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Life can be like jumping on a trampoline you're not always sure where you'll land. Sky Zone planned to be one kind of business, but necessity forced it to morph into something else. It was also supposed to be run by one man, but his 21-year-old son had to take over when the family matriarch received a fatal diagnosis. "I was completely thrown into the fire to try and figure things out on my own," said Jeff Platt. Fortunately, he bounced back. Literally. Sky Zone is a chain of 140 trampoline parks in five countries. Inside the parks are a series of wall-to-wall trampoline courts, where you can jump or play games like basketball and dodgeball. There's a workout area jumping burns up to 1,000 calories an hour and a foam pit people dive into. Kids come for birthday parties during the day, and adults can jump by black light at night. Most of the parks are franchised, and total revenues last year were $240 million. "I feel like when you're jumping, you're totally present in the moment, you're thinking about nothing else in the outside world," said Platt, who is CEO. "You just completely come alive." Platt's father, Rick, started Sky Zone in 2002 with plans to begin a new professional trampoline sport: "a combination of the traditional four sports with quidditch," said the son, referring to the fictional game played while flying on brooms in the "Harry Potter" books. The Platts raised $2.5 million dollars from friends and family and opened the first park in 2004 in Las Vegas. They fielded teams and even held a championship. But no one understood the new sport, so they couldn't get any traction. "We quickly realized that if you're going to start a professional sport, you probably need ESPN as your partner and hundreds of millions of dollars behind you," said Platt. Sky Zone was running out of money. Then someone at their R&D center in Vegas came up with an idea. Skateboarders outside their facility would often come in and jump for free. "One day when they knocked on the door, we said they could jump, but we told them it was $8," Platt said. When the kids balked, "We said, 'Well, we're in business now.'" The kids paid, and the next day they came back with friends. The family soon realized this was the way to make Sky Zone successful, and Jeff Platt credits his father with being smart enough to see it. "It's always hard for an entrepreneur to take what is their original vision and switch directions, or accept the fact that whatever that original idea was is not working." Platt said just as the company was starting to grow, "The best thing and the worst thing happened to me." He had opened Sky Zone's second store in 2006, choosing St. Louis. That's where he attended college and attracted the interest of local investors when he presented a class paper on the company. Five weeks after the St. Louis location opened, Platt's mother was diagnosed with cancer. She would not survive. "My dad, rightfully so, said, 'I've got to go take care of your mom, good luck.'" Suddenly the 21-year-old kid was running the company. Platt threw himself into the work, learning every detail of the business. "I always felt like because it was a family business, I had to work extra hard to prove that I deserved to be in the position." He did every single job. "I got to clean up the vomit when it would be on the floor and not in the trash can." Even so, the new CEO loved it. "It was a blast." Ten years later, Jeff Platt is 31 years old and a veteran CEO. He was also the youngest CEO to ever appear on "Undercover Boss," where he got an earful from employees. Here are some lessons learned along the way. "I learned over time that if you're ever really going to truly scale or grow a business, you must delegate to your team, you must empower your team, you must let them make decisions," Platt said. "Who you need for the next six months is very different from who you need in two years." Platt suggests start-ups pay more for talent in the beginning, even though that's expensive. "The cost of hiring someone right now, training them, and then in six or 12 months later having to get rid of them because they can't scale, that's way more costly." As Sky Zone has expanded outside the United States, it's learned to tailor parks to meet cultural norms. In Saudi Arabia, for example, some Sky Zones segregate jumping areas between "men" and "families." In Australia, they've created performance trampolines where customers can run up a wall. "They're an 'extreme' culture," said Platt of the Aussies. "They're extremely athletic." Up next? "We're actually under construction now in India." Success is breeding copycats. "There are over 600 trampoline parks in 16 different countries around the world," said Platt. "It is a real industry now. It generates over $1 billion in revenue." Of course, a business like this comes with high liability insurance premiums, which equal nearly three percent of revenues. Accidents happen, but Platt said no one has died jumping at Sky Zone. "There's risk, that's why they call it risk management, not risk elimination," he said. As for the original idea of launching a new professional trampoline sport? It's back, except with a sport everyone knows: dodgeball. "Everybody knows dodgeball, everybody loves dodgeball," said Platt. Sky Zone has started an international trampoline dodgeball league. Fox Sports aired some recent championships, with sponsors like Pepsi. "We actually did the whole business backwards," Platt says of the way Sky Zone started. Fortunately, he helped turn the enterprise around. Sitting in his stocking feet preparing to jump, Platt remembered the reaction of his peers back when he took over the family business. "A lot of my friends at the time were going and working for companies or investment banks or Goldman Sachs or becoming lawyers. They were looking at me like I was crazy as a general manager of a trampoline park. I never imagined it would be like this, but it was fun, and it turned out OK." | 3 | 98,900 | finance |
LEXINGTON, Ky. What many Kentucky football fans have feared since four-star quarterback Mac Jones was offered a scholarship by Alabama came true Tuesday: Jones switched his pledge from the Wildcats to the Crimson Tide. Jones, who has enjoyed a breakout summer with a stellar showing at several Rivals camps, announced the decision via Twitter after visiting Alabama Tuesday . Please respect my decision! I am 100% committed to the University Of Alabama! #RollTide #SEC pic.twitter.com/h92gsYhnBk Mac Jones ️ (@macjones2017) June 8, 2016 "I would like to thank the University of Kentucky for recruiting me, however, an opportunity of a lifetime has presented itself to my family and me," Jones wrote in a note posted to his Twitter account. "I am happy to say I will continue my football and academic career at the University of Alabama. I am 100 percent committed, Roll Tide!" Even after Alabama initially offered Jones a scholarship in April and former UK offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, who had recruited Jones, was fired, Jones maintained his commitment to Kentucky. "Obviously I'm committed and feel really solid right now, but if things change I've just got to make sure it's the right fit," Jones said in a phone interview with The Courier-Journal after the offer. "As of right now obviously I feel really comfortable." Apparently a second visit to Alabama's campus this week was enough to change that decision. Jones did not make the final 12-man cut after competing in the Elite 11 quarterback camp over the weekend, but he was ranked the No. 165 prospect in the class of 2017 by Rivals this week thanks in large part to his stellar summer. Read more at the Courier-Journal . | 1 | 98,901 | sports |
LOS ANGELES Activision is re-enlisting "Call of Duty XP." After a five-year hiatus, the video game publisher is organizing a second edition of the fan-focused convention to celebrate the popular military shooter franchise. The three-day event will host this year's "Call of Duty" championship. The e-sports extravaganza will serve as the culmination of a yearlong tournament featuring 32 teams vying for a prize pool of $2 million in competitive "Call of Duty: Black Ops III" matches. "Call of Duty XP" will be held Sept. 2-4 at the Forum in Inglewood, California. The event is expected to draw 10,000 fans. "We wanted to seize the opportunity to bring back a great fan event and make it bigger," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. "We're going to have what's sure to be our biggest championship ever for our Call of Duty World League." "Call of Duty XP" will feature the unveiling of the multiplayer modes from the upcoming entries "Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare" and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered." Activision will also bring "Call of Duty" to life with such real-world activities as a paintball battle modeled after the Nuketown map from "Black Ops III" and a laser tag course inspired by the zombie mode from "Infinite Warfare." At the convention, Sony will debut a PlayStation VR experience that will recreate the sensation of sitting in the pilot seat of the Jackal fighter jet from "Infinite Warfare." "It'll be a celebration of the franchise past, present and future," said Hirshberg. "It's a good time for us to invite our fans, celebrate the championships and go big." Hirshberg noted "Call of Duty XP" is among the reasons Activision will not be exhibiting on the show floor at next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo, the industry's annual trade show. "We will have a presence at E3 but not the big booth that we've had in the past," said Hirshberg. "We're holding back content to do more at 'Call of Duty XP' than we have at E3 and other events in years past." The inaugural "Call of Duty XP" event was held in 2011 and drew more than 6,000 fans to a 12-acre compound in Playa Vista, California. The convention featured the debut of the "Modern Warfare 3" multiplayer mode and a performance by Kanye West. "I think a lot has changed," said Hirshberg. "Obviously, e-sports was already gaining a lot of momentum, but so much more has happened globally and with our 'Call of Duty' World League." Tickets for this year's "Call of Duty XP" go on sale June 11. They will range from $49 for general three-day admission to $199 for a VIP pass that includes a deluxe edition of "Infinite Warfare," a space-set edition of the series set for release Nov. 4. "Call of Duty" continues to be the top-selling gaming franchise. Activision said earlier this year that more than 250 million copies of "Call of Duty" have been sold since the series debuted over a decade ago. ___ Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/derrik-j-lang . | 5 | 98,902 | news |
Stocks climbed Wednesday, with the S&P 500 Index edging closer to a record, bolstered by speculation that borrowing costs will remain lower for longer amid moderate growth. Companies that benefit from a sagging dollar were the strongest performers, with raw-material and industrial companies leading gains. Caterpillar Inc. increased 1.7 percent, extending its longest winning streak in two months, and copper miner Freeport-McMoRan Inc. added 3.1 percent. Energy producers erased an early rally, even as oil climbed to a 10-month high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3 percent to 2,119, the highest since July 21, 2015, and 0.6 percent from a record. The Dow gained 66 points, and the Nasdaq added 0.25 percent. "No matter what you throw at this market, it keeps wanting to go higher," said Walter Todd, who oversees about $1.1 billion as chief investment officer for Greenwood Capital Associates LLC in South Carolina. "Sentiment, as has been well documented, is pretty bad and the market tends to inflict the most pain on the most people. And the most people it seems are underweight the market or out of the market." Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's remarks this week that the U.S. economy is making progress and indications that policymakers won't prematurely raise interest rates have helped support stocks. Traders have cut back their bets for a Fed rate increase, now pricing in no chance of a boost in June, with the probability for July down to 18 percent from 53 percent a week ago. Energy producers in the benchmark index slipped from the highest level since November, after their strongest back-to-back gains in three months. Advances in commodity-related shares have helped drive the S&P 500's nearly 16 percent rebound from a 22-month low in February as crude recovered from a 12-year nadir. Raw-material companies climbed for a sixth day, the longest since October, as a gauge on the dollar extended declines to a one-month low. The rally has been reinvigorated after losing momentum following the S&P 500's four-month high on April 20. The index has climbed in eight of 11 sessions, racking up nearly all of this year's 3.7 percent gain in the last two weeks. About 70 percent of stocks on the New York Stock Exchange closed yesterday above their average prices during the past 200 days, the most since July 2014. Meanwhile, the main U.S. equity benchmark's recent climb has been grinding, with the S&P 500 moving no more than 0.5 percent in either direction for a ninth straight day, the longest stretch since 2014. The weakest monthly job gains since 2010 were a source of hesitation for investors last week, prompting the only setback for equities in the past six sessions. Further indications on the health of the economy are sparse this week, with data on U.S. wholesale inventories and consumer sentiment scheduled for tomorrow and Friday, respectively. A report from China today indicated exports are stabilizing, while the World Bank cut its 2016 global growth forecast. "There's definitely reason for the market to take a breather in conjunction with the notion that we're near all-time highs," said Frank Cappelleri, executive director at Instinet LLC. "Treading water at these levels to be honest would be pretty constructive." | 3 | 98,903 | finance |
Most working Americans pay a substantial portion of their paychecks toward the Social Security system. 12.4% of the first $118,000 you earn from salary or contractor income gets sent to Social Security. If you're a contractor, you see the full impact of that tax, but if you're a regular employee, only half comes directly from your paycheck, while the other half is paid by your employer as part of your total compensation. That's a lot of money flowing into the system, so it may surprise you to learn that everything you pay into Social Security is used to make Social Security benefit payments. In fact, Social Security currently pays out more to beneficiaries than you pay into it from taxes. Between payroll taxes and taxes on benefits for higher-income recipients, in 2014, Social Security collected $785.6 billion in tax revenue versus the $848.5 billion it paid out in benefits. Social Security was able to make those payments ahead of its tax income because of interest earned on its Trust Funds. How Social Security's cash flow works Thanks to earning interest, Social Security's Trust Funds actually increased in value by $25 billion in 2014. Those Trust Funds are currently shoring up Social Security, but according to its trustees, that particular source is expected to run dry by 2034, a mere 18 years from now. The Trust Funds were initially filled thanks to tax dollars flowing into Social Security from people's payroll taxes. Between 1984 and 2009, Social Security regularly ran tax surpluses, which cumulatively put trillions into the program's Trust Funds. The Trust Funds then bought Treasury bonds, which helped the rest of the government finance what was typically deficit spending. The chart below shows the basics of how that funding process works. Chart by the author. In a nutshell, if you look at the numbers in the arrows: You and your employer pay taxes to fund Social Security. Those tax dollars go to pay current beneficiaries. Any income from tax dollars or interest on investments that is not needed to pay current benefits gets loaned to the U.S. Treasury. The U.S. Treasury hands Social Security bonds in exchange for those loans. The U.S. Treasury pays Social Security interest on those bonds. That basic model is expected to hold until around 2019 or 2020, when tax income plus interest is no longer anticipated to be enough to cover benefits. At that time, the direction of arrows 3 and 4 will essentially reverse, as Social Security begins redeeming its bonds to spend down its Trust Funds to cover benefits. Once those Trust Funds empty around 2034, absent any changes to the law, benefits will need to be cut to around 79% of current levels. What that means to you This funding model means that if you're working, the money you're paying into Social Security right now gets spent to cover the costs of those currently receiving benefits. It also means that the excess tax money paid into Social Security over the past few decades is expected to be paid back to the system -- with interest -- to cover the program's tax shortfalls over the next 18 or so years. Unfortunately, the high-certainty nature of the Treasury Bonds that Social Security invests in also means that it's fairly straightforward to project the future of the program. As a result, the pending benefits shortfall that the Social Security trustees project is very real. With that day of reckoning a mere 18 years away, it will affect even some who are currently receiving benefits, not just future recipients. When you boil it down to its core, there are really only three major tools available for Social Security to try to cover that shortfall: It can try to increase revenues (taxes). It can try to reduce expenses (benefits paid to recipients). It can try to increase the rate of return it earns on its invested Trust Funds. All three of those tools will likely impact you in some way. If taxes go up, it'll hit you in your paycheck in the form of a lower current salary and the risk of lower future raises due to your employer having to cover the employer part of the tax. If benefits go down, it will hit you as a retiree in the form of a lower Social Security check. If Social Security changes its investing model, it can potentially increase the Trust Funds' lifespans, but at the cost of lower certainty of the money along the way. What you can do about it The good news is that while the issues facing Social Security are very real, the biggest impacts from those issues are still several years away. That gives you time to prepare. No matter what combination of those three tools Congress uses to try to shore up Social Security, the best tool at your disposal is to invest a bit more to cover that shortfall. If taxes go up: It's easier to cut back on your investing to handle the increased tax burden than it is to be forced to cut back on your lifestyle to cover the gap in your paycheck. If benefits get cut: The nest egg you build up by saving will supplement the lost income you may have otherwise expected from Social Security. If Social Security changes its investing model: The nest egg you build up will provide you some peace of mind against the greater uncertainty in Social Security's payments. In addition, if Social Security still finds itself on a path to insolvency, you can tap that nest egg to help cover your costs. The sooner you get started, the better your chances will be of covering either the direct gap from Social Security's Trust Funds emptying or the costs of whatever fixes are put in place to shore them up. So get started now, and within the next two decades, you'll be very glad you did. SPONSORED: The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. | 3 | 98,904 | finance |
Being stuck at the airport doesn't have to be a waste of time -- eat well, work out, or even take a nap or shower to make the most of a flight delay. MAKE THE MOST OF A DELAY As summer begins and airport waits grow longer , travelers will have ample time to contemplate their navels before taking flight. There are only so many magazines to read, so try these cheap and free ways to make the time fly when you're grounded. TRACK WAIT TIMES Instead of guessing and stressing about when a flight will finally lift off, download the free, crowdsourced app MiFlight to stay in the loop on airport wait times. Users say it really does make traveling easier. SURF THE NET Most airports have free Wi-Fi for travelers, which is a good distraction while waiting to board. Check Foursquare for a list of free Wi-Fi spots and how to access them. LIVE LARGE IN THE LOUNGE Don't spend big money to enjoy the perks of an airport lounge. The Club airport lounges offer reasonably priced access at a number of airports across the country. The $35 fee may be worth it for free food and drinks, Wi-Fi, workstations, and TVs. EAT AT A TRENDY RESTAURANT Getting stuck in the airport can be a good opportunity to enjoy a meal at the airport offshoot of a popular restaurant that may have long lines at its primary location. The Kogi food truck attracts crowds wherever it shows up in Los Angeles, but travelers can find its brand of Korean fusion fast food at the Los Angeles International Airport -- where Kogi has a real truck parked inside Terminal 4. TAKE A SHOWER Scour off a day of traveling at San Francisco International Airport by visiting Freshen Up , which offers bathing, toiletries, and even clean underwear. The $11 price tag for a shower is likely to seem fairly reasonable for that feeling of renewal after a lengthy day of travel and delays. ENJOY ART Many airports put great art on display for free. The award-winning T5 Gallery at London's Heathrow Airport features work from up-and-coming as well as established artists. Denver International Airport's Terminal Gallery is one of the most respected public art galleries in the country, and even offers tours to visitors who aren't ticketed to fly. PLAY WITH ELECTRONICS Stop by the Tech Showcase at Miami International or Raleigh-Durham International Airport to play the day (or delay) away. The stores are basically "please touch" locations where travelers can explore the latest in mobile electronics. While everything is for sale, the staff is trained to offer flyers a relaxed and friendly experience. PRETEND A TROPICAL VACATION ISN'T OVER Miami International Airport travelers can stop at Casa Bacardi , where some travelers find the drinks equal to those of the finest beach resorts. A tropical concoction (virgin or alcoholic) is relatively cheap way to feel like the vacation is still going, but remember that most airlines won't let passengers board if they've had one too many. GET SOME SHUT-EYE Thrillist has a list of the best airports to sleep in overnight, which can save money when the airline doesn't pay for a hotel after a missed connection (and many don't when the cause of a delay is bad weather). Airports are rated based on comfy seating, quiet nooks, and whether they offer cots for travelers stuck overnight. TAKE A HIKE Airport Gyms lists more than 200 exercise facilities at airports across the country, but some offer completely free ways for travelers to get fit instead of sit. For instance, Minnesota-St. Paul International Airport teamed up with the American Heart Association to create a marked, 1.4-mile loop for strolling or speed walking. PRACTICE DOWNWARD DOG San Francisco International Airport offers stressed-out travelers free yoga rooms away from the hustle and bustle of the terminals. Simply show up and start doing sun salutations -- mats and props are provided. | 2 | 98,905 | travel |
Attention, American Airlines frequent fliers: Your rewards program is about to change. For travel starting Aug. 1, members of the AAdvantage loyalty program will no longer receive miles based on the distance they flew. Instead, they'll accrue miles based on the price of a ticket. The exact number of miles per dollar will be based on status. Base members will receive 5 miles for each dollar spent on tickets, excluding government taxes and fees. Gold members will receive 7 miles per dollar, Platinum members will get 8 miles per dollar and Executive Platinum fliers will get 11 miles per dollar spent. More Changes Ahead Starting Jan. 1, the airline will add a fourth tier to its loyalty program, Platinum Pro, which will entitle status holders to benefits including 9 miles per dollar spent, two free checked bags and complimentary auto-requested upgrades on eligible flights within North America and between the U.S. and Central America. At that time, it will also change the way members earn status upgrades. Effective January 1, you'll need to meet a certain spending threshold and fly a set number of miles to boost your standing. To become a Gold member, you must spend $3,000 and fly 25,000 miles or 30 segments. To become Platinum, you must spend $6,000 and fly 50,000 miles or 60 segments. To become Platinum Pro, you must spend $9,000 and fly 75,000 miles or 90 segments and to become Executive Platinum, you need to spend $12,000 and fly 100,000 miles or 120 segments. Maximizing Miles American Airlines' shift from miles per dollar to miles for distance was officially announced in November, though no effective dates were provided at the time. This is in-step with changes Delta Airlines and United Airlines already implemented. American Airlines is making the change "to continue our tradition of having the best loyalty program in the world by rewarding our most loyal customers with the benefits they value the most," Andrew Nocella, its chief marketing officer, said in a news release. Of course, if you're worried about missing out on points now that airlines are awarding them based on price and not distance, you can potentially bolster coffers by pairing membership with a co-branded travel rewards credit card . (You can learn more about the best airline credit cards in America here .) Just be sure to read the terms and conditions carefully before applying to figure out if a particular credit card is right for you. You may also want to check your credit before you apply, as a good credit score is generally required to qualify for competitive products. This article originally appeared on Credit.com . | 2 | 98,906 | travel |
From Hollywood royalty, to actual Princesses, Beatles brides and super models, we're rounding up the most iconic celebrity brides of all time. | 8 | 98,907 | video |
In the second attack in as many days, at least three people have been killed and 30 wounded in a car bombing outside a police station in southeastern Turkey. Nathan Frandino reports. | 8 | 98,908 | video |
Big eyes, bigger heads and squishy little noses. The physical characteristics that make babies so squeezable are called the Kindchenschema , and they keep parents all over the animal kingdom from leaving stinky infants to their own devices. But research suggests that this cuteness does more than just tell your lizard brain that the squirming screamer in your arms is important. "Cute" could actually be a complex, multi-sensory attack that babies have evolved to hijack your brain. Cute is a long-standing interest of Morten Kringelbach of Oxford University. Several years ago, he found that folks presented with images of babies had activity spikes in regions of the brain associated with emotion and pleasure within just a few milliseconds right around the time the information reached visual centers. The results astounded him. It's well accepted that babies are designed to grab attention an evolutionary development that keeps our harmless young from dying out and driving our species to extinction but he expected signs of this to pop up a step or two after the baby was recognized by the conscious brain. "Almost before you're consciously aware that you're looking at anything at all, you cannot help but feel compelled by that baby," he said. And this cuteness short circuit was disturbingly fickle: When he repeated the experiment with images of children with minor facial deformities such as a cleft lip, the reaction slowed. That made him think about all the ways this caregiving urge can fail to emerge, and he wondered whether a better understanding of the cognitive processes behind cute might help parents in trouble. On Monday, Kringelbach and his colleagues published a review of all the latest literature on this weird cute phenomenon, including much of their own work. They argue that the traits that make up the Kindchenschema are far more complex (and insidious) than we usually give them credit for. "There's something privileged about the way babies get into the brain," he said. "It's like they have privileged access." For starters, it works on everyone, not just parents (and not just women). And it's not just about visuals. "Crying isn't seen as cute," Kringelbach said, "but it uses these same mechanisms." A crying baby gets into your head, no matter whom the child belongs to. That screaming newborn on an airplane isn't annoying because she's loud, but because your brain won't let you focus on anything else while she's wailing for attention (and maybe also because she's loud). Although work on olfactory factors is still in its infancy it's hard to do the requisite brain scan, because "you just can't bottle that baby smell" preliminary evidence suggests it plays a role as well. Touch is similarly hard to study in a brain scanner, he added, but let's be real: Baby humans are basically warm cuddle nuggets covered in peach-soft skin, and you don't stand a chance. "Taste is probably very important as well," Kringelbach said, pointing out that taste and smell are closely related in our sensory perception of the world. He remembers the spellbinding scents of his own children. "There's something about bringing them close and smelling the fontanelle , you know, before it closes, there's just something about that smell," he said. "If you could bottle that you'd make a lot of money." (And launch a lot of brain scanning experiments, probably.) Based on the scientific literature, the study authors think this multi-pronged attack after entering the brain with amazing speed triggers slower brain processing to facilitate parental learning and emotional bonding. It's not enough for a baby's request to jump to the front of the brain queue: It has to go somewhere useful. "We argued here that cuteness goes beyond an attention-grabbing evolutionary strategy that infants use to attract care and protection," the researchers write in the study. "Instead, like a Trojan horse, cuteness opens doors that might otherwise remain shut." The care that infants need can't be covered by instinctive responses such as "Look at me now and try to keep me from getting eaten by something." Kringelbach and his colleagues think that the slower brain activities that allow parents to actually, you know, parent, are unlocked by the lightening-quick infiltration of cuteness. Some research on men and women with postnatal depression has suggested that these sensory attacks don't always hit their mark. "We've shown for instance that if you listen to a baby cry, the higher pitched it is the more you think the baby's distressed," Kringelbach explained. "If you're depressed, you don't seem to catch that cue. You have to be in the right frame of mind to catch these signals." "If we can focus on how cute works and when it doesn't works, perhaps we could find ways to help mothers and fathers do that," he said. And Kringelbach sees another way that cuteness can unlock long-term effects: It can help build empathy, even during moments of utter despair. He and his co-authors cite the 2015 drowning of a Syrian toddler in the Mediterranean Sea as a tragic example of the power of this evolutionary pull to care for our young. "In a situation like the refugee crisis, our initial instinct is so often to form in-groups and out-groups," he said. "It's difficult to find something that really truly motivates us to be compassionate for those we see as the other." But a photo of the dead child evoked a deep empathy that crossed borders. "We can't help ourselves, no matter what our preconceptions," Kringelbach said. "Most of the time that's a good thing." It seems that humans are more willing to think positively of a strange baby than a strange adult, even when they see the group to which they both belong as one of dangerous outsiders. To Kringelbach, this really drives home the point that babies aren't just designed to enthrall their parents, but to make all of human society want to keep them safe. When you're a species that gives birth to young as helpless as our own, that's the only evolutionary strategy that makes sense. "We have to be able to eat, which is why it gives us pleasure, we have to make babies, so that gives us pleasure, but we also have to keep those babies alive," Kringelbach said. Read More: How helpless babies helped make humans so smart Rare baby dinosaur fossil suggests a harsh, lonely childhood This tiny fetus is the youngest ancient Egyptian mummy ever found Music lessons spur emotional and behavioral growth in children, new study says Here's why Harvard 3-D printed a baby brain | 4 | 98,909 | lifestyle |
Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have been together for years but haven't tied the knot. Find out the other stars who have yet to say 'I do.' | 6 | 98,910 | entertainment |
