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Ozier Muhammad/The New York TimesReynaldo Rodriguez of the Care Coordination program counseled a patient with H.I.V. on how to adhere to a drug regimen. Doctors are very good at telling us what to do — but we are very poor at doing it. In fact, the health problems of millions of Americans are directly related to our failure to follow doctors’ orders. Doctors tell us to take our pills, exercise, go get that C.T. scan, stop smoking, change our diets, cut out salt, quit drinking, monitor our blood sugar. We know we should do it, but we very often don’t. About three-quarters of patients do not keep appointments for follow-up care. In one study of diabetes patients, only 7 percent were compliant enough with their treatment plans to control the disease. Even people at grave and immediate risk do not always take their medicines: a quarter of kidney transplant patients in one study did not take their medicines correctly, putting them at risk for organ rejection. Among elderly patients with congestive heart failure, 15 percent of repeat hospitalizations were linked to failure to take prescribed medicines. And compliance with exercise and diet programs is even worse. Poor compliance is a major reason that sick people don’t get better, and that our health care costs are so high. It is a reason that often gets ignored. Many doctors are uncomfortable wrestling with adherence. They may even believe that it is not their problem, that their job is done when they write the prescription or hand the patient a diet plan. But even concerned doctors would find themselves helpless in a 10-minute office visit. They are too removed from their patients, too much the authority figure to really get to the bottom of why a patient isn’t doing what he is supposed to. Bad adherence doesn’t discriminate by social class. Tens of millions of Americans struggle with high cholesterol and blood pressure and yet can’t manage to stick to an exercise program. Far fewer — but far sicker and more expensive to the health care system — are the handful of emergency room frequent flyers: people with multiple serious conditions such as AIDS, diabetes, hypertension, depression, mental illness, social isolation, substance abuse or domestic violence. Such people have extraordinary problems sticking to their plans to get better, and need extraordinary help. Joe McManus is a 56-year-old former heroin and crack addict who lives in a single-resident-occupancy apartment in Manhattan. He spent 15 years as an addict, about 10 of them homeless. In some ways, he’s far from the typical homeless person. He used to work on Wall Street and still retains some of his Wall Street friends. In 2005, one of those friends took him to the Super Bowl. In other ways, he is absolutely typical of drug users who have hit bottom. McManus has AIDS, Hepatitis C and liver problems. “My doctors went three or four years with me not showing up,” he said in a recent interview in his apartment. “I had no relationship with her — except for her to put me in the hospital because I didn’t listen to what she had to say. I was still not addressing the fact that I was H.I.V.-positive. I was not taking my medicine and only going to the hospital when I had to be put in the hospital. I was still messing around with drugs.” McManus was hospitalized four times in the year before November, 2009. Then he got a visit from Reynaldo Rodriguez. When Rodriguez first visited McManus, he had already quit drugs, on his own. But he was still living as if he were homeless. His apartment was covered with soot and grime, the bed had cigarette burns and the refrigerator held moldy food. McManus was treating his apartment like it was the street. “How the hell are you living like this?” Rodriguez blurted out. It made a difference. McManus started taking his medicines. The medicines brought down his viral load — he was getting better, and that motivated him to take care of himself. McManus is thin and twitchy, but when I saw him was dressed in jeans and a nice zippered sweater, and the apartment was in reasonable condition. McManus is now 100 percent adherent to his medicines, and his hospital stays amounted to only a single night in the last 16 months. He said that part of it was a spiritual awakening, but it was clear that Rodriguez played a huge role. McManus now goes to all his doctor’s appointments on his own. But that doesn’t mean he follows all of his doctor’s advice. He’s no longer doing crack, but he’s still drinking — several nights a week he goes to hang out in a friend’s bar. He loves the bar — it’s his entire social network. But his Hepatitis C makes this dangerous behavior, and his doctor was stern: “You can not ever have a drink again. Not even on your birthday,” she told him. “I never have to tell you if I ever have one,” McManus thought to himself. Rodriguez and McManus worked out a compromise: he could keep going to the bar, but he had to tell his friends about his health problems so they would put the brakes on. He had to try to drink less, and keep doing tests that monitored his liver. “He’s been very honest with me,” Rodriguez said. Why more than with your doctor? I asked McManus. “She’s a doctor,” he said. The Care Coordination program, a city-wide initiative now in 28 sites in different hospitals around New York, was inspired and trained by a Boston-based program called PACT, for Prevention, Access to Care and Treatment. PACT is part of Partners in Health — a nongovernmental group famous for its work in Haiti, Rwanda and elsewhere. Part of Partners’ strategy is to use people from the community who are paid a stipend to visit patients, watch them take their pills and support them. Since 1995, PACT has been using these ideas in tough neighborhoods of Boston, first with H.I.V. patients and now with people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. The PACT project trains people from the community, some of whom have the same diseases and similar problems as their patients, to be community health workers. The new health reform law encourages pilot programs to try different forms of medical homes, and the better care and cost savings that come from improving adherence with peers or lay people like Rodriguez are attractive. The New Yorker magazine writer Atul Gawande recently profiled two clinics that use this model, in Atlantic City and Camden, N.J. There are successful programs that use nurses for outreach. The Nurse-Family Partnership sends nurses to visit low-income first-time mothers, beginning in pregnancy and continuing until the child is two. The program now operates in 32 states and has proven to greatly improve the life of both child and mother. The Camden program that Gawande wrote about also uses nurses and nurse practitioners to make home visits. But nurses are expensive home visitors, and they may not even be the best people for the job. “Given the rising cost of health care, we have found having peer-based health promoters providing care management is an equally effective way to provide high-quality care at a low cost,” said Ayesha Cammaerts, the director of operations at PACT. “Especially with patients who suffer from substance abuse and mental health issues, they need someone they feel comfortable letting into their environment. Sometimes patients don’t feel they can connect to clinicians from outside their community,” she said. PACT’s methods work. A study of AIDS patients found that the patients’ use of appropriate medicines rose — they were becoming adherent. At the same time, spending on hospitalization dropped by nearly two-thirds. Overall, patient costs dropped by 36 percent. Even taking into account the $6,000-per-patient cost of PACT, patient costs dropped 16 percent. And in a group of people who would likely have died if they had not been in the program, 70 showed clinical improvement. The PACT method is likely to be an important part of the future of American medicine. Many of the deficiencies of American health care require not more technology, but the human touch. It’s certainly true for high-risk, high-cost patients, but it can help nearly everyone get better health for less money. In Saturday’s column, I’ll write about how.

And yet the Cardinals are in position to complete a three-game sweep of the Cubs on Sunday night after erasing deficits of 4-0 and 6-4 on Saturday before Kolten Wong's two-run walk-off homer in the 10th inning capped an 8-6 victory Saturday. The win, however, cost the first-place Cardinals center fielder Tommy Pham, who left in the second inning with right groin tightness, catcher Yadier Molina, who left the game in the ninth inning after being hit by a foul tip, and closer Bud Norris in the 10th inning with a triceps injury. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, manager Mike Matheny told reporters that all three players were candidates for replacements. Despite the injuries, though, the Cardinals improved to 3-1 this season against the two-time defending National League Central champions. "I've never (played) in the World Series or those kinds of games," Cardinals outfielder Marcel Ozona told reporters after he tied the game in the ninth inning with a two-run double. "This feels like more of a regular game." But after trailing twice Saturday, including by two runs late, St. Louis' latest win felt like so much more than a normal game in early May. "I'm telling you, we never feel like we're out of it," Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter told reporters, according to the team's official website. "This was a really great win for us, and everybody had a piece of it." Michael Wacha (4-1, 3.62 ERA) will try to deliver the series sweep for the Cardinals, who have won four straight games. Wacha won four straight games in April before he registered a no-decision last week against the Chicago White Sox when he allowed two runs and scattered five hits in five innings. Wacha is 4-7 with a 6.41 ERA in 16 games (14 starts) against the Cubs. The Cubs will enter Sunday's primetime showdown having lost four straight games after putting together five straight victories. The Cubs finally showed promise offensively Saturday, when they snapped a nine-game string of games in which they scored three or fewer runs. But after blowing two different leads as their slide continued, the Cubs will attempt to get back on track in Sunday's series finale. The back and forth Cubs performance has been difficult to predict after they finished a 5-2 homestand despite struggling to score runs. Manager Joe Maddon found silver linings in the Cubs' recent roller coaster ride and continues to point to how early in the season his team's Jekyll and Hyde act has surfaced. "Regardless of what your plan may be, teams are going to go through these moments," Maddon told reporters before Saturday's game, according to the Chicago Tribune. "It just happens to be ours right now. I want to continue to work like we've been working. I believe in our guys and believe in our methods. It's just the ebb and flow of the season. Right now, it's our turn. We'll come out of it and be fine." Jon Lester will take the mound for the Cubs. Lester (2-1, 2.73) has already beaten the Cardinals once this season when he threw six innings and allowed an unearned run and two hits April 19. Lester is 6-4 with a 3.16 ERA in 15 career starts against the Cardinals.

Talking to the press people here at the Heliport on Saturday, the National BJP leader, while stating the Naga issue as complicated, said all the stakeholders would taken on board while trying to find a permanent solution to it. When asked about a series of protests in Manipur against what it called the Center’s reported plan to extend the Article 371A of the Constitution of India in the State in trying to resolve the Naga issue, Madhav said there were talks with many stakeholders, and the Government of India was sincerely trying to find a solution to the longstanding Naga political issue “that is acceptable to all.” Even there were many Naga groups and they had to take them along while trying to find a permanent solution to the issue. On their party’s announcement that there should be “Election for Solution” while Naga civil societies and other political parties in the State were for “Solution before Election” and also whether there would be any possibility of settling the Naga issue before the next Parliamentary Election, Madhav refused to give any timeframe for the settlement but said there were about seven months to the next Parliamentary Election which is likely to be held in the month of April 2019. He further expressed the hope that since their party, BJP, was in power in Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, besides a major ally in the PDA Government in Nagaland, there would be a resolution to the Naga issue sooner than later. He also informed that the Central Government was working out to extend all possible helps towards restoring unprecedented damages caused by the recent massive landslides and floods in Nagaland. The BJP National Secretary was here to meet their party people to discuss about the upcoming Parliamentary Elections. He did not say they would be setting up their own BJP candidate for the upcoming Parliamentary Election in the State. He, however, stated that they would be discussing the matter with their party people in the State as to whether they would be setting up or not. Earlier on his arrival here at the Heliport, he was received by BJP Ministers - Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, Minister for Higher and Technical Education and Nagaland BJP Unit President Temjen Imna Along Longkumer, Medical Minister Pangnyu Phom - and other party people.

LUCERNE VALLEY — A motorist on Thursday morning found the body of a bicyclist who had been struck by a hit-and-run driver the night before. Angelo “Andy” Douglas Azzato, 47, of Lucerne Valley had been riding east on Highway 247 when he was struck from behind, San Bernardino County coroner’s officials said. Investigators say the crash occurred either late Wednesday or early Thursday. A passing motorist found his body on the side of the road just before 8 a.m.. Anyone with information may call the California Highway Patrol’s Victorville office, 760-241-1186. Relatives of Azzato, who are being sought by coroner’s officials, may call 909-387-2978.

Famously tight-lipped about her Scientology faith, The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss has opened up in a candid new interview. Elisabeth Moss won’t delve into the specifics of her beliefs in Scientology, but she does think they perfectly align with her work on The Handmaid’s Tale, despite what critics may think. “Listen, it’s a complicated thing because the things that I believe in, I can only speak to my personal experience and my personal beliefs. One of the things I believe in is freedom of speech,” she told The Daily Beast. “I believe we as humans should be able to critique things. I believe in freedom of the press. I believe in people being able to speak their own opinions. “I don’t ever want to take that away from anybody, because that actually is very important to me,” she continued. “At the same time, I should hope that people educate themselves for themselves and form their own opinion, as I have. “The things that I believe in personally, for me, The Handmaid’s Tale, and the ability to do something that is artistically fulfilling but is also personally fulfilling, I’ve never had that. Moss, 36, said taking away the right to talk about certain topics or believing in certain religions would cause society to turn into a place that mirrors Gilead, the fictional dystopia that serves as the setting for The Handmaid’s Tale. “I don’t choose to talk about not just religion, but my personal life — who I’m dating and that kind of thing,” she said. “ … I think people should be allowed to talk about what they want to talk about and believe what they want to believe and you can’t take that away — and when you start to take that away, when you start to say ‘you can’t think that,’ ‘you can’t believe that,’ ‘you can’t say that,’ then you get into trouble. Then you get into Gilead. While the former West Wing star is passionate about her religion, there are also tenets of it in which she doesn’t believe, such as its history of having anti-LGBTQ views. “Which is not where I stand. It’s like, it’s a lot to get into and unpack that I can’t do. But that is not my bag,” she said.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- With a snowstorm (and possible blizzard) moving, many of us will spend Sunday indoors. And, while our four-legged friends may come with their own fur coats, they are still vulnerable to frostbite and exposure. According to the ASPCA, the winter winds’ cold, dry air and chilly rain and snow can chap our pets’ paws and dry out their skin. But, that’s not the only problems they face. The chemicals used to melt ice can be “downright dangerous” when they lick their paws to clean them. Don’t leave your pets alone in the car. While we often hear about how quickly cars heat up during summer months, they can turn into refrigerators in the winter. Finally, the ASPCA reminds pet owners if it’s too cold for them, it’s probably too cold for their pets. So, they recommend keeping them inside. If they are left outside, the pets could freeze, become disoriented, lost, stolen, injured, or killed.

Madore received the package along with three crosses she had ordered in memory of her son Christopher Medina who died July 15, 2009, in a traffic accident along the Carson River. She purchased the crosses from Harriet Carter, a Pennsylvania mail order company. “I gave one to Christopher’s father, to his grandmother, to my best friend, and kept one for myself,” Madore said. The crosses arrived individually boxed with Christopher’s name on the outside. Madore didn’t open the fourth box until she went to the site of the accident near the old power dam to place it with other items honoring her son’s memory. “At first, I was very, very, very upset, so devastated. Then I got this really weird feeling. It was like angels – or maybe Chris – had to let me know this little girl needed to be remembered,” Madore said. She contacted the company the next day, but was unable to find out who ordered the cross for Holly or what happened to the fourth memorial she ordered for her son. “When I called the company, they said I should just throw Holly’s away, but I’m not going to do that,” she said. Over the next several weeks, Madore said she made nearly 20 telephone calls across the country and used the Internet, Facebook, MySpace and every social network she could think of to try to track down the girl’s family. She left several telephone messages, but no one called her back. If she can’t find whoever ordered the memorial, Madore said she would place it next to her son’s cross which the company replaced. “Chris was always very compassionate, and he would be OK with having her cross next to his,” Madore said. Madore said the experience has taught her another lesson. “It was an awakening to me and a reminder that I am not the only parent who lost a child. My heart goes out to her family. She’s just a little lost soul,” Madore said.

Rockland — Maine-based nonprofit WindowDressers coordinates community volunteers to build affordable, re-usable, interior insulating window inserts that tighten up existing windows. The cost of the insert depends on the size of the window, but averages $25 for a medium-sized insert in natural pine. Twenty-two percent of the inserts built are reserved for low-income customers for a small donation. Go to windowdressers.org or call 596-3073 to sign up. Volunteers are needed now through December at the Lincoln Street Center, 24 Lincoln St., where lumber for the inserts is cut, drilled, and assembled before being sent out to the 27 Community Builds across the state. At the Community Builds, customers and volunteers come together in an organized, barn-raising model to construct the custom-built inserts for themselves and their neighbors. The production center at Lincoln St is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and volunteers can sign up online for morning or afternooon volunteer shifts at windowdressers.org, or call 226-3555 to speak with a volunteer coordinator. Volunteers of all skill levels are welcome and will be trained on site.

France is in a difficult position. It has not had a sufficient spur to reform, despite the platitudes by both Sarkozy and Hollande. The fall of the Berlin Wall was a great spur to Germany, though it took it a few years to realize it. A capital strike against the periphery by both creditors in the Eurozone and international investors forced the periphery to adopt policies they would not have otherwise. Large pools of capital, including central banks and sovereign wealth funds continue to buy French bonds, keeping yields near German levels. The logic is not so much about fair value based on economic fundamentals. Instead, it is a political judgment. Despite the divergence between German and French economic prowess, the two remain the twin pillars of Europe. As long as one is confident that EMU remains intact, then France's credit is as good as German credit. That same logic, of course, can be applied to other euro area countries. On one hand, officials want investors to distinguish between different credit conditions. On the other hand, they insist they will not allow EMU to fail. As we have learned over the last couple of years, this does not preclude sovereign debt restructuring (Greece and Cyprus), and even capital controls (Cyprus). The peripheral premium over Germany was narrower prior to the crisis. There was even a brief shining moment that Spain traded through Germany (this is to say that yields slipped marginally below German yields). Continued easing of ECB monetary policy can see spreads compress further. However, it is unreasonable to think the spreads can return to status quo ante, as the risk of debt restructuring must be perceived as higher than before. Managers of large pools of capital recognize there are not sufficient bunds available. Recall that next year, the German coalition government has committed itself to a balanced budget. That means new supply is not going to be forthcoming. French bonds are seen as the next best alternative, and they offer a slightly higher yield to boot. Simply, if crudely put, French bonds are to German bunds, what Agency debt is to US Treasuries. Without the push of necessity, French politicians find it difficult to do the right thing. They are reluctant to declare a break from the German ordo-liberalism's drive for fiscal austerity, but refuse to embrace it. Last month, Hollande unilaterally declared no more effort to reach the EC budget targets that had already been postponed. The EC implicitly threatened to reject it, but reports suggesting that Merkel was reluctant to push France hard, possibly fearing to do to the AfD, what Cameron has done for the UKIP. Instead, the EC accepted some cockamamie sleight of hand. France would cut its structural deficit by 0.5% instead of 0.2% as Hollande initially proposed. This would be accomplished by 1) assuming lower debt servicing costs, 2) reducing its EU budget contribution, 3) proposing nearly a billion euro savings from a crackdown on tax evasion. Recall that Brussels had expected, and France had previously agreed to a 0.8% reduction in its structural deficit. Perhaps Merkel was worried about the rise of the National Front in France. Le Pen embraces the social welfare state of France. It sees the biggest threat to it, not coming from the discipline being imposed by what Thomas Friedman has called the "golden straightjacket", but by the encroachment of French sovereignty. The culprit is the German fist inside the EC glove and enshrined in the monetary union. Yet the leaders of France's main political parties are doing more to boost the National Front than anyone, including, arguably, Marine Le Pen. She often claims that there is significant collusion between the major parties. She says that the Socialists and the UMP are a single self-interested group. The developments in France this week provide her with the proverbial smoking gun. Consider this: Hollande's chief of staff Jouyet is a personal friend of the French President. He also served in the Sarkozy government. He reportedly had lunch with Sarkozy's rival in the UMP, Fillon, who was also a prime minister in Sarkozy's government. Among the things they talked about was the investigation into overspending by the Sarkozy re-election campaign in 2012. What are not agreed upon are the reports that suggest Fillon, threatened by Sarkozy's attempt at a political comeback, wanted the Hollande government to expedite the investigation. The idea was hit Sarkozy quickly and hard to derail his hope to be elected as the head of the UMP next month. Yet, it does seem Sarkozy himself is struggling without any help. Ever since he threw his hat in the ring, his support in the polls has deteriorated. Last month, his candidate to head the Senate lost, suggesting Sarkozy's support in the UMP is not insurmountable. Hollande's has the lowest support of any French president since the end of WWII. He is half-way through his five-year mandate, and he recently indicated he would not seek re-election if there were no improvement in the unemployment rate. It is an idle threat. Barring a miracle, he cannot win, and the Socialist Party may dump him. We might be witnessing the slow and painful death of the Fifth Republic. The other republics ended by war or a coup, but this one may be ending due to self-immolation. The Socialist candidate who ran against Sarkozy in 2007, S. Royal, who was once Hollande's life partner, used to talk about a Sixth Republic. Although Merkel is recognized as the outstanding leader in Europe, she is playing with a strong hand, the hand that holds the purse. France has a weak hand, and yet despite the lack of strong leadership, it has done remarkably well in pursuing its agenda. It has been given more time to reach the 3% deficit/GDP mandate. After years of complaining about the strong euro, in word and deed the ECB is now driving the euro lower. France has wanted the ECB to pursue aggressive monetary policy, which it now is. The ECB will likely increases the range of assets it is buying under its version of QE and if may include corporate bonds. Given that the French capital markets are more developments than most in the euro area, including Germany, its corporate bond market is among the largest. Almost 45% of the corporate bonds issued by Eurozone companies are accounted for by French businesses. After Russia occupied two areas in Georgia after the 2008 conflict, and its continuous in attempts to intimidate it neighbors, France thought it reasonable to sell Russia two ships that can be used for amphibious assaults. France has been reluctant to renege on its contract, which reportedly has penalty clauses for failure to deliver. However, within weeks of the expected delivery of the first ship, there is talk of an alternative. Reports suggest that NATO could be favorable disposed to buy the ships from France. Perhaps the logic is that it is better to own them then possibly fight against them. Asset managers are unlikely to declare a capital strike against France. The premium France pays over Germany for 10-year money is about 36 bp presently. In the past six months, the premium has approached 30 basis point a few times, but never penetrated. The mid-September low of 31 bp was the smallest French premium in three years. This seems to be the floor. The ceiling seems to be about 47 bp, which it neared three times in the past six months, most recently on October 20. Recall that, in the four years before the crisis, there were several occasions where the French yield dipped slightly below the German yield. In any event, pre-crisis, France did not pay more than a 10 bp premium. Neither international capital, represented by asset managers nor the EC is going to force France to enact structural reforms. In addition, there is even less of a chance that Hollande makes a clean break and announces an aggressively pro-growth fiscal initiative. This means the continuation of the charade, yet the status quo is toxic. The political elite are committing a French version of hara-kiri. What fertile terrain for the National Front.

The Volstead Act was repealed on this date in 1933, returning control of alcohol to the states, and it was a happy day at the F.X. Matt Brewery. UTICA, N.Y. -- A total of 85 years ago Wednesday marked the end of prohibition, which meant legally drinking beer again. And for the Matt family from Utica – that meant getting back to selling beer again. They let customers and suppliers know that at midnight, they could deliver, buy, and drink beer at the brewery once again. The local business managed to survive 13 years. "Kept it going with soft drinks and malt tonic and malt syrups, but this was a special day. In fact, he sent a letter out to announce beer was available at midnight, the next day, actually,” said F.X. Matt Brewery CEO/Chairman Nick Matt. Matt says sales dropped off 75 percent when prohibition went into effect. And thanks to the current craft beer movement, business has been growing by leaps and bounds.

Nelson Mandela statue in Westminster, London. "Comrade Mandela's release was achieved through our struggles that had pushed the apartheid regime into a corner where they were forced to negotiate their way out of power," he said. "Mandela's freedom from his prison cell was also brought about because of unrelenting pressure by our international allies." "We are eternally grateful that he had lived to enter a new country. Here in the Western Cape we pledge to continue Mandela's fight for a just society."

Ronny Deila blamed a rutted, ploughed Hampden pitch for his side's failure to inflict League Cup embarrassment upon Rangers. Denying they removed their feet from the pedal after the break Deila warned the SPFL the awful pitch wasn't good enough - and wrecked his team's efforts to play passing football. Asked if he urged his players to consolidate their lead at half-time the Norwegian insisted: 'I didn't say that – I said to go for three. 'But we wanted to really go and just kill the game. 'But we killed it another way – we were solid at the back and kept them away from the goal. 'We wanted to attack more, but I have to make the excuse as well that we are a passing team and we had no chance to pass the ball on that pitch. Relaid in the aftermath of the Commonwealth Games the surface at the National Stadium cut up badly during Dundee United;s victory over Aberdeen in the other semi on Saturday. Urging Hampden plc and the SPFL to make sure the surface if repaired adequately before the first showpiece final of the season on March 15 Deila added: 'If you are going to develop Scottish football you need pitches you can play football on. 'If you are going to go four or five months with poor pitches all over the country then every game will be in the air. 'If you are talking about Champions League it's not even near. 'This is the national team's stadium – it has to be much better. Delighted with his side's first half display – less so with the second – Deila savoured his first experience of an Old Firm derby. 'It can't be better. It was a very good day. 'There was an unbelievable atmosphere in the stadium. The Celtic boss will now turn his attentions to transfer reinforcements today with an increased bid for Dundee United Stuart Armstrong expected. A £1.5million offer was rejected on Friday and the midfielder would miss the League Cup Final, cup tied if he made the move. Declining to expand Deila added: 'We want to add people tomorrow and keep everybody. We are now in the critical period. On Tuesday we will know the answer, which will be good for you and for me. Celtic have also secured Tannadice winger Gary Mackay-Steven on a pre-contract agreement in the summer and must decide whether to pay £250,000 to secure him now. Bolton Wanderers could also launch a formal bid to sign Celtic goalscorer Kris Commons today, despite Deila insisting the 31-year-old is staying. Celtic are also considering a move for South Korean free agent Kim Bo-Kyung.

Back in 1982, the Endangered Species Act took the ocelot under its protection. The ocelot is a vulnerable creature, susceptible to habitat changes like roads, agriculture, housing developments and trapping. There may be fewer than 100 left in southern United States. Concerns that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making the plight of these 'dwarf leopards' worse led the Animal Welfare Institute and WildEarth Guardians to take legal action against the USDA's Wildlife Services program. They are suing Wildlife Services for "failing to ensure that it is not harming ocelots." Wildlife Services describes itself as a program that resolves human - wildlife conflicts so people can "co-exist" with nature, but often, their solution to wildlife problems involves traps and cyanide capsules. They use these methods to deal with predators that are bothering farmers, but The Animal Welfare Institute and WildEarth Guardians say ocelots are getting caught in the cross-fire, killed by methods that can't tell the difference between an ocelot and a fox. "Wildlife Services routinely fails to comply with federal laws like the Endangered Species Act," said Tara Zuardo, wildlife attorney with the Animal Welfare Institute in a press release. "Few ocelots remain in the United States and they require basic protection to ensure that they are not killed by the devices—such as steel-jaw leghold traps and cyanide capsules—Wildlife Services indiscriminately uses on public lands to kill wildlife." This is not the first time the methods of Wildlife Services have been criticised. This June, the Washington Post reported it had killed more than 4 million animals through poisoning, snaring and shooting in 2013 alone. But from year to year, the number of animals killed by the program fluctuates significantly, from 1.5 to 5 million. In 2008, 5 million animals were killed while over the next four years it was 3 million.The number is not rising, as Wildlife Services suggests, causing critics to question their justification for their methods. So far, their secretive approach has gone relatively unnoticed. Now, the Animal Welfare Institute and WildEarth Guardians are trying to change that.

