked up further in advance. Travelers looking for packages with a specific focus (such as jazz) should begin planning their trips sooner than later. Where to Stay : For colonial grandeur in the heart of Havana, the Hotel Inglaterra is a historic property with Old World elegance; don't miss the live music on the hotel's famous rooftop terrace. Or you can have the opposite lodging experience by staying at the Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad , one of Cuba's most modern properties in the heart of the historic colonial town of Trinidad. Insider Tip: Know your CUC and CUP. Cuba uses a dual currency system: The CUP, or peso, is the local currency used by Cuban residents; the CUC, or convertible peso, is for visitors, and nearly all travelers' expenses are charged in CUC. CUC pesos are brighter, with a variety of colors, and bear the words "PESOS CONVERTIBLES"; CUP pesos look duller. When to Go: March and April comes just after the high season, with fewer tourists, as well as a lower risk of getting caught in a tropical storm. Plan Your Trip: Find a tour operator and visit Fodor's Cuba Guide Eric Wechter Lithuania A melting pot of European cultures that lures travelers with its beautifully baroque capital and striking white-sand beaches. With its sun-kissed beaches on the Curonian Spit, lush inland forests, and splendid castles and museums, Lithuania is one of Europe's best-kept secrets. The first republic to declare its independence from the Soviets in 1990, Lithuania today is a feisty Northern European outpost just waiting to be explored. This southernmost of the three Baltic countries joined the eurozone in 2015, giving it a convenient currency and bragging rights beyond its basketball affiliations (Lithuania is home to no fewer than ten American NBA players.) The fairytale-like Old Town of Vilnius was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994; today, it's one of the few European capitals over which visitors can soar in a hot-air balloon. The country is also a great value destination; nightly rates for a five-star hotel in Vilnius will run you about 250 euros. Where to Stay : For a five-star affair, check into the Kempinski Hotel Cathedral Square , where remnants of the city's 10th-century defensive wall have been encased in glass inside this neoclassical structure. Guests can view this from Telegrafas , the hotel restaurant, which housed the Central Telegraph office during the Soviet era. A more wallet-friendly option is Grotthuss Hotel , a charming boutique hotel on a cobblestone street within walking distance of Vilnius's Old Town. Insider Tip: History buffs will want to visit the northwestern city of Plunges in the midst of Žemaitija National Park , where a former Soviet missile site has been transformed into the Cold War Museum . Opened in 2012, the museum offers tours by experienced guides, as well as the opportunity to venture inside a former missile bunker. When to Go: Summer is the best time to visit Lithuania, with temperatures averaging from 65 to 80 degrees. July can be hot and humid, however, and August often brings intense thunderstorms. From November to mid-March, temperatures can reach below the freezing point, with heavy snowfall common. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Lithuania Guide Kristan Schiller Taipei A modern Asian megalopolis steps into the spotlight as World Design Capital. Less expensive than Hong Kong and Tokyo, Taipei is garnering some much-deserved attention as the World Design Capital for 2016. Events are scheduled throughout the year, but design hounds should time their visit to coincide with the WDC International Design House Exhibition (Oct. 13 30), when the city will be turned into a huge exhibition ground. The thriving capital of Taiwan is a buzzing, highly cosmopolitan city where giant modern skyscrapers like the distinctively bamboo-shaped, 1,670-feet-tall Taipei 101 , the world's tallest building until 2010 tower over ancient temples, peaceful parks are juxtaposed with clamoring and chaotic markets, and cutting-edge hotels and nightlife spots pack in the glitz and glamour. Don't forget about the food: Come for the seemingly endless variety of options at popular Shilin or one of the several other night markets, the perfectly executed handmade dumplings at world-renowned Din Tai Fung , and themed restaurants like Central Park Café, a Friends-themed restaurant (No.3, Lane 240, Section 3, Roosevelt Road), and Hello Kitty Kitchen and Dining (No. 90, Section 1, Da'an Road). Where to Stay: For futuristic, luxurious, and sexy style, head to the W Taipei . Another option is the stylishly modern midrange Dandy hotel chain, which has several locations around central Taipei, including one in the quiet part of the Tianjin neighborhood, near the National Palace Museum and one that overlooks lovely Daan Forest Park, Taipei's equivalent of New York's Central Park. Insider Tip: The concept of the cat café originated in Taipei in 1998 and there are a number of popular spots where visitors can hang out with the cats and sometimes dogs while drinking coffee or tea. Some also serve food and alcohol. When to Go: The best time to go is November to April, when temperatures average in the 70s. Avoid June to August if you can, when temperatures hover around 100 degrees with high humidity. Avoid Chinese New Year, though, in January or February, when Taiwan essentially shuts down. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Taipei Guide Caroline Trefler Palm Springs A happening California desert resort is finally accessible for long-weekend winter getaways from the East Coast. When JetBlue's new five-days-a-week direct flights get underway from New York (JFK) to Palm Springs in January 2016, East Coast sun-seekers will have a new option to beat the winter blues with a long weekend in the mod California desert oasis favored by Golden Age stars (Marilyn Monroe was discovered poolside here in the 1940s) and hip, modern-day Angelenos. Palm Springs is a beloved resort destination for a reason: Its 350 days of sunshine (a dry heat at that) creates the ideal climate for golfing on dozens of area courses or lounging by the pool at glamorous hotels with pampering services. Sun and fun aside, there's always something going on in peak season. Top draws include Modernism Week (Feb. 11 21), which celebrates the area's superb midcentury architecture (complete with kidney-shaped pools), and the annual BNP Paribas Open (March 7 20) when top-seeded players descend on the desert for the best tennis series besides the U.S. Open. Where to Stay: The hacienda-style Colony Palms Hotel counts Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor among its celebrated guests. Today's updated rooms have a quasi-Moroccan vibe and open onto a lush courtyard pool foregrounded by the Purple Palm , one of the best restaurants in town. Several new hotels have opened in recent years, but all eyes will be on Kimpton come 2016, when its first Palm Springs hotel, complete with rooftop bar and pool, opens downtown in the fall. Insider Tip: Day hikes, rock climbing, and stargazing await at majestic Joshua Tree National Park , just 45 minutes' drive from Palm Springs. On your way back to town, stop at the roadside Windmill Market & Produce (17080 North Indian Canyon Drive) for a fresh date milkshake, a unique local treat. When to Go: The weather is hot, but comfortably so, from January through March, when you'll pay top dollar to be there. If you can stand hotter temperatures, visit Palm Springs from April through May for better value and fewer crowds (you won't be fighting for that pool lounger). Summer months are positively scorching, and the area, justifiably, empties out altogether. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Palm Springs Guide Arabella Bowen Normandy A cradle of world history and French culture welcomes a revamped UNESCO site, Impressionism, and the Tour de France. It took 20 years of planning, but at long last the iconic Mont-St-Michel the third most-visited sight in France, after Paris and Versailles is once again an island at high tide. In 2016, the UNESCO World Heritage Site will also serve as the starting point for the Tour de France , which will continue down Normandy's beautiful coast. On the heels of last year's 70th anniversary of D-Day , Normandy continues to be a prime example of the history, art, and culture that define France. The region's sprawling history is also seen in the medieval city of Rouen (where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake) and in the artistic legacy left by Monet, who found inspiration in Normandy's natural beauty. Learn more about its role as the birthplace of Impressionism when the Triannual Impressionist Festival returns for five months of celebrating Impressionist portraits both old and new, with plenty of events and exhibitions focused on the region's cultural history. Finally, Normandy will host many medieval-themed events between June and September, including an August celebration of the 950th anniversary of William the Conqueror's sailing to England, to be held in Dives-sur-Mer. Where to Stay : Rouen makes a great base for any Normandy trip, with the Marriot-Hotel de Bourgtheroulde offering historically grand accommodations alongside urban amenities, a fabulous spa, and several choice dining options. For a more low-key stay, try La Petite Folie , a 1830s townhouse turned bed-and-breakfast located in seaside Honfleur . Insider Tip: Live out your own mini-Tour de France by renting a bike and exploring the cycle route that takes you from the D-Day landing beaches to Mont-St-Michel, exploring seaside harbors and charming villages like Bayeux on the way. When to Go: If you're going to experience the Impressionist Festival, the official 2016 dates are April 16 Sept. 26; the Tour de France begins on July 2. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Normandy Guide Amanda Sadlowski Philadelphia The 2016 Democratic National Convention's host city is a great weekend getaway for history lovers, foodies, and families. Philadelphia may be one of the oldest cities in the country UNESCO recently named it the first World Heritage City in the United States but the wave of new eateries popping up in seemingly every neighborhood is evidence of both a food renaissance and cultural revival in the city. Formerly under-the-radar areas like Fishtown and Northern Liberties have experienced an immense revitalization with the arrival of many new breweries and beer gardens, turning these once-quiet neighborhoods into hip nightlife and cuisine hubs. Meanwhile, Philadelphia continues its rising trend of development with the stunning new Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk , as well as the soaring Comcast Innovation and Technology Center skyscraper that will house the much-buzzed-about new Four Seasons Hotel (expected to open in 2018). And, of course, the Democratic National Convention, taking place in Philadelphia in 2016, will usher in a wave of tourists and an even greater renewal of interest in this historic city. Where to Stay : You'll find the hip Hotel Palomar situated conveniently in Center City. Housed in a historic Art Deco building, the hotel is just blocks from many popular attractions, including City Hall and Rittenhouse Square. For luxury, check into the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia , set inside a century-old bank building. A drink in the handsome lobby is a treat, even if you're not staying here. Insider Tip: Holidays are fun times to visit Philadelphia, especially during the Fourth of July, when the ever-patriotic city becomes even livelier with celebrations. Go during New Year's if you want to see the famous Mummers performing in the annual Mummers Parade . Regardless of season, no visit to Philly is complete without a stop at Reading Terminal Market for some tasty food and local flavor. When to Go: There are exciting things to do in Philadelphia during every season, but summer is particularly fun, when the city comes alive and open-air breweries and beer gardens abound. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Philadelphia Guide Perrie Hartz North Loop, Minneapolis A formerly derelict neighborhood is now a flourishing foodie haven and hipster paradise. The North Loop of Minneapolis, which spreads out along the Mississippi River within the city's Warehouse Historic District, has recently shed its industrial past and transformed itself into a thriving hub of art, culture, and culinary innovation. Like Berlin, Brooklyn, or New Orleans's Bywater District, this Twin Cities enclave has witnessed a slow but steady rebirth, as artists and business owners have moved into once-derelict warehouses and set up shop, restoring lofts and opening stylish boutiques take, for example, the Michigan-based Shinola and farm-to-table restaurants such as James Beard Award nominated The Bachelor Farmer , or Spoon and Stable , helmed by chef Gavin Kaysen, who famously quit his high-profile New York City job to relocate here. Where to Stay: Aloft Minneapolis sits at the heart of downtown in the riverside Mill District, with nearby Gold Medal Park delivering incredible Mississippi River views. Meanwhile, pet-friendly TownPlace Suites by Marriott is one of few hotels located directly inside the North Loop, within walking distance of all the local hot spots, and just a few miles from the Theater District and the brilliant Walker Art Center . Insider Tip: The Nice Ride MN bike-share program now has 170 kiosks and lets you buy 24-hour passes for as little as $6, so you can pedal off the pounds after indulging in the North Loop's celebrated restaurants. Don't miss the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway , a series of linked parks that create a circular path throughout the city. When to Go: From June to August, daily highs are around 80 degrees, perfect for outdoor recreation and sidewalk café-hopping. During winter the temperature rarely goes above freezing, but hotel deals abound. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Minneapolis Guide Kristan Schiller Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare's birthplace takes center stage during national celebrations of the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death. From sites such as Shakespeare's Birthplace and Anne Hathaway's Cottage and Gardens , to stellar productions of the Bard's plays at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre , Stratford-upon-Avon always offers plenty to do, but special events and openings for the Shakespeare anniversary make 2016 ideal for a visit. At New Place , site of Shakespeare's last home, major new displays about the writer's life and legacy will be a lasting highlight of the celebrations. The 15th-century Guildhall, where Shakespeare likely attended school, will open with new displays about the Tudor world and the playwright and poet. No visit to Stratford-upon-Avon is complete without seeing a production by the Royal Shakespeare Company but you must book ahead. You can enhance the theatrical experience at the RSC's Swan Theatre; "The Play's the Thing" is a new exhibit for 2016. Providing more inspiration, the Other Place, the RSC's newly reopened development hub, will have a tour called "From Page to Stage." Where to Stay: The 15th-century half-timber White Swan has plenty of appeal for history lovers with its wood beams and ancient paneling, although contemporary design and artwork keep things lively. Theatergoers can overnight opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at the Arden, a crisply designed, modern boutique hotel, and even have Champagne at the hotel bar during intermission. Insider Tip: Explore the beautiful Warwickshire countryside that inspired Shakespeare by visiting Compton Verney, a restored 18th-century mansion-turned-art gallery; "Shakespeare in Art" is a 2016 exhibition highlight. The grounds are lovely too, and it's just nine miles from Stratford-upon-Avon. When to Go: The Shakespeare Birthday Celebrations in April will be festive, and the RSC's special production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in February, and again from mid-June to mid-July, will be a highlight. Avoid weekends. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Stratford-upon-Avon Guide Linda Cabasin Nepal Join in the post-earthquake rebuilding efforts on voluntourism trips and by contributing much-needed tourism dollars. A trip here is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that should be on every traveler's to-do list. Last April, Nepal was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, so there's never been a better time to support the country with tourism dollars Nepal's leading source of income as it heals and rebuilds. Fortunately, airports, hotels, and trekking routes are fully operational. In spite of the earthquake, the capital, Kathmandu , emerged largely unscathed, so you can still experience historic and sacred sites such as Swayambhunath Temple and Durbar Square . Adventurous tourists will want to climb the Annapurna Circuit, while culture hounds will love the teahouses and temples in villages throughout the region. When most people think of Nepal they think of Everest, but you don't need to be an expert alpinist to experience the beauty of this country. For an off-the-beaten-path adventure, head to the Terai region for canoeing, kayaking, and jungle safaris. If you're more culturally inclined, visit UNSECO World Heritage Sites like Buddha's birthplace in the gardens of Lumbini , or the shrines and monuments of the Kathmandu Valley . Where to Stay : Get the royal treatment at the Hotel Shanker in Kathmandu. The historic hotel, which opened in 1964, is a former royal palace with lavish restaurants and bars, a swimming pool, and spa. Outside of Kathmandu, relax at Dwarika's Resort in Dhulikhel. The gorgeously appointed holistic spa retreat is the perfect place to recharge after trekking. Insider Tip: If you'd like to help out with earthquake relief, consider booking a voluntourism trip that combines adventure with community service. You can go trekking, wildlife watching, or kayaking while getting the chance to help out in villages and become part of the restoration effort. Companies like The Clymb , Ace The Himalaya , and Crooked Trails all offer voluntourism trips, while Intrepid Travel is donating all profits from Nepal trips to local projects. When to Go: For high-altitude trekking, visit in March or April, the end of the dry season, when skies are clear and the snowpack is light. Elsewhere, visit at the end of the rainy season in October and November, when the countryside is lush and festivals abound, such as Dashain , the celebration of good defeating evil. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Nepal Guide Teddy Minford Maine Family-friendly Acadia National Park plus updated, good-value coastal charm make Maine a winner. The 100th anniversary of Acadia National Park in 2016 corresponds with the centennial of the National Park Service, inspiring year-long celebrations of this landmark on Mount Desert Island, known for its mountains and rugged coast. There'll be something for everyone in programs about arts in the park, gardens and landscapes, history, outdoor recreation, and even science. Kids will get special attention through events that encourage conservation and appreciation for nature. Other parts of the coast are drawing attention as well: Portland 's sizzling food and craft beer scene attracts