You are now entering The Oakmont Zone. United States Open thoughts only, and please, no mention of the P-word. (Playoff.) Shhhh! What did I just say? The state of golf : Pennsylvania native Jim Furyk told me at the Memorial Tournament that he's looking forward to playing his last major in his home state, which was a little surprising to hear. You don't think of Furyk being that late into his career but then again, he is 46. Maybe he doesn't seem that old because he has looked the same for 10 years. "As far as looking forward to Oakmont, I don't know if anyone ever looks forward to Oakmont," he said with a grin. (Pause to laugh.) "It's penal, it's tough," he added. "The layout is as hard as I've ever seen. Add the Open conditions, you have to be on top of your game. You can play well there and shoot 76. It kind of has a way of snowballing on you. I look forward to going there but I'm cautiously guarded because I know how tough it is." The one and only : Jason Day, the No. 1 player in the world, has played only one round at Oakmont but he planned to go in for a few practice spins before next week's Open. He played there 10 years ago with his manager, Pittsburgh-area resident Bud Martin, who happens to be an Oakmont member. "My initial reaction was about how hard and fast the greens were," Day said. "And it was just a normal day, no tournament. I couldn't get over it. I got to the eighth hole, the 290-yard par 3, and I'm like, What? I've never seen a 290-yard par 3 in my life. It really surprised me how difficult the course was. I shot 76 or 77 and thought, Man, this is a brutal golf course." Martin beat his client that day. His booty: an autographed one-dollar bill. Day's goal this week? To win back that signed bill. Play hard, gentlemen. The right rough stuff : There's always a chance that Oakmont might use its mowers in a kindly manner before the U.S. Open but, no, of course I'm just kidding. Here's more from Furyk about his Oakmont visit: "I played with some relatives and friends and watched a kid in my group hit a ball 10 or 20 feet from where I was standing and we couldn't find it for about a minute," he said. "I mean, I knew within a one-foot-by-one-foot circle where the ball was and we couldn't find it for 40 seconds. He didn't even play it, he couldn't see it to hit it. It was like it had a comb-over on it. "The fairways are at a big canter, the bunkers are like British Open bunkers, you don't have a shot to the green most of the time and the greens aren't receptive, they're usually sloped hard in one direction. Like on the first hole, you might as well hit it over and green and chip back up the slope. It's tough even without U.S. Open conditions. He knows Jack : Jack Nicklaus hasn't forgotten about the tribulations of trying to win a major championship and he tells a story about it by way of trying to explain Jordan Spieth's Masters disaster at Amen Corner in April. "In 1960, I was 20 years old and leading the U.S. Open," Nicklaus said. "I was leading the Open and playing with Ben Hogan. I had a very good chance to win, nine holes to go. I was still leading with six holes to play. I looked at a leaderboard, which had Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Mike Souchak, Ted Kroll and Jack Fleck one shot behind me. And I proceeded to fall apart like a three-dollar suitcase. I three-putted 13, three-putted 14, missed a couple of short birdie putts and bogeyed the last hole to lose by two shots. "I would have loved to win that tournament, but maybe the best thing that ever happened to me was the learning experience. Did it destroy my life? No. And it won't destroy Jordan's life. "I came back and in '63, I was trying to win my first British Open. And I had what I thought was a two-shot lead with two holes to play at Lytham. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had a shot off the tee in perfect position. I had 212 yards to the hole. Pin was at the back of the green. And my caddy, Jimmy Dickinson, says, 3-iron is plenty. I said, No, I can't get 3-iron back there. Jimmy said, You don't need to. I wasn't smart, I was too young. So I hit 2-iron through the green and didn't get up and down. I made bogey, and bogeyed the last hole. I lost the tournament by a shot. I learned from that. But you have to make that mistake to learn it." Parting shot : One last thing from Furyk about Oakmont from his memories of 1994 and 2007, when Oakmont last hosted men's Opens. "The only thing you could argue about the setup in 2007 was the length of the rough and how penal it was," he said. "In '94, the course was unplayable on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I couldn't have broken 80. It rained Wednesday night and that was the only thing that made the course playable. The length of rough was brutal in '07 and it's not going to be any better this year, I can promise you that." Enjoy Oakmont, gentlemen…if that's possible. | 1 | 98,911 | sports |
Donald Trump wrapped up the Republican primary season with a scripted and serious speech, promising to unify the party. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus tweeted that Trump's speech took "exactly the right approach" and was "perfectly delivered." Earlier, Trump lost more GOP support over his comments about the Mexican-American judge in a lawsuit against Trump University. Major Garrett reports. | 5 | 98,912 | news |
People evacuate the scene of a car bomb attack on a police station in Turkey's southeast province of Mardin. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). | 5 | 98,913 | news |
Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has approved a plan by Volkswagen Group to modify the software in 1.1 million VW vehicles with the EA 189 two-liter TDI engines. These vehicles are among some 11 million sold worldwide that included software that deliberately gave lower emissions readings when the vehicles were being tested than when they were being used normally. Last week the KBA approved a fix for more than 800,000 VW-branded vehicles. Wednesday's announcement covers VW's Tiguan models and its Caddy commercial vehicles. Volkswagen's retrofit programs have so far received KBA approval for 2.5 million vehicles in Europe. VW's negotiations with U.S. regulators continue. At a court hearing in San Francisco on May 24, the judge overseeing the case said that his June 21 deadline for submitting a proposal to fix 480,000 VW-rigged vehicles is on track to be met. The judge has held to a hard line and the deal to resolve the civil claims related to the emissions-cheating scandal could be worth about $10 billion, according to Automotive News. In Wednesday's announcement VW has noted: For the 1.1 million vehicles recently given the go-ahead, the KBA has confirmed that after the software update there is no change to the fuel consumption levels, performance figures or noise emissions of the affected models. The same also applies to all models previously given the go-ahead for the modification. VW sold an estimated 8.5 million rigged vehicles in Europe, so the company still has a long way to go before it is finished. These recent approvals apply only to the two-liter version of the EA 189 diesel engine. There are also 1.6-liter and 1.2-liter engines that must be fixed, and VW has delayed a planned second-quarter recall launch on the 1.2-liter vehicles. Related video: Where to find profit at Volkswagen | 3 | 98,914 | finance |
In 2009, Donald Trump offered the strongman Moammar Gadhafi a place to stay but claimed then that he didn't know he was renting to a dicator. Today he says he actually scammed the late Libyan leader. What's the story behind this odd episode? | 8 | 98,915 | video |
The Cavaliers are down 0-2 in the NBA Finals but will host the Warriors in Game 3 on Wednesday night. With Kevin Love optimistic he'll play, how are the Cavs chances to grab a win? | 1 | 98,916 | sports |
A meme featuring a picture of Stanford rapist Brock Turner with the caption, "MY NAME IS BROCK / IM A RAPIST," was erroneously removed from several users' Facebook accounts earlier today, Gizmodo reports . Turner, a 20-year-old former Stanford student, has been an object of public scorn since he received a lenient six-month sentence after he sexually assaulted an unconscious woman behind a frat house dumpster in 2015. He was caught in the act by two men and attempted to flee the scene of the crime. The reason for his lenient sentence? White male privilege. Judge Aaron Persky explained his decision: "A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him. I think he will not be a danger to others." Facebook users were upset that their posts were removed, especially because it doesn't violate its community standards , which permits "open and critical discussion of people who are featured in the news or have a large public audience based on their profession or chosen activities." And it's a matter of public record: Brock Turner is a rapist, even if the courts didn't quite treat him like one . Facebook, a company that's made a habit out of wrongfully removing images , handled the situation pretty well, immediately apologizing. They told Gizmodo, This content was removed in error, and we are currently working to restore it. Our team processes millions of reports each week, and we sometimes get things wrong. We're very sorry about this mistake. Facebook assured Gizmodo that as well as working to restore the images that were taken down, they will make sure that anyone who posts the meme in the future won't have their post taken down. So if you feel so inclined, post away . And while you're at it, check out this website . Follow Eve on Twitter and Instagram . | 4 | 98,917 | lifestyle |
In April this year, the World Bank released its 2016 edition of World Development Indicators, and for the first time, it stopped classifying countries as "developing" and "developed." According to the organization, the distinction was no longer relevant, as it aims to use a set of sustainable development goals that can be applied to all countries. The investment world, for the most part, continues to view developed and developing (or emerging) markets as two separate allocations within a diversified portfolio. And the question "what is an emerging market" comes up when MSCI makes its annual announcement regarding market (or country) changes to its developed-markets and emerging-markets indexes. This year, MSCI will make its announcement on June 14. If a change is to be made, it is typically implemented within a year. MSCI works with the investment community on these decisions and conducts a consultation period of at least one year with industry participants. Changes under consideration for the 2016 announcement include Pakistan (from frontier market to emerging market), China A-Shares (from stand-alone to emerging), and Peru (from emerging to frontier). There are no emerging-market countries under review for potential reclassification to developed-market status. When MSCI decides to move a country in or out of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, funds that track this index have to implement these changes when the index does. Active managers, on the other hand, can make changes at their discretion. The addition of countries with small capital markets has little impact on both passively managed and actively managed funds. For example, if Pakistan were to be added to the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, it will account for less than 1%. But the addition or deletion of a large market can have a significant impact on the portfolios of both actively managed and passively managed funds. China A-Shares is a large market. It includes companies listed in China either on the Shanghai or Shenzhen stock exchanges. Historically, foreigners had very limited access to these shares. During the past few years, Chinese regulators have been carefully opening up its markets, in part to draw global investors into its capital markets. At current prices, the inclusion of China A-Shares would account for about 20% of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (for a total China allocation of 40%, including the existing overseas China listings). If China A-Shares were to be added, MSCI would cap their weighting to 1% within the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and scale up this allocation over time. The inclusion of China A-Shares was under consideration last year, and leading up to the June 2015 announcement, the CSI 300 Index (the China A-Share benchmark) returned more than 130%. Most of this rally was attributed to local Chinese investors who piled into the market to try to get ahead of anticipated large foreign fund flows should MSCI decide to include China A-Shares into its MSCI Emerging Markets Index. This year, local Chinese markets are in a completely different mood. Year to date, the CSI 300 is down about 15%, and from the peak one year ago, the market is down 40%. That said, the CSI 300 is still about 50% higher than it was two years ago. It looks like Chinese investors have low expectations that MSCI will announce the inclusion of China A-Shares next week. In fact, MSCI has said that its announcement regarding the inclusion of China A-Shares into its MSCI Emerging Markets Index could occur outside of its annual Market Classification Review cycle. This is because MSCI is waiting for more clarity from the Chinese government on rules regarding foreign investor accessibility and capital mobility. The index provider said when China brings its rules regarding these issues in line with MSCI's criteria, it will announce the timeline for China A-Share inclusion into its emerging-markets index. Even if MSCI does not decide to include China A-Shares into the MSCI Emerging Markets Index now, it will likely do so in the not-too-distant future. Vanguard has already begun to include China A-Shares in its Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock Index Fund VEMAX and Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF VWO as of late last year. Both MSCI and Vanguard said that the weighting of China A-Shares will be capped at a low allocation, but that this will gradually rise. Investors in emerging-markets index funds should consider if they want to hold a fund whose already large China allocation (at around 25%) is likely to grow in the coming years. Disclosure: Morningstar, Inc.'s Investment Management division licenses indexes to financial institutions as the tracking indexes for investable products, such as exchange-traded funds, sponsored by the financial institution. The license fee for such use is paid by the sponsoring financial institution based mainly on the total assets of the investable product. Please click here for a list of investable products that track or have tracked a Morningstar index. Neither Morningstar, Inc. nor its investment management division markets, sells, or makes any representations regarding the advisability of investing in any investable product that tracks a Morningstar index. | 3 | 98,918 | finance |
A provocative new study of physician pay reveals a seemingly alarming racial disparity that reaches to the very top of medicine: a large salary gap between white male doctors and everyone else. The median annual income of white male doctors between 2010 and 2013 was $253,042, compared with $188,230 for black male doctors, according to the study published in the BMJ . Both groups of men far out-earned female doctors of both races, although the pay gap between white and black women was modest and not statistically significant. But the study has a major flaw: A significant part of the data the finding depends on didn't identify whether the doctors were primary care doctors or specialists. Physicians in specialties make more money than primary care doctors, and black doctors are underrepresented in specialties . A big caveat to any study of doctors' incomes is that neurosurgeons, pediatricians and interventional cardiologists are all doctors, but they are not paid the same. Comparing doctor pay without knowing which specialty a physician works in opens the possibility of attributing a pay gap to race or gender that might actually reflect differences in specialization. For context, consider this: Physicians in specialties make, on average, $284,000 a year, while primary care doctors make $195,000, according to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report 2015 . William Weeks, a health economist and physician at Dartmouth College's Geisel School of Medicine, roundly dismissed the study's findings for that reason. His research has found no evidence of a racial pay gap among doctors. "This is really not good research," Weeks said. "It's a poor design. It's a poor study. It should be ignored." Anupam Jena, a physician and health economist at Harvard Medical School who oversaw the study, acknowledged that one of the analyses couldn't account for specialties but said his team found the same racial disparities in a smaller database that did. He defended the research, saying his team looked at a larger population than Weeks's research. "The reason why prior work has not found much [difference], we believe, is it was simply underpowered; there simply weren't enough observations on black physicians to get anything meaningful out of it," Jena said. To increase the number of black physicians in the sample, the researchers used two data sets -- the bulk of it data on physician incomes taken from census data. For 40 percent of the doctors in the sample including almost half of the white male doctors the researchers had to estimate their incomes by using the median income above an upper threshold in each state. This meant they were eyeballing physicians' salaries by using a mix of data that would have included highly paid people who were not doctors. The census data also contained no information on whether the doctors were primary care doctors or specialists, which could lead to an apples-to-oranges comparison of specialists with primary care doctors. The second data set, from a survey that tracked more than 17,000 physicians, did include specialty information, but there were a small number of black physicians overall. Jena's team found the same patterns as in the larger data set, even after taking into account specialties, but Weeks critiqued some of the methods used. Jena said that the second analysis finds the same racial gaps as the first one white men out-earn black men; women of both races earn less. He also argues that despite any shortcomings, this kind of study is valuable because it reveals the broad landscape of physician pay by race. The gender pay gap has already been shown. "It's extraordinarily important to know what the differences in income are between these two groups. Some of these things you'd otherwise want to account for are things that mediate the problem," Jena said. Salary disparities might stem from doctors of different races seeing more low-income patients which may be something they do by choice, or might have more to do with different opportunities. Black doctors might choose not to go into highly paying specialties because they aren't drawn to them or because they want to start paying off their medical school debt back more quickly or because of discrimination. On this point, Weeks agrees. "The key question is, do women or black or minority [doctors] have access can they get into these higher-paid sub-specialties?" Weeks said. "That's a really different question and a really important one." Read More: The disturbing reason some African American patients may be undertreated for pain Where living poor means dying young Pot legalization hasn't done anything to shrink the racial gap in drug arrests | 3 | 98,919 | finance |
The Washington, D.C., city council on Tuesday approved unanimously a measure to raise the city's minimum hourly wage to $15 by 2020. The city joins with California, New York and other state and local governments that have approved a similar hike. At the same time, the city council agreed to raise hourly wages for tipped workers from the current level of $2.77 to $5.00 over the same period. If tips do not raise tipped workers' pay to the level of the minimum wage, employers will be responsible for making up the difference. Once the $15 level has been reached, raises will be linked to inflation. Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, said: The D.C. Council vote shows the unstoppable momentum of the $15 minimum wage and will improve the lives of thousands of workers. But the Council's refusal to meaningfully raise the tipped wage leaves behind 29,000 restaurant, nail salon, car wash and other tipped workers. With San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle having raised the tipped wage to $15, and New York raising it to $10, it is disappointing that city leadership as progressive and diverse as D.C.'s would not do more. Close to 70 percent of tipped employees in D.C. are people of color, and data shows these workers experience poverty at nearly twice the rate of the overall workforce. Women will also be disproportionately affected, as female tipped workers are twice as likely to live in poverty as men in tipped occupations, and they are nearly three times more likely to live in poverty than the overall workforce. And disparities in the restaurant sector are likely to widen: more than one in four female servers and bartenders live in poverty, compared to a little more than one in ten of their male counterparts. Washington's minimum wage is set to rise from $10.50 to $11.50 in July. The new measure increases the wage by about 70 cents per year until it reaches $15 in 2020. A total of 29 states and the District of Columbia have raised the minimum wage above the $7.25 federal minimum. | 3 | 98,920 | finance |
WEDNESDAY, June 8, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Married people are more likely to survive a heart attack and leave the hospital sooner than single people, a new British study finds. "Our results should not be a cause for concern for single people who have had a heart attack," said study co-author Dr. Nicholas Gollop, a clinical research fellow in cardiology at the University of East Anglia. "But they should certainly be a reminder to the medical community of the importance of considering the support a heart attack survivor will get once they're discharged," Gollop added in a British Heart Foundation news release. Researchers examined data from more than 25,000 heart attack patients in England. They found that married people were 14 percent less likely to die than single people. The analysis also showed that married heart attack survivors spent an average of two fewer days in the hospital than single survivors. Shorter hospital stays reduce health care costs and reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections, the researchers noted. The researchers said their findings highlight the importance of physical and emotional support after a heart attack. "A heart attack can have both devastating physical and psychological effects -- most of which are hidden from the outside world. These findings suggest the support offered by a spouse can have a beneficial effect on heart attack survivors, perhaps helping to minimize the impact of a heart attack," said Dr. Mike Knapton, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation. If you have a heart attack, whether you're married or not, it's important to remember that you're not alone, Knapton said. "Enrolling in a cardiac rehabilitation course, for example, will help you to recover physically, psychologically, and also help you to meet people with similar experiences, who know what you've been through," he said. The study was presented Tuesday at a British Cardiovascular Society meeting in Manchester, England. The results should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more on heart attack . | 7 | 98,921 | health |
In the days before rapid sea or air travel, it could take months to travel to Mecca. The spiritual heart of Islam lay far from its great capitals in Istanbul, Delhi and Isfahan. The devout came from distant lands on foot, by camel and in horse-drawn carriages. Bedouin tribes routinely looted these pilgrims, who were the primary source of revenue for this ancient desert town. Now, the ease of air travel and the rise of a global Muslim middle class have made the journey to Mecca far less arduous and far more common. Last year, three million came for the hajj, a pilgrimage in the last month of the Islamic lunar calendar that is considered obligatory for every Muslim who can afford it; five million more came for the umrah, a minor pilgrimage that can be made for much of the year. And millions of Saudi citizens routinely pass through Mecca's sacred sites as tourists. The Italian photographer Luca Locatelli, visiting Mecca this year during the umrah period, captured how radically the city has changed to accommodate this growing influx of pilgrims. Until the first half of the 20th century, this was a small city of spacious stone houses famed for their mashrabiyah, or latticed windows and balconies. Five hills known as the rim of Mecca encircled the Grand Mosque and the Kaaba, or House of God, located in the city center. Today, all a visitor would recognize from older images of Mecca are the Ottoman domes of the Grand Mosque, its minarets and the Kaaba. The ancient hills, the old stone homes and many of the sites linked to the life of the Prophet Muhammad have been obliterated by towering shopping malls, hotels and apartment blocks. It is a transformation that has been underway since the late 1970s, when the wealth generated by the oil boom led Saudi monarchs to devise an ambitious plan to replace earlier Ottoman structures and to expand the Grand Mosque and its surroundings with Arab-style architecture. At a projected cost of $26.6 billion, the Saudi Binladen Group has led the efforts to increase the capacity of the Grand Mosque, adding new wings, prayer areas, escalators and hundreds of bathrooms. Before his death in 2015, King Abdullah ordered the installation of the world's largest folding umbrellas in the piazzas outside the Grand Mosque, to shelter worshipers from the blistering sun as they offered prayers, read the Quran or simply basked in their proximity to this holy site. His successor, King Salman, announced plans to build a ring road, subways and intercity trains to accommodate millions of worshipers. One of Locatelli's photographs looks as if it were taken from the air, but it was actually shot from one of the highest points of the Royal Mecca Clock Tower, which houses a hulking hotel and shopping complex a few hundred meters from the gates of the Grand Mosque 46 times taller than the Kaaba and crowned by a clock five times the size of Big Ben. Throughout the history of Islam, no other ruler built in such proximity to the Kaaba; certainly none built anything to dwarf it. In luxury hotels like the Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower and the Raffles Makkah Palace, views of the holiest site of Islam are marketed as the "Haram view" and "Kaaba view," and a standard room can run anywhere from $1,500 to $2,700 a night during the hajj. Locatelli, who is Italian and was raised Catholic, gained entry to Mecca through his marriage to an Indonesian Muslim, which included a ceremonial conversion and gave him a feeling of sympathy for his wife's religion. In his striking images, you can see experiences shared by pilgrims everywhere as well as the mix of crass commercialism and genuine faith common among holy sites across religions (Lourdes, Fátima, Varanasi). A group of men in ihram two pieces of white towel-like cloth that the pilgrims wear to convey a state of purity and human equality get a bite to eat in a food court; a young man takes a selfie with the Kaaba in the background; hundreds pray inside a shopping mall. "I wanted to show my Western viewers that being a holy tourist in Mecca is not very different," Locatelli says, "that we do similar things whether we go to a great temple, to St. Peter's or to Mecca." When Locatelli first arrived in Mecca, he was anxious about his outsider status. But, he says, "Mecca was truly peaceful. My fear melted away within days." Sign up for our newsletter to get the best of The New York Times Magazine delivered to your inbox every week. | 5 | 98,922 | news |
"I'm just not a routine person." "I guess I'm just a free spirit." "But I don't want to be boring!" These were the excuses I made when I failed yet again to keep up a new habit. These were the things I'd tell myself when I thought about the things I wanted to do daily journal, meditate, go to the gym but never did. I had an excuse for everything. I had a reason to control every failure. The road to success may be full of curves, but the path to failure is much easier to predict. And I like to stay in control. Over the last few months, I went from not being able to be consistent with anything to genuinely doing the damn things I wanted to do. It wasn't a matter of forcing myself, and it wasn't a quick fix. It was a diligent, conscious, intentional, and vigilant process to bring about new, healthier habits into my life. Bottoming Out Late last year, I hit a breaking point. If I continued on the path I was on, I realized that in two, five, or 10 years I'd only have regrets, frustration, and a gnawing sense that I could have done better. I was tired of dreaming up goals and never achieving them. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. I hate to be stereotypical and quote Gandhi, but hear him out: "Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." The problem was that I was in disharmony with myself. I'd set a reminder to meditate every day, then ignore it. I told myself I'd walk outside every day (at the very least!), but always found a way not to go outside. I wanted to write often, yet writing consistently became impossible. In the past, I used shame to "inspire" me to change. I thought if I hated myself or loathed where I was in life enough, I'd have to change. A Positive Change But that's not really how change happens for me or anyone else. Ultimately, shame, hatred, and loathing won't provide lasting motivation. People, including myself, are inherently more interested in positive reinforcement . Hiking for fun who have I become?! I started to think of the habits I wanted to create journaling, working out, and meditating as ways to bring joy and positivity into my life. Thinking of them in this way helped me step out of the cycle of self-hatred and guilt. It helped me see my habits as expressions of self-love as gifts to myself as opposed to punishments and changed my entire attitude toward building new routines. Here are the six guidelines that helped me enact change. 6 Steps That Worked for Me 1. Pick habits you honestly *want* to add. I didn't choose habits I thought I should add because of what anyone else was doing or because some silly article on the internet told me I should. It wasn't about keeping up with other people; it was about listening to myself. Once I started to see these habits as things I wanted to add, my entire attitude toward building rituals and routines changed. Once I started to see these habits as things I wanted to add, my entire attitude toward building rituals and routines changed. For example, when I started viewing the exercise bike at the gym as a fun challenge, I would see how many more miles I could do each week. 2. Build your habit your own way. No more reading about productivity. No more berating myself by reading other people's morning routines and expecting mine to mimic theirs. When I started to build up a consistent gym routine, I only went when I wanted to go. For me, that was around 2 p.m. every day, after I had spent enough time working and wouldn't be distracted by a long to-do list. It also meant that I gave myself permission to do whatever I wanted to do once I got there. If I wanted to do 20 minutes on the bike, I'd do only 20 minutes and then leave. 3. Start small really small. I knew that if I tried to take on too much, I'd find a way to make an excuse. So, my daily goals were tiny. I started with two minutes of meditation, which eventually built up to 10, then 20 minutes. Those 20 minutes on the bike at the gym built up to intense interval workouts and strength training three to four times per week. It's much more difficult to start again than it is to keep going. I realized that just doing the thing, no matter how small, meant I was more likely to do the thing the next day. It's much more difficult to start again than it is to keep going. Developing a streak and gaining my own momentum were huge shifts in staying true to my commitments. 4. Be kind to yourself. There is no place for perfectionism when developing new skills. If I missed a day or if life happened, I let it go. When I got sick with a cold and missed several workouts, I didn't beat myself up. When I had a bout of depression and became apathetic toward my goals, I didn't shame myself. Instead of thinking I could punish myself into changing, I tried to love myself into changing and that had a more enjoyable and lasting effect. I had to silence the drill sergeant in my mind that expected me to never f*ck up. Executing my goals perfectly is not the end goal. The end goal is to feel better about myself. I refused to chase habits that were going to make me feel awful about myself in some misguided pursuit of future joy. 5. Celebrate every small victory. Feeling strong and confident after consistently working out. When I began journaling every morning a habit I've wanted build for over a decade I put a number in the corner of each page to indicate how many days in a row I had written. This became a huge motivating factor. I celebrated 30 entries in a row in my journal, then 100 entries, and now nearly 200. I celebrated my pen running out of ink. Finally, after I filled up an entire notebook, I celebrated buying a new Moleskine on Amazon.com. Achieving these tiny milestones kept me excited. I also downloaded an app called Way of Life , which you can use to mark off how many days in a row you've stuck with a habit, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential it is. (I mean, I proudly mark off "brushed teeth" on there each and every day.) Acknowledging these achievements gave me something positive to look forward to: my own recognition and appreciation. It was revolutionary, and it continues to be the cornerstone of how I add habits to my routine. 6. Embrace the boring. It's better to be 'boring' than to feel like sh*t about yourself all the time. Yeah, consistency and commitment may sound mundane and monotonous. But I've realized it's better to be "boring" than to feel like sh*t about yourself all the time. It's better to go to sleep at night knowing I did what I said I would do. Gandhi got it right: Happiness is when it's all in congruence. And at this point, I'll take that kind of sustainable happiness over a chaotic and free-spirited life any day. | 7 | 98,923 | health |