Why do CEOs need extravagant perks even when they are firing staff and pleading for taxpayer bailouts? It may just be in their makeup, experts say. It takes arrogance and narcissism to become leader of a Fortune 500 company. Those same traits, however, have become their undoing during the deepest recession in decades. U.S. President Barack Obama has noticed, telling reporters on Thursday he was outraged by a New York State report that $18.4 billion in Wall Street bonuses were paid in 2008 as taxpayers rescued the crumbling financial system. "That is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful," Obama said. New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is investigating Wall Street bonuses, welcomed Obama's comments. "While Wall Street melted down, top executives believed that, unlike the rest of the country, they still deserved huge bonuses," Cuomo said. For Bob Monks, a former executive who has written nine books on corporate governance, the reason is that the rich and powerful simply love their toys. "It's a boy thing. Sort of, 'Mine's bigger than yours.' It's really childish," said Monks, a shareholder rights activist and the subject of a book called "A Traitor to His Class." Monks related a story about flying on someone's corporate jet. The host was devastated when, upon landing, he saw that while he planned for a limo to be waiting at the airport another captain of industry had a helicopter take him to town. "I thought my guy was going to die. ... It's entirely about people's self-image." Longtime advocates of shareholder rights were handed a gift in November when Detroit auto executives flew to Washington on corporate jets to ask for billions of dollars in taxpayer money, sparking a public outrage. More recently, it became known that former Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain spent $1.2 million remodeling his office last year, including $1,405 for a trash can. Merrill Lynch is owned by Bank of America, which consumed $45 billion of taxpayer money through bailouts. Then on Tuesday, Citigroup canceled plans to buy a $50 million executive jet after a White House rebuke. "People don't become head of Merrill Lynch without having a certain sense of self-importance. Once they arrive at that position, they have all kinds of toadies tell them what geniuses they are, then of course they begin to feel their lifelong feelings of self-importance have been confirmed," said Charles Goodstein, a psychoanalyst and professor at New York University School of Medicine. Defenders of executive perks say generous compensation is needed to retain talent. Sometimes it's jets but can also include home security systems, country club memberships, sports tickets and financial advice. The value of these benefits is considered income, so CEOs also sometimes get another perk: company help in paying their taxes. "I was CEO of a bank once and it's not rocket science. You need the same skill set as somebody running a hardware store in a medium-sized town," Monks said. Steve Thel, a former lawyer with the Securities and Exchange Commission and now a professor at Fordham Law School, blames compliant board members who often come from the same privileged world and can get paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for attending a few meetings each year. "It's endemic to the system. The last administration didn't think there was any structural flaw. Now across the political spectrum people feel that Wall Street executive compensation is out of control," Thel said. He predicted Congress would pass legislation granting minority shareholders more say on pay and possibly introduce higher taxes on some parts of executive compensation. "A year ago it was absolutely unthinkable that this would be heard in Congress," Thel said.

Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno, will have a GOP primary election opponent in 2014. Richard Fineberg, a retired lawyer who specialized in workers compensation cases, confirmed Tuesday he would run against Hickey in the Assembly District 25 race. Now, the two Republicans who guided the Washoe school-tax bill (AB46) from the Legislature to the Washoe Commission — Hickey and Assemblyman Randy Kirner — both have GOP primary opponents. Earlier, Lisa Kransner announced she would take on Kirner in the District 26 GOP primary. Kirner & Hickey were partners in getting AB 46 shipped to the commission, thus avoiding a tax-hike vote for Washoe school refurbishing in the Legislature that could have proven awkward. Yet some constitutional conservatives — who adhere to the "no new taxes' ideology — were angered that Kirner and Hickey did not just kill the bill in Carson City. Fineberg declined comment until after the holiday week. He is a member of the Washoe County Republican Central Committee, has a B.A. in Psychology from UCLA and got his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. Fineberg is described as a constitutional conservative who is big on the 2nd Amendment rights (guns). No doubt, Kransner and Fineberg will try to run to the right of the two incumbents. That is what you do to beat entrenched incumbents who are considered moderate.

Northeastern International Airways suspended service on all but one of its routes after an unsuccessful attempt to attract passengers with new cut-rate fares. The airline, which filed for bankruptcy Tuesday, suspended ''until further notice'' flights to Chicago, Philadelphia and Orlando, St. Petersburg and West Palm Beach, Fla., a spokesman said. It is continuing flights between Islip, N.Y., and Ft. Lauderdale. A Northeastern flight from Chicago to Florida was canceled Wednesday because of mechanical problems. The privately held Ft. Lauderdale-based airline owes some $15 million to creditors. Under mounting pressure from creditors, Northeastern terminated flights to a number of cities earlier this week. The operation was undercapitalized and ran into problems after a quick expansion.

Friday Night Live: Hilarious Improv Comedy featuring live music from pianist Keith Munslow! Get beside yourself with FNL’s interactive scenes, on-the-spot musicals, improvised song, dance, and skits! Performances are intended for audiences of all ages, personality types, and food groups. Friday Night Live unites a diverse cast of veteran Everett artists and young up-and-coming performers, in the production of fun, funny, creative, and meaningful performances! ​​ $5 at the door – All ages show – Families always welcome! Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Blvd.

DAVIDSON, N.C., Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocus Networks, a managed cybersecurity service provider for business, announced today that it has entered the Palo Alto Networks NextWave Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) Program. "We created the MSSP program due to increased customer demand for managed security services and to provide a better way to connect businesses with service providers," said Karl Soderlund, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Channel Sales at Palo Alto Networks. "As part of our NextWave MSSP program, partners like Rocus Networks can continually and efficiently improve security effectiveness for our mutual customers, and accelerate the deployment of new security services." "This program with Palo Alto Networks allows Rocus Networks to provide organizations, regardless of size, with best-in-class next-generation security technology without the need to hire dedicated security personnel," said Michael Viruso, Rocus Networks Chief Strategy Officer. "They get cloud-delivered, enterprise-level security that is easy to use and won't disrupt business operations." The Palo Alto Networks NextWave MSSP Specialization empowers managed services partners with the most innovative technology in the industry, protection on registered deals and best-in-class training, all to provide our mutual customers with the technical expertise and services they require of their trusted security advisers. To learn more about Rocus Networks, visit rocusnetworks.com.

Do Twinkle and mum Dimple share a wardrobe? The star wife was missing for a greater part of the year from public glare due to her pregnancy. Twinkle chose to wear an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla outfit, the same one her mother Dimple had worn last November at the 25th anniversary bash of the designer duo.

McDonald’s jumped 5.3 percent after the world’s biggest fast-food chain by revenue topped analysts’ forecasts for profit and sales. Shares of oil refiner Andeavor surged 14.4 percent, the biggest percentage gainer on the S&P 500, after rival Marathon Petroleum agreed to buy the company for more than $23 billion. Marathon’s shares slid 4.2 percent. “The big news was really the deals, that continue the trend of strong M&A environment,” said Aaron Clark, portfolio manager at GW&K Investment Management in Boston, Massachusetts. Walmart rose about 2 percent after Sainsbury’s agreed to buy the UK arm of Walmart, Asda, for about $10 billion, while Marriott Vacations Worldwide said it would buy timeshare operator ILG Inc for $4.7 billion, sending the target company’s shares up 4.5 percent. Another big deal announcement was that of T-Mobile’s $26 billion takeover of fellow wireless carrier Sprint . Sprint shares fell 13.5 percent as analysts said it could face antitrust hurdles and the offer was seen as less favorable than an earlier one. “Muted reactions to what was very strong earnings, capex spending picking up and strong M&A applies to what I’d say is part of classic late-cycle behavior,” said Clark. At 11:36 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 125.42 points, or 0.52 percent, at 24,436.61, the S&P 500 was up 4.38 points, or 0.16 percent, at 2,674.29 and the Nasdaq Composite was up 7.74 points, or 0.11 percent, at 7,127.54. U.S. bond yields edged lower after data showed March personal income rose lesser-than-expected, and personal spending in February was revised down to 0.3 percent, from the previously reported 0.4 percent. Of the 274 S&P 500 firms that have reported first-quarter earnings so far, 79.2 percent topped profit expectations, according to Thomson Reuters data. That has lifted the estimate for earnings growth to 24.6 percent from about 18 percent at the start of the season. Healthcare stocks were a drag, led by Celgene’s 6 percent fall after Morgan Stanley noted it expects delay of up to three years for the company’s key multiple sclerosis drug. The S&P healthcare index was was down about 0.6 percent. Arconic plummeted 15.2 percent after the aluminum products maker slashed its 2018 forecasts for profit and free cash flow as higher prices of the metal squeezed profit margins. Allergan Plc reversed course to fall 4.1 percent after its chief executive officer said he was opposed to fundamental changes to the drug company’s business strategy. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners for a 1.16-to-1 ratio on the NYSE and for a 1.04-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.

the World Challenge a year ago. He won at Hilton Head on the U.S. Championships in Doral and Shanghai. the way up to No. 12. Woods won the vote as the best player on the U.S. PGA Tour. and Firestone – and there would be no debate. who are all on form. much weight is given a major. that not even he thought he could win. Who won the most meaningful major this year? Mickelson or Scott? Best to save that argument for the bar. summer when the Swede began to shine. Cup and Race to Dubai in the same season. year at No. 1 – McIlroy. He still had a good view. to win. Henrik comes back,” McIlroy said. ”Yeah, it’s deep. until she faltered in the Titleholders.

Hull - Where the US goes the UK often follows. This is especially true of negatives. If the US has extreme weather we usually experience similar a few days later. If violent crime increases across the Pond likewise in the UK. Then there is shopping madness. The UK is taking up traditional US activities such as Christmas shopping bargain days that leave customers with empty wallets and a range of unwanted goods. Black Friday has just passed and today is Cyber Monday. Each have become big shopping days on both sides of the Pond. Last Friday many people hit the shops attracted by huge price cuts and today the same is happening online. Is all as it seems though? As usual the answer is probably not. It is so easy to get sucked into spending unnecessarily. You buy in haste and repent at leisure. This year remember it is still in reality a consumer market. Businesses want your trade. That does not stop some of them throwing the odd rogue item into the pot. This year more than ever retailers will be trying hard to get you to part with your hard-earned money. There will be pre-Christmas sales and bargains long after today. With Christmas a few weeks away perhaps it would be wiser to hang fire. Shop around, be it online or on the High Street, take your time and purchase well. Bargains are sometimes far from that. They could be second-rate, last year's model or simply stock that is hard to shift. Once it is dressed up with a fancy cut-price sign you may find it hard to resist. Consider all the implications of your purchase before you buy. 1- If you buy online there may be delivery charges but you will be saving a potentially expensive trip to town which could be full of hassle. 2 - Emails dropping into your inbox, that offer great bargains, can be tempting. However, if you purchase an item you had no intention of buying is it really a bargain? Probably not, especially if money is tight. Having some idea of what you want to buy helps. If you shop "blind" you will be more likely to spend more than you should. Online retail oulets, just like the shops, are full of goods you never knew you wanted or needed and in many cases cannot afford. Cyber Monday also increases the temptation to buy now and pay later. Not a good idea. Pay for purchases online with a switch or debit card so you are not paying for Christmas well into the New Year or even beyond. One factor specific to the UK is that this week Chancellor George Osborne will announce to the country his Autumn statement, or Budget. It is doubtful that it will have a real positive effect on retail trade but it could. It could also cost you dearly in many ways. Brits take care and look after your money this cyber Monday. Perhaps the rest of you would be wise to follow suit too!

2 bedroom home with extra room for office or 3rd bedroom. Kitchen features Oak cabinets. Home features wood flooring in living area and large deck for entertaining. Pets negotiable with deposit.

GRANT COUNTY, N.M. - "Everywhere I go, the kids call me the book lady," Dolly Parton said. She may be known for her country hits, but for years Dolly Parton has been giving out books to homes all over the country, with the help of people like Barbara and Loren Nelson. "Dolly started in an underserved mining area. And we thought we know an underserved mining area," Loren Nelson said. These retired school teachers began Dolly's Imagination Library in Grant County with just a thousand dollars of their own money and donations from a few dozen businesses. "There's great poverty. The people in Grant County can't afford to buy books," Nelson said. "We know because of all kinds of research how important it is to have books in the home. And quality books, not just for reading, but the snuggle, the family bonding. And so we decided this is going to be our passion." While Dolly takes care of choosing and shipping the books, the local affiliates are in charge of raising the funds. "We kind of work month-to-month-to-month, but we've been able to keep the program going," Nelson said. Now, they've expanded into 22 of New Mexico's 33 counties. 18 of those are just partial expansions, and Bernalillo County is one example of that. "I only have funds to work with families that work with zip codes in 87105 and 87121. And as we raise more money we'll open up more zip codes. We're anxious to do that," said John Heinrich, President of Libros for Kids, Imagination Library in Bernalillo County. If you'd like to sign up for the program, go to imaginationlibrary.org and you can see if your zip code participates. Or to donate, go to that website as well to connect with a local affiliate.

Following her acceptance into iPOP! after try-outs in Fort Walton Beach, Michelle Bryant is talking positively about her fast-approaching opportunity. In her mind, there are no ifs, ands or buts. She�s going. Period. However, to participate in the program, Michelle must raise about $5,000 � and she needs to do it fast. Michelle is signed with a New Orleans talent agency, which recently raised the possibility of her being cast as an extra in the HBO series �Treme.� However, the exposure budding performers receive at iPOP! reaches a wider audience, she said. Locally, Michelle has garnered some name recognition. She has appeared in several Crestview High School drama productions, most recently appearing in May in �The Sound of Music� as Marta, one of the singing von Trapp children. She�s appeared on the Pearl Tyner Auditorium stage in �Touchtone M for Murder,� �The 21st Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee� and �Seussical the Musical.� She hones her already impressive vocal talents as a member of the elite Destiny show choir of the Crestview High chorus. In October, she was voted the Bulldogs� Homecoming queen. In California, Michelle will do more than perform before an audience of casting directors, talent managers and theatrical agents. There are professional development and educational components to iPOP. The program gives participants a taste of the entertainment world, including auditioning before professionals responsible for casting films, commercials and television shows, and for populating fashion show runways, according to the iPOP! website. �Every performer auditions for qualified professionals who are currently working in the industry,� the iPOP website states. �Some will walk away with cash awards and scholarships and some will find success after the event in the acting, modeling and singing arenas. Though Tinseltown visions dance in her head, Michelle concentrates on the latest high school production. When �It�s a Wonderful Life� opens Friday evening, Michelle will experience theatre from a different perspective than she�s used to. As she prepares for the upcoming show, Michelle has been seeking sponsorships to attend iPOP. She hopes to attract local businesses willing to invest in her dream of becoming a professional entertainer. It�s a big investment, but it�s also an incredible opportunity, Michelle said. It could even propel her to national recognition. There�s just no way a price tag could be attached to experience that valuable, Michelle said.

While many restaurants in New York City have close relationships with farmers, and boast unimpeachable farm-to-table ethics, far fewer have actual gardens wherein they grow the produce that’s used on their plates. Six great restaurants with their very own gardens follow. Call them “roof to table.” By Jessica Allen. Atop a 100-year-old building in the West Village grow lettuces, bicolor squash, fennel, dill, parsley, poblano peppers, Japanese eggplant, and tomatoes, among other things, using soil-less, solar-powered hydroponic technology. Bell, Book & Candle incorporates these and other vegetables and herbs into its New American food. Being so close to the source means the chefs don’t refrigerate the produce. In fact, they call the freshly grown produce “dormant, not dead,” since the roots are kept attached until the very last second before cooking. Roberta’s might look like a bunker from the outside, but inside the message is all about love—love of good food, love of food to create change, love of the community that comes together around good food. Behind its scruffy exterior lie terrific pizza and pasta, a radio station, a greenhouse, and a very big garden. You can see what’s growing via the garden’s blog, with its photos of violets, edible weeds, raspberries, basil, strawberries, watermelon, peaches, chard, and blackberries, or you can take a seat in the wooden-paneled dining room, beneath a pizza party Barbie and board games, and order whatever’s just been harvested. Like most Westin properties around the world, the newest one in New York City features luxurious amenities like the Heavenly Bed® (definitely worth its copyright in plushness), in-room Starbucks coffee, and special velour robes. But this hotel also has its very own organic garden, 384 feet above 42nd Street, supplying veggies and herbs to The LCL: Bar & Kitchen on site. This means fresh mint for mojitos and other cocktails, heirloom tomatoes for gazpacho and other dishes, mesclun lettuce for salads, grilled squash and zucchini as seasonal sides, and everything and anything else Executive Chef Brian Wieler (pictured) can cook up. Modeled on a shebeen, an informal dining hall, and named for Nelson Mandela, Madiba claims to be the first South African restaurant of its kind in the United States. It opened in Fort Greene in 1999. Its rooftop garden is the source of at least some of the produce on the bushman’s vegetable platter (pictured), including yellow squash, asparagus, string beans, baby bok choy, corn on the cob, spinach, and fat triangles of garlic. This dish serves as a counterpart to meatastic South African braai, or barbecue, a specialty of the restaurant. The people behind Brooklyn Grange, the world’s largest rooftop soil farms, helped construct a much smaller one atop Rosemary’s, an Italian enoteca and trattoria in the West Village. Here, on 1,700 square feet, grow peppers, radishes, arugula, basil, broccoli rabe, and all kinds of organic goodness. Picked produce arrives in the kitchen in a basket using a block and tackle. An actual basket! Not content with herbs and veggies, restaurateur Carlos Suarez has expanded the garden to include a chicken coop and beehive. Diners are sometimes allowed up for a peek. When chef/restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten and his partners decided to build a rooftop garden 10 stories above Broadway to supply ABC Kitchen with microgreens, herbs, and other produce, they sought out seeds from farmers at the Union Square Greenmarket. In addition to what gets harvested upstairs, the seasonal, oft-changing menu at this James Beard award-winning restaurant includes sustainable, locally sourced (when possible) meat, dairy, seafood, and produce, free of antibiotics and pesticides, along with beverages whose ingredients come from fair-trade cooperatives.

In the past 11 months, Mauti has had to rely on his words unlike any other time in his life. Penn State’s leading tackler went from being a quiet, unquestioned leader to a harsh-talking student representative nearly overnight. When a scandal and the ensuing fallout threatened to tear apart his team, all Mauti could fight back with were his words. To Penn State fans, Michael Mauti was unknown in 2008. His dad, Rich, had played for the Nittany Lions and went on to his own successful run in the NFL. His brother, Patrick, was a junior on the Nittany Lions. The youngest Mauti was just the new kid — Pat’s little brother — in the No. 42 jersey. He introduced himself eight games into the season. With Michigan in town and threatening to take a two-possession lead at Beaver Stadium, Mauti flew down the field on kickoff coverage in the first quarter and exploded into Michigan return man Sam McGuffie. The football popped free, and although the Wolverines recovered it, a psychological blow had been dealt. The packed stadium was rocking and the Penn State sideline drew sudden inspiration from Mauti’s jackhammer hit. The Nittany Lions then rattled off 39 unanswered points to secure a 46-17 win. It took a hit of that caliber to spark a young Mauti’s love of the game. Although Rich Mauti played seven seasons in the NFL, he wouldn’t let his sons step on a football field until they were in seventh grade. In Michael’s case, he didn’t start playing until eighth grade. It didn’t take long for the youngest Mauti to be put off by football. So Mauti, the smallest kid on the team, let the season play out. Soon, an unwilling participant became the fiercest of competitors on the freshman team at Mandeville (La.) High School. He started the season as a quarterback but soon found himself making plays on kickoff coverage. It’s not that Mauti intends to injure opponents. He plays within the rules. But he won’t deny that football is a violent game and being the player to initiate contact is Mauti’s specialty. If an opponent remembers Mauti’s number after a hit and has second thoughts about touching the football for the rest of the game, Mauti’s made a huge impact by his own standards. “The feeling of the hit. The feeling of delivering a blow, it’s just — There’s something about it,” Mauti said. It was the worst feeling of his playing career — laying on his back on the Beaver Stadium grass, staring up at a blue sky knowing it was happening all over again. Mauti had torn an anterior cruciate ligament before, so he knew pretty quickly when his left leg buckled during the first quarter of the 2011 Eastern Illinois game that his left leg was shot before he even hit the ground. After sutting out the entire 2009 season concentrating on rehabilitating his right knee, Mauti came back with a vengeance in 2010. He finished fifth on the team with 57 tackles. An expanded on-field role would have to wait, however, following the early season injury to his left knee last season. Mauti got luckier the second time around. When he was injured in 2009, he contracted a nasty case of strep throat. He lost nearly 30 pounds and couldn’t eat normally for weeks. Last fall, Mauti was able to stay relatively healthy except for the knee injury. He was able to concentrate on healing after his surgery and took a better approach to his rehab having gone through it just months before. Then-defensive coordinator Tom Bradley wanted to keep his star linebacker involved with day-to-day operations. So Mauti became an extra coach, going so far as to call the majority of the defenses in the TicketCity Bowl after Bradley was promoted to interim head coach. It helped having counsel from former Nittany Lions such as Jerome Hayes, Brennan Coakley and Sean Lee - who had been in Mauti’s situation, battling back from knee injuries. Beyond two major knee injuries, Mauti has racked up the bumps and bruises one would expect of a brute who plays every snap with reckless abandon, thriving on collisions. Mauti appeared in 11 games in 2010 and wouldn’t let a sprained ankle suffered against Iowa or a separated shoulder courtesy of Ohio State to keep him away from football. Mauti learned over a tumultuous summer that he could take on an even greater role for a squad desperately in need of vocal leader. When the NCAA came down on Penn State with a four-year bowl ban to go along with a $60 million fine and serious scholarship reductions, Mauti and teammate Michael Zordich got together with a plan to combat the NCAA’s harshest penalty. The sanctions gave any Penn State player a free chance to transfer out of the program without giving up a year of eligibility. Some chose to do just that, and other college programs began contacting Penn State players, some even coming to campus on recruiting trips. Mauti and Zordich took it personally. The duo made their way to Coach Bill O’Brien after the NCAA penalties were announced, and the next day made a statement outside of the team’s practice complex that Penn State players would stick together. For the most part, the Nittany Lions have. Mauti said he was honored to eulogize Joe Paterno at a memorial service following the longtime coach’s death in January. Speaking last in a line of players, each representing a decade Paterno in which coached, Mauti took to the lectern in the Bryce Jordan Center with no notes and spoke from the heart. He told the story of his initial recruitment. Mauti’s family didn’t expect him to commit on the spot to Paterno, but that’s what happened. Mauti remembered Paterno giving him flack for getting kicked out of a drill for fighting as a freshman. “‘Hey, your dad used to act like he was tough, too, trying to fight people all the time,’” Mauti said in his best high-pitched impression of Paterno. Pat Fitzgerald’s eyes are trained to watch football and immediately evaluate. When the Northwestern coach dissects an opposing team’s defense, his eyes go to the linebackers first. Fitzgerald, himself a college football hall of famer who played the position, sees no weaknesses in Mauti’s game. Mauti won’t dwell on his past. He won’t allow the fear of being injured to creep into his mind. He won’t let the negative white noise, the criticism of his team or school by outside talking heads, distract him. Like he did this summer, when other coaches were on Penn State’s campus, looking to lure Nittany Lion players way, Mauti will give them an earful. He’ll do everything in his power to keep opposing coaches away. If that means he has to talk, so be it. Mauti said he would rather hit someone between the sidelines. He’ll throw himself into Northwestern players with explosive zeal. He’ll get up off the pile of players and high step his way back to the Penn State sideline. Mimicking his big-hit celebration at his seat in the Lasch Football Building, Mauti bounces both of his legs simultaneously so his knees come up above the table where he’s sitting. Mauti’s presence is heavily requested these days. He does this interview, then he’s got to get going. “For me, I’ve got nothing to lose, man,” he says. “I’m just playing every play like it’s my last. “For all I know it could be taken away on any play.

T-Mobile has just rolled out a service called HotSpot @Homethat allows you to use a WiFi-enabled cell phone to make calls via a wireless network. You'll still use the phone with regular cellular airwaves while on the move, but once you're in range of a T-Mobile Hotspot or a pre-configured WiFi access point, the phone will know to automatically switch over. The best part? Call minutes made via WiFi aren't deducted from your plan. That's right -- as long as you're within range of a wireless broadband network, you'll have unlimited calls. An added benefit to this is that you're almost guaranteed great signal strength when you're in a place with good WiFi coverage. And since T-Mobile is providing special T-Mobile configured D-Link and Linksys wireless routers that offer optimal @Home coverage, you might as well say Sayonara to that old-fashioned landline at home. Compatible handsets at launch are the Samsung T409 and the Nokia 6086, which cost $49.99 each with a contract. When you sign up with the service, you'll get one of the aforementioned wireless routers for free after rebate, but any 802.11b-compatible router should work. The service is an additional $9.99 per month on top of your existing T-Mobile plan, and an additional $19.99 per month on family plans that have up to five handsets. Personally, I think it's a pretty cool idea, though I don't know if such a service will make up for the fact that T-Mobile has yet to roll out a proper 3G service like the rest of its competitors. We currently have the Samsung t409 plus a Hotspot-configured Linksys router in house, and will let you know what we think of it soon.

