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CONROE, Texas A Houston man convicted of drunken driving nine times since 1980 has been sentenced to life in prison. The Montgomery County judge who sentenced Donald Middleton on Tuesday said the 56-year-old man is a habitual offender. Middleton pleaded guilty last week to driving drunk in a May 2015 traffic accident. Investigators say Middleton was arrested after he fled on foot after the wreck, ran to a store and begged the clerks not to turn him in. Prosecutors say Middleton has already served four prison terms for alcohol-related convictions. | 5 | 98,700 | news |
Animal thievery appears to be on the rise. Not long after a seagull was caught red-beaked with a bag of stolen chips, this Indian monkey one-upped him big time by robbing a jewelry store of cold, hard cash. Screengrab via ODN/YouTube In the video, the shopkeeper can be seen kindly offering the monkey a piece of fruit before returning to work, but that wasn't enough for the little guy, who headed into the store and swiped 10,000 rupees (roughly $150) from the cash register. YouTube: Monkey tricks shopkeeper and robs jewellery store in India! The shopkeeper, no doubt in a panic, tried to tempt the furry primate with a banana, but apparently the monkey had seen this episode of The Simpsons and was having none of it. YouTube: Aw twenty dollars? I wanted a peanut! The Simpsons The video raises a lot of questions: Why did they monkey decline not only the fruit, but aslo the shiny jewelry, and go straight for the cash? Was it specially trained? Will it strike again? And, most importantly, what will it spend the money on? The tiny thief has yet to be captured, and, unless he's now addicted to the rush of crime and comes back for more, it's doubtful he ever will be. The man in this video is probably pretty upset right now, but take heart, friend no one could have seen that coming, besides, at least he didn't have a knife . H/T Arbroath | 4 | 98,701 | lifestyle |
If you've ever restored an old car, you know that it's never as quick, cheap or easy as you might've hoped. Usually, when we mention rebuilding a car from the ground up, we're referencing a Corvette from the 1950s or 1960s. The fact of the matter is that the cars from the 1970s and 1980s need the same amount of attention to detail sometimes more, when you add a little bit of technology into the mix. The 1980 Corvette in front of you is a prime example of a late-model C3 that needed some refreshing, but like most automotive tasks, it snowballed into a full-on rebuild. The car belongs to Terry Beaty of Cleveland, Tennessee, and he started the build a few years ago. Terry has built a number of vehicles through the years, and when he purchased this Corvette from a family member several years ago he wanted to upgrade it to modern standards. Leaning in the direction of an LS engine swap, he consulted with Ryan Martin at LSX Power and Development, a local shop that specializes in LS swaps and high-performance builds. Terry didn't just stop with the fresh engine and transmission he went all out with a full suspension rebuild and a host of items to make the car accelerate, stop and handle better. Underneath, you'll find that the only thing Ryan Martin didn't modify is the original frame. Up front, he added Hotchkis lowering springs to bring the car two inches closer to the ground while also increasing the spring rate. Bilstein Touring shocks offer excellent spring control and a larger sway bar from Eckler's keeps the car level in the corners. As a part of the LS swap process, Ryan added a Detroit Speed power steering system and made it work with the original steering box. Out back, he replaced the stock spring with a 330-lb/in fiberglass monoleaf spring and added a sway bar. Another pair of Bilstein shocks control the ride in back, while adjustable strut rods help stabilize the rear suspension and get rid of the dreaded wheelhop. Braking power comes from a chrome brake booster and master cylinder combo, which feeds Wilwood four-piston calipers on all four corners. The pads squeeze a set of 12-inch drilled and slotted rotors, offering excellent braking performance. Rolling stock on Terry's Corvette consists of a set of Boyd's Junkyard Dog wheels, sized at 17x9.5, wrapped in Bridgestone Dueler H/L tires, sized at 255/55R17, on all four corners. The wide rubber, deep-dish five-spoke wheels and big brakes offer a good look and awesome performance for this modernized Corvette. The heart of Terry's revitalized Corvette rides beneath the stock hood, and the efforts of Ryan Martin resulted in a factory-appearing engine swap. All of the lines, hoses and brackets look like Chevrolet should've made it this way in 1980, and the fact that it's making nearly four times the horsepower it did in stock trim is enough to keep a smile on Terry's face. Ryan used a BluePrint Engines 427ci LS3-based stroker engine for the base of this killer setup. The bottom end is made up of a Callies 4.125-inch crankshaft, which slings a set of Callies Compstar 6.125-inch connecting rods and Diamond Racing pistons into motion. Atop the 427ci stroker is a set of LS3 cylinder heads from BluePrint Engines and they're packed with Brian Tooley dual valvesprings, Comp Cams pushrods and stock rocker arms. A custom-grind blower cam from Comp Cams motivates the valves to take advantage of the Edelbrock E-Force supercharger that rests on top of the engine. Ryan plumbed the fuel system starting with an original-style tank, twin Walbro 255-liter-per-hour fuel pumps and all new lines. Ignition consists of a GM Performance Parts engine management system, while In-Tune Motorsports handled the tuning using HP Tuners software. With 12 psi of boost from the supercharger and a tank full of 93-octane pump gas, this setup is good for 750 horsepower. The supercharged LS engine offers an aggressive exhaust note thanks to Sanderson headers, which lead to MagnaFlow mufflers and a 2 1/2-inch exhaust system fabricated by Jimmy's Pro Muffler in Dayton, Tennessee. An aluminum radiator keeps the engine cool, while a Vintage Air system keeps Terry and his wife, Patsy, cool in the summertime. Inside, Terry grips a Hurst shifter, which is connected to a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission. Ryan used an American Powertrain kit to adapt the late-model overdrive transmission to the 1980 Corvette, and utilized an LS7 clutch. Moving farther back, the rearend is a cast-iron centersection with 3.73:1 gears from a 1977 Corvette. In terms of aesthetics, Terry's Corvette is a plain white wrapper with a stock body and a Classic White paintjob. Bobby Ledford at Cleveland Collision Center straightened the body and laid down the fresh paint. Inside, Kyle Wilson at Fully Loaded Interiors refurbished the interior with OEM-style red and white two-tone upholstery. The dash is a Mid-America remanufactured unit while the stock radio was tossed in favor of a Kenwood CD player. After a major overhaul and approximately 750 horsepower of supercharged LS madness, Terry is finally enjoying some seat time in his 1980 Corvette, which feels more like a new ZR1. The modern powertrain gives this car plenty of grunt, while items like an updated air-conditioning system provide just the right amount of comfort for this wolf in sheep's clothing. Even though the restoration process spiraled out of control, the finished product makes it worth the time and money that it took for this snowball to reach the finish line. More classics on MSN Autos | 9 | 98,702 | autos |
After becoming the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic party, stars like Katy Perry and Ellen DeGeneres sing her praises, calling the win a historic night for women. | 6 | 98,703 | entertainment |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. A former space shuttle commander and pilot charged with reckless murder in the deaths of two young sisters tried to take the vehicle of a passer-by who stopped to offer aid after a fiery crash on a desolate highway in rural Alabama, court documents showed Wednesday. The claim is included in a state trooper's sworn description of the wreck that led to the arrest of former astronaut and five-time shuttle flier James Halsell Jr., 59, of Huntsville. The officer wrote that Halsell appeared extremely intoxicated after a crash that killed two girls, 11-year-old Niomi Deona James and 13-year-old Jayla Latrick Parler, on a four-lane highway about 2:50 a.m. Monday. A motorist who stopped to offer aid told officers the one-time astronaut tried to take his pickup truck, appeared drunk and "was bouncing around," the statement said. The description doesn't say what happened next, but Halsell was still on the scene when officers arrived. The one-time test pilot and retired Air Force colonel told officers he had drank three glasses of wine and stayed at a hotel in Tuscaloosa, where investigators found an empty wine bottle and a package of sleeping pills, also empty. "Halsell was under the influence of alcohol and said he didn't remember leaving the hotel. Halsell said he will have to figure out what happened in the crash because he didn't know," the officer wrote. Halsell is free on $150,000 bond. A woman who answered the phone at his home number Wednesday declined comment. Court records don't list a defense attorney who could speak on his behalf. An online biography by NASA said Halsell's career with the space agency included five shuttle flights starting in 1994. He spent more than 1,250 hours in space, serving as commander on three shuttle missions and pilot on two others. After the space shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, Halsell helped lead NASA's return-to-flight effort. He retired in 2006 and worked for at least two aerospace companies afterward, including ATK Launch Systems, Utah, according to his NASA biography. The police report lists him as being retired at the time of the crash. The girls live with their mother in Houston and their father, Pernell James of Brent, was returning home from Texas with them and a woman for a summertime visit, according to Brent Mayor Dennis Stripling. James told investigators he was driving about 65 mph on U.S. 82 when a car traveling "at a very high rate of speed" struck his Ford Fiesta from the rear, crushing the Ford and sending it tumbling across the road, the court document states. The girls were ejected, state troopers said. Halsell, who told officers he was headed to his native Louisiana to pick up his son, was driving a rented Chrysler 200 car and said he thought he was on Interstate 20/59, not U.S. 82, at the time of the crash, the trooper's statement said. The trooper wrote that Halsell made nonsensical statements, adding: "Halsell was so intoxicated he asked to see the victims' bodies." Court documents do not indicate that Halsell mentioned his role as an astronaut to officers, and a trooper spokesman, Reginal King, said authorities did not realize they were dealing with a one-time space shuttle commander until seeing news reports about the wreck. | 5 | 98,704 | news |
8 Design Tips to Steal From This Insanely Expensive House For the 44th year in a row, the country's best designers and architects united for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House to transform a raw N.Y.C. space into a maximalist's Shangri-La. If you're in New York between now and June 9, stop in for a visit or to make an offer the 10,000-square-foot space (with another 5,000 outside) is for sale for $49.5 million. If you're a little light on the cash, then just rip off a few of its design ideas for your own palace. Alex Papachristidis Hate your floors? Try painting them like Alex Papachristidis did in a chevron pattern in the silver-and-gold dining room. We can't guarantee the rest of your room will look as dramatic, but this simple step can brighten and improve any floor. David Kleinberg Design Associates While you may not be able to cover your walls in velvet like David Kleinberg Design Associates did in the library here, you can try using hyacinth baskets from Waterworks to help organize and elevate an otherwise simple bar. Bonus points for splashing out on Asprey tumblers. Eve Robinson Flannel good for suits, unexpectedly masculine as a wall covering, as proven by Eve Robinson's art library. You could try DIY-ing it yourself by buying fabric from an upholstery store and practicing on a single wall, but there's no shame in getting the pros involved. You wouldn't tailor your own suit, you know? Sawyer | Berson Just don't know what to do with all those Rembrandts you have lying around? Sawyer | Berson suggests removing the masterpieces from their gilded frames and hanging them naked in this case, against a custom brass panel from Remains Lighting. For those who don't have Guggenheim-level collections, know that Billy Cotton glassware and this brass bar cart from Bermingham & Co deliver a different but just as valuable buzz. David Collins Studio It's a little bit playhouse here, but employed judiciously, an intense color like this blue used by David Collins Studio in the front hall and called "Lutyens Blue" can prevent your pad from being off-white and boring. (If you want this exact paint for yourself, check out Farrow & Ball, where it goes by the name Cook's Blue .) More: Let's Talk About Alex Rodriguez's Jaw Dropping House in Miami Groves & Co. Here's even more proof that you shouldn't be afraid of color: The ombré curtain fabric brings some hippie vibes to an otherwise conservative master bathroom by Groves & Co. . Even if you don't have windows with a view, look-at-me towels like these ultramarine blue ones from Hermès liven up the bathroom without forcing you to commit. Daniel Richards While not everyone will be able to source their own petrified-bamboo-root table sculpture, like Daniel Richards did at Home Nature , there's no shortage of unexpected objects you could use to liven up your tabletops. Anything's better than a pile of mail, certainly. Hollander Design Whether you have an "urban refuge" like the one that Hollander Design created or just a "backyard," don't sleep on this outdoor bar station from Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens . Anything that keeps the booze flowing freely is worth the investment. More: 10 Things Every Man Should Know About Interior Design | 4 | 98,705 | lifestyle |
The seismic shift in new-car buyers' tastes has been a long time coming, but it feels sudden just the same. Sales of sedans of all sizes are plummeting they fell by double digits last month with buyers instead snapping up SUVs and crossovers at an accelerated pace. Some observers wonder if the market is entering a so-called "sedan recession." This couldn't come at a worse time for Chevrolet, which is debuting revamped versions of what would otherwise be their bread-and-butter cars, the 2016 Cruze compact and Malibu midsize sedans. We recently had the chance to put the fully redesigned second-generation Cruze through its paces within the pastoral Chicago suburbs for a week, and found it to be one of the top choices in what is a crowded and fiercely competitive market segment. While it's not radically reimagined, the new Cruze looks and feels both more substantial and sophisticated than before, with a handsome new exterior that eschews some of its competitors' youthful design indulgences for a near-luxury look. The car's split-grill front-end treatment is borrowed from Chevy's Impala and Malibu sedans, but it wears better here given the tighter proportions, with an aggressively carved lower air dam and boomerang-shaped headlamps that reach up and into the front fenders. There's enough tastefully carved curves and creases on the hood, trunk and along the side to keep things interesting, though there's a few too many shiny trim bits along the way for our taste. Inside, there's a sweeping dashboard design that helps maximize a feeling of spaciousness, though we weren't particularly fond of either our tester's two-tone color scheme ("Dark Atmosphere/Medium Atmosphere") or again its faux chrome trim. As is so often the case these days, the Cruze's sweeping roofline tends to make entry and exiting a bit cumbersome for taller drivers. However, once inside, those six-footers will find plenty of leg and headroom up front, with accommodating and supportive seats that can be clad in leather and heated (but not ventilated). Back seat legroom is more generous than is the norm among compact cars, given the Cruze's long wheelbase, but it can still get tight if the front seats are adjusted all the rearward. There's a large and easily reached touchscreen display situated at the center of the dash when the car's optional infotainment system is specified, and it's a seven- or eight-inch inch screen depending on the configuration. This is one of the easier automotive multimedia control systems to master, though there's also redundant controls on the steering wheel as well as voice commands (which can be a hit or miss affair) for the technologically challenged. As should be expected these days, the Cruze covers all of the connectivity basics, with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay systems optional for advanced smartphone integration, and built-in Wi-Fi service included on a subscription basis that turns the car into a hot spot for connecting portable devices to the Internet. The car's outward visibility is generally good, though the vista through the rearview mirror is hampered a bit by a narrow back window; a video backup display for easier and safer parking is available, but only on higher trim levels. Trunk space, meanwhile, is generous, but we would have liked to see side bins and a few more grocery-bag hooks added for securing items that will otherwise just roll around. The rear seatbacks fold flat on a 60:40 split basis to form a voluminous cargo hold with a large enough trunk opening to fit some sizeable gear, but those looking to carry taller and/or bulkier objects should instead consider a compact crossover SUV. The car's new 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine generates 153 horsepower, which is good for a sufficient, though hardly exhilarating sprint to 60 mph in a little under eight seconds. On the plus side, the turbo-four affords frugal fuel economy that's EPA-rated at 42 mpg on the highway. A standard stop-start function shuts down the engine while at idle to help bolster city fuel economy, which stands at 29 mpg. Unfortunately, this feature can feel obtrusive in stop-and-go driving or in areas with a stop sign at the end of every block, but it can easily be deactivated via dashboard switch. Becoming rare among cars of all stripes these days, a six-speed manual transmission is standard in most versions for the sake of both driving enthusiasts and cheapskates, with a six-speed automatic optional there (except on the base model few will ever see on a showroom floor) and coming standard in the top Premier model we tested. While not perfect, the automatic operates far more smoothly and predictably than the gearless CVT transmissions becoming prevalent among small cars these days, including the class-leading Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. About 250 pounds lighter than the previous version, the 2016 Cruze is noticeably more agile through the curves than its predecessor, though it's still not as sporty as, say, the Honda Civic or Mazda3 in that regard. Still, it feels substantial and delivers well-balanced ride and handling qualities. The car's suspension takes the edge off of bumps and jolts nicely, while delivering decent cornering abilities that are hampered only by less steering feedback to the driver than we'd prefer. Car reviewer-speak aside, we think most drivers will be satisfied with the car's amenable road manners. As before, the car comes decently equipped even in its base version, with all the essentials covered. Newly available features for 2016 include wireless phone charging via a slot on the center console that, alas, may be too small for some of today's big-screen models, along with push-button entry/start, and both heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel for cold weather comfort. The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze likewise offers a full array of the latest high-tech safety features, but they're limited to the top two trim levels. These include Side Blind Zone Alert with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Keep Assist bundled in an affordable ($495) package on the LT version, with Forward Collision Alert and auto high-beam headlamps (a still reasonable $790), limited to the top Premier edition; unfortunately an auto-braking system to help prevent or at least minimize the effect of forward collisions is unavailable anywhere in the line. The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze starts out reasonably priced at $16,620 (not including the $875 destination charge), which is about $2,000 less than a base Honda Civic, but is on a par with the lowest-priced Toyota Corolla and Hyundai Elantra versions. As with most models in the compact class, the Cruze can get costly as one moves up the model range, with the top Premier version at just over $23,000 and exceeding $27,000 with all available options. That's a lot of money for a compact car, but at that level it largely looks and feels like a small luxury sedan and is well suited to empty nesters looking to trade in the big minivan or SUV for something smaller and more manageable without sacrificing either comfort or convenience features. Fortunately for those who have yet to succumb to the SUV's siren song, slow sedan sales mean shoppers should be able to avail themselves of great deals on the redesigned Cruze. Already this month Chevy is offering as much as $1,000 cash back and cut-rate financing on the car, and discounted leasing programs as low as $179/month for 39 months with just $500 due at signing. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,706 | autos |
Don't be surprised if you see a very large, very unusual drone flying through Nevada's skies. The state's Institute for Autonomous Systems has given China's EHang permission to test fly its passenger-toting 184 drone later this year. In addition to providing basic clearance, the move will also have the Institute create criteria that shows the airworthiness of the autonomous single-seater to the Federal Aviation Administration. It's not certain just where the 184 will fly, although it'll sometimes need restricted airspace. EHang won't just be flying in the empty desert, then. Nevada's eagerness makes sense given its tourism-driven economy. The Institute's Mark Barker tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he's anticipating a day when "drone taxis" are an everyday part of the transportation system. The state sees a time when you can hop in a robotic vehicle that flies you directly to a casino, rather than a car that has to grapple with traffic and less-than-intuitive streets. The more support drone makers get, the more tempted you might be to visit that off-Strip attraction which was otherwise out of reach. Las Vegas Review-Journal | 3 | 98,707 | finance |
The best camera, as they say, is the one you have with you. And if that happens to be your smartphone, and chances are it is, at least these pocket-sized devices are getting better at photography all the time. Not only has the quality of the photos (and videos) improved over the years, smartphones are also ideal for editing your work, adding fun filters, and wirelessly sharing those memories on the spot. To help you get the most out of your summer "phoneography," Surf Report caught up with Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY technology columnist, Talking Tech podcast host, and Manhattan Beach-based portrait photographer. Shoot sideways "While it may be more comfortable to hold the phone vertically, hold it horizontally, as photos will look better when on a computer or television screen," says Graham. "You probably don't want those black bars on each side of the photo, plus you'll lose about 40 percent of the image." Horizontal ("landscape") orientation is better for group photos and nature shots, too, to get more in. Speaking of scenery, also play around with the phone's panoramic mode for ultra-wide photos, if this feature is offered. Graham says there are exceptions: "Unless you're taking a picture of the Empire State Building, or the odd portrait of someone, hold the phone sideways." Get up close and personal A good rule of smartphone photography? Don't be shy. "Get in people's faces. The only way to get up close and personal is to get up close and personal," says Graham. Unless you want a lot of the background, fill the whole frame up with your subjects. This is because your smartphone lacks optical zoom where the lens physically moves closer to the subject, like a point-and-shoot or dSLR camera and so you need to physically move yourself towards the subject. "In fact, a phone's optics work best when you get in close," says Graham," and you don't want to use your phone's digital zoom, as it dramatically lowers the resolution, and won't look good if you blow it up later." Going in closer also means you can capture more facial detail, such as light freckling, a charming dimple or soft pale blues of the iris. But play around with how close is too close, as that "macro" shot of, say, a flower might look blurry when you look at it later on. Use the light around you Because you want to avoid using the flash wherever possible, use the light you've got accessible as a tool, whether it's overhead lighting while indoors, or preferably, the sun outside. "Better yet, if you're outside, try to shoot in the shade," suggests Graham. Cloudy days are also ideal for photos as they diffuse the sun. If the sun is out, be sure your back is to the sun and not your subject's -- or else they'll look like a silhouette. "Same goes for a window while indoors," adds Graham. "Never shoot your subject by a window or the camera will expose for the window and you'll have a silhouette of your friend so make sure your back, as a photographer, is to the window." Going steady Some phones have optical image stabilization, which could help steady your shot, but you can also do your part to reduce the odds of a blurry photo. Graham says to put both hands on the phone, use the environment if possible in low-light situations, for even more stabilization. "If you're a party, for example, rest your phone on top of a chair or table, if possible." Another tip: see if your phone has a physical button on the side, such as a volume button, use this to operate the shutter -- instead of tapping the touchscreen, as that will cause the phone to shake when you press it. When shooting video, have fun with modes like time-lapse, and slow-motion, "because you can," says Graham, who penned the book, Video Nation: A DIY Guide to Planning, Shooting, and Sharing Great Video . "Speaking of video, ask yourself if the moment can be best captured by video, and then grab a still frame of it later." Position for composition Instead of placing your subjects in the center of the frame all the time, move them to the left or right to make your photos instantly become more powerful. Better yet, go in on an angle to add some extra energy to the shot. "How do you get people to smile naturally?" Graham asks, rhetorically. "Ask them to laugh out loud and do it with them, and a natural smile will emerge…and you'll have fun, too." Don't always take photos of people posing for the camera as their expression can look forced and unnatural. Candid shots are great, but be sure to get their permission before uploading to social media sites. Don't be stingy Take a ton of photos, because someone in your group is blinking, or your nephew is giving grandma the rabbit ears. Your phone likely has a ton of storage, so remember the more photos you take, the better chance you have to find a winner. For three reasons, don't delete photos off your phone while you're out shooting: it might be a great shot after all, when you look at it on a larger screen; you're wasting your phone's precious battery by deleting photos while out for the day; and you might miss an amazing moment to capture because you're spending your time looking at photos to delete. Do it later. Columnist Marc Saltzman writes on tech devices and trends for USA TODAY. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman . E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com . | 3 | 98,708 | finance |
A patent has emerged showing that Apple is at least considering experimenting with waterproofing features for a future iPhone build. A second patent could also lead to EarPods with noise-cancelling capabilities via an integrated accelerometer and a 'bone conduction' process. The liquid resistant acoustic device patent describes how a standard headphone jack could include an "umbrella section" to prevent internal damage to a device. Filed as far back as July 2014, the protective measure sounds comparable to the Apple Watch's O-ring inside its speaker unit which provided the Watch an IPX7 rating. Several rumours have suggested that the Cupertino giant is considering water-proofing its 2017 iPhone iteration, and the invention described in the patent could well become part of a future iPhone or iPad's construction. While there are several variations on the invention, the solution fixates on enhancing the usual protective mesh layer found in most headphone ports with an "umbrella" so that "potential damage to the mesh and/or internal acoustic device components may be mitigated." Equally intriguing is a separate patent filed in March 2013 which describes a hands-free headphone system based on an internal accelerometer which is intended to improve recorded sound quality. The patent (spotted by AppleInsider), states that an accelerometer housed inside an earbud would be used to "detect vibration of the user's vocal chords based on vibrations in bones and tissues of the user's head," which, with the assistance of an on-wire microphone, would filter out non-vocal acoustics for the receiver. A separate variant also notes the possible use of an "inertial sensor" as opposed to an accelerometer, but all of the listed versions focus on separating "voiced speech and unvoiced speech", with the former being recognised and optimised by "bone conduction." Whether or not we see a 'bone conducting' set of EarPods hit the market, anyone who has been on the receiving end of a muffled, distorted hands-free conversation can find some solace in the fact that developments are at least being considered for hands-free call quality. | 3 | 98,709 | finance |
MINNEAPOLIS - MAY 29: Shaquille O'Neal #34 and Kobe Bryant #8 of the Los Angeles Lakers stand on the court while playing againt the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals during the 2004 NBA Playoffs on May 29, 2004 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTICE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement: Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2004 NBAE (Photo By David S. Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) David Sherman NBAE People love nothing more than to compare the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors with dominant teams that are already cemented in NBA lore. But what usually starts as a fun parlor game eventually melts into a pool of bias and delusion. Shaquille O'Neal is the latest to participate, and here's what he had to say about how his 2001 Los Angeles Lakers would do against this 73-win juggernaut (via The Associated Press ): The Warriors' 73 victories broke the Bulls' 1996 record, but O'Neal said his 2001 Lakers would have beaten them. That team set an NBA record by going 15-1 in the postseason for the second of three straight championships under Jackson, back when O'Neal could be an even bigger physical force before rules changes loosened the game for free-flowing offenses like Golden State's to thrive. "If you're using those rules, we'd win. Now we use these rules these days, we'd still win, because you wouldn't be allowed to touch me, you wouldn't be allowed to touch Kobe," O'Neal said. "So yeah, that's how I always look at it." O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were an unstoppable dynamic duo that averaged 59.8 points per game through their historic playoff run. Beyond that, this team was made up of veteran role players who're past their prime. Plus Derek Fisher. They had the league's 10th worst defensive rating during the regular season before infamously tightening their screws in the playoffs, where they held opponents to 95.3 points per 100 possessions (better than this year's top-ranked San Antonio Spurs). But, the question is, how would they match up Golden State? It's more than reasonable to suggest that the 22-year-old Bryant would struggle against Andre Iguodala and Golden State's switch-happy scheme. As someone who really struggled from behind the three-point line, it's hard to imagine how he'd be efficient in a seven-game series against all those long arms. O'Neal, L.A.'s best player, would be the key. Would the Death Lineup run him off the floor, or would O'Neal brutalize Draymond Green in the post, get him in foul trouble and force Steve Kerr to stay big? That's an important question that can probably go either way. But what's far more certain is how feeble the Splash Brothers would make this Lakers team look. Fisher would get roasted on a spit, and Bryanta member of the All-Defensive second team that seasonwould expend tons of energy attaching himself to either Steph Curry or Klay Thompson. Robert Horry's shooting could unlock some interesting small-ball units (which the Lakers did), and their work on the offensive glass (with Shaq and a 35-year-old Horace Grant) might be an issue, but it all comes back to Curry torturing O'Neal in pick-and-roll action over and over and over again. It's a taxing exercise for any big man, and no team has yet to figure out a long-term solution. The Warriors would be a handful, regardless of which rulebook gets applied to this hypothetical showdown. | 1 | 98,710 | sports |
Reigning European champions Spain with Bayern pro Thiago in the starting line-up have lost their final warm-up match before Euro 2016. Vicente del Bosque's troops fell 1-0 to Georgia in Getafe on Tuesday evening, Tornike Okrischwili scoring the match-winner for the side lying 137th in the FIFA World Rankings shortly before the break. The Iberians created a string of chances but failed to make the most of them. Thiago struck the post on the half-hour and was substituted at half-time. FC Bayern AllStars open season with win On Tuesday afternoon the FC Bayern AllStars won 16-4 against three teams fielded by partner MAN on the occasion of this year's trip to Riva del Garda in Trentino. The large crowd at the Arco stadium saw players such as Jörg Butt, Tobias Schweinsteiger and Alexander Zickler net against the three MAN teams from Germany, Italy and Austria/Switzerland. Coach Raimond Aumann was satisfied with the performance put in by Paul Breitner & Co. Breitner, Harald Cerny, Maurizio Gaudino, Michael Sternkopf and Markus Schupp had supervised a MAN training session the day before, delighting fans and players alike. Allianz Arena named number one for veggies FC Bayern offer the most "veggie-friendly" meals of all Bundesliga clubs, according to animal rights organisation PETA. FCB's Allianz Arena tops the rankings ahead of FC Schalke and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Bavarians convinced the PETA testers with hummus to go, oriental wraps and wild mushroom and baby leek pasta. | 1 | 98,711 | sports |
New couple alert? Prince Harry and singer Ellie Goulding have been spotted in close proximity at various public events for years. But the pair's late May hang at the Audi Polo Challenge in Coworth Park Berkshire, outside London, has the British rumor mill buzzing, big-time. A source close to Harry reportedly told The Sun the prince has been yapping to his pals about "how much he likes Ellie." The tab's insider added that the two became friends after the 29-year-old pop star sang at Prince William and Duchess Kate's wedding reception but had been "in touch" more recently, prior to the May 28 polo match, which she attended along with other stars including Tom Hardy. Both Harry and Prince William played in the match, which was reportedly followed by a late-night, apparently booze-soaked party. Though there were no photos allowed at the bash, a few British tabs published pics of Ellie and Harry sharing a hug while smiling for cameras off the field. The Sun, whose report claims Harry is "secretly courting" Ellie, says the pair's get-together was more intense -- a claim publications like the Daily Mail and the Mirror are running with (though reps for neither Harry nor Ellie responded to a June 7 request for comment). "Harry and Ellie only had eyes for each other all night -- they spent a lot of time sitting together under blankets," said The Sun's snitch. "They were seen having a kiss before Harry had to go because he was playing polo the next day. Ellie left about five minutes later. … Harry was overheard on the way out telling some friends how much he liked her." As far as the public knows, Harry's been single since he broke up with Cressida Bonas in 2014, although there were whisperings of a New Year's hook-up with a young American woman. Prior to that, he'd been seen out with "Dr. Who" star Jenna Coleman and was rumored to have nearly gotten back together with his ex, Chelsy Davy. As for Ellie? The Sun's source says "she is clearly taken by him, but cautions that "... there's already a lot of talk amongst friends that the palace wouldn't allow her as a serious girlfriend because of her celebrity background." We have some caution of our own to offer: In recent years, The Sun has been sued by the likes of Cameron Diaz, Russell Brand and Beyonce's dad for publishing juicy gossip they apparently invented. So maybe hold off on ordering any royal-slash-pop star appropriate wedding gifts for now. | 6 | 98,712 | entertainment |