Gold futures on Wednesday finished at their best level in three weeks as the U.S. dollar weakened and fears of an interest-rate rise, which might diminish the appeal of the metal, faded. August gold gained $15.30, or 1.2%, to $1,262.30 an ounce, after seeing relatively tepid trade Tuesday as investors readjusted their expectations for rate increases in the wake of last Friday's disappointing May labor-market report. The metal scored its highest close Wednesday since May 18, according to FactSet data. The market is pricing in extremely low odds that the Federal Reserve will raise rates this month and investors see a relatively slim chance of Fed boss Janet Yellen and crew lifting rates in July. That belief has offered a runway for assets that don't bear interest, including precious metals, to trade higher. Against this backdrop, July silver also rocketed higher, picking up 60 cents, or 3.7%, to finish at $16.99 an ounce, with commodity specialist Peter Krauth predicting that the metal might hit $20 an ounce by the end of the year. The exchange-traded iShares Silver Trust was up 3.9%. Read : How to play the asset that will leave stocks in its dust Providing support for the metals was a modestly weaker U.S. dollar the U.S. ICE Dollar Index was off 0.3%. A weaker greenback makes dollar-priced assets cheaper, thus more attractive, to buyers using other currencies. Overall, appetite for gold has remained strong. A BullionVault survey indicated that gold buying in May was at its strongest in more than three years . Despite recent up-and-down trading, technical traders see signs that gold is maintaining a bullish trajectory. "The technical picture for gold is looking so much better in the last few days, posting higher lows and higher highs, which shows much more support underneath the market," said Jeffrey Nichols, senior economic adviser at Rosland Capital. For those who watch chart patterns in assets, settling at higher lows and higher highs, implies that an asset has positive momentum. However, Ross Norman, chief executive officer at London-based commodities broker Sharps Pixley cautioned that recent moves in gold have been supported by traders rather than traditional long-term investors. "We are cautious about the current bull run [in gold] because an awful lot of the buying that we are seeing is of a flaky nature," Norman said. He said appetite for precious metals from buyers in India and China has been comparatively weak, which means that the "real engines are not firing." He acknowledged that factor could also suggest that gold has more room to run. "If [China and India demand] were to kick in, $1,400 [an ounce] could be on the card. The bad news is that they are not there yet," Norman said. The SPDR Gold Trust rose about 1.4%, while the VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF advanced 4.1%, and the miners-focused ETF is on track to return nearly 16% in June. In other metals, July copper tacked on about a penny, or 0.5%, to close at $2.0615 a pound, July platinum rose $12.60, or 1.3%, at $1,012 an ounce, while September palladium gained $9.05, or 1.6%, to settle at $561.20 an ounce. | 3 | 98,924 | finance |
A PAIR of endangered whale sharks have been rescued after they were stolen from the wild and taken to a marine farm. The dramatic night time operation took place on a small island in the Maluku Sea, Indonesia, on May 26. Conservation photojournalist Paul Hilton, 45, documented the release of the whale sharks - which as a species are the world's biggest fish. Videographer / director: Paul Hilton Producer: Bunmi Adigun, Ellie Winstanley Editor: Ian Phillips | 8 | 98,925 | video |
Tracy Carneal, a 20-year-old from Arizona, dreamed of being a model since she was 12. She was counting calories by the time she was 15, keeping as little weight as she could on her 5-foot-8 frame. But last fall, when excessive running and food restriction caused her to tear her quad in three places, she knew something had to change. Carneal had been an active Instagram user ever since she stumbled on the #StrongNotSkinny hashtag last summer. She noticed that many of these women also used the hashtag #IIFYM. "I saw all these girls who had gone from that really low-calorie place I was at to eating higher calories and weightlifting," she says. "I just saw this transformation in them and got inspired." Carneal started her account as a way to connect with that supportive fitness community. While recovering from her injury, she decided to try IIFYM herself. IIFYM stands for "If It Fits Your Macronutrients," which are proteins, fats, and carbs. Popularized by bodybuilders and physique competitors in the last five years, the diet has gained a mainstream following recently thanks to Instagram. The hashtag #FitFam is used on Pinterest and Twitter too, but there's more of a community on Instagram. Members with fitness-focused accounts share workouts, recipes, motivational messages, pictures of their biceps, and before-and-after photos. The rules of the IIFYM diet are simple: You can eat whatever you want as long as you stay within a target range for each macronutrient each day and meet a fiber goal. Your "macros" are based on your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), which uses age, gender, weight, height, and exercise level to estimate how many calories you need each day. The carbs/fats/proteins ratio will vary depending on your goals. Searching #IIFYM on Instagram can be a disorienting experience. There's the parade of muscular bodies: semi-clothed selfies taken in gyms, bathrooms, and locker room mirrors. But there's also a lot of food, and not always the healthy-looking kind. Stuffed pancakes drowning in syrup, bowls of candy-topped ice cream, gobs of peanut butter. So day 24 of #fitfamuary is a non fitness related activity: I really love traveling ✈ (I have been some pretty cool places, if I do say so myself) and board games (currently obsessed with catchphrase) 🎲. But I don't really know how to capture those in a picture. So here is a picture of my bicep! 🙈😝💪 A photo posted by Tracy 🌻🏃 (@thesunflowerrunner) on Feb 24, 2014 at 6:11pm PST It was this combination of ripped bodies and mouthwatering food that drew me to the diet when I stumbled across it a few months ago. I'd been half-heartedly lifting weights for a couple months, but the IIFYMers I started following lifted weights - like serious weights, not the barbells that come in different colors. They pooh-poohed the "cardio bunnies" and bragged about how little time they spent on the elliptical. The more I looked at those women (and there are plenty of men too), the more I thought, why shouldn't I have abs, not to mention biceps, not to mention a few pounds of muscle on my wimpy frame? Could I get ripped while eating ice cream? While IIFYM is new in name, sports nutritionists have relied macro-based diets for decades. "IIFYM does seem to be based on nutrition science," says Elisabetta Politi, director of Duke University's Diet & Fitness Center. Weight Watchers, one of the most popular diets in the country, also uses macronutrient values to calculate its points system for foods. And Politi says the algorithm of IIFYM's online calculator follows major health organizations' guidelines for fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. But IIFYM has raised eyebrows among some experts because of its eat-what-you-want approach. "Real health and wellness is going to be driven by micronutrients in addition to carbs, proteins, fats," says Heidi Skolnik, a New York-based nutritionist. "Calcium, iron, potassium, antioxidants: These are things we need in small amounts but have a huge impact on almost every pathway in our bodies." Also, an IIFYMer could theoretically eat only processed foods, though followers of the diet say that's nearly impossible if your macros are set correctly. During my own attempt at the diet, I worked with Ben Esgro, a bodybuilder and dietitian who has tracked his macros for 10 years. I signed up for his basic nutrition package, and for $300, I got my starting macros and weekly adjustments for a month. I filled out a form with my stats (height, weight, exercise regimen, current eating habits), and a few days later, he emailed me my first numbers. He would adjust them every week, making it even more difficult when he gave me guidelines on when to consume my carbs. The first week the tracking was kind of fun - my macros were like a puzzle to assemble throughout the day - but the diet quickly turned isolating. My boyfriend and I used to cook together, but it became too stressful. I couldn't resist pulling out my phone to check my portion sizes "one last time." Trolling #FitFam profiles one night, I read one IIFYMer's transformation story with horror - her relationship ended when her boyfriend got tired of eating alone. By week two, I felt bloated, exhausted, and cranky. I was constipated, and my protein powder was giving me horrific gas. Then I began making progress at the gym. I had always been sore the day after working out, but I started waking up feeling like the fucking Terminator. I couldn't stop looking at my arms in the gym's mirrors. But as proud as I was of my new baby muscles, I also discovered that my brain liked tracking macros a little too much. The diet revealed an obsessive streak I never knew I had. And although I promised my boyfriend a dinner out on Valentine's Day, he nearly dumped me when I asked our server if he could please weigh my fish. I wish I could say I quit then, but I held until the mental strain of doing it every day became unbearable. Many IIFYM followers on Instagram say they are recovering from eating disorders. They say they are using IIFYM to "reverse diet" after long periods of restriction by increasing their macros at a gradual pace. Though Carneal has never been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder, she'd been restricting for most of her young-adult life. She said she felt full all the time when she first started IIFYM, but her body adjusted quickly. Eventually, she doubled her previous caloric intake and showed off her #gainz to her 2,900 Instagram followers. IIFYM has not been studied as a transitional tool for recovery, but Dr. Russell Marx, chief science officer at the National Eating Disorders Association , warns that any strict diet usually stands in the way. "The focus of recovery needs to be about getting rid of rules, not creating them," he says. He points to the psychological burden of tracking everything you eat. "People who develop [eating disorders] have a certain temperament," he says, which can include anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism. "When you get into a diet like IIFYM, you can exacerbate those obsessional, anxious, need-to-focus-on-every-detail tendencies." While Carneal credits IIFYM with pulling her out of her disordered mindset, she discourages younger girls, many of whom contact her through Instagram, from trying it. She is careful to tell them not to idolize the bodies they see on Instagram, and under a recent post of herself in a sports bra and running shorts, she wrote, "As much as I would like to say my abs always look like my best ab pictures- they don't. I capture them in their best light...So please- Don't base how you view your own body and what you want to look like on pictures you see in the magazines or even on Instagram! We are all unique and should cherish our bodies and not try to be anyone else!" Carneal stopped tracking her food in February after five years of counting calories and about five months of IIFYM. "Once I got to the high calorie amount, I knew that I was going to be able to step away from it," she says, admitting it was nerve-wracking at first. "I do keep a slight mental count of what I am consuming, but all in all it is nice not having to record everything," she wrote on her blog. "It feels like I am sort of feeling 'normal' again." She said she wouldn't hesitate to go back to IIFYM if she felt like she was restricting again, but for now, she's trying to eat intuitively. "There's no 'going over,' there's no 'going under,'" she says. "It's just what my body feels like eating. And if I want to add a little extra peanut butter, I will." Photo credit: Getty Images | 7 | 98,926 | health |
U.S. stocks traded mostly higher Wednesday, helped by gains in oil prices, with the Dow and S&P about 1 percent below their 52-week intraday highs. "I think the market needs to consolidate around these levels. That's bringing in some selling around this time," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial. The Nasdaq composite struggled for gains in mid-morning trade, weighed by declines in Apple, Microsoft and Netflix. The Dow Jones industrial average briefly topped the psychologically key 18,000 level in morning trade, with UnitedHealth contributing the most to gains. The Dow traded above that level Tuesday for the first time since late April but failed to close above it. The Dow transports briefly traded more than 1 percent higher on the day and held gains of more than 5 percent for the year so far. "Transports continue to tell a story about the economy that's different from the mainstream," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wunderlich Securities. U.S. crude oil futures pared gains, struggling to hold above $51 a barrel. WTI settled above $50 for the first time since July on Tuesday, and the S&P 500 closed at its highest since July 22. EIA data showed a draw of 3.2 million barrels in crude and builds in gasoline and distillate inventories, Dow Jones reported. Late Tuesday, API reported a larger-than-expected U.S. crude stockpile draw, Reuters said. "Maybe it's the rise in oil prices," said Peter Boockvar, chief market analyst at The Lindsey Group. "I don't have any specific rational reason," he said of the gains in stocks, adding that "the underlying story that's being ignored is the continued reduction in growth and the decline in earnings." In economic news, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed there were about 5.8 million job openings at the end of April. Ahead of the Wednesday U.S. market open, the World Bank downgraded its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4 percent from the 2.9 percent forecast in January. "The investors already know global demand is already waning and is not that strong," said Adam Sarhan, CEO of Sarhan Capital, "but they're hoping the Fed and central banks are going to err on the side of easy money and eventually the economy will kick into gear. But that's a big hope." Treasury yields traded lower, with the 2-year yield last around 0.78 percent and the 10-year yield near 1.71 percent. The Treasury is set to hold a 10-year note auction later in the day. The German 10-year bund yield traded higher after earlier hitting fresh record lows of 0.033 percent, according to Reuters Tradeweb data going back to 1992. The European Central Bank began its corporate bond purchase program Wednesday. "Investors are being forced into risk assets," Sarhan said. The U.S. dollar index traded about a third of a percent lower, with the euro near $1.14 and the yen around 106.7 yen against the greenback as of 11:29 a.m. ET. European stocks traded slightly lower with bank stocks underperforming as of late-morning trade ET. Asian stocks closed mixed, with the Nikkei 225 up 0.9 percent and the Shanghai composite off 0.3 percent. China's May trade data released overnight showed imports fell 0.4 percent, the smallest year-over-year decline since turning negative in November 2014, Reuters said. Exports declined a more-than-expected 4.1 percent. Crude oil imports jumped the most in over six years, with iron ore imports the highest since December, the news wire said. Copper purchases were up more than 19 percent. In late-morning trade, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 35 points, or 0.19 percent, to 17,972, with UnitedHealth leading advancers and Verizon the greatest laggard. The S&P 500 rose 2 points, or 0.11 percent, to 2,114, with industrials leading six sectors higher and telecommunications the greatest laggard. The Nasdaq composite gained 4 points, or 0.07 percent, to 4,965. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, traded mildly higher above 14. U.S. crude oil futures for July delivery rose 65 cents to $51.02 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold futures for August delivery rose $16.50 to $1,263.40 an ounce as of 11:30 a.m. ET. On tap this week: Wednesday 1 p.m. $20 billion 10-year note auction Thursday 8:30 a.m. Initial claims 10 a.m. Wholesale trade 1 p.m. $12 billion 30-year bond auction Friday 10 a.m. Consumer sentiment 2 p.m. Federal budget *Planner subject to change. | 3 | 98,927 | finance |
Cavaliers star LeBron James is often compared to elite athletes, but he rejected the latest comparison to Michael Jordan when speaking to the media on Tuesday. | 1 | 98,928 | sports |
If you thought you had to travel all the way to Napa to sample fantastic American-made wine, we've got good news: there's fabulous locally-produced vino to be found wherever you go in this beautiful country. Here, a list of the best wines made locally in every single U.S. state. ALABAMA: WHITE OAK VINEYARDS You'll find this 52-acre vineyard--which specializes in grapes of the Muscadine variety--midway between Birmingham and Atlanta. Their bottle of Norton is known as the Cabernet of the South. 1484 Dry Hollow Road, Anniston; 256-231-7998 or southernoakwines.com ALASKA: DENALI WINERY The micro-brewed wines here are made from grape juice that's been shipped in from all different corners of the world. (Hello, it's way too chilly to grow grapes in Alaska.) The best blend? The Zinfandel…or the custom Port. 1301 East Dowling Road, Anchorage; 907-563-9434 or denaliwinery.info ARIZONA: PILLSBURY WINE COMPANY Filmmaker Sam Pillsbury runs the show at this Willcox-based vineyard, which produces 14 (mostly Rhone) blends of award-winning wine. The Roan Red is a crowd favorite, a delicious combo of Grenache, Shirax and Mourvedre grapes. 6450 S. Bennett Place, Willcox; 310-508-3348 or pillsburywine.com ARKANSAS: WIEDERKEHR WINE CELLARS Around since 1880, this winery is located high up in the Ozarks--a spot originally chosen by its Swiss founder for the variety of microclimates in the peaks and valleys. Their best bottles come in the form of sweeter varieties, like the Tawny Port and Cream Sherry. 3324 Swiss Family Drive, Wiederkehr Village; 800-622-WINE or wiederkehrwines.com CALIFORNIA: SUNSTONE WINERY It s a pretty tough call to make in this state, but this 25-acre vineyard (with it s south-sloping exposure) produces top-notch organic grapes--and a variety of delicious blends, including the sweet and delicate 2013 Merlot Reserve. 125 Refugio Road, Santa Ynez; 805-688-9463 or sunstonewinery.com COLORADO: PLUM CREEK WINERY Known for their Bordeaux and Burgundy varieties, this vineyard devotes 65 acres of land to producing 13,000 bottles of wine each year. The Riesling is their signature--made from grapes picked entirely by hand. 3708 G Road, Palisade; 970-464-7586 or plumcreekwinery.com CONNECTICUT: SHARPE HILL VINEYARD Nestled in a tiny New England town, this winery--complete with its own farmhouse--is just the place to go and sip a Dry Summer Rosé made from St. Croix grapes complete with hints of strawberry and an Instagram-worthy bright berry hue. 108 Wade Road, Pomfret; 860-974-3549 or sharpehill.com DELAWARE: NASSAU VALLEY VINEYARDS The family behind this winery is responsible for securing the legal right to make wine in the state. Now they produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Their Indian River Red Vintner s Blend is a can t-miss. 32165 Winery Way, Lewes; 302-645-9463 or nassauvalley.com FLORIDA: MONTICELLO VINEYARDS AND WINERY This certified organic 50-acre winery, located a short distance from Tallahassee, features oh-so-very-Southern Muscadine grapes--18 different varieties of them. Don t leave without tasting the Magnolia blend. 1211 Waukeenah Hwy, Monticello; 850-294-9463 or monticellowinery.com GEORGIA: TIGER MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS With a sky-high altitude of 2000 feet, this boutique winery is the first in the state to grow grapes of the European variety, all well-suited to the climate of the southern Blue Ridge. In fact, their Petit Manseng blend was named a new Southern classic by Wines and Vines Magazine. 2592 Old Highway 441 South, Tiger; 706-782-4777 or tigerwine.com HAWAII: MAUI WINERY The volcanic soil on Maui (plus, the cool microclimate) is responsible for the delicious blends coming out of this historic winery that s been around for over 40 years. The refreshing pineapple wines are worth a visit alone--or you can order them online . 14815 Piilani Highway, Kula; 808-878-6058 or mauiwine.com IDAHO: HELL S CANYON WINERY Set high above the Snake River--seriously, at 2700 feet--this winery is famous for its Syrah varieties. The Deer Slayer is the ideal late-night dinner drink, savory with a distinctive whisky-like taste. 18835 Symms Road, Caldwell; 208-454-3300 or hellscanyonwine.com ILLINOIS: PHEASANT HOLLOW WINERY The views are as incredible as the wines at this vineyard, nestled on five acres of woodlands along the shore of Rend Lake. The wines made from the Norton grape are spicy and full-bodied, a perfect pairing with steak or pasta. 14931 State Highway 37, Whittington; 618-629-2302 or pheasanthollowwinery.com INDIANA: MALLOW RUN WINERY Located 20 minutes south of Indianopolis, this 600-acre farm devotes eight acres to vineyards (the rest is for planting corn). Their signature blend is a dry white made from the Traminette, a cold-resistant grape with hints of apple and pear. 6964 W. Whiteland Road, Bargersville; 317-422-1556 or mallowrun.com IOWA: JASPER WINERY A homegrown vineyard turned bustling business, this winery based near Grays Lake and downtown Des Moines specializes in wines made from oak aged grape varieties like the Seyval Blanc--which is one of their top rated dry whites with a twinge of fruity flavor. 2400 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines; 515-282-9463 or jasperwinery.com KANSAS: GRACE HILL WINERY Just outside of Wichita, you'll find these vineyards--a farm-turned-winery specializing in reds and whites (and the occasional dessert blend). Their best red also has the best name: Dodging Tornados, made from Chambourcin grapes, which results in a semi-sweet taste. 6310 S. Grace Hill Road, Whitewater; 316-799-2511 or gracehillwinery.com KENTUCKY: WIGHT-MEYER VINEYARD AND WINERY What started out as a family-run business with 53 vines is now two and a half acres of beloved vineyards. The Hillbilly Rhone is an aged (and tasty) blend of Chardonnay, Chardonnel, Seyval Blanc and La Crescent. 340 Meyer Drive, Shepherdsville; 502-921-0267 or wight-meyervineyards.com LOUISIANA: PONTCHARTRAIN VINEYARDS This vineyard located 140 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico produces their own grapes and sources others from around the world. The Le Trolley--made from the locally grown Blanc du Bois--is light and easy to drink. 81250 Old Military Road, Bush; 985-892-9742 or pontchartrainvineyards.com MAINE: BLACKSMITHS WINERY All hail blueberry wines. Maine's climate is better suited to vinos made using this berry type, and the dessert offerings (like the Riesling) are seriously where it's at. Don't be surprised to find other Maine fruits (like rhubarb) mixed in. 967 Quaker Ridge Road, Casco; 207-655-3292 or blacksmithswinery.com MARYLAND: BLACK ANKLE VINEYARDS This sustainable winery has over 40 acres of red (think Cab Franc and Pinot Noir) and white grapes (everything from Chardonnay to Muscat). You can't go wrong with any of their reds, but the fruity and smooth Leaf-Stone Syrah is probably the best. 14463 Black Ankle Road, Mt. Airy; 301-829-3338 or blackankle.com MASSACHUSETTS: RUNNING BROOK VINEYARDS & WINERY Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this New England-based winery produces a mix of red and white varietals. The white Pinot Gris--with its semi-dry fruity flavor--is the can t miss bottle. 335 Old Fall River Road, North Dartmouth; 508-985-1998 or runningbrookwine.com MICHIGAN: CHATEAU CHANTAL Part B&B, part vineyard, this 65-acre estate will make you feel like you re in Bordeaux, when really you re just 12 miles north of Traverse City. The locally grown grapes--of the vinifera species found in Europe--are responsible for their best blend: A semi-dry white Riesling with hints of grapefruit and apple. 15900 Rue Devin, Traverse City; 231-223-4110 or chateauchantal.com MINNESOTA: SAINT CROIX VINEYARDS Pack a picnic lunch and check out the range of wines at this winery located just outside of Stillwater. You can t go wrong with the Riesling, which has hints of mango. 6428 Manning Ave N, Stillwater; 651-430-3310 or scvwines.com MISSISSIPPI: OLD SOUTH WINERY Open for 30+ years, this winery produces blends made from Muscadine grapes, which are signature to the southeastern coast of the U.S. Don t skip out without trying the Miss Scarlett, a sweet rosé that tastes a lot like White Zinfandel. 65 S Concord Avenue, Natchez; 601-445-9924 or oldsouthwinery.com MISSOURI: AUGUSTA WINERY The Norton is Missouri's state grape, which is why this winery--which overlooks the Missouri River Valley--chooses to incorporate it into many of their award-winning blends. The best bottle is simply called the Norton, and it's a dry red that pairs well with burgers…or risotto. 5601 High Street, Augusta; 636-228-4301 or augustawinery.com MONTANA: MISSION MOUNTAIN WINERY Located on the shores of Flathead Lake--the largest natural fresh water lake west of the Mississippi--this winery produces 6500 cases of wine per year, all made from Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Marquette (plus some Riesling and Chardonnay, too). The best bottle? It's a toss-up between the Pinot Noir or Cab Sauv. 82420 US-93, Dayton; 406-849-5524 or missionmountainwinery.com NEBRASKA: MAC'S CREEK WINERY AND VINEYARDS This Lexington-based winery has excelled since 2000 at working with the extreme temps to produce unique wines made with the Brianna grape, a cold-hardy variety that's endemic to the state. The best bottle is called just that--the Brianna--and it's a semi-sweet white with hints of pineapple. 43315 Road 757, Lexington; 308-324-0440 or macscreekvineyards.com NEVADA: CHURCHILL VINEYARDS At 4,000 feet above sea level, this winery works with desert temperature highs and lows to produce a range of white wines. Their Nevada-Grown Riesling is floral and full-bodied with fruity hints of apricot, peach and tangerine. 1065 Dodge Lane, Fallon; 775-423-4000 or churchillvineyards.com NEW HAMPSHIRE: CANDIA VINEYARDS Snow is to be expected here, which is why this boutique winery chooses to work with grape varieties like Frontenac, LaCrosse and Noiret that can handle the plunging temps. When you're there, go for the Noiret, a nice red with pepper and mocha notes. 702 High Street, Candia; 603-867-9751 or candiavineyards.com NEW JERSEY: NATALI VINEYARDS Located in Cape May between the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, this winery has similar attributes to vineyards found in Bordeaux, France. Which is why their vines--especially of the Nebbiolo variety--tend to thrive. 221 N Delsea Drive, Cape May Court House; 609-465-0075 or natalivineyards.com NEW MEXICO: GRUET WINERY If you're in the mood for something sparkling, this is the place. This 30-plus year old winery specializes in bubbly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Sauvage is the most memorable--a bone-dry sparkler with hints of green apple, lemon and grapefruit. 8400 Pan American Fwy NE, Albuquerque; 505-821-0055 or gruetwinery.com NEW YORK: BEDELL CELLARS This small-batch Long Island winery has been producing sustainable hand-crafted red and white wines for 30 years. Their Sauvignon Blanc is a go-to. It's crisp and aromatic, the result of a season of near-perfect growing conditions. 36225 NY-25, Cutchogue; 631-734-7537 or bedellcellars.com NORTH CAROLINA: MCRITCHIE WINERY AND CIDERWORKS This winery planted its first five acres of grapes in 2004 in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The result yielded the Ring of Fire Red--a nod to Johnny Cash and a blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Petit Verdot. 315 Thurmond Post Office Road, Thurmond; 336-874-3003 or mcritchiewine.com NORTH DAKOTA: POINTE OF VIEW WINERY Valiant grapes are the signature variety in this state, and this winery knows how to use them. The Terre Haute Rouge is an award-winning medium-bodied blush made that's almost as lovely as the vineyards it comes from. 8411 19th Ave NW, Burlington; 701-839-5505 or povwinery.com OHIO: VERMILLION VALLEY VINEYARDS All the grapes--there are 12 varieties in total--are locally grown at this winery in the Lake Erie Appellation. Many fruit wines are on the menu, but the red Chambourcin (a hybrid grape) with its strong notes of cherry and black current, is the best of the batch. 11005 Gore Orphanage Road, Wakeman; 440-965-5202 or vermillion-valleyvineyards.com OKLAHOMA: NUYAKA CREEK WINERY Handcrafted fruit and berry wines made with chokecherries, elderberries and more are the specialty here, but our pick is definitely the Oklahoma Merlot, a rich and fruit-heavy blend. 35230 N3830 Road, Bristow; 918-756-8485 or nuyakacreek.com OREGON: J.K. CARRIERE WINES This 40-acre winery on Parrett Mountain, just east of Newberg, is non-irrigated and organically farmed at an elevation of 700 feet. The result is 4,000 cases of Pinot Noir and a small quantity of Chardonnay known for its acidity and savory qualities. The Provacateur--a Willamete Valley Pinot Noir--is a must-try. 9995 NE Parrett Mountain Road, Newberg; 503-554-0721 or jkcarriere.com PENNSYLVANIA: CROSSING VINEYARDS AND WINERY This state-of-the-art winery still handpicks its grapes before aging them in stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels. With 25 different bottles on the menu, the stand-out is the Viognier, an off-dry white with notes of peach and apricot. 1853 Wrightstown Road, Newtown; 215-493-6500 or crossingvineyards.com RHODE ISLAND: GREENVALE VINEYARDS Just five miles from downtown Newport, this 24-acre winery produces 3,500 cases of estate-grown reds and whites every year. The Skipping Stone White is one of its best blends--a crisp and bright combination of Cayuga and Vidal Blanc. 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth; 401-847-3777 or greenvale.com SOUTH CAROLINA: VICTORIA VALLEY VINEYARDS Featuring traditional European Vinifera wines, this 47-acre winery is styled after a French chateau with an elevation of 2,900 feet. Stop by their café for lunch and sample the Viognier. 1360 S Saluda Road, Cleveland; 864-878-5307 or victoriavalleyvineyards.com SOUTH DAKOTA: PRAIRIE BERRY WINERY This winery in the Black Hills of South Dakota produces bottles made from passed-down family recipes, including their award-winning Gold Digger semi-sweet white wine made from fresh pears. 23837 US-385, Hill City; 877-226-9453 or prairieberry.com TENNESSEE: ARRINGTON VINEYARDS Country music star Kix Brooks owns this 92-acre property known for Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, Viognier, Corot Noir and Vignoles. Try the White Chambourcin--a type of rosé with a silky smooth finish--perfect for summer. 6211 Patton Road, Arrington; 615-395-0102 or arringtonvineyards.com TEXAS: FALL CREEK VINEYARDS This 400-acre growing site was purchased in 1975 and now features a 20,000 square foot winery right in the heart of Texas Hill Country. The Meritus--their flagship bottle--is a must-taste blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. 1820 County Road 222, Tow; 325-379-5361 or fcv.com UTAH: CASTLE CREEK WINERY With a view of the Colorado River's best white water rapids, this winery's western (and rugged) landscape actually yields 8,000 cases of Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay each year. The Outlaw Red is a full-bodied favorite. 14 UT-128, Moab; 435-259-3332 or castlecreekwinery.com VERMONT: SHELBURNE VINEYARD The LEED-designed winery (started by a former IBM engineer) now features 17 acres of grapes, mainly hearty Minnesota hybrids, plus a small selection of Riesling and Vidal Blanc. The 2015 Harvest Widow's Revenge is a semi-sweet red that pairs nicely with savory foods. 6308 Shelburne Road, Shelburne; 802-985-8222 or shelburnevineyard.com VIRGINIA: JEFFERSON VINEYARDS This family-owned property (named for the president who was the first to plant vinifera grapes on Virginia soil) in Charlottesville produces traditional--and award-winning--European wines. Their signature bottle? The Viognier--a balanced blend with just enough spice. 1353 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy, Charlottesville; 434-977-3042 or jeffersonvineyards.com WASHINGTON: LONG SHADOWS WINERY This winery brings seven highly acclaimed vintners from the major wine regions of the world to Washington State to produce wines made from Columbia Valley AVA grapes. The Poet s Leap Riesling is critically acclaimed by Wine Spectator. 1604 Frenchtown Road, Walla Walla; 509-526-0905 or longshadows.com WEST VIRGINIA: FORKS OF CHEAT WINERY This winery--16 acres in size--produces a range of red, white, fruit and blush wines using a combination of French hybrid grapes and American varietals. The best blend comes in the form of a fruit-flavored blush wine called the Bad Cat Catawa. 2811 Stewartstown Road, Morgantown; 304-598-2019 or wvwines.com WISCONSIN: BOTHAM VINEYARDS A tried-and-true vine-to-bottle winery, this Barneveld-based vineyard produces whites and reds, including their Uplands Reserve, an oak-aged red made from Marechal Foch grapes--and one that pairs perfectly with cheese. 8180 Langberry Road, Barneveld; 608-924-1412 or bothamvineyards.com WYOMING: TABLE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS AND WINERY What started as a 300-vine vineyard now spans 10 acres of 12 different grape varieties including Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Valiant, Marcheal Foch, Elvira and Marquette. You can t go wrong with the Cowboy Reserve, a dry red made from the Frontenac variety. Road 48, Torrington; 307-459-0233 or wyowine.com | 0 | 98,929 | foodanddrink |
Italo-American car giant Chrysler Fiat (FCA) is in talks with Uber Technologies over a possible driverless car partnership, after signing a similar agreement with Google, Bloomberg said Wednesday. The agency cited a source as saying a deal between the automobile maker and Uber could be announced by the end of the year, adding that FCA was also reaching out to online commerce giant Amazon. A FCA spokesperson in Italy would not comment on the report. The talks with Uber are at a preliminary stage and the San Francisco-based company is also exploring options with other car makers, the source said. Fiat Chrysler announced an alliance with Google parent Alphabet in May, saying self-driving cars could hit roads within five years. Google began testing its autonomous driving technology in 2009, using a Toyota Prius equipped with the tech giant's equipment. The deal with FCA sees it snap up 100 new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans. An array of automobile makers including Audi, Ford, Mercedes, Lexus, Tesla and BMW are working on building self-driving capabilities into vehicles. Uber unveiled its first self-driving car last month, announcing it had begun testing an autonomous vehicle on the streets of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In April the California group was among the founding members of an industry group called the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets which also includes Alphabet unit Google, Ford, Volvo and Lyft. | 3 | 98,930 | finance |