The FINANCIAL (AD) -- ProCredit Bank has donated a unique ex libris collection to the National Centre of Manuscripts. This donation was part of a project jointly initiated by the National Centre of Manuscripts and ProCredit Bank, in which the Bank bought a unique collection of ex librises from a private individual living in Thessaloniki, Greece. Many of the graphic images on the ex librises were the work of Georgian painters, so their donation to the National Centre of Manuscripts is a very important contribution to preserving the heritage of Georgian manuscripts. They carry additional information about the life and creative work of Georgia’s artists and important public figures. “From ProCredit Bank’s side we are extremely delighted to have had the chance to support Georgia’s culture and inheritance of manuscripts. It’s extremely rewarding to have had the chance to hand over this unique and interesting collection of ex librises to the National Centre of Manuscripts; that we had the opportunity to obtain these very interesting examples of Georgian culture and history. By handing this collection today to the National Centre of Manuscripts we also, one more time, want to demonstrate our support for the development of Georgian culture. All in all I think it’s a very promising beginning for a hopefully fruitful and long-lasting relationship with the National Centre of Manuscripts,” said Sascha Ternes, General Director of JSC ProCredit Bank. “In the National Centre of Manuscripts there are manuscripts, historical documents, archival materials and library collections. This is one of the largest collections across the country. It has been gathering material and growing since the 19th century; this process is still ongoing and will never be finished. The collection has mainly grown from people’s donations, except for a few exceptions. Over the years we received donations from individuals, families, from private companies, public and private organizations. And the result is a unique collection which is now protected by the National Centre of Manuscripts,” he added. “Today, one of the priorities for us is searching for new materials and continuing the pursuit of our great ancestors, who began collecting such materials in the 19th century. We also have another sub-priority, as just like this material was found in a foreign country, great care is needed not to lose Georgia-related materials that may be located abroad. They shouldn’t fall into someone else’s hands, in some cases private collectors. Then the trace will be lost,” Buba Kudava said. “We were searching over the internet with our colleagues for information of this sort, and we managed to connect with an individual in Thessaloniki, Greece. We asked them to send us information on a regular basis about Georgia-related materials. And indeed they sent us the ex libris collection and when we showed this material to experts, it turned out to be very interesting. There are many famous figures associated with these ex librises. On the one hand, one part of this collection was designed by well-known artists. The second part is known because it is created for famous statesmen, but by a lesser-known Georgian painter. The first is the Elene Akhvlediani ex libris, the second is the Sergo Kobuladze ex libris. We did not have a separate collection of ex librises until now. Of course there are such materials in archives and in books, but so far we have not had such an amount of ex librises,” he said. “Ex librises were invented along with book printing and were an integral part of a book through the ages. Today, some of them are considered works of art. That is why participation in such a project is very important for ProCredit Bank, and we are very pleased that this unique ex libris collection has been added to the heritage of Georgian manuscripts,” said Sascha Ternes, General Director of JSC ProCredit Bank. The term “ex libris” is Latin for “from the library of”, and is used to describe a printed label on the inside front cover of a book indicating the name of the owner. In the past, ex librises often took the form of a drawing, an emblem or an illustration of some famous event, sometimes by a famous artist.

"Oh, you are stuck on homework problem number 13? I found a solution on YouTube. That helped a lot. Just Google it, you can find all the solutions." The second problem is partially my fault. When I give an in-class assessment, I leave the solution out on the front desk so that students can check their answers when they are finished. Instead of studying this and figuring out their mistakes, students will usually just take a quick picture of the solutions using their phone. Of course they ask if it's OK to take a snapshot first, and I let them. However, the problem is that they think of the solution as something to collect rather than something to learn from. Confusion is the sweat of learning. You can't just google a physics solution and expect to learn. Imagine if Luke Skywalker had access to the Internet on Dagobah. Here's what would have happened when his x-wing sunk beneath the water. Yoda: So certain are you? Always with you what cannot be done. Do you nothing that I say? Luke: Master moving stones around is one thing, but this is entirely different. But let me just Google "how to lift an x-wing with the Force." Ah. Here it is. Of course that's not what happened (I would make this alternate scene into a comic if I could actually draw). Luke learned about the Force by failing. Yes, students learn physics by working on problems and by failing to solve problems. It's the journey to the solution that's important, not the solution itself. Using a video solution would be like using a golf cart to run 5 miles. Sure, you end up in the same place if you run or ride—but they do not produce the same results. But why do students think this? Why do they think learning is as simple as quick search or a photo with their smart phone? There are likely many reasons for students to hold these learning beliefs. However, I popular media often doesn't help. Remember this scene from The Avengers? SHIELD agent Maria Hill asks Tony Stark: "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Stark's answer: "Last night". This shows that Tony Stark is so awesome he just figured astrophysics out last night. Clearly, students feel that you have to be a special superhero to understand astrophysics. You either get it in one night, or you'll never get it. I would prefer to have Stark say "Well, I've been working in this field for 10 years and I'm just scratching the surface." Maybe that wouldn't fit too well in the movie. Or here's another good one from Days of Thunder. Cole pulls up to the race track to test out a stock car. Harry Hogge: What do you know about stock car racing? Cole Trickle: Well... watched it on television, of course. Harry Hogge: You've seen it on television? Cole Trickle: ESPN. The coverage is excellent, you'd be surprised at how much you can pick up. Harry Hogge: I'm sure I would. See. Learning is simple. You just need to watch some videos and you'll be all set—except when you aren't. Nope. Learning is tough, but it's totally worth it.

These two healthcare REITs are trading for dirt-cheap valuations despite high dividends and a solid history of growth. Investing in real estate investment trusts, or REITs, is one of the best ways to enjoy high dividends and the potential for capital growth. On a valuation basis, REITs specializing in healthcare properties are trading cheaply right now, and two seem to be a particularly good bargain: HCP Inc. (NYSE:HCP) and Medical Properties Trust (NYSE:MPW). This type of real estate should be an excellent long-term investment for three main reasons: demographics, increased healthcare spending, and market opportunity. Demographics indicate a growing demand for healthcare properties over the coming decades. Simply put, the population is getting older -- fast. The 65-and-up population in the U.S. is expected to nearly double by 2050 as baby boomers age and live longer. Older individuals require more healthcare, therefore the number of healthcare facilities will grow to meet the demand. Furthermore, healthcare costs are rising at a faster rate than other expenditures, as you can see in the chart below. Given that commercial properties derive most of their value from their ability to generate rental income, healthcare properties should appreciate faster than other property types as long as this trend continues. Finally, the healthcare real estate market is about $1 trillion in size, and no REIT has more than a 3% market share. The industry is highly fragmented, meaning there are plenty of opportunities for new investments from existing properties, in addition to the opportunities that will come from future growth of the industry. HCP is one of the "big three" healthcare REITs, and it owns 1,179 properties in a variety of categories -- mainly senior housing, post-acute care, life science, and medical office buildings. Essentially, the business model is to acquire attractive properties and team up with some of the best operating partners in the business, such as Brookdale Senior Living. The company pays a notable 7.1% dividend yield and has an even more impressive record of dividend growth. In fact, HCP has increased its dividend for 31 consecutive years and is a member of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats. HCP's biggest recent news item is the planned spinoff of its HCR ManorCare assets, which include virtually all of the post-acute/skilled-nursing properties in the company's portfolio. You can have an in-depth look at the spinoff, but the general goal is to allow HCP to focus on its private-pay senior housing, life science, and medical office properties, thereby improving portfolio quality and giving the company more financial flexibility to pursue future growth opportunities. The spun-off assets, meanwhile, will be placed in a newly created REIT that will strive to maximize their value. According to HCP, once this happens, the company can employ several new strategies with these properties, including some that are not possible or practical while the assets are still a part of HCP. Data source: HCP company presentation. Medical Properties Trust focuses on hospital properties, which, according to the company, produce better initial yields than other types of healthcare real estate. In fact, the company is the fourth-largest owner of for-profit hospital beds in the country. Data source: Medical Properties Trust. The company has 204 properties located in 29 states and four foreign countries, and the long-term plan calls for even further international diversification. This way, if one market faces headwinds (say, the U.S.), it won't represent virtually all of Medical Properties' assets. The company does have a relatively high debt load for a REIT: Debt represents 51.6% of Medical Properties' assets, so there's added risk to consider. However, 98% of the portfolio's leases have annual rent increases built in, and the company's payout ratio is less than two-thirds of FFO -- lower than that of most peers. In short, there's no reason to believe Medical Properties Trust will have any debt-related issues going forward, with a growing stream of income that's already more than enough to cover the dividend. Note: Share prices and guidance are current as of 5/23/16. Normalized or adjusted FFO guidance is used when available. No stock with double-digit growth potential is without risk, and these two are certainly no exception. In fact, a higher level of perceived risk is responsible for the low valuations. Healthcare spending could slow, operating partners could face greater financial difficulties, or there could be a shortage of attractive acquisition opportunities in the target property types. Any one of these factors could cause these stocks to take a dive. However, I think the growth potential and the solid track record of delivering profits in a variety of economic climates more than make up for the risks. Either of these healthcare REITs would make a solid addition to a well-diversified dividend growth portfolio.

Up to an inch of snow is likely on the Eastern Shore and up into Sussex County Friday afternoon. Below-freezing temperatures this week is leading to extra slippery roads Friday as snow falls across the Delmarva Peninsula. Multiple school districts and Sussex County government offices have closed early for the afternoon snow that is supposed to linger into the early evening, according to Eswar Iyer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wakefield, Virginia. "The heaviest snow should move east in the next couple hours and might not taper off until later afternoon and early evening," Iyer said just after 2 p.m. Accumulation totals have not changed from the morning prediction of 1 inch, but some areas could see a little more, Iyer said. Multiple vehicle crashes have been reported on the police scanner as roads have become icy, which is due to the cold temperatures leading up to Friday. "When it’s colder, the snow is able to stick to the roads quicker, and your roads are going to get slick quicker," Iyer said. The Ocean Police Police Department announced at 2:40 p.m. that westbound Route 90 lanes were closed because of a crash. It could take up to two hours to clear the crash. Maryland State Police is investigating. Rt. 90 is closed between Rt. 589 and Ocean Due to poor road conditions. Avoid the area. Salisbury Police tweeted they have nine active crashes under investigation as at around 3 p.m. "Snow catches us by surprise today and causes very icy road conditions," police said. "Slow down, use caution if you must be on the roadways this afternoon." Temperatures were forecasted to climb close to the freezing point for water in Salisbury, while Georgetown and Rehoboth Beach were only going to reach 28 degrees. It will be a little warmer in Ocean City and Accomac, with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. The temperature won't drop significantly at night, with a low of 20 degrees in Salisbury, 18 degrees in Georgetown and 26 degrees in Accomac. Over the weekend, expect temperatures to rise into the 40s across Delmarva. By Monday or Tuesday, Delmarva residents can expect temperatures in the low 50s.

Young Lions skipper Brad Galvin isn’t afraid of taking his side’s ‘scrappy’ style of play into Sunday’s semi final clash with Henwood Park. Galvin has headlined the Lions’ defensive unit from centre back this season, putting together a string of solid performances to contain rival sides to just 28 goals in their 19 games to date. Now, the 27-year-old is relishing the lead-up to a shot at grand final glory and says there’s no reason why his team mates can’t tough out another gritty win against the favoured Hawks. “We really toughed it out against Leeton last weekend but we’ve been doing that all year,” Galvin said. “It was a pretty scrappy win and we defended like our lives depended on it when they threw everything at us in the last few minutes.” Having only just taken over the captaincy from the unavailable Duncan Cameron, Galvin is facing the unusual prospect of being one of the side’s most senior players in just his second season at Hall Bros Oval. The defender also admitted his surprise at Young’s run to the finals but credited the injection of youth into the side. “We were really in a building phase last year and we copped a few floggings with all those juniors blokes coming in,” Galvin said. “Now, we’ve kept that core group together for two years and I think we’ve come along quicker than we anticipated. “That comes down to those younger boys in the side having an impact and guys like Alex Mitchell, who I’d say is one of the fastest blokes in the competition, and Pat Hislop have been real standouts all year.” All eyes are now fixed upon the task ahead - toppling the defending premiers. Galvin knows it’s no easy task but says the result will be vastly different from their 6-0 loss to Henwood Park in July. “We were missing a few players from our back line that game, so I think that probably affected us a fair bit,” Galvin said. “Still, we know they’ll be hard to get on top of and they’ll throw everything at us in attack. “We’ll just have to hold them out and look to hit them through counterattack.” While you’re with us, did you know that The Daily Advertiser is now offering sports and local events as part of its growing email newsletter service? Our sports email will keep the sports-mad up-to-date with a round-up of all the weekend’s sports action - sign up here. LEADER OF THE PRIDE: Young Lions skipper Brad Galvin (right, pictured tackling Lake Albert's Henri Gardner in 2017) says his side won't shirk away from the tough stuff against Henwood Park in this weekend's semi final. Young Lions skipper Brad Galvin isn’t afraid of taking his side’s ‘scrappy’ style of play into Sunday’s semi final clash with Henwood Park. Galvin has headlined the Lions’ defensive unit from centre back this season, putting together a string of solid performances to contain rival sides to just 28 goals in their 19 games to date. Now, the 27-year-old is relishing the lead-up to a shot at grand final glory and says there’s no reason why his team mates can’t tough out another gritty win against the favoured Hawks. “We really toughed it out against Leeton last weekend but we’ve been doing that all year,” Galvin said. But honestly, we don’t mind scrappy games like that - I’d be happy to grind out a 1-0 win every week if that’s what it takes. Having only just taken over the captaincy from the unavailable Duncan Cameron, Galvin is facing the unusual prospect of being one of the side’s most senior players in just his second season at Hall Bros Oval. The defender also admitted his surprise at Young’s run to the finals but credited the injection of youth into the side. “We were really in a building phase last year and we copped a few floggings with all those juniors blokes coming in,” Galvin said. “Now, we’ve kept that core group together for two years and I think we’ve come along quicker than we anticipated. ROCK IN DEFENCE: Galvin clears the ball under pressure from Tolland's Ramon Atayde during a Pascoe Cup clash in 2018. All eyes are now fixed upon the task ahead - toppling the defending premiers. Galvin knows it’s no easy task but says the result will be vastly different from their 6-0 loss to Henwood Park in July. “We were missing a few players from our back line that game, so I think that probably affected us a fair bit,” Galvin said. “Still, we know they’ll be hard to get on top of and they’ll throw everything at us in attack.

It’s dense, interesting, weird and funny, but what it’s all wrapped around is another “Chosen One” story that really feels drawn out and convoluted, crumbling into something tiresome and tedious. Where the science-fiction genre is concerned, it’s not hard to at the very least appreciate the ambition of the storytelling. It takes an honest, extra layer of creativity to create a reality not bound by the restrictions of our own, and it can be a delight to watch a perfect mixture of detailed universe building mesh with smart, unique storytelling. Of course, this requires delicate balance, as a dip too far one way finds a convoluted mess, and a dip in the opposite direction creates something that ultimately feels hollow and incomplete. It is sadly the former trap to which Andy and Lana Wachowski’s Jupiter Ascending falls victim. In a similar vein to what they were able to accomplish with previous sci-fi stories like The Matrix and Cloud Atlas, Jupiter Ascending is a narrative set in a vivid and comprehensive world. There are legions of soldiers who have had their DNA spliced with animals – like the wolf-infused Caine (Channing Tatum) or the bee-like Stinger (Sean Bean). There are galaxy-spanning businesses where worlds are held like long-term investments. There’s even intergalactic low-level bureaucracy that has all varieties of individuals waiting in lines and shuffling from one department to the next. It’s dense, interesting, weird and at times funny, but what it’s all wrapped around is another “Chosen One” story that really feels drawn out and convoluted, eventually crumbling into something tiresome and tedious – albeit consistently beautiful. The Wachowskis do legitimately make good choices in the casting department, as both Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum make for fun, charismatic leads to take us through the story. Kunis stars as Jupiter Jones, an illegal alien living with her Russian immigrant family and working as a housekeeper living in modern day Chicago. As we see happen oh so often at the cinema, however, her life changes in an instant when she meets Caine (Tatum), an intergalactic bounty hunter. Jupiter is not only made aware of life on other planets, but also that she is the genetic recurrence of one of the most powerful women in the galaxy, and stands to literally inherent the Earth now that she has passed away. It’s a simple and rather familiar plot, but through a first act of enjoyable “awakening” material and sky-shredding action scenes, Jupiter Ascending holds its own. It’s with the introduction of the trio of central villains that everything begins to fall apart – which is a sincere problem considering that they wind up completely driving the entire story. These are the three surviving members of the Abrasax family -- Balem (Eddie Redmayne), Titus (Douglas Booth) and Kalique (Tuppence Middleton) – and the sons and daughter of the woman whom Jupiter Jones is a genetic equal. Each of them has a personal desire to take control of the Earth – which is alternately described as being extremely valuable and just a single piece of a much larger business – but also each take their own place doing more harm to the movie than good. Kalique winds up being mostly useless to the story, simply providing huge amounts of exposition and then disappearing; Titus merely feels like a stall in the narrative, serving as what is really a fairly pointless obstacle; and Balem simply feels overcooked in every sense, with Redmayne giving a highly bizarre, scenery-chewing performance full of needless affectation that makes him stick out like a sore thumb (really making you wonder what kind of off-base directions he was being given by the Wachowskis). As Jupiter Ascending’s plot encounters these characters, the film begins to degrade faster and faster, exploring needless and unnecessary elements of the sci-fi world that do more subtraction than addition. At this point in their careers, Andy and Lana Wachowski have become better known for their visual flash and style, and it serves the movie well. Their flair is apparent from the costume and makeup work (the idea of DNA splicing works magic in this department) to the production design, and it all serves to provide Jupiter Ascending with a unique feel (even when it wears references to movies like Brazil on its sleeve). Immense credit also goes to the visual effects teams, who not only render some fantastic air battles and spaceships, but also expansive alien environments that do their part to make the audience feel like they’re being taken to a different world. All of this spectacle doesn’t make up for the fact that character motivations are at times completely dubious, and that the third act drags on far too long, but it does help. It’s hard to really begrudge a film like Jupiter Ascending, both for its creative scope and in that it is one of the few-and-far-between female-led action movies, but it is equally hard to validate it beyond those elements, it’s aesthetics, and the casting of the leads. There is perhaps a better feature that exists partially on the cutting room floor – explaining some of the more bizarre plot developments/holes – or one that could have been made with just a few tweaks to the screenplay. But the movie that will be hitting theaters this week is best described as unfortunate.

For a career that once seemed so good on paper, the crisis in teacher recruitment is now hardly ever out of the news. There are not enough people signing up to become teachers and too many are dropping out - some experienced due to the stress and increase in workload but often the newly qualified leave the profession, unprepared for the life in the classroom. School lead Andrew Truby, a national leader of education, is determined to change the narrative about teaching as a profession. He feels school leaders have it in their gift to change this situation on the ground by making brave decisions and by investing in the professional culture so that schools become irresistible places to work. At St Thomas of Canterbury School, in Meadowhead, where Mr Truby is executive headteacher, there is a 100 per cent school-based teacher training school which is going from strength-to-strength. The outstanding Ofsted-rated school became a teaching school in 2015, and works with partner schools in the Learning Unlimited Teaching School Alliance. The alliance, based in a modern training facility at the school, takes on School Direct trainees on a year-long programme. Each student is placed in one of 14 partner schools across Sheffield, Doncaster and Chesterfield for the entire programme, where they will work for a year alongside outstanding and primary class teachers. Teaching school manager, Anita Bray, said: "The beauty of this course is that trainee teachers are based in a school for the whole programme. "They encounter children and liaise with parents. They do things like parents evening - all the nitty gritty. "The trainee teachers have been there and have done it, they have had that experience which is much different from doing it in classrooms." During the course, students spend time in another of the partner schools so they get to experience life in two schools. They are given a mentor who, at first, they observe, then plan lessons alongside before the mentor oversees the trainee teacher planning and delivering the lessons. The trainee teachers meet once a week at the School Direct hub session for training, with specialist leaders of education or subject specialists coming in to take sessions. Teaching school director, Sarah Rockliff, described the process as 'learning by doing'. She said: "Trainee teachers are in classrooms and they are coming to hub sessions and picking up ideas about teaching and learning and then the next day they get the chance to put that into practice. "Teaching is a craft and the only way to become a master of your craft is to keep practising it." She added: "After only a few weeks the trainees start to refer to their partner school as 'my school' and they feel a real connection to the school they are working in and are invested in the children. That adds to the motivation. "It's a hard course and requires a lot of hard work." The alliance was established in 2015 and the first cohort of students all gained jobs after completing the course. Trainees come from a variety of backgrounds, some have been teaching assistants or involved in education, while others are looking for a career change. Trainee teacher Nick Walker, aged 31, taught English abroad before returning to England to further his career. He said: "I have been teaching for five years already and I thought it would be beneficial to me to be in a hands-on situation and seeing what it was like day-today. "I was at university 10 years ago. I wanted to carry on learning and this feels like a job whereas if I'd gone back to university it would have felt like a step backwards." Former secondary school teaching assistant Kirsty Norris, 25, said: "You see the reality of life in a school. You experience parents' evening and when sometimes your lessons plans just don't work. "It's hard work but you know that next year it will all be worth it." Mr Truby, who is strategic lead for the alliance, said recruiting teachers ready for the classroom had been a challenge in the past. "Recruitment of high quality teachers is an ongoing challenge for schools and in the past the newly qualified teachers who we did appoint were not ready for the classroom," he said. "Through our 100 per cent school-based teacher training route, our School Direct trainee teachers experience the full school year in a primary school. "When they start in their NQT year, they are confident in subject knowledge, planning, marking, assessment as well as knowing how the school works throughout the year." He felt the perception around teaching needed to change because it is 'the best job in the world'. He added: "Although teaching as a career gets a really bad press and there is a lot of talk about workload, we believe that the schools who invest in their culture will have an easier job recruiting and retaining the best teachers. "We spend time making our schools a positive place to work because happier teachers mean happier children. "It is time to change the narrative about this profession because we believe that teaching is the best job in the world." The alliance is still recruiting trainees for September when it will start two new programmes. In addition to general primary, there will be a primary with maths and an early years route.

Maddie Hinch and her England team-mates should be proud of their Hockey Women’s World Cup exploits, according to their head coach. The West Chiltington-based goalkeeper’s dreams of adding another medal to her collection were extinguished last Thursday night as they were knocked out at the quarter-final stage. The hosts nation suffered a 2-0 defeat to defending champions Netherlands at the Lee Valley Hockey Centre in London. Lidewij Welten opened the scoring for the Dutch in the first quarter and Laurien Leurink then doubled the lead early in the second half as the world number one side dominated. The Dutch went on to beat Australia in the semi-finals and then overcame shock finaliasts Ireland with a crushing 6-0 victory in Sunday’s final to retain their crown. It wasn’t the tournament England were expecting after drawing their opening two Pool B matches. They then beat Ireland to finish second in the group, but had to beat South Korea in the crossover game to make the main knockout stages. Head coach Danny Kerry, however, defended his team’s performance and pointed to the difficulties they had faced. He said: “I told the players I was really proud. We have had a tough tournament with injury and for all sorts of reasons. “One of our players played the entire tournament with a broken big toe but they all grit it out and carried on. Hinch won Olympic gold on 2016 and Commonwealth Games bronze in Australia earlier this year.

councilors at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. Arkansas governor and congressman who joined the board in 2006. renewed attention to noncommercial broadcasting. The elections came at CPB's board meeting in New Orleans Tuesday (Nov. 16). Ramer succeeds Ernie Wison as chairman. The newly elected chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting talks with B&C’s John Eggerton about transforming noncommercial broadcasting into multiplatform, locally-focused public-service media.

Anna C. Christensen has been a supporter of family planning since high school, when she stuffed envelopes as a volunteer at a Planned Parenthood affiliate in California. Now a Tucson resident, she continues to advocate for reproductive rights and sexual health. Planned Parenthood Arizona serves more than 100,000 families every year; maybe your family is one of them. Tucson is home to the Margaret Sanger Health Center, namesake of Planned Parenthood's founder. A century ago, Margaret Sanger was a New York City nurse who witnessed the horrors of women dying prematurely after having too many children, while others died from botched abortions. This experience motivated her to become an activist for the availability and legality of contraception. Sanger was a controversial figure—and that controversy lingers to this day. Sanger first visited Tucson in the 1930s, when she helped set up the Tucson Mother's Health Clinic (also called Clinica Para las Madres), Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona's precursor. Sanger, bedeviled by health problems, was drawn by Tucson's climate. Her husband was drawn by Arizona's lack of income tax, and in 1933, they purchased an adobe house in the foothills. In the early '40s, Sanger and her husband moved closer to the city's heart, as gasoline rations dulled suburbia's attractiveness. They moved into a house on Elm Street, just east of the Arizona Inn. Before his death, her husband obtained an empty lot on Sierra Vista Drive, a stone's throw from their Elm Street residence. Sanger's son Stuart built a house on one side, and Sanger decided to build her dream home on the other. Sanger's homes hosted lavish parties as well as fundraisers for organizations like Planned Parenthood of Southern Arizona and the Tucson Medical Center (of which she was also a co-founder). She took up hobbies such as cooking and watercolor; today, many of her original paintings adorn the walls of Planned Parenthood administrative headquarters in Tucson, the building that was named in her honor. Planned Parenthood, in Arizona and nationwide, is currently under attack. Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to do away with Title X, a national program providing preventive health care to low-income patients; the fate of Title X is now in the Senate's hands. Since 1970, when President Richard Nixon signed it into law, it has helped millions of women access services such as contraception, preventing an estimated 973,000 unintended pregnancies and 406,000 abortions every year. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), meanwhile, seeks to interfere with services covered by private insurance. By cutting off federal funds for insurance companies that cover abortions—even when the tax dollars aren't put toward abortion coverage—his bill would deny women the legal right to an abortion, guaranteed by the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. It would also impose tax penalties on those whose insurance offers such coverage. In Arizona, families are facing further potential threats as the Republican-controlled Legislature introduced several anti-women's-health initiatives this year. HB 2384 would make Planned Parenthood newly ineligible for the Arizona Working Poor Tax Credit. HB 2416 would cause additional obstacles to abortion access, including changing the definition of "surgical abortion" to include abortion by pill, which could cut off rural women from abortion services. HB 2443 would infringe upon patient privacy by denying care to women who refuse to disclose the reasons behind their decision to abort. A century ago, Margaret Sanger witnessed tragedies that resulted from unintended pregnancies. In response, she illegally smuggled diaphragms into the country and opened family-planning clinics in defiance of the law—and spent time in jail for her troubles. This is the world Sanger and other birth-control activists came from, and it's the world lawmakers are trying to bring back. Don't stand for it. Talk to your friends; write to your representatives; vote; volunteer; and visit www.standwithplannedparenthood.org to show your support for Planned Parenthood's crucial work.