Hands-free Bluetooth devices are still a distraction for most drivers. Drivers have been able to legally (depending on what state you live in ) talk on their phones while driving since the advent of hands-free Bluetooth headsets and car systems that allow drivers keep their hands on the wheel and off their phone. So why are distracted drivers still causing more and more pedestrians deaths each year? Researchers from the University of Sussex recently concluded a study , published in Transportation Research , in which they tracked the eye movements of people to see how distracted they could get while driving. Their findings showed that while Bluetooth devices for cell phones can keep our hands free, they may still be a dangerous distraction that could make drivers less aware of the hazards they may face on the open road. "Conversations are more visual than we might expect, leading drivers to ignore parts of the outside world in favor of their inner 'visual world' with concerning implications for road safety," said Dr. Graham Hole, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Sussex, in a statement . Bluetooth devices still distract drivers. Hole and his colleagues conducted two separate experiments for their study, which included 48 participants who completed a simulated driving experiment wrought with hazards. For both experiments, participants were split into three groups: one that drove without distraction, one that drove while being asked to imagine the size of certain object, and one that was asked a question that did not require visualization. The researchers found that each participant who was distracted by a question responded more slowly to hazards and detected fewer of them. Even when their eyes zeroed in on hazards, they failed to consciously notice them. Participants who were asked the questions that required them to visualize the objects did even worse at identifying these hazards. And while these were only imaginary objects, Hole noted that other forms of stimuli can hinder a driver's attention by conjuring visual imagery as well, including passengers. "However, chatty passengers tend to pose less of a risk than mobile phone conversations," Hole said. "They will usually moderate the conversation when road hazards arise. Someone on the other end of a phone is oblivious to the other demands on the driver, and so keeps talking. And talking in person involves non-verbal cues which ease the flow of conversation. Phone conversations are more taxing because they lack these cues." In their second experiment, researchers compared undistracted participants to those who were distracted by a task that required visual imagery. All the participants were shown 16 videos of driving scenes; eight contained hazards in either the central or peripheral visual field while the other eight contained no hazards. Meanwhile, they were asked true or false questions. The researchers found that those who were distracted by the questions were more likely to miss hazards in their peripheral vision, and said this was due to a phenomenon known as visual tunneling, where only objects in the center of the visual field are detected. "Our findings have implications for real-life mobile phone conversations," Hole added. "The person at the other end of the phone might ask "where did you leave the blue file?" causing the driver to mentally search a remembered room. The driver may also simply imagine the facial expression of the person they're talking to." Although Hole points out that conversations over the phone provide a more dangerous distraction than passengers, this may not always be true when the driver is a parent and the passengers are their children. In 2013, researchers from the Monash University's Accident Research Center installed cameras in the cars of 12 families and monitored them over the course of three weeks. Their results showed that parents with kids in the car spent three minutes and 22 seconds with their eyes off the road during a 16-minute driving trip. Source: Transportation Research . 2016. | 7 | 98,713 | health |
It's not easy leading a country through wars and economic strife. All that hard work can in fact, make any man or woman hungry. From cheeseburger pizza to custard pie, t hese are some of the favorite meals of US presidents. Harry S. Truman Famous chefs, including the easily-irritable Gordon Ramsay, have been known to criticize a well-done steak . Not Harry S. Truman though he was once quoted as saying, "only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef." The 33rd President also enjoyed chocolate cake, chicken and dumplings, custard pie, and fried chicken. Source: Food and Wine , First We Feast Dwight D. Eisenhower Who could be surprised that as a military man, President Dwight D. Eisenhower had a sweet side. Once First Lady Mamie Eisenhower came out with her fudge recipe , it became a newfound favorite. His staff eventually came out with the President's cookbook that contained a slew of different recipes. Source: Fox News , Eisenhower Presidential Library John F. Kennedy Hailing from Bah-stan, John F. Kennedy was known to be inseparable from Bostonian dishes. According to his chef , one of his favorite dishes included New England chowder . At one of his favorite oyster restaurants he used to frequent, they even have "The Kennedy Booth", a table that was dedicated to him. Source: Food and Wine , First We Feast Lyndon B. Johnson As the President, you have at your disposal a button to send the world into a nuclear ice age. Fortunately, Lyndon B. Johnson used that power to instead install a button that was dedicated to have an aide bring him some Fresca . Earlier in his political career , he was reported to have a hamburger for lunch every day. Source: Food and Wine , First We Feast Richard Nixon If something smelled rotten in the White House, it may not have just been a White House scandal . President Richard Nixon was well-known to love his cottage cheese . It didn't just end there though the only President to resign in US history loved to have ketchup with his beloved cottage cheese. Source: First We Feast Gerald Ford President Gerald Ford's favorite food was a savory pot roast and butter pecan ice cream . As the president to pardon Nixon for his scandal, he seemed to have also forgave him for his offensive choice of food. Source: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum James Carter As a Southerner born and bred, President Jimmy Carter loved his corn bread . In addition, the 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize recipient had a fondness for sirloin steak , and nuts . Source: MSN , Nobel Prize Ronald Reagan As a hero for many in the Republican party, President Ronald Reagan's economic policies has been debated for decades. However, he seldom showed his conservative side when it came to his favorite food : Jelly Belly jelly beans . As a voracious consumer of these little treats, over three tons were consumed during his presidential inauguration in 1981. He even had a special cup-holder designed for Air Force One so his jar of Jelly Belly beans wouldn't spill during turbulence. Source: Jelly Belly , First We Feast George H. W. Bush During an interview with Time magazine in 1988, George H. W. Bush mentioned one of his favorite foods was pork rinds with Tabasco sauce . Afterwards, pork rind sales increased by 11-percent, and he was subsequently awarded 'Skin Man of the Year' by the pork-rind industry. Talk about being influential. Source: Food and Wine Bill Clinton Just like a hot, juicy sex scandal, President Bill Clinton loved his hot and greasy cheeseburgers . Adorned with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, pickles and onions, his love for burgers was even portrayed on an episode of Saturday Night Live. After health complications, he decided he would become a vegan in 2011. Source: Food and Wine George W. Bush In July 2007, then-White House chef Cristeta Comerford revealed that President George W. Bush loves his " home-made cheeseburger pizzas ," which is a Margherita pizza topped with minced meat, cheese, lettuce, and pickles (ew!). President Bush also enjoys home-made chips, peanut butter, cinnamon bread, and pickles. Source: SkyNews , The Guardian Barack Obama When asked what his favorite snack food is by comedian Jerry Seinfeld on the latest season of " Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee ," President Obama quickly said, " nachos ." "That's one of those where I have to have it taken away. I'll have guacamole coming out of my eyeballs." Source: Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee , Food & Wine | 0 | 98,714 | foodanddrink |
Certain foods are hiding loads of sodium, seriously affecting our health. Jordyn Rolling (@jordynrolling) has the details! | 8 | 98,715 | video |
The summer of splits continues. The 26-year-old actress split with her on-again, off-again boyfriend of two years, 29-year-old British musician Matthew Hitt, a source confirms to ET. The two first stepped out as a couple in July 2014, but broke up in February 2015. A few months later, they had rekindled the relationship, showing PDA in New York City . Ironically, the Fifty Shades of Grey star's last film was the comedy, How to Be Single . When ET caught up Johnson in February, she shared the sound dating advice she got from her famous mother, actress Melanie Griffith, when she was younger. "She always said not to compromise myself or my work or my dreams for anyone," Johnson recalled. "Especially a dude." Johnson is currently filming the Fifty Shades trilogy in Vancouver, Canada. In April, her and co-star Jamie Dornan -- who plays billionaire Christian Grey -- sported wedding rings on set. ... And there's also been plenty of smooching. Though, according to Johnson herself, she's totally "over" filming her more racier Fifty Shades scenes. "Well, we're not having actual sex," she told Interview magazine in April. "But I've been simulating sex for seven hours straight right now, and I'm over it." Watch below: | 6 | 98,716 | entertainment |
With all the research showing the negative effects of added sugars, Cher Pastore tell us how to cut down on them. This question originally appeared on Quora . Answer by Cher Pastore , registered dietitian, author, owner of CherNutrition. First you need to take a look at what you are eating and see if you are eating a well balanced diet. Oftentimes, people crave sweets and sugar because their diet is too low in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In addition, if you are eating a lot of refined and processed foods and sugar you will crave more sugar. Here are some helpful tips to reduce added sugar intake: Omit all sweetened beverages. Just stop drinking them. Replace with water or sparkling water or herbal teas. Make up a large pitcher of unsweetened iced green tea with lemon and mint and keep it in your fridge a great start to the summer! If you add sugar to coffee or tea, slowly cut down the amount that you put in by half each time until you find you no longer need it. Add in two servings of fruit per day. Especially berries, green apple, oranges and kiwi. Replace sugary with sour foods, such as lemons, limes, bitter melon, grapefruit, apple cider vinegar, Greek yogurt, kimchi, rhubarb. Don't skip meals. It is important to make sure you eat at regular intervals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar stable. I recommend three meals and one snack spaced throughout the day. Start your day off with protein. Add spices to your foods: pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, oregano, turmeric, ginger, garlic. Any spice you can think of. Try new ones. Get exercise! Eat whole foods and omit as many processed foods as possible. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. If you are sleep deprived, your body will crave more sweets/sugar. | 7 | 98,717 | health |
On the morning of their wedding, Omar and Betty shared a breakfast of egg McMuffins at a small McDonald's table, dressed in their finest clothes. Before driving to a Houston courthouse to be married, they walked into the attached child's play area and joked about one day bringing their kids here. Few understand celebrating at a McDonald's, but for Omar and Betty it made sense. They don't have a lot of money, and McDonald's is part of their life. It is that way in many poor and middle-income neighborhoods, where McDonald's have become de-facto community centers and reflections of the surrounding neighborhood. When many lower-income Americans are feeling isolated by the deadening uniformity of things, by the emptiness of many jobs, by the media, they still yearn for physical social networks. They are not doing this by going to government-run community service centers. They are not always doing this by utilizing the endless array of well-intentioned non-profit outreach programs. They are doing this on their own, organically across the country, in McDonald's. Walk into any McDonald's in the morning and you will find a group of mostly retired people clustering in a corner, drinking coffee, eating and talking. They are drawn to the McDonald's because it has inexpensive good coffee, clean bathrooms, space to sprawl. Unlike community centers, it is also free of bureaucracy. Almost all of them name their group with variations of a self-deprecating theme: in suburban El Paso it is The Old Folks' Home, and in rural New Mexico it is the Morning Brigade. In the small rural town of Natchitoches, Louisiana it is the Romeo club, an acronym for Retired Old Men Eating Out. The Natchitoches group, like many of them, sprawls across a corner of the McDonald's, taking over more and more tables as people join, and emptying them as they leave. Everyone who comes knows each other; have for many years, some since childhood. Willard Jones, 93, tries to make it a few days a week. "I love McDonald's. People are so nice. My friends come here. I see everybody. Coffee is good, and cheap." He was born and raised here. "I had it real rough growing up, because times were real rough. Lived on a plantation, modern day slavery. When I was a kid, we used to get a special treat a few times a year, and go eat in town. That place was dirty and cost us a lot. Not like McDonald's. It is clean here." These morning groups reflect America in another way: they are almost all segregated. There are all black groups, all white groups, and all Hispanic groups. Rarely are any mixed. The Natchitoches group is the exception. Mostly African Americans, there are a few white men who come and go. In Natchitoches, the Romeo group isn't the only social event at the McDonald's. On Tuesdays, there is a Bingo game. On weekends, a Bible group sets up in the opposite corner, and offers prayers and Bibles to whoever wants to come. It is run by Stephen Elliott, 63. "We come here every Saturday, and set up in this corner. The McDonald's offers us room for who ever shows up. We have the space to gather and pray." In other McDonald's, politics are central. In one near downtown Kansas City in an African American neighborhood, each Friday morning the sitting area is turned over to a community meeting. When I was there, the topic was the politics surrounding the Black Lives movement. The discussion was often loud, with speakers not hiding their frustration. Against the backdrop of raised voices, the registers and drive through continued with the normal morning rush of coffee and egg sandwiches. It isn't just groups who use McDonald's. For many of the poorest, for the homeless, and for people caught in an addiction, McDonald's are an integral part of their lives. They have cheap and filling food, they have free Wi-Fi, outlets to charge phones, and clean bathrooms. McDonald's is also generally gracious about letting people sit quietly for long periods longer than other fast-food places. In Natchitoches, Betty Ryder arrives at the McDonald's every day around 9am, with her book and packs of cigarettes, and smelling of perfume. She buys a cup of coffee, puts in exactly six sugars, and sits at her favorite table. "I have had a very rough life. Been through a lot. My present situation leaves me without a home between 8am and 7pm, and McDonald's is kind enough to allow me to sit here." She is matter-of-factly about what that rough life includes, mentioning a child who died of Aids, and her own tendency to get caught shoplifting. One morning, Pamela Elaine, 58, and Jonathan, 31, are sitting in the booth behind Betty's. Jonathan had spent the prior night in a detention center for a "minor altercation". Released early in the morning, he was walking into town when Pamela offered him a ride and a meal at the McDonald's. Jonathan sits quietly as Pamela tells him the services her ministry offers, and her own story of redemption from addiction through the Bible. "I never have felt comfortable in my own skin. Never felt wanted, so I did cocaine and weed and other things. That is all behind me now, and I am rich in the Lord." When she asks Jonathan what his problems are, he smiles, then laughs. "What troubles do I have? Simple: women!" Betty, walking by from a smoke break outdoors, listens, and laughs. "Well, we are kind of the same. My problem is men, although those men will probably all tell you it is women." In almost every franchise, there are tables with people like Betty escaping from the streets for a short bit. They prefer McDonald's to shelters and to non-profits, because McDonald's are safer, provide more freedom, and most importantly, the chance to be social, restoring a small amount of normalcy. In the Bronx, many of my friends who live on the streets are regulars. Steve, who has been homeless for 20 years, uses the internet to check up on sports, find discarded papers to do the crossword puzzle, and generally escape for a while. He and his wife Takeesha will turn a McDonald's meal into an evening out. Beauty , who has been homeless for five years, uses the internet to check up on her family back in Oklahoma when she can find a computer to borrow. Most importantly though, McDonalds provide many with the chance to make real and valuable connections. When faced with the greatest challenges, with a personal loss, wealthier Americans turn to expensive therapists, others without the resources or the availability, turn to each other. In Sulfur Springs, Texas, in the late morning, Lew Mannon, 76, and Gerald Pinkham, 78, were sitting alone at a table, the last of the morning regulars to leave. She was needling him about politics ("I like to tease the men who come, get them all riled up, tell them they just don't want a female as president."). Both are retired, Gerald from working for an airfreight company, and Lew after 28 years as a bank teller. When I asked Lew about her life, she started to tear up, stopped for a second, and composed herself. "Life is hard. Very hard. Seven years ago I lost my husband to leukemia. Then three years ago I lost one of my sons. Health complications from diabetes. When my son died, I had nobody to help me, emotionally, except this community here. Gerald lost his wife three years ago, and we have helped support each other through that." She stopped again, unable to speak from tears. After a moment of silence: "I look composed on the outside. Many of us do. But I struggle a lot on the inside. This community here gives me the support to get by." | 5 | 98,718 | news |
Mzznaki Tetteh is a Ghanian nurse who's got a lot going on at the moment, she told Revelist. She's going to school, working, and getting married June 25. When she posted her adorable engagement pictures to Instagram though, hundreds of people decided to body-shame her rather than congratulate her on the happy moment. Yaaaaayyyyee😎✌ A photo posted by mzznaki (@mzznaki) on May 30, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT By now, the comments like, "RIP that man's spine," and, "undoubtedly the guy is struggling (look at his face)," have been buried by more supportive comments on the gorgeousness of the picture. Tetteh's Instagram has blown up - she's got 27,700 followers at the time of this post - since she posted the below photo in response to the negativity: Still confident...your rubbish comments ain't ruining my happiness...thanks to all for the compliments and best wishes...am honoured. ✌✌ A photo posted by mzznaki (@mzznaki) on May 31, 2016 at 4:06pm PDT Over the past week, she's moved on, posting other pictures with her fiancé Jojo as her wedding approaches. She told Revelist she'll continue to delightfully sass her new followers, "If my time will permit me, since I work and go to school": Hey guys..watch this! A photo posted by mzznaki (@mzznaki) on Jun 3, 2016 at 1:14pm PDT All the love and praise hands right here. | 4 | 98,719 | lifestyle |
Being famous definitely has its perks The lavish penthouses, lofts, mansions, and vacation homes of the world's top stars feature amenities that top the charts in opulence. Whether it's an indoor basketball court, fully equipped home gym, indoor swimming pool, or private barbershop, there's no doubt that these celebrity homes taken from the pages of AD represent the lives of the rich and famous. The neighboring Calabasas, California, homes of Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, the boutique-worthy closet of Lauren Conrad's Beverly Hills master suite , and the enchanting garden terrace at Bette Midler's Manhattan penthouse are just a few of the incredible spaces we've seen that go above and beyond in luxurious design. Join AD as we take a look inside the one-of-a-kind homes of celebrities around the world. Jennifer Aniston collaborated with designer Stephen Shadley to transform a 1970 residence by Harold W. Levitt in Beverly Hills into an inviting retreat where she hosts frequent gatherings. Marc Anthony and his wife, Shannon de Lima Muñiz, collaborated with architecture firm DM Dominicana on the design of their Dominican Republic getaway . Giorgio Armani's winter getaway near Saint Moritz , Switzerland. On the house's exterior, the designer added the traditional scratch-work decoration known as sgraffito. The dining room in Candice Bergen's East Hampton home opens up to the den and living room. Designer Elissa Cullman and architect Jaquelin T. Robertson, who designed the cottage 20 years earlier, were called on to rethink the interiors. The dining room was opened up to the den, at rear, and the living room. Dillingham & Company carved dog under writing table from Notus. Lee Calicchio chandelier. Marvin Alexander brass lamps. Bergamo drapery fabric. Blue chair check, Lee Jofa. Elizabeth Eakins rug. The nursery in Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent's New York apartment is clad in wallpaper by Apparatus and Zak + Fox . The Los Angeles home of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski features a private sitting nook behind the pool. The living room in David Bowie's Caribbean compound opens onto the pool area. The dining room in the Los Angeles home of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady features a chandelier and sconce by Dennis & Leen . A chandelier and sconce by Dennis & Leen grace the dining room; the curtains are made of a fabric by Marcie Bronkar, and a Kerry Joyce linen covers the chairs by Behnke, who also designed the table. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's two Manhattan townhouses both feature classic brick façades. The garden retreat featured at Tina Brown's New York apartment . Iron columns and beams surround the kitchen in Vanessa Carlton's SoHo loft . The rear terrace of Stockard Channing's Los Angeles home overlooks Laurel Canyon. A spiral staircase leads to the master suite and guest bedroom in Jessica Chastain's New York apartment . The open floor plan in Don Cheadle's California home allows for a seamless transition between the living and dining area. An outdoor kitchen stands next to the spa at Rachael Leigh Cook's West Hollywood home . Stunning views featured from the terrace of Wes Craven's Hollywood Hills estate . Parota-wood beams line the ceiling of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's Los Cabos living room . Bing Crosby's former property in Coachella Valley offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The massive foyer in Robert De Niro's former New York penthouse has a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the home's interior courtyard. A custom-made glass display hangs above the kitchen island in the Beverly Hills estate of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi. The sculpture studio in Patrick Dempsey's Malibu home . The master bath in Cameron Diaz's Manhattan apartment features a custom-designed vanity. An 18th-century French wine rack stands in the Virginia home of Robert Duvall. One of the two master closets in Gigi Hadid's childhood home in Malibu features an abundance of boutique worthy storage solutions. A 1940s French silvered-bronze chandelier hangs in the entrance hall of Michael J. Fox's Manhattan home . A vaulted ceiling and glass doors highlight the master bedroom of Megan Fox's Los Angeles home . The formal dining room in Judy Garland's former New York residence features its own fireplace. The spacious pool area at the former Palm Springs home of Cary Grant. A walkway leading to Brian Grazer's office on the mezzanine level of his Santa Monica home . Vladimir Kagan stools surround the kitchen's Caesarstone island at Dee and Tommy Hilfiger's vibrant Miami home . | 4 | 98,720 | lifestyle |
LONDON (AP) -- Maria Sharapova was suspended Wednesday for two years for failing a drug test, labeled "the sole author of her own misfortune" because she hid regular pre-match use of a newly banned substance from anti-doping authorities and members of her own entourage. The tennis star said she would appeal what she called "an unfairly harsh" punishment to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The ban, handed down by a three-person Tennis Anti-Doping Program tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Federation, is backdated to Jan. 26, when Sharapova last played. She tested positive for meldonium that day after losing to Serena Williams in the Australian Open quarterfinals. The panel said various elements of Sharapova's case "inevitably lead to the conclusion" that she took the substance "for the purpose of enhancing her performance." Sharapova, who faced up to a four-year suspension, loses all ranking points and prize money she earned in Melbourne. More significantly, if her suspension withstands an appeal and runs through Jan. 25, 2018, the 29-year-old Russian will wind up missing this year's Rio de Janeiro Olympics and a total of eight Grand Slam tournaments during what might have been prime competitive years. It certainly throws into doubt the on-court future of a former No. 1-ranked player and owner of five Grand Slam titles who is one of the most well-known and -- thanks to a wide array of endorsements -- highest-earning athletes in the world. She is one of 10 women in tennis history with a career Grand Slam -- at least one title from each of the sport's four most important tournaments. Sharapova was the 2004 Wimbledon champion at age 17; No. 1 in the rankings at 18; U.S. Open champion at 19; Australian Open champion at 20. An operation to her right shoulder in 2008 took her off the tour for months, and her ranking dropped outside the top 100. But she worked her way back, and in 2012, won the French Open, then added a second title in Paris two years later. Now comes a dark chapter to the story of someone who was 9 years old when her father moved her from Russia to Florida to pursue a tennis career. Sharapova was provisionally suspended in early March; shortly afterward, she announced at a news conference in Los Angeles that she had failed a doping test for meldonium in January. She did not mention, as the panel's 33-page ruling does, that she also failed an out-of-competition test for the same drug in February. Sharapova's defense: She was not aware that the World Anti-Doping Agency barred athletes from using meldonium, also known as mildronate, as of Jan. 1. The panel's ruling, in a nutshell: She should have been aware -- and would have been, had she followed proper protocols. Sharapova said she was first prescribed the Latvian-made drug, typically used for heart conditions, for medical reasons in 2006, part of a Russian doctor's "medicinal and nutritional regime which at the outset comprised about 18 medications and supplements," according to the panel's findings. By 2010, that doctor's list of recommended substances grew to 30, the ruling says. She left his care in 2013. In 2012, Sharapova reduced her pill intake, but continued with meldonium, the panel found. Meldonium -- not approved for use in the United States or European Union -- increases blood flow, which improves exercise capacity by carrying more oxygen to the muscles. "The manner of its use, on match days and when undertaking intensive training, is only consistent with an intention to boost her energy levels," the ruling says. "It may be that she genuinely believed that mildronate had some general beneficial effect on her health but the manner in which the medication was taken, its concealment from the anti-doping authorities, her failure to disclose it even to her own team, and the lack of any medical justification must inevitably lead to the conclusion that she took mildronate for the purpose of enhancing her performance." The panel found that only Sharapova's manager, Max Eisenbud of IMG, and her father knew she was taking the drug then. In what Wednesday's report refers to as "the evident implausibility of his account," Eisenbud said during the panel's two-day hearing last month that he would check Sharapova's list of medications against WADA's list of prohibited substances during an annual Caribbean vacation after the season ended, but he did not take that same trip in 2015 and, therefore, did not do his usual cross-check. "The idea that a professional manager, entrusted by IMG with the management of one of its leading global sporting stars, would so casually and ineptly have checked whether his player was complying with the anti-doping (program), a matter critical to the player's professional career and her commercial success, is unbelievable," the tribunal wrote. Sharapova also did not note her use of mildronate on any of the seven doping control forms she turned in from Oct. 22, 2014, to Jan. 26, 2016, the panel found. "She must have known that taking a medication before a match, particularly one not currently prescribed by a doctor, was of considerable significance," the decision says. "This was a deliberate decision, not a mistake." Keeping her use of meldonium secret from her team and anti-doping authorities constituted "a very serious breach of her duty to comply with the rules," the panel ruled. Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev told the Tass news agency that Ekaterina Makarova would take Sharapova's spot on the country's Summer Games roster. Makarova is ranked 36th, 10 spots below Sharapova this week. ------ Fendrich reported from Washington. SHARAPOVA THROUGH THE YEARS | 1 | 98,721 | sports |
For a look that instantly reads endless summer, try these five easy tips What we talk about when we talk about beach houses: wicker chairs, coral objets, nautical accents, and an unmistakably casual vibe. But not all beach houses are created equal. At his secluded seaside getaway on Great Abaco Island, Bahamas which was featured in Architectural Digest's April 2016 issue New York based decorator Tom Scheerer embraced the simplicity of an often imitated style but recast its many clichéd elements, opting instead for an eclectic mix of modern and rustic furnishings, warm textures, and sandy palettes. Rattan and cane and pickled white acacia blend seamlessly with poured concrete and slick stainless steel and laminate, as seen in the unexpected vintage Saarinen table in the dining room. But despite its obvious associations with summer and a shorefront locale, the design concept works effortlessly year-round regardless of the place thanks to its inviting atmosphere and crisp, contemporary aesthetic. Here, we've pinpointed five easy ways to bring Scheerer's beach-house style home. Embrace natural elements In his living room, Scheerer blended a hand-spun hemp rug with a rough-hewn wood cocktail table, an open-weave lounge chair, and caned taborets. Such unpretentious pieces warm up the stark, stucco-covered concrete structure and add a rustic element that's in keeping with a casual beach-house vibe. Opt for a lighter color palette Custom-made encaustic cement tile covers Scheerer's kitchen walls, imparting a breezy tropical look that evokes the sky and sea. It's a perfect accompaniment to the room's pickled-white-acacia cabinetry. Rethink rattan A set of rattan armchairs marries laid-back and polished styles when nestled up to a vintage Saarinen table in the dining room. The chairs' slim profile imparts a more contemporary feel than their more country-traditional counterparts, and the texture plays off the table's smooth white surface. Play up pattern A graphic or vibrant print can help break up the monotony of a white-and-wood palette, as well as add personality and dimension to a space. In his bedroom, Scheerer chose an Otomi-style quilt on a whitewashed four-poster. Don't forget the whimsy Tongue-in-cheek elements always trump hackneyed inspirational placards. In the powder room, a playful grass skirt hides the pipes beneath a Duravit sink with Grohe fittings; in the kitchen, a trompe l oeil beaded curtain hangs in the doorway to the dining room; and a wall of straw hats greets visitors in the entrance hall. More | 4 | 98,722 | lifestyle |
My entire picture library is inside Google Photos, which makes Apple's Live Photos feature on my iPhone 6S Plus rather useless. Google doesn't support the format, so if I want to preserve them, I need to convert each Live Photo to a GIF using a third-party app, save it to my phone's gallery again , and delete the original. Then it gets backed up to Google Photos as a GIF, which is something you can share far beyond Apple's ecosystem. Until today, I've been using an app called Lively to accomplish this, but Google just released its own app that does exactly the same thing. It's called Motion Stills , which is a little awkward and contradictory but also a great counter to "Live Photos." Google's approach, developed within the company's research lab, is actually way cooler than a basic Live Photos to GIF converter. Motion Stills uses its own video stabilization algorithms to take what might otherwise be a shaky Live Photo and turns it into a smooth GIF that you'll actually want to see repeat. Like this: How does Google manipulate your original Live Photo and turn it into that? Here's how the blog post explains it: We pioneered this technology by stabilizing hundreds of millions of videos and creating GIF animations from photo bursts. Our algorithm uses linear programming to compute a virtual camera path that is optimized to recast videos and bursts as if they were filmed using stabilization equipment, yielding a still background or creating cinematic pans to remove shakiness. Our challenge was to take technology designed to run distributed in a data center and shrink it down to run even faster on your mobile phone. We achieved a 40x speedup by using techniques such as temporal subsampling, decoupling of motion parameters, and using Google Research's custom linear solver, GLOP. We obtain further speedup and conserve storage by computing low-resolution warp textures to perform real-time GPU rendering, just like in a videogame. There's more to it than that, even. Here's more from Google (emphasis ours): Short videos are perfect for creating loops, so we added loop optimization to bring out the best in your captures. Our approach identifies optimal start and end points, and also discards blurry frames. As an added benefit, this fixes "pocket shots" (footage of the phone being put back into the pocket) To keep the background steady while looping, Motion Stills has to separate the background from the rest of the scene. This is a difficult task when foreground elements occlude significant portions of the video, as in the example below. Our novel method classifies motion vectors into foreground (red) and background (green) in a temporally consistent manner. We use a cascade of motion models, moving our motion estimation from simple to more complex models and biasing our results along the way. Google notes multiple times that Motion Stills doesn't require any kind of data connection to work; all the processing is on-device. And no, you don't even need a Google account to use it. Once a GIF is made, you can send it to someone in a message, email, or share to another app. And Motion Stills also lets you tack multiple Live Photos together. In that case, it creates a proper movie file (with audio) instead of a GIF. You can do that even if you're converting a single Live Photo, too. Motion Photos is available for free from the App Store now. I've only tried it a couple times and don't really have any Live Photos that would seriously test the stabilization, but even so, this app probably just earned a permanent spot on my iPhone. And I'll probably keep Lively around in case Google's stabilization magic does weird things. Either way, to me, GIFs are better than Live Photos unless you really need the sound. | 3 | 98,723 | finance |
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Penguins beat writer Jenn Menendez tells us if the Penguins can smell a Stanley Cup Final victory after Monday's 3-1 win over the Sharks. | 1 | 98,724 | sports |
Your iPhone can be really helpful, but it can also be really scary. Here's how it keeps tabs on you and how to stop it. Keleigh Nealon (@keleighnealon) has the story. | 8 | 98,725 | video |
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James called Game 3 of the NBA Finals a "must-win" and a "do-or-die" type of contest, which is obvious but needed to be said anyway. A loss to the Warriors on Wednesday wouldn't kill the Cavaliers , but it would almost certainly doom them. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series and attempting to do so against a team as great as Golden State would seem to be an impossible task. "We can't afford to go down 3-0 to any team, especially a team that's 73-9 in the regular season and playing the type of basketball they're playing," James said. "So, it's a do-or-die game for us, and we understand that. So, we're going to come in and give everything that we've got and leave it on the floor." This is not unprecedented territory for LeBron. He's been on Cleveland teams that faced this kind of series hole and he's not only won them (2007 against Detroit), he also forced a Game 7 in 2008 against Boston. That 2007 team was eventually swept in the Finals against San Antonio, but all that is history, ancient history really, and has very little to do with the matter at hand. James wasn't feeling that particular angle, but history weighs heavily here and hovers over this series like an anvil that's ready to drop a thousand pounds of regret on whoever happens to be standing below. At the moment it's poised to fall on LeBron and the Cavs, who were beaten badly in the first two games and offered little reason for optimism heading into Game 3 other than the fact that they will be at home where their record has been stellar. A loss on Wednesday would kickstart another round of big-picture questions, from the construction of their roster to LeBron's Finals record and on and on. Game 3 will be their defining moment and a chance to recast the present into something more compelling. For their part the Warriors are feeling free and confident. Having faced their own battle with mortality in the conference finals, and with last year's championship in their back pocket, their path is currently free of obstacles and they'd like to keep it that way. "In a perfect world, we wouldn't hear anything they had to say and we could just worry about what our game plan is, but obviously, that's not possible," Steph Curry said. "But you have to have a collective mindset that we know they're going to make adjustments. We know they're going to come out with a sense of urgency in the moment. But we need to have that same mentality, because for what's at stake, if we're able to go up 3-0, that is a great position to be in. That is the opportunity in front of us. So we can't get complacent." We can talk about tactics or adjustments all we want. The Cavs could try and play big against the Warriors' small lineups. They could try to slow down offensively and dictate tempo. They could stop trapping so aggressively against Curry and Klay Thompson. They could try to do all those things and perhaps they should, but really they need to start by playing better, as simplistic as that sounds. That starts with LeBron, who has not put his imprint on this series yet. He's averaging 21-10-9 through the first two games but shooting just 42 percent from the floor while racking up an unsightly 11 turnovers. After taking the blame in Game 2, he exited Oracle Arena quickly and immersed himself in the game tape with longtime teammate James Jones on the bus ride back to the hotel. As inviting as it sounds to ask LeBron to simply take over, that plays right into Golden State's hands. The genius of the Warriors in this series has been their switching defense, which invites 1-on-1 play, limits ball movement and has led to stifled half-court sets. James, who is as savvy as any player in the league, understands this. "Well, for me, I try to do whatever it takes to help our team win, and I do everything offensively, defensively, getting guys involved, rebounding, everything, so my game doesn't waver one way or the other," James said. "I'm not a pure scorer. I'm not an all-assist guy. I'm not just a rebounder. I do everything. So for me I said that after Game 2 that I've got to play better, but as far as my numbers, I don't worry about that." He has often been tasked with the impossible and considering the stakes, the expectations and the point in his career, this may be the most daunting moment of LeBron's career. To beat the Warriors he must be at his best and most resourceful, but there is a creeping feeling that it may simply be out of his hands. James and the Cavs are on the brink. Game 3 will show us just how close to the end they really are. | 1 | 98,726 | sports |