American travelers seem to be undeterred by travel alerts warning of potential terror strikes in Europe, with leisure organization AAA reporting that Rome and London are their most popular bookings this summer. Their list of the top 10 international summer destinations for travel between June 1 and August 15 is dominated by Europe, which takes five of the top spots, while the balance is divided between Canada and the Caribbean. After Rome and London, Cancun, Vancouver, and Paris round out the top five spots. The findings are interesting in light of the US State Department's alert issued on travel to Europe which cites the risk of potential terror attacks. Travel alerts are one grade down from travel warnings, which urge travelers to reconsider their travel plans to a country that may be experiencing civil war, intense crime, violence or frequent terror attacks. The strength of the US greenback and favorable exchange rates are cited as some of the main factors motivating travelers to fly across the pond or drive across the border into Canada. Vancouver and Calgary also crack the top 10 list. Meanwhile, more than half (56 percent) of Americans surveyed said they plan to hit the road this summer to take advantage of the lowest summertime gas prices recorded in 11 years. Predictably, Orlando, Fla. takes top billing as the most popular domestic destination this summer, followed by Seattle, Washington, Los Angeles and Anaheim,, Honolulu and Las Vegas. Here are the top international bookings on AAA, for travel between June 1 and August 15: Rome, Italy London, England Cancun, Mexico Vancouver, Canada Paris, France Dublin, Ireland Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Montego Bay, Jamaica Calgary, Canada Amsterdam, Netherlands Top domestic destinations: Orlando, Fla. Seattle, Wash. Los Angeles/Anaheim, Calif. Honolulu, Hawaii Las Vegas, Nev. Anchorage, Alaska New York, N.Y. Maui, Hawaii San Francisco, Calif. Denver, Colo. | 2 | 98,931 | travel |
Facebook is testing a new feature that will let users alert their friends about posts, potentially allowing people to bombard others with notifications. The feature is currently being tested among certain users in the UK, Canada and France on Facebook's website and iOS app, and is similar to the much-derided Facebook "poke". Those who are testing the feature see a loudspeaker icon and a message saying "Notify a few friends about this post" after posting a status update. By clicking the box they are able to share the post with up to 10 friends. The feature would represent a new way to alert users to posts privately, yet still within Facebook, which isn t available at present. At the moment, if a user wants to get someone's attention by sharing a status with someone, they have to either message them a link to the post or tag them in the post itself. This can be irritating to most people reading the comments on a post as well as cluttering up the person in question's own timeline. The new feature would simply result in a Facebook notification for the person alerted, without any public tagging or sharing. However, it could also be seen as another way to spam users with notifications, potentially reincarnating the gone-but-not-forgotten Facebook poke. The company has not said when or if the feature will be fully introduced. FB's new 'notify a few people about this post' feature is just horrible. 'Spam your friends who don't care'. Just no. Steve Lawson (@solobasssteve) May 31, 2016 <p></p> FB's new 'notify a few people about this post' feature is just horrible. 'Spam your friends who don't care'. Just no. Steve Lawson (@solobasssteve) May 31, 2016 <p></p></telerik:script><p xmlns="http://iptc.org/std/nar/2006-10-01/">"When you make a post that is particularly interesting to certain friends, you want to make sure they see it. Instead of tagging friends in the post or the comments section, we’re testing a more discreet option to alert them of your post by sending them a notification," a Facebook spokesman said.<br></p></telerik:script> | 3 | 98,932 | finance |
Chevy fires the latest salvo in the the Silverado vs. Ford F-150 war. Rivals throw stones at each other. It's usually a metaphor. Now Chevy is literally throwing rocks at Ford . Chevy unveiled a new marketing campaign today with a video showing heavy landscaping rocks being dropped into the bed of the Chevy Silverado and Ford F-150. In this video, the F-150 's bed sustains greater damage than the Silverado. Chevy claims the stunt reinforces that the Silverado's steel bed is stronger and more durable than the F-150's aluminum bed. A Ford spokesman did not have immediate comment. Chevy says 55 landscaping bricks that weighed a total of about 825 pounds were dropped from five feet in the air into the trucks' beds. In all 12 sequences, the Silverado sustained scratches and dents, while the F-150 had those plus puncture wounds. Bedliners were not used. Another video shows a toolbox being dropped off the top of the trucks' fenders into the beds. The Chevy was dented 12 out of 14 times, and the other two instances a "pinhole" was found in the bed. Chevy claims the F-150 received a "sizeable puncture" in 13 of 14 tests, and the other time survived with only a dent. Meanwhile, Chevy truck marketing director Sandor Piszar also claims that steel is easier to fix than aluminum, though the company offered no data to support that. The videos are the latest salvos in the Silverado vs. F-150 war. Ford's F-Series has been the best-selling truck in America for 38 years, though General Motors , Ford, and Chrysler's Ram division have always fiercely fought for sales. Ford began using some aluminum for the new generation of F-150 in a bid to reduce weight. Chevy responded by highlighting the benefits of steel. Chevy is expected to use some aluminum for the next-generation Silverado when it arrives at the end of the decade. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook | 9 | 98,933 | autos |
Mohamad Fakih, CEO of Canada-based restaurant chain Paramount Fine Foods, is giving employment opportunities to Syrian refugees. | 8 | 98,934 | video |
Ellen DeGeneres is being sued over a boob joke she made on her chat show recently. Business owner Titi Pierce is taking legal action against the 58-year-old television host after she was named in a segment called "What's Wrong With These Ads… and These Signs?" Real estate agent Pierce's sign was shown on a screen on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the host proceeded to alter the pronunciation of her name to "titty," meaning breast. Now Pierce claims in legal papers obtained by TMZ that she "suffered stress, emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anger, and other mental pain and suffering" because of the joke. Titi is suing for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, misappropriation of likeness, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. That's a long list of crimes…glad we could get it off our chest. Ellen DeGeneres is being sued over a boob joke she made on her chat show recently.Business owner Titi Pierce is taking legal action against the 58-year-old television host after she was named in a segment called "What's Wrong With These Ads… and These Signs?"Real estate agent Pierce's sign was shown on a screen on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the host proceeded to alter the pronunciation of her name to "titty," meaning breast.Now Pierce claims in legal papers obtained by TMZ that she "suffered stress, emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anger, and other mental pain and suffering" because of the joke.Titi is suing for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, misappropriation of likeness, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.That's a long list of crimes…glad we could get it off our chest.Ellen DeGeneres is being sued over a joke she cracked at the expense of a real estate agent. Ellen showed the businesswoman's sign and changed the pronunciation of her name for comedic effect. Pierce is now suing the TV host for defamation among a host of other things. Pierce claims she suffered emotional distress and suffering because of the joke. | 6 | 98,935 | entertainment |
Many people who haven't saved enough for retirement may be tempted to tap their biggest asset: their home. New regulations make reverse mortages safer, but there are still drawbacks and many things to consider before you sign up. | 3 | 98,936 | finance |
California judge drew no challengers amid national backlash over sentence | 5 | 98,937 | news |
Did you know these fascinating facts about your dog? Prepare to be amazed by the fascinating and intelligent things your pup can do, like sharing feelings with a simple tail wag. Elephants may have an impressive memory, but canines aren't too forgetful either. Pooches can hear a word once and still remember it a month later. There is such a thing as brain food, feeding your dog a healthy and fulfilling diet can vastly improve their cognition and alertness. Your pet could end up saving your life. Research shows that dogs can smell some cancers, like lung cancer, on your breath. Yawns are contagious across species, and can also be considered compliments. When a dog yawns after seeing you yawn, it could be a sign of empathy. | 4 | 98,938 | lifestyle |
CLEVELAND Kevin Love can't help the Cleveland Cavaliers climb back into the NBA Finals just yet. Love remains slowed by a concussion suffered in Game 2 and will sit out Game 3 on Wednesday night, when the Cavs try to cut into the Golden State Warrior's 2-0 lead in the series. Love took part in the team's morning shootaround, a positive step toward his return to the floor. Afterward, the Cavs said his status was questionable, but the team later sent out a news release saying Love is out and his status for Game 4 has not been determined. The 27-year-old forward was diagnosed with a concussion Sunday night after he was accidentally elbowed in the back of the head by Warriors forward Harrison Barnes as they battled for a rebound in the second quarter. Love played part of the second half but took himself out of the game after he became dizzy while playing defense. He was placed into the league's concussion protocol, a program implemented a few years ago for safety. Kevin Love Playoff Game Stats in 2015-16 | PointAfter According to the protocol, Love is required to gradually increase his physical activity and stay symptom free before he can be cleared by Dr. Jeffrey of the NBA and team physician Dr. Alfred Cianflocco. Love missed last year's finals and most of the playoffs after dislocating his left shoulder and undergoing surgery. He's been a major contributor to Cleveland's run this postseason, averaging 16.5 points and a team-leading 9.4 rebounds in 16 games. With Love out, coach Tyronn Lue has a few options, which could include starting 35-year-old Richard Jefferson. He was wearing a red jersey designated for starters when the team allowed media in after the shootaround. Jefferson scored 12 points in Cleveland's 33-point loss to the Warriors in Game 2. Lue can also turn to 7-foot-1 center Timofey Mozgov and forward Channing Frye for more minutes. Frye, who came over in a mid-season trade, had a major impact in Cleveland's win over Toronto in the Eastern Conference finals with his outside shooting, but he's had limited time against the Warriors. That could change. "I've just got to stay ready," he said before learning Love wouldn't play. "When I came here I understood we're a very deep team. Different matchups work, sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. Coach is trying to figure out the lineup that's going to work the best. I think that honestly they play small, they really aren't playing their centers, then the next guy that comes in is about 6-foot-6. For me it's a good and bad situation, but I'm always going to stay ready. "I'm never one to complain about minutes or question coach Lue. I'm here to help the team win. If that's getting five minutes, I'm going to have to bust my butt for five minutes." The news of Love's absence reached the Warriors as they were conducting their shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena. "It changes the expectation of who's going to get the minutes," said league MVP Stephen Curry. "Kevin has a certain skill set that's tough to handle. He can space the floor, knock down 3s, he can get some touches on the blocks. So whoever's filling those roles is going to do something different, whether it's Channing, whether it's Mozgov, whether it's Richard Jefferson, you've got to know your personnel and adjust. "From a team perspective for them I don't know how much it'll change the play-calling and whatnot. You've just got to know who's on the floor and how to guard them." ___ AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report. | 1 | 98,939 | sports |
A ballot initiative that would allow Massachusetts voters to legalize recreational marijuana use is fatally flawed because it does not explicitly say it would also legalize the sale of food containing the drug, opponents argued on Wednesday. Opponents of the measure, which was submitted by the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, told the state's Supreme Judicial Court that a summary of the petition produced by the state attorney general's office and used to gather supporters' signatures was not specific enough. "The voters were significantly misled when they were told that this was going to legalize marijuana," said John Scheft, the attorney for the 59 voters who filed a lawsuit challenging the measure. "What people are being asked to legalize is marijuana, hashish, marijuana concentrates and also food products." Massachusetts is one of a half-dozen U.S. states, including California and Maine, where voters may have a chance this fall to follow Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon in legalizing recreational use of the drug by adults aged 21 and over. Representing the state attorney general's office, Robert Toone argued that it would have been impossible for the summary of the initiative to mention all of the possible products that could be infused with Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the ingredient that causes the drug's effects. The summary instead refers to "marijuana products." "Using the term marijuana products is clear and people understand what that means," Toone told the court. Noting that opponents of the measure had focused on sweets, he added, "to single out particular applications -- they have singled out ice cream and candy -- would slant the summary in a particular direction." Justice Robert Cordy expressed skepticism at the state's argument, saying, "Having read your summary I would have no idea that the measure allows the infusion of a hallucinogen into food and drink at all." After supporters gathered 64,000 voter signatures and the attorney general's office verified the measure's suitability for the ballot, the state legislature had a chance in May to enact it without waiting for a vote. Lawmakers declined to do so and proponents now need to gather another 10,000 signatures to secure the initiative a spot on the November ballot. Opponents of the measure are asking the court to block the measure from inclusion on November ballots, while the state argues that it should be left unchanged. Justices also suggested a third option, that the text of the summary could be corrected before it appears on the ballot, something the state argued is not allowed by state law. "It's not misleading if it's corrected and the whole idea of the initiative process is to get citizens involved in lawmaking," said Justice Geraldine Hines. Massachusetts already allows medical marijuana use. (Reporting by Scott Malone; Editing by Dan Grebler and Frances Kerry) | 5 | 98,940 | news |
A house is likely the largest single investment you'll ever make, and as you enter retirement a time by which most mortgages have either been paid off or are getting close to being paid off it can represent a sizable asset. Deciding if, when and how to tap into that asset during retirement can be difficult. With financial and emotional factors to consider, should you really sell your house to retire? Here's a look at the pros and cons and other options. A Boost to Retirement Accounts Only 21% of Americans are very confident they will have enough money to retire comfortably, according to the equity in your home but little cash left over to cover your expenses during retirement. Depending on your situation, selling your home could give your retirement accounts a welcome if not necessary boost. And remember, thanks to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, you can sell your home and make a profit of up to $250,000 ($500,000 if you're married) without owing any capital gains taxes. (See also Need Retirement Income? Sell Your House!) If you decide to sell, you have several options when it comes to putting the proceeds to use, including: Pay cash for a new (less expensive) house . Any money you have left over you can invest to provide a steady stream of income during your retirement years, use to pay down other debts and put towards your daily living expenses during retirement. Make a down payment on a new house . This option leaves you with more money now to invest, pay down debts and cover living expenses, but you'll also have a monthly mortgage payment. Forget homeownership and rent instead. This option leaves you with the most cash to invest, pay down debts and cover living expenses, but you'll be stuck paying rent a monthly expense that may rise every time you renew a lease. A bonus, though, is that you'll save money on repairs and maintenance. If you need income but prefer not to sell quite yet, another option is to rent out your home and use the income to downsize. One advantage to this approach is that you may be able to deduct expenses associated with the property, including repairs, maintenance and insurance. Related video: Common mistakes you could be making for your retirement More on Maintenance As every homeowner knows, it takes a lot of time and money to keep a home in good condition. As your home gets older, it's likely to need more and more maintenance everything from replacing the furnace and windows to putting in a new roof and septic system. These ongoing costs can make holding on to a home impractical from both a financial and emotional perspective. One option is to downsize to a home that requires less maintenance due to its smaller size and/or age. A condominium can be a particularly attractive option if you want to remain a homeowner while limiting your maintenance responsibilities: You take care of your unit, and the condo association is responsible for the maintenance and repair of all common areas, including basements, elevators, halls, lobbies, HVAC systems, community facilities and the land on which the condo is built. The other option is to rent. Although many people are averse to renting and feel like it equates to throwing money away it can make financial sense once you crunch the numbers. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that rent costs typically go up something you won't have to deal with if you own your home already, or if you're making a consistent mortgage payment. Consider Your Heirs Another consideration is whether you prefer to leave your heirs real estate or some other type of asset such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds and annuities. The tax consequences vary, so it pays to think through your options carefully. If your estate is below the federal estate gift and estate tax exemption ($5.45 million for 2016), for example, your heirs can avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation to date since your home's tax basis will be stepped-up to the fair market value when you pass away (the so-called stepped-up basis rule). So even if you bought your home for $100,000 and it's now worth $500,000, your heirs' tax basis in the house will be the difference between the value on the day you pass away ($500,000 in this example) and the sales price say $510,000 should they decide to sell. An example of a "bad" asset to pass onto to your heirs is a depreciated security. If you bought stock XYZ for $40,000 and it's now worth $28,000, you can sell it now and claim a $12,000 capital loss deduction. If you die holding onto the depreciated security, however, the unrealized capital loss is no longer an option. Again, tax consequences vary, so consult with a financial planner to find out what makes the most sense for you, based on your preferences, goals and current financial situation. Staying Put Many older adults choose to stay put or "age in place" during retirement, either out of necessity or by choice. If it's out of necessity, it often comes down to money. In many markets, real estate prices are still trying to make a comeback following the 2008 financial crisis, leaving many older adults with a hard decision: remain in their home or offload it for a lot less than they'd anticipated. Even if your home has retained its value or appreciated, it can make financial sense to stay put if you are mortgage-free, have low property taxes, and expect minimal repair and maintenance expenses. Of course, each situation is different, and you'll have to do some number crunching and consider your preferences to decide if staying put is the right choice for you. The Bottom Line You have to live somewhere during retirement, whether it's in your existing house, a downsized home or a rental. Usually, there are financial reasons behind the decision to sell or stay in your home, but there are likely nonfinancial considerations as well. It may be difficult to leave the house where you raised your family, for example, or you could have spent years creating a garden you don't want to leave. Or, perhaps you just don't like the prospect of going through a move. No matter what you're feeling, it's important to consider all options carefully and consult with a financial planner if you have any questions or concerns or if you just want a second opinion. You may also be interested in Should I Sell My Home When I Retire? | 3 | 98,941 | finance |
Running backs have been in a weird holding pattern in recent years. There was a time where it looked like the position was so devalued that a couple of promising seasons out of a back was enough for a team before moving on to another, cheaper rookie. Spending a top draft pick on a running back is still a questionable proposition. The long-term future of the first-round running back likely depends on the success of players like Todd Gurley and Ezekiel Elliott in the coming seasons. Even if the value of the individual running back is up for debate, a strong running game is still important in the NFL. A few teams do it well and consistently, like the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers. Of those teams, only the Vikings have a franchise at running back: veteran Adrian Peterson, who is one of only two active players in the top 50 for career rushing touchdowns. That doesn't mean only the Vikings are going to ride their star running back to success, though. There are several teams that are going to put an added emphasis on running the ball next season, but each is taking its own approach. One in particular has been planning it for at least five years. Another is making the switch out of total necessity. And the third has suddenly flipped the script and dumped all its resources into beefing up the running game. The Long Plan: Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys likely believe they're right on the cusp of being serious playoff contenders again. Regardless of what happens on the defensive side of the ball, things are sliding into place on offense that have been in the works for a long time. With Tony Romo under center for the past decade, they have been afforded some measure of stability over the years, but not much else beyond that. And now, Romo's injury history has become a concern -- the veteran quarterback has played a full 16-game season just twice in the past six years. So, the Cowboys started prepping for a time when they could be one of the league's most dominant rushing teams. They have taken a simple, but methodical approach: drafting a bunch of nasty offensive linemen high in the draft. Dallas' starting offensive line features three first-round picks, from Tyron Smith, who was drafted in 2011, to the more recent picks of Travis Frederick (2013) and Zack Martin (2014). Another player, La'el Collins, was rated as a first-round talent before a pre-draft ordeal forced him to go undrafted. That's essentially four first-round picks, and it's already paid off in big ways. DeMarco Murray rushed for 16 touchdowns and 1,845 yards behind that line in 2014. The following season with the Philadelphia Eagles, he had just 702 yards and saw his per-carry average drop from 4.7 to 3.6 yards. Dallas got 1,089 yards out of an over-the-hill Darren McFadden last season. In the last two years, only the Seahawks (5,030) and Panthers (4,318) had more rushing yards than the Cowboys, who totaled 4,244 yards. But those teams have rushing quarterbacks and are not strictly power run teams like the Cowboys, who will introduce yet another first-rounder this season: Elliott, the No. 4 overall pick and one of the most highly touted backs to enter the draft in a long time. Some thought the Cowboys reached by picking him in the top five, but he's basically proof their plan is coming to fruition. The Cowboys wanted to build a potent rushing attack, and Elliott has the potential to be a game-breaking back in the NFL for years to come, especially behind that offensive line. The Last Resort: Cleveland Browns The Browns are looking like they will be trying to kick the tires on Robert Griffin III as their starter at quarterback. Griffin, who rushed for 815 yards in 2012 when he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, can be a dangerous running threat and the run-fake-option could be a reliable tool for the Browns' offense this season. This offseason, most of the headlines for the Browns have revolved around the quarterback position, analytics and how their wide receiver group will shape out (they drafted five WRs this year). Yet, their success in 2016 is likely predicated on the running game not just being a point of focus, but a successful one. The problem: Cleveland has not found much success as a running team in recent years -- the last time the Browns were in the top half of the league in rushing offense was in 2009. Last year, with backs like Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson topping the depth chart, they finished No. 22 in the league. At the very least, the Browns coaches know this is the direction they have to go in now. New head coach Hue Jackson is known for being good with quarterbacks, but his teams have also traditionally run the ball well. Running game coordinator Kirby Wilson said that Jackson "truly does enjoy" running the ball. "We are going to be a run-oriented football team," Wilson said after an OTA practice in late May. "Everything starts with the run game, our offensive line and our backs. As coach told us, we are going to be a physically dominant, running football team." Johnson, 22, will himself carry much of the team's offensive hopes on his back this season, whether the Browns always knew they were heading in this direction or not. As a rookie last year, he put up 379 yards and a 3.6 yards per carry average. Everything a nd t he Kitchen Sink: Tennessee Titans In recent years, the Titans focused on finding a quarterback of the future, but they've also been investing in the running back position. Now that the quarterback position is set with Marcus Mariota, the Titans want to do everything they can to help him, and that includes continuing to shore up the running game. At the running back position, Tennessee brought in Shonn Greene at one point and Dexter McCluster at another, just throwing bodies in the rotation and seeing what happened. Two years ago, the Titans drafted Bishop Sankey with a second-round pick. Last year, they added David Cobb, another high-ceiling running back, in the fifth round. Antonio Andrews saw the field a lot last season due to injuries, and with a backfield that also included Sankey, Cobb and McCluster, Andrews ended up as the team's leading rusher. This offseason, the Titans acquired Murray, who led the league in rushing with the Cowboys just two years ago. But why stop there? A month later, they used a second-round pick on Derrick Henry, the Heisman winner out of Alabama and the second running back taken in this year's draft. On top of adding two starting-caliber backs, the Titans drafted offensive tackle Jack Conklin in the first round, giving them three first-rounders on their starting OL. They also signed former Texans center Ben Jones. The Titans are clearly going all-in. While building a strong offensive line to protect their future franchise quarterback, they decided to throw everything they could at the running back position. We'll see if it pays off this season. | 1 | 98,942 | sports |
While you're looking back at prom photos thinking, "What was I thinking?" like Rachel and Monica from "Friends," Lily-Rose Depp attended her prom in a timeless gown more fit for an awards show than a high school dance. Depp attended prom in Los Angeles on Sunday alongside Harley Quinn Smith, the daughter of director Kevin Smith, with whom she co-stars in his new movie "Yoga Hosers." The doting dad was on hand for pre-prom festivities and, lucky for us, he shared a photo of the two lovely ladies all dressed up and ready to go: Last night, the @yogahosers went to Prom! @harleyquinnnn_ & @lilyrose_depp had dates of course but (ever on guard for thee) they were there strictly to chew bubble gum and squish Bratzis! And from all reports, they were all out of bubble gum... #harleyquinnsmith #lilyrosedepp #yogahosers #thecolleens #prom #losangeles #harleyquinn A photo posted by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith) on Jun 5, 2016 at 12:39pm PDT Quinn looked a little more like a teenager in a sleeveless black gown that gathered in front, which she wore with a gold clutch. Depp, who left her hoodie at home but brought her keen modeling chops , wore a nude slip dress that appeared to be crushed velvet. The one giveaway that this was prom and not a big Hollywood event? Depp dutifully held her cell phone in her hand. "All the better to snapchat with," she probably thought. Kind of puts your big, pouffy gown to shame, eh? | 6 | 98,943 | entertainment |
Bridezillas tell all when it comes to weddings, but grooms are usually silent. They've confessed their deep, dark secrets about marriage and what they is surprising. Keleigh Nealon (@keleighnealon) has the story. | 4 | 98,944 | lifestyle |
This is the latest in a string of incidents involving tourists getting a bit too close to nature at Yellowstone National Park. | 2 | 98,945 | travel |
Hygiene mistakes that can harm your health in the summer. 6 Health Mistakes Women Make In The Summer Hygiene is one of those things everyone is expected to know, but that we seldom talk about. Warmer, hot, and humid weather during the summer means more heat and sweat retention yes, even down south. Practicing good feminine hygiene can help you stay dry and cool, preventing the risk of vaginal infections. Genital/vulvovaginal candidiasis, also known as a yeast infection, occurs when there is an overgrowth of the normal yeast in the vagina. Nearly 75 percent of all adult women have had at least one infection in their lifetime, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . "Some women are more prone to vaginal infections. If this is you, your risk of getting one increases in the summer," Dr. Andrea Randall , a gynecologist at Eisenhower Women's Health in La Quinta, Calif., told Medical Daily. Typically, a rise in temperatures during the warmer months causes an increase in sweat production to cool down different parts of the body, including the vulva the external opening of the vagina. However, fungus and yeast thrive in dark, moist environments like this and make way for skin infections. "Yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis are the most common vaginal infections at any time of the year, however they are more common in the summer," said Randall. This means whatever promotes heat and sweat retention can lead to bacterial overgrowth and increase the likelihood for vaginitis and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Click through to avoid the six most common hygiene mistakes that can harm your vaginal health in the summer. Sitting For Long Periods Of Time Sitting for an extended period of time will not only lead to lower back pain, it can also increase the risk of a vaginal yeast infection. When you sit in one position, the genital area heats up because airflow is reduced and moisture is increased. Friction, heat and moisture in the genital area causes irritation, and provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria . Dr. Alina Baciu, general surgery resident and editor of TryHealthier.com , warns working long hours at a desk, sitting for extended periods of time while traveling, as well as wearing skinny jeans and shorts, significantly increases the risk of vaginal yeast infections. "The most common threats that a woman has to face to her genital health during the hot summer days are vaginitis, cervicitis, and UTIs," she told Medical Daily. Douching The vagina is designed to keep itself clean with the help of natural secretions discharge. Although women don't need douches or vaginal wipes to prevent infections or keep themselves clean, an estimated 20 to 40 percent of women between ages 15 and 44 say they use a vaginal douche. However, Randall stresses the vagina cleans itself, and soap or wipes actually irritate the vulva and vagina, increasing the risk of infection. "The vulva and vagina should be cleaned with only warm water and a white cotton washcloth," she said. "Do not douche as this washes out good bacteria." Infections such as E.coli and staph are normally caused by fecal contamination. Randall suggests the best way to avoid contamination is to stay clean, wipe from front to back, and only use white unscented toilet paper. Poor Menstrual Hygiene When it's more humid out in summer, it becomes even more important to care for your area down there during your time of the month. Opt for tampons, or change pads frequently for menstrual hygiene to keep the area dry and free of bacteria-growing moisture. Replacing feminine products once every four hours, or as often as needed, can help keep the vagina clean and odor-free. Dr. Toni Long , a gynecologist at Eisenhower Women's Health Center, in La Quinta, Calif., cautions everything that comes into contact with your body is a potential caustic "chemical." Using the same feminine pad or tampon for years may cause the body to become sensitized to any irritants within a product. Changing brands of maxi pad or pantiliner from time to time could help reduce irritation and discomfort that accompanies sensitization. "Use the most neutral products with the least amount of fragrance and chemicals to minimize itching and irritation of your delicate skin," she told Medical Daily. Non-Cotton Panties Your choice of underwear can affect the likelihood of getting vaginal infections. Because silk and velvet fabrics can retain moisture, it's best to choose breathable fabrics such as cotton to keep the skin dry and cool. "Cotton underwear or no underwear is preferable to let the vulvar skin breathe," Dr. Rebecca Nelken , a obstetrician-gynecologist affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif., told Medical Daily. Yeast likes to grow in warm, moist environments, and unfortunately, sexy, satiny underwear is a trap for heat and moisture. Keeping the area as dry as possible by wearing cotton underwear, and changing after the gym or pool, will allow airflow and keep the vulva dryer and less moist, decreasing the risk of vaginal infections. Grooming Most women will trim, pluck, shave, or wax before hitting the beach or pool, but when exactly should you groom? Two days before, the day before, or the day of? Grooming the day before you soak in a public swimming pool or salty sea water is recommended to reduce potential skin irritation from infected pores and skin infections. Baciu suggests keeping waxing and shaving the genital area to a bare minimum before exposing it to pools or seawater as vulvovaginitis is more likely to occur when combined with hot temperatures and moisture. "I highly recommend women properly moisturize their genital area after grooming, ideally with natural moisturizers such as virgin olive oil" she said. Damp Bikini Lingering for hours in a damp bikini after going for a swim can promote UTIs. Failure to remove a wet suit will allow yeast to grow since the area is hot and wet. "Whatever promotes retention of heat and sweat can promote bacterial overgrowth and increase the likelihood for vaginitis and UTI," Dr. Alex Shteynshlyuger , a urologist and Director of Urology at New York Urology Specialists in New York, N.Y., told Medical Daily. "Risk factors [in general for UTI] include diabetes and being overweight." | 7 | 98,946 | health |