The Las Vegas real estate market got a small reprieve in February; with sales volume at a four-year high for the month and a dip in foreclosure resales helping prices increase slightly from January. A total of 3,698 new and existing houses and condos were sold in the Las Vegas-Paradise metro area in February, according to MDA DataQuick. That’s up 9.8% from January and 10.5% from one year ago. A 5.7% increase from January to February is the average, dating back to 1994, DataQuick said. The February 2010 total was the highest for the month since 2006, when 6,065 homes were sold, but 2% below the 16-year average February sales total. It’s the 18th straight month that total sales rose year-over-year. Existing home sales totaled 3,311, up 7.1% from January and up 9.5% from last year. It’s the highest total for February existing sales since 2005. Existing home sales are on a 22-month-long run of monthly year-over-year increases. Foreclosure resales accounted for 59.6% of all resales in February, down from 62% in January and down from 70.6% last year. After peaking in April 2009 at 73.7%, foreclosure resales have declined every month. While foreclosure resales were down, foreclosure proceedings were up. In February, 1,756 homes and condos were foreclosed on in Las Vegas, up 5.3% from January, but down 52.8% from 3,718 foreclosures last year. New home sales totaled 387 in February, up 40% from January and up 20.2% from last year, but it was one of the slowest February sales totals in DataQuick’s 16 years of records, second only to last year. The decline in foreclosure resales and the increase in new home sales helped the median price increase from January, but only slightly. The median price paid for all new and resale houses and condos sold in the Las Vegas metro area in February was $126,197, up 0.4% from $125,750 in January but down 17.2% from $152,500 a year earlier. DataQuick said the year-over-year decline was the smallest since March 2008, when the median dropped 16% from a year earlier, to $247,925. In addition, sales of homes over $200,000 made up 22.4% of total sales, up from 21.3% in January but down from 30.8% a year earlier. The median sales price is on a 34-month-long run of monthly year-over-year declines and in February 2010, was 59.6% below the peak median of $312,000 in November 2006. The median price for single-family homes was $133,800 in February, down from $135,000 in January and down from $157,000 last year. The median condo sales price was $69,000, even from January, but down 9.2% from $76,000 last year. Nearly half — 49.8% — of borrowers that used mortgages to fund home purchases used government-backed Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. Cash buyers accounted for 51.5% of all February sales, up from 50.4% in January. DataQuick defines cash borrowers as those purchases where there was no indication of a purchase mortgage recorded at the time of sale, but can include those that used alternative financing arrangements and in some cases borrowers might be taking out mortgages after their purchases. Absentee buyers, usually investors, but anyone who indicates at the time of sale that the property tax bill will go to a different address, accounted for 44.6% of all Las Vegas area home sales. However, house flipping declined. Homes sold in February that had previously sold in the past three weeks to six months accounted for 3.7% of all sales, down from 5% in January, but up from 2.6% last year. Write to Austin Kilgore.

Jesse Winker will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. He was batting .299 this year with 7 homers and 43 RBI. Throughout the last couple of seasons, Jesse Winker dealt with pain his right shoulder. After he felt more pain Monday, it was determined that Winker would need surgery to repair his shoulder. He will miss the remainder of the season. The Reds placed Winker on the 10-day disabled list Thursday with a right shoulder subluxation. "Man, I have no idea it is," said Winker. "I know my shoulder hurts. That’s all I know." Winker said the pain was "off and on" all season but Monday was essentially the final straw. On first base during a comeback win over the St. Louis Cardinals, Winker ducked under a line-drive single from Tucker Barnhart in the ninth inning and fell to the ground on the base paths. Winker later scored the game-winning run. A potential Rookie of the Year candidate, Winker was batting .299 this season with seven homers and 43 RBI. The outfielder ranked fourth in the Majors with a .405 on-base percentage. He had more walks (49) than strikeouts (46). Speaking to reporters Thursday, Winker was emotional about the end of his season. "Obviously, I was hoping that surgery wasn’t the end result but I’ve been dealing with this for 2-3 years," Winker said. "Just got to the point now where it’s time to go fix it." It's a tough loss for the Reds' lineup, which was already without outfielder Scott Schebler. On the DL, Schebler began a rehab assignment Wednesday, going 1-for-3 with a walk as a designated hitter at Triple-A Louisville. Winker, based on what he's been told from doctors, said his goal is to return by Feb. 1, 2019. He said he felt the pain when he completed "any baseball move." "There were times where it affected his swing," Reds interim manager Jim Riggleman said. "He altered his swing path because of the pain. That’s a tough way to play at the Major League level. He did a heck of a job. I don’t think anybody realized that he was going through it as much as he was." Mason Williams, an outfielder at Louisville, was called up to fill Winker’s roster spot. Williams played in 25 games with the New York Yankees over the past three seasons. A left-handed hitter, Williams signed with the Reds as a minor league free agent last offseason. Williams was batting .280 with six homers and 30 RBI in 87 games at Louisville. He recorded a hit in 13 of his last 14 games. "It’s been a matter of me being healthy and staying on the field and playing my game and just having confidence in myself," Williams said. Williams, once considered the Yankees' top prospect, learned of his promotion to the big leagues Thursday morning. He played on the same high school team in Florida as Cardinals pitcher Austin Gomber, who had a no-hitter against the Reds for six innings Tuesday. The two players will sometimes train together in the offseason. To make room on the 40-man roster for Williams, the Reds moved injured infielder Alex Blandino (torn ACL in his right knee) to the 60-day DL. "He’s had productive at-bats, competitive at-bats, against both left-and-right-handed pitching," Riggleman said of Williams. "He’s a good athlete. We’re confident he will come up here and do a good job." SCHEBLER STILL PROGRESSING: Schebler was in Louisville's lineup as a designated hitter for his second rehab game Thursday. But the key to his return will be when he's comfortable making throws.

Rafael Nadal became the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam tournament after beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 in the French Open final on Sunday. If Rafael Nadal truly was going to be challenged, if his bid for an unprecedented eighth French Open championship would be slowed even a bit, this might have been the moment. Leading by a set and a break 70 minutes into Sunday's final against David Ferrer, another generally indefatigable Spaniard, Nadal faced four break points in one game. The last was a 31-stroke exchange, the match's longest, capped when Nadal absorbed Ferrer's strong backhand approach and transformed it into a cross-court backhand passing shot. Ferrer glared at the ball as it flew past and landed in a corner, then smiled ruefully. What else was there to do? Dealing with Nadal's defence-to-offence on red clay is a thankless task. His rain-soaked 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Ferrer on was Nadal's record 59th win in 60 matches at the French Open and made him the only man with eight titles at any Grand Slam tournament. "I never like to compare years, but it's true that this year means something very special for me," Nadal said, alluding to the way he managed to come back from a left knee injury that sidelined him for about seven months. "When you have a period of time like I had," he added, "you realize that you don't know if you will have the chance to be back here with this trophy another time." But he does it, year after year. He won four French Opens in a row from 2005-08, and another four in a row from 2010-13. "Rafael was better than me," said Ferrer, who had won all 18 sets he'd played the past two weeks to reach his first Grand Slam final at age 31. "He didn't make mistakes." A week past his 27th birthday, Nadal now owns 12 major trophies in all — including two from Wimbledon, one each from the U.S. Open and Australian Open — to eclipse Bjorn Borg and Rod Laver and equal Roy Emerson for the third-most in history. Nadal trails only Roger Federer's 17 and Pete Sampras' 14. "Winning 17 Grand Slam titles, that's miles away," Nadal said with his typical humility. "I'm not even thinking about it." This was Nadal's first major tournament after a surprising second-round loss at Wimbledon last June. Since rejoining the tour in February, he is 43-2 with seven titles and two runner-up finishes. He's won his past 22 matches. "For me, it's incredible," said Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and coach. "When I think of all that Rafael has done, I don't understand it." Let's be plain: No one, perhaps not even Ferrer himself, expected Nadal to lose Sunday. That's because of Nadal's skill on clay, in general, and at Roland Garros, in particular, but also because of how Ferrer had fared against his friend and countryman — and video-game competitor — in the past. Ferrer entered Sunday 4-19 against Nadal. On clay, Nadal had 16 consecutive victories over Ferrer, whose only head-to-head win on the surface came the first time they played, in July 2004, when Nadal was 18. Nadal had yet to make his French Open debut then, missing it that year because of a broken left foot. On May 23, 2005, Nadal played his first match at Roland Garros, beating Lars Burgsmuller 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1 on Court 1, known as the "bullring" because of its oval shape. And so began the reign. Nadal won a record 31 consecutive matches at the French Open until the fourth round in 2009, when Robin Soderling beat him. In 2010, Nadal started a new streak, which currently stands at 28. There was occasional shakiness this year. Nadal lost the first set of each of his first two matches, and was pushed to a tiebreaker to begin his third. His fourth match, a straight-set win against No. 15 Kei Nishikori, "was a major step forward," Nadal said. Still, he barely edged No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic in a thrilling semifinal that lasted more than 4 1/2 hours and ended 9-7 in the fifth set Friday. By any measure, that match was far more enjoyable to take in than the final, akin to dining on a filet mignon accompanied by a well-aged bottle of Bordeaux — each bite and sip rich, textured — one day, then grabbing a hot dog and can of soda from a street vendor 48 hours later. Under a leaden sky that eventually would release a steady shower from the second set on, Ferrer felt nerves at the outset, he acknowledged later. But after the players traded early breaks, Ferrer held for a 3-2 lead. That's when Nadal took over, winning seven games in a row and 12 of 14 to render the ultimate result pretty clear. It was as if he simply decided, "Enough is enough." His court coverage was impeccable, as usual, showing no signs of any problems from that left knee, which was supported by a band of white tape. His lefty forehand whips were really on-target, accounting for 19 of his 35 winners and repeatedly forcing errors from Ferrer. When Nadal did have lapses, he admonished himself, once slapping his forehead with his right palm after pushing a lob wide. But what's demoralizing for opponents is the way Nadal slams the door when they have openings, then rushes through when he gets the slightest chance. He was at his relentless best on key points, including those four break chances for Ferrer at 3-1 in the second set. Immediately after, Nadal broke to 5-1 on a forehand winner down the line. As Nadal prepared to serve in the next game, a man wearing a white mask and carrying a fiery flare jumped out of the stands nearby. The intruder quickly was shoved to the ground by one security guard, while another went to protect Nadal. "I felt a little bit scared at the first moment," Nadal said, "because I didn't see what's going on." It happened within a few minutes of other actions by protesters, including chanting from the upper deck that briefly delayed play. Police said seven people were held for questioning. Nadal got broken in that game, then broke back right away to take the second set. The third set was similar to the first. It was 3-all, then suddenly over. Nadal took the last three games, ending the match with a forehand winner before dropping his racket and falling on his back, leaving a rust-colored smudge on his white shirt and flecks of clay on his stubbled cheeks. Soon he was standing, holding his index finger aloft. Yes, Nadal is No. 1 at the French Open, without a doubt. When the ATP rankings are issued Monday, however, he will be No. 5, due to points he dropped while hurt. Oddly enough, Ferrer will be at No. 4. "Yeah, it's strange, no? I lost the final against Rafael, but tomorrow I am going to be No. 4 and him No. 5," Ferrer said with a grin, then delivered his punchline: "I prefer to win here and to stay No. 5." Sorry, David. This is Nadal's tournament. Now the question becomes: Is eight enough?

Combined company will make Chevron second-largest petroleum producer in the world. The combined company will remain far behind Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc. in market capitalization, but Chevron will jump from being the world's fourth biggest energy producer, to second, according to Wood Mackenzie. The cash-and-stock deal announced Friday comes as U.S. crude prices have shot up 40% this year. Chevron gets access to Anadarko's liquid natural gas operations in Mozambique and it would control a 75-mile-wide corridor across the Delaware Basin, a region bountiful with natural gas. Oil prices have been on the rise as OPEC members cut production. OPEC said this week that its output had been slashed by more than a half million barrels a day last month to just over 30 million barrels, a level not seen since early 2015. U.S. crude was selling for nearly $65 per barrel Friday. But there are signals that global economic growth is slowing. Shares of Anadarko jumped 33 percent Friday, while Chevron's stock fell 5 percent.

No longer limited to calling other Jaxtr users, the service is taking cue from Skype for its revenue strategy. Jaxtr, the dial-around service (see Jaxtr makes click-to-call really simple) that lets you make free calls to those people who have at one point called you via the Jaxtr widget, is launching a new service that lets you bypass the step of first connecting with callers via the Internet. Now you can make "out of network" calls directly from you mobile phone to anyone in the world. These calls aren't free, though. As in Skype, if you want to use this service to call people on regular phones, you've got to buy credits on the system against them. Rates are either good or great, depending on where you're calling: For example, calling a landline or mobile phone in China is one cent a minute, but a call to a mobile in the U.K. is 15 cents a minute. In order to make out-of-network calls, you call a central Jaxtr number that's local to you, and then tell it who you want to reach. Then it calls you back and connects you--the typical dial-around procedure. But with Jaxtr, you can save the incoming number and use it the next time you want to reach the same person. Skype has shown that a free telephony service can turn its free users into paying customers. Jaxtr also has another revenue stream: It has a free SMS service, in which message lengths are even more limited than normal text messages to Jaxtr can insert paid 40-character-long ads at the ends of messages. Jaxtr is also announcing that it has closed a second round of funding: $10 million, led by Lehman Brothers. Jaxtr's first round was also $10 million, and the initial investors are contributing in this B round.

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co. announced it has licensed its Around View Monitor and Moving Object Detection technology, jointly developed with Clarion Co for use by Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. These two systems are the building blocks of autonomous driving technology that will operate commercially viable Nissan Autonomous Drive vehicles by 2020. The Around View Monitor is a parking support system that offers the driver a bird's eye view of the vehicle's surroundings in real time using four exterior cameras. MOD is a driving assistance technology that analyzes the images from the AVM cameras to detect moving objects around the vehicle and warn the driver with visual and audio alerts. Since the market launch of AVM in 2007 and MOD in 2010, both firsts for any automaker, Nissan has steadily expanded its safety technology offerings, which have become a cornerstone of autonomous drive technology development. The licensing agreement enables Hitachi Construction Machinery to provide AVM and MOD technology to its massive haul trucks and hydraulic excavators working at large open-pit mines. When drivers start operating the vehicle, drop cargo, back up to load cargo, or when a hydraulic shovel is used in close proximity to the vehicle, the AVM-MOD technology detects any movement or workers in the area around it in real time, enabling the driver to work with greater situational awareness which enhances safety. Nissan will contribute to the growth of technology through the application of its unique technologies and know-how for its own use as well as in a variety of fields. Profit generated through the effective use of these intangible assets will be invested in new technology development, further contributing to Nissan's technological competence. Autonomous Drive is being developed to help lower the element of human error during driving and contribute to a reduction in the number of accidents and injuries related to automobiles. The licensing of this technology is an example of Nissan's intention to offer the AVM and MOD technology to other industries beyond the automotive sector. Through the wider application of its safety technologies Nissan aims to do its part in contributing to the development of society. March 6, 2019, 4:14 p.m. Feb. 28, 2019, 8:34 a.m.

A three member bench of the Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing of Orange Line Metro Train case till Friday. During the course of proceedings today, the court summoned the Chairman Planning Commission, the Secretary Finance and the NAB prosecution team on the next hearing. In his remarks, Justice Azmat Saeed said work on the project should not stop because of funds.

A concrete slab and 10-foot high block walls with exposed rebar sit behind a chain link fence as an ugly reminder of how quickly the oceanfront condominium market crashed here in 2008. NEW SMYRNA BEACH — A concrete slab and 10-foot high block walls with exposed rebar sit behind a chain link fence as an ugly reminder of how quickly the oceanfront condominium market crashed here in 2008. But on the ruins of the partially built former Vizcaya condominium complex, which was abandoned during the Great Recession, a new developer is looking to build a new luxury condo complex, but with a different design and a new name: Waterford. The planned 19-unit complex at 807 S. Atlantic Ave. would be the first oceanfront condo project to be built in Southeast Volusia in six years. St. Petersburg-based Eckall Development says it already has two reservations for condo units at Waterford. The city’s planning board on Monday will consider a new site plan for the seven-story building that developers hope to begin building by the end of the year. Condo demand in New Smyrna Beach is on the rise. From March through June, condo sales rose 34 percent to 205 this year from 153 last year, according to the New Smyrna Beach Board of Realtors. The median sale price in June was $189,000, up 6 percent from $139,000 a year ago, but slightly down from $212,500 in April, the highest level in 1.5 years. A declining inventory is also fueling a rise in prices. The number of condos for sale in Southeast Volusia fell 22 percent to 462 in June, the lowest level in at least 4-1/2 years, from 594 a year ago. A Winter Park developer started building the proposed nine-story, 19-unit Vizcaya condo project in 2007, but abandoned the project the following year. That left a development site where 193 pilings had already been pounded into the earth, a slab poured and blocks laid for the first-floor walls. The property has remained in that state ever since. Eckall Development bought the property in December for $1.1 million, according to Volusia County property records. The existing infrastructure was tested and is sound, said Lee Allen, a company principal. Allen and Ken Eckelkamp, the founders of Eckall Development, say they are already familiar with Southeast Volusia having previously worked for JMC Communities, which built the 310-unit Minorca condo complex at the north tip of New Smyrna Beach between 2002 and 2007 and the 39-unit Seacrest condo complex in 2007 at 4071 S. Atlantic Ave. in New Smyrna Beach. The last oceanfront condo started in the city was The Wave in 2007 at 2801 Hill St. The project was only 80 percent completed in 2008 when it was foreclosed and abandoned. Houston-based Silvestri Investments, which owns the Oceanwalk Condominiums in New Smyrna Beach, bought The Wave in late 2009, completed construction and has sold 10 of the 11 units. Eckall Development needs to sell at least 11 units at Waterford before it can start construction, Allen said. The company is offering six floor plans, including two penthouse units, each three bedrooms and three bathrooms. The units range in size from 1,845 square feet to 3,088 for a penthouse. Prices currently range from $700,000 to $1.6 million, but are expected to rise once construction starts, Collado said.

A primary school caretaker has been found guilty of attacking a group of teenagers. Karl Lucas, 27, of Manor Fields, Horsham, who is employed as a premises officer at the Three Bridges Primary School, Gales Drive, was involved in an attack on five teenagers. West Sussex County Council said Lucas was not currently at work. Sussex Police said at about 5pm on July 12 last year a group of teenagers, two aged 18, and three 16 year olds, were attacked by two men as they walked in Manor Fields Park, Horsham. The men tried to grab the teenagers’ football and cricket bat after confronting them. The two 18-year-old victims were each punched during the incident. One suffered minor cuts but the other was not injured. Karl Lucas, 27, and Ben Lucas, 24, of Denne Road, Horsham, pleaded guilty to affray when they appeared at Lewes Crown Court on June 22. They were both ordered to do 100 hours of community service and made to pay costs, £100 compensation and a £60 victim surcharge.

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It may be noted that Air India's was the only service that plied between Madurai and Mumbai. Some passengers pointed out that all the tickets used to be sold out during the festive season and summer. Chennai: Much to the chagrin of air passengers and traders of Madurai, Air India announced the temporary cancellation of its Mumbai to Madurai flight via Chennai from July 12 to July 31, citing low patronage to the service that has been catering to passengers of the southern districts for almost 42 years. Although the announcement of cancelling AI671 (Mumbai to Madurai) and AI672 (Madurai to Mumbai) said that the cancellation has been done on a temporary basis, Air India sources said that the operation of the service from August 1 would be decided in the coming days. AI671 was taking off from Mumbai and reaching Chennai at 10.45 am every day from 1976. The flight would leave for Madurai at 11.30 am. It was taking off from Madurai to reach Chennai at 2.15 pm. The decision was taken at a time when local passengers are demanding a direct service from Madurai to Mumbai. “Private airlines are operating as many as 16 services between Chennai and Madurai. But Air India claims that the flight has low patronage. How can a private player operate flights without patronage? Air India is making way for private airlines,” a regular passenger alleged. It may be noted that Air India's was the only service that plied between Madurai and Mumbai. “Many traders were using the Air India flight to send their jasmines, vegetables and other agricultural products to Mumbai for years. Withdrawing the flight service will hurt traders and farmers of the southern districts,” the passenger added. Some passengers pointed out that all the tickets used to be sold out during the festive season and summer. “On normal days too, nearly 80 percent tickets were sold for the Air India flight. The claims of poor patronage made by the authorities are misleading,” they alleged. Meanwhile, union minister Pon. Radhakrishnan said that he would talk to the Civil Aviation Minister to operate the existing flight service and an additional flight between Madurai and Mumbai.

It's not always easy to keep mentally focused during running. Focus requires discipline and a certain level of mental toughness, meaning that you have developed the capacity to perform to the best of your ability despite external conditions or internal distractions. You can minimize distractions and help yourself stay focused by implementing self-help techniques and maintaining a positive, nonjudgmental attitude. Mentally tough athletes push through and overcome obstacles to stay focused on their ultimate goal. Developing the traits that characterize mental toughness can help you remain focused during running. According to sports psychologist JoAnn Dahlkoetter in an article for the online runner's resource, "Competitor," several characteristics or traits tare commonly identified in mentally tough runners: Resilience, focus, strength, preparation, vision, openness and trust. You simply do not allow yourself to become distracted by external conditions or internal emotions -- you have the ability to put these distractions behind you for the time being and live in the moment. Positive self-talk can encourage you and help you stay focused while running. According to sports psychologists Leif Smith and Todd Kays in "Sports Psychology for Dummies," mentally repeating specific cue words, such as "focus" or "hustle," may help to increase your concentration when you feel a decrease in your level of focus. Tape the cue words to a piece of athletic tape around your wrist and mentally concentrate on them while you run, as though the words are your mantra. Don't beat yourself up if you're having an off day. Talk to yourself as you would talk to a good friend. Be positive and encouraging and tell yourself that you can do it. When you feel yourself starting to tire or slow down, marathon runner and trainer Jeff Galloway suggests practicing the following drill, adapted from his book, "Mental Training for Runners: How to Stay Motivated." Tell yourself that you're going to continue running for just one minute more, reducing your pace slightly for a few seconds, then continue this pattern, telling yourself "one more minute" or "10 more steps" until you achieve your goal for the day. If you break down your goal into small chunks, it may seem more manageable and achievable and you'll be less likely to lose focus. Almost all athletes use some form of visualization prior to or during their workout or competition to help them stay focused. According to Galloway, worrying and focusing on the negative possibilities is a major way that many runners become distracted and lose motivation. Visualization can help you overcome your worries and direct your focus back to your goal. Visualization involves vividly imagining and rehearsing positive outcomes to future events or the event in which you're currently involved. Before your race, you might lie down and imagine yourself running effortlessly, overcoming obstacles and achieving your goal. The more vividly you can imagine the scene by involving all of your five senses, the more effective your visualization will be.