A Victorian with an attached lighthouse in upstate New York, a contemporary in Ohio and a lake house in Texas Victorian with lighthouse in upstate New York The kitchen has been updated with a large reproduction gas stove. The porcelain sink is original, returned from another property in town during renovations. Bedroom Three of the bedrooms in the house are upstairs, and part of suites with bathrooms updated in subway tile and marble. Bathroom One of the bathrooms has a custom-made claw-foot tub with whirlpool jets and a painting of the lighthouse on one side. Lighthouse The exterior of the lighthouse. Lighthouse sitting room A spiral staircase winds to a sitting room at the top of the lighthouse. Three-bedroom in Peninsula, Ohio A three-bedroom contemporary in Peninsula is on the market for $1,500,000. The property, which also has a two-bedroom cabin, consists of 15 acres with trails leading into Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Skylit gallery The front door of the Ohio house opens to a long, skylit gallery with a double-height ceiling. The architect was Thomas P. Montalto. Living room The living room opens to a deck. Dining room The dining room also opens to a deck. Most of the common rooms face southeast, overlooking a pond. Cabinets The cabinetry throughout the house was custom-designed by MBA Design of Peninsula. Library The library and media room. The cabin A path through the woods leads to the cabin. The living area has a cathedral ceiling and a fireplace. Greenhouse The porte-cochere connects to a small greenhouse that doubles as an oversize lantern at night, lighted from inside. Red maples An allée of red maples leads up to the house. Two-bedroom lake house in Austin, Texas A two-bedroom 1995 house with a garage apartment is on the market for $1,450,000 on Lake Travis in Austin. The house was designed by the architect and theoretician Christopher Alexander. Living room The Texas house is anchored by large living and dining areas with intricate ceilings, tile floors and a wall of windows running across the waterfront side of the house. Dining area A view of the dining area. Kitchen The kitchen has marble countertops and appliances by Bosch and Thermador. Bedroom balcony The upstairs master bedroom opens to a private balcony with views over the treetops and the water. Master bathroom The master bathroom has a blue-green-tiled tub and windows for contemplative bathing. Six acres The property, about six acres, has stone benches near the water. There's also a dock and slip. | 3 | 98,727 | finance |
France conducts a major Euro 2016 security exercise and launches a mobile security app before the soccer tournament starts on June 10. | 8 | 98,728 | video |
They cannot only float on water but travel the seas. | 8 | 98,729 | video |
Brush off the elements with stylish and durable outdoor decor. Brush off the elements with stylish and durable outdoor decor. West Elm Good Day Coir Doormat $29, westelm.com A dapper way to welcome in all who pay you a visit. Constructed of natural coconut-husk fibers, this doormat provides a ruggedly rakish place to clean off your kicks. More: 9 Whimsical Wind Chimes to Adorn Your Doorway World Market Pink Poppies Doormat from $17, worldmarket.com It's a dirty job, but this poppy-printed mat is well-equipped for the task. Users love the shot of cheerfulness this coir-fiber pick gives to their threshold. Imports Decor Half Round Door Mat $35, overstock.com A distinguished design and durable rubber build makes this half-round mat a fabulous entryway option. It's weighted enough to resist the wind, it can be easily moved out of the way to clean and sweep the surrounding area. Threshold Home Sweet Home Doormat $13, target.com This country-chic mat looks sweet, but has a heavy-duty quality, perfect for keeping the entryway clean in the muddier months. Thirsty Dots Green 34-by-22 Doormat $40, crateandbarrel.com The name couldn't be more apropos. Ideal for apartment dwellers, this mat's raised dots help scrape off dirt from the outdoors, while the rubber backing and moisture-wicking plastic-fiber material prevents it from deteriorating and getting mildewy. Reed Wilson Design Sup Doormat $50, shop.nordstrom.com For those fond of a colloquial greeting, this simple, yet durable coco-fiber mat is just right for any weather. Bambeco Natural Coir Indigo Doormat $28, bambeco.com Evocative of an intriguing area rug , this fibrous coir pick cheerfully welcomes guests into your home with its lively design display. Williams-Sonoma Double Initial Monogram Doormat $75, williams-sonoma.com A sweet monogrammed mat to adorn your entry, this artfully hand-spun option brushes debris from your shoes, while staying moisture- and- mildew- resistant to keep a fresh look year-round. Entryways Loop Recycled Rubber Doormat $40, hayneedle.com The playful loops on this rubber front door mat read as pebbly shapes when displayed atop your front steps. Dirt can be easily scraped off of shoes, while the mat itself just needs a hose-down to restore it to its original cleanliness. Frontgate Water & Dirt Shield Pineapple Half-Round Mat $60, frontgate.com The pineapple is a centuries-old symbol of friendliness and hospitality. This half-moon mat utilizes this motif in a subtle embossed design that is both stylish and functional. Masterpiece Aberdeen Welcome Doormat $23, walmart.com This rubber doormat has a cobblestone-accented appearance with a flocked scraping surface that guests can stamp off all dirt and debris on. The "welcome" message is a subtle salutation in the mat's ornate-swirled border. Grandin Road Diamonds Mat $89, grandinroad.com The criss-cross diamond pattern of this doormat provides not only a simple, pleasing aesthetic, but the bristled surface is ideal for wiping off wet or dirty shoes before entering the home. Its hefty weight also keeps it in place during inclement weather. J&M Home Fashions Heavy Natural Coir and Rubber Doormat $34, amazon.com Welcome guests into your pet-friendly abode with this friendly reminder, imprinted on durable coir fibers. The contrasting rubber border gives this cute welcome mat an upscale look. Mohawk Chevron Door Mat $25, bedbathandbeyond.com Brush your shoes off on this lively chevron mat, complete with coarse coco-fiber bristles that keep you from tracking in dirt, and an earth-toned palette that coordinates unobtrusively with your other outdoor decor. Wildon Home Pineapple Heritage Doormat $42, wayfair.com This pineapple-themed rubber doormat evokes the stately look of a wrought-iron gate at your entryway. We think that this version is just as awe-inspiring to any friends and neighbors that pop by for a visit. Apache Mills Manhattan Soho Recycled Rubber Door Mat $15, homedepot.com For a low-profile option that holds up to dirt-whisking on sunny, rainy, and snowy days, this budget-friendly pick will keep your entryway tidy year after year. Bungalow Flooring Aqua Shield Boxwood Doormat $60, wayfair.com Dress up your threshold with this durable synthetic-fiber doormat that features an understated look with swirling botanical details. It is weather-resistant and will remain an attractive fixture by your front door for years to come. | 4 | 98,730 | lifestyle |
A look at the favorite hotel of Hemingway and Chanel through the years. The legendary hotel reopened yesterday after a four-year, $450 million renovation. Here, T&C takes a look at how Ernest Hemingway and Coco Chanel's favorite place to stay has changed over the years. Carriages lined up outside the hotel in 1904 The Vendôme column, completed in 1810, stands in front of the hotel and the Ministry of Justice, at left, in the 1920s A full house at the restaurant in 1920 Ladies meet for tea in the hotel garden in 1930 Ladies drinking tea in the garden of the Ritz Hotel, Paris, 1930. (Photo by Boris Lipnitzki/Roger Viollet/Getty Images) Legendary bartender Frank Meier holds court with his staff in 1930 British pilots Amy Johnson and Jim Mollison stand on a balcony in 1932 The aviator couple married that year. Coco Chanel poses on a balcony in 1937 The Duke of Windsor leaves the Ritz with his wife in 1946 Cooks in the kitchen in 1948 Receptionists at the hotel's front desk in 1948 The hotel's lounge in 1957 A view of the Place Vendôme from the hotel Bellhops stand at attention A sea of hats at the Terrasse restaurant Coco Chanel in her apartment, circa 1960 The hotel's "grand escalier" The Imperial Suite, pictured here in 1960 The 2,347-square-foot suite, which overlooks the Place Vendôme, includes a replica of Marie Antoinette's bedroom at Versailles. Charles Ritz stands outside his family's hotel in 1972 César Ritz, Charles's Swiss hotelier father, founded the Ritz Paris in 1898. Mohamed Al-Fayed, the hotel's owner, poses there circa 1995 Al Fayed's eldest son, Dodi, famously visited the Ritz before his fatal car crash with Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. L'Espadon's wild duck roasted with caramelized figs and green grapes, photographed in 2001 L'Espadon had two Michelin stars before the hotel closed for its renovation in 2012 A couple with a dog stand outside the hotel in 2007 Katie Holmes leaves the hotel after the Chanel show during Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2007 Waiters set the tables in the hotel restaurant L'Espadon in 2009 The hotel's Coco Chanel suite The 2,024-square-foot suite, which Chanel decorated herself, reflects the designer's "love for Asian lacquer, gilded mirrors and the pairing of black with white." Chanel lived there for roughly 35 years. Milla Jovovich attends the Versace Haute Couture show as part of Paris Fashion Week in 2012 Some of the ornate decor at the palatial property A fire in January 2016 delayed the hotel's reopening. The fire broke out on the hotel's top floor and spread to the roof in a blaze that nearly 200 firefighters battled. Two suites and part of the roof were destroyed. A new era began when the Ritz reopened on June 6, 2016. The renovations include the world's first Chanel spa, Chanel au Ritz Paris, and the former 159 rooms have been converted into 142 rooms, including 71 suites. | 2 | 98,731 | travel |
A simple test could be all physicians need to determine if they need to prescribe antibiotics. The term "antibiotic resistance" doesn't have the fear-inducing power of an ailment like cancer or AIDS, but it should. Experts say dealing with bacteria that doesn't respond to drugs should be on the top of our to-do list or they will kill more people than cancer by 2050. Both overprescribing and feeding livestock antibiotics have contributed to the growing problem, so now researchers are looking for ways to reduce their use to preserve those that are still useful and prevent a total public health emergency. One Chinese team has developed a test that could determine when antibiotics are actually necessary just by analyzing a patient's breath. Researchers based at Zhejiang University have initiated a pilot study with the aim of creating an efficient, painless, and accurate test for clinicians to determine the necessity of antibiotic treatment for a patient. If doctors were given this kind of certainty, they could avoid prescribing the medicines to patients who didn't need them, slowing antibiotic resistance. For their research, the team looked at pneumonia patients in the intensive care unit. These participants had a special type of the illness called ventilator-associated pneumonia, which occurs in those who are on breathing machines in the hospital , a population in which it is critically important to identify any life-threatening bacterial infections. However, common colonizations can sometimes be mistaken for more sinister bacteria, leading to overmedication. "To confirm whether patients have a bacterial infection of the respiratory tract, doctors currently have to take a number of different samples (blood and septum) and even chest X-rays in the case of pneumonia," said project coordinator Kejing Ying in a statement . After analyzing biomarkers in the breath samples of 60 patients, the scientists found a link between bacterial pneumonia and the presence of certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by a pathogen called A. baumannii . The study is in no way conclusive. "The challenge we face is that many VOCs are not unique to one pathogen," Ying added. However, more studies could provide a useful library of sicknesses doctors could detect on the breath. The authors wrote that "this pilot study mainly provides a proof of concept that the direct detection of exhaled A. baumannii- derived VOCs might be adopted for an early alert" of bacterial presence in ICU patients, but "further refinement and validation are required before clinical use." Source: Gao J, Zou Y, Wang Y, Wang F, Lang L, Wang P. Breath Analysis for Noninvasively Differentiating Acinetobacter baumannii Ventilator-associated Pneumonia from its Respiratory Tract Colonization of Ventilated Patients. Journal of Breath Research . 2016. | 7 | 98,732 | health |
Ten years can be both a blink of an eye and an eternity. It certainly doesn't seem like a decade since we first started reporting about the Scott's Valley, California startup Zero Motorcycles , but on the other hand, its no stretch to say its original Drift trail bike is light years away from the robust products it offers today. Founded by Neal Saiki, originally under the name Electricross, the electric motorcycle manufacturer has ridden down the battery-powered path to viability long enough to celebrate its 10th birthday, succeeding where so many others have failed, by continually improving its products and keeping the confidence of it financial backers. To mark the milestone, it is offering a couple different deals. First, if you buy a 2016 Zero S, SR, DS, or DSR before the end of June, you get $1,000 back ($650, in the case of the FX or FXS). It has also created a 10th anniversary edition of its popular DSR model of which it will build fifty examples. Finish-wise, the celebratory version of Zero's speedy dual-sport comes painted in high gloss, metallic black with a 10th anniversary graphic, and pinstriped wheels. It also comes equipped with a Charge Tank that allows you to plug into any of the ubiquitous J1772 level 2 chargers about and triple your recharge speed, a windscreen and hand guards, and a minimalistic rear rack. While the $18,995 price tag for the birthday bike is a decent deal if you were interested in the added accessories, it is not eligible for the $1,000 cash back. You can browse through the company's history and achievements over the years at a special webpage it has set up be sure to click on photos to bring up video. It's been quite a journey, and Zero Motorcycles now dominates the segment with a lineup that offers solid performance for a comparatively reasonable price. We can only hope it continues to innovate and improve over the next ten years. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,733 | autos |
Barron's Senior Editor Jack Hough and Capital Wave Strategist Sah Gilani on their outlook for Amazon shares. | 3 | 98,734 | finance |
Driving a fun car doesn't have to be reserved for people with a lot of money to spend. Ten Hilariously Fun Sports Cars That Are Surprisingly Cheap They sometimes have high running costs, but for less than the cost of a lot of economy sedans, you can probably afford to buy a sports car. Research new sports cars on MSN Autos | Follow MSN Autos on Facebook BMW E36 M3 Older M3s have become collectible, which is driving up their value. Meanwhile, newer M3s are still priced relatively high. If you're looking for one on a budget, the E36 is a bit of a hidden gem. It's less powerful than the European version, but you'll still have a blast driving an E36 M3 with a manual transmission. Research BMW's latest models on MSN Autos Chevrolet Corvette Unsurprisingly, a used version of America's Sports Car makes a great affordable sports car. Prices on C6 Corvettes have come down a good bit, and you can get C4s for very little money, but the sweet spot is probably the C5. They're old enough to be affordable but are new enough to still look relatively modern. See photos of the 2016 Chevrolet Corvette on MSN Autos Ford Mustang Even more than the Corvette, there's a Mustang available for every budget. Fox-body Mustangs offer tons of tuning potential for very little money, as do SN-95s. Heck, with a little hunting, you can even find SN-197 Mustang GTs for less than $10,000. And where used Mustangs lack handling, they make up for it with cheap power. Research pricing & specs for the 2016 Ford Mustang on MSN Autos Honda S2000 It's been a while since Honda sold the S2000, but its agility and high-revving engine still make it a great car to buy used. They aren't dirt cheap yet, and probably won't ever be, but if you have $10,000 or so, you can easily find a fairly clean example. Just don't blame us when you end up addicted to revving that engine all the way to redline. Research Honda's latest models on MSN Autos Mazda Miata Much like the Honda S2000, the Miata is a four-cylinder Japanese roadster. It's just less powerful, less extreme, and less expensive. But don't let that fool you, though. Every generation of Miata is still a blast to drive. Regardless of how much you have to spend, there's a Miata you can afford to put in your garage. Find expert reviews of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 on MSN Autos Mazda RX-8 If you're looking for something funky, look no further than the Mazda RX-8. It looks like a coupe, but its shape hides two small back doors. And under the hood, you'll find the last rotary engine sold in a U.S. car. If you can handle how quickly it goes through oil, an RX-8 is still awesome. Research Mazda's latest new cars on MSN Autos Mitsubishi Eclipse People who remember the last generation of Eclipses probably don't think of them as sports cars, but prior to 2000, the Eclipse was much more of a performance car. The all-wheel-drive versions tend to be the most desirable, but even the front-wheel-drive Eclipses are a hoot. Just avoid the ones that look like they fell victim to the Fast and Furious. Research Mitsubishi's latest models on MSN Autos Porsche 911 (996) The base price of a new Porsche 911 is now scarily close to $100,000, and the cost of old air-cooled 911s has skyrocketed. Still, if you can get past the look of the 996's headlights, it's a sports car bargain. Thanks to overblown fears of engine failure, prices have been driven down to surprisingly affordable levels. Research pricing & specs for the 2016 Porsche 911 on MSN Autos Porsche Boxster/Cayman The 996 may be the most-affordable 911, but the Boxster and its hardtop twin the Cayman are still the most-affordable Porsches. But don't let the low prices fool you. The Boxster is still wonderful to drive. And since they've been on the market for 20 years, you have plenty to choose from. If you're ok with a high-mileage example, you can even get a Boxster for close to $5,000. See photos of the 2016 Porsche Boxster on MSN Autos Toyota MR2 Toyota recently got back into the sports car game with the Scion FR-S (now Toyota 86), but an even-more-affordable option is the MR2. Toyota's mid-engine sports car was fun to drive and still looks great today. Plus, with three generations to pick from, clean examples fit a wide range of budgets. Research the latest new cars from Toyota on MSN Autos | Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,735 | autos |
Global coal consumption dropped the most on record last year as the U.S. and other major economies started turning away from the most polluting fossil fuel, according to BP Plc's annual review of energy trends. As the world begins to tackle the goals of last year's Paris climate agreement, news of coal's retreat was tempered by the fact that oil increased its share of energy consumption as low prices spurred demand in both industrialized and developing countries. "Oil grew exceptionally strong because when price falls, demand increases," Spencer Dale, BP's chief economist, said in London as the company presented its Statistical Review. "The big casualty last year was coal. We are seeing a shift in the fuel mix away from coal, driven a lot by environment issues." Coal use fell 1.8 percent in 2015, the largest decline in data going back to the mid-1960s, BP said. The fuel accounted for 29.2 percent of consumption, the lowest since 2005, while oil's share rose for the first time since 1999. A slump in crude prices over the past two years has made gasoline and diesel more affordable, spurring consumers to drive more. Oil increased its market share to about a third last year as demand rose at almost double the pace of 2014, BP said. U.S. Phaseout Consumption of coal has dropped as countries shut power plants that use the fuel and move to cleaner energy. Coal use fell most in the U.S. and China, with declines of 13 percent and 1.5 percent respectively, while demand increased in India and Indonesia, where the fuel is still so cheap that utilities prefer it to natural gas for electricity generation. For a column on India's cheap coal crowding out cleaner gas-power, click here. In the U.S., gas has overtaken coal as the most popular power-plant fuel, partly because it's cheaper there and partly because of environmental policies, Dale said. In China, there's also a "strong desire to shift away from coal to cleaner fuels." Oil consumption in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development grew 1.1 percent last year compared with an average decline of 1.1 percent over the past decade, BP said. Use in the U.S. climbed 1.6 percent, or 290,000 barrels a day, while in the European Union it rose 1.5 percent. Demand expanded 6.3 percent in China and 8.3 percent in India, which surpassed Japan as the world's third-biggest oil consumer. Crude's Collapse Crude prices began to sink in mid-2014 as rising production from the U.S., Russia and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries outpaced demand. That created a surplus that pushed prices below $30 a barrel earlier this year. Benchmark Brent futures have increased more than 80 percent since then, but prices remain half their level two years ago. Oil markets will start to balance in the second half of this year, Dale said. Even then, the world will have to work through all the stockpiled crude that has built up; in the U.S., inventories remain near an 80-year high. That will keep the run-up in prices in check, according to Dale. Even if the market were to recover to a point where demand exceeded production by 1 million barrels a day, it would still take 12 to 18 months for the stockpiles to clear, he said. | 3 | 98,736 | finance |
SAMMAMISH, Wash. -- It's not often a player announces they are turning pro and in the same breath says they've already banked a major endorsement deal, especially in women's golf where the gravy train lugging lucrative logos doesn't stop as often as it does for the men. But that was the case Tuesday at Sahalee Country Club near Seattle when newly minted Stanford University grad Mariah Stackhouse sat next to KPMG LLP U.S. Chair and CEO Lynne Doughtie and, in a voice as soft as silk, said she's signed a global sponsorship agreement with the professional-services firm. You think that's not a big deal? The only other golfers KPMG has in the fold are multiple-major-championship winners Phil Mickelson and Stacy Lewis. That the announcement came at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship an LPGA major that KPMG and the PGA of America have elevated greatly since partnering a year ago by increasing prize money, putting weekend rounds on NBC and adding an Inspire Greatness conference on empowering women in the business was appropriate. That the announcement came on the same day Hillary Clinton became the first woman to lock up the nomination for president by a major political party was coincidental but somehow appropriate, too. "I'm so proud to join with KPMG as I begin my professional career because they are an organization that has invested in women's golf and helped elevate the game through the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and all it represents," said Stackhouse, 22, who led Stanford to the 2015 NCAA Women's Championship and the 2016 NCAA finals in her final college tournament two weeks ago. Stackhouse, who has also signed with Sterling Sports Management, which represents Stacy Lewis, Brittany Lincicome, Lizette Salas, Brittany Lang among others, doesn't know when and where she will make her debut as a pro. She says she'll try to play as many Symetra Tour events as she can, explore Monday qualifiers for LPGA tournaments and keep an eye out for the six LPGA sponsor's exemptions she is allowed and which are sure to come. "Seeing how she played in the NCAAs, we thought, 'We want to get to know this woman,' " said Doughtie ( pictured above with Stackhouse and Lewis ). "Mariah will be working with the next generation of young women, teaching them that there is no limit to what they can achieve. Oh, and they will be learning some golf as well." KPMG is blazing a path other corporations would be wise to follow. There is no better investment in sports marketing that golfers the lack of uniforms makes them walking billboards and there is no better bargain in golf than female players, who are still making a fraction of what the men make. "The game of golf is great for building relationship, it's good for business," says Doughtie, who notes all the creative ways golfers can be used in marketing and brand awareness. "To have Stacy and Mariah play golf with out clients is really good for our business. and I think other companies should do it." Unsaid was the fact that Mickelson, Lewis and Stackhouse have something in common besides golf: All three graduated from college. That was probably also a detail not lost on KPMG. Now we will see if Stackhouse can follow the other two KPMG ambassadors into success in golf at the professional level. More from Golf Digest: The Hottest PGA Tour Wives and Girlfriends How Tiger's Swing Has Changed This Weekend's Best Golf Instagrams | 1 | 98,737 | sports |
When Kaitlyn Juvik was called into a vice principal's office on May 25 for not wearing a bra to Helena High School something she had done all year long several hundred classmates quickly stepped up to offer the Montana teen their, um, support, including several boys who strapped bras on over their shirts. Within days of being told she was in violation of the school's dress code, Kaitlyn, 18, a senior who recently graduated, was an Internet sensation, with a "No Bra, No Problem" Facebook page and a new nickname: "Kaitlyn the Braless Warrior." Now the teen says the time is right for other young women to peel off the underwire, take a stand and start a national discussion about "the body shaming and sexualizing of women." "Boys always get the excuse about their hormones, that 'boys will be boys,'" Kaitlyn tells PEOPLE, "but instead, perhaps people should start teaching boys not to sexualize women's bodies. Wearing a bra is a personal choice. It's my body. Why is it anybody else's business whether I'm wearing a bra, especially when I'm covered up and dressed appropriately?" Kaitlyn, who says that she had gone braless for more than a year after deciding that brassieres were too restrictive and uncomfortable, was shocked when she was told to step into an administrator's office one week before graduating. "I was told that a male teacher had complained he was uncomfortable because I wasn't wearing a bra, and I was told to find something to cover up with," says the teen, who was wearing nipple stickers beneath a dark and loose off-the-shoulder T-shirt. "When I left the office, I was so upset that I posted a picture of what I was wearing on Facebook, telling everyone, 'If any of you are curious, this is the shirt I was wearing when I was called out.' I most definitely wasn't wearing anything against the dress code," she tells PEOPLE. The Helena High School handbook doesn't specify that female students have to wear bras, but the school's principal Steve Thennis says that regardless of the rules, Kaitlyn has "created a manufactured crisis." "I'm done talking about it other than to say this wasn't the mass protest that everybody has made it out to be," he tells PEOPLE. "Kaitlyn can continue to tell her side of the story, but I've spent enough time on this." Thennis told Montana's KTVH News , "I'm not going to check students' undergarments. We are going to ask them to dress appropriately and if we feel it is inappropriate, male or female, we are going to ask them to cover up." Kaitlyn's mother, Tami Juvik, 42, who runs a nail salon in Helena, says that her daughter was already covered up when she was "singled out" by administrators. "She and several of her friends had gone braless all year and they always make sure they're appropriately dressed," she tells PEOPLE. "The school has bigger fish to fry than whether my daughter is wearing a bra. I'm proud of Kaitlyn for standing up for herself and opening the door to start a discussion about the body shaming and sexualizing of women." After Kaitlyn was told to wear a bra, one of her classmates, Brooke Lanier, created the Facebook group "No Bra, No Problem," to support her friend, and hundreds of female Helena High students went braless to school on May 27 in protest, joined by several male students who wore bras. "The problem here should not have been Kaitlyn's attire, but the morality of the male teacher," says Brooke, 18. "As generations have progressed and women can now wear pants, I hope our movement will help our generation progress to equal treatment of male and female breasts and further gender equality in general." Samuel Tinsley, 17, says he was compelled to join Kaitlyn's crusade "because every male who is for equality and fighting for what is right should step out of the shadows," he tells PEOPLE. "I thought that the administration falsely dress-coding her and telling her to cover up was an inappropriate and immature request," he says, "because the outfit was no problem. When I heard they were trying to impose on Kaitlyn's self expression, it really irritated me. By making her change or go home to put on appropriate clothing, they're basically saying that a boy's education is more important than hers." Now that Kaitlyn has graduated from high school (she was braless under her white gown), she plans to attend cosmetology school in Spokane, Wash., and continue to speak out as the "Braless Warrior." And it's a safe bet that when she starts a summer job this weekend at a local snow cone shack, a certain undergarment won't be part of her attire. "I feel suffocated wearing a bra," she tells PEOPLE. "So anybody who has a problem with that should just look the other way and get over it." | 4 | 98,738 | lifestyle |
The Raptors fan who was ejected from his courtside seat during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals for heckling a referee was murdered in Toronto on Tuesday, according to the Toronto Sun. Sukh Deo, 34, was reportedly fatally shot while sitting in his Range Rover in broad daylight in midtown Toronto. Police say two men wearing construction vests fired at Deo's vehicle in an alley near a busy intersection, leaving at least 14 visible bullet holes in the driver's side window. Toronto police Supt. Reuben Stroble told reporters at the scene that the shooting was "a big surprise for this area, especially at this time of day." The Vancouver Sun referred to Deo as a "former gangster" who was well-known to police in the area, noting he was a suspect in at least one continuing investigation in the Lower Mainland at the time of his murder. His brother Harjit was convicted in a 2005 gangland kidnapping along with others in the Independent Soldiers gang. The kidnap victim had been held in the garage of the Deo family home in New Westminster, where police later arrested several suspects. Sukh's father Parminder is wanted on an Interpol warrant on drug smuggling charges laid in India. He earlier told The Sun he was innocent and had hired a lawyer in the Punjab to fight the case. Deo's family told reporters that they have no idea why he was targeted. | 1 | 98,739 | sports |
Baseball scouting is a tough gig that requires thousands of miles of driving (or millions ) through small towns where dining options are few. At every stop the objective remains the same: watch the kid play, thoroughly evaluate him and project his future ability and how he might be able to help the organization. It's a tall task. Even guys who appear top-flight talents and become consensus "no-doubt" prospects often flame out in the big show. ( Here're the 10 biggest MLB draft busts ). Sometimes scouts are just dead wrong because, among other reasons, it's challenging to project how a teenager will develop mentally and physically in a grinding sport in which the majority of players never ascend all the way. As the 2016 MLB Draft is set to begin on Thursday, climb into the time machine ( via Diamond Mines ) and see prescient remarks about young future stars before they became household names. While some reports foretold greatness with more vigor, they're all pretty interesting to read with the benefit of hindsight. Brooks Robinson at age 20 (1967) Notable remarks : On his "arm and fielding" it reads: "Very good arm -- accurate. Excellent hands -- very good fielder. Is the best I've seen coming in on bunts and swinging bunts. Will be tough to beat out bunts to him." The ensuing career : Also known as the "Human Vacuum Cleaner," the Hall of Fame plaque for the defensive wizard begins, "Established a modern standard of excellence for third basemen..." Chipper Jones at age 19 (1990) Notable remarks : "Outstanding instincts, leadership ability and knowledge of game. Superstar potential." Ensuing career : Though the Braves (and a dozen other teams) mulled a way to get Texas-raised pitcher Todd Van Poppel to sign, they ended up taking shortstop Chipper Jones at No. 1 overall in 1990 draft. The plan worked out in the way that scout Russ Bove saw it, so much so that Chipper eventually named one of his sons Shea because he frequently ripped the Mets at their old Shea Stadium (19 homers and .557 SLG in 88 games there). And speaking of his leadership ability, the lifelong Brave and future Hall of Famer is still serving the franchise well: IMPORTANT: @Braves to give away a "Chipper Rescues Freddie" ATV bobblehead this season: https://t.co/TUbrSKuPjB pic.twitter.com/4FZtYYXNNf Cut4 (@Cut4) January 13, 2016 Manny Ramirez at age 18 (1991) Notable remarks : "Has been surrounded by question marks all spring because of erraticness of play, dependability. Introverted kid, almost sullen looking. But coming where he's from, now wonder ... has plenty of ability especially with the bat to be solid everyday big leaguer -- if intangibles permit." The ensuing career :Intangibles permitted and he became one of the most feared right-handed hitters of all time with bouts of "Manny Being Manny." Craig Biggio at age 21 (1987) Notable remarks : The report on Biggio, a junior at Seton Hall at the time, reads like someone in the Biggio family may have written it. Since the whole thing is a compliment I'll point out the ironic weakness that Biggio "will at times pull back from breaking pitch (curveball)." The ensuing career : That's pretty funny considering how he became notorious for crowding the plate, finishing second all-time hit-by-pitch list with 285 career bruises over 20 seasons. He even inspired the blogspot " Plunk Biggio " that was "dedicated to Craig Biggio and his (probably unintentional) quest" to break the MLB HBP record. Dwight Gooden at age 17 (1982) Notable remarks : "Only 17, one of the best projectable pitchers I've scouted. [Steve] Carlton was another ... really like his future." Ensuing career : Won the 1984 NL Rookie of the Year award with the Mets the 1985 NL Cy Young and the 1986 World Series. Injuries, some drug problems and perhaps a heavy workload in his early years stunted what may have ended in a trip to Cooperstown, but he did get to enjoy two more World Series titles (1996, 1998) in another New York borough. Jim Abbott at age 18 (1986) Notable remarks : "Obviously has had to prove himself at every level he's played and has risen to the occasion. A warrior on the mound." Ensuing career : The totality of the report on Abbott, born without a right hand, put the teen into the average/above-average range. Overall it's not a declaration of future greatness but it does capture the kind of baseball-transcending inspirational talent that he became. Ken Griffey Jr. at age 17 (1987) Notable remarks : "Future outstanding power. Very good fielding and range ... Top prospecting for me with outstanding skills ... solid thighs and buttocks." Ensuing career : Became a wall-climbing 10-time Gold Glove award winner with one of the sweetest home run strokes of all time. "The Kid" will enter the Hall with the class of 2016 in July the highest percentage of BBWAA votes of all time (99.32%). Since Junior recently wrote a few words about what he feels was his best catch, let's take another look at that one: Bonus report on a decent but not great player, former Pirates and Braves first baseman Sid Bream With a particularly comical line in his report in light of historical events. Notable remarks : "Will not have average speed." Ensuing career : He had juuuuuust enough speed. Barely. | 1 | 98,740 | sports |
A Florida mom saved her 13-year-old daughter from a would-be kidnapper on Tuesday in a dramatic rescue caught on video. The suspect is safely in custody with the additional help of a quick-thinking, off-duty deputy who had just arrived on the scene. The mother was shopping with her daughter just before noon at a Dollar General store in Hernando when the suspect, Craig Bonello, tried to grab the girl. The alert mom reacted quickly, however, as the surveillance video from the store shows. As the 30-year-old Bonello ran from the store with her daughter, she chased him and was able to grab hold of her offspring for dear life. A "tug-of-war" ensued and screaming could be heard throughout the store, according to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. "In my ten years on the road I have never seen anything like this," said Sgt. Craig Callahan. "He truly intended to abduct this child right in front of everyone in the store." The mother would not let go of her daughter as she was dragged throughout the store, as the video shows. Bonello finally gave up, and let go of the girl. The suspect ran out of the store just as Deputy Jonathan Behnen was arriving. The store manager yelled to the deputy what was happening, and the officer pulled the his patrol car in front of Bonello's vehicle as the suspect tried to drive off. "Behnen is a bona fide hero today," said Capt. Ricky Grant. "If it weren't for him, this guy would have gotten away." Deputy Behnen had been to court earlier in the day and had stopped at the store to grab supplies. "This certainly supports the reason why we let deputies take their vehicles home," said Capt. Grant. "Thank goodness Dep. Behnen was there to catch Bonello before he got away." Bonello is facing charges of child abuse and kidnapping. He has been arrested several times, including in February for trespassing, according to the sheriff's office. "This was a chaotic scene with a lot at stake," Commander Buddy Grant of the sheriff's office said. "Thank goodness the girl's mother jumped into action to prevent this man from kidnapping her daughter. And, thank goodness Dep. Behnen used his training and experience to stop this man from escaping. This is obviously someone who needs to be behind bars. He won't be getting out anytime soon to do this again." | 5 | 98,741 | news |