Arizona Department of Public Safety Trooper helped a family of ducks cross the freeway. | 5 | 98,947 | news |
An open letter chastising the father of Stanford University rapist Brock Turner, written by a North Carolina father, was swept up Wednesday in the social media tide triggered by the savage crime and the controversy surrounding its punishment. Turner, 20, was found guilty in March of three counts of sexual assault for the attack on an unconscious woman in January 2015. He was arrested after two graduate students witnessed the assault near an outside trash bin and intervened, tackling Turner when he tried to flee. Last week, Turner was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation, a ruling roundly criticized as too lenient for the crime. A powerful, impassioned letter written by Turner's 23-year-old victim went viral, and a dubious defense missive written by the rapist's father, Dan Turner, drew almost as much attention across the nation. Turner's letter also drew the attention of John Pavlovitz, a pastor and blogger in Wake Forest, N.C. Pavlovitz penned a blog post To Brock Turner's Father, From Another Father. Pavlovitz writes that "Brock is not the victim here. His victim is the victim. She is the wounded one. He is the damager." Pavlovitz's blog, johnpavlovitz.com , has been overwhelmed with readers and responses "Keep refreshing if you get errors," Pavlovitz tweeted to frustrated would-be readers. Dan Turner, in a letter to the judge seeking probation for his son, had written that Brock, now 20, will never again be "his happy-go-lucky self." Turner said his son has been anxious, depressed and no longer enjoys his favorite foods. "His life will never be the one that he dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve," Turner wrote in a letter seeking a term of probation for his son, who had been a member of the Stanford swim team before he was kicked out of school. "That is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20-plus years of life." Pavlovitz sees it differently. He writes that the victim will be dealing with the pain of the attack "far longer than the embarrassingly short six months your son is being penalized." Pavlovitz adds that "the fact that you seem unaware of this fact is exactly why we have a problem." "There is no scenario where your son should be the sympathetic figure here," he says, adding that "The idea that your son has never violated another woman next to a dumpster before isn't a credit to his character. We don't get kudos for only raping one person in our lifetime." Pavlovitz says he does not believe that Brock Turner is a 'monster." But he says Brock Turner must register as a sex offender and otherwise pay a steep price because he acted like one. "You love your son and you should. But love him enough to teach him to own the terrible decisions he's made, to pay the debt to society as prescribed, and then to find a redemptive path to walk, doing the great work in the world that you say he will," Pavlovitz concludes. "For now though, as one father to another: help us teach our children to do better by letting them see us do better ." | 5 | 98,948 | news |
Hillary Clinton celebrated her historic victory as the first female presidential nominee for a major political party by sharing a special message for girls all over America: Yes you can. Before speaking at a rally in Brooklyn, New York on Tuesday night, Clinton shared a photo that showed her dancing with a young girl. "To every little girl who dreams big: Yes, you can be anything you want even president. Tonight is for you," Clinton captioned the photo. It was capped off with her signature "H," indicating Clinton wrote the tweet herself. The tweet has garnered more than 46,000 likes and has been retweeted more than 28,000 times. However, there's one woman Clinton wishes was able to see this moment: her late mother, Dorothy Howell Rodham. In another social media post, Clinton remembered her mother, who would have celebrated her 97th birthday over the weekend. "I wish my mom were here tonight to share this moment," she wrote. "She was my rock from the day I was born until the day she left us. This past Saturday would have been her 97th birthday she was born the same day Congress passed the 19th Amendment to give women the right to vote." "I wish she could have seen this team and your extraordinary conviction how you never stopped fighting, no matter how tough this election got," Clinton continued. "How your voices lifted this campaign up in communities all across the country. How your investment in the values we share made this moment possible." | 4 | 98,949 | lifestyle |
Honda Ridgeline Review in 60 Seconds4000Car and Driver | 9 | 98,950 | autos |
When we're talking red sauce, homemade always wins. Don't get me wrong, I reach for the jarred stuff as much as the next girl. But when marinara is the main event, like it is when served simply over pasta, it's worth it to make your own. Roasting tomatoes makes a restaurant-worthy sauce you previously thought only possible in Little Italy. An hour in the oven makes all the difference. It concentrates the sweetness of the tomatoes. Not surprisingly, it's a tip we picked up from Ina Garten via her vodka sauce recipe. I streamlined the process, skipping the cream and alcohol, shortening the baking time and leaving the sauce slightly chunky-just as I like it. I did follow the Barefoot Contessa's lead in terms of using San Marzano tomatoes. They're naturally sweet and not very acidic. Honestly though, regular plum tomatoes will be just as delicious, thanks to the transforming powers of baking. Make a big pot and do with the sauce as you will. Give me a big bowl of spaghetti, and I'm one very happy girl. But you don't need to stick with noodles. The red sauce would be equally awesome in a lasagna or on a chicken parm sandwich. Get the recipe . Follow Delish on Instagram . | 0 | 98,951 | foodanddrink |
The right bralet brings out the best in a good sheer top or renders it all together obsolete. The right bralet brings out the best in a good sheer top or renders it all together obsolete. 2) The Over the Tee Kendall Jenner plays with lacy layering. Anine Bing bralet, $99, aninebing.com . 12) The Sporty Take Bella Hadid skips the tee under her track suit. Live the Process bra, $105, livetheprocess.com . 22) The White Way Kourtney Kardashian embraces white lace by wearing nothing but a slim line bra under it. Victoria's Secret bralet, $20, victoriassecret.com . 32) Red Line Elle Fanning brings sultry appeal to her Gucci track suit with red underthings. Cosabella bra, $62, cosabella.com . 42) Good Sport Beyonce's peek-a-boo mesh detail bra lends interest to a simple tank and denim look. Wolford bra, $150, wolford.com . 52) When it Suits Toni Garrn keeps her suiting from looking staid by wearing her jacket open with a neutral hued bralet underneath. Hanro bra, $88, matchesfashion.com . 62) For Sheer Chrissy Tiegen goes for a more subdued approach, donning a minimal bra under a sheer tee. La Perla bra, $485, net-a-porter.com . 72) The Main Attraction Selena's pretty lingerie becomes part of the line of her top in the best way. Fleur du Mal bra, $125, fleurdumal.com . 82) All Black Eveningwear Lend after-dark style a boudior vibe by layering your coolest pieces with a perfect bralet. 92) One to Try Aritzia bra, $35, us.aritzia.com . | 4 | 98,952 | lifestyle |
The USMNT staved off elimination and had its best game in a long time on Tuesday night, beating a rising Costa Rica team 4-0 in Chicago and quelling anxiety about the state of the American team. It was an important win for head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who's come under fire recently (including by me) for the team's erratic performances and his own rhetoric about the state of soccer in America and the players in the national pool. The performance on Tuesday night was an unequivocal success, spurred by Klinsmann's decision midway through the first half to go to a 4-4-2 formation, pairing Bobby Wood and Clint Dempsey up top in their more natural positions and freeing up Jermaine Jones to roam the midfield. Jones responded by playing one of the games of his life, and Wood, finally in the middle of the field where he belongs, responded by doing this: Bobby Wood spins, turns and fires home to put the #USMNT 3-0 up on Costa Rica. #USAvCRC #MyCopaColors https://t.co/j25zsUG9fP - FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 8, 2016 But issues still remain with Klinsmann as the national team manager, and one win doesn't change that. If the United States team and American fans are going to coalesce around him heading into the 2018 World Cup, he needs to address several issues. Here are the ones that I'm seeing: 1. The rhetoric Issue Klinsmann had an incredible career as a player and coach, and by all accounts he truly does love this country. I firmly believe he wants the best for U.S. Soccer and wants to see the program develop into a world power. If he wants that, though, and he wants American soccer fans to stand by him, he needs to stop treating fans in this country so condescendingly. After the treatment he received after the start of the Copa America tournament, Klinsmann said: "The result, in this country that's all that matters to a lot of people." In this country? Does the result not matter in Germany? In Spain? Do all the pundits in Argentina stand and applaud after their team gets knocked out of a tournament, because in the view of the coach the team had some nice moments? Give me a break. As my colleague Nancy Armour wrote in her column , if Klinsmann can't provide results he can at least show a team "making visible progress instead of being stuck on what feels like an endless learning curve." 2. The tactics issue Throughout his career, Klinsmann has made a habit of unveiling new tactics at befuddling times. Whether by starting Geoff Cameron at right back (or any of the other dozen times he has played people out of position), to contorting a lineup to fit a formation he wants to play (as we saw in the game against Colombia and the start of the game against Costa Rica) Klinsmann has made a habit of trying bizarre things in big moments. I can see the logic: How can we know whether or not Geoff Cameron is a right back unless we try him there? Or: Let's see if the 4-3-3 with Wood as a winger works out! But this isn't a club team. There aren't 40 some-odd games over the course of a season to tinker. The national team has precious few opportunities to come together and coalesce around an identity and get comfortable with a core group of players. These crazy experiments rarely work - I can't remember a huge tactical gambit by Klinsmann that's ever paid off, except perhaps his experiments with DeMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson at left back. (And I'd argue those were done more out of necessity than inspiration.) Much more damagingly, these experiments halt the progress this team would otherwise be making. The team's central defense of Geoff Cameron, John Brooks and goalkeeper Brad Guzan are just working out communication in the back because they've barely played together. Wood and Dempsey finally flashed some cohesion up top on Tuesday night not only because they were both playing their preferred positions but because they were, you know, finally learning how to play together. Klinsmann too often views friendly matches and games against weaker opponents as opportunities to try things, whether out of an inquisitive spirit or (if you tend to view it from a darker perspective) because he wants to look like a genius if they pan out. He too often seems to forget that players need time on the field together, in real match situations, to develop chemistry. 3. The MLS issue U.S. Soccer is tired of hearing about this, and perhaps it's been overblown. But the fact remains that MLS players believe that Klinsmann has a bias against them. This goes beyond the players who have gone public with their concerns - most notably Benny Feilhaber - and extends throughout the league to many players I have spoken to, even recently. This stems from Klinsmann's own comments, most notably in 2014 when he spoke out about Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley's decisions to return to MLS. "I made it clear with Clint's move back and [Bradley's] move back that it's going to be very difficult for them to keep the same level that they experienced at the places where they were," Klinsmann said. "Reality is that both players making that step means that you are not in the same competitive environment that you were before." MLS believes that the best way to improve soccer in America is to build a world class domestic league. Klinsmann doesn't have the time to wait for that to happen, so he's urging players to go abroad and play in the top leagues in the world. That's all understandable, but these are discussions that should have been held in the offices of U.S. Soccer and MLS, not publicly, as Klinsmann has done repeatedly. The national team may not like the narrative that Klinsmann has an anti-MLS bias, but it started with him. Klinsmann has done work to make peace with MLS recently, and he did include 11 MLS players in his Copa America roster, compared to 12 international players. That being said, there are 342 American players in MLS currently, with around 150 playing internationally ? many at lower levels. So do with that what you will. The U.S. staved off elimination on Tuesday night, and played one of their best games in the process. It was a promising result and showed what a little consistency (and willingness to play players in their natural positions) can do. But questions still remain for Jurgen Klinsmann. Before the match, U.S Soccer president Sunil Gulati said it himself, telling media that "no one has iron-clad job security." There are things Klinsmann needs to sort out with MLS, with his players, and with American fans. Until then, there will be grumbling, no matter the results. | 1 | 98,953 | sports |
Venture capitalists and angel investors may be key drivers to business growth, but a decade ago, $500 was the Midas touch for one business' success. "I launched the business 10 years ago, literally out of my apartment; just had the idea, went on Google, made sure no one else was doing it here in South Florida," said Zalmi Duchman, 36, founder and CEO of Fresh Diet, in a CNBC interview. Duchman "set up a website, incorporated, came home, went shopping, had three customers and delivered to their doors," he said. Fresh Diet, which delivers meal plans nationwide, has ballooned since then, and revenue hit $18 million last year. For people who aspire to become entrepreneurs, the executive recommended taking action immediately. "Act now, a lot of people have ideas, they want to do things and they have a lot of meetings and we see that in corporate America, so I think the most important thing is to actually act upon it," he said. "I launched the business with literally $500 on my credit card, didn't take any outside capital until I got a SBA loan about two years into it to make an acquisition and didn't raise any financing capital 'til about a $15 million run rate five years into the business," he said. While many entrepreneurs are hesitant to enter crowded markets, competition helped Fresh Diet find a market void. "As I grew [Fresh Diet] I kind of realized that even the players in New York and L.A. were pretty small and nobody was doing it at a national level," he said. "So within the first 12 months, I decided that I really wanted to be the national leader, and as opposed to really focusing on South Florida, expand nationwide pretty quickly." Still, the executives notes that the entrepreneurial path is not easy. After three months of working his day-time job and delivering by night, Duchman experienced the frustrations of being a small business owner. "I called my wife and said, 'I cannot do this anymore. I haven't slept. It's just too hard'," he said. "She said to me, 'You always give up, you never follow through on anything'." At that moment, Duchman knew his outlook needed to change. "As an entrepreneur you need to have that persistence to follow through," he said. "You're going to face challenges, it's really just about having that strength to get through your challenges." Duchman said success stems from being passionate about the work being done, even if not initially. The food tech CEO also suggests that business owners tune into the latest technology and market trends. "Very, very early on we focused on tech and that focus on tech is what allowed us to expand nationally very, very easily," he told CNBC during the interview. "Really make sure that you're staying on top of trends and taking advantage of the trend while it's new, and not everybody knows about it because then you can actually benefit from it, a lot more than later on when it's too popular." | 3 | 98,954 | finance |
Tennis star Maria Sharapova was suspended from competition for two years on Wednesday by the International Tennis Federation for a failed drug test administered in January at the Australian Open. The ITF ruled the ban was from non-intentional use, as the harsher penalty could have been four years for intentional use. Sharapova, 29, announced plans to appeal the penalty in statement on her Facebook page where she wrote: "I intend to stand for what I believe is right and that's why I will fight to be back on the tennis court as soon as possible." The suspension, which is backdated to January, has massive financial implications for Sharapova, who was the world's highest-paid female athlete for 11 straight years before Serena Williams took the crown this year. She has earned $285 million during her career and averaged $25 million in earnings from prize money, appearances and endorsements over the past seven years. The suspension could cost Sharapova $50 million in lost earnings over the next few years, on top of her climbing legal bills. Sharapova's on-court earnings are down significantly since she has not played since her failed test in January, but her endorsement earnings haven't taken a big hit yet. Tag Heuer decided not to renew its agreement, which expired in December. American Express didn't pick up the option for a second year on its deal with Sharapova that was built around the U.S. Open since there was almost no scenario of her playing at Flushing Meadow after the failed test was revealed Nike and Porsche suspended promotional work with Sharapova, but did not terminate her deals in March. Avon, Evian and Head stuck by the tennis starlet. Sharapova earned $20 million from endorsements by our count over the last 12 months versus $23 million in the prior year, but her earnings are going to plummet over the next 12 months. Nike is by far Sharapova's most important partner. The brand has invested a lot in Sharapova since her 2004 Wimbledon breakthrough. The sportswear giant renewed its deal in 2010 for eight years for roughly $70 million depending on sales and her on-court performance. Sharapova gets the bulk of her Nike money at year-end. Nike will get huge reductions on its commitments this year since Sharapova will fail to play the number of required events under the deal. Other Sharapova partners will get substantial reductions as well. The five-time Grand Slam champion has earned $37 million in prize money in her career, second highest all-time behind Williams, but she won't see another tournament check until 2018 if the suspension is upheld. The one option open to Sharapova is playing in exhibitions around the world with appearance fees. These cash grabs generate millions annually for the sport's top stars. The ITF's decision that Sharapova's use was unintentional should help Sharapova with sponsors. The issue existing and potential new sponsors will face is how marketable Sharapova will be if she is sidelined from competing in tennis' biggest events and appearing on TV for two years. Sponsors pay for exposure. Pending her appeal, Sharapova will be 31 when she returns to tennis, an age when most players, with a few exceptions like Williams, are eyeing retirement. Still to be determined is the long-term damage to Sugarpova, the gummy candy brand Sharapova launched in 2012. The brand, which is 100% owned by Sharapova, has grown substantially with five million bags sold last year compared to 1.3 million in the first 12 months. Sharapova moved the brand into chocolate this year and had plans to turn it into a lifestyle brand. Sharapova's fans are sticking by her for the most part with a couple of chinks in the armor on her reputation. Repucom's Celebrity DBI tracks consumer perceptions of celebrities. Sharapova's DBI score fell only 2% after the failed test and her appeal score was unchanged. However, her endorsement score dropped 11% and her trust score dipped 10%. | 1 | 98,955 | sports |
It was a moment of tooth for a loyal canine that subbed in for a little girl's dentist in a video that has gone viral. For 10-year-old Sidney Vasquez of Corona, California, no one was more equipped to pull out her loose tooth except her family's 5-year-old German shepherd, Pantur. For several months, the tooth had been the talk at the dinner table, and family members were anxious to see when it would come out. "The tooth was making everybody crazy," Sidney's father Carlos Vasquez recalled to CBSLA . By simply attaching dental floss to her tooth and the other end to Pantur's harness, Sidney's tooth popped right out after sending the dog flying to retrieve a toy ball. Sidney's brother caught the whole event on camera, posting it to their dentist's Facebook page Sunday. This video instantly became an internet sensation . "I was like, 'let's get this baby out already,'" said Sidney, who was immediately looking ahead to a visit from the tooth fairy. | 5 | 98,956 | news |
The military lawyers prosecuting the self-proclaimed architect of the 9/11 attacks have struck back against accusations that they colluded with a military judge to destroy evidence relevant to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's defense. Related: Judge 'manipulated' 9/11 attacks case, court document alleges In the latest sign that the US's premier military commission at Guantánamo Bay is becoming what one observer likened to a "schoolyard brawl", the prosecutors said Mohammed's attorneys had cynically pursued a "scorched-earth litigation strategy" that involves "batter[ing] the reputation" of the army colonel presiding over the case. In a 24 May military commissions filing recently unsealed to the public, the prosecution accuses Mohammed's defense team of bad faith and shoddy lawyering and says the true goal of its counterparts was to destroy the credibility of the controversial military trial system. Yet in the filing, the chief commissions prosecutor, Brigadier General Mark Martins, and his team elide the central charge in the controversy: the destruction of evidence in a death penalty case. Last month, Mohammed's attorneys leveled the extraordinary allegation that military judge and army colonel James Pohl had secretly issued an order permitting the government to destroy evidence that he had earlier publicly agreed to preserve. While extensive classification rules render central facts in the case difficult to conclusively determine, other rulings suggest the evidence in question concerns Mohammed's torture by the CIA at secret prisons. Mohammed's attorneys learned about what they call Pohl's "destruction order" more than a year after Pohl issued it and after they said the destruction of evidence took place, which they said prevented them from seeking a remedy. On 10 May, they filed a motion seeking the removal of Pohl and of Martins and his prosecution team and an end to the long-delayed military tribunal for Mohammed. In its 24 May response, the prosecution calls the allegation of collusion "defense-manufactured nonsense" and a "willfully blind narrative". It notes pointedly that Mohammed's attorneys alerted reporters to their claims before their filing was publicly available. Martins' team say their counterparts "will apparently stop at nothing in their attempts to convince whoever may still be following their shrill antics that justice is simply not attainable at Guantánamo Bay before a military commission. Their goal is not acquittal in this case; their goal, and their entire defense strategy, is that the case never, ever be tried." However, the prosecution's 18-page filing does not explicitly dispute the alleged destruction of evidence. It disputes that the destruction occurred in secret, claiming that the defense team possessed insufficient legal savvy to understand what was occurring. The filing instead repeatedly refers to moves to "preserve and/or substitute" information in the case. Evidentiary substitution occurs in civilian courts as a mechanism to preserve classified or sensitive information in open trials. The procedure puts forward summaries of information rather than the information itself. It featured in the terrorism trial of Zacarias Moussaoui , whose attorneys agreed to summaries of statements from, among others, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed . "They're finessing the issue," Karen Greenberg, author of Rogue Justice: The Making of the Security State , said of the prosecution. Mohammed's attorneys have rejected the adequacy of the substitution. On 31 May, they filed a response to the prosecution's response. Under the rules of the military commissions, it is not yet available publicly. "I take it we would not be going through all this if they had not actually destroyed the evidence," David Nevin, lead attorney for Mohammed, told the Guardian. A Pentagon spokeswoman for Martins declined to elaborate on the destruction of evidence. "If Mr Mohammed had been informed timely [ie, before the destruction of the original] that the Commission was approving a substitute for this evidence, Mr Mohammed would have had the right and ability to bring a motion to compel disclosure of the original evidence," Mohammed's attorneys wrote on 10 May, despite "apparently prohibitive" military commissions rules. The prosecution concedes that the defense team was not informed in any timely manner. Pohl's 4 June 2014 order concerning the disposition of the evidence in question was not provided to the defense until January 2016. The prosecution said that both it and the judge believed the other would inform Mohammed's attorneys, but it denied any collusion took place. "Simple miscommunication, resulting in inaction, is what caused a delay of provision of the redacted order to the defense, nothing else," wrote the prosecution, which argued that the 18-month delay was ultimately irrelevant to the case. "The adequate substitute [information] is all the defense would have ever been entitled to under the law; so the fact that they were not notified of the specifics of the order until 18 months later, while regrettable and completely unintentional, caused no actual prejudice to the accused." Related: Rogue Justice review: Bush, 9/11 and the assault on American liberty Four years after Mohammed and his co-defendants were indicted before the commission their second military commission, following an aborted attempt to try the 9/11 case in federal court the trial phase is nowhere in sight. Years of pre-trial hearings, in which disputes have ranged from the availability of classified evidence to the conditions of the detainees' Guantánamo confinement, have yet to conclude all before Pohl addresses the question of his fitness to continue. Greenberg, the director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University Law School, called the prosecution's filing an indication that the military commissions had run aground. "The incensed tone and rhetoric of this document belong more to a schoolyard brawl than a courtroom debate," she said. "The document is little more than a name-calling lament of frustration against the defense team, a deflection of responsibility for the government's failures to share information in an acceptable way, and above all, a sense of shock that their intentions and behavior have been called into question." | 5 | 98,957 | news |
Italy is known for some amazing food but there are so many dishes that go unnoticed and un-tasted. There are also plenty of places that people don't visit because they're not as famous as Rome or Venice. But if you're planning on visiting Italy anytime soon I suggest going south to Puglia, Sicily, or Naples and opening up your palate to some of their famous foods. 1. Focaccia A lot of us outside of Italy eat focaccia plain or with some olive oil, but down in the south, they top their focaccia with all kinds of ingredients, making it into a full on lunch rather than just an appetizer. It can be made with olives, tomato, cheese, and my personal favorite, potato slices. 2. Neopolitan Pizza That thin pizza you see coming out of an old-fashioned wood-burning oven originates from Naples, Italy and is therefore referred to as Neapolitan pizza . Be careful here, it's not Napolean pizza. Napolean was a French leader, and sadly, he did not make pizzas. It usually doesn't take more than 2-3 minutes for these pizzas to cook and they're so much better than any pizza joint in North America . 3. Sfogliatelle There's nothing bad about these flaky little treats . Just like a croissant, it has a crunchy, flaky exterior and a soft interior. As a pleasant surprise, it's stuffed with sweet ricotta cheese, another Italian must-have. Not too sweet but just sweet enough for a mid-day snack. 4. Gelato Gelato is a must anywhere in Italy but this list wouldn't be complete without it. It's creamy, refreshing and comes in a million flavors you would never even think of like fig and almond or cheesecake. Oh, and they love their Nutella there, so you're sure to find a Nutella flavor anywhere you look. 5. Cannoli You're probably familiar with this flaky dessert filled with ricotta cheese and maybe sometimes even chocolate chips. But did you know that it originated in the south of Italy? Cannoli are from Sicily which is right at the bottom of the country. Definitely worth the visit, even if it's just for one of these guys. 6. Seafood Even if you're not a seafood lover, you should try it here. Being right on the water means that the muscles, clams, fish, and octopus are all so fresh you can really taste the difference. Whether it's fried or not, you can't go wrong with Italian seafood. Don't knock it till you try it. 7. Caprese Salad Bet you didn't know that Caprese salad comes from Capri. The luxurious island that plays host to celebrities like Beyonce and John Legend is famous for putting cheese and tomato together to make this classic salad we all know and love. 8. Pucce Pronounced "pooch-eh," this bun utilizes all the amazing olives that grow in the south. It's a soft bun baked with olives inside and it tastes great alone or as a sandwich. 9. Cornetto You might know it as a croissant, but in Italy, it's called a cornetto. These are a typical breakfast in the south. Want to move there yet? Well, it gets better. They stuff their cornetti with Nutella or cream for a burst of sweetness that is the best way to start your day . 10. Orrechiette Orecchiette comes from Puglia, the heel of the boot, and is an amazingly versatile pasta so there's no reason not to try it. You can serve it with pesto, tomato sauce, or just plain olive oil and it will still be delicious. The unique part of this pasta is its ear-like shape that allows it to hold sauces. 11. Pasticciotto Just like the cornetto, these little cakes have a surprise center. Traditionally they may be filled with ricotta or cream but they've also been modernized by adding Nutella. Pasticciotto is just one of the reasons you should visit the beautiful city of Lecce where they originated. 12. Cappucino Like gelato, you can really get a cappuccino anywhere in Italy but I had to put it on the list. Pair it with a sweet cornetto and you have a traditional Italian breakfast. Nobody in Italy walks around with a Trenta Starbucks . If you want to blend in, you have to drink espresso and leave the to-go cup behind. 13. Burrata This creamy cheese is my favorite part of Italian cuisine. It's just like mozzarella but the inside oozes creaminess when you cut into it. Put it on a crostino or just eat it with a fork, it's that good. 14. Zeppole Zeppole are also served in the north of Italy but up there they often call them frittelle . This fried dough ball is often stuffed with cream or custard and is very similar to a cream puff. Another common name for these is bignè di San Giuseppe which means cream puff of Saint Joseph. They're named after him because they are eaten on Festa di San Giuseppe, the Italian father's day . 15. Anything Fried Strolling around the streets of Napoli, it's not hard to find something fried. Southern street food is all about anything fried from fresh seafood to macaroni noodles. Surprisingly, it's not super heavy and if you get fried seafood, it's even a little refreshing on a hot summer day . 16. Taralli These little snacks are so addicting that I've ruined my appetite on multiple occasions because I couldn't stop munching on them before dinner. Taralli come in a variety of flavors, some sweet and some savory, but the best ones of all are the taralli from the south. Naples makes them with almonds and a bit of spice. They're served warm and flaky so they basically melt in your mouth. 17. Olive Oil Obviously you're not gonna go drink this straight out of the bottle but it's worth tasting the difference between Pugliese olive oil and olive oil from the rest of the world. Puglia is Italy's largest olive oil producer and being such an important ingredient in Italian cooking, you're gonna want the good stuff. | 0 | 98,958 | foodanddrink |