Initiated by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Nathan Twining and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke, and then presided over by General Thomas Power, Director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff (1960-1964), SIOP-62 mapped out a synchronized nuclear attack by the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Army combining strategic bombers, Polaris submarine-launched missiles and Atlas ICBMs in an ‘alert’ force of over 1,706 nuclear weapons and a ‘full’ force of over 3,240 nuclear weapons delivered to 1,060 targets in the Soviet Union, China and allied states. In this Plan there was little or no distinction made between Communist states that were at war with the United States and those that were not. Some sites (Designated Ground Zeroes – DGZs) would be struck by two or more weapons, and included both military installations and urban-industrial areas. The alert force would target 199 cities and the full force would target 295.2 The planners estimated that the total human deaths from such an attack would be 108 million in the Soviet Union and 104 million in the PRC as well as several million in satellite states,3 while Kaplan estimated that 175 million Russians and Chinese would be killed by the ‘alert’ force and 285 million would be killed by a ‘full’ force, and an additional 40 million more injured.4 To make such threats credible, the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Energy (DoE) and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) conducted visible tests of new nuclear weapons in various atmospheric conditions in a twenty test series between 1946 and 1963. Even after the limited test ban treaty was adopted, they continued with underground tests. General Thomas Power presided over the creation of SIOP-62 as Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command (1957–1964) and Director, Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff (1960–1964). As nuclear intimidation continued, and as other nations sought to gain ‘parity’, the global nuclear industry grew. It was clearly understood in these early decades that the dual-use of nuclear materials in nuclear energy generation and nuclear weapons served to establish and maintain national influence in the international arena. Since 1945, the supply and procurement of uranium together with coal (for steel production) has been a good indicator of a nation’s capacity to both rapidly increase its energy production with the potential to produce munitions and, for those states already with the capacity, to produce and enhance a nuclear weapons arsenal. High-energy power generation was an index of a nation’s war-making potential underlining the link between mining and militarisation. In the following I seek to explain why and how the Australian government in 2014 has concluded a uranium trade deal with India that is in breach of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by tracing the development of a nuclear nexus between India, Australia, Japan and the United States. Just as it was in the early cold war, this trade in nuclear materials is informed by interlocking and mutually reinforcing economic and geostrategic interests that have long undermined international disarmament initiatives. I argue that changing climatic conditions caused by emissions intensive energy production, however, demand a fundamental re-thinking of this paradigm. Of the 67 reactors under construction globally as of July 2014, at least 49 were experiencing delays and eight had been under construction for 20 or more years. China too, having planned before 2011 to replace heavy carbon emitting coal-fired power stations with nuclear power stations, stalled and re-assessed its position after 3.11.8 For the most part, China (along with the US, India and Germany) has boosted its renewable electricity generating capacity so that by 2013, it produced through wind, solar and hydro power over 1000 terawatt hours – the equivalent of the total power generation of France and Germany.9 In Japan, nearly four years after the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns, 46 other nuclear reactors remain shut down. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) approved the restart of two reactors in Sendai, Kyushu on 10 September 2014 and Mayoral consent was secured in October. Until 2014, along with China, Japan has also seen a boom in mostly solar and wind electricity generation. But this has been stalled by utilities who have refused to take an influx of renewable power into the grid or to reduce electricity prices.10 With fewer nuclear plants scheduled for construction around the world than for shutdown, however, the nuclear industry faces the likely prospect of contraction11 and replacement by rapidly advancing renewable energy options, including solar, wind, tidal, hydro and possibly geothermal power over the longer term. New mining leases were approved in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman broke his electoral commitment not to permit uranium mining by inviting uranium mining companies to commence exploration operations. The new (Queensland) Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Bill 2014, for example, passed on 9 September 2014 authorizes a Coordinator General to overrule community objection rights to ‘State significant projects’ including coal, bauxite and uranium mines, or to limit them to concerns unrelated to environmental protection.13 This Act gives virtual immunity to large companies exploring for uranium deposits in the Mitchell and Alice River basins in Cape York and the Gulf country. Encouraged by these positive signs, along with other Japanese, Chinese and Indian investors in uranium projects in Australia, the major French energy corporation Areva recently bought a 51 percent share in a joint venture with Australian uranium miner Toro Energy for exploration in the Wiso Basin in Northern Territory.14 In other words, federal and state governments in Australia have been approving exploration licenses and the opening of uranium mines at a time when the global nuclear and uranium industry was marked by decline and exit. While some of the larger corporations chose to wait for uranium demand to rise, many in the Australian uranium mining industry scrambled to reprioritise, turning to the newly emerging market of nation-states tipped for rapid economic expansion. India attracted attention due to its high-growth economic potential, geostrategic positioning and nuclear ambitions. As then Prime Minister Howard had done in 2007, ‘energy starved’ India’s ‘power crisis’ is again being widely portrayed in desperate terms,15 while the solutions are presented as economic expansion and greater energy consumption by a growing middle class.16 In addition to coal exports, Australian politicians, in consultation with business representatives in the uranium and minerals sector, have framed the push for uranium trade with India as a ‘moral duty’ and ‘humanitarian responsibility’ to improve living standards of India’s impoverished people. Over the nearly four years since the Fukushima disaster, the Japanese government and corporations have actively courted more than 20 countries for the purchase of Japan’s nuclear technologies. Agreements had been reached with Jordan, Vietnam, South Korea and Russia under the Kan and Noda Democratic Party Japan (DPJ) governments, and the export of nuclear technology remained central to the Abe government’s economic plans. Two more nuclear technology agreements with Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have since been reached,19 and six more are under consideration – with India, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. Despite the continuing negative effects of ongoing radioactive contamination dispersal from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the Abe government remains intent both on nuclear startups in Japan and on promoting its exports of nuclear technology to other countries. A similar initiative followed on 5 September 2014, when Abbott and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the Australia-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement in New Delhi. It was the culmination of the efforts initiated by the Howard government in 2006,22 carried forward by the Gillard government in 2011–2012. After India’s ‘Smiling Buddha’ Pokhran-I nuclear tests in May 1974, when the Indian government declared that it intended to harness nuclear energy to manufacture nuclear weapons, the Australian government (and many other countries including the US) placed a ban on exporting uranium to it (France and Russia continued to sporadically export uranium under a safety clause). India had built its clandestine nuclear weapons program using imported Canadian reactors. Since Nehru, India has justified its indigenous development of civil and military nuclear capacity and fuel and its refusal to ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by pointing to the nuclear weapons held by existing nuclear weapons states. It has argued that the NPT is a flawed agreement that reflects the hypocrisy of the nuclear weapons states in refusing to seriously engage in disarmament while expecting non-nuclear weapons states to abstain from possession. In 1975, partially in response to the Indian tests of the previous year, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) initially comprising seven nations (United States, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, Japan, France, Canada, West Germany) was formed to prevent the diversion of nuclear materials used for commercial and peaceful purposes for the production of nuclear weapons. NSG members were obliged to cease trade with governments that did not submit to international inspection. India and Pakistan were included. Despite the bans, India went ahead to conduct its Pokhran II nuclear tests in May 1998. These were followed by Pakistan’s tests two weeks later. UN Security Council Resolution 1172 of June 199823 expressed grave concern and demanded that both countries foreswear further tests and abandon their nuclear weapon ambitions. expressed grave concern and demanded that both countries foreswear further tests and abandon their nuclear weapon ambitions. Despite the resolution’s unanimous adoption and threat of sanctions, the turning point was when the George W. Bush administration (2001-2009) chose to prioritize U.S. bilateral relations with India over any unified front to counter nuclear proliferation. The US–India energy agreement of July 2005 opened the way for other states, such as Australia, to engage bilaterally with India. Meanwhile in October 2008, the Singh government overcame stiff opposition in parliament to secure national and international backing for the signing of the US–India ‘1-2-3’ Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.This Agreement stipulated that India would open its civilian nuclear facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and delineate its civil and military facilities so as to ensure US-origin fuel would not be used for military purposes. In return the US would supply nuclear fuel and nuclear technologies (six reactors) and gain greater access to the Indian nuclear market. As unanimous approval from the 48 states of the NSG was also required, the US and India lobbied hard and secured an unprecedented waiver of NSG export guidelines so as to permit nuclear commerce with India despite its non-NPT signatory status. Having granted the exception, several NSG members then negotiated bilateral nuclear accords with India (including France, United Kingdom, South Korea, Canada and Kazakhstan). In 2008 the Singh government purchased 300 MT of uranium ore concentrate from Areva of France, in 2009 2000 MT of uranium oxide pellets and 58 MT of enriched uranium dioxide from JSC Tvel/Russia, also in 2009 2100 MT of uranium dioxide concentrate from NAC/Kazakhstan and in 2013 2000 MT of uranium ore concentrate from NMMC Uzbekistan.27 While details are yet to be finalised, the deal with Australia in 2014 would secure for India a steady, reliable, high-grade uranium supply from the world’s largest known uranium deposits (its uranium resources are about 28 percent of the world total). While details are yet to be finalised, the deal with Australia in 2014 would secure for India a steady, reliable, high-grade uranium supply from the world’s largest known uranium deposits (its uranium resources are about 28 percent of the world total). In November 2010, in a joint statement signed by US President Obama and Indian PM Singh, it was agreed that negotiations would begin between Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd (NPCIL) and US nuclear energy companies in return for implementing India’s full membership of the NSG in a ‘phased manner’. India agreed to accommodate the demands of General Electric and Westinghouse, which sought strict adherence to the CSC31 by diluting the CLNDA to reduce both suppliers’ liability and the time period for exercising right of recourse in the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Rules 2011.32 The US-India Business Council, PM Modi and industry executives from the Nuclear Power Company of India Ltd. (NPCIL) also devised an insurance package to indemnify the American suppliers in the event of a nuclear accident for the maximum liability amount stipulated in the CLNDA (INR 1500 Crore/$250 million).33 This was to encourage US/Japan companies (among others) to collaborate in building new nuclear reactors to allow India to ‘achieve its full blown potential’.34 In short, India would take as close to full liability for nuclear accidents as possible in return for receiving the benefits of NPT and NSG membership without the full obligations expected of its members. In doing so, the integrity of the NPT was further compromised. Given that Australia’s uranium mining and export accounts for less than 1 percent of its hundred billion dollar mineral export business (iron ore, bauxite, coal, copper, nickel etc),36 however, these decisions by Australian leaders risked significant political capital over what has been a highly contentious issue in Australia’s recent political history. the NPT non-nuclear-weapon states agree never to acquire nuclear weapons in exchange for which the NPT nuclear-weapon states agree to share the benefits of peaceful nuclear technology and to pursue nuclear disarmament aimed at the ultimate elimination of their nuclear arsenals. Nuclear weapons states have had the primary responsibility to ensure disarmament of their own arsenals so as to prevent nuclear non-proliferation among other states. The export controls regime of the NSG and enhanced verification measures of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) Additional Protocols are ostensibly to end every possible means to acquire nuclear weapons. While Article Four of the NPT provides ‘inalienable rights to every non-nuclear weapon state’ to pursue nuclear energy for power generation, India is neither a member of the NPT nor a Non-Nuclear Weapon State and there is no provision in the NPT which permits for signatories to form nuclear cooperation agreements with Non-NPT states. India quite rightly has pointed out the hypocritical approach of the nuclear weapons states in approaching the NPT regime. As the Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee stated in 2007, India was not an NPT signatory because it considers the regime to be not one of ‘universal, non-discriminatory verification and treatment’.37 In the same statement, Minister Mukherjee also claimed that India had an ‘impeccable record on non-proliferation… [was] a leading advocate of the elimination of all nuclear weapons… [and was an adherent] to the values of peace and non-violence’. India’s ‘impeccable track-record on non-proliferation’ was a catch phrase coined by President Bush in 2005,38 and reiterated by both PM Modi and PM Abbott in 2014. Treating India as an exceptional case and a de facto nuclear weapons state makes even more conspicuous the selective imposition of sanctions or favour upon other non-NPT signatory nuclear weapons states such as Pakistan and Israel, or NPT signatory non-nuclear weapons states such as Iran.39 But the self-interested and strategically motivated application of the NPT was not new, nor was it limited to the US and its allies. The Soviet Union supplied China with the necessary technologies and skills to develop its own nuclear weapons capabilities, as China then supplied Pakistan. In turn, Pakistan also supplied other states that aspire to obtain nuclear capabilities. All were in a chain reaction, however, to U.S. threats to China and ultimately to the Soviet Union, in the early decades of the Cold War. While it is debatable that uranium and nuclear technology supply to India by others might serve to deter contemporary Chinese or Pakistani nuclear aggression, it has not served to prevent Indian conflicts with either of those two nations in the past. In any case, the use of nuclear trade as a strategic instrument does not ensure greater security or stability of the international community broadly defined, and this sort of leverage is not a valid use of the NPT. So despite PM Abbott’s assurances that ‘suitable safeguards’ were in place to guarantee that Australian uranium would be used for ‘peaceful purposes’ and for ‘civilian use only’, as the former Director General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office John Carlson points out, the Agreement departs from two principles of Australia’s 1987 Safeguards Act (section 51):40 the acquirement of ‘consent to reprocessing’ from the Australian government prior to the separation of plutonium from spent fuel; and the ‘right of return’ of nuclear materials supplied in the event of a breach of the agreement.41 Instead, the Agreement defers to the US-India nuclear cooperation agreement in which India would reprocess in facilities built with the assistance of US companies, and leaves open the question of how separated plutonium would be used or how arbitration would apply to settle disputes. Ten of India’s twenty nuclear facilities are beyond the regulatory authority of the IAEA and India only selectively recognises IAEA safeguards for specific foreign supplied reactors and facilities. India also refuses to submit to suppliers inventory reports and accounting processes for nuclear material flowing through the nuclear cycle. As the IAEA is not able to fully inspect India’s dual-purpose (civilian and military) indigenous reactors and facilities for reprocessing, enrichment, retransfers to third countries, research and development or the production of tritium (used as a trigger for weapons), India is not fully accountable to either the IAEA or the supplier nation with which it has a bilateral agreement with in-built IAEA norms. So even if India adheres to Australia’s requirements that its uranium be used solely to supply civil nuclear reactors for electricity generation that may be inspected by IAEA as per the nuclear safeguards agreement, Australia’s (or any other NPT members’) uranium export to India effectively supplements or liberates limited supplies of Indian uranium for military uses.42 Nor could, in the unlikely discovery of the ‘misallocation’ of some Australian origin uranium toward military use, the IAEA force compliance. In fact, whether or not India accounts for the flows of Australian material in its nuclear fuel cycle, it is impossible to verify whether it has actually adhered to the safeguards. Australian Minister for Resources and Energy Martin Ferguson, Adani group founder Gautam Adani, Queensland Premier Campbell Newman in India in 2012. As has been recommended by the United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Energy Agency (IEA), Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), and recognised by the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, the rapid phase out of coal-fired power stations is essential if the world is to meet the now seemingly optimistic carbon emissions reductions necessary to keep planetary warming below 2 percent of pre-industrialisation levels.46 While two hundred licenses for coal-fired power stations have been revoked by the Supreme Court of India recently, many Indian overseas coal projects are still underway. There are a number of flaws underpinning the logic of this activity between political leaders and nuclear industry executives. PM Abbott insisted at the time of signing the nuclear deal with India that the Agreement would be safe. In fact, the Abbott government has committed to selling uranium to an ambitious nation that barely conceals its intentions to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal and has refused to become a full signatory to the NPT and, along with the US, China and Pakistan, has not ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Prime Minister Modi is a pro-business politician and hardliner on Pakistan and Muslim populations in India and favours a security policy based on nuclear deterrence. The BJP holds a commanding majority in the lower house of Parliament. There is little reason to assume that Indian relations with Pakistan – or indeed with China – will soften by furnishing India with greater means to project its military power in the region. The surge of fundamentalist and jingoist forces in South Asia and rising military budgets and tensions between India and Pakistan on the one hand and China and the US, Japan and its allies on the other, aggravate the security situation in the region. Further, India has been waging an on-going long-term campaign against an insurgency within its borders, and it cannot guarantee against theft of nuclear-related materials. Fourth, the option of nuclear power as the ‘clean’ alternative is nothing of the sort. Although the fission operation of nuclear power stations may be ‘cleaner’ than coal-fired power stations in terms of carbon emissions, and although the heat from fission may produce more energy and less waste per volume of uranium than coal, many problems remain unresolved. These include the safe storage of long-lived nuclear waste, long build time of reactors in proportion to rapidly accelerating effects of climate change, enormous financial costs, use and contamination of vital resources required across the nuclear cycle from mining to waste production (including water and fossil fuels),55centralised monopolisation of power management necessitated by nuclear power generation, excess heating of the atmosphere through the discharge of excess heat through water and air, danger to ecologies downwind or downstream from venting while refueling reactors, and increased potential for large-scale and long-term damage from accidents. Given the advances of wind, solar, tidal and geothermal energy production which have become cheaper and more productive, as field-tested in China, Germany,56 Spain and other countries, and the abundance of these sources of energy in countries like Australia, the myth of base-load power is less sustainable than it was in the heady renaissance days. India’s pitch to rapidly increase economic growth has been embraced by the transnational nuclear industry as it represents an opportunity to expand the nuclear industry, and an opportunity to diversify from reliance on the Chinese market. But when typical cost-benefit analyses are extended to include the actual costs of the above-mentioned scenarios (nuclear weapons exchange, public health effects from industrial pollution from uranium mining and nuclear reactors, nuclear reactor disasters, nuclear waste storage, renewable energy alternatives), in an already fragile ecology in India, India’s nuclear energy plan reflects neither deep commitment to climate change mitigation nor serious concern for India’s impoverished populations. Why does the Australian, Indian, the United States and Japanese governments (among others) and their affiliated transnational corporations, continue to accelerate nuclear related operations despite these significant obstacles? It is unlikely that the Japan-India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement went unsigned because of any putative scruple Japan may have about selling nuclear technologies to India as a non-NPT nuclear weapons state. As the Modi and NPCIL accommodation of American supplier demands demonstrates, the liability clause can be flexible. It remains unlikely, however, that India will consent to opening all of its reactors for inspection.60 Rather, it is likely that Japan is awaiting an American executive decision on the liability issue and the possible inclusion of India into the NPT as a nuclear weapons state, since prior agreement would appear to abrogate Japan’s NPT obligations. That PM Modi reasserted India’s customary ‘no first use’ policy does not mean that he does not intend to stockpile and bolster India’s nuclear arsenal. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates that India possesses 90 to 110 nuclear weapons.61 In June 2014, the IHS (Information Handling Service) Jane’s military research group identified what they believe to be a new uranium hexafluoride (enrichment) facility at the Indian Rare Metals Plant near Mysore. As with its other military plants, this plant is not within IAEA safeguards. Estimated to be operational by mid-2015, it would produce roughly double the amount of enriched fuel (160 kilos a year enriched to 90 percent purity) required for India’s ballistic missile nuclear submarine fleet.62 The IHS analysts surmise that the surplus could be used for thermonuclear weapons (mixing enriched uranium and plutonium stockpiles).63 It could also be used to fuel nuclear submarines, space satellites, tactical and intermediate ballistic missiles, and multiple warhead Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (Agni V ICBM MIRVs) with the ability to reach cities in China and Pakistan. India joins the US, Russia, UK, France and China in possessing the ICBM with MIRV, leaving Pakistan further behind in terms of weapons parity, particularly in navy, air and ground forces, and missile capabilities.64 As India seeks to rival China, it could further destabilize relations with Pakistan by intensifying the ongoing arms race between the two. Regional tensions could be further exacerbated by Pakistan’s border skirmishes with Afghanistan and Iran over its support of the Taliban in Afghanistan.65 Along with increasing tensions involving US-Japan-India and China, this is precisely the scenario that NPT members have tried to avoid by subscribing to IAEA safeguards. Since the late 1950s, there have been elements in the Japanese government (led by Abe’s grandfather and former Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke) who have advocated the procurement of tactical nuclear weapons as an entitlement under the nation’s right to self-defence as stipulated in the UN Charter. Although the US has long discouraged Japan’s nuclear weaponisation with assurances of extended nuclear deterrence, in 2003 US Vice-President Cheney stated that Japan’s possession of nuclear weapons could be tenable if it were aligned to US strategic deterrence policy.68 As an NPT signatory, Japan has accumulated the fourth largest stockpile of ‘civilian’ plutonium, the largest stockpile of any non-nuclear weapons state.69 Despite reprocessing programs having been closed down by many other countries, Japan claims that its significant nuclear reprocessing and fuel fabrication program is for ‘energy autonomy’ by which it means ‘closing the nuclear fuel cycle’. This relies upon the ability to separate plutonium from spent fuel and reprocess and fabricate it ‘upwards’ so as to produce more plutonium than is consumed, thereby facilitating an endless loop of fuel production and consumption. In this scenario, the Japanese government regards spent nuclear fuel and stockpiled plutonium as an ‘asset’ rather than a ‘debt’. This ability should not be understood as solely for the reduction of reliance on foreign fuel imports or even of nuclear waste. In 2009, Ernest J. Moniz, an MIT professor and United States Secretary of Energy in 2014, admitted that uranium, once thought to be scarce, was now so abundant as to raise doubt over the necessity for nuclear fuel reprocessing.70 As of March 2011, despite the recommendations by the Japan Atomic Energy Commission and the Science Council of Japan of both direct disposal and limited surface storage of spent nuclear fuel in dry casks over fuel pool storage and reprocessing, the Japanese government would not rule out the reprocessing option. If the closed fuel cycle ever did eventuate, it would negate Japan’s dependence on the import of vital energy resources (uranium, oil, natural gas) so as to achieve ‘energy autonomy’. This would drastically reduce fuel costs and would also reduce vulnerability to sanctions should Japan breach the NPT (or other international agreements) in its decision to ‘go nuclear’. Japan’s long-term investment in co-developing this high-level technical capability has made it the second most powerful missile power in the world, and the only nation outside the US with both low and upper-tier defences reputedly capable of intercepting missiles beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.72 Given this long-term commitment, it was not surprising that the Abe government in 2013 decided to declare the constitutional right to participate in ‘collective security’ operations with the US and other allies. This technology, and Japan’s ambiguous intentions concerning nuclear and space weaponisation, means that the US and Japan, in collaboration with partners such as Australia and India (in sea-going operations in particular), could potentially integrate not only their BMD systems but also their nuclearized capabilities. As South Korea and Taiwan have also expressed interest in reprocessing their spent nuclear fuel (as have other states such as Saudi Arabia), these developments carry strong potential for proliferation. One of the major implications of this distributed form of ‘self-defence’ is that US Pacific Command would further extend the pre-emptive strike capacity of its global nuclear strike force. With Japan’s recent release of space assets for military use (reconnaissance, communications, navigation, early warning) in collaboration with the US, this further augments the current period of US ‘nuclear primacy’ and a return to the conditions prior to 1963 when the Soviets had developed long-range bombers to deliver their nuclear payloads over US territory. Nuclear primacy transcends the concept of Mutually Assured Destruction in its ability to win a nuclear war, which the US is proposing to do by eliminating retaliatory capability with a single massive attack called ‘Prompt Global Strike’. Under the Australia–India uranium trade agreement, India will use Australian yellow cake to diversify its nuclear program. If and when the Japan–India Nuclear Cooperation Agreement is concluded, it will supply the nuclear technology India requires to build its industrial capacity and indirectly enhance its nuclear arsenal. Negotiated almost simultaneously and in coordination, both of these Agreements, together with and following the US–India nuclear agreement, tacitly legitimise India’s nuclear status and assist in its ambitions for greater international influence. Australia and Japan, both NPT and NSG members, have become complicit in India’s nuclear weapons program and partially responsible for increasing the risk of nuclear accident in India, and for potentially aggravating nuclear rivalry in Asia. India claims to need more electricity for domestic and industrial growth as well as to lift a significant population out of poverty. Yet there are many factors which create the conditions for the advance of India’s poor, just as there are many forms of alternative energy generation beyond nuclear and coal which would be safer, more reliable and powerful if given comparable investment and with smart power grid distribution networks.76 To the extent that governments and corporations continue to invest in nuclear power construction and reprocessing as a source of ‘renewable energy’, they diminish the potential to stem the destructive and exponentially increasing effects of climate change.77 China, Germany, the United States, India and even Japan are presently leading the world in investing in renewable energy technology. Yet, with the exception of Germany, this is being done in parallel with plans to expand nuclear power production. The ongoing contamination from radiation dispersed from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant came, in part, from Australian uranium.78 When the benefits of uranium trade are weighed against the potential and actual costs and damages from uranium mining, the actual risks of nuclear reactor accidents and mismanagement, the decline in costs and advances in renewable technologies, potential nuclear weapons use (broadly defined) and proliferation, and the steady production of nuclear waste, it becomes clear that state-corporate policies to expand the industry are ill-conceived. In 2014, as in 1945 and throughout the intervening decades, uranium mining, nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons remain ineluctably tied to the formation of a global power structure of nation-states and transnational corporations and instrumental in their overarching ambitions. Adam Broinowski is an ARC postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Pacific and Asian History, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University. His recent work includes a chapter, ‘Sovereign Power Ambition and the Realities of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster’ in Nadesan/Boys/McKillop/Wilcox (eds.), Fukushima: Dispossession or Denuclearization?, The Dispossesion Publishing Group, 2014, and a forthcoming article, ‘Conflicting Immunities: Priorities of Life and Sovereignty amid the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster’, European Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies, December 2014. His book, Cultural Responses to Occupation in Japan: The Performing Body during and after the Cold War is forthcoming in 2015. Recommended citation: Adam Broinowski, “Undermining Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Energy and Security Politics in the Australia–India–Japan–U.S. Nuclear Nexus,” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 46, No. 2, November 1, 2014. 1 R. A. Paulsen, The Role of Nuclear Weapons in the Post-Cold War Era, Maxwell Airforce Base: Alabama Air University Press, 1994, pp. 1–11. 2 William Burr (ed.), ‘The Creation of SioP-62: More Evidence of the Origins of Overkill’, National Security Archive Electronic Briefing book No. 130, 13 July 2004. 3 Government of United States of America, Joint Chiefs of Staff, ‘Berlin Contingency Planning’, June 1961, National Security Archives. 4 F. Kaplan, The Wizards of Armageddon, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1983, p. 269. To what extent they calculated the ‘bonus kills’, as General LeMay put it, from radiation exposure is unclear, but it was likely a very conservative estimate. 5 For example, Uranerz Energy Corporation announced a net loss in the second quarter of 2013. See, ‘Uranerz Records Q2 Net Loss of $4.45 million’, 11 August 2014. 6 See Suzuki Tatsujiro in Mycle Schnyder and Anthony Froggat (eds.), World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2014, 18 August 2014, pp. 4, 76, 155; Aaron Sheldrick, ‘Global nuclear power contribution falls to lowest since 1980s’,Reuters, 29 July 2014; Jim Green, ‘Uranium – how low can it go’, Business Spectator, 29 May 2014. 7 Schneider and Froggatt, ‘Executive summary and conclusions’, World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013, July. 8 David von Hippel, James H. Williams, ‘Nuclear safety concers with China’s growing reactor fleet’, NAPSNet Policy Forum, 28 October 2014. 9 John Mathews and Hao Tan, ‘China shows there is more to renewable energy than fighting climate change’, The Conversation, 11 September 2014. 10 Daniel Cusick, ‘Power companies in Japan move to restrict solar’, Scientific American, 2 October 2014. 11 Aaron Sheldrick, ‘Global nuclear power contribution falls to lowest since 1980s’, Reuters, 29 July 2014. 12 Paddy Manning, ‘Producers bullish on Japanese demand’, Sydney Morning Herald, 18 December 2012. 13 Andrew Picone, ‘Mining companies now have more rights than the community in Newman’s Queensland’, SBS News, 1 October 14. Between 2013–14 and 2017–18 Australia’s uranium production is projected to increase by 32 per cent to total 9590 tonnes, as supported by the Alliance Resources’ Four Mile mine in South Australia, ore extraction at Ranger uranium mine and Toro Energy’s Wiluna mine in Western Australia. Other additional mining operations such as Cameco’s Kintyre and Yeelirrie projects as well as potential projects in Queensland are not projected to begin until 2017–18. Government of Australia, BREE, Resources and Energy Quarterly, October 2013, p. 26. 14 ‘Toro signs NT deal with AREVA’, The West Australian, 29 September 2014. 15 The World Bank estimates that nearly 400 million Indians have no access to electricity. World Bank, ‘Energy’. 16 At the recent opening of a coal mine, Prime Minister Abbott was quoted as declaring ‘Coal is good for humanity, coal is good for prosperity, coal is an essential part of our economic future, here in Australia, and right around the world.’ Editors, ‘Coal is good for humanity’, The Australian, 15 October 2014. 17 ‘Nuclear power in the USA’, World Nuclear Report, 23 October 2014. 18 Mitsubishi CEO Kojima Yorihiko quoted by Rick Wallace, ‘ Billions to flow from Shinzo Abe visit, says Mitsubishi chairman’, The Australian , 7 July 2014. 19 Editor, ‘Exports that defy reason’, Japan Times, 20 April 2014. 20 The Defense Ministry of the Abe government has sought a 3.5 percent increase to ¥5.05 trillion for the fiscal year of 2015, an unprecedented military budget for the nation. Takenaka Kiyoshi, Reuters, 29 August 2014. 21 P. Kallender-Umezu, ‘Japan Quietly Builds Limited Counter-A2/AD Capabilities’, 17 September 2013, Defense News. 22 The Howard government proposed the expansion of uranium mining and uranium exports, establishment of a uranium enrichment industry, and construction of 25 power reactors. Others in Australia propose 20 nuclear by 2050. See Government of Australia, Prime Minister and Cabinet, 29 December 2006, ‘Uranium mining, processing and nuclear energy – opportunities for Australia’. 23 United Nations, UN Security Council Resolution 1172. 24 For more discussion on this, see C. Rovere and K. Robertson, ‘Australia’s Uranium and India: Linking Exports to CTBT Ratification’, Security Challenges, Vol. 9, No. 1 (2013), pp. 51–61. 25 ‘China wants Australia’s uranium’, ABC, 17 October 2005. 26 ‘Reliance Arm paid $3.45 million to UXA for uranium exploration’, The Hindu Business Line, 28 May 2008. 27 Later, it was admitted that Indian projections are overly ambitious, and they would scale down from 20,000 MWe of new nuclear capacity to 11,080 MWe by the year 2020. 29 IAEA, Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, International Atomic Energy Agency. 30 Government of India, ‘The Civil Liability For Nuclear Damage Act’, 2010. 31 Editors, ‘U.S.-India Business Council Statement on Nuclear Liability Law’, Reuters, 30 August 2010. 32 Government of India, ‘Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Rules 2011’. 33 Indrani Bagchi, ‘India gives US insurance plan for nuclear plants’, The Times of India, 13 March 2014; Kapil Patil, ‘Untying the Civil Nuclear Liability Knot in the Indo-US Nuclear Deal’, Nautilus Institute, 30 September 2014. 34 Kapil Patil, ‘Untying the civil nuclear liability knot in the Indo-US nuclear deal’, NAPSnet policy forum, 30 September 2014. 35 Paul Meyer, ‘India and the meltdown of Canada’s nuclear non-proliferation policy: Ottawa abandons principled position for greater access to India’s economy’, Reuters. 36 Editors, ‘Yellow cake fever: Exposing the Uranium industry’s economic myths’, Australian Conservation Foundation, April 2013, p. 27. 37 Editors, ‘India dismisses NPT as ‘flawed’ treaty’, The Times of India, 23 March 2007. 38 Demetri Sevastopulo, Caroline Daniel, Jo Johnson, ‘India nuclear deal takes Congress by surprise’, Financial Times, 19 July 2005. 39 Yusra Mushtaq, ‘A Blatant Violation Of NPT’, 26 September 2014, Eurasia Review. See also, IAEA, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, ‘IAEA Topic 2: The Implementation of the NPT for the Non-Supporters of this Treaty’. 40 Government of Australia, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ‘Australia’s uranium export policy’. 41 John Carlson, ‘Is the Abbott Government abandoning Australia’s nuclear safeguards standards for India?’, The Interpreter, 1 October 2014 (part 1) and (part 2). 42 K. Subrahmanyam, ‘India and the nuclear deal’, The Times of India, 12 December 2005. 43 Crispin Rovere, ‘Australia–India nuclear treaty: a non-proliferation disaster’, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 14 October 2014. 44 Comprising six open-cut pits and five underground mines, the Carmichael mine will cover an area seven times that of Sydney Harbour. Despite warnings from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and UNESCO that this will place it ‘in danger’, plans to dredge and dump about 3 million cubic metres of the Reef into a wetlands sanctuary to make way for port expansions for 480 additional ships to access 330 million tonnes of coal per year from this mega-mine will use 12 billion litres of fresh water per year and will affect the habitat of humpback whales, sea turtles and dugongs. With 130 million tonnes of carbon dioxide produced every year for ninety years, this will cancel out the Queensland Direct Action target of 131 million tonnes of carbon dioxide reduction. Adani Enterprises has a dubious track record including illegal large-scale exports of iron ore at its port and numerous cases of environmental pollution. It has also been a significant supporter of the Bharatiya Janta Party. Deutsche Bank, HSBC, Citi, Morgan Stanley and possible JP Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have refused to fund the project while the ‘big four’ Australian banks seem to be giving their approval. India is the third largest producer, consumer and importer of coal in the world and the fourth largest energy consumer in the world. See, Mary McCarthy, ‘Darwin and Adelaide likely export hubs for Queensland uranium’, ABC Rural; Ben Pearson, ‘ Carmichael coal mine impacts will be felt for generations,’ ABC Environment , 28Jul2014, William Rollo, ‘Carmichael Coal and Rail Project: Queensland mine gets Federal Government approval’, ABC News, 29 July 2014; Candace Dunn, ‘India falls back on imported fossil fuels’, Business Spectator, 15 August 2014. 45 ‘Indian activists take on Adani coal mine’, Geelong Advertiser, 9 October 2014; ‘Ramping up against coal’, Beyond Zero Emissions, September – August 2012. 46 In support of the claim for the rapid shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy and energy savings, the United Nations’ Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated ‘We need to limit global temperature rise within 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. This is what the international community has recognised as the upper limit of safety. Beyond 2 degrees, the consequences will be unpredictable, highly dangerous and perhaps irreversible’. See, United Nations, ‘Secretary-General’s remarks at Climate Leaders Summit’, 11 April 2014. It is estimated that at least two thirds of proven fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground and that carbon utilities and infrastructure must be developed beyond 2017 as 80 percent of cumulative emissions allowable between 2010 and 2035 are already locked into existing power plants, factories, buildings and services. In addition this will result in significant positive in health effects, job production, biodiversity conservation, energy independence and stronger sovereignty and resilience. Although several countries have moved to end public finance for coal and other fossil fuels, Australia has yet to do so in a significant manner. See WHO – 7 million premature deaths linked to air pollution and Climate Change – IPCC Response Strategies. 47 Editors, ‘A new engagement: The Indo-Australian nuclear deal signals a paradigm shift in the quality of the relationship between the two nations’, The Hindu Business Line, 8 September 2014. 48 Neeta Lal, ‘India’s Nuclear Energy Imperative’, The Diplomat, 8 October 2014. 50 Joby Warrick, ‘Obama and Modi announce agreement on U.S.-India efforts to fight global warming’, Washington Post, 30 September 2014. 51 Government of the United States, The White House, ‘U.S.-India Joint Statement’, 30 September 2014. 52 M. V. Ramana, ‘Indian activists detained for protesting against India-Australia uranium agreement,’ Dianuke, 5 September 2014. 53 While there are conflicting reports, in contrast to studies based on dose estimates in accordance with institutional levels (such as the ICRP), an Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) epidemiological study found in 2007 that living within 2.5kms of the mining operations increased rates of illness (2118 households) and was upheld by the Jharkhand High Court in 2007. This was supported by a study in 2004 by Koide Hiroaki who found the level to be 10mSv/y around the mine and over 1 mSv/y in the villages. The UCIL managers have used the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle to set permissible radiation exposure limits and precautionary measures and have shown disregard for the conditions of indigenous peoples living in the area. See, Shakeel ur Rahman, ‘Study on Health status of Indigenous people around Jadugoda uranium mines in India’, IDPD. UCIL Chairman Diwakar Acharya denied any correlation and blamed ordinary socio-economic factors (malnutrition). Stephanie March, ‘Australia to sell uranium to India but at what cost to its people?’, ABC 7:30 Report, 3 September 2014; Uranium Corporation of India hopes to get renewal of Jaduguda mine lease soon PTI, 6 October 2014; Rakteem Katakey, Tom Lasseter, ‘India’s Uranium Boss Says Deformed Children May Be ‘Imported’,’Bloomberg, 24 July 2014. 54 Mari Yamaguchi, ‘Sendai reactors vulnerable to eruptions, state-picked volcanologist says’, The Japan Times, 18 October 2014. 55 France, which until recently has drawn roughly three quarters of its energy supply from nuclear power stations, uses 40-50 percent of the nation’s mostly fresh water supply to cool its plants. 56 Germany, for example, prior to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 was heavily reliant on nuclear and fossil fuels. Over the past decade, however, its use of renewable energy mainly from solar and wind, has tripled. In 2013, however, renewable energy accounted for 24 percent of the nation’s total electricity supply. Despite government subsidies of roughly EU 16 billion, the Government claims to have created new businesses worth 40 billion euros per year and created additional employment to 400,000 people. Emily Steward, ABC, 29 October 2014. 57 See for example, Jeremy Rifkin, ‘No nukes!’, Los Angeles Times, 29 September 2006. 58 Nagao Shigeru, ‘Why Japan needs India as a Strategic Power’, Defence and Security Alert, 26 October 2014. 59 Vince Scappatura, ‘The U.S. “Pivot to Asia”, the China Specter and the Australian-American Alliance’, Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 36, No. 3, September 9, 2014. 60 Bhattacharjee, S., A. Sasi, ‘Japan wants slice of the nuclear pie, warms up to liability law’, Indian Express, 12 June 2014. 61 Editors, SIPRI Yearbook 2014. 62 Along with the P-5 states, India and Pakistan also continue to develop new systems capable of delivering nuclear weapons and are expanding their capacities to produce fissile material for military purposes. India conducted successful tests of the 5,000-km Agni-V, India’s first ICBM. Along with its shorter-range Prithvi missiles, India’s 2,000-km K-4 SLBM and its Agni-I (700-km), Agni-II (2,000-km) and Agni-III (3,000-km) missiles were tested under Strategic Forces Command in March 2014. It is still to test the 750-km K-15 SLBM in India’s first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine the INS Arihant in sea trials in late 2014. Rajat Pandit, ‘Pakistan surges ahead of India in nuclear stockpile: Report’, The Times of India, 17 June 2014. 64 Pakistan possesses roughly the equivalent nuclear weapons as India, which serves as a cheap deterrent in the face of India’s overwhelming conventional superiority. Nevertheless, Pakistan is developing shorter-range cruise missiles to evade ballistic missile defence and is planning a long-term build-up of its nuclear arsenal and delivery systems, including tactical short-range missiles, as a ‘full spectrum deterrent’. See for example, Tim Craig and Karen DeYoung, ‘Pakistan is eyeing sea-based and short-range nuclear missiles, analysts say’, Washington Post, 21 September 2014; Kyle Mizokami, ‘If Pakistan and India clash: 5 Pakistani weapons of war India should fear’, The National Interest, 24 August 2014; Kyle Mizokami, ‘If Pakistan and India went to war: 5 Indian weapons of war Pakistan should fear’, The National Interest, 16 August 2014; Amin Saikal, ‘Pakistan must de-escalate conflicts with three of its neighbours’, Canberra Times, 4 November 2014. 65 Amin Saikal, ‘Pakistan must de-escalate conflicts with three of its neighbours’, Canberra Times, 4 November 2014. 66 Kageyama Yuri, ‘Japan pro-bomb voices grow louder amid nuke debate’, Associated Press, 31 July 2012. 67 Adam Westlake, ‘Surprisingly Japan declines 16 UN outlawing nuclear weapons’, Japan Daily Press, 23 October 2012. 68 M. Mochizuki, ‘Japan tests the nuclear taboo’, Non-Proliferation Review, vol. 14, no. 2, July 2007. 69 M. Pomper and M. Toki, ‘Time to stop reprocessing in Japan’, Arms Control Today, January/February 2013. 70 Matthew Wald, ‘U.S. Panel shifts focus to reusing nuclear fuel’, New York Times, 23 September 2009. 71 Missile shield deployments are currently in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, Greenland, Britain, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Poland, the Czech republic, Turkey, Georgia and potentially in Ukraine. 72 Chester Dawson, ‘Japan shows-off its missile defense system’, Wall Street Journal, 9 November 2012. 73 While Japan may have a powerful missile system integrated with the US, one should not overlook the US-initiated NATO interceptor missile system that incorporated the U.S.–Germany-Italy Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) and NATO’s Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (ALTBMD) program and is being deployed in the ongoing military build-up in Eastern Europe. See for example, ‘SM-3 BMD, in from the sea: EPAA & Aegis Ashore’, Defense Industry Daily, 13 October 2014. 74 Government of the United States, Department of Defense, ‘Nuclear Posture Review Report’, April 2010. 75 K. Lieber and D. Press (2006), ‘US Primacy in Foreign Policy’, Foreign Affairs, March/April, pp. 42–54. 76 Andrew Picone,‘Queenslanders have more reason than ever to be concerned about uranium mining in the sunshine stateMining companies now have more rights than the community in Newman’s Queensland’, SBS News, 1 October 2014. 77 Yusra Mushtaq, ‘A Blatant Violation Of NPT’, Eurasia Review, 26 September 2014. 78 Dave Sweeney, ‘Fukushima: Australia’s Radioactive Rocks And Responsibility’, New Matilda, 29 August 2014.