Racing is dangerous. NASCAR knows all too well, and its efforts to protect drivers and fans continue with stronger measures to prevent injury and death. Other racing forms aren't as strident. As a result, an 8-year-old California boy and two racers are dead after weekend Baja 500 off-road competition in Mexico. And on England's Isle of Man, two competitors died during weekend races. MORE: Notable sports deaths | Pocono winners/losers | Next: Michigan Both the Baja 500 and Isle of Man races are notorious for their dangers. It's difficult when racers die; fan deaths are impossible to fathom. Human beings and high-powered machines aren't a safe combination, and spectators should never be put in harm's way. #Baja500 tragedy: SoCal boy killed in freak accident at the off-road race. New video at 6p https://t.co/kuM6Pbii41 https://t.co/EYwqPgsfis ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 7, 2016 Xander Hendriks was watching the wild Baja races with his family on Saturday when a driver lost control of his truck, swerved to avoid spectators and went downhill into a crowd. Xander was among those hit. His mother is recovering from injuries as she, too, was struck. Three other family members got out of the way. Riders Travis Livingston of California and Noah Evermann of Alaska, competitors in motorcycle competition, died on the course. It's not the first time a vehicle struck spectators who lined the Mexican course. One man died and six were injured in 1999's off-road race through the Baja California wastelands. High speeds contribute to machines going out of control. But there appears to be little in the way of safety precautions along the course. As NASCAR learned repeatedly, as with Kyle Larson's 2013 crash and Austin Dillon's horrifying accident, both at Daytona, there are never enough ways to assure spectator safety. Danger is part of the lure. But stock car racing does its best to keep spectators out of harm's way. It continues to improve track safety for drivers as well. No NASCAR national series driver has died since Dale Earnhardt in 2001. In 2014, Time called the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy "perhaps the most dangerous race on earth, with 242 deaths in its 107 years of existence." Now there are two more sidecar driver Dwight Beare, 27, and solo driver Paul Shoesmith, 50. NASCAR has seen 28 deaths since 1952 in what is now the Sprint Cup series. There have been 55 deaths on other series. None of those, however, was in the three national series since 2000. That's the year Adam Petty died at New Hampshire while driving in what is now the Xfinity Series. Tony Roper was killed at Texas in a Trucks race. One death is too many. NASCAR has an advantage in keeping drivers behind SAFER barriers and stronger fences over closed courses. It runs two road races a year, while the rest are done in arena settings. It's time for other sanctioned racing events to follow NASCAR's lead and make safety their primary goal. Not one more death. Not one more 8-year-old boy or any spectator; not one more driver. Put safety first. | 1 | 98,742 | sports |
Just because many of us enjoy drinking wine, investing in the industry isn't necessarily a good idea for everyone. For investors with a high net worth who are looking to further diversify their portfolio, wine offers an asset class similar to art , and some experts say there are opportunities to be found. To do so, it takes significant startup capital for any type of return, says Mathew Dahlberg, owner of Main Street Investments, a wealth management company in Kansas City, Missouri. "In order to see any type of return, you're talking investing $10,000 or more," he says. Miguel Farra, an avid wine collector and chairman of the tax and accounting department of Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, a public accounting firm in Miami, says some of his friends purchased cases of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild on release for $40 a bottle ($480 per case) and sold their investment for $4,000 a bottle ($48,000 per case). [See: 11 Ways President Trump's Tax Plan Could Affect Americans .] "Wine depends on the providence and the condition of the bottle," he says. "When you buy it on the secondary market, you have to be careful. There's a lot of fraud that is happening in the high-end wine market." Before investing in a case of these liquid assets, here are some tips to consider. Where to go? Although wine futures weren't in a great place from 2011-2014, there are a few opportunities now to buy futures of recently barreled wine that is aging in chateau cellars, says David Sokolin, author of "Investing in Liquid Assets" and president of Sokolin, a fine wine retailer in Bridgehampton, New York. The rarer the wine, the better the investment , he says, because rare wines will continue to be the most sought-after vintages. "Over time they continue to appreciate," Sokolin says. "Because they are finite and decreasing in quantity, and are now chased by a global clientele, they should go up in price." The 1961 Bordeaux are hard to acquire, but Sokolin recommends that investors focus on vintages of Bordeaux from 1982, 1990, 2000, 2005, 2009 and 2010. "I think the opportunity lies in those wines," he says. Sokolin points to "a secular change in the market" since influential U.S. wine critic Robert Parker, known for his 100-point rating system, sold his major stake in The Wine Advocate and no longer tastes Bordeaux on release. Although U.K. critic Neal Martin now rates the wine and Parker still tastes back vintages, "you can feel the absence of Robert Parker in the futures market this year," Sokolin says. "Even though 2015 is the first excellent vintage since 2010, you don't feel that sense of momentum in the market to buy it." Instead, Sokolin says historical wines that Parker rated 100 points are going to "live on in history" as the greatest wines ever made because no one reviewing wines today compares to Parker's fame and reputation for reviewing wine. "Robert Parker exiting the market has created an opportunity to buy older Robert Parker-reviewed wines," he says. For wine investors who are considering Burgundy vintages, Sokolin points to Allen Meadows's burghound.com for tips. He also suggests buying cases of wine in their original wood cases to increase the value since loose bottles are generally not investment-worthy. Look at the scores of the wines since investment grade wines are rated 97 to 100 points. "Burgundy is a great investment, it's very hard to get at, quantities are extremely low and there's a lot of people chasing it," he says. "The question is how much higher will the prices go? The general consensus says higher." Other trends to consider. While Bordeaux and Burgundy are the focus of most fine wine investors, many emerging markets are starting to come online and will likely be a factor during the next decade, says Spiros Malandrakis, senior alcoholic drinks analyst for market researcher Euromonitor International in London. Along with the rise of the more casual mass market and millennial drinker, Malandrakis says growth has continued in countries such as Chile, Australia, China and even the U.K., citing champagne houses like Taittinger that purchased land in Kent, England, late last year to create sparkling wine. The reason, he says, is the anticipation of global warming and rising temperatures that will make the region more akin to traditional Champagne region of France in future years. "And within the next decade we will be talking about Chinese wines," Malandrakis says, adding that the Chinese, which only focused on French wine a few years ago, are slowly incorporating wine, most red thanks to its symbolism as a lucky color into their everyday life. Review the wine stock market. To get a general sense of the market, considered tracking the industry benchmark, Liv-ex, the London International Vintners Exchange, a global trading platform for fine wine merchants, and its Fine Wine 100 Index that tracks the price movement of the 100 most sought-after fine wines. "If the index is moving down, the market is shrinking because the price for the most 100 sought-after wines is declining as people are unloading them," says Burak Kazaz, a professor at Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. "Bottle prices will follow the market movement." Liv-ex is open only to professional fine wine traders, so private wine investors typically buy from a wholesaler, distributor or retailer who has access to the market. Before any investor makes a fine wine purchase, experts suggest asking the merchant to show proof of the storage location of the wine. Farra also recommends using tools such as wine-searcher.com and going to vetted auctions at Sotheby's and Zachys Wine Auctions or preferred fine wine merchants such as Hart Davis Hart Wine Co. in Chicago or Sunset Corners Fine Wine and Spirits in Miami. Watch out for the pitfalls. "As romantic as it sounds, investing in wine is risky business," says Philip Kiernan, financial advisor and managing director at Highlander Capital Management in Short Hills, New Jersey. "A lot can go wrong from the time the wine is made to when the bottle is opened. Poor handling and storage can hurt a wine just as much as overall scarcity and positive reviews can help enhance its reputation." As an illiquid liquid, many experts say investors have to hold onto their wine or wine futures for a minimum of 7 to 15 years. Similar to investing in art or a private company, wine has a perceived market value based on a customer's opinion of the product or service's value that may not correctly correspond with an investment's true value when it comes time to sell. Only a small percentage of the high-net-worth population should be investing in the market, says Phil Corcoran, a certified financial planner and managing director at Savant Capital Management in McLean, Virginia. "When you look at the world's supply of wine production, only 1 percent of that in any given year would fall into the investable quality category," Corcoran says. "Those odds are terrible. In my opinion, I wouldn't even bother. I don't think it's for most people." Instead, Corcoran recommends investing in more traditional methods such as the Standard & Poor's 500 index , with its broad market of industries. "In any given year you're getting 85 percent of your benchmark will outperform any group of active managers," he says. "The 1 percenters are going to argue against me, that's fine. They can quibble and take their chances on that 1 percent." | 3 | 98,743 | finance |
What do the formula for Coca-Cola, the subject of Carly Simon's classic song "You're So Vain," and selling a home have in common? They all involve secrets . Although we don't have the inside scoop on the first two, we did manage to find some real estate agents who are happy to share some trade-secret real estate tips. So read on but shh, don't tell! 1. Staging changes from season to season The concept of staging was once a secret. That cat's been out of the bag for a while now, but the practice of staging homes continues to evolve and it can be much more complicated and elaborate than simply creating a cozy conversation area in a living room. For instance, did you know that it's better to use shorter furniture during summer months? "It makes the room feel bigger, longer, and in the potential buyer's mind, a better fit," says Brian Pickler, president of Nadeau Furniture with a Soul. Another staging secret is to play soft background music during showings to make a home seem cozier. 2. People love a healthy lawn Who can resist the smell of freshly cut grass ? Apparently, buyers can't. Bryan Clayton, CEO of GreenPal , knows one Nashville, TN, real estate agent's secret: "She uses our platform to order last-minute lawn mowing before every showing. I've seen her get one home's lawn mowed three times in one week." 3. Pricing-strategy bands are important Setting the right price so your home will sell is not a secret, but have you ever heard of pricing within "bands?" Don Tepper , a Virginia real estate agent, explains: "Buyers who want to spend $340,000 on a property may look between $325,000 and $350,000. If that's the seller's target market, then pricing a home at $351,000 will result in a lot of potential buyers missing the listing altogether." So what's the secret solution? Tepper says to price the home at $349,000. If you price it at $351,000, you'll get people looking at the band between $350,000 and $375,000. "Those buyers probably want something fancier or nicer than a $351,000 house," he says. 4. You can negotiate your agent's commission … but should you? It's still a secret to many sellers that they can negotiate their agent's commission . But it might be a mistake to do so just because you can. "Often it's the bad [agents] who offer to discount their commissions. They are doing this to try and win the business," says Thomas Miller, a Washington, DC, real estate agent. In other words, as with many things in life, you get what you pay for. "A truly excellent [agent] who executes the transaction quickly and flawlessly and sells the house at a good price is worth every penny," says Miller. 5. Black holes exist in real estate listings People can't see black holes; no light gets out, making them invisible. If your listing falls into a real estate black hole, no one will see it either. "Most cities have listing black holes times when listings get lost to weekends of sun, family vacations, and nonbusiness topics," says Matt Parker , a Seattle, WA, real estate agent. If you list right before people go out of town, such as before Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, your listing may get buried before potential buyers see it. 6. Exaggerations in listings only disappoint People on dating sites often fudge their age or post a photo that makes them look more athletic than they really are. This works in the short term to capture attention, but when the face-to-face meeting happens, those exaggerated online claims often lead to disappointment. The same happens with real estate listings. "If your home is located near a tiny pond, don't describe it as if it's this huge, luxurious waterfront lake desirable to all," says Chantay Bridges , a Los Angeles, CA , real estate agent. "Take what you do have and describe the best features of it. Otherwise, buyers may be turned off and disappointed." 7. A listing can't sit too long In a hot market, "too long" for a house to sit unsold is three to four weeks, max. "That's a sure sign [the house] is overpriced," says Miller. If you don't want to appear desperate by dropping the value, price the home realistically from the start. "It's much better to be in a position where the seller has multiple offers than to get greedy trying to obtain an unrealistic price only to reduce it later," Miller adds. 8. There is a home-buying month Many real estate agents mark February's Presidents Day weekend as the unofficial start of the housing season, which runs through September. There is then a steady decline in activity until the next year. But there's one month during housing season that consistently performs better in sales than all the others. Can you guess this secret month? If you answered June, you would be correct. Housing sales in June are typically 29% above average . Don't Miss Out Subscribe for house hunting tips, hot new listings, and real estate must-reads. Sign Me Up * A valid email address is required. * That email address is already in use. Please log in to update your email preferences. * Something went wrong. Sign up with a valid email address to continue. Do you have secret real estate tips for home sellers? Let us know in the comments below! The post 8 Home Sale Secrets Only Real Estate Agents Know appeared first on Trulia's Blog . | 3 | 98,744 | finance |
Dietary supplement maker Pharmavite is recalling several of its vitamin products , including some of its adult gummies, due to a possible contamination issue. On Tuesday, the Northridge, California-based company that owns the Nature Made line of vitamins and nutritional supplements said it was pulling the following products from store shelves "out of an abundance of caution due to potential salmonella or staphylococcus aureus contamination": Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and in rare cases, death. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, more commonly known as staph, can cause a slew of medical problems, from bone infections to pneumonia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The recall was initiated after it was discovered that salmonella and/or staphylococcus aureus testing were not completed properly on these specific batch lots," the company said. Pharmavite added it was recalling two other products -- Nature Made Adult Gummies Hair, Skin, Nails and Nature Made Vitamin D 1000 IU Tablets -- for "other reasons." No other details were given. Consumers can find a product's lot number on the back panel next to the expiration date. The recalled products should not be consumed, and can be returned to the store for a full refund. Find out more about the recall here . | 7 | 98,745 | health |
The 100 top-earning athletes around the globe cumulatively banked $3.15 billion over the last 12 months, a notch below last year's record total of $3.22 billion, which was fueled by the blockbuster fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao . The two boxers ranked first and second last year with a combined $460 million. This year the two earned $68 million and ranked No. 16 (Mayweather) and No. 63 (Pacquiao). Overall earnings for the top 100 were down, but endorsement income rose 11% to $924 million. Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo lands the top spot with earnings of $88 million. This is the first year since 2001 someone besides Mayweather or Tiger Woods ranked first. It is tougher than ever to crack the top 100 with the cutoff up $2 million to $20.8 million. San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey landed at No. 100. Here is a breakdown of the numbers behind the world's 100 highest-paid athletes Sport Athletes from 10 different sports made the cut with baseball players the most dominant with 26 led by Clayton Kershaw at No. 33 with $32 million. The NFL (21 athletes), NBA (18) and soccer (12) were the next most prolific sports. The explosion in TV money is goosing salaries in these team sports. Seven tennis players made the cut along with six race car drivers, five golfers and three boxers. Track and mixed martial arts both placed one athlete with Usain Bolt at No. 32 ($32.5 million) and Conor McGregor at No. 85 ($22 million). Nationality There are 23 countries represented among the top 100 with Americans (65) the most prevalent thanks to soaring salaries in baseball, basketball and football. Five Brits landed in the top 100 led by F1 driver Lewis Hamilton at No. 11 and $46 million. Hamilton signed a contract extension to drive for Mercedes and won his second straight F1 World Championship. Three athletes each made the cut from Argentina, Germany and the Dominican Republic. Age The average age of the top 100 is 31. Seven athletes in their 40s made the cut with golfer Phil Mickelson , who turns 46 this month, the oldest. He's followed by Nascar's Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 41, and New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez , who turns 41 in July. Golfer Jordan Spieth , 22, is the youngest by 16 months. Next up are the NBA's Kyrie Irving and Brazilian soccer icon, Neymar , who are both 24. Newcomers/Dropoffs There are 33 new members of the list who didn't make the cut in 2015, including five returnees like A-Rod and Tom Brady . The top-ranked newcomer is Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton , who ranks No. 7 at $53.1 million, including $12 million from endorsements (we include Newton's $10 million March 2016 option bonus as "earned" income during our time period even though it was deferred for 12 months). Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger , who ranked No. 11 , is the biggest dropoff. Big Ben was listed at $48.9 million last year thanks to his March 2015 contract extension that included a $31 million signing bonus. The biggest gainer this year is Spieth who moved up from No. 85 to No. 9, thanks to his $10 million FedEx Cup payday, new endorsements, rich appearance fees and sponsor bonuses from winning two major tournaments. Sponsors Nike's 2015 annual report showed the company had $6.2 billion in future obligations committed to athletes, teams, leagues and colleges for sponsorships. The $31 billion-in-sales sports giant has endorsement relationships with exactly half the 100 top-paid athletes. The deals range from a lifetime agreement with LeBron James that could exceed $1 billion to ones that include free product and minimal cash that might be worth $25,000. PepsiCo, including its Gatorade brand has relationships with 17 athletes. Adidas and its subsidiaries, Reebok and TaylorMade, landed 14 athletes on the list. Rawlings has deals with 14 baseball players in the top 100, while Under Armour is affiliated with 13, including reigning MVPs Newton and Stephen Curry , along with PGA Tour Player of the Year Spieth. Agencies CAA landed the most clients among the top 100 with 17, including 10 NFL players. Excel Sports Management ranked second with nine athletes. Relativity Sports, Roc Nation Sports and WME-IMG all had five athletes make the cut. Eleven athletes don't have an official agent by our count. Social Media Ronaldo is the biggest star on social media with 215 million followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. He is also the most valuable with his promoted posts over the last 12 months generating $176 million in media value for brands, according to Hookit , which tracks the social engagement of athletes. Lionel Messi and Neymar have the next largest followings with 131 million and 129 million. Curry's promoted posts were worth $24 million, which trails only Ronaldo. Methodology Forbes earnings figures include all salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2015 and June 1, 2016. In the case of baseball players, the listed salary will include salary from the 2015 and 2016 seasons, as well as any signing, award or playoff bonuses. Winnings for golfers and tennis players represent their prize money over that period. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees and licensing income for the 12 months through June 1 based on conversations with dozens of industry insiders. The golfers' income includes course design work. We do not deduct for taxes or agents' fees and we do not include investment income. Our list only includes athletes active during the last 12 months. Michael Jordan outearns every active athlete and banked $110 million in 2015 to rank first among the highest-paid retired athletes thanks to brisk sales of Nike's Jordan brand. Four iconic athletes in Mayweather, Pacquiao, Peyton Manning and Kobe Bryant walked away from their sports over the past year, but made the top 100 thanks to their earnings over the past 12 months. They will be gunning to join Jordan among the best-paid retired stars (a caveat: the word retirement is used very loosely in boxing). See full coverage of the World's Highest-Paid Athletes here. Additional reporting by Christina Settimi | 1 | 98,746 | sports |
A collection of gadgets and devices you won''t believe exist. Moto Parilla Carbon SUV e-bike The motorcycle-inspired electric Moto Parilla Carbon is a rugged off-road bike designed to cope with the toughest of surfaces. Equipped with eight gears, the bike has a 50-mile range on an eight-hour charge. Available in 250 watt or 500 watt versions, it can hit speeds up to 18 mph. Selfie drone Hover Camera floats in front of a person and takes high-resolution portraits and 4k videos. It uses stabilizer technology and advanced algorithms to follow you and capture the perfect image. This device weighs less than 0.56 pounds and is small enough to fit in a shoulder bag. Windblocker Dutch firm Windblocker has created a device that will stop strong winds interfering with your phone calls. Once the device, a tiny foam clip, is slipped over the phone's speaker, any sort of noise from gales will be cut out. Pet on Wheels (POW) An Italian firm has designed Pet On Wheels (POW) to help owners carry their pets on various vehicles, including scooters and cars. Pets weighing less than 22 pounds can fit inside a plastic box featuring a hole at the top, which allows the pet to look out. The carrier can be secured on any vehicle with its special mounting plate. 'A' Speaker Designed by Akoustic Arts, the device is an alternative to headphones and enables a person to listen to music or watch a film without disturbing others. It uses a directional sound beam which points directly at the listener. 360-degree mirror This mirror designed to help users track body measurements, fat and muscles will render a realistic image of a human body from every angle. When a user stands on a rotating plate in front of the mirror, a 360-degree scan takes place and the data is sent to a connecting smartphone application. World's smallest camera drone The world's smallest camera drone, named Skeye Nano Camera Drone, is just 5 inches wide and can fly up to heights of 165 feet. The tiny drone can flip and tumble mid-air, while capturing images using its on-board camera. It weighs a mere 0.5 ounce roughly the same as an empty Coke can. A fully charged battery gives four minutes of flight time. ArcaBoard Lifted by 36 high-power electric ducted fans and fitted with onboard sensors, Arca Space Corporation's ArcaBoard can rise up to one foot above the ground and can power along at the speed of up to 12.5 mph. A fully charged ArcaBoard powers a flight time of about six minutes. Hands-Free suitcase Imagine the comfort of traveling with a smart suitcase that follows you while avoiding obstacles. Israeli company NUA Robotics has designed it. The Hands-Free suitcase communicates with the user's smartphone through Bluetooth to track the user's location. It also features a camera sensor, an anti-theft tool and a backup battery reserve. Camera-free security system A groundbreaking home-security system that detects and tracks movement through walls and furniture in real time using radio waves informing the exact location of an intruder on a smartphone app. Called Xandem Home, the system takes just 15 minutes to install and is a product of years of research funded by major U.S. intelligence services. Lumir C lamp A lamp that uses the flame of a candle to power the LED bulb and lights up an entire room. Lumir C lamp's inventor Jay Pack from Seoul, South Korea, said: "The heat from the flame rises into the device, where the temperature difference between hot and cool air generates thermoelectricity, a principle known as the Seebeck effect. Then the energy turns on the LED at the top. Depending on the power of the flame, it usually it takes about one to two minutes to shine brightly." Smartphone coffee machine Coffee lovers can now create the ultimate personalized coffee from the comfort of their own sofa, thanks to the world's first fully integrated smart connected bean-to-cup coffee machine. The stunning new state-of-the-art PrimaDonna Elite from De'Longhi allows you to create, personalize and deliver your perfect coffee straight from a Bluetooth-enabled app on your mobile device, wherever you are in the home. It can create hundreds of different varieties of coffee-based drinks, all from one machine. Washable smartphone Kyocera, a Japanese company, has developed the world's first washable smartphone the Digno Rafre. It is water-proof, dust-proof, shock-resistant and can be hand-washed with soap and water. On top of that, scratch healing paint on the back means the phone can "self-heal" from everyday shallow scratches. The Digno Rafre, which will run Android 5.1 (Lollipop), is 10.1 mm thick and has a 5-inch, 720p display with a 13-megapixel camera. It features a special touchscreen that will work even when wet and has smart sonic receivers to prevent the speakers from being damaged during the washing process. Magic wand The "magic wand," known as an Mstick, is a multi-functioning device that can act as an alarm, a LED bike light, a timer and a weather forecast display. Featuring a stylish design, the Mstick comes in a variety of colors and features a detachable hand-strap. The Mstick pairs with Bluetooth and can connect to an app on an accompanying iOS or Android device. Gogoro Smartscooter It uses a battery-swap program, where the user can swap a dead, or low-running, battery at a roadside kiosk for a fully-charged replacement. The bike features apps that find battery kiosks, analyze the rider's behavior and determine what is best for their smartscooter's energy consumption. A zero-emissions vehicle, it can reach a maximum speed of 60 mph. Lightest folding bike Peter Craciun, a British designer, has created the "world's lightest" folding bike, weighing less than four pineapples. The "Hummingbird" bike could be revolutionary for those who have a long walk as part of their commute. The company, a London start-up called Hummingbird Bike Co., designed the bike using carbon fiber, making it super-light. Weighing just 14.33 pounds, the bike folds down into a compact size using a foldable back wheel and handlebars. Fruitleather Fruitleather Rotterdam are a team of undergraduate design students who have come up with a new way to deal with leftover food: by turning it into vegan leather. What originally began as a university project has now turned into an incredible design project. The team uses leftover food from local food markets and turns it into a fabric called "fruitleather." This leather-like material, which is made from rotting fruit and vegetables, can then be turned into a trendy tote bag or satchel. Self-heating gloves British researchers have created the world's first self-heating gloves, which they say are perfect for beating the cold during winter exercise. The unique technology in the gloves uses the body's own energy to heat hands, which means they use no artificial heat sources (such as batteries) and work in any conditions. Hi-tech socks An ultra-durable waterproof sock made from a material 15 times stronger than steel could replace the common athletic sneaker, taking on virtually any sport. The revolutionary FYF sock by Swiss Barefoot Co. named after "FreeYourFeet" fits like a glove and can be used on any surface. It uses a fabric called Dyneema, an extremely strong and durable fiber that floats on water and is resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. Robot restaurant An automated fast food restaurant in San Francisco has no servers, no wait staff and a virtual cashier that offers fresh food. Customers place their orders at an interactive kiosk and then collect their food at a first-of-its-kind automated pick-up system that features a collection of glass door "cubbies" with personalized graphics that open to reveal your meal. App based cigarette case to reduce smoking Here's how you can cut back on your smoking in a classy way. Controlled by a smartphone app and a fingerprint reader, Lowiee is an anodised aluminium case that allows the user to set the number of cigarettes they wish to smoke in a day, week, or month as well the amount they want to spend on it. The app also provides details of the health benefits and financial savings made by regulating their consumption. Trakkies devices A revolutionary coin-sized device now ensures you never forget to pick up essential items because it warns you when you're about to leave the house without them. The groundbreaking tools, called "Trakkies," are a collection of tiny circular gadgets which can be attached to keys, a bag, or a wallet or purse. They then alert the user if they have forgotten to pick up a certain item by flashing their LEDs and making noises. Users can also connect their smartphone to the devices by downloading the Trakkies app and will be given precise directions to the item they have left behind. Hydro hammock A U.S. innovator has created a portable hot water hammock, designed to be put up anywhere. Known as the Hydro Hammock, Benjamin Frederick thinks that his product could be used by the Red Cross and other charities as well as holidaymakers and even as a replacement for baths in places short of water. Tron-inspired custom electric motorcycle Inspired from Joseph Kosinski's "Tron: Legacy," this custom electric motorcycle is likely to go on sale this year. Said to be priced in a range of $25,000-$40,000, it will be sold at the Andrews Collection auction in Forth Worth, Texas. This bike is powered by a 96-volt direct-drive electric motor with lithium batteries and computer-controlled throttle along with spring-preload front suspension, rear rigid suspension and hydraulic brakes (rear and front). AMPware CrankCase This wind-up case is designed to ensure that mobile phones never run out of battery. Known as the Ampware CrankCase, it features a pop handle that can be used to charge the phone when it is out of battery. A minute of turning the handle charges a smartphone for 40 minutes. Sun Strap The Sun Strap is a unique charging device that makes use of solar energy for charging gadgets through a USB port. The flexible solar panel, which is made of weather- and water-proof material, can be attached to the strap of a bag. The panel draws sunlight and converts it into energy, thereby charging the internal battery. Any device connected to the USB port in the Sun Strap can be charged. This device is priced at $99. Nursing care robot Scientists from RIKEN and Sumitomo Riko Co. Ltd. have developed a new experimental nursing care robot called ROBEAR. The robot is capable of performing tasks such as shifting a patient from a bed to a wheelchair and providing assistance to a patient who needs help to stand up. Runcible: The World's First Anti-Smartphone The Runcible is described as the first personal device for the post-smartphone era and is modeled on an old-fashioned pocket watch. The round device has a natural design reminiscent of a pebble and includes a high-performance phone and camera. The Main Drain clip-on urinal This unique bathroom addition can simply be attached to a toilet and allows men the chance to go without lifting the seat up. Wireless oral health smartphone device Mint is a pocket-sized device lets users measure breath quality. This device communicates wirelessly to Breathometer, a smartphone application, and gives results to users. Selfie toaster This unique cooking appliance lets users get their faces on a slice of bread by using custom heating inserts. Fittersift shirt Aimed at optimising the body efficiency of a person by raising blood oxygen levels, the Fittershift shirt makes use of responsive textile technology, which transforms waste body heat into infra-red energy. Experience Helmet The Experience Helmet is designed to enable a person to hear his/her own brainwaves. It makes use of an electroencephalography (EEG) sensor that records any electrical activity taking place, which is then converted into sounds that reflect their state of mind. E-ink keyboard American company Jaasta has developed a new keyboard which can be customised to your needs. Depending on the application or language being used, the user can amend the keys to display relevant characters. International users will also be able to make their own country's characters appear at the touch of a button. Mind gyms The Orrb is a pod inside which the user can escape bustling open-plan workspaces and find time for themselves. Designed by Lee McCormack, the orb-like structure requires an online account through which one choose exercises best suited for your mood. The d evices are currently being hand-finished in the USA and UK and are expected to launch officially in spring. The d evelopers aim to see them being placed in airports, universities and public spaces. World's first personal robot RoboDynamics is working to develop Luna -- the first human-sized (almost 4.9 feet) personal robot designed for everyday use. Luna will be able to walk the dog, serve you drinks and much more. Anti-snore pillow If you are tired of your partner s snoring, invest in this anti-snore pillow that detects vibrations and gently nudges the sleeper to change positions without waking them. This revolutionary pillow is available online for $139. InPutter Designed by Ingeniarius, the InPutter is a golf club which monitors around 16 variables that includes the player's swing, angles and power generated in a shot and gives instant feedback by transmitting the data on your preferred device. Cliphit drum kit Developed by the Japanese company Korg, this gadget is composed of three clips with internal sensors which transforms the surface it's attached to into a drum kit. Wireless Christmas lights Aura, a U.S. company, has solved our wire woes by developing a magnetic ring that will transmit power to LEDs, which will act as Christmas lights, when activated. XOO Belt To charge your smartphone Designed by Nifty, the belt comes in brown or black leather fitted with tiny charger of 2,100mAh capacity and a USB port connected to the buckle and leather. AirWheel Simply balance your body in the direction you want to travel and your AirWheel will take you there and last up to 28 miles on a single charge. Bike that grows with your child Designed by Irish engineer Simon Evans, this 14.5-pound cycle made from high-grade aluminium is specifically aimed for children between the ages of two to seven. It has three different adjustable sizes that allows you to increase the height of the bike as your child grows taller. Remote-controlled golf trolley Australian Ian Edwards has developed a remote-controlled trolley that lugs your golf clubs around. Bitbite: Eating habit tracker An Israeli company has developed a device that monitors a person's eating habits and provides real-time dietary suggestions that are displayed on a smartphone. Bus that runs on poop A U.K. company has developed this 40-seater Bio-Bus which generates enough power to travel up to 186 miles on a full tank of treated food waste and human waste. Hologram viewers U.S. company Bleen Inc. has developed a gadget that projects holographic 3D images. Lamps made from real bread Experimenting with food and design, Yukiko Morita from Japan created a unique lampshade made entirely out of bread. First the design is hollowed out of flour, water and salt, then a resin coating is applied to prevent mildew and finally LED bulbs are fixed inside. Submarine sports car This prototype fitted with propellers and two water jets mounted behind rotating louvres at the front. This two-seater car, costing $2 million, is powered by six 48-volt Lithium-ion batteries, can reach a speed of 75 mph on land and two knots when submerged. Re-inventing the shovel Put an end to all the back-aches the next time you are out shovelling snow off your lawn or digging a new herb garden. Entrepreneur Stephen Walden has designed a unique ergonomic shovel that has a grip in the centre which turns 360 degrees and a handle with an adjustable length. VSSL outdoor utility tools Canadian Todd Weimer created a unique device 7.8 inches long that can hold 15 essential items including a first aid kit, compass, matches, whistle, razor blade, mirror, can opener, LED, a wire saw and more. Folding bicycle helmet Bicycle riders have a reason to smile since Philippe Arrouart has invented a folding helmet that one can then stow away into their bag. The suitcase that doubles as a scooter Slovenian designed Bostjan Zagar has developed a suitcase that is literally for people on the go. Stain free chef jackets "MasterChef Australia" mentor Chef Adrian Li has used nanotechnology to create a revolutionary chef's jacket that does not stain. Starfish - Child left in car warning device 26-year-old father Matthew Sheets has designed a unique weight-activated sensor that lets the parent know if their child is still in its car seat. | 3 | 98,747 | finance |