national attention, and in popular coastal towns like Camden , stylish updated lodgings such as the Whitehall are freshening Maine's appeal. Where to Stay: Bar Harbor, near Acadia, was originally a summer haven for the wealthy; at the Bar Harbor Inn & Spa you can recall that lifestyle as you enjoy views of Frenchman's Bay from the resort. Bed-and-breakfasts remain classic New England: in Portland, the intimate Inn on Carleton charms with its Victorian architectural details, period furnishings, and lovely garden. Insider Tip: To escape the summer crowds on Mount Desert Island, head to Winter Harbor and the less-visited but beautiful Schoodic Peninsula section of Acadia. Take a hike or scenic drive to see crashing surf and granite slabs, and stop by the family-friendly Schoodic Education and Research Center . When to Go: Memorial Day to mid-October are when the most attractions and eateries along the coast are open, although Portland bustles year-round. Some people avoid black-fly season in Acadia, usually mid-May to mid-June. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Maine Guide Linda Cabasin Philippines Some of the world's best beaches and scuba diving await in Southeast Asia. Friendly, welcoming, and primarily English-speaking, the Philippines offer a unique mix of indigenous and European cultures in Southeast Asia. Beyond the frenetic bustle of Manila , more than 7,000 islands offer an endless variety of beach experiences, from commercial resorts to remote, private-island retreats. One of the country's highlights is undoubtedly El Nido, in the northern part of Palawan province, a short flight from Manila or Cebu City, where limestone cliffs tower over pristine bays brimming with sea life. Soft, white-sand beaches and excellent diving sites bring tourists from around the world to the region's resorts. New direct flights on Philippine Airlines from New York City's JFK Airport to Manila have made the country as accessible from the East Coast as the West Coast. Where to Stay : In El Nido, you will find no better accommodation than the fabled and luxurious El Nido Resorts Pangulasian Island , a private retreat on a smaller island off the west coast of El Nido in the heart of the El Nido Marine Sanctuary. A more modest option is Qi Palawan , on the main island's northeast coast. Insider Tip: If you have the opportunity, don't pass up a chance to taste lechón, a whole suckling pig spit-roasted over an open fire. Some say the best lechón comes from Cebu, but every Filipino chef will tell you that his or her own is actually the best. When to Go: The best time to go is from December through March, after the rainy season but before summer heat. Avoid June through August, when the region can have prolonged rainy periods. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Philippines Guide Doug Stallings Haiti The island nation's vibrant culture and people beckon intrepid travelers as tourism quietly rebounds following its devastating earthquake. When the $45 million, 175-room Marriott Port-au-Prince finally opened its doors in Haiti's ravaged capital in 2015, it signaled a milestone on the island's road to recovery following the massive 2010 earthquake. New local tours cropped up, too, like G Adventure's inaugural 10-day Highlights of Haiti and yoga retreats that combined voluntourism with restorative classes. Indeed, tourism to this fascinating and resilient Caribbean island is definitely on the upswing: Citing growing demand from U.S. travelers, JetBlue has announced it will add service from Boston and double its load from New York and Florida in 2016. Visitors who make the trip will discover a rare kind of Caribbean tourism one that's not about relaxing on palm-lined beaches (although that is doable here, on superb beaches) but about stirring the soul. Haiti's rich history, colorful art, voodoo folklore, and jaw-dropping natural beauty create a heady mix unlike anywhere else on earth. As anyone who's been before can attest that your first trip is unlikely to be your last. Where to Stay: The new Marriott Hotel , in an upscale Port-au-Prince neighborhood largely unaffected by the earthquake, provides creature comforts in an atmosphere full of local products and exquisite Haitian art. In the glorious seaside town of Jacmel, ground zero for Haiti's colorful Carnival celebrations and the jumping-off point for beach and rainforest trips, the restored Hotel Florita is a local hub with tricked-out verandas reminiscent of New Orleans. Insider Tip: Haiti's artistic community has no equal in the Caribbean. You'll find outstanding ironwork, painting, and music almost everywhere you go. Visit the Iron Market in Port-au-Prince for goods to take home, and don't miss a performance by legendary Vodou Rock house band, RAM, at the magnificent Oloffson Hotel on Thursday night. Every expat in town comes out for the show. When to Go : As with