Amazingly, half of all Americans say they don’t care about government surveillance — and during a random sampling of people on the streets of New York City not one could identify Edward Snowden, or what he did. That’s despite an Academy Award winning documentary on his release of classified documents about the spying activities of a National Security Agency called Citizenfour. The government is collecting data from you all the time. From your phone, computer, tablet, credit cards, travel records and more. We know they are doing this because of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. John Oliver traveled to Moscow where Snowden, wanted by the U.S government, has asylum for the next three years. There he interviewed Snowden in an attempt to find out why more Americans don’t care about the government spying on their personal lives. Based on Snowden’s explanation of the government’s spying activities, here are five basic questions every American should ask themselves about the NSA surveillance program. 1. Do you want the government to collect your data (including your naked pictures)? According to Oliver, Pew Research found that 46 percent of Americans say they don’t care about government surveillance. Why? It’s too complicated and technical to try to trace the life cycle of a text message. Hilariously Oliver tries to put the issue into terms Americans will care about — whether or not the government has access to your naked pictures. Once everyday folks heard the argument in those terms, they got interested in the debate pretty fast. “I did this [released secret NSA spying information] to give the American people the chance to decide for themselves what kind of government they want to have,” Snowden tells Oliver. Do you want a government that hoards your most scandalous communications? 2. Why did the government lie about its spying activity? On June 1, 2015, key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire, including the controversial Section 215 provision, which has been interpreted by a FISA Court to mean that the government has the authority to collect comprehensive data on its citizens. Prior to the Snowden revelations about programs like PRISM, American government officials — including President Obama — said the government was collecting only basic phone and internet records, like when a call was made and to whom (metadata), rather than the actual content of the conversation. Snowden proved that’s just not true. The Snowden documents showed that the government was collecting and storing the content of Americans’ communications too, like emails, phone calls, internet searches and text and chat messages, rather than just basic call record information. Worse yet, it’s not just being looked at; it’s being stored in monster government data centers in Utah, in case it needs to be looked at in the future. So if you want to play a semantics game, they aren’t actively looking at it, just saving a copy in case they need to later. Does that make you feel any better about it? 3. Can you trust the government with this kind of power? Mobile phone data provides an incredibly detailed account of your life — your location, who you call, emails, text messages, internet searches, online shopping habits. Combine that level of detailed data contained in your credit card records, home and work emails and internet searches, and that’s a pretty freaky accurate representation of who you are, where you’ve been, with whom and what you were doing. But not totally accurate. Your phone data might put you in a mall food court at the same time as a terrorist, but does that mean you’re a terrorist too? What if you just both happen to love Orange Julius and soft pretzels? Now, imagine in the future the government charges you with a crime. Any crime, really. Doesn’t matter which. For belonging to the wrong religion. For being too friendly with someone the government doesn’t like. Happens all the time around the world. Rather than the government having to collect evidence about your crime to prove your guilt, it’ll already have a pile of information on you it can use however it chooses. No warrant. Nada. We might be cool with all of this surveillance capability being used against the terrorists, but what if it’s turned on Americans one day? So do you trust them? 4. How do we balance privacy and safety? The Patriot Act was conceived amidst the fear following the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. But even one of the primary authors of the Patriot Act, Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, testified that the legislation was never intended to authorize the bulk collection and storage of the communications of U.S. citizens and that its powers should be reined in when the Patriot Act is reauthorized this summer. Government officials argue that this kind of surveillance is critical for fighting terrorists and those who would do America and Americans harm. That sounds totally reasonable and fair. But with programs like PRISM and other surveillance activity Americans have no idea is going on, how can we have a debate and balance the idea of security against the idea of liberty? How much privacy are we willing to give up for less security risk? 5. Are you on a watch list? At the end of the interview, Snowden gives John Oliver a pretty ominous warning — that by interviewing him, Oliver is likely now on a very serious, very scary U.S. government watch list. The idea of a watch list is discussed in more frightening detail in the Academy Award-winning documentary about Snowden, Citizenfour. Americans are put on watch lists all the time, which brings increased scrutiny of communications, increased surveillance and, when traveling out of the country, often problems getting your passport cleared across international borders without intense questioning. But how do you know if you’ve done something to raise the government’s suspicions about your activity? Am I on a watch list just for writing this article? Are you for reading it? How would we know? It’s a secret. The principles of transparency and checks and balances the U.S. government is founded on demand that citizens be informed about these kinds of government activities. Whether you view Snowden as a hero or a traitor, as he says, now you know what your government is doing in our name. Do you care? Does it bother you? We should be allowed to have this debate and make an informed decision one way or the other. In the meantime, John Oliver and his team of brillant writers have distilled the argument down to this: Do you want the government to have a picture of you naked?

DAVENPORT - Don Skipper, an administrative assistant at Ridge Community High School, was named the school's head boys basketball coach Wednesday. Skipper has served as an assistant basketball coach the last two years for the Bolts and had stints as a head coach at McKeel Academy and All Saints' Academy, and was named Coach of the Year three times by the Coaches Association of Polk County, according to a press release from the school. BABSON PARK - Webber International University will host the 2007 NAIA Region 14 softball tournament today and Friday at the Diamond Plex in Winter Haven. The opening ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m., with Webber playing Thomas University (Georgia) on Field A at 5 p.m. The tournament will continue at noon Friday with the elimination games. Admission for the tournament is $5 per day or $8 for a two-day pass. The tournament champions will receive an automatic place in the NAIA National Tournament to be held in Decatur, Ala, May 18-23. For details, go to and view the softball page or call 863-638-2980. LAKE WALES - The 13th annual Lake Wales Football golf tournament will be June 2 at the Lake Wales Country Club. The tournament will start at 8 a.m. The cost will be $75 and play will be in scramble format. Cost includes lunch and door prizes. Hole sponsors, prize donations and auction items are needed. Major sponsors are also available for $500. For details, call Rod Shafer at 863-678-4222 or 863-604-3304. BALTIMORE - Aubrey Huff homered with one out in the 10th inning against his former team, giving the Baltimore Orioles a 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Wednesday night. After James Shields pitched nine brilliant innings for Tampa Bay, Brian Stokes (1-4) faced only two batters before giving up the game's lone run. Ramon Hernandez hit a fly to center before Huff drove a 1-1 pitch over the wall in center, his fourth homer of the season and second against the Devil Rays. Huff played for five seasons in Tampa Bay and briefly with Houston last year before signing with Baltimore as a free agent in January.

Ubuntu 10.04 LTS Lucid Lynx is the latest Linux operating system from Canonical, aimed at consumers. It's free, but is it sufficiently consumer friendly that you should switch from Windows? Dell offers Ubuntu Netbook Remix as an option pre-installed for its Dell Inspiron Mini 10 netbook. But how well does UNR fare on other netbooks? There's never been a better time to give Linux a try on your PC. Here's why. Is this the easiest way to try Linux on a Win7 laptop?

Still image of Lisa Sharon Harper from YouTube. Pastors and lay leaders who represent minority and multiethnic communities and are appalled by the prospect of a Donald Trump presidency have a blunt message for the white evangelical majority that helped elect him: we’re disappointed in you, but not surprised. For these evangelicals of color, Trump’s use of racially-charged language, his anti-immigrant rhetoric, negative remarks targeting Mexicans and Muslims, as well as the emergence of the “Access Hollywood” tape and his other divisive comments about women, were simply disqualifying. While some prominent white evangelical leaders made their opposition to then-candidate Trump widely known (many signing a letter protesting his candidacy), the majority of white self-identified evangelicals (estimated to run as high as 81 percent), lined up behind him. “Many of [Trump’s] critics fell silent or fell into line, while the group known as the ‘religious right’ continued to support him’ says Kathy Khang, a Christian writer and speaker based in the Chicago area. For the past eight years, people of color, the LGBT community, and women have been given license to flourish, says Lisa Sharon Harper, author of The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong Can Be Made Right and chief church engagement officer at Sojourners. “The white church demonstrated on November 8th that it is more white than Christian, and has a [greater] commitment to white supremacy than it does to Christ,” says Harper. The fact that so many evangelicals didn’t see Trump’s controversial rhetoric as derogatory underlined the presence of a persistent and troubling racial divide in American Christianity that these leaders say is deeply rooted in American history. Some are questioning the value of continued association with the white evangelical majority. Despite their dismay over the prospect of a Trump presidency, those I spoke to appear to be more motivated and energized than daunted by the challenges that lie ahead. “This has been a wakeup call to the progressive, moderate community that we have to stand up for what we believe in and communicate it in the public square,” DuBois concludes. And Lisa Sharon Harper tells me that “a new Civil Rights movement is happening, and its locus is in people of color.” She sees evidence of it already in the “movement for black lives,” the witness of the so-called “Dreamers” (undocumented immigrants who arrived here as children), and the rising call for solidarity with the poor that mirrors the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. “Every word of Scripture was written by oppressed people,” she says. Elizabeth Eisenstadt Evans is a Pennsylvania-based freelance writer, and a religion columnist for LNP Media, Inc in Lancaster, PA. Her work has appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the National Catholic Reporter, the Global Sisters Report, Religion News Service and other media outlets.

New York’s bike share really does attract way more commuters than tourists. Since its debut last year, New York City’s bike share system, Citi Bike, has been wildly popular. In its first six months of operation, the bright blue bikes logged more than 5 million trips. The system has nearly 100,000 annual members. Yet Citi Bike–which unlike most bike shares in major cities, isn’t subsidized by public funds–is losing money. One of the main reasons is that while annual memberships are popular, the much more profitable day passes aren’t. It’s a phenomenon easily seen in this visualization of two days of Citi Bike rides around New York City. Designer Jeff Ferzoco, Sarah Kaufman at New York University’s Rudin Center for Transportation and Juan Francisco Saldarriaga of Columbia University’s Spatial Information Design Lab worked together to visualize Citi Bike journey data from September 17 and 18 of last year. Over those two days, when the weather was in the 60s and there was no rain, Citi Bike saw 75,000 rides. Rides are separated by type of membership, either annual (blue) or casual (yellow). The visualization doesn’t show exact routes along the city’s grid, but instead approximates trips by tracing straight lines between the endpoints. Ridership picks up early in the morning, around 5:30 a.m., and is heavy between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. Almost all of those riders are annual members. Yellow dots are barely visible on the map, except a few around the very lower tip of Manhattan and up near Central Park. As the day wears on, there’s a slight increase in casual members–people riding over the Brooklyn Bridge, for instance–but for the most part, the vast majority of the map is the blue. During the evening rush hours, when commuters get back on a Citi Bike to go home, the map is overwhelmed by a dense network of blue. Interestingly, more riders seem to take Citi Bike during the evening hours than take it to work. The number of active riders hits 800 at 8:30 a.m., but spikes to more than 1,000 at 6 p.m. Though the balance of ridership clearly tips in favor of annual membership, it would be interesting to compare this data to a weekend. Perhaps more people are willing to grab a daily pass on a Saturday than during the workweek.

It’s amazing what a difference time can make in the way we perceive certain technologies. A few years ago, the idea of the cloud was terrifying to many people. What exactly did it mean to have something “in the cloud”? Was your personal information just floating around somewhere, ready for people to steal? Now, a lot of those hesitations have disappeared as people learned more about the cloud and its benefits. Businesses and individuals are more than willing to stick their information “in the cloud,” but it’s really not that simple. Sure, there are plenty of cloud providers in the market, but choosing the right one for your organization can be a tricky process. Brand name cloud providers are often seen as a reliable option for companies, but the truth is that they may not be the right option for your small-to-medium-sized business (SMB) needs. Migrating successfully to the cloud requires a SMB to have the right partner by its side, especially if it lacks cloud expertise or the time to develop an appropriate migration strategy. The right partner will be able to ensure that a SMB’s cloud deployment meets regulatory requirements, offers future scalability and flexibility, and/or provides it with the most cost-effective option possible. Again, finding a cloud provider that can do all of the above should be easy, but that’s not always the case. A lot of cloud providers are focused on helping enterprises rather than SMBs. Luckily, there are some cloud providers that cater specifically to SMB customers. If you’d like to learn more about SMB cloud migrations and how to choose the right cloud provider to meet your company’s needs, be sure to register for the upcoming webinar titled “How to Know if Your Cloud Decision is Right for Your SMB.” The webinar, presented by Ed Dryer, senior technology strategist at Steadfast, will take place on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. EDT. Attendees will gain a better understanding of public, hybrid and private clouds for SMBs; learn the operational and cost benefits of virtualization; hear what is driving SMBs today to make cloud investments; and understand how cloud services complement business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) services, managed security, and on-demand infrastructure. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, you can REGISTER HERE.