Your brain and body may not bounce back like they used to. Moderation is key. Your brain and body may not bounce back like they used to. No doubt about it a lifetime of hard drinking takes a toll. Liver damage, dementia and skin aging are all more likely with long-term alcohol abuse. For seniors who are lighter drinkers, though, the message is mixed. Alcohol tolerance is lower, and hangovers last longer with age. Drinking can worsen forgetfulness. But the news isn't all bad, and drinking in moderation may even have some health benefits for seniors. See the different ways drinking affects healthy aging. Hits harder with age Tolerance for alcohol can decline over time, possibly due to changes in body composition, says Robert Pandina, a professor with and former director of the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies. Hormonal changes appear to increase alcohol sensitivity among women and men alike. As you age, the proportion of fat to muscle tends to increase, even if your weight remains stable, he says. So you develop a higher blood alcohol content even if you drink the same amount you used to. Reaction times and motor ability tend to slow with age and drinking reduces these abilities further. More isn't merrier. Light to moderate drinking may have health benefits. But people often underestimate how much they drink, Pandina says. For standard servings, a single drink equals the following: one 12-ounce can or bottle of regular beer or wine cooler; one 5-ounce glass of wine; and one 1.5-ounce shot glass of liquor at 80 proof or less. According to the National Institute on Aging, a healthy person age 65 or older should drink no more than seven alcoholic drinks in a week, or three drinks in any given day. Sets you up for a fall Intoxication increases the risk of accidents, including falls, fractures and car crashes at any age. But balance and stability pose more of a challenge as people age. Older adults are more likely to suffer falls, with worse injuries like hip fractures and longer recovery periods. Alcohol ramps up the risk even more, as it slows the brain's activity. Alertness, coordination, judgement and reaction time all decrease with drinking. Shows up in your skin Alcohol accelerates skin aging, says Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging. Wrinkles, puffiness, dryness, red cheeks and purple capillaries heavy drinking can add years to your face. Alcohol dehydrates the entire body, and that includes your skin. Jaundice , when the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow, is one sign of alcoholic liver disease. May help your heart Red wine contains resveratrol, an antioxidant which may increase good HDL cholesterol and protect arteries from damage. Some research suggests that light to moderate drinking, regardless of the type of alcohol, may reduce heart disease risk compared to abstaining. However, if you don't drink, experts say it's not worth starting simply for the sake of potential and unproven benefits. Too much alcohol raises the risk for abnormal heart rhythms and high blood pressure. Puts strain on your liver Heavy drinking is a risk factor for disease such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Even moderate drinking can affect liver function. The relationship works both ways: Because the aging liver can't break down, or metabolize, alcohol as quickly, it stays in your system longer. While moderate drinking may have benefits for the heart, that's not the case for your liver, Milner says. "Liver function is one of those things that impacts the way we age," he says. "That drink a day impacts your liver." Makes medical conditions worse Chronic conditions that tend to develop with age can be complicated by alcohol. According to the American Diabetes Association, alcohol can cause dangerously low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, up to 24 hours after drinking. Alcohol may interfere with healthy eating for people with diabetes. Drinking can raise blood pressure in the short term, while repeated alcohol binges contribute to hypertension. Heavy drinking is thought to increase the risk of ulcers and keep existing ulcers from healing. Interacts with medications Older people are likely to take more medicine, so it's important to know how alcohol interferes with prescription and over-the-counter drugs . Mixing alcohol with medication can either reduce or intensify drugs' intended effects. Some medications already contain alcohol. Liver function can decrease with age, reducing the body's ability to break down and get rid of medication. Adding alcohol, which also affects the liver, can increase the risk of drug side effects. Heavy drinking shrinks brain volume. A history of hard drinking and alcohol abuse may boost your risk for dementia. Heavy, long-term drinking speeds up shrinkage of the brain, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This loss of brain volume is a key factor in the decline of memory and cognitive ability sometimes seen in aging. A condition known as alcoholic dementia leads to mental confusion, agitation and lack of muscle coordination. Influences mood It's true: A drink or two can help you relax . Alcohol has anti-anxiety and anti-stress properties, Pandina says. Given a choice, he says, drinking in moderation may be preferable to taking anti-anxiety medications. "I'm not a champion of daily drinking, or any drinking for that matter," he emphasizes, adding that while it's hard to generalize, "whenever you put a drug into your body, whether it's alcohol or medication or any such substance, you are putting something into your body that doesn't belong there." Alcohol is a depressant, so too much drinking darkens mood. Disrupts sleep A nightcap can actually keep you up at night. Some seniors may think alcohol helps them sleep , Milner says, but it may do the opposite, especially if they have a drink just before bedtime. Many older people have habits that negatively affect sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. Napping frequently during the day, exercising less and spending less time outdoors can affect sleep cycles, the NIH says. And drinking alcohol (and caffeine) worsens insomnia by keeping seniors from falling asleep or staying asleep. Dehydrates your body Alcohol is a diuretic that's why drinking makes you urinate more. So you need to drink more water to replenish your system . The problem is that the body's ability to sense thirst and conserve water decreases over the years, making it easier to become dangerously dehydrated. As you age, your body is less able to respond to changes in the weather, like a heat wave. In seniors, signs of dehydration include confusion, incoherence, constipation and falls. Dominates your social life Retirement brings a lot more time to drink, and social life often centers on alcohol. "One of the growing problems, which is not often discussed in the United States, is with retirees who move to retirement communities or other locations where cocktail hour begins early and often," Pandina says. "And they drink at a much higher level than even they believe that they're drinking." Drains your wallet Don't underestimate the monetary cost of alcohol multiplied by days and years. Liquor store spending and bar tabs add up for seniors with fixed incomes on a tight budget. By sometimes switching to nonalcoholic drinks like club soda, ginger ale and water, you can save money at the bar, socialize longer and feel better. | 7 | 98,748 | health |
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Muhammad Ali, who long ago began crafting the plan for his final tribute, insisted the tickets for his memorial service be free. But on Wednesday, after the tickets were handed out, some people looked to make a profit. People started arriving outside the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville late Tuesday, hours ahead of the ticket distribution. The line stretched around the arena. Thousands of tickets for Ali's memorial service Friday were claimed on a first-come, first-served basis in about an hour. Many fans of the boxing great flashed smiles, and some danced, upon getting their four-ticket allotments to be part of history. Thousands of others left empty-handed. Given the supply-and-demand factor for about 15,000 seats in the arena, some ticket holders immediately looked to cash in, going online offering to sell theirs to the star-studded event. Former President Bill Clinton, a longtime Ali friend, will eulogize the champ, who died last Friday at 74 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Ali family spokesman Bob Gunnell denounced the profiteering. "I'm personally disgusted and amazed that someone would try to profit off of Muhammad Ali's memorial service," he said. "I hope that those buying tickets or trying to buy tickets would stop those efforts by not purchasing," he added. "Muhammad Ali wanted this to be a free event, an event that was open to all." One of the posters offering to sell tickets, when reached by phone, said a friend of his sold tickets to the memorial service. When asked for how much, he hung up. Others posted online pleas to buy tickets. One wrote that he and his mother were driving in from Chicago for the service and were willing to pay $50 for two tickets. Another wrote that he was flying in from California for the service and offered to pay someone $50 to stand in line for him for tickets to both the memorial service and the Jenazah, a traditional Muslim funeral being held Thursday in Louisville. But others unable to wait in line refused to pay for tickets to the event Ali insisted should be free. "The Greatest wanted his funeral to be accessible to everyone instead of the money hungry spectacle that will be taking place on Friday," one wrote in requesting someone give him tickets for free. "RIP Muhammad Ali, the Greatest of all time." Another poster wanted to sell tickets to the funeral. Thousands of free tickets were distributed this week for that event. Basit Mohammad went online in hopes of finding someone willing to part with their tickets, at no cost, to the Jenazah. At first, the 22-year-old from Virginia said he heard from several people willing to sell their tickets. He turned them down. "I think it's wrong," Mohammad said. "It's not how you commemorate someone, by making money off their death." Eventually, someone from the Louisville area contacted him with word that four tickets were available -- for free. "I'm glad that somebody has a heart out there," Mohammad said. Mohammad planned to head out for Louisville on Wednesday with three friends to pay tribute the three-time heavyweight champion and humanitarian. "When will I ever have a chance to attend the funeral of someone that meant a lot to Islam and to our country?" he said. | 1 | 98,749 | sports |
Trade rock climbing walls and ice skating rinks for immersive experiences and leisurely exploration. Take the kids on a fun and educational trip through scenic, hard-to-reach locales. Cruise enthusiasts know that sailing provides an effortless family vacation, and a way to see the world without hauling suitcases, chasing kids or changing hotels. While megaships have facilities that can accommodate travelers of all ages and a wide range of onboard activities, it's the relaxing pace and cultural immersion of river cruises that have become popular with families, say 60 percent of travel agents polled by the Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade association. Read on for 10 cruises that happily sail the world's great rivers with kids aboard often at discounted rates. Discover Myanmar on the Strand Cruise. Named for its sister property, the celebrated Strand Hotel in Yangon, Myanmar, the brand new Strand Cruise began sailing the Irrawaddy River in December 2015. The 200-foot-long ship has just 27 double suites decorated in a luxurious Burmese-style, with teak and gold leaf accents. In addition to a sun deck and lap pool, the ship features a restaurant, a rooftop bar and a spa. Cruisers can enjoy a full schedule of activities on the three- and four-night itineraries between Bagan and Mandalay in Myanmar. And though the ship features an upscale and intimate onboard setting, it's an ideal choice for families who want to introduce their children to Myanmar's fascinating Buddhist culture. Take a Crystal Cruises river yacht for the holidays. Crystal Cruises has earned top accolades among critics and cruisers for more than 20 years, with top-notch programming for ages 3 to 17 over school holidays. In July, the new Crystal Mozart luxury river yacht will offer family-friendly sailings, including a Christmas markets-themed itinerary on the Danube River. Plus, 10-day cruises will include excursions to Linz, Austria, home of the Linzer torte; the floating Christmas Market at Vilshofen, Germany; and the concert halls of Vienna, among many forays ashore. Onboard the Crystal River Cruises yacht, you'll find a gym, an indoor swimming pool and three dining venues. There's no dedicated children's areas or programming, but butler-attended triple staterooms and connecting suites offer discounted rates for a third berth. Sail through France with Tauck River Cruises. Luxury tour operator Tauck recently launched Tauck Bridges to pioneer family river cruises for loyal clients who wanted to share their travels with grandchildren. And for 2017, Tauck Bridges will double its family cruise capacity to 20 departures along Europe's rivers. Tauck's new eight-day "Family Fun Along the Seine: Paris to Normandy," itinerary will include two nights in Paris followed by a five-night cruise with a guided excursion to Monet's house and gardens in Giverny, France. Embark on an adventure in the Amazon with Aqua Expeditions. Explore the wild waters of the Amazon in style with Aqua Expeditions. Since 2007, the company has been offering river cruises designed to rival luxury boutique hotels with gyms, Jacuzzis and sun decks. Spacious suites sleep three passengers and offer plenty of natural light through floor-to-ceiling windows. Onboard meals are served in an elegant dining room featuring the haute Peruvian cuisine of chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino. (Kid-friendly menus are also available.) At different ports, kayak and speedboat excursions led by trained naturalists take guests to the flora and fauna of the remote Amazon River as well as isolated villages. And back onboard, families can relax with board games or watch films on loaner iPads. Sail along the Danube with Adventures by Disney. Adventures by Disney, in partnership with AmaWaterways, recently entered the river cruise market with a popular Danube itinerary that includes stops at Christmas markets at a variety of ports. The new AmaViola has a variety of family cabins, all with French balconies or full terraces, ranging from connecting doubles to suites that can accommodate up to four guests. There's also a small heated pool on the sun deck and an outside café. Best of all, eight Adventures by Disney guides are onboard to assist guests and provide a magic touch to activities and shore excursions. Enjoy French-inspired world cruising with CroisiEurope. The Strasbourg, France-based company CroisiEurope provides affordable, all-inclusive river cruises for families. And the CroisiEurope experience is distinctly French: Croissants are baked onboard daily, and the emphasis is on cultural shore excursions. While there are no specific children's programs, the line's moderate pricing, custom-built ships that can dock in the heart of cities, multilingual crew and French ambiance attract European families. Plus, spacious cabins can sleep two or three guests, and kids under 12 can sail for 70 percent of the standard rate (guests under 2 can sail free). Explore China by river with Century Cruises. China's Three Gorges Dam the world's largest hydroelectric project when it was completed in 2012 sparked global interest in traveling to the mighty Yangtze River. Today, Century Cruises offers three- and four-night cruises that pass by the massive high-rise developments that have replaced now flooded cities. A few of the archeological and cultural sights that remain on higher ground can be seen on shore excursions. Plus, Century keeps cruises fun for families with language lessons in basic Chinese, English or German and instructive Western and Chinese dining etiquette classes. Activities include touring the Pilot House, pizza and dumpling making and kite flying from the sun deck. Cruise across Europe on a Uniworld river cruise. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has one of the river cruising industry's most robust family programs. Guy Young, president and CEO of Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, says the company more than doubled multigenerational family departures after learning that 30 percent of passengers in 2015 were under age 18. "Family programing includes more participatory activities, such as kayaking, hiking, biking, cooking demonstrations, language lessons and family talent night," Young says. Special 2016 multigenerational routes include Delightful Danube & Prague and Gems of Northern Italy. Family cruises run eight to 15 days during spring, summer and winter school breaks, with 50 percent off the cruise-only fare for ages 4 to 18 traveling with an adult. Discover Southeast Asia aboard the Aqua Mekong. Families interested in exploring Southeast Asia in high style should consider cruising with Aqua Expeditions' Aqua Mekong, a 20-cabin luxury river cruise ship. Guided excursions include bike tours through villages, where passengers can meet residents, tour a temple, visit a produce market with the chef and try local dishes. Back on board, there's cooking classes, a Jacuzzi, a gym and an outdoor movie theater on the observation deck. And family-style meals with seafood, noodles and traditional dishes offer kid-friendly variations. On four-night family cruises to Vietnam and Cambodia this summer, guests ages 7 to 12 can cruise free when sharing a triple cabin with both parents, a single parent or a grandparent. Take a Rhine River Cruise with Adventures by Disney and AmaWaterways. In 2017, Adventures by Disney's partner, AmaWaterways, will offer family-focused sailings aboard the 170-passenger AmaKristina. The AmaKristina will feature connecting staterooms, family suites and common spaces for kids and adults. Best of all, eight Disney guides are onboard to lead culturally immersive activities and shore excursions. For example, on seven-night Rhine River sailings, families will be able to zip line through the Black Forest of Strasbourg, France, learn about chocolate making in Cologne where Germany's Chocolate Museum is located and enjoy an art and history tour in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum. | 2 | 98,750 | travel |
The government of Interim President Michel Temer has a low approval rating among Brazilians and a majority of the country wants new elections to be held this year, according to a poll on Wednesday. Almost one month after taking over from suspended President Dilma Rousseff, Temer's government has a negative rating from 28 percent of Brazilians, according to the CNT/MDA poll. Only 11.3 percent give it a positive rating, while 30.2 percent find it "regular". The poll showed 62.4 percent of Brazilians believe the impeachment of Rousseff, who was put on trial by the Senate last month for breaking budget laws, was the right decision. Yet 50.3 percent favor holding new elections this year to resolve Brazil's political crisis, the poll said. MDA surveyed 2,002 people between June 2-5. The poll has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. (Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Paulo Prada and Daniel Flynn) | 5 | 98,751 | news |
Because nothing's better than a sunny day, a great story, and zero responsibilities. Because nothing's better than a sunny day, a great story, and zero responsibilities. If you're in the mood for... a fictional new BFF Scarlett Epstein Hates it Here by Anna Breslaw (Out Now) The minute I picked up this book, I felt like I was reading my own diary. It's a super-realistic and laugh-out-loud funny read about a teen who resorts to writing fan fiction about her high school classmates. By the time you're done, you seriously might grab your cell to text Scarlett and then feel bummed when you remember she's a fictional character. (Or maybe that just happened to me…) If you're in the mood for... all the romance Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories by Stephanie Perkins (Out Now) Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss is still one of my favorite YA novels of all time it's the book that single-handedly convinced me I'd meet my future husband in Paris one day. (Still convinced.) So when her new anthology landed on my desk, I was beyond psyched. Perkins curated a selection of twelve love stories from amazing authors like Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments) and Veronica Roth (Divergent) and they will all have you daydreaming about long walks on the beach with bae. If you're in the mood for... a love story that makes you think The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian (Out Now) This one's for all the girls who've never been able to work up the courage to go after their crush (aka, yours truly!). You'll totally relate to Keeley Hewitt a teen whose entire town is sliding underwater. She LITERALLY has nothing to lose by going after her longtime crush… so she does. What happens? Do they end up together? You obvi have to read to find out. But I can promise you won't be disappointed by this unexpected love story. If you're in the mood for... a serious book that will stay with you The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith (Out Now) This isn't an easy read, but it's an important one. The Way I Used to Be is the story of a teen named Eden struggling to heal after her brother's best friend sexually assaults her. I was incredibly moved by Smith's powerful writing, and Eden's story of growth and survival is one you won't want to miss. You'll be thinking about this one long after you read that final page. If you're in the mood for... a whole lot of #InternshipGoals... Little Black Dresses, Little White Lies by Laura Stampler (Available July 19) If you've ever been an intern or even just stressed about your future, you'll breeze right through this funny novel about a girl who lands an internship at a major teen magazine. (Nope, not Seventeen!) The only problem? She totally lied about her experience as a dating expert. Note: Don't do that IRL, but it makes for a super entertaining read. If you're in the mood for... a feel-good friendship Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley (Out Now) It's so refreshing to see mental health covered in an honest way in fiction, and Highly Illogical Behavior does just that. You'll instantly have a soft spot for Solomon, a 16-year-old with agoraphobia who hasn't left the house in three years, and his complicated friendship with Lisa, the wannabe psych student who's trying to "fix" him. If you're in the mood for... a high school story with a historical kick How To Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather (Available July 26) The Salem witch trials were hundreds of years ago, but they still play a major role in this story. When Samantha moves to Salem from NYC, she deals with all the normal "new girl" struggles oh, and everyone hates her because she's descended from one of the men responsible for the trials. It's like Mean Girls meets history class in the best possible way. If you're in the mood for... a shocking thriller With Malice by Eileen Cook (Out Now) I'm a sucker for a good mystery, and this one is gripping from the very beginning. The premise? A teen girl wakes up in a hospital with absolutely no memory of the last six weeks of her life including her BFF's death. Prepare for lots of twists, right up until the very last chapter. If you're in the mood for... a head start on the Olympics The Flip Side by Shawn Johnson (Out now) Come August, everyone's going to be talking about Simone Biles and the rest of the U.S. Olympics team. But if you need something to put you in a sporty mood sooner, check out this fun read about a young gymnast who has to balance training with her normal high school life. Fun fact: This is 2008 Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson's first book and it's semi-autobiographical! If you're in the mood for... a new outlook on life The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (Out now) Imagine if your perfect summer plans ended up completely falling through. That's what happens to Andie, a teen with a type-A personality and big goals. This fun, empowering book also serves up an important lesson: Sometimes life doesn't go according to plan, but the outcome might be even better than you ever expected. If you're in the mood for... a kickass female protagonist Time Zero by Carolyn Cohagan (Out now) Missing Katniss? Me too. Luckily, 15-year-old Mina Clark might just help you fill that void. This gripping adventure is set in a futuristic NYC where girls aren't allowed to get an education and guys pretty much run everything. (I know: WTF!) But Mina's rebellion against the system is absolutely everything and you won't want to put this one down. If you're in the mood for... a touching memoir Is You Okay? By Glozell Green with Nils Parker (Available June 7) Even though she's been on YouTube since 2008, this is Glozell's first book and it was so worth the wait. The funny lady gets real about relationships, family, and finding her voice in this quick read. I laughed, cried, laughed-until-I-cried and then went to CVS to buy some green lipstick. MORE: Glozell: 17 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was 17 If you're in the mood for... a dark and twisty fantasy And I Darken by Kiersten White (Available June 28) History buffs might recognize this: It's a gender-swapped story loosely based on Vlad the Impaler (eventually Count Dracula). But even if that's not your thing, you'll fall for this action-packed story of a teen princess who's a far cry from the prim and proper princesses you might be familiar with. Think Game of Thrones… but with teens. | 4 | 98,752 | lifestyle |
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Oklahoma medical examiner's office has ruled that the fiery car crash in which energy industry magnate Aubrey McClendon died was an accident. An autopsy report released Wednesday showed the 56-year-old had in his system traces of the antihistamine doxylamine, which is sometimes used in sleep aids and can cause drowsiness. The report indicated McClendon died from multiple blunt force trauma sustained in the March 2 crash, one day after he was indicted by a federal grand jury. Oklahoma City Police Capt. Paco Balderrama says investigators didn't find enough evidence to prove whether the crash was intentional. Police have said the former Chesapeake Energy CEO and part-owner of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder was driving 78 mph when his SUV hit a bridge support and burst into flames. | 1 | 98,753 | sports |
CHICAGO--A 25-year-old man was arrested on an outstanding murder warrant on Wednesday, just minutes after he held a news conference with an attorney to announce a lawsuit against Chicago Police for a two-year-old incident in which he was shot by cops seven times. Police arrested Dominiq Greer on Wednesday moments after he walked out of the office of his attorney Eugene Hollander, where held a news conference to announce the $15 million lawsuit against the city for the July 4, 2014 incident in which he was shot after an encounter with police. Hollander's office said that Greer and his cousin, Rachel Brown, were approached by officers as they stood outside the downtown law office and waited for an Uber ride to take them home. Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said police arrested Greer on an open warrant for a May 27 murder that occurred in apartment on the city's South Side. Guglielmi did not provide any more information on the alleged murder. Police were still finalizing charges late Wednesday for the death of Kevin Larry, 22, who was found dead on the scene with a gunshot wound to the torso. The arrest came after Greer's attorney made video footage public Wednesday that appears to show Chicago Police shooting him multiple times as he is running away from two officers during an incident two years ago. Greer, who was 23 at the time of the shooting, was wounded after he ran from officers who stopped him and his friends in one of the most violent Chicago neighborhoods on the city's South Side early on the morning of July 4, 2014. Greer, now 25, was one of four suspects Chicago Police shot during a 36-hour period that holiday weekend. The footage appears to show Greer tossing a gun toward the roof of a building as he tried to flee from cops through an alleyway. Greer filed a $15 million lawsuit against the city over the incident on Wednesday. The police officer who shot Greer told the agency tasked with investing police-involved shootings, the Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA), that Greer's weapon discharged, which made the officer think he had been shot at. The grainy footage from a business security camera is the latest in a series of officer-involved shootings by a Chicago cops to be captured on camera and made public. Greer says he ran away from police officers who pulled up on him and two other friends after police received a report of a man with a gun. Greer, who had a previous felony conviction for drug possession, said that the officers, Lawrence Cosban and Kevin Spisak, told him to "get on the hood" of their squad car. "I feared for my life, because I see how Chicago Police acts every day," Greer said. Greer, who acknowledges he was carrying a weapon that he had purchased illegally, fled toward an alley. He also admits he tried to toss the gun on the roof of a building as he ran away from Cosban and Spisak, who were later cleared of wrongdoing by IPRA. But Greer charges in his lawsuit that Cosban used excessive force by shooting him seven times, including four times while Greer was on the ground. Greer told reporters that he asked the officers why they shot him as he lay on the ground, but they did not respond. Greer says he was wounded in the right arm, right leg, left big toe, back, chest stomach and left arm. "At no time did Mr. Greer pose a danger to the police officers or the public," said Greer's attorney Eugene Hollander. "Because of this reckless shooting, my client will suffer from these injuries the rest of his life." Bill McCaffrey, a spokesman for the city's law department, declined to comment on the lawsuit. The video appears to show Greer stumble and fall as he tosses his weapon. He can be seen getting up and stumbling once again after he says he struck by the first shots from police. He gets up one more time before running out of the camera's view. Three puffs of dust appear to kick up from apparent gunfire. In its summary of the incident, IPRA noted that officers reported that Greer grabbed his waistband as he fled toward the nearby alley. Cosban, who is identified as Officer A in the report, entered the alley behind Greer and saw him surrounded by a large cloud of dust. "Officer A ordered Subject 1 to show his hands and told him not to move," the IPRA report states. (Greer) ignored Officer A's verbal direction and stood up with his hands concealed. In fear for his life, Officer A fired his weapon, striking (Greer) multiple times." Greer was awaiting trial for unlawful discharge of a weapon by a felon over the incident. He worked as a custodian prior to the incident, but says he now has difficulty completing strenuous activity or even holding his five-year-old son. The Greer video comes after the city of Chicago has, under public pressure, released several other police-shooting videos. A court-order forced the city in November to release video of an October 2014 shooting in which a white officer is seen shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times as he appears to be running from police. The officer, Jason Van Dyke, was charged with first degree murder on the same day as the video's release and is awaiting trial. The video's release spurred weeks of protests in Chicago. In January, the city dropped months of objection and released security camera footage of a plain-clothes officer fatally shooting an unarmed 17-year-old, Cedrick Chatman, as he ran from police after stealing a car during a 2013 incident. Officer Kevin Fry said in a deposition that he mistakenly thought Chatman was holding a weapon and decided to fire because the teen turned his body slightly toward Fry's partner as he ran away. In December, the city released police dashcam video from the fatal shooting of Ronald Johnson, who was shot in an encounter with police Detective George Hernandez. Johnson was killed after attending a memorial gathering for a friend who had been killed. Police arrived on the scene after the car that Johnson was riding in had a window shot out. Johnson tried to run from police and was chased by officers. Hernandez, who pulled up to the pursuit of Johnson as the 25-year-old ran away, fired at him. One of the two shots struck Johnson's jugular vein and exited from his eye socket. Last week, IPRA released video footage, audio clips and other investigative documents from more than 100 incidents including about 70 police involved-shooting incidents that are currently under investigation. The move was part of a push by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to offer greater transparency in investigations of police. Most of the video and audio captures little of substance of incidents under review. The video of Greer's shooting, which has already been resolved by IPRA in favor of the officers, was not included in last week's video and audio release. "If he wants to more transparency, why aren't we seeing all the videos?" Hollander said. "In light of what is going on in the city, everything should be out there for the public to see." Follow USA TODAY Chicago correspondent Aamer Madhani on Twitter: @AamerISmad | 5 | 98,754 | news |
First on "CBS This Morning," Food & Wine magazine unveils its second annual list of Restaurants of the Year. The magazine's picks for the 10 best new places to eat in America will be in the upcoming July issue. The restaurants range from an inexpensive Los Angeles eatery with a new approach to fast food, to a Washington, D.C., spot that sources all of its ingredients from the mid-Atlantic region. Food & Wine magazine editor Nilou Motamed joins "CBS This Morning" to reveal which restaurants made the cut. | 0 | 98,755 | foodanddrink |
Located in central Texas, Hill Country's latest wave of settlers are purchasing ranches as luxury weekend homes to take advantage of the countryside and sweeping views. Photo: Amy Mikler for The Wall Street Journal | 3 | 98,756 | finance |
Former NBA center and Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Sean Rooks' death may have been due to heart disease, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Public Health Department told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday. Rooks, 46, collapsed at a Philadelphia restaurant on Tuesday, according to multiple published reports. His death was announced by the 76ers later in the day. Philadelphia Public Health Department spokesperson Jeff Moran said the initial findings from an autopsy conducted on Wednesday showed heart disease could have contributed to Rooks' death, although the Philadelphia' Medical Examiner's Office is exploring other natural causes. "Additional testing will be needed," Moran said. A final determination on the cause of death is expected within four to six weeks, according to Moran. | 1 | 98,757 | sports |