much of the Caribbean, hurricane season runs from August to October. April to June can bring rain in some areas. If you can swing it, early December is the best time to go, as the island gears up for the holidays. You'll be able to buy ironwork Christmas ornaments and get in on the festive spirit. Plan Your Trip: See Fodor's How to Spend a Perfect Week in Haiti Arabella Bowen Utah Our #1 destination for 2016 promises exceptional scenery, unforgettable adventures, and something for everyone hikers, skiers, solo travelers, and families. Utah defies expectations: Salt Lake City , best known as the capital of the conservative LDS Church, recently elected the first openly gay mayor in the state's history, and despite what you may have heard, alcohol is legal and easy to find there's even a ski-in whiskey distillery . Home to both desert and mountains, Utah is also the place to get outdoors in 2016. With the historic creation of Park City , the largest single ski and snowboard resort in the country (there's more than 7,300 skiable acres and 300 trails to choose from), there's no better time to experience Utah's legendary powder. Not a skier? No problem. Hiking the red-rock canyons of southern Utah's "Mighty Five" national parks Zion , Bryce Canyon , Arches , Capitol Reef , and Canyonlands may change your life, and there are special celebrations planned throughout 2016 for the National Park Service's centennial. Of course, Utah's adventures don't end at the national park borders: Scenic drives, dinosaur fossils, mountain biking on slickrock trails, and white-water rafting are all part of the fun. Best of all, Utah comes with an affordable price tag, with average daily room rates of $96 and average airfares into Salt Lake City of $361. Where to Stay: Staying in Park City can be pricey; if you want a mid-range hotel, opt for Salt Lake City's Hilton Salt Lake City Center or Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City and ski at the seven resorts within a 30 40 minute drive from downtown. The affordable Bryce Canyon Lodge is a memorable place to stay in one of America's best-loved national parks. Numerous reviewers have extolled the virtues of the Amangiri, which has received our own Fodor's 100 Hotels Award , and with good reason. If you can afford the hefty price tag, this desert resort offers unparalleled luxury and privacy in Canyon Point, Utah, and includes adventure experiences to the national parks and beyond. Insider Tip: For the truly unique experience of red rock canyon views while skiing, head to Brian Head resort in southern Utah. When to Go: Utah ski season can start as early as November and last as late as July 4, and Utah's resorts often see warm, sunny days. The best time to visit the national parks is in spring and fall to avoid high summer temperatures and peak tourist season. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Utah Guide Salwa Jabado | 2 | 98,092 | travel |
Looking for a sweet name for a December baby or like to celebrate all year round? Here are some fun picks for baby boys and baby girls. 18 Beautiful Baby Names From Your Favorite Christmas Carols From Suzy Snowflake to Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Christmas carols are a surprising source of baby name inspiration for your little holiday angel. Angel The shepherds in the field told of "Angels We Have Heard on High." Belle "Silver Bells" describes the sights and sounds of Christmas in the city. Claus You better watch out: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town!" Christian John Byrom wrote "Christians Awake" in 1746. David Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the poem that inspired the carol "Once in Royal David's City." Emmanuel The season of Advent is marked by the hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Forrest "Down in Yon Forest" is a traditional English carol. Gloria The angels proclaimed to the shepherds, "Gloria, in excelsis Deo!" Holly and Ivy Traditional red and green Christmas colors are found from the two hearty plants featured in the traditional carol "The Holly and the Ivy." (Ivey and Ivo are masculine alternatives.) Jeanette and Isabella "Bring a torch, Jeanette Isabella" is a French carol from the 16th Century. Joy One of the most beloved Christmas songs is "Joy to the World." Nicholas Please, "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," lean your ear this way… Noelle The angels calmed the shepherds in "The First Noel." Suzy "Here Comes Suzy Snowflake," look at her tumbling down! Bringing joy to every girl and boy, Suzy's back in town. Tannen "Oh Christmas Tree" is the English version of the German "O Tannenbaum." Wenceslas "Good King Wenceslas" went out on the Feast of Stephen. | 4 | 98,093 | lifestyle |
Harvard Business School reports toxic coworkers are costing companies approximately twelve thousand dollars every year. Paula Vasan has the facts. | 3 | 98,094 | finance |