On Jan. 15, nine of 12 members of the National Park System Advisory Board sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announcing their resignation, effectively dissolving the board. It was an act of protest against an administration with little appetite for the methodical approach the board has brought to national park management for decades. And it leaves the National Park Service without a means to establish new historic or natural landmarks, since federal law requires the advisory board to sign off on such designations. More significantly, perhaps, it’s another crack in the foundation of the Interior Department, which manages 500 million acres of public land and is already rattled by the prospect of some 4,000 job cuts. Since 1935, the nonpartisan experts on the National Park System Advisory Board have consulted with the Park Service on its policies and recommended new park units. Lady Bird Johnson served on the board, as did Western writer Wallace Stegner and numerous anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, architects and social scientists. In recent years, the board has taken a special interest in protecting sites that are of value to Asian-American, African-American, Latino and LGBT communities, and it’s advised the Park Service on management strategies to deal with the impacts of climate change. When Zinke took office last spring, board members hoped to talk with him about these efforts. But the secretary seemed uninterested—perhaps not surprising, given that a leaked document outlining his department’s priorities scrubbed all mentions of climate change and diversity. In May, Zinke suspended the advisory board, along with some 200 other independent committees that offered management expertise to individual parks or regions. With few options to make their voices heard, advisory board members decided to resign en masse. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift did not respond to a request for comment, but told the conservative Washington Examiner that the department “welcomes” the resignations of members who she claims ignored sexual harassment issues in the Park Service. Former Alaska governor and advisory board chairman Tony Knowles says sexual harassment didn’t fall under the board’s purview. He also talked with High Country News about why he quit and what the board’s dissolution means for the national park system. The following has been edited for length and clarity. HCN: Did you get the sense that until this year, the recommendations of the board were heeded, or at least heard? Tony Knowles: Yes, absolutely. Over the past 7 years, we really made a difference in the direction of the National Park Service. There was a great sense of collaboration. Our board members worked with more than 160 outside experts to come up with recommendations, including to approve 130 new historical landmarks. We went over recommendations carefully with former superintendent Jon Jarvis, and often they became part of Park Service policy. HCN: How did that change in the past year? TK: At the beginning, we were told that all of the advisory boards were suspended and we’d be notified when it would become part of the agenda to reinstate them. So we waited one, two, three, four months. There was no contract (to allow us to continue our work), no understanding of when a Park Service director would be appointed. In early October, I wrote a letter to Secretary Zinke explaining how the board wanted to meet to inform the new administration of what we envisioned to build a better park system in the 21st century, and to hear what their vision was. We got no answer. I pestered and pestered, and in mid-November got a one-sentence email from someone saying the secretary was very busy. That’s when we realized they were just running out the clock until our terms expired in May. HCN: Why did you decide to resign rather than try to influence the direction of the agency from within? TK: When you’re on permanent hold, at some time you’ve gotta hang up. There’s no one to talk to but yourselves. By nine of us resigning, we felt we’d be able to get the microphone briefly to at least talk to the American people about climate change, about preserving the natural diversity of wildlife, about making sure underrepresented minorities not only come to the parks but are employees there. All these things we think are important. We may be disappointed with the Department of the Interior, but we are not discouraged. Every single one of us will continue the fight to promote and protect our public lands. HCN: Given that your action is part of a larger pattern of resignations and layoffs at the Park Service, are you concerned about the agency’s future? TK: Of course we’re concerned. The secretary proposed a 13 percent budget reduction, which would all come out of personnel, then claimed he’s going to rebuild infrastructure by raising park entry fees. If we’re trying to increase the number of people from lower-income groups who want to come to our parks, that’s counter-productive. I also get worried when I think about the unprecedented reduction of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. We think those could be a preview of coming attractions for the National Park Service.

Boston Marathon Bombing Suspect Enters Not Guilty Pleas In 1st Public Court HearingFor the first plea, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leaned toward a microphone and said, "Not guilty,'' in a Russian accent. He then said not guilty repeatedly about a half-dozen more times. Mayors Against Illegal Guns Apologizes For Calling Boston Bombing Suspect Victim Of Gun Violence The event is part of the gun-control group's 25-state "No More Names" tour, which is part of its campaign to build support for legislation to expand background checks for gun buyers. CBS News: Attack At Boston Marathon Was Supposed To Happen On July 4The official also said that Tsarnaev revealed that the bombs were constructed at his older brother Tamerlan's residence and that Tamerlan had brought Dzhokhar into the plot a couple of months before.

October 30, 2017 • Mancari offers stories of wandering and homecoming, colored by a determination to live, artistically, beyond the gender boundaries usually imposed on female artists. October 27, 2017 • Watch the indie-rock band perform a song from Painted Ruins, its first new album after a five-year hiatus. October 26, 2017 • Songwriter Sam Beam returns to the Cafe for a solo set in front of a live audience. October 27, 2017 • Listen to a session recorded at Sound Stage Studios with longtime partner Gillian Welch. October 25, 2017 • Kyle Vanes, of the band The Dales, says his song "Still the Love" was inspired by finding, and losing, the love of his life, who died of breast cancer in 2015. October 25, 2017 • Son Little's new album, New Magic, is bumpy blues meets rooted R&B meets old school nu soul meets... well... magic. October 25, 2017 • There is "no point in wasting sorrow on things that won't be here tomorrow" October 24, 2017 • Before he could legally drive, my guest in this session had his first platinum record. Hear a studio session the blues prodigy, recorded live in Philadelphia. October 20, 2017 • This year marks the 30th anniversary of her album Solitude Standing, and the 25th of 99.9F°. October 20, 2017 • His self-released, self-titled debut EP captures his exuberance and musical openness, setting the stage for what promises to be a brilliant career. October 19, 2017 • A performance session that brings a reminder of comfort in chaos, and community alike. October 19, 2017 • Watch the young UK rockers perform a stripped-down version of their single, live at the KCRW studios. October 18, 2017 • A reflection on the singer's impact on the entire nation of Canada, and his electric last performance on Aug. 20, 2016, in Kingston, Ontario. October 17, 2017 • This is a band that can go from in-your-face to introspective on a dime — and they do just that in this session.

Chee Wei Wong, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, was named a fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. The society was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies and annually organizes and sponsors major technical forums, exhibitions and education programs around the world. Fellows are members who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the fields of optics, photonics and imaging. Wong was recognized for his achievements in ultrafast optics, nonlinear photonics, quantum optics and precision measurements. Physical and wave electronics are Wong’s primary area of focus. Wong is the recipient of the 2018 National Institutes of Health’s Early Scientist Trailblazer Award and the 2016 Google Faculty Research Award.

Since 2010, Microsoft has been working on a gaming display system so small that it wouldn't need to be sitting on an entertainment unit or even held in your hands. You could wear it in a pair of glasses. Or in a stupid helmet. The company sees two avenues for such technology: the glasses are an entertainment possibility, while the helmet, being the more heavyweight solution of the pair (including the same display tech but with an accompanying headpiece), could be used for gaming or more practical uses like aviation. How would the glasses work? It's proposed in a patent that to get around the problem of the human eye being unable to focus on objects so close, it would distort to appear as though it was 21 inches away. The glasses could also adjust their transparency depending on the use's tastes or a game's needs, so you could black everything out and just focus on the action, or conversely use the specs as augmented reality devices able to overlay imagery onto the real world. Sounds crazy at first, but then, the future always does. Remember, standard patent disclaimers apply: just because a company is researching stuff like this doesn't mean it'll ever come to market, etc etc. For Plunkett, this is a pretty impressive piece! This "use's tastes" do not include articles by this clown. This has good real world application the HUD in aircraft and other uses like driving get a gps/HUD for road speeds an signs etc. Am I the only one who thought of this? http://www.1up.com/features/untitled_25 I so wanted the Nintendo Revolution to be that, It reminded me of a case study I did with a mate back in Uni on AR.

Viewers will not want to miss Friday’s episode of General Hospital. Spoilers tease that everybody will see lots of juicy scenes revolving around the Lulu and Ryan storyline and the January 25 show will seemingly set fans up for a big surprise next week, too. As Friday’s show begins, General Hospital spoilers indicate that Lulu will remain unconscious after the attack and her emergency surgery. The sneak peek shared via Twitter details that Laura will be by her daughter’s bedside, begging her to wake up. In addition, Lulu’s father-in-law, Sonny, will pay a visit to her as well. While it sounds as if Lulu will face a lengthy, difficult recovery, General Hospital spoilers suggest that she might peek her eyes open during Friday’s show. Even if she does start to regain consciousness, viewers should be prepared to learn that she won’t be able to share any bombshells about her attacker at this point. Elsewhere in General Hospital, spoilers suggest that Ryan will be finding out whether his sight has been restored. SheKnows Soaps notes that Ava will be by Ryan’s side — and it sounds as if he probably will be able to see again. Next week, it’s said that he’ll try to finish the job he started with Lulu. Across town, General Hospital spoilers reveal that Jordan will talk with Anna about the case. Jordan had wanted to grill Peter about where he was prior to the attack on Lulu, and naturally, Anna was quite concerned about this. It looks as if Jordan will share some in-depth information with Anna about what they know about the attacks so far — and Anna will be getting some answers about something. During Thursday’s episode, Jason and Sam finally made love again. As the Inquisitr previously detailed, Jason and Sam will be fully together going forward, although they will try to keep this development under the radar for the most part. During Friday’s show, however, it seems that Sam will voice some anxiety about what happens when Jason leaves her place. Jason will promise Sam that things are different now. He was patient in waiting for her to decide what she wanted — and when she was ready to move forward — but he’s all-in when it comes to being reunited with his love. While Sam might feel anxious, he’ll promise that he’s coming back. Fans always love to see Tristan Rogers pop up as Robert, and they’re in for a treat heading into the February sweeps. Rogers is back beginning with Friday’s show — and General Hospital spoilers hint that soon Robert and Finn will be working together to figure out how Anna was infected with the virus. Franco and Elizabeth will further discuss the situation with Aiden, and the possibility that he’s gay. All signs point toward the couple reaching out and doing their best to support the little boy during this journey. The next show will also have some scenes involving Maxie and Peter as a relationship continues to slowly evolve between the two. There are a lot of questions remaining regarding what happens next with Ryan and this case. General Hospital spoilers hint that there may be at least one more victim before he’s caught and he’ll seemingly go to great lengths to avoid detection. Don’t miss any of the drama coming up with Friday’s show, and stay tuned for additional teasers regarding what’s coming next.

Dubai: The Dubai Financial Market (DFM) witnessed another round of selling on Monday as traders remained cautious ahead of a long holidays. The DFM general index closed 0.44 per cent lower at 2,727.41, as it managed to stay above the support level of 2.706 that has proved critical after the gauged bounced back from these levels twice. Emaar Properties closed 1.2 per cent lower at Dh4.74. “Emaar shares are struggling to find a bottom as the stock has been trading near to its previous low. A close over Dh4.85 shall be considered bullish, and ignite recovery to Dh4.95/5.20 in the short term,” Shiv Prakash, senior analyst with First Abu Dhabi Bank Securities said in a note. “Emaar’s movements appear to be concerning at this time of year where investors are expected to be taking positions instead of exiting the market,” Essam Kassabieh, senior financial analyst at Menacorp said. Some stocks witnessed mild selling, whereas others remained stable. Dubai Islamic Bank closed more than a per cent lower at Dh5.24. Dubai Investments closed more than 1 per cent lower at Dh1.40. Tabreed closed 3.85 per cent higher at Dh1.62. Emirates NBD closed 2.22 per cent higher at Dh9.20. The Abu Dhabi index continued its out-performance due to strong buying in banking stocks and etisalat. The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange general index closed 0.5 per cent higher at 4,971.43. Etisalat closed at Dh17.1, up 1.18 per cent. “Saudi Arabian Refineries shares are expected to surge towards the initial target at 46.40 riyals and then test 49 riyals in the medium term,” Prakash said. Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul index was 0.28 per cent higher at 7,533.29. Elsewhere in the Gulf, the Muscat MSM 30 index closed 0.73 per cent lower at 4,393.06. The Qatar exchange index closed 1.02 per cent higher at 10,356.62.

Tue., May 29, 2018, 10:20 a.m. CAGUAS, Puerto Rico – At least 4,645 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria and its devastation across Puerto Rico last year, according to a new Harvard study released Tuesday, an estimate that far exceeds the official government death toll, which stands at 64. The official death estimates have drawn sharp criticism from experts and local residents, and the new study criticized Puerto Rico’s methods for counting the dead – and its lack of transparency in sharing information – as detrimental to planning for future natural disasters. The authors called for patients, communities and doctors to develop contingency plans for natural disasters. More than eight months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island’s slow recovery has been marked by a persistent lack of water, a faltering power grid and a lack of essential services – all of which have imperiled the lives of many residents who have been struggling to get back on their feet, especially the infirm and those in remote areas, some of which were the hardest hit in September. Miliana Montanez cradled her mother’s head as she lay dying on the floor of her bedroom here in Caguas, gasping for air and pleading for help. Leon’s eyes bulged in terror as she described to her daughter the tiny points of light that appeared before her eyes moments before it was all over. She took one last exasperated gulp of air. That’s when paramedics arrived. Far too late. Leon’s death reverberated through her family and her community. Her son, a college student in a town two hours away, sees no point in coming home anymore. Her husband is withdrawn and is close to losing his job. Her daughter struggles to understand what happened as she fights off despair and anger recalling all the chaos that revolved around Leon’s last moments on the floor of her home. Puerto Rico’s government faced immediate scrutiny after initially reporting that 16 people had died as a result of the storm, which strafed much of the island on Sept. 20. That number more than doubled after President Donald Trump visited in October, when he specifically noted the low death toll. The number kept rising until early December, when authorities said 64 had died. The official toll included a variety of people from across Puerto Rico, such as those who suffered injuries, were swept away in floodwaters, or were unable to reach hospitals while facing severe medical conditions. No. 56 was a person from the city of Carolina who was bleeding from the mouth but could not reach a hospital in the days after the storm. Once arrived, the patient was diagnosed with pneumonia and died of kidney failure. No. 43, from Juncos, suffered from respiratory ailments and went to the hospital – only to be released because of the coming storm. That person later returned, dead. The new study indicates there probably were thousands more, like Leon, who died in the weeks and months that followed but were not counted. Their deaths have long raised questions about the manner and integrity of the Puerto Rico government’s protocols for certifying hurricane-related deaths. Gov. Ricardo Rossells’s administration did not immediately release mortality data nor did officials provide much information publicly about the process officials were using to count the dead. But officials and physicians acknowledged privately that there were probably many, many more deaths and bodies piling up in morgues across the island. After pressure from Congress and statistical analyses from news organizations that put the death toll at higher than 1,000, Rossells enlisted the help of George Washington University experts to review the government’s death certification process. He promised that “regardless of what the death certificate says,” each death would be inspected closely to ensure a correct tally. “This is about more than numbers, these are lives: real people, leaving behind loved ones and families,” Rossells said at a news conference in late February. Lynn Goldman, dean of GW’s Milken Institute School of Public Health, expects an initial report to be released in coming weeks. The school’s findings will include the first government-sponsored attempt by researchers and epidemiologists to quantify Hurricane Maria’s deadliness. Experts are assessing statistical mortality data and plan to dive into medical records and to interview family members of those who have passed, though the scope and funding of the deeper investigation is still unclear, as its timing. Some cases are obviously storm-related, Goldman said, such as someone dying after a tree branch falls on his head while clearing debris or someone who suffers a heart attack during the storm and was unable to get help. But death certificates bearing the phrase “natural causes” will require further investigation. The Center for Investigative Journalism in Puerto Rico has gone to court in an effort to seek the island’s Department of Health and Demographic Registry’s mortality data for the months since November, the last month information was available. The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics also announced in recent weeks it would perform an independent death count and use subpoena powers to retrieve the data. Spokesman Eric Perlloni Alayon said in a statement the government is still trying to verify the death toll and does not plan to release any new data. The Harvard researchers reported that there are several reasons the death toll in Puerto Rico has been drastically underestimated. Every disaster-related death, they said, must be confirmed by the government’s Forensic Sciences Institute, which requires that bodies by brought to San Juan or that a medical examiner travel to the local municipality. And it can be difficult to track indirect deaths from a worsening of chronic conditions due to the storm. Many families here are awaiting clarity on what happened to their loved ones when “natural causes” became the only explanation. That is what was written on Leon’s death certificate the morning a local law enforcement official brought the document to the family home. The Puerto Rico Department of Justice’s Yamil Juarbe said in a statement it is customary for local officials in these cases to review bodies for any signs of trauma and talk to relatives to learn about the deceased’s medical history. That information is collected and sent to the central office of the Institute of Forensic Sciences. Leon’s family said her name was misspelled on the death certificate and her death was incorrectly attributed to diabetes; they say she did not have any known chronic diseases. Officials later corrected the documents, but it was one of several indignities and oversights the family tracked. Leon’s demise began with a virus, and the first signs appeared as she was delivering donations to families of Boy Scouts who had lost their homes in another city, Humacao. During Thanksgiving week, Leon had planned a feast for her family but felt too sick to finish the turkey. She seasoned the bird and a local bakery roasted it. Then the vomiting and diarrhea struck her. It took 20 minutes to obtain cell reception and call 911 from their metropolitan Caguas neighborhood. It took another 10 minutes, records show, before the ambulance could reach Leon’s home because of road congestion and failing traffic lights. Paramedics tried to revive Leon using CPR, but she was already dead upon their arrival. Montanez tried for days to have an autopsy performed, but she said no government agency or private medical organization had the capacity to conduct one. Montanez stays awake many nights replaying her mother’s last days. She tries to remember the woman who joked so often, and so wryly, that her children often weren’t sure when she was being serious. She recalls how Leon gave each of her neighbors a whistle to call for help in an emergency during Puerto Rico’s prolonged blackout, and how she organized trick-or-treating by lantern light for the children in the barrio so they wouldn’t miss out on Halloween after the hurricane. Published: May 29, 2018, 10:20 a.m.

I didn’t notice, but I’ve been told George W, Bush delivered his latest speech smoothly, more so than most of his speeches. He has certainly practiced the stay-the-course storyline. How many times have we suffered White House fanfare for a presidential speech that will finally solve the mystery of our foreign policy? How many times have we listened, only to reluctantly conclude that George W. Bush is indeed a broken record, and worse for wear? George waved the bloody shirt at Fort Bragg, recalling 9-11 and global terrorists. He again brought forth the well-used and amazingly stupid idea that we will somehow take the war to the terrorists. And yes, he was talking about Iraq. Those of us living in the reality-based world must be ever so tiresome to our nifty commander in chief. In the real world, Mr. Bush, young Americans die, are maimed and morally devastated by wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan, both conducted without legal or moral justification, and hence without hope. In the real world, Americans, Iraqis and Afghans all suffer a conflict dreamed up by finely fed and well-dressed neoconservatives in air-conditioned Washington suites. At leisurely lunches and late night planning sessions they designed a boutique war to be fought by tin soldiers. I imagine the work, and the finger food, was positively delicious. As he has since his 9-11 raison d’tre, Bush emphasized this week that we shall prevail by taking the war to the "terrorists." This must sound great echoing off the peach and lavender rooms of the administration’s unreality-based world. On the other hand, many great thinkers on military affairs have extensively studied the reality-based world, and thus might be helpful. Sun Tzu, for example. The ancient strategist wrote, "The spot where we intend to fight must not be made known; for then the enemy will have to prepare against a possible attack at several different points; and his forces being thus distributed in many directions, the numbers we shall have to face at any given point will be proportionately few." Transfixed by the light of their own brilliance reflecting from pastel-sheened walls and bulletproof windows, the Bush administration hears him not. Karl von Clausewitz wrote, "No one starts a war — or rather, no one in his senses ought to do so — without first being clear in his mind what he intends to achieve by that war and how he intends to conduct it." Hear, hear! But it seems that the neoconservatives who long envisioned the toppling of the Ba’ath Party, and the emplacement of an administration-friendly Prime Minister in Baghdad as a Do-it-Yourself weekend project, were deafened once again by their own self-congratulatory cheers. Clausewitz, always trying to help innocent politicians, wryly noted, "In war the will is directed at an animate object that reacts." Sir Basil Liddell-Hart, in the mid-1900s, not so long ago, expanded upon Clausewitz in this regard. The old Brit noted, "Natural hazards, however formidable, are inherently less dangerous and less uncertain than fighting hazards. All conditions are more calculable, all obstacles more surmountable than those of human resistance." As President, George W. Bush is a public example of a life spent failing to learn from either his betters or his mistakes, refusing to develop empathy when revenge felt better, and avoiding the hard work and self-doubt of personal accountability. He vows to stay the course and exercise his will because without that, he is left alone with his fears of inconsequentiality and too many vengeful ghosts. It’s enough to drive a man to drink, to swear, to cry and crumble. The audience at Bragg was politically controlled and generally pro-Bush, yet the only applause-based interruption of Bush’s speech was apparently the result of a Bush aide’s signaling. American service members and their families — now in the third year of a three-week war driven by a secret Washington establishment geostrategy and fueled by blatant repetitive lies — have seen their friends and lovers and children in wheelchairs and in coffins. They have intimately witnessed the disturbing moral fractures and personality changes that are inevitable in war — whether Congress declares one or not. Unlike George W. Bush, they are challenged by this. Unlike their confident and willful President, they pray every day for their faith to be sustained, and to be delivered from evil. That they might need to be prompted to cheer this particular President is no surprise. Sir Basil also noted that "No man can exactly calculate the capacity of human genius and stupidity, nor the incapacity of will." The history of George W. Bush and his long-desired and endless war in Iraq may disprove Liddell-Hart on this count.

Kyle Schwarber may be out for the season, but the home run ball he hit during the Cubs-Cardinals National League Division Series has been returned to the top of Wrigley Field's right field video board. On Monday morning's "Mully and Hanley" show on WSCR-AM 670, Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney said the ball is back to where it originally landed after it was taken down after the 2015 season. Kenney said the ball was taken down in part to prevent anyone from getting the idea of climbing up the board and stealing it. Meanwhile, the metal detectors are all in place and finishing touches were being put on the outside walls of Wrigley Field in anticipation of tonight’s home opener. Fans are being asked to arrive early since it will be the first game with the metal detectors at entrances, a security measure mandated by Major League Baseball. After landing from Phoenix last night, the Cubs took a bus to Wrigley Field to sneak a look at their new, 30,000-square-foot clubhouse. The brick pavers that were removed during construction have been moved to the sidewalks on Waveland and Sheffield Avenues, with each section surrounding the name of a former Cubs player or employee, ranging from Sammy Sosa to former clubhouse man Yosh Kawano. The Cubs players arrived at Wrigley from their opening road trip before midnight on Sunday and got a tour of the new, expanded clubhouse. The Cubs denied all media requests to photograph or videotape the clubhouse because president Theo Epstein wanted his team to be the first ones to see it. One fan was already camped out at the bleacher entrance at 7 a.m., waiting for the gates to open this afternoon. Veteran bleacher bum Ron Hayden said he arrived early to make sure he got his customary seat in left field. A sign outside the bleachers lists prohibited items, which includes laser pointers, noise makers and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. Cleveland pitcher Trevor Bauer flew a drone at U.S. Cellular Field over the weekend and crashed it in front of the new video board. Photos from Wrigley Field for the Cubs home opener on April 11, 2016. Cubs fans in the left field bleachers celebrate the 5-3 win over the Reds in the Cubs' home opener on Monday, April 11, 2016, at Wrigley Field. Cubs players celebrate the 5-3 win over the Reds in the Cubs' home opener on Monday, April 11, 2016, at Wrigley Field.

Seven-Year-Old Florida Boy Swallows Grill! This 7-year-old boy became the latest victim of hip-hop culture – as he was rushed to the hospital after swallowing his grill! ‘Grills’ are a type of decorative dental jewelry often worn by rap artists such as OutKast, Nelly, Lil John and Ludacris. Hip-hop fan Bobby Tedesco, 7, from Sanford, Florida, was delighted when his mum brought home a £5 ($10) grill for him from a local car-boot sale. Tedesco placed the grill over his teeth and proudly showed it off in photos. Tedesco’s expression, however, soon changed when the grill fell out off his teeth and he started choking on it. His mother, Dawn Tedesco, attempted to clear his throat, but he swallowed the grill. He was raced to hospital but doctors said there was little they could do, adding there was only one way out for the metal device. And we all know where that “one way” exit is! Someone’s gonna have a pretty painful bowel movement LMAO. My question is, what the hell was he doing with a grill? And a cheap one at that! And it was obviously too big for his mouth it fell out so easily. I’m just glad he didn’t die. Anyhow, I’ll be glad when that so-called “fad” dies… I’ve never been a fan those damn things. Not like I could get one anyhow since I’m a brace face LOL.

Only former Israeli President Shimon Peres could pull off something like organizing a friendly football (soccer) match between Israeli and Palestinian children just a week after the latest Gaza war. And only the Palestinian Authority could be so callous as to condemn such a demonstration of peaceful coexistence. The game organized by Peres wasn’t between just any groups of Israeli and Palestinian kids. The Israelis came from the rocket-battered town of Sderot, and the Palestinians from Hebron, near to where earlier this summer Hamas terrorists abducted and executed three Jewish teens. The game marked the start of the current year of the “School of Football and Peace,” a campaign by the Peres Center for Peace that brings together dozens of Israeli and Palestinian children for sports and other extracurricular learning activities. Israel’s “peace partners” in the Palestinian Authority, however, didn’t seem to feel the same. “Any activity of normalization in sports with the Zionist enemy is a crime against humanity,” insisted Jibril Rajoub, a senior member of the ruling Fatah faction and head of the Palestinian Supreme Council for Sports and Youth Affairs. In a post to his Facebook page (which was translated by Palestinian Media Watch), Rajoub said it was official policy to oppose and prevent joint sporting events between Israeli and Palestinian children. A local Fatah spokesman vowed that the party would “settle the account with these reckless people,” meaning the coach and other organizers who had dared to let Palestinian children commit the heinous crime of playing soccer with Israeli Jews.