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. Donald J. Trump, aided by two teleprompters, presented the version of himself on Tuesday evening that Republican Party officials had desperately craved softer, serious and sophisticated. "I understand the responsibility of carrying the mantle and I will never ever let you down," Mr. Trump said in a speech at his golf club here. "I will make you proud of your party and our movement." Mr. Trump's disciplined performance was geared at soothing nervous voters and at stopping the flight of high-ranking Republicans after two senators rescinded their endorsements. And it came just hours after Mr. Trump reminded them why they had been concerned in the first place. Sign Up For NYT Now's Morning Briefing Newsletter A series of missteps and vicious attacks with targets that included former rivals, entire nationalities and religious groups has led to fears that Mr. Trump has doomed Republican chances of taking back the White House and keeping the party's hold on the Senate. It was the type of calm performance that Mr. Trump has delivered before, only to revert to form within days. "Tonight's speech doesn't change much," said Dan Senor, who supported Senator Marco Rubio of Florida in the primaries and who has been an adviser to Speaker Paul D. Ryan. " Even tonight, there are conversations that maybe, just maybe, he says these offensive things because he actually believes them." Mr. Trump's challenges culminated in a series of destructive episodes over the last two weeks: He insinuated that the federal judge presiding over a lawsuit against Trump University was biased against him because of the judge's Mexican heritage; he belittled members of his staff on a conference call; and he left his aides scrambling yet again to impose discipline on an operation characterized for months by its chaotic, freewheeling ethos. On Tuesday, after Mr. Ryan said the remarks about the judge were "racist," Mr. Trump released a statement saying, "I do not feel that one's heritage makes them incapable of being impartial." But he did not apologize, as many Republican leaders had asked him to do. Mr. Ryan maintained his endorsement of Mr. Trump, but two senators, Mark S. Kirk of Illinois and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, withdrew theirs, and Mr. Graham urged other Republicans to do the same. On Wednesday morning, Mr. Trump tweeted tauntingly at MSNBC host Joe Scarborough after he said Mr. Trump was "acting like a racist." His top policy adviser, Sam Clovis, told a Republican group in Iowa that the judge in the Trump University case belongs to an "anti-American" Hispanic group, according to The Des Moines Register. "They are waiting for him to change, and he is not going to change," Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman from Minnesota who supported Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio in the primaries, said on Tuesday. "This is like the old story of the scorpion and the frog the Republican Party is the frog and Donald Trump is the scorpion, and we want these assurances he's going to stop doing these things but he can't, because it's in his nature." Tim Pawlenty, a Republican and the former governor of Minnesota, was not quite as pessimistic, saying he still had "hope for at least some improvement." "Even modest changes would help," he said. Though Mr. Trump vanquished a legion of primary opponents without much change in demeanor or strategy, he is entering a race in which he is trailing in opinion polls. His support among college-educated suburban voters in battleground states is especially low, according to polling conducted by Republican groups. Aides are discussing ways to keep Mr. Trump focused during the next few weeks. Among the options is deploying his three oldest children, who have urged him in the past to act "more presidential," as well as his son-in-law, Jared Kushner , to travel with him in a rotation. At the same time, the Trump operation is relying on the Republican National Committee, as well as on several "super PACs" that support him, to handle tasks typically overseen by a presidential campaign. But the party has had its own defections because of Mr. Trump, including by the woman who led efforts for Hispanic media outreach and who is said to have told colleagues she could not stomach defending him on television. The Trump campaign is also working to ramp up its fund-raising operations, with the candidate holding at least four events this week. On Thursday, 70 donors are to meet at Trump Tower in New York, followed by lunch at the Four Seasons hotel. Mr. Trump is expected to attend both the meeting and the lunch. And on Friday evening, Mr. Trump is to attend a fund-raiser in Richmond, Va., although the invitation that went out to supporters included no host names, no tiers of donors and no request for a specific dollar amount all basics of most political efforts to raise money . Mr. Trump has complicated matters by resisting efforts to engage in routine telephone calls to donors and to make gentle requests of people to write checks. Some donors who have been approached have given tepid responses, worried about their names showing up in a public campaign-finance filing. Some aides have also grumbled privately about a trip Mr. Trump has planned for the end of the month to Scotland and Ireland, to tour his golf courses. Three aides, speaking anonymously to discuss internal frustrations, said they worried that the trip would distract him from his campaign. The team has spent weeks working on hiring new members of staff, including Jim Murphy , a longtime Republican operative, as the national political director. Mr. Murphy's predecessor lasted six weeks in the job. The Trump team has had trouble filling positions, in part because some Republicans they tried to recruit turned down their offers, worried about how a Trump line on their résumé could affect their job prospects. The campaign has spent two months searching for a communications director, after an early prospect fell through, according to one of the three aides and two people who were approached about possible jobs. Mr. Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, said that the candidate was always planning for a progression. "The campaign evolves, as it always does, from a primary strategy to a general-election strategy, and there are very different issues," Mr. Lewandowski said. "He's going to refocus on jobs and the economy." Mr. Trump made clear on Monday that regardless of his campaign staff members' job titles, he was his own chief strategist. On a conference call first reported by Bloomberg Politics, Mr. Trump belittled his aides for having sent a memo urging surrogates to stop talking about the judge in the Trump University case. Instead, Mr. Trump said, his supporters should keep criticizing the jurist, Gonzalo P. Curiel, and should suggest the reporters asking questions about his comments are "racists." Ben Carson, a former 2016 hopeful now supporting Mr. Trump , said party leaders and voters should not expect a different version of Mr. Trump for the general election. "It's very hard to change somebody," he said. Mr. Carson said he believed that Mr. Trump could be perfectly suited for the moment. "We're in more of a W.W.E. brawl stage as a nation right now," Mr. Carson said, referring to World Wrestling Entertainment, "and the people who tend to appeal to that group tend to do better." Find out what you need to know about the 2016 presidential race today, and get politics news updates via Facebook , Twitter and the First Draft newsletter . | 5 | 98,758 | news |
Bimmerfest 2016 celebrated all things BMW in memorable fashion. The typical Memorial Day weekend is celebrated with family and friends and plenty of food, but for thousands of BMW fans it was spent at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA, for the 17th annual Bimmerfest. The event expanded significantly in the last few years with a move to the massive racetrack complex outside Los Angeles in 2016, and a second day was added this year. The celebration of the Roundel is the largest of its kind, boasting 4,000 cars and 10,000 people in attendance. There's something for just about every type of owner. For those wanting serious time behind the wheel, the oval and road course were open to hot laps, and there was the Bimmer Challenge race from Speed Ventures. An autocross course was set up in an adjacent parking lot. Those wanting to compete in less dynamic fashion had a Battle of the Bimmers car show , and the Heritage Corral and Centennial Corral put the century-long history of the brand on display. Perhaps our favorite part of the event was the BMW Fan Zone display, which showcased a few of the company's most iconic contemporary racecars. A V8-powered 2001 BMW M3 GTR and a McLaren F1 GTR sporting a BMW-developed V12 provided some fond memories of their historic on-track endeavors. If you missed Bimmerfest 2016 then you can check out our massive photo gallery above, and for those of you on the East Coast there will be a Bimmerfest East at Raceway Park in Englishtown, NJ, from July 30-31. Visit www.bimmerfest.com for more details. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,759 | autos |
Ultimately, it was Hillary Clinton who made history during the California Primary on June 7, 2016, as the first female to clinch a big party's lead nomination, with the Democrats. The race was fierce between the former First Lady and Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side, while Donald Trump -- shall we say -- "trumped" the Republican side. Regardless of who was hashtagging #ShesWithUs, #FeelTheBern or whatever other political party slogan, what's most important is that people got out and voted. Here's 10 celebrities who showed off their "I Voted" stickers with pride after exercising their right in California yesterday. 1. Drew Barrymore posed with a peace sign in front of the polls. #votingday #california #party A photo posted by Drew Barrymore (@drewbarrymore) on Jun 7, 2016 at 8:39am PDT 2. Eva Longoria slapped her sticker right on her cheek, and couldn't help but joke about a woman's right to wear a pantsuit. A vote for @HillaryClinton is a vote for women's rights and great pantsuits everywhere! Get out and VOTE! #ImWithHer #ShesWithUs 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 A photo posted by Eva Longoria Baston (@evalongoria) on Jun 7, 2016 at 5:55am PDT 3. In typical Miley Cyrus fashion, the singer stuck out her tongue in her "I Voted" Instagram picture. I voted bish!!!! #calivoter #feelthebern 🇺🇸 A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Jun 7, 2016 at 2:26pm PDT 4. Reese Witherspoon took a more artsy approach to showing off her voting reward. Let's do this, people! 🇺🇸 #Vote #PrimaryDay A photo posted by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Jun 7, 2016 at 11:48am PDT 5. Katy Perry won us over with cuteness with a picture of her adorable puppy sporting the sticker. Swoon! A photo posted by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Jun 7, 2016 at 6:09pm PDT 6. Rosario Dawson teased: "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours." I'll show you mine if you show me yours...! #IVotedSticker #PrimaryDay #NotMeUs #VoteTogether #VotaPorMi #VoteForMe A photo posted by rosariodawson (@rosariodawson) on Jun 7, 2016 at 3:03pm PDT 7. Justin Long gave the world a huge thumbs up! 1hr left to vote 4 our best chance against climate change, perpetual warfare, income inequality, + Trump! #CAPrimary pic.twitter.com/edQuvhnUp9 Justin Long (@justinlong) June 8, 2016 8. Kate Walsh sported her "I Voted" prize on the brim of her hat, and reiterated the point that #yourvoicematters. #ivoted & I feel great! How about YOU? #yourvoicematters #govotenow #imwithher🇺🇸 #hillaryclinton2016 A photo posted by Kate Walsh (@katewalsh) on Jun 7, 2016 at 9:23am PDT 9. We couldn't see Shonda Rhimes' actual sticker, but she posed right in front of the polls, so it's safe to say she got one. This is me all joyful and getting my Hamilton freedom on because #ivoted! Did you? A photo posted by Shonda Rhimes (@shondarhimes) on Jun 7, 2016 at 3:56pm PDT 10. Shailene Woodley took a sticker selfie in the car, and shouted out all of the states that had a primary vote that day: "#californiaprimary #newmexico #northdakota #southdakota #newjersey." A photo posted by Shailene Woodley (@shailenewoodleyarmy) on Jun 7, 2016 at 5:57pm PDT | 6 | 98,760 | entertainment |
Google's artificial intelligence software, smart enough to help vanquish the world's top Go player and answer your email, is coming to your iPhone. On Monday, Google published an early version of TensorFlow (the 0.9 release candidate) that adds support for iOS, the software that powers Apple iPhones and iPads. TensorFlow is "neural network" software that lets computers process data in a way similar to our own brain cells, a key foundation to the artificial intelligence movement sweeping the computing industry. While TensorFlow won't give your iPhone an immediate IQ boost, its neural network capabilities will lead to more sophisticated apps later. Expect to see them coming from Google and others who use TensorFlow, which already works with Google's own Android mobile software. AI has quickly become a darling of Silicon Valley after years of behind-the-scenes research, with countless projects under way at Facebook, Microsoft, eBay, IBM and elsewhere. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates last week called the current efforts in artificial intelligence "the most exciting thing going on" in the computing industry. Google has been toiling for months to bring TensorFlow to iOS. For high-powered tasks like comprehending sentence structure, more powerful machines or even networks of machines are required. But neural networks can help small devices, too -- for example to recognize subjects in photographs or, as another neural network software project called MemKite aims to do, teach your phone what a particular object looks like. Google uses the machine learning technology in more than 100 areas so far and clearly hopes AI will power compelling new services. Ultimately, it'll be these services that you'll come to rely on more than a particular phone, the company believes. "Over time, the computer itself -- whatever its form factor -- will be an intelligent assistant helping you through your day," Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai wrote in the company's annual letter to shareholders. "We will move from mobile first to an AI-first world." Google released its TensorFlow software as open source, meaning that anybody can use or modify it for free, and indeed 46 people outside the company contributed to the upcoming version, according to the release notes. It's not clear when the final version of TensorFlow 0.9 will arrive. Google didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. | 3 | 98,761 | finance |
If you overdid it again on the chocolate (or pizza, or tacos , or popsicles) your first thought might be to lace up your sneakers and burn some calories on a quick run. But the folks at AsapSCIENCE have a few alternatives for blasting calories that don't require going anywhere near the gym . As they explain in the video , you can kiss your significant other for two hours (that sounds a lot more fun than jogging, right?) to burn 200 calories. And don't forget to put on lip balm - apply it 1,500 times and you'll nix an additional 200 calories. You can burn 200 calories by spending 2.5 hours surfing reality TV shows , or singing your favorite pop song 23 times. Of course losing weight takes a lot more effort than just driving your friends crazy by chomping on gum for 18 hours straight (which also burns 200 calories). Dropping a single pound of fat requires a reduction of 3,500 calories, which is best achieved over time through healthy eating and exercise. But if you like learning about strange things as much as we do, we still recommend you check out the video above for even more weird ways to burn calories. | 7 | 98,762 | health |
1. Proper grooming starts with understanding what a dog was bred to do. Grooming isn't just aesthetic - every part of a dog's haircut has a purpose, including the head floof. For example, poodles were bred to be sporting and hunting dogs. You know those pom-poms on their hips? Those are designed to keep their joints warm in cold water. 2. Dog baths are even nicer than the ones you give yourself. We usually spend an hour bathing our dogs. We start off by cleaning their ears and giving them a blueberry facial, which is a concentrated face wash. I'll do a clay mask on dogs who have skin issues. Then I choose the shampoo and conditioner to match the dog's coat type, and I give all our dogs an argan oil face mask. Then comes the blow-dry, fluff, and style. I also love to finish with a dry argan oil to keep the follicles hydrated and detangled. 3. Some groomers go to dog-grooming school, but you'll learn a lot more on the job. You don't need a certification to work as a groomer, but there are schools that will teach you the basics and certification programs like International Professional Groomers or National Dog Groomers Association of America. I once met a girl who took an online grooming class, and I thought that was bonkers. I spent a year working as a bather (the person who washes the dogs and prepares them for their haircut), and it allowed me to work my way up to actually grooming within a few years. Figuring out how to hold scissors was really hard at first, but you pick it up over time if you practice. 4. Grooming equipment can get really expensive. Any hairstylist can tell you that the better your tools, the better the result-and dog grooming is no different. I spend about $400 per shear, and I have 10 pairs (two of each type I use, in case I need to send one in for sharpening). The clippers are about $200 and the clipper blades are $30 each. Those need to be replaced every year or so, depending on the use. 5. It's harder than human hairstyling and doesn't pay as well. The average dog haircut cost about $65, which isn't much considering how much goes into grooming. Groomers make less than hairstylists, and dog haircuts take twice as long. Hairstylists also don't have to deal with trimming their clients' butts and feet. 6. Dogs feel calm when you feel calm. It's true that dogs pick up on your energy. I try to keep my studio very zen: I have a diffuser that spritzes calming essential oils, like chamomile and sandalwood. There are no ringing phones, no barking dogs. I try to meditate twice a day to keep my own energy in check. If I can tell a dog is especially nervous, I'll bring my own dog into the room to hang out and doze off. When they see a mellow, sleeping dog, they feel a little safer. For dogs that are especially skittish, I try to gain their trust by showing them that I understand them. For example, I'll give them a little head's up and slide my hand down their arm to pick up their paw to clip their nails, instead of just grabbing their paw. Sometimes it takes pups a few visits to relax, but over time, I hopefully gain their trust completely. 7. Just like a hairstylist needs to understand hair texture, groomers need to understand the differences in dogs' coats. There are many different types of coats - long, like a Yorkie; short, like a pit bull, and everything in between. (For mutts, you can determine their coat type by looking at it and feeling it.) They regulate the dog's temperature and protect the dog's skin from the outside world, so it's very important to properly care for them. Each coat type requires different amounts of oils, and you'll use different tools to groom them too. 8. Sometimes, the dogs get a little out of control. There are always going to be dogs that are badly behaved or poorly trained. When that happens, I just take deep breaths and try to get through it, and then I ask the owner to take the dog on an extremely long hike before their next appointment with me. I also ask owners not to "baby talk" their dogs, which will rile them up. If a dog is really crazy or panicked, I've suggested clients use a mobile groomer instead who can come to their house and groom the dog there. It's not good for me or the dog to be in a situation where the dog is fighting my every move. 9. It's not uncommon to accidentally clip a dog. People accidentally cut dogs all the time, whether with the scissors or the nail trimmers. Fortunately, that hasn't happened to me in years, but it did when I first started. Sometimes groomers accidentally get water in the dog's ears, which can create an ear infection. It's so important to take your time, especially when you're starting out. It's a good idea for groomers to take CPR and first aid classes to know how to react in an emergency, and if a dog is accidentally nicked, I call the owner and ask if they want me to take the dog in to the vet. Fortunately, that's only happened a few times in the 17 years I've been working with dogs. 10. People will ask you to do ridiculous things, but you don't have to say yes. Sometimes people want me to dye their dogs' hair. If they have a black dog, I definitely won't do that, because it would require bleaching the dog first. I did do a beautiful "sunset" dye on a white Pomeranian, where we did a yellow head, faded to orange in the middle, and then hot pink on the rear and red on the tip of the tail. That was an unusual request, but it was my most beautiful dye job ever. 11. Working with cute dogs all day is even more fun than you expect. I started an Instagram for my grooming business to show off my dogs, because they are seriously so cute and fun. It's so cool to get to spend my whole day with pups. And it's only gotten better since I started working for myself: I have my own space, there's no one rushing me, and the room feels so cozy. It's so rewarding to pamper the dogs and make my human clients happy: They drop off their stinky dog and at the end of the day, they get back a gorgeous, clean fluffball. 12. You don't have to be perfect. For a while, I felt like I had to groom every dog perfectly. If there was even a single hair out of place, I would need to fix it. I grew out of that, thanks to the time I was working at this shop and one of our groomers left, and all of a sudden, I had to take on double the amount of clients. At one point, I was doing 22 dogs in a day - it was crazy. I realized that I could not hand-scissor the perfect cylinder legs on every dog. So I learned to be groom my dogs more efficiently. They still looked amazing, but I had to get over the fact that they weren't "perfect." But the truth is, clients don't care (or can't tell) if their dogs are "perfect." They just want their dog clean, healthy, happy, and cute - and I can do that every single time. Jess Rona is a dog groomer in Los Angeles. This year, she dire cted a music video for Tegan and Sara, based on her popular Instagram videos of the dogs she grooms. | 4 | 98,763 | lifestyle |
Like people, cars benefit from good genetics. Fortunately for the Volkswagen e-Golf electric car, starting with a Golf as the foundation gives it excellent DNA. The whole Golf range, including the GTI, has been a perennial 10Best Cars winner for the past decade. If a Golf two-door, four-door, or SportWagen can't meet your automotive needs, then you either have a large family or we respectfully think you're wrong. New for 2016 is this entry-level e-Golf, the SE. It resets the starting point for the e-Golf to less than $30K, at $29,815 significantly below the continuing $36,415 SEL Premium model. Factor in tax credits from the federal and (some) state governments, such as Colorado, and the bottom line can drop into the teens. At that point, the e-Golf starts looking like a pretty attractive way to avoid gas stations forever. While electricity isn't free, the e-Golf's predicted annual energy cost, according to the EPA, is $550, or $650 less than it would take to fuel a VW Golf TSI automatic. But more than cost, limited range is the biggest concern when considering an electric car. According to the EPA, there isn't a single EV priced under $30,000 that can travel farther than 100 miles on a charge. (The Nissan Leaf SV, which has the newly available and larger 30-kWh battery pack, starts at $35,050 and can go 107 miles; the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which promises 200 miles, goes on sale late this year at an expected price of $37,500.) The EPA estimates the e-Golf's range at 83 miles. Yet the farthest we drove on a single charge was 52 miles, after which we recharged. The battery sucked up 19.0 kWh of electrons, or about 80 percent of the 24.2-kWh battery pack's capacity. Which means that after driving 52 miles we had only 5 kWh left something like 12 or 13 miles' worth. The SE comes with a 3.6-kW onboard charger, although buyers can opt to upgrade to a 7.2-kW unit for $1695. VW says the 7.2-kW charger (standard on the SEL) can replenish an empty battery in about four hours, drawing electricity from a 240-volt source. Figure twice as much time for the smaller charger. The $6600 upgrade to the e-Golf SEL Premium also nets LED headlamps, leatherette upholstery, an upgraded 8.0-inch infotainment screen (versus the SE's 6.5-inch unit), and navigation. Automated emergency braking, forward-collision warning, and hands-free park assist are bundled in a $395 package that's also exclusive to the SEL Premium model. Inner Space Inside, the e-Golf SE reminds you it's the budget model with its cloth seats, manual HVAC controls, and a rubberized steering wheel one could only consider "multifunction" because it has a horn. The controls are familiar, however, as is the cabin. One deviation from the Golf norm is that a power meter replaces the tachometer; it visually indicates how much power the driver is tapping and the effectiveness of the regenerative braking. For the record, the e-Golf uses an indicated 20 percent of its available electric power when cruising at 70 mph. Volkswagen's MQB architecture allowed designers to package the electric drive components, notably the 701-pound, 264-cell battery pack, under the floor and the rear seats without encroaching into the passenger cabin. As far as passengers are concerned, the interior is the exact same size and shape as it is in an internal-combustion Golf which is not the case with the Ford Focus Electric, which has reduced interior space to accommodate the battery pack. Performance and Efficiency A 115-hp AC motor supplies the go. Getting to 60 mph requires 9.4 seconds. That's not quick, but this car weighs 211 pounds more than a 170-hp four-cylinder Golf TSI automatic, which can hit 60 mph in 7.5 seconds. The e-Golf eventually will get to 85 mph, at which point the motor will be turning at 12,000 rpm. It stops from 70 mph in 175 feet and holds the road with a solid 0.86 g of grip, good enough to beat the gasoline version of the Ford Focus as well as the 2.0-liter Mazda 3. And the way that VW balances commendable performance with a comfortable ride is something all automakers should study. The e-Golf's most noteworthy performance is the slow drain of electrons from the battery pack. We averaged 94 MPGe over 157 miles, consisting mostly of short (20 miles or less) commutes and daily lunch outings. That's a far cry from the EPA rating of 116 MPGe combined, but it's still pretty darn efficient and 32 percent better than the Focus Electric we put through a similar routine recently. Only the BMW i3 (124 MPGe) and the Chevrolet Spark EV (119 MPGe) boast better EPA combined ratings. The one thing we'd like to see VW do with the e-Golf is to provide more aggressive regenerative braking in drive. To perform so-called "one pedal" driving, you have to select "B" with the shifter. Most affordable electric cars carry a certain aura of eco-weenieness about them. They're slow (we've covered that), quiet, and not built for Nebraska's endless stretch of I-80. The e-Golf is no different. But around town, the instant torque 199 lb-ft at zero rpm proves more than ample to set the pace when accelerating from a stoplight. Aside from the top speed and acceleration, the e-Golf surrenders little to gas-fired econoboxes, which is the most praise any non-purpose-built electric car can hope for. It must be in the genes. Specifications >VEHICLE TYPE: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED: $29,815 (base price: $29,815) MOTOR TYPE: permanent-magnet synchronous AC electric motor, 115 hp, 199 lb-ft; 24.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 103.6 in Length: 168.1 in Width: 70.8 in Height: 57.1 in Passenger volume: 93 cu ft Cargo volume: 23 cu ft Curb weight: 3346 lb C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 9.4 sec Zero to 80 mph: 17.8 sec Rolling start, 560 mph: 9.4 sec Top gear, 3050 mph: 3.9 sec Top gear, 5070 mph: 6.5 sec Standing ¼-mile: 17.2 sec @ 79 mph Top speed (redline limited): 85 mph Braking, 700 mph: 175 ft Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g FUEL ECONOMY: EPA city/highway driving: 126/105 MPGe C/D observed: 94 MPGe | 9 | 98,764 | autos |
Stories of interest you might have missed… When will Stanford star Maverick McNealy turn professional? Or will he turn professional? Each question apparently is unanswerable at this point, according to this story by Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal . "I still don't really know what I'm going to do with my life," he said. His father Scott McNealy, founder of co-founder of Sun Microsystems, wondered whether professional golf would be a good fit for him. "Part of the challenge for Mav and the thing I worry about most," Scott McNealy said, "is will he get intellectually bored after three years, trying to spend eight hours a day on the range, playing six-hour rounds and traveling around like a gypsy?" Dottie Pepper understands why golfers bow out of Olympics Dottie Pepper, as a young teen growing up not far from Lake Placid, dreamed of Olympic glory, yet she has no quarrel with those golfers who have chosen not to participate in the Rio Olympics. "When the reality of scheduling compression, safety issues, political unrest, doping controversy and an international health epidemic hit home," she writes in this story at ESPN.com , the fantasy of that 14-year-old navigating the wide chasm of the real world makes me sad. Competing in the Olympics was once my dream, but the current reality makes me understand the golfers who have chosen to not participate in the Olympic Games." How Oakmont members avoid getting 'their rear end kicked all the time' Are Oakmont Country Club members gluttons for punishment? PGATour.com's Sean Martin posed the question in this Q&A with Jim Furyk , who finished second in the 2007 U.S. Open there. "I think a lot of the members there, I don't know if they're gluttons for punishment," Furyk said. "I think they're very proud of their course and the fact that it's hosted more U.S. Opens than any other course in the country. But I think a lot of them hold a membership at another club so as not to get their rear end kicked all the time." More from Golf Digest: The Hottest PGA Tour Wives and Girlfriends How Tiger's Swing Has Changed This Weekend's Best Golf Instagrams | 1 | 98,765 | sports |
Thrill seekers: What some consider a haunted house could be your cozy home. Thrill seekers: What some consider a haunted house could be your cozy home. Become a part of the murder mystery for $850,000. "The Amityville Horror" house on Long Island is the site of a mass murder in 1974, in which a man shot his parents and four siblings (his lawyers said voices in his head made him do it). It is now for sale for $850,000. Locals, however, call the haunting "The Amityville Hoax." They give little credence to the two movies and best-selling book that were based on the supposed haunting of a family that moved into the house and lived there (briefly) after the murders. The two-story home, with its Dutch Colonial architecture, is typical of other homes built in the 1920s. A similar colonial about 100 miles away in New Jersey was the set for the 1979 movie. There have been four owners since the murders. According to the listing agent, none experienced strange things. Whew. The home is 3,600 square feet with five bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms. The property is set on the Amityville River in a quiet village that was first settled in the 1600s by Europeans. Despite its spooky history, the address is different from when the murders happened. The post office changed it per the request of one of the owners. | 4 | 98,766 | lifestyle |
From a small street festival next door to the nation's capital to a laid-back event set in a mountain valley, there's plenty to do and see at these outdoor art extravaganzas. St. Louis Art Fair Where: Clayton, MO When: September 9 11, 2016 St. Louis's swanky Clayton neighborhood hosts the city's eponymous art fair each year. The event features national artists who work with a variety of media, including drawing and pastels, ceramics, fiber, and jewelry. Black-and-white nature photographs and modern wooden chairs are just a few of the wares on display. Come with an appetite; the fair is also has food from some of the area's best restaurants. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's St. Louis Guide King Street Art Festival Where: Alexandria, VA When: September 17 18, 2016 Every summer, Alexandria's main thoroughfare transforms into an outdoor art gallery at King Street Art Festival. The event features work by more than 200 international artists, and wares range from jewelry and paintings to life-size sculptures and photography. Visitors can talk to artists about their creations while strolling through six blocks of the city's quaint downtown area. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Alexandria Guide Sun Valley Center Arts and Crafts Festival Where: Ketchum, ID When: August 7 9, 2016 In terms of natural beauty, it doesn't get much better than the Sun Valley Center Arts and Crafts Festival. The event takes place with a mountain backdrop, and artists sell their wares in tents over the course of a weekend. Visitors can also enjoy live music from jazz, folk, and bluegrass performers. A kid-friendly activity area offers younger visitors an opportunity to participate in the action and create their own art. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Sun Valley Guide Cherry Creek Arts Festival Where: Denver, CO When: July 1 4, 2016 Denver's Cherry Creek Arts Festival pays homage to visual, culinary, and performing artists during a three-day event. Fine cuisine, live musical performances, and booths with international juried artists are all part of the program. Don't miss "Artivity Avenue," a block of interactive activities that allows visitors to create sculptures, prints, and designs and collaborate on a community mural. At night, the main stage features jazz, R&B, and folk-rock concerts. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Denver Guide Sawdust Art Fair Where: Laguna Beach, CA When: June 24 August 28, 2016 Known as an artist colony, Laguna Beach is also home to Sawdust Art & Craft Festival, a nine-week summer festival. Visitors can stroll down sawdust paths in a small village of craft booths and talk to local artists about their work. Glow-in-the-dark paintings and pressed metal hanging sculptures are just a few of the out-of-the-box works on display. Live music rounds out the entertainment, and demonstration booths and hands-on workshops give visitors a chance to see artists in action. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Laguna Beach Guide Park City Kimball Arts Festival Where: Park City, UT When: August 12 14, 2016 Artists flock to the Park City Arts Festival each summer. The three-day event features ceramics, paintings, woven, and wooden pieces, as well as handcrafted jewelry and glass sculptures. Southwest woven tapestries, hand-painted ceramic jugs, and polished wooden desks won top prizes in the festival's art show last year. Live music from a variety of artists continues throughout the day, and visitors can stop between booths for a yoga session at designated "Yogafest" areas. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Park City Guide Sausalito Art Festival Where: Sausalito, CA When: September 3 5, 2016 Labor Day weekend in Sausalito means the Sausalito Art Festival. Visitors can take a short ferry ride across the San Francisco Bay to the event, which includes work from artists specializing in jewelry, photography, woven clothing, and sculpture. Glass serving pieces, decorative ceramics, and wood and cast-metal kitchen items are a just a few of the things available for purchase. Live music plays throughout the day on two different stages, and children visiting the festival can also enjoy a kid-friendly performance at a special entertainment area. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Sausalito Guide Craft Expo 2016,presented by Guilford Art Center Where: Guilford, CT When: July 15 17, 2016 Come rain or shine, Guilford Craft Expo takes place every summer on the city's downtown green. American artists feature heavily at the festival, and visitors can browse work from 180 nationally recognized craftsmen. Ceramics, glass, jewelry, and printmaking are among the works available for purchase. The festival also includes student craft demos and a silent auction for donated craft pieces. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's New Haven Guide Long's Park Art and Craft Festival Where: Lancaster, PA When: September 4 6, 2016 For three days during the summer, Lancaster, Pennsylvania's Long's Park transforms into an outdoor gallery set around a lake. Artists from more than 30 states show up with their wares, including precious jewelry, colorful glass sculptures, and local woodwork. Live jazz performances continue throughout the day, and visitors can sample fare from area restaurants during breaks. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Lancaster Guide Ann Arbor Street Art Fair Where: Ann Arbor, MI When: July 21 24, 2016 Ceramic teapots, handwoven embroidered tapestries, and watercolor paintings are a sampling of what you'll find at the Ann Arbor Street Art Fair. The festival, which takes place in downtown Ann Arbor, features a variety of artists from around the country who display unique works. Lively street performances keep visitors entertained. Festivalgoers can also watch as artists create large-scale paintings on the pavement with sidewalk chalk. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Michigan Guide Bayou City Arts Festival Where: Houston, TX Houston's Bayou City Art Festival draws a crowd. The event had a record-breaking year with almost 15,000 visitors in 2015, and this year promises to more of the same. Texas artists take center stage displaying works ranging from vibrant modern paintings to whimsical tin sculptures. Families will enjoy interactive booths where children and parents can try their hand at printmaking and other crafts. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Houston Guide Kentuck Festival of the Arts Where: Northport, AL When: October 15 16, 2016 For some of the country's best folk art, look no further than Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Hosted by a community art center in Alabama, the event brings together more than 270 folk, visionary, and contemporary artists, not to mention expert craftspeople. Interactive live demonstrations from basketmakers, blacksmiths, traditional potters, and quilters add to the rustic ambiance. Children can also partake in the action in hands-on art areas throughout the park. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Montgomery Guide American Craft Expo Where: Evanston, IL When: September 23 25, 2016 More than 140 artisans pitch tents at the American Craft Exposition. Held in the college town of Evanston, Illinois, the festival features museum-quality artwork and one-of-a-kind furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, paper, and wood pieces. Visitors can browse wares while taking in views of sailboats on neighboring Lake Michigan. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Chicago Guide Des Moines Art Festival Where: Des Moines, IA When: June 24 26, 2016 Some of the best artists across the United States come to the Des Moines Art Festival every summer. A competitive jury judges 180 artists with media ranging from sculpture to paintings, but that's only part of the attraction. The event also includes live music and performances from acrobats, comedy acts, and dancers. Interactive art activities give visitors a chance to be creative, and people can also take in live demos from artists. On-site food trucks give visitors something to snack on between booths. Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor's Des Moines Guide | 2 | 98,767 | travel |