Los Angeles - David Beckham was "relieved" when his 13-year-old son decided he didn't want to play soccer any more. He said: "The other day Romeo turned round to me and said he didn't want to play football any more. And the former soccer ace - who also has children Brooklyn, 13, Cruz, 10, and Harper, four, with wife Victoria - also admitted he prefers watching rugby to the sport that made him famous these days. He told Radio Times magazine: "I love rugby - I love watching it and I love the whole thing. | 8 | 98,095 | video |
I'm not usually a fitness class person. Working out solo or with a trainer, whether I'm pumping iron or logging miles , is my modus operandi. Recently, though, I decided to change it up and scoped out the group classes at my Equinox club. The first that caught my eye was a barre class . Having been trained in a ballet academy during my childhood and adolescence, I decided to be safe and stick to familiar territory. On the appointed morning, I strolled into the barre-yoga studio, and as I stretched before the mirror, the room filled rapidly with men and women jockeying for position, excited to start. Truth be told, I expected the instructor to be an uber-skinny, sylph-like individual who glided effortlessly toward the front of the room, while waving a graceful arm to her adoring dance enthusiasts. Oh boy, was I wrong. Instead, blasting through the front door, dropping her backpack and cranking up pulsating hip-hop music, 32-year-old Liz Corah, a pony-tailed brick wall of brawn, launched into the first of a series of nonstop body-blasting sequences. "I'm awake now !" I remember thinking. Locked and loaded with confidence and finesse, she electrified the room with her commands and cajoles. Inspiring as we were perspiring, she guided and corrected each student, reminding us that success lies outside our comfort zone. As she demonstrated each move, I watched her calves and quads engage and lock the pose. This young woman was the epitome of passion and empowerment. By the end of class, I was a fan girl, vowing to follow her anywhere. There's an important reason she's so unique. She kicks to the curb any stereotypic notion that all female fitness instructors have to look one way ripped and thin. Instead, the reality is that there's a whole spectrum of fit bodies out there. People have rich and complex histories that bring them to the field of fitness to teach, inspire and motivate folks to get more active. And Liz is no exception. A dancer since she was a child, she's always been powerful and muscular. Pregnancies challenged her ability to recoup her fitness body, which she eventually achieved. Then, diagnoses of celiac disease and thyroid disease threw her off track again. And, like so many people, she's learning how to regroup. She's slugging it out like the rest of us. She's real, not some kind of mythical perfect being, and she's doing the best she can. This is why it's so terrific to see her lead and motivate. You know it comes from a deep-set place that says, "Yeah, I get it been there and still doin' it." We all agree that life's filled with countless smack-downs, and to survive you must regroup, learn and keep it going. As a single mom who raised herself and endured tough times, Liz is the poster child for Einstein's famous adage: "In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity." I noticed during that first barre class that we never used the wall barres at all, depending instead on our core and leg strength for balance. After class, Liz explained that this method was inspired by her experience as an underprivileged teen who had to clean the ballet studio to be able to attend ballet class. As a scholarship student, there was rarely room at the crowded barre. So, most of the time, she was sent to the middle of the room with only a stool for balance. Guess who ended up with the strongest legs in class? In Liz's words, "I am a stronger person because of my journey. I also feel that these life lessons were given to me so that I am able to relate to others on a deeper level." Here are three key takeaways inspired by Liz's story: 1. Workouts are a metaphor for life. Every time you go out for that run, walk your daily 10,000 steps or sweat through another weight-lifting session at the gym, you demonstrate stress resilience . Soaring outside of your comfort zone, you show grit and perseverance. So when you're faced with career and relationship stresses, remind yourself that just as you can get through a tough workout, you can also persevere through life's other challenges as well. 2. We need a diversity of talented fitness professionals. Kudos to Equinox club and others who are sharp and wise enough to include professionals like Liz in their group of fitness instructors. When I posted Liz's story on Facebook, I took notice of Deb's reply: "I'm 55 and