If you are the kind of person who loves watching paint being mixed or are mesmerized by the milk, food coloring, and soap experiment, then this is the dessert for you! Create a stunning tie-dye frosting in a matter of minutes with this incredibly easy hack to frost a cake. Hypnotic Tie-Dye Cake From Nicole Iizuka, POPSUGAR Food Ingredients1 6-inch round cake covered in fondant 1 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoons water Neon food coloring Directions Place fondant-covered cake on a wire rack over a pan to catch excess glaze. In a mixing cup with a pour spout, whisk together powdered sugar and water until a thin, pourable consistency is reached. Add 1 drop of each food coloring color into the glaze, being sure to leave space between each color. Pour glaze over the top of the cake and let the excess drip off the sides. Let cake dry for 1 hour, or until frosting has set. Information Category Desserts, Cake Average ( votes): | 4 | 98,959 | lifestyle |
A Polish couple in their 80's who went clubbing in London last month apparently really had the time of their lives. The evening's event director, Jacob Husley, says he got a thank you note from the lovebirds and then posted a translation of it on Facebook. While some thought their visit to the night club was a PR stunt, this couple puts that rumor to bed. Last month the couple danced until dawn and even got free drinks at Fabric. | 5 | 98,960 | news |
Former Georgia wide receiver Hines Ward says he is interested in coaching at his alma mater. Hines Ward has done a lot of things during his 40 years on Earth: win two Super Bowls (and a Super Bowl MVP), appear on Dancing With The Stars and serve as a football analyst. There is one more thing he would like to check off his list: coach. In an interview with WSB-TV in Atlanta, the former Georgia wide receiver said that he would be interested in joining new head coach Kirby Smart's staff in Athens. "Hey Kirby Smart, if you are out there and you want a receivers coach, give me a call," Ward said. "It would definitely be something that I'd have to think about." While the Bulldogs already have a wide receiver coach in James Coley, it wouldn't be a bad thing for Smart to listen to the four-time Pro Bowler. Ward caught 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns during his 14-year NFL career, all as a Pittsburgh Steeler. From Atlanta suburb Forest Park, the multifaceted Ward played four seasons for the Bulldogs. Over the course of his career he amassed 3,031 total yards and 16 touchdowns (also throwing for three touchdowns). His final year with the program, 1997, culminated with a 10-2 record, an Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin and a No. 10 ranking in the final AP Poll. MORE: Updated 2017 College Football Playoff Title Odds Released | 1 | 98,961 | sports |
Maria Sharapova received a two-year ban from the International Tennis Federation for doping. SI senior writer Jon Wertheim tells us how she'll fare on appeal and looks at her competitive future. | 1 | 98,962 | sports |
Lottie is one of Taylor Swift's biggest fans, and what better way to honor her than recreating her best looks? | 8 | 98,963 | video |
(Bloomberg) -- A federal judge wants to know whether Uber Technologies Inc. encouraged a private investigator to lie as part of a probe of a customer who sued over how the ride-hailing app sets fares. Connecticut customer Spencer Meyer sued Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick last year alleging the company's practice of raising prices during certain situations violates antitrust laws. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan on Tuesday ordered Uber to turn over documents from the investigation of Meyer and his attorney, ruling there's reasonable basis "to suspect that a fraud occurred and that Uber's communications may have been in furtherance of it." The matter, Rakoff said, raises "a serious risk of perverting the process of justice before this court." Meyer alleged in his suit that the technology in Uber's popular app is used by drivers to illegally coordinate high surge-pricing fares. The lawsuit doesn't name Uber as a defendant, in an attempt to avoid an arbitration requirement in company's user agreement. Rakoff said in his ruling that Uber hired an outside firm, Global Precision Research LLC, also known as "Ergo," to investigate Meyer and his attorney, Andrew Schmidt. Meyer claimed that an Ergo investigator lied during the probe, including telling colleagues of Schmidt that he was preparing a profile of "up-and-coming labor lawyers in the U.S.," Rakoff said. Uber acknowledges that its personnel gave instructions to Ergo and "were involved in engaging and instructing" the company, Rakoff said. The judge previously denied Kalanick's bid to dismiss the case, rejecting the CEO's argument that a conspiracy involving hundreds of thousands of drivers was "wildly implausible" and "physically impossible." The case is Meyer v. Kalanick, 1:15-cv-09796, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan). --With assistance from Erik Larson To contact the reporters on this story: Bob Van Voris in federal court in Manhattan at rvanvoris@bloomberg.net, Christie Smythe in Brooklyn at csmythe1@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Sophia Pearson ©2016 Bloomberg L.P. | 3 | 98,964 | finance |
BAGHDAD -- First they ransacked parliament, sending the country's lawmakers fleeing for safety. Now, Iraqi protesters have taken their fight against government corruption online, hacking the parliament's website. Pictures of three Iraqis who are said to have died in recent protests were displayed Wednesday afternoon on the legislature's official site , which usually runs parliament news and statements from politicians. "Revenge for the martyrs of the peaceful demonstrations," it read. "Idiots are leading the country. It scoffed at the alleged cost the site took to build, with the government frequently accused of wasting the country's oil wealth: "This website cost a million dollars!" It shouldn't have cost more than $1,000, it said. Thousands of Iraqis have been carrying out demonstrations against their government since last summer, but the protests swelled earlier this year after Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr thew his weight behind them. The website played a popular pro-Sadrist tune that calls for reform. Six weeks ago they broke into the fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, entering parliament and assaulting politicians they accuse of being corrupt. Though beginning relatively peacefully, demonstrations turned violent last month, as security forces used tear gas and live rounds to push back the demonstrators as they tried to break into the Green Zone a second time. Shortly after, the government announced its offensive to retake the western city of Fallujah from the Islamic State, an offensive the hackers accused the government of using as a "trick" to distract from the protesters' demands. The website of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was also hacked. "I don't need to speak about your corruption, or the corruption of your party, because people are aware of the thieves that are stealing their money," it said. The compromised sites links to a Facebook page, allegedly belonging to the hacker. He responded to messages saying he was a 25-year-old university student based in Baghdad. "I participated in the demonstrations, but not all of them because I had exams," he said. Read more: State of emergency declared in Baghdad as protesters take Iraqi parliament Beyond terrorism, Iraq's leader is struggling to fight corruption He once fought U.S. troops. Now Moqtada al-Sadr is battling Iraq's political system. | 5 | 98,965 | news |
See if your birth year favored Cocker Spaniels, Boston Terriers, Dachshunds, or something else entirely. 1935 1. Boston Terrier 2. Cocker Spaniel 3. Scottish Terrier 1936-1938 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Boston Terrier 3. Scottish Terrier 1939 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Boston Terrier 3. Beagle (photo) 1940-1946 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Beagle 3. Boston Terrier (photo) 1947-1949 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Beagle 3. Collie (above) 1950-1953 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Beagle 3. Boxer (above) 1954-1955 1. Beagle (photo) 2. Boxer 3. Cocker Spaniel 1956 1. Beagle 2. Boxer 3. Chihuahua (photo) 1957 1. Beagle 2. Chihuahua 3. Dachshund (above) 1958-1960 1958 1. Beagle 2. Chihuahua 3. Poodle (photo) 1959 1. Beagle 2. Poodle 3. Chihuahua 1960 1. Poodle 2. Beagle 3. Chihuahua 1961-1962 1961 1. Poodle 2. Beagle 3. Dachshund (above) 1962 1. Poodle 2. Beagle 3. Chihuahua 1963-1967 1. Poodle (above) 2. German Shepherd 3. Beagle 1968-1970 1. Poodle 2. German Shepherd (above) 3. Dachshund 1971-1972 1971 1. Poodle 2. Pembroke Welsh Corgi (above) 3. German Shepherd 1972 1. Poodle 2. German Shepherd 3. Beagle 1973-1975 1. Poodle 2. German Shepherd 3. Irish Setter (above) 1976-1978 1976 1. Poodle 2. German Shepherd 3. Doberman Pinscher (photo) 1977 and 1978 1. Poodle 2. Doberman Pinscher 3. German Shepherd 1979-1982 1979-1980 1. Poodle 2. Doberman Pinscher 3. Cocker Spaniel (above) 1981-1982 1. Poodle 2. Cocker Spaniel 3. Doberman Pinscher 1983-1987 1. Cocker Spaniel 2. Poodle 3. Labrador Retriever (photo) 1988-1991 1990 1. Cocker Spaniel (photo) 2. Labrador Retriever 3. Poodle 1991 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Cocker Spaniel 3. Poodle 1992-1997 1992 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Rottweiler (photo) 3. Cocker Spaniel 1993-1997 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Rottweiler 3. German Shepherd 1998-2001 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Golden Retriever (above) 3. German Shepherd 2002-2003 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Golden Retriever 3. Beagle (left) 2004 1. Labrador Retriever (photo) 2. Golden Retriever 3. German Shepherd 2005 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Golden Retriever 3. Yorkshire Terrier (above) 2006-2008 1. Labrador Retriever 2. Yorkshire Terrier 3. German Shepherd (above) 2009-2010 1. Labrador Retriever 2. German Shepherd 3. Yorkshire Terrier (above) 2011 1. Labrador Retriever 2. German Shepherd 3. Beagle (photo) 2012-2014 1. Labrador Retriever (above) 2. German Shepherd 3. Beagle | 4 | 98,966 | lifestyle |
A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed a lawsuit brought by a surrogate mother of triplets seeking to overturn California's surrogacy law and name her as the children's mother. U.S. District Judge Otis Wright on Monday acknowledged the "gravity" of the claims brought by the surrogate mother, Melissa Cook, but said they should be decided by California's state courts, which have so far ruled against her. Cook, 48, filed her lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles in February shortly before the triplet's father, identified in court documents as C.M., won an order from a California state court naming him as the sole parent. Harold Cassidy, Cook's lawyer, said he planned to appeal Wright's ruling and to file a new lawsuit for custody in state court in Georgia, where C.M. lives. C.M.'s lawyer could not be reached immediately for comment. In the federal lawsuit, Cook said the California law authorizing surrogacy contracts is unconstitutional because it treats babies "as a commodity or as chattel." Cook asked the federal court to overturn the state law, which says that surrogacy contracts are presumed to be valid, and to require that she be listed as the mother on the babies' birth certificates. Wright, in dismissing the case on Monday, said he must allow the state appeals court to rule on Cook's pending appeal of the February state court order. Though he did not rule on the merits, he said that if Cook won it could effectively end surrogacy in the state by allowing a surrogate mother to claim parental rights "at her whim." Cook was connected with the father through a surrogacy brokerage and agreed to act as a surrogate for him in 2015, according to Wright's opinion. The biological mother was an anonymous egg donor. In August 2015, three male embryos were implanted in Cook's uterus. Shortly after that, her doctor confirmed that all three were viable. During her pregnancy, Cook's relationship with C.M., who she learned was a deaf 50-year-old postal worker who lived with his parents, became contentious, according to Wright's opinion. C.M. repeatedly asked Cook to abort one of the fetuses, saying he could not afford to care for all three. The triplets were born prematurely later that month and kept in intensive care at Panorama City Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to the opinion. In April, they were released to C.M.'s care. The case is Cook v. Harding et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 16-cv-00742. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Leslie Adler) | 5 | 98,967 | news |
Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump said in an interview Wednesday that he was "disappointed and surprised" by Republican leaders who criticized his comments about a federal judge as "racist." After House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to distance themselves from their party's standard-bearer, Trump issued a statement Tuesday stepping back from his criticism of U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel. But in an interview with TIME, Trump said he was upset with the GOP leaders. "I was disappointed and surprised," he said Wednesday morning at Trump Tower in New York. Asked if he considered the comments disloyal, Trump noted that they came just as he was set to formally clinch the required number of delegates to win the nomination. "I had just won more votes than anyone in the history of the party, so I was a little bit surprised when they said that," Trump said. "I didn't think it was necessary. But you know, they have to say what they have to say. I'm a big boy. They have to say what they have to say." Trump has questioned whether Judge Curiel, an American citizen born in Indiana to Mexican immigrant parents, can be impartial in a lawsuit against him because of his Mexican heritage. "Claiming a person can't do their job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment," Ryan said Tuesday. "It's time to quit attacking various people you have competed with, or various minority groups in the country, and get on message," McConnell said later that day. In his subdued address Tuesday night, Trump didn't mention the attack on the judge, as he sought to adjust his tone to appear more presidential. Trump told TIME that the new message and the use of teleprompters as an aid was to mark the "special moment" indicating it wouldn't be a permanent shift for his campaign. "I felt that I had a lot of detail in that speech, I have a good memory, but I had a lot of detail," Trump said of relying on teleprompters, something for which he has previously mocked other politicians. "I felt it was an important time somehow, so I thought I wanted to give a very detailed oriented speech," Trump said. "By nature when you give a detail oriented speech you're going to be a little bit more low-key." A Trump aide said he hopes to redirect the energy deployed against Judge Curiel toward Hillary Clinton, which would be "more productive." Trump just so happens to have an event scheduled in Tampa this weekend, which will mark the return of his high-energy events. | 5 | 98,968 | news |
Rickie Fowler has missed three cuts in his last five starts, all of them being notable events. Is it too soon to include Fowler in golf's 'Big Four' until he wins a major? | 1 | 98,969 | sports |
Chevrolet launched a new national ad campaign Wednesday for its Silverado pickups that revives the often testy battle with crosstown rival Ford over who makes the biggest, best or toughest truck. The ad campaign touts the results of lab tests that it says show how the Silverado's roll-formed, high-strength steel bed suffers far less damage than the Ford F-150's aluminum truck bed when a load of concrete blocks are dumped into the back of the trucks. The ads debuted today with four-page wrap-around print advertisements in several major newspapers, including USA TODAY. General Motors also posted a 3-minute video that shows the cinder block demonstration with the F-150 truck bed getting gashed by the concrete blocks and the Silverado truck bed only being dented. "Our focus is on showing that we put the customer first in everything we do. So it's not an attack on Ford and it's not an attack on aluminium," Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet truck marketing director, says. "Our engineering team found that we had a competitive advantage in the strength of our bed. Really, we are compelled to get the word out." Piszar said the campaign is not a reaction to recent sales trends. Last month, sales of Ford's F-Series pickups rose 9% while sales of the Silverado fell 12.7%. But year-to-date, F-Series truck sales are up 7.4% and Silverado sales are flat compared with the same period last year. "When you're the market leader for 39 years, competitors sometimes try to take shots at you with marketing stunts," Ford spokesman Mike Levine said in a statement. "The fact remains that F-150's high-strength, military grade, aluminum alloy cargo box offers the best combination of strength, durability, corrosion resistance, capability, safety and fuel efficiency ever offered in a pickup." Chevrolet's new ads extend its "Real People. Not Actors" campaign and follows other commercials that also have taken aim at Ford's F-150 pickups since they were launched with an aluminum body last year. Piszar said the print ads also appeared in several newspapers in Texas, which is a top market for pickups. Chevrolet also will launch 30 second and 60 second ads television ads today and will air a two-minute video during ESPN's SportsCenter program that starts at 6 p.m. tonight. Last summer, Chevy launched an ad called "Cages" that gave customers a choice between taking refuge in a steel cage or an aluminum cage when a grizzly bear entered the room. Related video: What's next for GM? "The cages execution actually showed what consumer perceptions were for steel verses aluminum," Piszar said. "The vast majority of people instantly ran into the steel cage, rather than the aluminum cage." Chevrolet also made fun of Ford's pickups in a 2012 Super Bowl commercial called "Apocalypse." That ad shows several good friends, who all drive Silverado pickups, getting together after the world nearly comes to an end. The only friend missing is "Dave," who was the only one among the group that drove a Ford F-150. Ford was not amused. Ford executives sent a letter to GM telling the automaker to "immediately cease and desist" from airing the commercial. Piszar said drew a sharp contrast between the 2012 Super Bowl ad and the new campaign. "I would suggest that a Super Bowl ad has a certain tone and that was fun ad," he said. "We are treating this (new campaign) very seriously. It's not treated in a lighthearted manner. ...It's based on sound engineering and testing procedures." | 3 | 98,970 | finance |
As the focus on fighting homelessness has shifted from providing temporary housing to permanent housing, grant money from the Department of Housing and Urban Development has followed. But temporary shelter leaders across the country say cuts to funding this year will force emergency shelters to drastically cut their services, which could force some residents back onto the streets. The refocusing of funding follows a nationwide shift in how communities address homelessness, as legislators and advocates push for investment in longterm solutions rather than temporary measures such as emergency shelters and aggressive policing, as The Christian Science Monitor has previously reported. There is some evidence that strategic shift is paying off, as homelessness across the nation has decreased by 11 percent since 2010. But diversion of funds from temporary to permanent housing has left people in emergency situations with limited immediate options. In Baltimore, prioritization of permanent housing in grant applications netted the city $2 million for a new housing project, Bill McCarthy, executive director of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, told the Associated Press. But that strategy also resulted in transitional programs in the city losing $3.8 million, which will cost hundreds of beds to shelters like My Sister's Place Lodge, which houses women with disabilities, and Christopher's place, a shelter that helps men transition from prison to the workforce. "You're talking about hundreds of beds that are lost without the support of HUD," Mr. McCarthy said. "The city had no plan in place with what they would do with the individuals that were living in these programs." Another shelter to be affected is the Gregory House in Honolulu, Hawaii, which provides temporary housing for people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. Jon Berliner, executive director of Gregory House Programs, told the AP the impact of the cuts would be "unbelievably awful." "I can't in good conscience just allow this group of people to become homeless because of some ill-arrived decisions from a federal agency," he said. For the first time this year, groups applying to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development were graded on whether local groups were working to decriminalize homelessness. Norm Suchar, director of office of special needs area assistance programs at HUD, told the AP that when communities criminalize homelessness, they end up jailing the homeless for sleeping or relieving themselves in public places, which makes it harder for the homeless to get a job with a criminal record. Honolulu County banned sitting and lying down in in select places in 2014. Their funding from HUD was cut by more that $525,000 this year which impact programs that house around 465 people. Overall HUD funding increased, as they awarded about $2 billion in grants for homeless programs, an increase from $1.8 billion last year. Houston and New York City both saw large increases, with Houston receiving a $9 million increase to bring its total to $32 million and New York receiving an increase of $ 17 million to bring its total to $122 million. But certain shelters will be greatly impacted by the funding cuts, such as the Gregory House. David Willett, who was homeless and struggled with a drug addiction before moving to Gregory House, echoed Berliner's concerns. "I would be dead if it wasn't for Gregory House," he told the AP. "We just desperately need this program." This report contains material from the Associated Press. This article was written by Aidan Quigley Staff from Christian Science Monitor and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. | 5 | 98,971 | news |
If this is it for 29-year-old Maria Sharapova, and it certainly could be, it's such an inglorious ending. It's also a well-deserved one. When one of the world's iconic athletes willfully disregards repeated email warnings that a drug she has been taking for 10 years is being banned, and continues to use it after the ban, and hides the fact that she is taking it from her doctors, there's only one word for that kind of behavior: cheating. The International Tennis Federation suspended Sharapova for two years Wednesday for testing positive not once but twice in 2016 for the banned substance meldonium. She immediately said she will appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, hoping to lessen her suspension. We'll see how that goes, but either way, she will not be able to represent Russia at August's Olympic Games in Rio, and will likely miss the entirety of the 2016 Grand Slam season as well. Her ban is retroactive to the 2016 Australian Open, where she first was caught using the drug, so she would be allowed to return after the 2018 Australian Open, when she will be approaching her 31st birthday. Since her last Grand Slam victory came at the 2014 French Open, and since she hasn't played since a quarterfinal loss to Serena Williams at the Australian Open, and since she now has dropped to 26th in the world rankings, it's entirely possible we have seen the last of Sharapova as an elite tennis player. Meldonium is a drug used to treat angina and heart failure in real life, but one that also has the wonderful side effect of increasing an athlete's endurance. It was unknown to almost all of us outside of Russia until this spring. As we've learned more about it, it's clear there are real questions about how long it stays in an athlete's system. Could an athlete have taken it in 2015 when it wasn't on the banned list and still tested positive in 2016 when it was? Highest Paid Female Athletes of 2015 | Graphiq This is a valid point, but it in no way pertains to Sharapova's case. She admitted to taking the drug in 2016, using the utterly inexcusable defense that she hadn't opened the emails all elite athletes routinely receive with updates about banned substances, including urgent and repeated warnings about meldonium in late 2015. What's more, the notion that she needed meldonium for legitimate health reasons is now seriously in doubt. An independent three-person ITF tribunal hearing her case determined that Sharapova went to great lengths to keep her use of meldonium a secret. In 2013, she actually stopped seeing the doctor who prescribed it for her, then failed to tell her new doctors that she was still taking it. Her story has been that she needed the drug to treat a magnesium deficiency, an irregular electrocardiograph and a family history of diabetes. If that was the case, why keep all that information from your doctors for three years? As the ITF report damningly noted, "Whatever the position may have been in 2006, there was in 2016 no diagnosis and no therapeutic advice supporting the continuing use of (meldonium). If she had believed that there was a continuing medical need to use (meldonium) then she would have consulted a medical practitioner. "The manner of its use, on match days and when undertaking intensive training, is only consistent with an intention to boost her energy levels. It may be that she genuinely believed that (meldonium) 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 (meldonium) for the purpose of enhancing her performance." Maria Sharapova, five-time Grand Slam champion. And now, sadly, world-class cheater. GALLERY: SHARAPOVA'S CAREER | 1 | 98,972 | sports |
Marco Mattiacci is the latest and possibly the biggest name to join the ranks of Faraday Future. Faraday will announce the hire on Thursday. Electric car manufacturer Faraday Future has lured a very big fish to its executive pond, hiring former Ferrari executive Marco Mattiacci, a source told Autoblog . Business Insider also reported the move. It's unclear what role Mattiacci will have at Faraday, but he served with distinction at Ferrari. Between 2006 and 2014, he was the head of Ferrari North America and Ferrari Asia Pacific, though that success didn't translate to motorsports. Mattiacci succeeded Stefano Domenicali as team principal of Scuderia Ferrari in April 2014 and led the team to a fourth-place finish, behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Williams. The Scuderia were not pleased and Matticci was fired. Faraday is no stranger to snagging talent from other automakers. It hired employees from Ford, GM, and BMW and has done an especially good job of poaching talent from Elon Musk. It lured Tesla's vice president of regulatory affairs and deputy general counsel, James Chen, last month. Faraday hired the head of Model S production, Dag Reckhorn, to serve as its global VP of manufacturing, and in April it brought in Tesla's director of global supplier industrialization, Andrew De Haan, to run the Faraday's Nevada factory. Business Insider reports Faraday has even poached SpaceX employees. We expect more hiring from Faraday in the future, too. The company's website is packed with California-based positions for everything from vehicle safety to autonomous driving to product planning. | 9 | 98,973 | autos |
NASCAR has suspended and fined Kyle Larson's crew chief, Chad Johnston, after lug nut violation at Pocono Raceway. Kyle Larson's crew chief Chad Johnston has been suspended by NASCAR through June 15 after lug nuts were not properly installed after Monday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. According to the NASCAR rule book, Johnston and the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team violated sections 12-1; 10.11.3.4 a; 12.5.3.4.1 p for lug nuts not properly installed. Johnston will miss this weekend's event at Michigan International Speedway and has been placed on probation through Dec. 31. He has also been fined $20,000 for the P3 violation. Teams of Regan Smith, Matt DiBenedetto and Jamie McMurray all received written warnings from NASCAR after failing pre-race inspection. The teams of Aric Almirola, Danica Patrick and Ty Dillon also received written warnings for failing pre-qualifying inspection. | 1 | 98,974 | sports |
Former NBA player Eddie Johnson breaks down the game of maybe the best back court duo in NBA history. | 1 | 98,975 | sports |
Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will miss Game 3 of the NBA Finals, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. Love sustained a concussion during Sunday's Game 2 after taking an elbow to the head while attempting to rebound the ball. Love entered the concussion protocol one quarter after the hit to the head. Love missed all of last year's Finals due to a shoulder injury he sustained during the first round. Game 3 will be the seventh of nine games Love has missed in the championship round over the last two seasons. In 16 playoff games, Love has averaged 16.5 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Kevin Love Playoff Game Stats in 2015-16 | PointAfter The Warriors lead the Cavaliers 2 0. | 1 | 98,976 | sports |
After striking a technology deal with Google last month, Fiat Chrysler is reportedly in talks to form a similar partnership with Uber. A tie-up between FCA and Uber could be announced by the end of this year, an anonymous source told Automotive News. For now, talks are in the early stages. In an unprecedented move, FCA and Google agreed to work together on self-driving cars last month. The automaker has offered up 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans uniquely built to accommodate Google's self-driving technology. Google will equip these vehicles with sensors, cameras, radar, and other technologies. Meanwhile, Uber is also working hard on autonomous vehicles, having recently tested its technology on a Ford Fusion Hybrid . Another anonymous source told Automotive News that Uber is talking to many different automakers. That's no surprise, considering Toyota and Uber recently agreed to collaborate on ride sharing . Cash-strapped FCA could benefit greatly from partners like Uber. The ride-hailing company offers up a large fleet of cars from which to gather data and help improve self-driving systems. FCA Chairman John Elkann has made it a point to work with large technology companies instead of trying to compete with them at their own game. FCA was reportedly in talks with Amazon on self-driving vehicles for the retailer's delivery services, but the parties haven't yet reached a final agreement. Source: Automotive News (Subscription required) | 9 | 98,977 | autos |
GARDEN CITY, Kan. A Kansas man accused of holding a judge hostage has been charged with terrorism and is jailed on $1.3 million bond, authorities said Wednesday. A criminal complaint says 33-year-old Jason Linn Nichols was charged Tuesday with terrorism and could face up to seven more counts including kidnapping and making a criminal threat. Nichols is accused of breaking into the Garden City home of Finney County Judge Wendel Wurst on May 31 and holding Wurst and his wife hostage. Police said the suspect was armed and was upset over a custody case that Wurst had handled. Wurst's wife was released after several minutes and fled to a neighbor's home, but it was several hours before Nichols surrendered to police and Wurst was released unharmed. "Kansas law defines terrorism to include the commission of a felony with the intent to influence government policy by intimidation or coercion or with the intent to affect the operation of any unit of government," Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement Wednesday. In Kansas, a terrorism conviction carries a possible life prison sentence, according to Schmidt's office. It's unclear if Nichols has a lawyer to comment on his behalf. He's scheduled to appear June 15 in Finney County District Court. | 5 | 98,978 | news |