Policing searching for the wife of a 75-year-old man stabbed to death at his home in Suffolk last week have conceded that she is likely to have been murdered by her husband's killer. Sylvia Stuart, 69, remains missing after her husband Peter's body was found in woodland close to their home in Weybread on Friday. DCS Simon Parkes, the lead investigator in the case, said he feared Sylvia may also be dead. He said Suffolk police were seeking a European arrest warrant for the chief suspect, Ali Qazimaj, a 42-year-old ethnic Albanian from Kosovo, who was last seen boarding a ferry to France on Saturday. Asked whether it was likely to be a double murder case, Parkes said: "That's something which I think there is every possibility of, yes. We haven't found Sylvia, we are still looking for her. But we are now some 10 days on since she was last seen. So we think the chances of her being alive are now remote." Parkes said he had never before dealt with a case like this. "There are a number of peculiarities and unique factors to this case," he said. The couple were last seen in Pulham Market , Norfolk, on Sunday 29 May when CCTV footage shows them entering a farm shop. Parkes said Qazimaj had used the alias Marco Costa after being granted asylum in the UK. "We believe he is from Kosovo, that he sought asylum following the conflict and was granted this and given a British passport," he said. "We believe he has previously used the name of Marco Costa. We are providing that information because he may be travelling under that name. "We are looking for any further information about Ali Qazimaj which hopefully will may give us an indication as to where he may have gone all what he may have done with Sylvia." Asked whether Suffolk police were seeking a European arrest warrant for Qazimaj, Parkes said: "There is a whole legal sequence that we are working through, yes." He confirmed that Qazimaj had links to the family, but would not go into details. He said there was no evidence to support reports that Qazimaj had a relationship with the mother of the Stuarts' son-in-law. "That is bizarre. We have got nothing at all which corroborates that in any way," he said. Members of the public have been warned not to approach Qazimaj but to call 999 immediately if he is seen. "He is a suspect in the death of Peter who died as the result of multiple stab injuries. So clearly that's where the danger lies," Parkes said. He said police were investigating the places where Qazimaj worked for clues as to Sylvia Stuart's whereabouts. "He was forklift truck driver in the Purfleet area. We are trying to get as much information as we can do about places he may have worked from past employees etc to try and understand potentially where Sylvia may be." Parkes said investigators were exploring possible motives for the killing. "For Suffolk this is an extremely large investigation. For us we are committing significant resources to it. There are a number of peculiarities and unique factors to this case. We have one person who has been killed, one person that we have yet to locate, and clearly we didn't find her in the area where we found Peter, and the fact we have a man who has now gone abroad who we are seeking in connection with it." On Monday, police released on bail a 61-year-old from Leicester, believed to be the Stuarts' son-in-law Steve Paxman. | 5 | 98,768 | news |
Sports Illustrated's Ted Keith and Stephen Cannella discuss the Dodgers' decision to option Carl Crawford despite his huge contract and what are some of the worst contracts signed in baseball. | 1 | 98,769 | sports |
Domino's Pizza is looking to loyalty to drive increased sales. Last fall, the company rolled out its first nationwide loyalty program: Piece of the Pie Rewards. Signing up through the Domino's app is easy, and once a customer enters the program, they can start earning free pizza for placing repeat orders online. It's been more than two quarters since Domino's introduced the program -- enough time to get a sense of its effect on the company's underlying business. During Domino's April earnings call, management offered up some color on Piece of the Pie's performance. Fueling sales growth Domino's same-store sales rose 6.4% in the U.S. last quarter on an annual basis. At stores owned by franchisees, sales rose 6.6%, better than the 6% analysts had been anticipating. Notably, that marks the 20th consecutive quarter of positive U.S. same-store sales growth -- an impressive streak. What's behind those stronger sales? According to Domino's management, the company's new loyalty program is playing an important role. "We're feeling good about the loyalty program...it clearly was a positive contributor to comps in the first quarter, and we're seeing enough on it that we're feeling good about how it's going to affect the growth [of] the business going forward," Domino's CFO Jeff Lawrence said on the company's first quarter earnings call. Likewise, in February, Domino's management made similar remarks about the program's effect on the company's fourth quarter. "Our loyalty program was launched during the fourth quarter [and] has produced encouraging early results, feedback, and engagement from our digital customers. This introduction had a positive impact on the fourth quarter, and we look forward to continuing to introduce it to our growing digital audience," Domino's CEO Patrick Doyle said. Related video: Domino's CEO: Fastest-growing part of our sales It's about boosting market share, not juicing sales Piece of the Pie is not complicated, and is relatively easy to understand. If a customer places an online order totaling $10 or more (about the equivalent of a medium, two-topping pizza), they earn 10 points, and they can earn up to 10 points per day. For every 60 points they accumulate, they earn a free medium two-topping pizza. That's it. Obviously, simplicity confers a host of benefits, but Domino's management has been straightforward in laying out the goals it's hoping to achieve. Piece of the Pie doesn't reward big spenders, but rather repeat customers. The customer who buys $100 worth of pizza and the customer who buys $11 worth of pizza earn the same number of points. That's intentional: Piece of the Pie is about driving volume, not increasing the size of individual orders. On Domino's February earnings call Doyle discusses this: We're trying to drive volume in our business. It's about driving frequency and retention of those customers. I think it's a fundamental choice that brands need to make on whether or not it's going to be about driving ticket and overall sales versus frequency of the customers. And we clearly chose that we want to drive order counts within our system. That stands in stark contrast to the changes coffee giant Starbucks made to its loyalty program back in April. For years, Starbucks operated a system roughly similar to Domino's Piece of the Pie: after purchasing 12 drinks, Starbucks customers would receive a free beverage of their choice . Now, under the new system, Starbucks customers are rewarded not for the number of drinks they purchase, but on the basis of how much money they spend. Starbuck's old system was designed to drive volume, encouraging coffee drinkers to make daily trips to their local Starbucks for their cup of coffee. Starbucks' new system, in contrast, doesn't so much reward regular loyalty, as it encourages customers to order more expensive drinks, or to purchase other items like pastries and breakfast sandwiches alongside their beverage. Starbucks has made growing its food business a top priority for the company, and it's finding some success. Last quarter, Starbucks food revenue rose 16% on an annual basis. In total, it generated 20% of Starbucks' U.S. revenue, its highest share ever. Starbucks' new loyalty program should help its food sales rise even further. Back in February, Doyle was asked to contrast Domino's loyalty program with Starbucks'. "I am aware of [the change Starbucks] made...But for us, as low as our market share is overall within the pizza category, we think it makes sense to be focusing primarily on order counts." Domino's is one of the nation's largest pizza chains, but its share of the pizza market remains below 20%. Starbucks and Domino's loyalty programs are important to both companies, and are similar in the sense that they both leverage the investments the companies have made in technology, and in their apps. But they're ultimately pursuing two different strategies, and the differing structure of their loyalty programs reflects that. SPONSORED: A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here . | 3 | 98,770 | finance |
CLEVELAND -- Kevin Love participated in a portion of shootaround Wednesday that was open to reporters. According to the team, he remains in the concussion protocol and is questionable for tonight's Game 3. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue didn't speak to reporters about Love's situation. | 1 | 98,771 | sports |
Colorado State football preview for 2016, including keys to success for the Rams, best players and season prediction: What You Need To Know About Colorado State's Offense Give the Rams' coaching staff credit in its first year it did a nice job of keeping things going. The passing game might not have been the killer it was in 2014, but the attack averaged 426 yards per game and was efficient enough down the stretch. Now the offense needs to be far more consistent and far more dangerous despite the loss of the top receivers, including Rashard Higgins. Quarterbacks Nick Stevens and Georgia transfer Faton Bauta are a good place to start building up the attack even more, while Dalyn Dawkins is a good back working behind an experienced. Expect another balanced offense with more emphasis on the ground game. Key To The Colorado State Offense The running game should take over for a stretch. Colorado State will always have a decent passing attack with a head coach like Mike Bobo at the helm. But with Rashard Higgins and the top four receivers of last year gone, and with the power coming from a solid veteran line paving the way for running backs Dalyn Dawkins and Izzy Matthews, this should be a stronger, tougher ground game that occasionally takes over games at least that's the hope. New receivers will emerge there's talent coming back but it'll be too easy to keep giving the ball to the backs. What You Need To Know About Colorado State's Defense The Rams lose their entire starting front four. However, the linebacking corps is terrific, so it's not a drastic move going to a 3-4 to take advantage of one of the team's biggest strengths. At the very least, the defense will be versatile enough to switch to whatever it needs to be on a given day with a hybrid linebacker doing a little bit of everything. While the Rams struggled against the run, they were fantastic against most good passing teams with a strong, veteran secondary that's gone. The defensive backfield will be a work in progress, and now the pass rush needs to make up for it. Key To The Colorado State Defense Can the front seven start coming up with more production against the run? It's not the biggest group, but it's not going to be a thin bunch even when it's working out of a 3-4. However, there's plenty of overhaul on the line and the deep linebacking corps will have to do most of the heavy lifting for a while. Somehow, the defense that came up with just 22 sacks has to get into the backfield more while getting nastier against the dangerous ground games. The Rams allowed 200 rushing yards or more in eight of the last ten games and gave up over five yards per pop. Colorado State Football Will Be Far Better If … The penalties slow down. The Rams didn't necessarily lose games because they were flagged too often, but the lost yards certainly didn't help in a 23-20 loss to Minnesota after getting nailed ten times for 86 yards. The 12 sins for 110 yards were a part of the loss to Utah State, and in game after game there were too many needless errors. It's not a coincidence that when the penalties slowed down, the close wins followed getting hit just 11 times over a three-game winning stretch late in the year. On the season, CSU was 4-0 when committing six penalties or fewer, 3-6 when committing more. Best Offensive Player QB Nick Stevens But here's the thing Faton Bauta could end up being the key to the season. Stevens stepped into the starting role last season and did a terrific job, completing 61% of his passes for 2,679 yards and 21 touchdowns with 12 picks. He doesn't, however, have the same receiving corps as last year and needs to be a little more careful with the ball. Bauta comes in from Georgia with the dual-threat abilities, but without the pure passing skills of Stevens. Bauta will be an X factor, but Stevens is too good to lose the gig. Best Defensive Player LB Kevin Davis The team's leading tackler came up with 101 stops in his breakout campaign, earning all-star honors as the big hitter on the outside. Now with the more versatile scheme, he'll work at times both inside and out, but he'll be at his best on the weak side with good size and nice range. He's a decent pass rusher, but he has the skills with the hybrid potential to be a more dangerous factor behind the line. Key Player To A Successful Season WR Xavier Williams The 6-4, 215-pound veteran finished fifth on the team in receiving yards, coming up with 231 on 19 catches with two scores in just nine games. With Rashard Higgins and Joe Hansley done, along with the two pass catching tight ends, Williams suddenly becomes the main option with the size and downfield ability to come up with his share of big plays. He's not going to be Higgins, but as long as he's steady, he'll be doing his job. Colorado State's Season Will Be A Success If … The Rams win the Mountain title. That might be a bit of a stretch considering how good Boise State is, and with New Mexico, Utah State and Air Force all solid, but the offense should be terrific and the defense just deep enough to be okay. It's hardly an easy slate with road games at Boise State, Air Force and San Diego State, but the goal for the program that won ten games just two years ago has to be to at least get to the Mountain West championship game. Key Game Oct. 15 at Boise State The Broncos won with a 41-10 dominant performance last season, but the Rams took the 2014 showdown in Boise 37-24 in one of the keys to the season. Boise State has won four of the last five meetings, and to be realistic, it'll take a CSU win on the blue turf to have any real shot at the conference title. A loss means wins on the road at Air Force and San Diego State are a must that's too tough a task. Fun Stats From 2015 - Penalties: Colorado State 97 for 898 yards Opponents 83 for 732 yards - First Quarter Scoring: Colorado State 130 Opponents 74 - Fourth Down Conversions: Colorado State 10-of-17 (59%) Opponents 14-of-26 (54%) MORE: - 2016 Mountain West Football Preview - Mountain West Coach Rankings | 1 | 98,772 | sports |
The bank cuts its forecast for global economy growth to 2.4-percent this year, citing weak demand and low commodity prices. | 3 | 98,773 | finance |
Follow these simple steps to make sure your child doesn't bury their face in a screen all summer. Sean Dowling (@seandowlingtv) has more. | 8 | 98,774 | video |
British long jumper Greg Rutherford won't skip the Summer Olympics in Rio over concerns of the Zika virus, but a certain part of him will stay back in freezer. His partner, Susie Verrill, detailed in Standard Issue magazine this week why she and their son, Milo, won't be in Brazil. She also disclosed that the couple has decided to freeze Rutherford's sperm. "We'd love to have more children and with research in its infancy, I wouldn't want to put myself in a situation which could have been prevented," Verrill wrote. "Specialists still also don't know the ins and outs of Zika, so even though it looks as though there's no real issues should Milo get bitten, it's just another thing we don't want to chance." Verrill lamented that the news media focused on the frozen sperm portion of her 1500-world article. Rutherford won gold in the long jump at the 2012 London Olympics and is among a growing group of athletes who have expressed fears of the Zika virus. The virus is mostly spread by misquotes, but can also be transmitted through sexual activity. The World Health Organization reported in in March that the spread of Zika through sexual contact is more common than first thought. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that women exposed to Zika in the first three months of pregnancy have up to a 13% chance their babies would be born with microcephaly, a condition in which leads to unusually small heads and an underdeveloped brain. Most people infected with Zika show no signs of illness, although some can experience flu-like symptoms. It can be deadly for those with pre-existing conditions. Spanish basketball star and Chicago Bulls player Pau Gasol said last week that he's considering skipping the Rio Games. Tennis standout Serena Williams and U.S. women's national soccer team goalie Hope Solo have also expressed concerns. American cyclist Tejay van Garderen, whose wife is pregnant, withdrew his name from consideration for the Rio Olympics last week. | 1 | 98,775 | sports |
For a third time in five years, Tiger Woods will miss two major championships in a season. Now the main question is whether this will this be the first time he misses more than that. On Tuesday evening, Woods made it official that he wouldn't play in next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont with an announcement on his website. "While I continue to work hard on getting healthy, I am not physically ready to play in this year's U.S. Open and the Quicken Loans National. I am making progress, but I'm not yet ready for tournament competition," Woods said. "I want to thank everyone for their continued support. The positive texts, emails and calls I have received have been incredible. I want to wish Mike Davis, Diana Murphy, the USGA, the players and everyone at Oakmont a very successful week." It shouldn't come as a shock that someone recovering from two off-season back surgeries won't make his comeback to competitive golf at one of the toughest tracks in golf. What is a bit surprising is Woods, 40, already ruling out a return at the Quicken Loans National, although he said he would still be on site as tournament host. It was at a media day for that event last month where Woods dumped three consecutive wedges into the water at Congressional. Despite some far-fetched claims that Woods did this on purpose , the sad display was a clear indication he wasn't close to teeing it up for real. Previously, several appearances at golf clinics gave fans a glimpse of hope that they'd get a glimpse of Tiger between the ropes. As did reports of Woods booking lodging for the Memorial as well as registering for the U.S. Open. But those moves turned out to have no correlation with a comeback. Woods, who has fallen to No. 507 in the Official World Ranking, is exempt into just two more U.S. Opens thanks to his win at Torrey Pines in 2008. However, if healthy, one could assume Woods would receive several special exemptions from the USGA well beyond that. Jack Nicklaus (eight), Arnold Palmer (five) and Tom Watson (four) lead the way in that category. Woods finished T-2 at Oakmont the last time the U.S. Open was held there in 2007. Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, said in April that he "absolutely" expects his client to play this year. There's still time for that, but when it comes to this season, Woods is running out of events. It's hard to imagine the 14-time major champ playing in the Barracuda Championship at the end of the month -- especially since its opposite the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational he's won eight times. Then there's the Greenbrier Classic July 7-10. If Woods doesn't play then, again, it seems unlikely he'd made his comeback at a major the next week at the British Open. After that, there's just the RBC Canadian Open before the PGA Championship and just a three other events before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which Woods hasn't qualified for since 2013. More from Golf Digest: The Hottest PGA Tour Wives and Girlfriends How Tiger's Swing Has Changed This Weekend's Best Golf Instagrams | 1 | 98,776 | sports |
WASHINGTON U.S. employers advertised the most open jobs in nine months in April but pulled back on filling them, a sign of caution that may reflect concerns about tepid economic growth. Job openings rose 2 percent to 5.8 million, the Labor Department said Wednesday, matching a record high reached in April. Yet hiring slipped for the second straight month to just under 5.1 million. The figures suggest that an annual economic growth rate of just 0.8 percent in the first three months of the year has caused businesses to postpone hiring decisions. There are other reasons that companies may not fill open jobs: They may not be able to find enough qualified candidates, or may not be offering sufficient pay to entice enough applicants. The increase in available jobs holds out hope that hiring could rebound this summer after the spring slowdown. And the number of layoffs in April fell 122,000 to 1.65 million, according to Wednesday's report, a low level that shows employers aren't worried enough about the economy to cut more jobs. "If firms really are pulling back, the first thing they would do is stop advertising jobs," said Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics. But one frustrating characteristic of this recovery for job seekers has been a persistent willingness among employers to leave job openings unfilled for a much longer period than in the past. As a result, it isn't clear what the increase in job openings will mean for future hiring. The rise in April was followed by May's sharply lower figure for net job gains. Most recent data indicates that hiring has slowed this year. A dismal jobs report on Friday showed that employers added only 38,000 jobs in May, the fewest in more than five years. In the last three months, job gains averaged just 116,000, about half the monthly gain of 230,000 last year. The unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in May, but only because many unemployed stopped looking for work. The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively searching for jobs. Wednesday's figures track total hiring in April and come from a report known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS. The monthly jobs report released last week calculated a net total of job gains in May after subtracting those who quit, retired or were laid off. The job market's health is a key factor in the Federal Reserve's deliberations over when it will next raise the short-term interest rate it controls. Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve, on Monday said last Friday's jobs report was "disappointing." But she also cautioned against focusing too much on one report, and pointed to the high levels of available jobs and healthy quits as evidence that the labor market is still in decent shape. More than 2.9 million people quit their jobs in April, a solid figure. More quitting is evidence that employees are finding new jobs, usually at higher pay. | 3 | 98,777 | finance |
A Germany footballer who was playing in Paris in November when suicide bombers launched an attack outside the stadium has barred his family from Euro 2016 matches due to security concerns. "My family and my children will not come to the stadium. The risk is too big," Jerome Boateng, who will play for his national side at the European Championship that starts in France on Friday, told Sport Bild magazine. "It is sad having to deal with such issues but many things have happened that make you think about it," the central defender said. France is in a state of emergency after the November bomb and gun attacks that killed 130 people across Paris. The French, U.S. and other governments have warned that militants may target the soccer tournament. Boateng was playing in a friendly against France on that evening when explosions happened outside the stadium during the game. The Germans spent much of that night holed up in the bowels of the Stade de France before rushing to the airport. "For my part I want to concentrate on football and I feel better if my family is not sitting in the stands," Boateng said. German Football Association chief Reinhard Grindel said it was up to every player to decide what was best for their family. "This is something that everyone has to decide for their own family," Grindel told reporters. "I respect it but will not comment on it. What I will say is that we have full trust in the French authorities." Ukraine's state security service said on Monday a French citizen detained on the border with Poland had been planning attacks on Jewish and Muslim places of worship in France to coincide with the soccer championship. Nationwide, more than 90,000 police, soldiers and private security agents will be deployed to ensure the safety of the June 10-July 10 tournament. | 1 | 98,778 | sports |
Nearly half of unemployed Americans have quit looking for work and the numbers are even worse for the long-term jobless, according to a poll released Wednesday that paints a grim picture of the labor market. Some 59 percent of those who have been out of work for two years or more say they have stopped looking, the Harris Poll of unemployed Americans showed. Overall, 43 percent of the jobless said they have given up, according to the poll released in conjunction with Express Employment Professionals, a job placement service. "This is a tale of two economies," Express CEO Bob Funk said in a statement. "It's frightening to see this many people who could work say they have given up." The results come just a few days after a government report showed that the unemployment rate fell to 4.7 percent in May , but the drop came primarily because of a sharp decline in the labor force participation rate. The number of people of all ages whom the government considers "not in the labor force" swelled by 664,000 to a record 94.7 million Americans, according to Labor Department data. Job creation, after averaging over 200,000 for much of the recovery, has slowed considerably this year. May saw just 38,000 new jobs, part of a trend in which payrolls have grown an average of 116,000 over the past three months and less than 150,000 for all of 2016. The greatest concentration of unemployment is in the 18-29 age group, which comprises one-third of all the jobless: Other highlights of the poll: 83 percent say economic benefits are skewed to the rich 66 percent say they don't apply for minimum-wage jobs because the pay is too low The unemployed are spending just 11.7 hours a week looking for work. More than half 51 percent say they haven't had a job interview since 2014. There's virtually no stand-out preference in the presidential race: 27 percent prefer presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, while 23 percent favor likely Republican standard-bearer Donald Trump. While much has been made over the decline in the labor force participation rate at 62.6 percent, it is just off its lowest level since late 1977 some economists think the fear is overdone. They argue that the drop is due in large part to an aging population, among other causes. "Almost all of the decline that we've seen over the last decade or so is due to three factors: retiring baby boomers just leaving the labor force, college students getting more education than ever, and disability," Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at job placement site Glassdoor, said in an interview. "I don't think it's particularly worrisome." There was one optimistic sign in the survey: 22 percent said the reason they are out of work is because they quit, up from 15 percent in 2014, a trend economists generally equate with a more mobile labor force. The Harris/Express poll was conducted from May 5-16 and surveyed 1,513 jobless Americans, and carries a 95 percent confidence level. | 3 | 98,779 | finance |
As I continue my search for a new home in the real-estate market, I can't help but think about how different my home-buying experience is from what it was like for my parents or others in previous generations. First of all the home search process is completely different. Everything is online these days and you can typically see 20-30 pictures of every house that's on the market on the internet. You can make first-level determinations from your own living room about the types of homes you would like to look at without having to go to dozens of places in person. You can pull up tax records, school district maps and neighborhood reviews on every house on the market. There's a huge timesaving aspect of being able to cross off the ones you don't want to physically visit. But the houses themselves are also completely different than they were in the past. The U.S. Census just released a report on the characteristics of houses going back to the early 1970s which make this abundantly clear: In 1973, 49% of new homes had no air conditioning. In 2015, just 7% of new houses have no AC. In 1973, 40% of new homes had 1.5 bathrooms or fewer. In 2015, just 4% have fewer than 1.5 bathrooms. In 1973, 64% of new houses had three bedrooms while 23% had four bedrooms or more. In 2015, 42% of new houses are three-bedroom while 47% come with four bedrooms or more. In 1973, the median new house had 1,525 square feet of space. In 2015, the median new house has 2,467 square feet of space. In 1973, the average size of a U.S. household was 3.01 people. In 2015, the average size of a U.S. household is down to 2.54 people. Houses today also have wireless internet connectivity, better appliances, and are generally more energy efficient. They aren't making enough of them in my estimation and I may be stating the obvious here but new homes today look better, have more features and are higher quality than those built in the past. To summarize, houses today have fewer people living in them with more space, more bedrooms, more bathrooms and more comfortable living conditions. But wait…there's more. Mortgage rates are at record lows: Everyone complains about record-low interest rates from an investment perspective, but this is one place were the financial consumer is benefiting. The median home in the U.S. is now worth $296,400. I took the average annual 30-year fixed mortgage rate going back to 1972 and applied those corresponding rates to this current median home value to see what the monthly payments worked out to: So at today's median home value $296,400 and at current mortgage rates 3.63% the monthly payment would come out to $1,349 a month (before taxes, PMI, down payment, etc.). That same mortgage at 1981 interest-rate levels would have cost you more than three times as much or $4,136 a month. Your money goes much further at today's rates than any time in the past 40-plus years. People talk about a student-loan crisis these days, but I'm guessing the savings we now receive from lower interest rates on home loans has to dwarf those in comparison. Home buyers in the 80s and 90s could always refinance but that involves costs every time it occurs. Houses are obviously more costly today than they were back in the 70s and 80s, but as Robert Shiller has pointed out in his research , the average home generally appreciates at right around the rate of inflation over the long term (with the caveat that there are always outliers in certain areas that make things unaffordable for large groups of buyers). Once you factor in the tax savings on the deductible interest costs, you can basically get a mortgage interest rate today that will be equal to or less than the future rate of inflation. That's not a bad deal. Owning a home isn't for everyone. Plenty of people learned this the hard way in the real-estate boom and bust. Leverage can be painful on the downside. And young people still trying to figure out what they want to do with their life are probably better served renting because of the flexibility it allows in being able to move to other cities for employment opportunities. My general rule of thumb is that you shouldn't buy a home unless you're willing to own it for at least a decade. It's understandable that many people are still scarred from the real-estate crash, but buying a home today seems like a pretty good deal to me. For those willing to act responsibly with their home-buying decision, it's quite possible that there has never been a better time to be a homeowner. Ben Carlson is a money manager at Ritholtz Wealth Management. This commentary was first published on his blog, A Wealth of Common Sense, as "Has There Ever Been a Better Time to Be a Homebuyer?" RELATED: Want to sell your house by yourself? Read this first RELATED: Does 'staging' a home lure buyers into paying more? RELATED: Data show a deeper polarization of 'haves' and 'have-nots' in housing | 3 | 98,780 | finance |
Federal officials Tuesday moved to improve the financial outlook of Obamacare insurance plans by calling for limits on increasingly popular short-term health plans that are siphoning off healthier customers from coverage sold on government marketplaces. The government's move would limit short-term health coverage to an individual to less than three months and bar renewal, as opposed to the almost 12-month term that some plans are offering, along with a chance to renew. The proposed rule, one of several moves announced Tuesday, is designed to nudge those healthier customers in those short-term plans into Obamacare plans, and improve their so-called "risk pool." That, in turn, would bring in more premium dollars from people less likely to cost the plans money in the form of benefits paid out for medical care. Theoretically, such a move would help keep premium price increases for Obamacare plans lower than they otherwise would be. If insurance plans pay out less in benefits than they receive in premiums, they can have lower annual price increases, or even make price cuts. The government's proposals come as many Obamacare plans are seeking double-digit percentage increases for 2017, based in part on arguments that their risk pools are sicker than than they had anticipated. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell announced the proposal related to short-term plans by the HHS, and the departments of Labor and the Treasury, during a discussion with the New York Times editorial board that was live-streamed on Facebook. Sales of short-term insurance have risen significantly since 2014, when Obamacare began taking full effect. While many people have been using the plans to obtain health coverage, the plans do not prevent those people from being subject to a tax penalty for failing to have coverage that meets minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act. Related video: Most Americans say they're happy with Obamacare The short-term plans don't meet those ACA standards, since they are priced according to the health status of a customer, can discriminate against customers who have pre-existing conditions, and do not have to cover a set of minimum essential health benefits. A spokeswoman for AgileHealthInsurance, a major seller of short-term plans, had no immediate comment on the proposed rule. HHS in a fact sheet issued Tuesday, said that some insurers "are now offering short-term limited duration plans to consumers as their primary form of health coverage for periods that last nearly 12 months, allowing them to target only the healthiest consumers while avoiding consumer protections." "As highlighted in recent press accounts, by keeping these consumers out of the ACA single risk pool, such abuses of limited duration coverage increase costs for everyone else, and they could have a greater impact over time if allowed to become more widespread. "The proposed rule also improves transparency for consumers by requiring issuers to provide notice to consumers that the coverage is not minimum essential coverage, does not satisfy the health coverage requirement of the ACA, and will not prevent the consumer from owing a tax penalty," the fact sheet said. "The proposed changes will help strengthen the risk pool by ensuring that short term limited duration plans are used only as intended, to fill truly temporary gaps in coverage." In addition to the proposed new rules on short-term plans, HHS announced several other actions aimed at improving the risk pools of Obamacare plans. One targets a program designed to reimburse some insurers for the costs of covering sicker customers. HHS said it would seek to have the program more accurately reflect the cost of partial-year enrollees and to incorporate data about drug usage that gives a better picture of a customer's health status. HHS also said it would help Obamacare customers who turn 65 transition into Medicare, the federal health coverage program for primarily senior citizens. And HHS said it would begin to fully implement a confirmation process for so-called special enrollment periods outside of the limited open-enrollment sign-up season for Obamacare plans. That, the department said, will prevent "people from misusing the system to enroll in coverage only if they get sick." Burwell also said Tuesday that she would be making two other announcements this month. One would discuss efforts to work with insurers and state insurance departments to improve Obamacare coverage options, and the other would relate to outreach efforts, particularly to young adults and uninsured families, to increase enrollment for 2017, Obamacare's fourth season. | 3 | 98,781 | finance |
Audrey Munson is America's first supermodel. She posed for statues now found on buildings and monuments across America - yet almost no one knows who she is. | 8 | 98,782 | video |
It was a frightening find for neighbors living near a lake. Witnesses say they saw an alligator feasting on a human body. When wildlife experts arrived at the lake, they found the reptile with its jaws clinging to the body. But when they tried to catch the predator, it let the body go and swam off. Trappers eventually caught one gator, but aren't sure this was the one they were hunting. | 8 | 98,783 | video |
China is speeding up efforts to design and build a manned deep-sea platform to help it hunt for minerals in the South China Sea, one that may also serve a military purpose in the disputed waters. Such an oceanic "space station" would be located as much as 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) below the surface, according to a recent Science Ministry presentation viewed by Bloomberg. The project was mentioned in China's current five-year economic plan released in March and ranked number two on a list of the top 100 science and technology priorities. Authorities recently examined the implementation of the project and decided to accelerate the process, according to the presentation. "Having this kind of long-term inhabited station has not been attempted this deep, but it is certainly possible," said Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. "Manned submersibles have gone to those depths for almost 50 years. The challenge is operating it for months at a time." So far there are few public details, including a specific time line, any blueprints or a cost estimate -- or where in the waterway it might be located. Still, China under President Xi Jinping has asserted itself more strenuously in the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. Its claims to more than 80 percent of the waters and the creation of artificial islands covering 3,200 acres have inflamed tensions with nations including Vietnam and the Philippines. Shipping Lane It has also led the U.S. to send ships from its Seventh Fleet to ensure freedom of passage through an area that carries $5.3 trillion of global trade a year. To read more about the diplomatic tussle over the South China Sea, click here. "The deep sea contains treasures that remain undiscovered and undeveloped, and in order to obtain these treasures we have to control key technologies in getting into the deep sea, discovering the deep sea, and developing the deep sea," Xi said last month at a national science conference. While China's appetite for natural resources remains the driving force behind the project, the recent ministry presentation noted the platform would be movable, and used for military purposes. China has proposed a network of sensors called the "Underwater Great Wall Project" to help detect U.S. and Russian submarines, say analysts at IHS Jane's. Important Strategy "To develop the ocean is an important strategy for the Chinese government, but the deep sea space station is not designed against any country or region," said Xu Liping, a senior researcher for Southeast Asian affairs at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a government-run institute. "China's project will be mainly for civil use, but we can't rule out it will carry some military functions," Xu said. "Many countries in the world have been researching these kind of deep water projects and China is just one of those nations." When analysts look at the South China Sea, they tend to focus on the potential for oil and gas reserves as estimates for mineral deposits are sketchy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the area has proved and probable reserves of about 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. China's estimates dwarf those. In 2012, Cnooc Ltd.'s then-chairman estimated the area holds around 125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Typhoon Challenge While most of the undiscovered oil lies in coastal regions that aren't disputed, the contested areas face geological and technological challenges, not least the depth of the waters and frequency of typhoons. Spearheading the planning for the deep-sea station is the China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, according to a statement on the website of the science ministry. Once operational, it would host dozens of crew members who could remain underwater for up to a month, the ministry's presentation separately said. China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation and the ministry did not reply to faxes seeking comment. Price Tag Planning has been under way for a decade and is central to China's push to become a global technology superpower by 2030, according to the presentation. Completing it would help China close a deep sea exploration gap with the U.S., Japan, France and Russia on underwater technology. China has already logged successes, with its Jiaolong submersible setting a world record by descending 7 kilometers in 2012. The ministry presentation didn't give any estimated price tag but Bryan Clark, who formerly served as special assistant to the chief of U.S. naval operations, said the cost could be daunting and its vulnerability to detection would make it less attractive militarily than using a submarine or an unmanned vehicle. China spent 1.42 trillion yuan ($216 billion) on state and privately-funded research and development in 2015, according to the National Statistics Bureau, while total defense spending this year is projected by the government to increase 7.6 percent to 954.4 billion yuan ($145 billion). "The kinds of systems that make sense for deep sea are sensor and communication systems," said Clark. "In the Cold War, the U.S. and USSR spent much effort looking for each others' communication cables and sensors to disrupt them in peacetime or attack them in war. We can assume those efforts would continue today and into the future." | 3 | 98,784 | finance |