have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis and am currently taking an aquatics therapy class, taught by two very inspiring women: an 85-year-old former dancer who just underwent open heart surgery this summer and had complications, yet still comes to the pool and does very modified movements for herself while recuperating, and a 57-year-old woman who is a breast cancer survivor, has muscular dystrophy and went from a wheelchair to a walker and now walks independently with leg braces amazing inspiring women!" Inspiration comes from so many sources and we need to tap as many as we can. 3. Power is the new thin. I'm referring to mental and physical power. Thin speaks to a specific body composition. It doesn't guarantee a compassionate heart, the ability to successfully navigate adversity, nor the strength to adapt and adjust when life throws countless curve balls. Achieving the self-knowledge, awareness and empowerment needed to fuel optimal mental, spiritual, nutritional and physical fitness should be the goal. This is clear from Liz's voice as she declares without hesitation, "I know, without a doubt, that I am doing now what I was put on this earth to do. Through movement, fitness and dance I hope to inspire and motivate others to feel beautiful, comfortable and confident in their own skin." So, take a moment and step off the scale , walk away from the mirror, close your eyes and ask yourself if you truly feel powerful mind, body and spirit. If the answer is yes, you've vacated your old comfort zone and are enjoying pushing your own envelope. If the answer is no, and you want to change for the better, I know of a really great barre class you might want to try. Copyright 2015 U.S. News & World Report | 7 | 98,096 | health |
NEW YORK Chipotle's stock edged down about 3 percent in mid-morning trading Tuesday as the Mexican food chain continues to deal with fallout from an E. coli outbreak and contends with weakening sales. A national outbreak of E. coli has been linked to Denver-based Chipotle, which has said that it is adopting stricter food safety standards. On Monday 30 Boston College students, including at least eight members of the men's basketball team, complained of gastrointestinal symptoms after eating at a Chipotle restaurant. The cause of those illnesses has yet to be confirmed. Chipotle said that there's no evidence to suggest the Boston incident is related to previous cases, noting that there's been no confirmed cases of E. coli connected to the restaurant operator in Massachusetts. Aside from the E. coli troubles, Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has been experiencing a slowdown in its sales. Chipotle executives previously said that the chain's same-store sales growth would be more modest this year, as it's up against a tough year-ago comparison. The company is also raising prices to consumers to offset the higher cost of beef. Shares of Chipotle are down about 30 percent from their all-time high of $758.61 achieved in August. | 3 | 98,097 | finance |
Pascal Cotte, a French scientist, claims to have found another portrait beneath that of the world-famous Mona Lisa. Using reflective light technology, Cotte has spent more than 10 years analysing Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece. He claims to have found an underlying image of a model looking off to the side. The Louvre Museum in Paris, which houses the work, has not commented on Cotte's alleged discovery. The scientist is the co-founder of the Paris-based company Lumiere Technology, which works closely with galleries and museums to digitize their fine-art pieces. Its website claims to have digitized works by Marc Chagall, Claude Renoir, Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh. The Louvre granted Cotte access to the Mona Lisa in 2004, the BBC , which is airing a documentary about the discovery, reports. The hidden image lacks both the Mona Lisa's famed direct gaze and her smile . Cotte claims he found it by projecting intense light onto the portrait. A camera then measured the lights' reflections, which allowed Cotte to reconstruct what was created with each layer of paint. This technique is known as Layer Amplification Method. Cotte's theory is controversial and not without its critics. He is claiming the hidden portrait represents the original "Lisa" and who we see believed to be Lisa Gherardini, wife of a Florentine merchant is a different person altogether. But Martin Kemp, emeritus professor of History of Art at the University of Oxford, who is quoted by the BBC , said though Cotte's images show Da Vinci's artistic process, they represent an evolution in the creation of the Mona Lisa rather than separate paintings. | 5 | 98,098 | news |
Of the three Heisman finalists, who has the best pro potential? We ask our panel. | 1 | 98,099 | sports |
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