Do you struggle with certain foods or find prep to be exhausting? Here are some basic but useful tips that will change your life. Mangoes Peeling a mango is so easy with this clever trick! First take the mango and slice the cheeks off lengthwise, as close to the pit as possible. (Hint: the pit is quite flat and disc-like, not round like a stone fruit) Holding the cheek in your hand, slide it carefully down the side of a glass tumbler, catching the flesh in the cup. Easy! Click here for more info. Mangoes Another quick way to prepare a mango is to take the cheeks, and carefully slice a crosshatch pattern with a knife. Now flip the skin inside out to reveal the perfectly formed mango cubes, and free them from the skin with the knife or a spoon. Salad mango cubes, ready to go! Apples Did you know that the average person discards approximately 30% of their apple? This waste can be avoided by flipping the apple, and eating it from the bottom up, rather than from the side. If you're put off by the idea of eating the core, trust us, it won't be an issue! When you eat from the bottom, the core is practically vanishes, and you can easily spit out the seeds if you wish. Try it next time and you'll be converted. Oranges If you've ever struggled to peel a stubborn orange, only to have rind jammed under your fingernails and tiny pieces of peel scattered all over the place, you'll appreciate this trick. Quickly slice the top and bottom of the orange away (don't cut too much though, you don't want to waste the lovely flesh!). Next, make a slice down the side, where the pieces of the orange join together, and unroll the whole thing! Genius! Check out the method here. Pomegranates Juicy, tart and oh-so refreshing, we could eat pomegranates all day. But it can take that long to get the seeds out! Save yourself a lot of time by slicing your pomegranate in half, rolling and pressing it between your hands to gently loosen the seeds, and whacking it upside down with a wooden spoon. Catch the seeds in a wooden bowl, and you're set! Bananas Quit monkeying around with your bananas, and take some advice from our fellow primates. Instead of peeling the banana from the top down (where the bunch is held together), monkeys eat it from the bottom! To try it yourself, simply pinch the bottom of the banana to make a split, and peel the skin, using the tab as a holder. Those clever monkeys... Avocados Separating an avocado from it's seed can sometimes be hard work, but not when you use this simple method. Carefully slice the avocado lengthwise, going around the seed. Twist the two halves to separate. Covering your hand in a thick dishcloth, pick up the half with the seed in it, and with the other hand, hit the seed in a quick, short strike with a heavy handled knife to lodge in the blade. (To keep it safe, don't take any huge swings, let the weight of the knife do the work for you) Now gently twist the knife and seed out of the flesh. Voilà! Eggs Separating egg yolks from the whites without splitting the yolk is one of life's great challenges. Want to know a short cut? Take a clean, empty plastic bottle, and squeeze it slightly on the sides. Holding it just above the yolk, release the sides. As air returns to the bottle, it will suck up the yolk too! To release the yolk, just press the sides of the bottle again. Pure. Genius. Prawns Shrimp is another delicious food that can take a lot of work to prepare, but this trick should help. Take your cooked prawn in one hand, and push a fork prong just beneath the shell of the shrimp, along the back, with the other. Gently wiggle it until you can pull the tail and the rest of the shell away from the flesh. If the vein didn't come off with the shell, you should now be able to pull it off easily. Bell Peppers There is a so-called bell pepper cutting hack doing the rounds that suggests cutting the fruit the same way we have recommended you cut an orange. However, that method will waste a great deal of your lovely produce! This method is much better: take a knife, and slice lengthwise from the base to the stem, at 3 or 4 evenly spaced points. Using your hands, gently break the wedges of pepper away from the core, and use a small knife to cut away the white membrane. Corn on the Cob Trying to peel a piping hot cob of corn can be an absolute nightmare! Getting it clean of all those stringy bits without burning your fingers is almost impossible. Lucky for us, there is this 'shake shuck' method! Microwave your corn for 4 minutes, then cut off the base end, and simply shake the corn out: the whole thing will come away clean and ready. Cherry Tomatoes Slicing a big punnet of cherry tomatoes has got to be one of the most tedious kitchen tasks imaginable. Save a huge amount of time by placing your tomatoes between two plates, and slicing horizontally with a big, sharp knife. This super fast method also works just as well for grapes. Genius! Garlic We bet we can peel an entire head of garlic in under 30 seconds. Don't believe us? Next time you need to peel garlic, simply loosen the cloves up by gently crushing them with your hands or a kitchen knife. Then pop them in a sealed container and shake like crazy! After about 20 seconds, you'll find the cloves totally separated from their paper. Herbs Light, delicate herbs can be so fiddly to chop. Little green bits get absolutely everywhere and it takes forever. So next time, forget the chopping board and knife, and put your herbs in a glass tumbler. Pick up some kitchen scissors (though to be honest any scissors would do) and chop, chop, chop! Not only are your herbs ready in flash, they're in a neat, convenient container ready to use. This method is for dried herbs, but it works exactly the same for fresh ones. Kiwi Fruit The soft skin on a kiwi makes it tricky to peel in the traditional way, but this nifty method makes it so easy. Just slice off the top and bottom, and take a spoon (the size depends on the size of the kiwi its curve should match the curve of the fruit as closely as possible), and ease it around the inside of the skin. No waste, no worries! Onions "Let me slice the onions, that's my favorite task!" said no-one, ever. This trick comes directly from the chefs mouth, and shows you the most efficient and neat way to slice an onion, helping you cut down on tearful kitchen scenes. The trick is to keep the root intact, so you can use it to stabilize the vegetable while you chop. Strawberries So that's why they call them strawberries! To quickly prepare a big batch of strawberries, push a straw up through the middle, from the bottom. The stalk will come away easily, so you can get to the eating business faster! | 0 | 98,979 | foodanddrink |
A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found these 20 foods to be the most addictive. Unsurprisingly, those high in fat and sugar top the list. 1. Pizza A study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine found these 20 foods to be the most addictive. Unsurprisingly, those high in fat and sugar top the list. Surprise, surprise! Pizza is number one on the list of most addictive foods. Because who can resist a slice of this cheesy, possibly meaty or veggie-topped comfort food? 2. Chocolate Chocolate-lovers, we have bad news. Your addiction is real. 3. Chips A handful of crunchy, greasy potato chips just goes so well with a cold beer, don't you agree? Maybe that says something about our beer consumption, too... 4. Cookies Now we know why the name "Cookie Monster" exists! 5. Ice cream If you're the kind of person who will go grab an ice cream cone even when it's below freezing, you know you've got it bad. 6. French Fries Some people eat french fries. Every. Single. Day. Are you one of them? 7. Cheeseburger You know the feeling. You're staring down at your plate of greens and veggies with a palm-sized piece of protein, and all you can think about is sinking your teeth into a big, juicy burger. The struggle is real. 8. Non-Diet Soda It's no secret. Sugar is addicting. And non-diet sodas are brimming with it. 9. Cake Whether you like it vanilla, chocolate, strawberry topped, cream-cheese topped, baked or not baked, etc., there's no doubt about it cake is still a highly addictive contender on this list. 10. Cheese We're not too sure what the world would look like without cheese. And despite its addictive qualities, we know we wouldn't want to. 11. Bacon Do we really need to talk about how bacon is one of the most addictive foods (we're heating the pan up now)? 12. Fried Chicken Fried chicken really shouldn't be consumed often. For one, it's fried. Secondly, it's greasy. And that's precisely why it's so darn addictive. 13. Rolls Carb-y, bread-y, soft and fluffy what's not to love about rolls? It's easy to see and taste why you can't stop at just one. 14. Buttered Popcorn We know that movie theater popcorn is ridiculously expensive and probably contains more calories than we'd care to know about, but nothing beats distractedly digging into a tub of those salty, butter-slathered puffs during the latest blockbuster. 15. Cereal Many of the most popular breakfast cereals are loaded with extra sugar, and since when did anyone have just ONE serving? 16. Gummy candies No matter how many times they get stuck in our teeth, we just can't seem to get enough of these chewy, sugary delights. 17. Steak There probably aren't a ton of meat-eaters digging into an expensive steak dinner every night. As with any addiction, it can be costly. But that won't stop your mouth from watering every time you think of juicy hunk of meat, cooked perfectly medium rare with a loaded baked potato or grilled veggies on the side. 18. Muffins Muffins, though discreetly labeled "healthy" from time to time (when bulked up with dried blueberries or other seemingly good-for-you ingredients), are often loaded with sugar, making them highly addictive. 19. Nuts Why wouldn't you be nuts about nuts? They're filled with healthy fats, protein, vitamins and minerals to keep you chugging along. Just don't go to town on the whole package. A handful or two should do. 20. Eggs Did you ever think you could be addicted to eggs? They're certainly one of the healthier foods on this list. Still, just remember too much of a good thing can still be too much... | 0 | 98,980 | foodanddrink |
BMW announced today that it has won a contract with the Los Angeles Police Department to supply 100 of its compact i3 electric cars. The initiative is a part of LA's "Sustainable City pLAn," which includes a commitment to make half of its light-duty vehicle purchases fully electric by 2017. The i3s will be used in a "non-emergency" capacity in other words, you won't likely see them engaged in high-speed police chases, but rather for basic department transportation needs and community outreach. LAPD's move comes after a trial period where it pitted an i3 against a Tesla Model S P85D . The P85D is larger and much quicker, but overall cost may have factored into the decision i3s start at just over $42,000, while the P90D (the P85D has since been discontinued) has a base price over $100,000. BMW cites the i3's efficiency, reliability, connected car capabilities (for the department's fleet management) and its network of service centers as reasons for securing the winning bid, but it's also possible that BMW gave the department a nice fleet discount. BMW says that it will be designing a custom web tool for officers that allows the i3s to be tracked and managed centrally. Of course, when you deploy a fleet of EVs, you need a way to charge them. LAPD is working with EV charger management company Greenlots to make that happen, installing 100 Level 2 chargers and four DC Fast Charge stations, which can charge a depleted i3 to 80 percent in half an hour or less. The i3s start hitting the (clogged) highways of LA "this spring," so basically any day now. | 9 | 98,981 | autos |
The infotainment and navigation systems in an unknown number of newer Lexus vehicles shut down Tuesday, inflaming owners who took to social media to complain about the failure and speculate about what caused the crash. Toyota, the parent company of the Lexus brand, confirmed the software glitch and is working on a fix, spokesman Maurice Durand told Fortune . A software update caused the problem, he said, adding that the safety and function of the vehicles have not been affected. The company has not determined how many vehicles were impacted, although it's being described as widespread. The outage occurred in model year 2014 to 2016 Lexus vehicles equipped with a specific generation "Enform" system with navigation. Meaning, not every 2014, 2015, or 2016 Lexus vehicle has an inoperable infotainment system. Lexus sold about 652,000 vehicles globally in 2015. Lexus tweeted a lengthy explanation of the problem at around noon ET Wednesday. The automaker said owners experiencing the issue should visit their dealer for a system reset, which should make the head units functional again. The ability to wirelessly upgrade a vehicle's software isn't unique. Any car with built-in Wi-Fi technically has the ability to update its software. Over-the-software (OTA) updates have become increasingly popular, thanks largely to Tesla's use of the technology to wirelessly fix bugs and add new features to its all-electric vehicles. Remote over-the-air software updates are still only in their infancy in the automotive space. However, several automakers--notably Tesla, BMW bmw-hm, and Volkswagen vlkay are already using over-the-air software updates to improve navigation maps and other features. Research firm IHS predicted that over-the-air software updates would save automakers $2.7 billion in 2015. That figure will explode to $35 billion in savings by 2022, IHS says. Most of the savings will come from updates to telematics and infotainment systems. There are several kinds of OTA, including software updates for maps, telematics, infotainment, and the electronic control unit. Some are more complex than others and are being adopted at different rates. Remote software upgrades for app OTA--embedded applications that are part of infotainment systems such as head units or telematics systems--have been available for several years. The software programs are relatively small in total memory and there are limited associated safety issues. Toyota has been a leader in this segment, according to IHS. Before the decade is over, IHS expects all major OEMs to introduce app OTA updates. By 2022, IHS expects app OTA update-enabled vehicles to reach 53.8 million, up from three million vehicles in 2015. | 3 | 98,982 | finance |
All-day breakfast is the big trend for restaurants these days, but investors seeking out restaurant stocks to buy need every meal covered. The all-day breakfast single-handedly revived McDonald's ( MCD ), which in turn lit a fire under MCD stock. Shares have gained 20% since the world's largest restaurant chain launched its latest and arguably greatest menu initiative Oct. 6, 2015. By comparison, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust ( SPY ) is up just 6% in the same period. The morning daypart has become the all-day daypart for restaurant chains big or small, whether their customers are quick service, fast casual, casual sit-down, or fine dining. It's a trend that's not going to go away, and with that, the lines between the breakfast, lunch, and dinner dayparts have become blurred. However, despite this melding, let me introduce you to the Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner (BLD) Portfolio -- a powerful trio of stocks that should provide investors with plenty of upside over the next five to 10 years regardless of the latest restaurant trends sweeping the nation. 7 Best Stocks to Buy on the Next Dip The BLD portfolio provides stocks to buy for every meal of the day. McDonald's If you want to construct any portfolio to withstand the ravages of time, you ve got to have stocks that deliver in good times and bad. While McDonald s ( MCD ) has had its ups and downs over the past decade, it has managed to deliver an annual total return of 16% to MCD shareholders, outperforming its restaurant peers by 143 basis points. It did even better against the SPY, bettering the index's ETF by 870 basis points. The opportunity for MCD to benefit from all-day breakfast outside the U.S. isn t going to be easy, but long-term, I don t see why it can t be a success in places such as Canada (where I live) and elsewhere. In Canada, where the supply chain is different than in the U.S., all-day breakfast has yet to be implemented -- Canada s quota-based system sees 90% of its eggs hatched by hens in cages -- McDonald s could have a harder time securing the millions of additional eggs required to satisfy all-day breakfast. Most chains including McDonald s and breakfast competitor Tim Hortons, part of Restaurant Brands International Inc ( QSR ), have committed to being 100% cage-free by 2025. They ll get it sorted, and when they do, Canada will make an even bigger contribution than it already does. McDonald s is the B in my BLD portfolio. Zoe's Kitchen With the lines increasingly blurred, it has become much harder to find an appropriate lunch representative. That being said, I think I ve found one in Zoe's Kitchen ( ZOES ), where lunch accounts for 60% of its revenue and dinner the remaining 40%. Zoe's announced Q1 2016 results May 31, and they were more than satisfactory. Its total revenue was up 27.6% to $80.4 million in the quarter, with comparable restaurant sales increasing 8.1% year-over-year. On the bottom line, its adjusted EBITDA increased 28.3% year-over-year to $8.3 million. In the 16 weeks ended April 18, 2016, Zoe's opened 11 new company-owned stores finishing the quarter with 174. In 2016, it expects to open between 34 and 36 new locations across the U.S. Zoe's raised its 2016 outlook and now expects its comparable-restaurant sales to grow by as much as 6% from 2015, with a restaurant contribution margin of at least 20.5%. 9 Oil and Gas Stocks to Buy for the Energy Rebound Things are looking good for the Mediterranean-themed fast-casual restaurant. Sure, ZOES stock is up 32% year-to-date and could be due for a cooling-off period, but long-term, it has the right stuff to hold its own in the busy lunch crowd. Darden Restaurants Darden Restaurants' ( DRI ) concepts span 1,535 restaurants generating more than $7 billion in annual revenue, so it's more than likely that most investors reading this article have dined under one or more of Darden's brands. At seven brands strong -- Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's, Yard House, Seasons 52 and Bahama Breeze -- Darden offers something for every dining occasion and food preference. Business is going great for DRI at the moment; so good are things that activist investor Jeffrey Smith, head of Starboard Value -- the hedge fund that ousted Darden's entire board in 2014 -- stepped down as the company's chairman in April. He likely figured that six consecutive quarters of comparable-restaurant sales growth was evidence his presence was no longer required. Olive Garden and LongHorn, which represent 78% of its overall revenue of $5.1 billion for the first nine months of fiscal 2016, delivered 16.1% and 21.5% growth in the first three quarters respectively. Olive Garden, once left for dead, has seen the biggest turnaround at the company with year-to-date comps through the end of February up 3.4%. What has this turnaround meant for DRI stock? Over the past three years, Darden has achieved an annualized total return of 15.05%, which is 265 basis points better than its restaurant peers. Long-term I see Darden's other brands -- especially Seasons 52 and Yard House -- doing some of the heavy lifting currently shouldered by Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse. This should lead to even greater profitability for the entire company. For this reason, DRI is my dinner stock to complete the BLD portfolio. As of this writing, Will Ashworth did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. | 3 | 98,983 | finance |
12 Cars You May Have Overlooked Models That (Sometimes) Get the Cold Shoulder Just because a car is popular doesn't mean everyone gives it a fair shake. Not everyone wants the same car as their neighbor, which could lead to even the most recognizable cars and crossovers to be passed over simply because there are so many on the road. Likewise, sometimes cars and crossovers remain in obscurity even though they perform their intended function impeccably well. Here are 12 cars and crossovers that you may have overlooked while car shopping, either because they're too common or because they're not common enough. Follow MSN Autos on Facebook Subaru Legacy You may be forgiven if you accidentally thought the Subaru Legacy was a Toyota Camry. Its anonymous exterior styling lets it blend into the crowd. However, underneath the vanilla looks is a practical all-weather family sedan with plenty of space for four passengers and some of the best active safety technologies available today. Explore the Subaru Legacy on MSN Autos | Find a Subaru Legacy near you Chevrolet Volt The second-generation Chevrolet Volt has a more conservative look, but underneath all that is an improved Voltec plug-in hybrid powertrain that gives you up to 420 miles of range or up to 53 miles on electric power alone. This means you'll have the range to get you anywhere without range anxiety or the risk of getting stranded somewhere. Pricing for the Chevrolet Volt on MSN Autos | Find a Chevrolet Volt near you Honda Accord You'd be forgiven not to give the Honda Accord, one of the most popular midsize cars today, a chance. You see them everywhere in both coupe and sedan body styles, and who wants to be like everybody else? However, you should give it a chance; the Accord provides a nice balance of family friendliness, comfort, agility, fuel economy, and space that few cars its size can match. News and reviews for the Honda Accord on MSN Autos | Find a Honda Accord near you Volkswagen Golf Among compact cars, the Volkswagen Golf family offers a version for everyone from the driving enthusiast to the family that despises crossovers and SUVs. Regardless of which Golf you choose, you'll be treated to an interior that's a cut above the rest with high-quality materials all around and plenty of interior space for your friends and/or your gear. Research the Volkswagen Golf on MSN Autos | Find a Volkswagen Golf near you Subaru Forester Although its conservative looks may put you off, the Subaru Forester puts function and practicality first. Should you want a rally-bred crossover, the Forester is one of few options thanks to the 250-hp XT model, which is essentially a WRX wrapped in a more family-friendly package. Learn more about the Subaru Forester on MSN Autos | Find a Subaru Forester near you Infiniti Q50 If you're shopping for a luxury sports sedan, you'd be forgiven if you forgot to look outside of German automakers. If you do, however, you'll find the Infiniti Q50 as one of your choices. Available with a 400-hp, twin-turbo V-6 in the Red Sport 400 trim, the Q50 gives you prodigious power for less than what you'd pay if you'd stuck with the Germans. Pricing for the Infiniti Q50 on MSN Autos | Find an Infiniti Q50 near you Honda Civic For its tenth generation, the Honda Civic has reset the bar in the compact class and is now the benchmark. Offering excellent fuel economy, turbo power, great handling, plenty of tech, and a more distinctive look, the Civic is a great all-around car that's available in sedan, coupe, and soon a hatchback body style. Look for performance-oriented Si and Type R variants for follow in the near future. Research the Honda Civic | Find a Honda Civic near you Honda Civic news and reviews on MSN Autos Subaru Outback Because it essentially looks like a lifted wagon, the Subaru Outback may cause some folks in wagon-averse America to turn away. Should you join them in turning up your nose, you'd be missing out on one of the best family haulers on sale today. The Outback comes standard with all-wheel drive. Explore the Subaru Outback on MSN Autos | Find a Subaru Outback near you Honda HR-V The Honda HR-V is the crossover for those who need to fit their lives into their cars but live in a place with limited space. Thanks to it sharing the Honda Fit's platform, the HR-V also features the Magic Seats, giving you extra flexibility for hauling any mix of people or cargo. Research the Honda HR-V on MSN Autos | Find a Honda HR-V near you Infiniti QX50 Yes, it still exists. The Infiniti QX50 is now longer and more spacious than ever before, but most people wouldn't know it because the car is relatively unknown. Should you be one of those who decides to get one, you've essentially bought yourself the old G37 with a hatch and a little extra ground clearance. Learn more about the Infiniti QX50 on MSN Autos | Find an Infiniti QX50 near you Jaguar XE A relative newcomer to the compact luxury sedan segment, the Jaguar XE is out to sink its claws into the segment benchmark, the BMW 3 Series. Because Jaguar isn't as big as BMW, the number of XEs on the road will probably be a lot lower, but it's one of the best-handling sport sedans available today and one of few than can beat the 3 Series at its own game. Pricing for the Jaguar XE on MSN Autos | Find a Jaguar XE near you Honda Pilot Honda's largest crossover, the Pilot, may get overlooked due to its minivanlike styling and a price that can go upward of $40,000. What you get, however, is plenty of space, a 280-hp V-6, and class-above features that may cause you to think twice about buying that premium-badge crossover you've been eyeing across the street. Explore the Honda Pilot on MSN Autos | Find a Honda Pilot near you | 9 | 98,984 | autos |
Kevin Love will not be cleared to play in Game 3 of the Finals, according to ESPN and USA Today reports. | 1 | 98,985 | sports |
A former New York hedge fund manager has been charged along with a prominent union official in a case involving alleged kickbacks and a pension fund, according to reports. Murray Huberfeld faces charges for events that allegedly took place while he was affiliated with Platinum Partners, a $1.3 billion firm known for risky investment strategies that often paid off handsomely. Federal officials charged Huberfeld and Norman Seabrook, president of the New York's Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, in the case. They allege that Seabrook took kickbacks from Huberfeld's Platinum Partners in exchange for directing some $20 million in wire transfers from the union's pension fund to the firm. Both were charged with honest services wire fraud, according to the New York Daily News , which cited sources and court papers. The union is the largest municipal jail union in the United States, according to the News . Huberfeld no longer helps run Platinum, according to a Reuters profile of the firm in April that detailed the firm's risky strategies. Neither Huberfeld, Seabrook nor representatives at Platinum Partners responded to requests from CNBC.com for comment. Read the full Daily News report on the charges here . | 3 | 98,986 | finance |
Katy Perry celebrates Hillary Clinton's likely presidential nomination, plus more news Katy Perry celebrates Hillary Clinton's likely nomination After Hillary Clinton became the country's first female presumptive presidential nominee on June 7, Twitter erupted with hashtags like "#Imwithher" and "#Herstory." Hollywood joined in the celebration, too. "A lot of little girls are in bed right now dreaming for the first time, without limits. You broke the mold," tweeted Katy Perry. Ellen DeGeneres took the opportunity to dis Donald Trump's claim Hillary's success is due to "playing the woman's card," with this gem : "I've never been prouder to have a woman card," while other celebs made more serious pronouncements. "To live a day in which my first vote is for a female democratic nominee to become our PRESIDENT of the United States," Chloe Grace Moretz tweeted . Elizabeth Banks echoed that sentiment, posting , "Very emotional about @HillaryClinton securing nomination - historic moment for American Women. #HistoryMade#ImWithHer #mostqualified." And no matter who you're voting for, you can't deny that, as Debra Messing tweeted , "The ceiling is shattered." Is Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik's on-again relationship doomed? In today's whiplash news, Us Weekly has wrangled up some more confusion with regard to the state of Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik's on/off/apparently on-again romance. To recap: They're together . No, they're not . Yes, they are . Now that you're caught up … "They broke up and got back together almost right away. Right now, it's back on, but it could be off again in an hour," a "pal" tells Us, adding that, "They are young and keep going back and forth," and that "Things are testy between them." Another insider/doomseeker notes: "He wants to stay home and hang out, but she loves the limelight. She loves attention and he hates it. An introvert and an extrovert; we all saw it coming." Uh ... thanks for the clarification? Beyonce's sneeze gets a massive, unison 'bless you' Who runs this? One girl, apparently. During her June 7 performance in New York, Beyonce sneezed. Though she kept on singing, the entire crowd offered Bey a "bless you" in unison, according to Us Weekly . Bey got some similar love on Twitter as fans continued to react to the (gasp!) oh-so-human moment. "Beyoncé just sneezed into the crook of her arm of her Gucci costume in between songs and it was very endearing," tweeted one user. "Didn't even know Beyoncé could sneeze yo," marveled another. Said a third: " Beyonce sneezed on stage and the whole world goes crazy. I sneeze and can barely get a bless you." Sorry, bro. You're not Beyonce. Alexander Skarsgard sizzles in new Tarzan pics Warner Brothers was kind enough to release new pics of Alexander Skarsgard in "The Legend of Tarzan" this week to ease the burden of waiting three more weeks until the movie's July 1 release. For the most part, the pics involve our favorite former vampire shirtless, ripped and making intense faces in the steamy jungle. "It's almost the opposite of the classic tale, where it's about taming the beast," the actor recently told USA Today of the movie's plot. The flick opens with Tarzan living as Lord Greystoke before being sent to the Congo as an emissary, according to the Daily Mail . Alexander continued: "This is about a man who's holding back and slowly as you peel off the layers, he reverts back to a more animalistic state and lets that side of his personality out." Mmhmm. You had us at "animalistic." Kris Jenner wishes Kanye West a happy birthday in touching Instagram post Kanye West turned 39 on June 8 and it's quite possible Kris Jenner could win the Most Thoughtful Birthday Greeting Prize of the Year. "Happy birthday to my son, North and Saint's daddy and Kim's soul mate, #KanyeWest," she wrote in a loving note on Instagram . "To say you are special is an understatement… you are one of a kind!!!! You inspire, you lead, you're the most incredible father and a wonderful friend. We are so blessed to have you in our lives!!! I'm so proud of you and I love you so much. Happy birthday!!!! #love #family #blessed#proudmama #happybirthdaykanye." Aw. That's so nice it might even make up for whatever Yeezy's fans said about him after his New York concert cancellation chaos . Happy birthday, Kanye! Rihanna, Jay Z and Roc Nation sued by Nigerian promoter Has the old Nigerian letter scam hit the entertainment industry? A Nigerian promoter named Chris Ubosi and his company Megalectrics have sued Rihanna, Jay Z and Roc Nation in the hopes of reclaiming the $160,000 he says he paid Riri and her team as an advance for a concert she never performed back in 2013. According to TMZ , Chris claims Rihanna and friends bailed on the scheduled show date and offered to reschedule. He demanded they post the date for the redo on social media but says they never did, leading him to file suit. A rep for Roc Nation, however, tells TMZ: "[Neither] Rihanna, Roc Nation nor anyone associated personally or professionally with either party was in contact with this person. Unfortunately this person was scammed. [Neither] Rihanna nor Roc Nation collected any money for this event." Woops. Kelly Clarkson spotted for the first time since welcoming son Remy Hey, mama! This week, Kelly Clarkson made her first public appearance since giving birth to her son, Remy -- and she did it social media-style. Smiling beside documentarian Cat Brewer, Kelly posed for a snap during a tete-a-tete with Cat for the documentary, "Sign the Show: Deaf Culture, Access & Entertainment" according to E! News . In a recent interview with Alameda Magazine, Cat explained that the deaf community faces many obstacles in accessing live entertainment and that the documentary is meant to drum up more awareness about the situation as a means of creating more access to things like live music, comedy and other events. In an Instagram post, Cat praised Kelly for her participation. "@kellyclarkson contributed an amazing interview for #SignTheShow and was most gracious, thoughtful, and inspiring in her message," she captioned this pic. "I'm honored she's on board and helping bring awareness and support to the Deaf community." Jenelle Evans didn't watch the 'Teen Mom 2' season finale Looks like reality mom show veteran Jenelle Evans might be finally ready to axe MTV from her life and make good on her new website's invitation to show "the truth" about her life "beyond the headlines." On June 6, the troubled mother of two tweeted that she wouldn't be tuning in for "Teen Mom 2" season finale. "Not watching once again. Highly disappointed and only caught a glimpse for 5 secs. Rethinking ever letting my life be filmed ever again," she wrote. Jezebel points out she's complained before about the network's approach to editing her life and that a few days before this week's tweet, she retweeted this post: "mtv needs to cut the bull----. You and David are always doing productive activities with Jace. Definitely doesn't look like." The 24-year-old, who's been arrested numerous times and continues to fight with her mom over whether she's ready to raise her own child, has appeared on MTV since her February 2010 "16 & Pregnant" debut. Kesha hid from an ex in the street Kesha's over it. A week after some nameless hater called her an "ugly whore" on social media, she found herself ducking out of sight so an ex wouldn't recognize her in the street. "I wish I could quarantine all of my ex boyfriends and send them to a far away place," she tweeted after the incident. "Literally saw one today and had to hide behind a dumpster for half an hour." It's understandable if the singer's feeling a bit vulnerable these days, but when the troll attacked her last week, she did anything but hide in response. After taking him down in a long and thoughtful note of response, she took the situation to a higher level. "Bullying someone who has struggled publicly with body issues is pretty mean," she wrote (via the Daily Mail ). "Thank god I'm in a place in my life where I feel empowered to address your nasty comments instead of letting them destroy me. On behalf of anyone anywhere who struggles with body image, STOP IT. my body is not your business. in conclusion, kiss my magical imperfect a--." Tell it, girl! Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger's son graduates high school They grow up so fast! Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Shriver and their son, Patrick Schwarzenegger joined Patrick's 18-year-old brother, Christopher over the weekend at his high school graduation, according to JustJared . "C-1 graduated yesterday. Off to Michigan. Congrats brother," Patrick captioned a siblings-only pic after the ceremony. In a photo on Maria's Instagram, she and her ex-husband, Ah-nie, each put an arm around their son as they beam with pride. "Celebrating Christopher the graduate," Maria wrote alongside the photo. Congrats! | 6 | 98,987 | entertainment |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. FBI agents found hundreds of classified documents on Paula Broadwell's home computers in Charlotte during their investigation into her relationship with then-CIA Director David Petraeus, according to newly unsealed FBI documents obtained by the Charlotte Observer. More than 300 of those documents were classified as secret, according to a 2013 FBI affidavit accompanying the agency's request to search Petraeus' Arlington, Va., home. The documents, which were unsealed Tuesday by the U.S. District Court in Eastern Virginia, offer new details of the sweeping federal investigation into the relationship between Broadwell, a Charlotte author, and Petraeus, a highly decorated military commander, the subject of Broadwell's book as well as her former lover. The probe uncovered their affair, revealed their mishandling of classified documents and lead to Petraeus' resignation as head of the CIA. Last year, Petraeus pleaded guilty in Charlotte to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling government documents and was fined $100,000. Broadwell, the author of Petraeus' biography, was never charged. Legal experts say her role as a journalist made any prosecution problematic. Broadwell did not respond Wednesday morning to a phone message and email seeking comment. Neither did her Washington-based attorney, Robert Muse. Jacob Sussman, the Charlotte member of Petraeus' defense team during his plea hearing, also could not be reached. The documents, partially redacted, have been sealed for more than three years. At the time of the search warrant request, the FBI asked that the affidavit remain sealed to protect an ongoing investigation. It was released in response to a public information request by the media. The affidavit is signed by a Charlotte-based FBI agent. Its allegations include: The documents show that when confronted by the FBI, both Broadwell and Petraeus appeared to mislead investigators about their extensive exchange of classified material, most of it involving military and diplomatic operations during Petraeus' years as commander of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Petraeus admitted his affair with Broadwell during an October 2012 interview with the FBI in his CIA office. But he said he never gave classified information to her. That answer led some prosecutors to recommend that Petraeus be hit with a felony charge of obstructing a federal investigation. As part of his plea deal with Charlotte-based prosecutors, Petraeus admitted he lied to the FBI. Interviewed in Charlotte, Broadwell claimed to have gotten some of the documents doing research for her book but "was unable to provide specifics as to how she obtained them. … Broadwell advised that she never received classified information from Petraeus," the affidavit says. On the contrary, the new documents include details of multiple emails between the two over classified records, including the "black book" diaries and logs Petraeus kept as commander. In one exchange included in the affidavit, Broadwell told Petraeus that certain records he'd shared were "naturally very helpful … (I want more of them! I know you're holding back.)" In June 2011, the affidavit says she expressed excitement at Petraeus' willingness to share certain files. "(I)'ll protect them. And I'll protect you," she wrote. During the same conversation, Petraeus referred to some files from his time as Iraq War commander. "Class'd, but I guess I might share!" he told Broadwell. From 2003-2012, Broadwell had security clearance to handle classified information, the affidavit says. But that came with the understanding that she not unlawfully remove the information "from authorized storage facilities" and not store the classified information "in unauthorized locations." The FBI found that Petraeus shared eight of his black books with Broadwell in 2011. Those contained secret codes, highly sensitive diplomatic information and wartime strategies, among other highly classified information. At the time, she was writing "All In," Petraeus' biography. None of the classified information appeared in the book, documents say. But the affidavit says the FBI seized numerous photographs of the contents of the black books during a search of Broadwell's home. The FBI gathered recordings Petraeus made as military commander in the Middle East in which he discussed information classified as "Top Secret" with reporters. In an audio file taken from Broadwell's home in November 2012, Petraeus can be heard discussing "sensitive military campaigns and operations" with reporters from The Washington Post. His only demand was to be referred to in the subsequent stories "as a senior military officer," the affidavit says. Petraeus tried to stop the FBI investigation as soon as he heard about it. According to the affidavit, the FBI began its probe in Tampa, Fla., after a person identified as "Witness 1," who is clearly Tampa socialite and Petraeus confidante Jill Kelly, complained of receiving threatening emails from someone who had access to the CIA director's schedule a potential breach of security. According to Kelly's recent book, an email went to her husband, Scott, on June 1, 2012, and referred to a Washington, D.C., dinner when Kelly and Petraeus, after a night of drinking, had compared each other's muscles. "As her husband, you might want to examine your wife's behavior and see if you can rein her in before we publicly share the pictures of her with her hands sliding between the legs of a senior service official," the email said. The FBI later traced those messages to Broadwell. On June 22, 2012, the FBI notified Petraeus' security detail of its investigation. A month later, Kelly notified the FBI that she no longer wanted to press charges against the cyberstalker. That August, Kelly told the FBI that Petraeus "personally requested" that Kelly "call off the G-men," and that the stalker "possessed information which could embarrass Petraeus and other public officials," the affidavit says. Broadwell, a married mother of two, and Petraeus, also married, took steps to hide their correspondences. The affidavit says the two used prepaid cellphones and email accounts "using non-attributable names." In September 2012, Broadwell told agents that she and Petraeus would use the same email account, saving messages in the "draft" folder instead of sending them. In the years since, Broadwell has apologized for the affair and says she has attempted to rebuild her marriage and has focused on charitable issues such as returning veterans and Wounded Warriors. She has also started a foundation to examine gender bias in the media. "I'm the first to admit I screwed up," Broadwell recently told The New York Times. " … But how long does a person pay for their mistake?" (Charlotte Observer researcher Maria David contributed to this report.) | 5 | 98,988 | news |
Gillian Pensavalle (@GillianWithaG) breaks it down for the Hamilfans out there. | 8 | 98,989 | video |
Aimee Copeland contracted the rare flesh-eating bacteria in 2012 after a swimming accident Aimee Copeland 's life has dramatically changed over the past four years. In May 2012, the then 24-year-old cut her leg in a fall from a homemade zip-line into the Little Tallapoosa River in Carrollton, Georgia. Copeland received 22 surgical staples to close the deep gash and was sent home from the hospital. But three days later, she woke up to a terrifying sight. Her left leg had rotted to her thigh. Unbeknownst to the University of West Georgia grad student, she had contracted necrotizing fasciitis, an aggressive flesh-eating bacterial infection. Her arms and legs were amputated as a life-saving measure. For more on Aimee Copeland's recovery, pick up a copy of PEOPLE magazine, on newsstands Friday Although rare, necrotizing fasciitis can spread quickly and lead to debilitating results. Here is everything you need to know about the disease. What is it? Necoritizing fasciitis commonly known as flesh-eating disease results in the decaying of the body's soft tissue, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders . Bacteria attacks the skin and the tissue beneath it (fascia, which surrounds muscles, nerves, fat and blood vessels), often spreading quickly sometimes at the rate of an inch an hour and leading to toxic shock syndrome, which causes the organs to shut down. How is it contracted? Bacteria enters the body through an open wound or some sort of external injury, or, sometimes through a punctured or sexual organ, according to NORD. After infection, the bacteria spreads through the soft tissue. Several different types of bacteria can cause the disease, including streptococcus, the bacteria that causes strep throat, and others found in soil, animals and nature. Copeland was infected by Aeromonas hydrophila, a bacterium found in fresh or brackish water. What are the symptoms? Immediate side effects include high fever, nausea, diarrhea and chills. As it progresses, the skin becomes bright red, swollen and shiny, before blistering and, in worst-case scenarios, becoming open wounds.Symptoms typically start within hours after an injury and can include severe pain or soreness, similar to that of a "pulled muscle." The skin may be warm with red or purplish areas of swelling that spread rapidly, according to the CDC. How is it treated? According to the CDC , the first step in treating the flesh-eating disease is intravenous antibiotics. The antibiotics don't provide full coverage, however, and often surgical removal of dead tissue is necessary and crucial. Treatment depends on how far the necrotizing fasciitis has progressed. What precautions can be taken to prevent it? Chances of contracting necrotizing fasciitis are rare, especially if you're healthy and have a strong immune system, according to the CDC. For more of Aimee Copeland's life now, tune in to PEOPLE's List, Saturday June 11, 8/7c on ABC Practicing good hygiene is crucial in prevention, as well as properly caring for any and all wounds which includes keeping them covered with dry, clean bandages. Those with open wounds and active infections should avoid bodies of water, especially swimming pools and hot tubs. The CDC notes that necrotizing fasciitis is rarely spread from person to person. | 7 | 98,990 | health |
Treat yourself to one of these great drives, islands, beach towns, lakes, or wilderness escapes Splashy adventures in Kremmling, CO This real-deal ranching town at the confluence of the Colorado, Blue, and Muddy Rivers serves up splashy outdoor adventures for summer, from rafting to dips in hot springs. Poolside R&R in Palm Springs, CA Palm Springs in summer? Yep, we said it. Zero crowds, killer deals, and a pool around every corner make this the place to be. Climb to your heart's content in Lander, WY Dip into Lander, Wyoming, a cool town of climbers, killer coffee, and cowboys. Epic hiking trails also await you there. Sizzling deals in Scottsdale, AZ In Scottsdale, expect summer temps of triple digits with a chance of more triple digits. But hotels and resorts even the ultra-posh ones drop their room rates by as much as two-thirds in the summer. Cowboy cool in Cody, WY Grab your cowboy hat and hit the rodeo in this wild west town. Mountain trail horseback rides and whitewater rafting are just a few of the adventures that await you. Vineyard hop in Geyserville, CA Sip some poolside vino in low-key Northern California. Hang ten on San Diego's Solana Beach Visit artsy, cool shops, munch on good eats, or catch some waves at picturesque Solana Beach. History lesson in Jerome, AZ Explore this old mining town and you'll find an up-and-coming art scene, handmade pottery, and a refreshing cooler temperature than nearby Phoenix. Splash around in Cascade, ID Explore nature's very own water world in Cascade, Idaho. Sparkling lakes, flowing rivers, and natural hot springs boast fun activities for the whole family. On a budget in Ashland, OR See a world-class play, hear live music, wander galleries, and beat the heat in woodsy 93-acre Lithia Park. Sun and surf in Huntington Beach, CA Whether you're carving up the waves or watching the pros from the sand, this classic beachy California vacation town will work its charms on you. Here's where to stay, get lobster tacos, watch the surfers, and learn to catch a wave. Escape to Edmonds, WA Summer brings out the all-American spirit in this small waterfront ferry port town. Grab some gourmet picnic grub and head to the beach, or hop a ferry for a scenic tour of the nearby Kitsap Peninsula. More: Escape to Edmonds, WA Cool off in Sierra City, CA In summertime, a cool pine forest laced with bracing-cold streams sounds just right. Take a dip in ice-cold swimming holes, hike through fields of wildflowers, then jump back into the crisp alpine waters to cool off again. Surrounded by nature in Sawtooth Mountains, ID Imagine a national park-level wilderness without national park-level crowds. No bus tours. No traffic. No entrance fees. Just drop-to-your-knees gorgeous land full of hiking trails, hot springs, trout-filled streams, and some of the best lemonade we've ever tasted. Raise your sail in Gig Harbor, WA Set sail or just watch the boats glide by in this mile-long harbor town. Rent a boat, watch one being made, or count them up in the harbor, then feast on the catch of the day at a local tavern. Take in the beauty of Maui, HI Maui s got all the essentials for the ultimate tropical vacation. Snorkel, shop, head out on a horseback ride, and enjoy the island's immense beauty. One perfect day in Yosemite See the sun rise over glistening meadows, trek to three waterfalls, eat lunch beneath El Capitan and still have time for an ice cream break. Here's our hour-by-hour breakdown of the perfect day in Yosemite. Explore nature in San Juan Islands, WA A long summer weekend in Washington's San Juan Islands is just enough time to savor the area s patented pleasures: orcas and eagles, kayaking and hiking, and a food scene that shows the influence of a burgeoning slow-food movement. Kayak through Denver, CO Rock the South Platte River's rapids or simply relax on the banks of Confluence Park and sip a beer at notorious Beat Generation hangout My Brother's Bar. Tear up the road on Big Sky drive, MT Hit the road this summer on an epic road trip through the Rocky Mountain Front to Glacier National Park. You'll pass through Montana's Rockies through the plains and you can stop to explore tipi villages, hunt for dinosaur bones and Indian relics, stay at a guest ranch, and catch a small town rodeo. Discover Prince William Sound, AK Want some adventure therapy? Paddling the pristine Prince William Sound alongside humpback whales, floating icebergs, and 350-pound sea lions soothes Sunset's editor-in-chief. Family time on the Southern Oregon Coast First-time family camping is best done by car. There's nowhere more fun than this boulder-strewn, hermit-crab-crawling stretch of the Southern Oregon Coast. Natural surroundings in Olympic National Park, WA A national park to yourself? In prime summertime? Yup, it's possible in super-lush Olympic - the greenest, wettest, wildest of the bunch. Paddle through North and South Pender Island, BC The Southern Gulf Islands is a paradise for paddlers and anyone who loves hidden beaches small farms, and seaside spas. More: Quiet islands in British Columbia Relax and refresh in Sooke, Vancouver Island, Canada Escape to the wild seaside on the south coast of Vancouver Island. You'll need a car to drive the pretty back roads, where there is a honey farm, but you can also rent a bike and pedal the Galloping Goose Trail. Cap it off with a stay at the artsy Sooke Harbour House. Berries seem to hang on every bush in the summer. Amazing eats in Point Reyes/Tomales Bay, CA An hour from San Francisco, you ll find rolling hills, a placid bay, wild coastline, and some of the most amazing food anywhere. Tour the coast from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, CA Just south of San Francisco, mile after mile of undeveloped, rugged coastline. Soak up some sun on Catalina Island, CA This is an island retreat only 40 minutes by ferry from the mainland. You can splash around on Avalon Beach, stroll through the harbor town of Avalon, or take a jeep tour of the wild backcountry. Get sandy on the waterfront in Santa Barbara, CA Tall palm trees, a great sweep of beach, and wine country just over the San Marcos pass. This is the beach town off 101. Make a pit stop in Williams, AZ This tiny Route 66 town has been dubbed the gateway to the Grand Canyon, but it s much more than a refueling stop along the way. Take in Old West history at Wild West Junction, shop in the reinvigorated downtown, and explore the town s own secret and dazzling canyon. Have some fun in San Diego, CA What to do, where to stay, and where to eat in the city's three best neighborhoods for summer fun. | 2 | 98,991 | travel |
If not for the dramatic injury that he suffered last week at the NCAA Championship, University of Texas All-American Beau Hossler would be making his professional debut on Thursday at the PGA Tour's FedEx St. Jude Classic. Instead, he'll be getting set for arthroscopic surgery on Friday in Dallas to repair what doctors have diagnosed as a torn labrum in Hossler's left shoulder. Hossler, who won the Fred Haskins Award as college golf's top player on Tuesday, told GolfDigest.com that he planned to turn pro and play in a series of PGA Tour events this summer in hopes of winning enough money to earn a tour card for the 2016-'17 season. For now, those pro plans are on hold as the 21-year-old from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., anticipates a four-month rehab period before he'll be able to take full swings, with physical therapy beginning within a week of the surgery. While excited for the summer he had in store, Hossler says he is still enthusiastic about his future, going so far as to describe the injury as a potential "blessing in disguise." "I wanted to make sure whatever road we go down I can make aggressive, confident swings and not worry about this happening [on a recurring basis]," Hossler said. "I didn't want to get out there on the course under pressure and be worried about it. "The good news is my shoulder is going to be even better than it was before. I'm very optimistic about what's to come. It's just kind of unfortunate timing. It was going to be a really eventful summer. I'm going to try to have a good attitude about it and make the most of it." Having done nothing to compromise his amateur status, Hossler could return to school in the fall and play for the Longhorns using his final year of college eligibility. However, Hossler said that he is also exploring the option of turning pro after finishing his injury rehab and trying to get exemptions into PGA Tour events in the fall portion of the 2016-'17 season, with the same goal of earning a tour card by winning enough money in his starts. "I need to weigh my options in the next couple of weeks, look at some opportunities off the golf course, and make sure they make sense if I were to turn pro," Hossler said. Hossler said he had not felt any shoulder pain prior to suffering the injury on May 31 late in his NCAA Championship semifinal match against USC's Andrew Levitt. He first felt pain after hitting a 4-iron approach shot on the 15th hole at Eugene (Ore.) Country Club. Despite playing in pain over his final two holes , Hossler won the match to help propel Texas to the finals against Oregon. However, the pain was too much for him to compete the next day in the championship match. With the Ducks earning a point for Hossler's conceded match, they went on to claim the title with a 3-2 victory over the Longhorns. Initially Hossler thought he had perhaps dislocated the shoulder. It wasn't until returning to Texas and having an MRI done that doctors determined he had torn the labrum. (The need for surgery was first reported by GolfChannel.com.) "It's good that it comes now, and we take care of it and make the right decision here for a 30-year career," Hossler said. More from Golf Digest: The Hottest PGA Tour Wives and Girlfriends How Tiger's Swing Has Changed This Weekend's Best Golf Instagrams | 1 | 98,992 | sports |
Find our how to turn ill-fitting old clothes into brand-new favorites. | 8 | 98,993 | video |
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) says he doesn't think presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is going to ask him to be her running mate, but he won't rule out accepting the offer if she asks. Kaine, who is high on media speculation lists as Clinton's vice presidential pick, told C-SPAN he loves being mentioned in VP discussions, but his "gut" tells him he won't get picked. "I was vetted for this spot back in '08, and I love being mentioned but my gut was never saying 'I think it's going to be me,' and I don't feel that differently now," Kaine said, in a preview clip given to The Hill. The full C-SPAN American Profiles interview with Kaine will air on Sunday night. Kaine paused and chose his words carefully when asked what he would say if Clinton told him she needed him on her ticket. "Well, look. I really like my job and I want to stay," Kaine said. "I think I can help her win, and I think I can help her win most by helping her win Virginia, and that's what I am doing already. "So, she's got a lot of directions that she can go, and look, she's going to choose a person who is the best suited to help her govern and to help her win." Kaine said he plans to stick around a long time in the Senate. "I really love my committees and so ... I will be up for reelection in 2018, and I'm kind of taking John Warner as my role model. "He was in the Senate for 30 years and did a great job for Virginia and was courageous," Kaine said, referring to the state's longtime Republican senator. "I hope to be here for a long time. ... I've got a good platform right now. I really like my job. "I'm a happy senator, and I'm not looking for another one." | 5 | 98,994 | news |
Tesla cars are powered by electricity and a good reputation. The electric auto maker was ranked the 10th most valuable global car brand with a valuation of $4.4 billion by advertising research firms WPP and Millward Brown in an annual report . Tesla displaces Lexus, which was valued at $4.3 million in 2015, for the 10th spot on the list. Valuations are based on future earnings estimates that can be attributed to brand power rather than company actions. The Tesla brand has maintained a consistent presence in daily headlines in 2016, though not always for positive reasons. The introduction of its affordable Model 3 which starts at $35,000 before tax breaks and incentives has attracted about 400,000 preorders thus far, each requiring a $1,000 deposit for a reservation. While the hype surrounding the car's release could potentially elevate the brand, it also brings up issues such as duplicate reservations and whether the company can complete plans for mass battery production in time for car deliveries. Tesla cars already on the market have had their own set of problems. Nearly 3,000 Model Xs the auto maker's all-electric SUV were recalled in April for a faulty hinge that could cause the third row of seats to collapse in a crash. On Sunday, one Model X owner claimed the vehicle "suddenly and unexpectedly" accelerated into a house. However, the ability to innovate within an industry and adapt to competition is a major driver of future brand valuation, according to the WPP and Millward Brown report. Tesla ranked above average in innovation, brand purpose and brand experience, according to a consumer survey conducted by the research firms. "Tesla's brand equity has grown a lot over the last few years, and while famously not an advocate of traditional above-the-line advertising, the few marketing dollars it does spend have grown noticeably in both value and effectiveness," the report said. Related video: The road ahead for Tesla Most other brands on the list remained unchanged, including Toyota , which took the top spot for the fourth consecutive year with a brand valuation of $29.5 billion. Volkswagen , was dropped from the list after the company was discovered to have been lying about the emissions of its diesel-fueled vehicles, but the company's Porsche brand broke into the top 10 with a valuation of $4.4 billion. The report also ranked the top 100 global brands, with Google and Apple topping the list at $229.2 billion and $228.5 billion, respectively. Facebook and Amazon entered the top 10 after ranking 12 and 14, respectively, in 2015. The report cited Facebook's original content publishing and Amazon's built-in logistics network that allows for convenient delivery as ways the brands have increased their value to consumers. RELATED: Why Tesla's Model 3 could mean better, cheaper cars from other luxury brands RELATED: Opinion: If you value Tesla per car sold, you're an idiot RELATED: Tesla on track with production goals, Pacific Crest says | 3 | 98,995 | finance |
Having grown up in the restaurant world, Sam Fox thought he knew everything about the business. He quickly realized how wrong he'd been once he opened his own restaurant at age 21. To get his island-themed grill up and running, he raised money from friends and family and used what would have been his tuition money for the semester. It was then that he realized how little he actually knew about the business side of running a restaurant. "I lost a lot of money and didn't really have the money to lose," said Fox, who is now 47. He found himself behind on all of his bills, and it was a real struggle to keep the joint open. But things eventually turned a corner, and he sold the business for half a million dollars in its third year. The island-themed restaurant was just the first of many concepts Fox would cook up over the years, but if Fox's father had had his way, his son wouldn't even have entered the competitive industry. "My dad really didn't want me to do anything in the restaurant business," he said. "He wanted me to go to college and get a degree." Starting a restaurant wasn't Fox's only risky move. He dropped out of college before his junior year after vowing to himself that he would never work for anyone else ever again following a bad experience at an internship. Since then, Fox has built a nationwide restaurant empire of 50 restaurants as CEO of Fox Restaurant Concepts, where he expects annual sales to reach about $260 million this year. Thirty more are in the pipeline and are scheduled to open during the next two years. He credits much of his success to his employees. "We have great people who have been here a long time to run the company," he said. Setting high expectations also helps. The real goal is to get better every single day, Fox said. | 3 | 98,996 | finance |
The US embargo on Cuba may not exist much longer. But now we know how Cuba's socialist government dodged it, using offshore banks and shell companies to do business in US dollars and protect foreign partners from American retribution. The network of secret companies was discovered in the Panama Papers , a collection of documents from the law firm Mossack Fonseca in Panama that was leaked to a consortium of international journalists. The papers showed how everyone from the former Prime Minister of Iceland to US heiresses leveraged corporate secrecy to keep their money untaxed and hidden from law enforcement. And Cuba was in on the act. The Miami Herald found how one Lebanese oil trading firm , BB Energy, used a shell company to supply Cuba with oil from 1992 to 2001, the years when the island nation lost a key economic backer in the Soviet Union, but before Venezuela became a major source of oil. The scheme allowed BB Energy to continue doing business with the US financial system while trading $300 million of oil for sugar with Cuba. The deal moved through an undisclosed company set up in Panama and directed by Jürgen Mossack, a founder of the law firm. While BB Energy denies that the companies are related, the Panama Papers documents show that they share directors and financial obligations. In all, 25 shell companies at Mossack Fonseca were found to have links to Cuba. Many were directed by high-ranking Cuban officials and apparently used to trade in food, medicine and cigars, key industries run by the state. Others were used to hide foreign assets of the Cuban state that may have been threatened by seizure. While the US embargo on Cuba has proven an ineffective sanctions regime largely because the rest of the world has not played along, these revelations demonstrate that the offshore finance system often protected by US law provides a surprisingly straightforward way around financial sanctions. More worrying than economically desperate Cuba smuggling oil past sanctions is the idea of a country like North Korea using shell companies to smuggle nuclear technology or weapons past the international community. And we have some sense that they are trying this news brings to mind the 2013 incident in the Panama Canal , when two MIG-21 fighters and missile parts were seized in a freighter, underneath a load of Cuban sugar, bound for Pyongyang. | 5 | 98,997 | news |
Notre Dame was 6-0 in the middle of the 2014 season, and had the puck on its stick with a chance to beat defending national champion Florida State in Tallahassee. An apparent game-winning touchdown pass was called back on a penalty and the Irish lost a 31-27 heartbreaker. Had they pulled it out, quarterback Everett Golson would've been everyone's midseason Heisman pick thanks to a magical first half of the year. While he followed it up with a brilliant 315-yard passing game against Navy, and threw for 446 yards against Arizona State, he couldn't stop turning the ball over. Notre Dame went on an ugly run of five losses in the final six regular season games, and the coaching staff made a change. Malik Zaire entered late in the ugly, 49-14 loss to USC, and got the call to start against LSU in a bowl game few thought the Irish had a shot at winning. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 96 yards and a score, ran for 96 yards and a score on 22 carries, and the Irish came away with a stunning win. The program had its starting quarterback for 2015. Zaire was going to be the man, Golson transferred to Florida State, and a new era of explosive offense was about to begin in South Bend. All was right with the world in the blowout opening win over Texas. From there Zaire struggled against Virginia, completing just 7-of-18 passes, and suffered an even bigger blow by getting knocked out for the game, and subsequently the season, with an ankle injury. This would've been the perfect time for Golson to step in and save the season, but with the former star taking his talents to Tallahassee, it was up to freshman DeShone Kizer to save the season. Thrown into the fire, Kizer completed 8-of-12 passes for 92 yards and two scores to pull out the thrilling, 34-27 win. Helped by a great ground game and an NFL-caliber game breaker in Fuller leading a loaded receiving corps Kizer was fantastic. He took the Irish to a 10-1 record, with the only loss a late battle at No. 1 Clemson, and was just one win away from having a fantastic College Football Playoff case. Kizer did what he needed to do against Stanford, throwing for 234 yards and a score, and running for what was very, very close to being a game-winning touchdown, but the Cardinal pulled it out over the Irish. Even so, and even with the blowout loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, Kizer did his part to be Notre Dame's starting quarterback for the next three years. But Zaire is back and healthy. Zaire is the more dynamic of the two options, and while he didn't look all that great in the spring game, and he didn't quite turn it loose, he's back to normal. The 6-0, 225-pound lefty is the type of playmaker who gives defenses fits, while the mobile 6-4, 230-pound Kizer has more of the next-level tools to potentially be developed into something truly amazing. There's no wrong answer. Who'll Be The Notre Dame Stating Quarterback? To make this even crazier, Brandon Wimbush might be the most talented quarterback on the roster. And while he's being sold on the idea that last year's No. 3 option on the depth chart ended up saving the season, it's a different story this time around. Kelly knows how to juggle quarterbacks and get everyone involved, so look for both Kizer and Zaire to see plenty of time. This isn't like the Zaire/Golson dynamic when both options had the same types of games, Kizer is just different enough to throw a curveball at defenses. Expect Kizer to get the call for the opener against Texas, but with Zaire to have a few packages to get him into the game or make it the other way around depending on who shines brightest in fall camp. MORE: Notre Dame's Inside Track At The College Football Playoff | 1 | 98,998 | sports |
A great horned owl knew just how to thank a man who helped bring her back from the brink of death. Doug Pojeky, known at Mississippi's as "the bird of prey whisperer," had been away at a family event for a few days when he returned to see an owl named GiGi. The bird promptly greeted him with an owl version of a hug. "I've never quite had the feeling that I had when that owl just nuzzled his neck against mine,'' Pojeky told TODAY. "I've worked with a lot of birds of prey that come in, but the connection I have with them is nothing like this owl giving me a hug." GiGi had come to Wild at Heart Rescue in late May with head injuries believed to have been caused by a car collision, as well as a fungal infection in her lungs. The owl also had lost a pound of weight, which is significant for birds that usually only weigh two to five pounds. Pojecky, the president of Wild at Heart Rescue, helped get GiGi back to health along with Missy Dubuisson, the founder and director of the rescue in Vancleave. "GiGi was just so excited to see Doug and that amazing moment happened,'' Dubuisson, who took the photos, told TODAY. Pojecky has been working with birds of prey since Dubuisson founded Wild at Heart in 2012 and has developed a special knack for rehabilitating them. "It's just a trust,'' he said. "Once I let my fear go and was able to trust the birds to show them that if they trust me, I can help them, it's been great. "I don't know what caused it, but someone else can do the same thing I'm doing and the bird will try to get away." With her rehabilitation complete, GiGi has since been released back into the wild, Dubuisson said. "Missy and I always say that when they look back it's like they're saying 'Thank you,' and 99 percent of the animals look back,'' Pojecky said. "When (GiGi) looked back, it definitely felt like gratitude to me." | 4 | 98,999 | lifestyle |
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