A Raptors fan who was kicked out of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals two weeks ago was found shot to death in Toronto on Tuesday. The fan, Sukh Deo, was described by the Vancouver Sun as a gangster . His uncle who spoke with the Sun said his nephew ran a trucking company with a friend. Deo was killed when two men seen wearing construction vests opened fire on a white Range Rover in the middle of the afternoon in Toronto. At least 14 bullet holes were found on the driver side of the luxury SUV. The Sun says Deo was a suspect in a continuing investigation in Vancouver. His brother was convicted in a 2005 kidnapping case, and his father is wanted by Interpol on drug smuggling charges. Deo, 34, was said to be a huge Raptors fan. He was the fan who was ejected midway through the fourth quarter during the Raptors' Game 4 win over the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals: --- | 1 | 98,785 | sports |
The first day at the Evian team base ended with very bad news for the Germany national team. Antonio Rüdiger, one of Jérôme Boateng's fellow centre-backs, sustained a cruciate ligament rupture. Head coach Joachim Löw has called up Bayer Leverkusen central defender Jonathan Tah to replace the AS Roma stopper. "I deliberately made a like-for-like swap," Löw declared at a press conference on Tuesday lunchtime. Boateng completed the full squad programme on Wednesday after a reduced training load on Tuesday evening. "It was just a precaution," Löw commented, sounding the all-clear. "Jérôme had back problems resulting from the match against Hungary. But everything's fine again." Joshua Kimmich missed Wednesday's session with a bad cold. "It was sensible for him to take a breather." Mats Hummels is making progress. The new Bayern signing completed his first training session with the ball on Wednesday. "It's a very, very positive development," a delighted Löw commented. The 56-year-old wants to "raise" Hummels' training burden after evaluating the situation "on a day-to-day basis." The centre-back will definitely miss the first match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday at 21.00 CET. Löw handed out words of praise to Mario Götze. "I have a very positive impression," the Germany head coach said, pleased with Götze's displays in the 3-1 defeat to Slovakia and the 2-0 victory over Hungary. "He played well in both matches, his movement was very good." Götze has an "outstanding ability to get away from his opponents when there's little space" and is in "top physical condition. I think he's ready for the Euro 2016." | 1 | 98,786 | sports |
When you hear Dodge Charger, the thoughts that spring to mind are usually power, performance, and engine growl. Although these descriptors may be accurate for the V-8-powered models, they're not too close when describing the subdued 2016 Dodge Charger SXT Blacktop. This model is more family sedan than weekend warrior, but under the right circumstances, it can offer a glimpse of what the performance-oriented Charger models are capable of. That isn't to say that the SXT is a dud by any means, but rather it has a different consumer in mind than a Scat Pack or Hellcat customer. The Charger Blacktop edition gets power from a 3.6-liter V-6 that pumps out 300 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. Those may seem like impressive numbers, but a curb weight of nearly 4,100 pounds can hinder quick acceleration. Even though the Blacktop is rather heavy, it sprints to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and completes the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds at 94.9 mph; the figure eight took 25.7 seconds. When out on the town, the lack of power wasn't as noticeable, but when trying to merge onto the freeway, it was a hindrance. Even with the gas pedal pressing into the floormat, it took a second for the Charger to get going. The paddle shifters, which should have offered more of an engaging, performance-oriented drive, also felt lacking. It felt like we were still in Drive and not in the manual/Sport mode. The engine revs would continue to climb as the car crept along from a standstill, throwing off when we would normally upshift. However, at higher gears, it was easier to shift at proper intervals. We expected more of an engine growl when using the paddle shifters, but the engine was so subdued and quiet that we had to roll down the windows and turn off the radio just to hear it. Despite the lack of solid power, the Charger SXT Blacktop shined in other areas. The brakes were strong and confident whether stopping abruptly or gradually. Handling was top-notch with excellent grip in sharp, quick corners and stiff steering. The ride itself was smooth, and road imperfections were barely felt. The Charger had no issues when making tight turns around town, and even though it's a rather large sedan, weaving through traffic was a breeze, making us think we were in a much smaller car. Behind the wheel, we noticed the comfortable front seats with plenty of side bolstering that surprisingly didn't hinder us from moving the shift knob. The interior itself was quiet, even at high speeds, thanks in part to the quieter-than-expected engine. We weren't the biggest fans of the amount of not-so-soft-touch plastic in the cabin, and every surface on the dash and doors seemed to be outfitted with it. The center stack was simple and clean with an infotainment system that was easy to use. Although there were steering wheel-mounted controls for the infotainment system, we opted not to use them, as they were located on the reverse side of the steering wheel, just under the paddle shifters. What separates the Charger SXT Blacktop from the standard SXT is an appearance package that features a striking B5 Blue Pearl exterior paint color, a solid black interior, 20-inch gloss black-painted aluminum wheels, a satin black performance spoiler, dark-brushed interior accents, a leather-wrapped performance steering wheel, and black-edged premium floormats. Nothing changes under the hood, but this model could definitely do with a slight power bump. The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT Blacktop is ideal for customers looking for a little more edge in their daily driver. This large sedan is a great alternative to traditional sedans, offering plenty of cargo room, passenger room, and technology. Although the performance may not be where we would like, it likely won't be a hindrance to those buying the SXT. 2016 Dodge Charger SXT (Blacktop) BASE PRICE $31,985 PRICE AS TESTED $37,360 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 3.6L/300-hp/264-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6 TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,081 lb (52/48%) WHEELBASE 120.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 198.4 x 75.0 x 58.2 in 0-60 MPH 6.4 sec QUARTER MILE 14.8 sec @ 94.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 110 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.88 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.72 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 19/31/23 mpg ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 177/109 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.84 lb/mile Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,787 | autos |
A few weeks ago, Opera announced a new feature for its browser on Windows and OS X that aims to make the batteries in your laptop last longer. Until now, this feature was only available in Opera's beta release channel; today, it is graduating to the stable version . The company claims that this new feature (together with Opera's built-in ad blocker) can extend your battery life by up to 50 percent over using Chrome. I've used the beta version of Opera on my MacBook Air for the last few weeks and it definitely feels like using Opera over Chrome does result in better battery life, though I don't think it's 50 percent. In all fairness, though, Opera cites this number for tests with a Windows 10 laptop, so your mileage may vary. How does Opera manage to achieve this? The company says that when active, this mode limits the activity of background tabs, wakes the CPU less often by scheduling JavaScript timers differently, reduces the frame rate to 30 frames per second and tunes your video playback parameters by forcing the use of hardware-accelerated codecs. It's worth noting that Opera did not publish any benchmarks against Safari on OS X, which makes sense, given that Apple uses similar techniques to extend the battery life on its laptops, too, so the difference is probably not quite as emarkable. | 3 | 98,788 | finance |
SAN FRANCISCO The Boston Red Sox run into a few disadvantages when they visit a National League ballpark, most notably feeling compelled to sit down the game's top designated hitter in David Ortiz and requiring their pitchers to perform the unfamiliar task of hitting. But hey, at least those pitchers don't have to deal with a DH either, right? That might not prove all that beneficial Wednesday. The marquee matchup of Boston ace David Price against the San Francisco Giants' Madison Bumgarner features not only two of the top lefties in the majors, but the NL's Silver Slugger Award winner among pitchers each of the last two years. That would be Bumgarner, who is again punishing his opposite numbers with his power stroke, even if his batting average is not up to his previous standards. When Bumgarner homered for the second time this season last week, taking the Atlanta Braves' Aaron Blair deep, he matched two of the game's most prominent hitters Mike Trout and Bryce Harper with 11 home runs in their last 190 plate appearances. For Bumgarner, that stretch covers the last three seasons. He hit four home runs two of them grand slams in 2014 and five last season. Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged they will approach Bumgarner as a regular hitter. "The power is clear,'' Farrell said. "To what average he'll hit for, I don't know, but he's certainly a threat when he stands in the batter's box, and that's an advantage for him and the Giants. You don't take it lightly. You've got to make pitches, and you've got to be careful in key spots. He can impact the game with one swing of the bat.'' Bumgarner enjoys swinging the bat so much, he has expressed interest in participating in this year's Home Run Derby the day before the All-Star Game in San Diego. He voiced such a desire to ESPN when asked about that possibility before the Giants' game Sunday night in St. Louis then proceeded to put on a display of his slugging prowess in batting practice and reiterated it to news reporters Tuesday. The Giants are understandably concerned that their top No. 1 starter might hurt himself taking a mighty cut in what's merely a made-for-TV event, but Bumgarner, while stressing that he's not lobbying for a spot in the Derby, dismissed such a notion. "You see how hard I swing in batting practice,'' said Bumgarner, whose .156 batting average is about 100 points lower than his final mark the last two seasons. "I do that all the time.'' The main appeal of Wednesday's game still lies in the second career pitching matchup between Price and Bumgarner, who have combined for eight All-Star Game invites. Price, who signed a seven-year, $217 million contract with the Red Sox in the offseason, was battered around early in the season, putting up an unsightly 6.75 ERA over his first seven outings. He has been much sharper since then, pitching to a 2.62 ERA in his last five starts. "I'm definitely throwing the ball better,'' the 2012 Cy Young Award winner said. "I'm not myself, not by any means. To me, I haven't dominated the way I know I'm capable of throwing.'' Bumgarner has, going 6-1 with a 1.27 ERA in his last nine starts. He may have to step out of his comfort zone, though. Buster Posey has caught each of Bumgarner's last 45 starts, the longest current streak for any batterymates in the majors tracing back to 2014 but sat out Tuesday's series opener with nerve irritation in his right thumb and is likely to miss Wednesday's game. Trevor Brown would start in his place. Price and Bumgarner did not hit against each other the one time they met, on Sept. 6, 2014, a 5-4 Giants victory at Comerica Park when Price pitched for the Detroit Tigers. So this could be interesting. "I don't think I've faced an opposing pitcher that's had home runs,'' said Price, who has spent his entire nine-year career in the American League, "but it's not going to change the way I'm going to approach the game tomorrow or any type of situation I might run into tomorrow.'' GALLERY: DOMINANT PITCHING PERFORMANCES | 1 | 98,789 | sports |
LONDON Registration to vote in the referendum on whether Britain should stay in the EU was extended until midnight Thursday after the government's website crashed due to huge demand. The original deadline was midnight but voters trying to register from around 10.15 p.m. Tuesday night reported seeing the message " 504 Gateway Time-out" on their screens. Prime Minister David Cameron urged people to continue registering to vote. "Those registrations will be captured by the system then we have the legal question about whether captured applications can be eligible for the 23 June," he said. Matt Hancock, the Cabinet Office minister, tweeted Wednesday: "Delighted at huge voter registration levels. Due to technical problems with the website yesterday we'll extend deadline to midnight tomorrow." The government said it would legislate to extend the registration. "No one should miss out on voting in this historic referendum because of the problem with the Government's registration website last night," Alex Robertson, a spokesman for the Electoral Commission said in a statement. "We said this morning that legislation should be introduced to extend the registration deadline and we're pleased the government will now be making this change." | 5 | 98,790 | news |
The day after the Affordable Care Act passed the House, several of President Obama's top advisers met in the Situation Room. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was "buoyant," and she congratulated everyone in the room, recalled former White House adviser David Axelrod. Then Obama walked in, and Clinton who had tried and failed to pass comprehensive health-care reform when her husband was president in the 1990s gave him a big hug. Eight years ago, Clinton and Obama were competitors who had taken several, well-publicized swipes at each other, and whose surrogates had engaged in much worse. But that unguarded moment at the White House, when Clinton affectionately acknowledged that her 2008 presidential rival had succeeded where she had failed, reflected the evolution of an alliance that has defied expectations. Now, after dutifully supporting Obama's presidency, Clinton is ready to reverse the roles. And as she assumes the mantle of the Democratic Party's standard bearer, no single relationship may be more important to realizing her current aspirations than the one she has forged with Obama. Clinton and Obama have already met a couple of times at the White House since she launched her presidential bid sessions that were disclosed after the fact. They chat by phone periodically including on Tuesday night, when Obama called to congratulate her on clinching the nomination. The president hasn't provided tactical advice, according to an individual familiar with the conversations, but he has offered broad guidance about the importance of Clinton staying true to her own values and the issues that matter. But his role is likely to change dramatically in the coming days and weeks and Clinton's team can't wait. Many of her top staffers served as senior Obama administration officials, and they believe the president's political gifts and enduring popularity will only help her in the general-election contest against Donald Trump. Several Democrats said the president is likely to serve a similar role to the "explainer-in-chief" function Bill Clinton played for Obama in 2012, pointing out flaws in the Republicans' arguments. Obama would be a "uniquely valuable voice" in support of Clinton, campaign press secretary Brian Fallon said. "He came away from the 2008 campaign with enough respect to make her a part of his Cabinet" and relied on her advice when she accepted, Fallon said. "He has already shown in recent appearances that he is an effective messenger in terms of explaining the danger Donald Trump poses." Obama's and Clinton's comfortable rapport, in which the president is now offering insights on how to navigate rocky political shoals, was not inevitable. Former representative Barney Frank (D-Mass.), a Clinton supporter, said it was understandable the two politicians emerged from their lengthy primary battle with bruised feelings. "First of all, nobody likes the person you're running against," he said. "One of the biggest lies in politics is, 'We ran against each other, but we're good friends.' " There were some particularly sharp moments, like when Obama told Clinton she was "likeable enough" or when Clinton remarked that her rival's willingness to meet without preconditions with the leaders of hostile nations such as Iran, Cuba and North Korea "was irresponsible and frankly naive." But the breach was repaired as both Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, worked to mobilize voters on Obama's behalf once she had conceded the nomination. And her move that year to nominate Obama for president by acclamation at the Democratic National Convention smoothed the way for them to cooperate on the campaign trail. Still, Axelrod, who helped Obama win the White House and retain it four years later, said the president's selection of Clinton to serve as his secretary of state "was surprising to a lot of us, because we had just run a two-year campaign that was very competitive." Over time, however, he and others observed them develop a true affinity. "There was a genuine relationship there rooted in respect, admiration and friendship," he said. "They came to symbolize that element of our democracy." When Clinton addressed foreign audiences, she often used her own example to describe how the American system works. "He won, I lost, and I went to work for him," she would say. No one staged a revolt. No one died. No one went to jail. Initially, Clinton allies largely saw the post as a reward that carried some risks. She would be in the public eye, always a double-edged sword, and she would be lashed to Obama's foreign-policy decisions for good or ill. At times, Clinton fretted about her role within Obama's inner circle. In an exchange released last year in connection with a probe of her private email server, she asked aides why she had arrived for a morning meeting at the White House only to discover it was canceled. "This is the second time this has happened," she wrote. "What's up???" The job ended up producing Clinton's highest approval ratings of her long public career numbers her closest aides at the time said could never last and also some of the largest liabilities she now faces as a candidate. Her private email server is now the subject of an FBI inquiry. She was in charge when four Americans died at poorly secured U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya. The relationship was not without its disagreements over policy or approach to foreign crises. But over the four years of her tenure, her relationship with Obama became one of deep admiration and trust on both sides. When she left, in early 2013, she did so with Obama's implicit endorsement as his successor. They gave a joint television interview the only such session he had ever done in which he declared, "I think Hillary will go down as one of the finest secretary of states we've had." Each said they relied on the advice and perspective of the other, and they displayed an easy familiarity that suggested they could speak frankly with one another. In recent years Obama has made a point of praising the toughness of Clinton and another prominent female Democrat he's worked with most closely, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), saying that female politicians of their generation have faced challenges their male counterparts did not. Reflecting on the 2008 race in an interview in January with Politico's Glenn Thrush, the president remarked, "I mean, we had as competitive and lengthy and expensive and tough a primary fight as there has been in modern American politics, and she had to do everything that I had to do, except, like Ginger Rogers, backwards in heels." "She had to wake up earlier than I did because she had to get her hair done. She had to, you know, handle all the expectations that were placed on her," he continued. "She had a tougher job throughout that primary than I did and, you know, she was right there the entire time and, had things gone a little bit different in some states or if the sequence of primaries and caucuses been a little different, she could have easily won." Frank noted that the race eight years ago was "a pair of firsts, the first African American president versus the first woman president." If Obama can help Clinton this time around, Frank added, the president "won't go into the history books as the guy who prevented the first woman president" from taking office. Republicans have argued that the drawn-out primary season has exposed Clinton's vulnerabilities as a candidate along with the public's unease with establishment politicians, two factors that Obama's support alone cannot overcome. But the president has already played a central role in her campaign narrative. Clinton has made the story of her selection as Obama's top diplomat a standard part of her stump speech. He had to ask her more than once, she says, and he would not take no for an answer. She praises him, often extensively, for his work to right the U.S. economic ship in 2009, and for what she calls crisp and principled decision-making. Lately, she uses the example of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden to draw a comparison between Obama's leadership style and what the country might get under Trump. Clinton and Obama are poised to forge the closest campaign relationship between a two-term president and a potential successor in a generation. Then-Vice President Al Gore famously avoided campaigning with Bill Clinton in 2000, in the aftermath of the president's impeachment. In 1988, George H.W. Bush consciously aligned himself with Ronald Reagan to capitalize on his popularity, but the two were not close. And while Bush struggled to overcome Reagan's shadow, Clinton has not suffered from "the second banana" problem many vice presidents and other Cabinet members have experienced in similar situation, said University of Maryland history professor David Karol. "People don't see her as an obsequious person, even the people who don't like her," he said. "That's not her problem." | 5 | 98,791 | news |
Say peace out to your kitchen for the next three months. Grilling isn't just for weekends. Balsamic Grilled Steak Salad with Peaches Peppery arugula is the perfect vessel for this savory-sweet combo. Get the recipe . Sticky Grilled Chicken Addiction to this sauce is inevitable. Get the recipe . Grilled Shrimp Taco Bowl Chipotle's got nothin' on this taco bowl with creamy cilantro-yogurt dressing. Get the recipe . Mediterranean Salmon Skewers Lemony salmon kebabs are about to be your go-to for grilling season. Get the recipe . Grilled Aloha Chicken This tropical grilled chicken is your new go-to summer dinner. Get the recipe . Grilled Italian Sausages with White Bean and Avocado Salad This avocado-white bean salad will become your new go-to side for summer. Get the recipe . Sweet Chili-Lime Grilled Chicken Grilled chicken gets a punch of flavor from sticky sweet-chili sauce. Get the recipe . Foil Pack Grilled Salmon with Lemony Asparagus These super-fresh salmon grill packs make clean-up a breeze. Get the recipe . Italian Sausage and Pesto Grilled Pizza There's no better Italian couple than sausage and pesto. A sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes further proves their MVP status. Get the recipe . Hot Shot Grilled Salmon Salmon fillets get a kick from spicy Sriracha glaze. Get the recipe . Grilled Steak Burrito with Avocado Pico de Gallo Leftover rice finds an amazing home inside this steak burrito. Get the recipe . Turkey Burgers with Smashed Avocado and Pickles Improve upon your love of avocado toast by smashing it on a juicy turkey burger. Get the recipe . Chicken, Tomatoes, and Corn Foil Pack Wrap up chicken and summer veggies for a fast and super-fresh meal. Get the recipe . Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Sriracha Slaw Smoky, grilled shrimp and spicy slaw are the keys to next-level tacos. Get the recipe . Honey-Lime Tilapia and Corn Foil Pack Cooking fish in these foil packs is a total cinch. Get the recipe . BBQ Grilled Chicken This cookout classic is a serious crowd-pleaser. Get the recipe . Sausage and Peppers Foil Pack Pop these on the grill for a quick meal with easy clean-up. Get the recipe . Grilled Skirt Steak with Blistered Tomatoes and Guacamole The best type of tomatoes? Blistered ones. Get the recipe . Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets These quick & easy foil packets take inspo from the beloved (but tedious) shrimp boil. Get the recipe . Grilled Skirt Steak Quesadillas with Tomatillo Sauce We upgrade a classic steak quesadilla with a spicy green pepper sauce. Get the recipe . Pesto Shrimp Skewers These three-ingredient skewers-shrimp, pesto, and lemon-are easy enough for a weeknight or classy enough for guests. Get the recipe . Buffalo Chicken Burger with Blue Cheese Ranch For those Buffalo chicken addicts out there (acceptance is the first step), this burger might be a serious roadblock on your way to recovery. Get the recipe . Grilled Shrimp Tostadas with Guacamole and Red Cabbage Slaw These open-faced tostadas will make you forget all about Taco Tuesday. Get the recipe . Grilled Steaks with Garlic Chive Butter and French-Style Potato Salad Weeknights taste better with French bistro style steak and potatoes on the menu. Get the recipe . Grilled Cod Tacos with Chipotle Crema Prepare for your new go-to taco topping: chipotle crema. Get the recipe . Soy-Glazed Grilled Salmon with Garlicky Kale and Brown Rice Use the soy-Dijon-honey sauce in this grilled salmon recipe on chicken, steak, or even as a quick marinade for vegetables. Get the recipe . Italian Chicken Skewers Marinate the chicken in a quick savory mixture of tomato paste, olive oil, lots of garlic, and fresh parsley for the perfect accompaniment to grilled bread. Get the recipe . Grilled Steak Skewers with Chimichurri What does chimichurri-the zesty green herb sauce-not make instantly more delish? Get the recipe . Peach Panzanella with Burrata Just go ahead and throw the bread on the grill, too. Get the recipe . Korean-Style Grilled Flank Steak with Sticky Rice and Spicy Cucumber Salad Let this Korean-style flank steak launch your weekend. Get the recipe . Grilled Portobello Steaks with Sundried Tomato Aioli and Baked Zucchini Fries Wait-you mean that isn't an actual steak!? Get the recipe . Foil Pack Cheese Quesadilla with Fresh Salsa Get your cheese fix wherever you are. Get the recipe . Greek Salad Pita Pockets with Grilled Chicken Get a little Greek with these zesty fully-loaded pita breads. Get the recipe . Grilled Pork Chops with Plums, Red Onions, and Arugula Upgrade pork chops with summer plums and peppery arugula. Get the recipe . Grilled Lamb Skewers with Couscous Tabbouleh This couscous tabbouleh is also delish with chicken or beef skewers. Get the recipe . Foil Pack Sriracha Honey Wings Nothing sizzles like spicy wings under the night sky. Get the recipe . Grilled Sausages with Dijon-Apricot Mustard and Herbed Couscous and Salad You can make any kind of sausage fall in love with this dijon-apricot mustard. Get the recipe . Foil Pack Salmon with Pineapple Salsa This salmon gets a sweet kick from pineapple salsa. Get the recipe . BLT Skewers Don't limit your favorite sandwich to bread. These skewers are layered with all the fixings: bacon, romaine, and cherry tomatoes. Get the recipe . Lidey's Grilled Tuna Steaks with Wasabi Mayo These tuna steaks happen to be one of the easiest things in the world to grill. Get the recipe . Grilled Teriyaki Steak The grilled scallions are a game changer. Get the recipe . Steak Fajita Skewers Tortillas on a skewer = game-changer. Get the recipe . Lemony Grilled Salmon This simple recipe brings a burst of summer flavor to the table. Get the recipe . Cheddar Bacon Dog Add grated cheddar cheese to your bacon dog for extra gooey goodness. Get the recipe . Sweet Chili-Lime Grilled Salmon Amp up your grill game with this zesty glazed salmon. Get the recipe . Hawaiian Chicken and Pineapple Skewers Don't grill this summer without this tangy crowd-pleasing recipe. Get the recipe . Grilled Honey-Lime Chicken with Pineapple Salsa Fruity salsa brightens up this simple grilled chicken. Get the recipe . Grilled Chicken Caesar Skewers Your favorite salad is breaking out of the bowl this summer. Get the recipe . Grilled Sirloin with Garlic-Herb Spread and Mixed Greens Feel free to use whatever mix of herbs you love for this simple homemade compound buttery spread. Get the recipe . Dijon Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato-Peach Salad When you've got peaches and tomatoes, who needs lettuce? Get the recipe . | 0 | 98,792 | foodanddrink |
Remember when you were a kid and you'd try all kinds of trick shots at the park? You probably thought you were pretty cool when you hit nothing but net from behind the backboard or bounced the ball through from the free-throw line. MORE: Can Your Trick Golf Shot Open A Bottle Of Champagne Like This? Well those basketball trick shots are downright child's play compared to what you're about to witness. Under zero circumstances do we suggest you try this at home. Let's go ahead and leave these types of shenanigans to the "experts." This isn't the first time we've seen boys making trick shots while playing with fire. Watch as Dude Perfect nails targets with fiery objects ranging from footballs to Frisbees. | 1 | 98,793 | sports |
The Sun Belt will finally have its own conference title game, ESPN.com reported, citing sources . MORE: Early bowl predictions | SN Preseason Top 25 However, the championship game won't be added to the conference's schedule until 2018. The Sun Belt was the last of the FBS conferences to not have a championship game. The Big 12 was also without a championship game, but as of last week, it will now have one starting in 2017. NCAA rules stated that a conference must have at least 12 members for there to be a championship game, but those rules were relaxed earlier this year. The Big 12 only has 10 members, and by the time the 2018 season rolls around, the Sun Belt will have 10 members thanks to the addition of Coastal Carolina. MORE: Win total predictions for 2016 The Sun Belt currently has 11 schools under its jurisdiction, but opted not to renew Idaho's and New Mexico State's memberships after the 2017 season. | 1 | 98,794 | sports |
On Tuesday, a hacker/prankster got control of the NFL's Twitter account and posted the following about commissioner Roger Goodell: It turns out Goodell isn't dead. He was just playing golf. Here's an earlier tweet from the commish saying he was at Jim Kelly's event: So what did we learn from all of this? Roger Goodell is alive. Even the mighty NFL is vulnerable to cyber attacks. People are mean. And most importantly. . . Something always goes wrong when you sneak out of work to play golf. More from Golf Digest: The Hottest PGA Tour Wives and Girlfriends How Tiger's Swing Has Changed This Weekend's Best Golf Instagrams | 1 | 98,795 | sports |
FAR HILLS, N.J. (AP) -- Tiger Woods' decision to sit out the U.S. Open worked out well for a 23-year-old from Thailand who is replacing him. Thitiphun Chuayprakong was the first alternate from the Japan sectional qualifier. The USGA determined that he was first on its alternate list for Oakmont. Thitiphun has never played in a major. He has one career victory on the Asian Tour, this year at the Bangladesh Open. Woods announced Tuesday that he was not ready for competition as he recovers from two back surgeries last year. It was the third time in the past six years that injuries have kept Woods out of the U.S. Open. The last time he didn't play was in 2014, and his numerical replacement was another first-time U.S. Open participant: Masters champion Danny Willett. | 1 | 98,796 | sports |
The obesity rate for American women jumped roughly 5 percentage points over the past decade. | 7 | 98,797 | health |
You know. Just in case. There has been no shortage of stories about health concerns leading up to this summer's Olympics in Rio, but this one is quite the unique one as far as we can tell. Great Britain long jumper Greg Rutherford will not have his better half by his side at the summer games. Due to growing concerns about health issues at the games, Susie Verrill confirmed in a column she is staying home in large part due to the Zika outbreak . What's more, she announced the couple is taking on the task of freezing his sperm so the two may have a chance to have another child some day. We've also made the decision to have Greg's sperm frozen. We'd love to have more children and with research in its infancy, I wouldn't want to put myself in a situation which could have been prevented. Specialists still also don't know the ins and outs of Zika, so even though it looks as though there's no real issues should Milo get bitten, it's just another thing we don't want to chance. The Zika virus has been known to be linked to serious birth defects, as noted by The Sporting News , so the concern is not entirely without reason for those concerned with such manners. Still, it is somewhat odd to have that kind of information shared in such a fashion. Certainly, this may not be the last time we hear such a bizarre-sounding story in the coming months. | 1 | 98,798 | sports |
Last week, a judge sentenced Brock Turner , a former Stanford student, to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. The case went viral after the victim spoke out in a forceful letter read in court . Now another letter has surfaced. But this one, from a friend of Turner's to the judge, isn't speaking out against his light sentence. Instead, it's arguing that it wasn't Turner's decision to rape a human being that sent him to prison but political correctness. Leslie Rasmussen, Turner's childhood friend, writes in the letter, published in full by the Cut : I don't think it's fair to base the fate of the next ten + years of his life on the decision of a girl who doesn't remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him. I am not blaming her directly for this, because that isn't right. But where do we draw the line and stop worrying about being politically correct every second of the day and see that rape on campuses isn't always because people are rapists. There is a lot to unpack here. For one, even though Rasmussen claims she's not blaming the victim, she is. It doesn't get more explicit than saying that Turner's fate is being decided not by his decision to rape someone but by "the decision of a girl who doesn't remember anything but the amount she drank to press charges against him." But perhaps the most ridiculous aspect of this letter is the suggestion that political correctness is to blame. While this is a pretty extreme use of the political correctness defense, it's a logical extension of how it's often used to protect white men who do terrible things . For example, when someone like Donald Trump makes a racist or sexist comment, he says he's not the one who is at fault when people get offended; political correctness is at fault because it trains people to get offended by things that weren't offensive "back in his day." By extension, that more people now care about campus rape and view sexually assaulting a woman who's not conscious enough to give consent as rape is political correctness. One can imagine an old man complaining that "back in his day" they got drunk and had sex in college and everyone was okay with it. (Never mind that women who were raped were, of course, not okay with it.) This is how the political correctness defense works. As society evolves to be more inclusive and less horrible, some people are bound to resist, seeing their new inability to do horrible things that they could do before as the fault of political correctness. So some people shout about political correctness when they're criticized for saying things that are clearly racist or sexist because they think it's outrageous they can no longer say things they could get away with before. And apparently, some find it ridiculous that we now consider the rape of an unconscious woman to be rape and the perpetrator to be a rapist and blame political correctness for it. Here is Leslie Rasmussen's full letter, from the Cut : The Cut Watch: 9 facts about violence against women everyone should know | 5 | 98,799 | news |
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