Plan B has announced a nationwide UK tour this autumn. The rapper-turned-singer, who scored a UK Number One album with ‘The Defamation Of Strickland Banks’ yesterday (April 18), will hit the road starting on October 6 in Nottingham. Tickets go on sale this Friday (April 23). To check the availability of Plan B tickets and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/TICKETS now, or call 0871 230 1094.

Katie Price and her new baby return home after holidaying in Europe. Alex Reid has tweeted a message of support for his ex-wife Katie Price. Price gave birth to her first child with current husband Kieran Hayler eight weeks early last month. She was rushed to hospital while holidaying in Europe, and was told her labour would be induced early as her baby was at risk of infection and had a dangerously low heart rate. The model confirmed that she and Hayler arrived home with son Jett Riviera last week. She tweeted on Tuesday (September 10): "It's been a week since me @kieran0322 and Jett been home haven't told people we are home as wanted to settle in! Thankyou to all tweets x" Reid messaged her directly in reply, stating that he was happy to hear her family was safe. Very glad to hear @kieran0322 @MissKatiePrice & baby Jet are all home safe & sound! Alex Reid and Katie Price have not been on good terms since their split in 2011. He recently sold his wedding ring to Now magazine to give away in a reader competition. Katie Price recently told Digital Spy that her latest pregnancy had "been more difficult" than those before.

Do as I did, started my own business and see how much work it takes and then go from there. I have had all kinds of workers over the years; too many are just lazy wanting money. That young black girl was my best worker.

Stopping nearsightedness in kids and more. This week, Dr. Sydney Spiesel discusses a way to stop the progression of nearsightedness in kids, a better method of hormone replacement therapy for women after menopause, and new developments in the search for a cause for autism. His column will start appearing a couple of times a month. Condition: Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the most common eye problem. In the United States and Europe, about 25 percent of the adult population is nearsighted, and in much of Asia the condition is more common still. Significant myopia can have serious medical consequences. It has long been understood that the condition has a strong genetic component: Nearsighted parents are more likely to have nearsighted children. But recent research has shown that other factors contribute. For example, just as our mothers warned us, there is now evidence that doing close-up work, like reading, seems to promote the condition. How it progresses: The eyeball of a nearsighted person is deeper than the eyeball of a person with normal vision and becomes deeper as nearsightedness progresses. Myopia often begins to develop between the ages of 6 and 8. As children grow, their nearsightedness worsens, continuing to do so long after they have stopped growing taller. Though we know a lot about factors associated with nearsightedness and its progression, we have no good ideas yet about the mechanism. But can we stop it? New research: A recent study by Wei-Han Chua and colleagues at the Singapore National Eye Center elegantly built on older research and successfully used atropine eye drops to treat myopia in children. Atropine is a longer-lasting version of the pupil-dilating drops your doctor uses when you go for an eye exam. Available by prescription in the United States, the drops are mainly used to treat amblyopia (lazy eye) instead of the older treatment, patching, which children often hate. Dr. Chua and his co-workers studied the progression of nearsightedness in 400 children between 6 and 12 years of age. Half the children were treated with atropine eye drops, and the other half were treated with placebo eye drops. Both kinds of drops were administered nightly to one eye, so the untreated eye could be compared with the treated one. The children were followed for two years. All used eyeglasses to correct their nearsightedness, and because atropine dilates the pupil, the lenses of the glasses self-darkened in bright light, to avoid discomfort for the children whose pupils were dilated. Findings: The effects were extraordinary: After two years, on average, the children’s nearsightedness had not progressed in the atropine-treated eyes but had dramatically worsened in the placebo-treated and untreated eyes. Similarly, atropine-treated eyes did not become deeper, while placebo-treated and untreated eyes did. No serious adverse effects were observed in the course of the research. Conclusion: This is extremely promising. Further work needs to be done to determine the ideal concentration of atropine in the eye drops, to find out how long the treatment needs to last, and if the effects are permanent. Because atropine interferes with close focusing, children will probably need to wear bifocals while they’re using the atropine drops. Much more research must be done to help us understand why nearsightedness develops and progresses. But in the meantime, we may have a way to head off this common problem. Treatment: Hormone replacement therapy was introduced in 1941, when the FDA approved the use of estrogen for this purpose. Early on, HRT was prescribed with great enthusiasm. It relieved troublesome symptoms associated with menopause, including hot flashes, sleep problems, and, for some women, difficulty in concentration. And HRT (usually estrogen plus a progestin) was shown to improve the bone density of elderly women and decrease their risk for fractures. Downside: Time and further research has shown that these gains come at a cost, however: increased risk for cardiovascular problems, stroke, and blood clots in the veins and lungs. Postmenopausal women on HRT also seem to be an increased risk for breast cancer and possibly dementia. This made many women feel they had to choose between improved quality of life and a risk of ill health and early death. New study: Now research reported in the journal Circulation suggests a way around the blood clotting problem, at least. The researchers studied about 270 women who had developed blood clots in their veins, almost all of them postmenopausal. They were compared with more than 600 women who did not suffer from blood clots but similar in age, smoking status, and age at menopause. Among women in either group who used HRT, the study tracked whether the estrogen medication was taken orally or applied through the skin as a patch or a gel. The nature of the progestin component, if any, was also studied. Findings: Estrogen HRT increased the risk for blood clots in the veins—but only if it was administered orally. This result is not as surprising as it might seem. A medication that’s given orally collects in the blood supply of the intestines and passes through the liver before it is distributed to the rest of the body. This causes changes in the proteins synthesized by the liver, some of which are known to increase the clotting of blood. When the estrogen in HRT is administered through the skin, by contrast, it bypasses the liver. The study also established that some progestins (there are many kinds) increase the risk of blood clotting and that others do not. Conclusion: If these findings are confirmed, HRT skin patches or gels and careful choice of the progestin component could normalize the risk of blood clots in the veins, and also blood clots that migrate to the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism, and to the brain, causing stroke. Unfortunately, other studies suggest that administering HRT through the skin won’t affect the rate of heart disease or risk of breast cancer associated with it. HRT will still be a difficult choice. But this study at least lowers the risk and may well shift the balance for many women. Search for a cause: It has long been clear that autism is primarily genetic in origin. The disorder is almost certainly the result not of a single abnormal gene, but rather the interaction of several. In the past, a few locations on human chromosomes have been suspected of playing a role for a scattering of patients. Now researchers have identified a genetic location on a specific chromosome that seems to be associated with the expression of autism in many patients. Newresearch: Described in a paper with 137 authors representing 67 worldwide institutions, this finding is the first result of an audacious project conducted by the Autism Genome Project Consortium. The project started with a set of almost 1,500 families with at least two people who fall on the autism spectrum. Of this group, DNA samples from about 1,200 families could be analyzed for chromosomal similarities. Findings: This analysis points to a hitherto unsuspected “hot spot” on chromosome 11, which seems to be related to an increased risk for the expression of autism. (The genetic function of the hot-spot location is still unclear.) Besides identifying the chromosome 11 hot spot, the data also tantalizingly hint that flaws in the gene coding for a material called neurexin, which plays a role in the development of certain cell-to-cell transmission sites (synapses), can cause autism in some cases. This trigger for autism is probably quite rare. But it suggests that the disorder is somehow related to abnormalities in the connections between nerve cells that make use of glutamate for information transmission, and defects in those transmissions. How (or even if) these two observations—the hot spot and the neruexin flaws—fit together is as yet unknown. Conclusion: This study doesn’t tell us exactly which gene on chromosome 11 is important, but it does tell us just where to focus our attention. And the neurexin-related discovery hints at the mechanism of what might go wrong in neurodevelopment to lead to autism. These discoveries reinforce the value of collaborative work that puts together information about patients with a relatively rare disorder, from many locales, to create a pool large enough for serious research.

A large, brand-new movie studio in Palm Beach County already has a potential box-office hit. Twentieth Century Fox will film interior scenes for Speed II, sequel to the popular 1994 action movie, in the 20,000-square-foot sound stage at Palm Beach Ocean Studios in West Palm Beach, the studio's chief executive said on Thursday. "I said when we opened in April we'd be lucky to get something in here by September," said Thorpe Shuttleworth, president and developer of the 42,000-square-foot studio at the Vista Center on Okeechobee Boulevard, west of Florida's Turnpike. "And now we've got a high-budget action-adventure feature. Yes, that's a coup," he said. Speed II will star Sandra Bullock, making a return appearance in the sequel, and Jason Patric, who is taking over the role played by Keanu Reeves in the original, according to Variety, the movie industry's trade publication. Speed II will help get the studio's name out among film producers, said Chuck Eldred, executive director of the county's Film and Television Commission. Eldred pushed for the county to give Shuttleworth $208,000 in job growth incentives. "This is exactly what we needed to attract this kind of attention here," Eldred said. And the studio is benefiting from the increased attention being paid to South Florida by Hollywood producers after recent films such as The Birdcage and Striptease, Shuttleworth said. The film's producers will hire extra cast members in Florida, and other technical support workers may be hired locally as well. Film industry publications estimate the cost of making Speed II at $40 million to $70 million. The movie's producers toured the studio in April and have been working there since Monday. Sets are under construction in preparation for filming later this year.

In this Sept. 1, 2014 photo released by the U.S. Geological Survey, fluid lava streams from the June 27 lava flow from the Kilauea volcano in Pahoa, Hawaii. The June 27 lava flow is named for the date it began erupting from a new vent. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a warning Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014 to a rural community in the path of a lava flow on Hawaii's Big Island, as the molten rock moved to within a mile of homes. Observatory scientists said lava from the Kilauea volcano could reach the Kaohe Homesteads in five to seven days if it continues advancing through cracks in the earth. PAHOA, Hawaii — Lava from one of the world's most active volcanos has been advancing at a slower pace the past few days and is now moving parallel to a sparsely populated subdivision on Hawaii's Big Island. Lava from Kilauea volcano was still at least a mile from any homes in Kaohe Homesteads, Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said. Oliveira took a helicopter flight over the area Monday and saw the lava had crept about 150 yards from the previous day. It's moving north for now but could still stop or change directions. "It's been doing that for the last several days," he said of its northern pull. Prior to Friday, it was going northeast toward the subdivision. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has warned the lava could reach the subdivision in a matter of days. Oliveira said he didn't anticipate issuing an evacuation order Monday. But residents should be prepared because it's difficult to predict the lava's movement. It was also raining over the flow site, he noted, which meant there wasn't a wildfire threat. "That's good for today," he said. "But it doesn't get us out of any potential threat down the road. It just means it's going to be a very slow process." The lava warning has created an "edgy" mood in Puna, the rural region on the southeast side of the Big Island that is at risk from the lava, said Bill Parecki, a real estate agent who has lived in the area for 42 years. The area is still recovering from the damage from a tropical storm about a month ago. "Everybody's a little concerned," he said. "Everybody's a little worried. We just have to see where the lava goes. There's no control. It's Mother Nature." A big concern is lava crossing roads and blocking Puna off from the rest of the island, or becoming "lava-locked," he said. Business has been quiet since Tropical Storm Iselle made landfall over the region last month, said Mary Bicknell, owner of Big Island Book Buyers, a bookstore in downtown Pahoa. "We're always watching it, but we're not usually threatened by it," she said of the lava.

Bengaluru — Gold prices rose on Thursday as the growing expectation that the US Federal Reserve will pause its rate tightening cycle in 2019 and an impasse between US President Donald Trump and Democrats on funding for a border wall weighed on the dollar. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $1,295.85/oz as of 4.36am GMT, hovering near Friday’s peak of $1,298.42 — a level last seen in mid-June. US gold futures gained 0.4% to $1,297.2/oz. Minutes from the Fed’s December 18-19 policy meeting showed that several policymakers said they could be patient about future interest rate hikes and a few did not support the central bank's rate increase that month. “Gold is getting a bit of support out of a dovish Fed and institutional instability in the US,” said Kyle Rodda, a market analyst at IG, Australia. “We have got the markets pricing in the possibility of a Fed rate cut rather than a hike in the year ahead,” Rodda said, adding that the Fed minutes gave the dollar a bit of a “kick down” and there were chances for gold prices to break the $1,300 level with the present sentiment. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against major currencies, hit its lowest level in nearly three months. Gold prices are highly sensitive to declining interest rates, which decrease the opportunity cost of holding the nonyielding bullion while pressuring the dollar. Meanwhile, Trump walked out of talks with Democratic congressional leaders on Wednesday over funding for a border wall with Mexico and reopening the government, saying the meeting in the White House was “a total waste of time”. Asian equities took a breather after an extended rally, as markets awaited more news on US-China trade talks that have raised the hope of a deal to avert an all-out trade war between the economic giants. China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday that trade talks between Washington and Beijing were progressing, but gave no details on the issues at stake. “With the government shutdown still far from resolved and Chinese trade talks just partly concluded, we are not sure that the turbulence in the equity markets is over just yet,” INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir said in a note. Holdings in the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund (ETF), SPDR Gold Trust, rose 0.33% to 799.18 tons on Wednesday. Among other precious metals, silver was flat at $15.75/oz. Palladium fell 0.5% to $1,320.50/oz. It scaled a record high of $1,342.43 on Wednesday after a Chinese official said the government was contemplating policies to increase domestic buying of cars. Platinum inched up 0.1% to $825.60.

The air ambulance was mobilised following reports that a man had fallen on a tree branch and impaled his neck in Durrington, a spokesman said. The ambulance service spokesman confirmed two response cars and an ambulance were sent to the sports ground in Pond Lane at around 11.40pm last night (Tuesday, August 28). The air ambulance was also mobilised but stood down when it was reported on scene that his neck had not been impaled, the spokesman said. The 32-year-old patient was taken to Worthing Hospital for treatment to a neck injury, confirmed the spokesman. The fire service assisted with the extrication of the patient, added the spokesman. The fire service confirmed that one fire engine and a heavy rescue tender from Worthing were sent to the scene after the ambulance service asked for assistance. Crews left the scene at 12.20am.

After your business is up and running, your focus naturally shifts to increasing efficiency. The small things you do to lower costs and increase output can be the difference between a failing business and soaring profits. No matter how good your team members are, you should tweak the environment in which they work to insure the best possible results. There are many reasons why developing a protocol to measure efficiency benefits your business. You are able to pinpoint areas that need improvement, and you can break your team’s performance down by tasks. Perhaps you will notice that the whole process is going smoothly except for one minor operation that can be eliminated to improve efficiency. This kind of insight can help you restructure the physical environment or delegate tasks in a new way to increase efficiency. You can also evaluate the performance of individual employees. Take a look at how much you get out of employees versus how much you pay them. Employees might be a bit nervous about your new methods of close observation and evaluation. This is acceptable and sometimes even beneficial, as employees will make an increased effort if they know their performance is being tracked. However, you don't have to be an intimidating taskmaster. This is a good opportunity to mix in positive reinforcement and show your appreciation for your team. You can offer incentives, such as public recognition, time off or a share in productivity gains. Whatever mode you choose, employees are sure to improve efficiency if they feel that good work is rewarded and they develop a sense of the needs of the business as a whole. Employees need to have the appropriate equipment and technology to carry out their functions efficiently. A lazy and incompetent worker on a tractor will most likely outperform even the hardest-working person who is plowing manually. Regular maintenance and upgrades of your equipment might seem costly and burdensome, but they are critical to the success of your business. Making sure that your employees have the tools they need to get the job done will drastically improve your output per dollar spent or per unit of time. Keeping equipment up to par also prevents on the job injuries, possible lawsuits and time lost to malfunctions. Skill is another side of employee efficiency. Your team must have the requisite skill sets to produce up to par, making on-the-job training and education generally worthwhile. Even though specialization and division of labor are important, your team's efficiency can benefit greatly through cross-training, which gives workers a broader perspective and an understanding of the context in which their work fits. It allows them to help each other and to prioritize more effectively, resulting in overall efficiency. This increased workforce agility allows workers to shift their capacity to where it is needed and reduces problems due to worker absences.

The University of Maryland President Wallace Loh. University of Maryland President Wallace Loh stood before reporters Aug. 14 and apologized to the family of Jordan McNair, a football player who died days after a team workout. That day, Loh also announced a commission charged with examining the culture inside the school's embattled football program, an undertaking that could prompt sweeping changes at the state's flagship university. In June, the school had contracted with an outside consulting firm to investigate the events surrounding McNair's death. But the commission Loh announced nearly two months later would be charged with a broader inquiry into the culture of the school's football program - a "thorough investigation by an independent group," Loh said - following media reports that suggested some coaches were abusive toward players, relying on fear, intimidation and bullying. Few details about the group's work to date are publicly available, but the commission's directives and composition reveal some of the inherent obstacles that arise when independent bodies investigate problems in university athletic departments. In an initial email to the newly-appointed commission members, a copy of which was viewed by The Washington Post, Loh advised that some of the allegations they would be investigating "probably occur in every football program" and that the line between aggressive and abusive training techniques is "imprecise." Also, several of the commission members have previous ties with the university and the stakeholders in the affair. One served as a personal advisor to Loh. Another is the brother of an influential booster. Almost immediately after the commission's unveiling, the University System of Maryland's board of regents took control from the College Park campus, adding five additional members to the three named by Loh and suggesting that key decisions about the football program's future would be made by the regents, not necessarily the school president. The vice chair of the board of regents is a prominent donor to the athletics department and has voiced public support for head football coach DJ Durkin. This investigation could go a long way to determining the fate of Durkin, who was placed on administrative leave along with three other member of the athletic staff in the immediate aftermath of the media reports. One of those, football strength and conditioning coach Rick Court, has negotiated a settlement and resigned. According to multiple people familiar with the process, Durkin was interviewed by investigators on the morning of Aug. 22, and they were particularly keen on questioning Durkin about his alleged use of food to demean players, possible verbal abuse and his handling of injuries. The commission's review is expected to also look at the actions of other prominent coaches and staff members, including Damon Evans, who was promoted to athletics director less than two weeks after McNair's death. Loh, too, could find himself scrutinized by one or both of the external probes. He nixed a plan recommended by the school's athletic director to fundamentally change the way athletes receive medical treatment and athletic training less than a year before McNair died. There is no formal deadline for the commission to complete its review of the football program. "We're trying to get that all done this month, one way or another, so that all the facts we can gather are in front of the board and the campus and then decisions can be made about the future," Robert Caret, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, said in an interview last week, "both to protect student-athletes themselves but also to create the kind of environment we want." A day after he addressed reporters, Loh sent an email to his three new commission members, as well as a handful of school officials, laying out the assignment. He told them "to interview a sufficiently large sample of current and former players, their parents, athletics staff , and any other relevant stakeholders, in order to make an assessment on whether the relatively few (but deeply troubling) cases of alleged 'abuse,' reported anonymously in the media, indicate the existence of a widespread 'toxic culture' . . . or, do these reported cases represent only a small portion of the population of football players, present and past." Loh told the members that "arguably, a hyper-masculine and insular culture is the norm, rather than the exception, in college football." Furthermore, he advised them that "some of the alleged verbally abusive or demeaning behaviors probably occur in every football program. It is part of the 'football culture.' There is, of course, an imprecise line between training practices that aggressively push players to the limit and are acceptable, and practices that most reasonable persons would deem to be physical and/or emotional abusive conduct.'" Asked about Loh's email, Maryland spokesperson Katie Lawson said: "The president acknowledges that athletic programs are by their nature demanding and intense, and he asked commission members to investigate if Maryland's program crosses a line into destructive or abusive, which is absolutely unacceptable. President Loh has been clear that if such behavior did exist here, it will not be tolerated." After assuming ownership of the investigation two days later, the board of regents added five more members to the commission, including former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich and Tom McMillen, the former Terps' basketball star who served three terms in Congress. In expanding the panel, the regents faced the delicate task of appointing people who are sufficiently knowledgeable about football and the school but not too partisan. "Ideally, you want somebody who has more than a passing familiarity with that space and the cultures that exist in that space," said a veteran college sports administrator, who requested anonymity so he could speak candidly about the process. "At the same time, that can cause people to be apologists for all that behavior. That's one of the inherent challenges. I know some of the people on the Maryland committee. They're good people, but many are affiliated with the University of Maryland. Richard Legon, president of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, said the composition of the Maryland commission on its face appears sound. "I think if you have a former a member of Congress, a former governor, other prestigious leaders who are connected or not to the institution, what you can get to is an outcome with a high degree of credibility," he said. "At the end of the day, credibility allows the board to put greater stock into the recommendations and take whatever actions they're going to take." The web of relationships surrounding the Maryland probe is thorny and highlights several areas of possible concern. The eight commission members, who will be compensated for their work, either declined to comment or did not respond to requests to comment. Loh made Alex Williams, a well-respected retired U.S. District judge, one of his three initial appointees to the commission. Williams is the founder, chief executive and namesake of a center focused on justice and ethics housed within the university's school of behavioral and social sciences. Prior to joining the commission, Williams had served as a pro bono personal advisor to Loh following the death of Richard Collins III, a 23-year-old student at nearby Bowie State University, who was killed on Maryland's College Park campus in May 2017. Don Scheeler, past president of the Terrapin Club, left his name off a letter in support of Durkin that was sent last month to the regents from the Champions Club, a group of high-level sports boosters. His brother, Charles Scheeler, was another of the three commission members appointed by Loh. Charles Scheeler is a Baltimore-based attorney at the law firm DLA Piper, who previously served as the "independent monitor" charged with tracking Penn State's implementation of recommendations made in the report that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal. He also was a top deputy for Sen. George Mitchell a decade ago in the exhaustive investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Scheeler and his associates at DLA Piper have done much of the commission's investigative legwork behind the scenes. Asked about the inclusion of Williams and Scheeler, a spokesman said in a statement to The Post: "Both have the objectivity and talent to contribute greatly to an impartial investigation of the culture of the University of Maryland, College Park football program. "But they are only two of the eight member independent commission, which is comprised of individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences, from both in Maryland and outside the state," the statement continued. "The commission's membership is sufficiently large, fair-minded and diverse in perspective to effectively follow the facts wherever they may lead." In addition to Ehrlich and McMillen, the other commission members are retired U.S. District Court Judge Ben Legg; Doug Williams, the former Redskins quarterback who serves as the senior vice president of player personnel for the team; Bonnie Bernstein, an alumnus of the school and veteran sports broadcaster; and Frederick Azar, the chief of staff at Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics in Memphis. It's not known how hands-on all eight of the commission members have been. Two of the eight commission members live outside the area, and others have demanding, full-time jobs. "I think the vast majority of them will have had some hands-on experience," Caret said in an interview last week. "I don't know if they've met face to face or not. I know they've all talked." A spokesman for the regents said that once the commission has completed its examination, it will share its findings with the board of regents, which will then "make whatever decisions are necessary to better safeguard and support all students and student-athletes." The board of regents is made up of 17 unpaid members who oversee Maryland's system of 12 colleges. With the exception of one student representative, each member is appointed by the governor and can serve a maximum of two five-year terms. Barry Gossett is a vice chair of the board of regents and also one of the most influential athletic boosters the school has ever known. He donated $10 million in 2007 to build the football program's "team house," which bears his name, and this spring pledged more than $21 million - one of the largest donations the school has ever received - to a center focused on athletes' academic studies. "From a donor standpoint, I kind of stand behind DJ and his program and what he has been doing," Gossett told The Post in an interview before the university placed the coach on leave. Gossett did not respond to requests to comment last week. He had been tending recently to his wife, Mary, who died Monday. The couple have been donors to the school since 1971, championing causes both in and outside of athletics. "Barry Gossett is a highly regarded member of the Maryland community who has served, and continues to serve, the state in countless ways," a spokesman for the board of regents said in an email last week. "At the same time, he is only one of 17 members of the Board of Regents, which will receive the findings of the independent commission." Like Don Scheeler, Gossett left his name off the Champions Club letter supporting Durkin. The board doesn't typically play a role in personnel decisions at the system's schools, though it does have oversight over Loh, who has led the state's flagship university since 2010. "The board obviously can have influence on the president," Caret said. Stephen Ross, a Penn State sports law professor who directs a cross-campus center on sports issues, said the pre-existing relationships on these investigative bodies aren't usually as important as the underlying motivation behind the appointment. He says there are scenarios where those pre-existing ties could undermine an investigation but others in which they could lend credibility, diversify the commission and appease stakeholders in the event of a critical report. "To me, an ad hoc committee designed to deal with a major public relations problem is itself an exercise in strategic communication," he said. There is no rulebook for such investigations and schools can pursue them on their own terms. Similar external examinations have been conducted at schools such as Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State, facing widespread criticism from some corners unhappy with different facets of the respective probes or findings. The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges issued a formal statement to schools in 2009 saying "it is time for all [governing] boards to re-examine how they exercise their oversight responsibilities." The organization urged governing bodies, such as Maryland's board of regents, to refrain "from fostering personal relationships with the athletics director or coaches," and urging them to "exercise appropriate oversight while avoiding micromanagement, viewing athletics with a dispassionate perspective." "We don't want them running college sports,"Legon said, "but we want them to recognize the buck stops with them."

(Trinidad Guardian) It has been 42 days since Gan­gad­har Hanooman, 49, has been miss­ing and rel­a­tives in re­new­ing their calls for help in find­ing him, have al­so called on Po­lice Com­mis­sion­er Gary Grif­fith for a “per­son­al” in­ter­ven­tion in the in­ves­ti­ga­tions sur­round­ing the case. Hanooman of Roys­to­nia, Cou­va, was last seen on Sep­tem­ber 1 at about 6.30 pm near a mi­ni mart close to his home in Roys­to­nia in Cou­va. His car—a sil­ver Nis­san B14—was found aban­doned near a man­grove ad­ja­cent to two veg­etable gar­dens in Fe­lic­i­ty, Ch­agua­nas two days af­ter on Sep­tem­ber 3. The car was found by a search par­ty or­gan­ised by fam­i­ly mem­bers who act­ed on spir­i­tu­al guid­ance giv­en to them by a pun­dit (a Hin­du leader). Speak­ing with the T&T Guardian, Gan­gad­har’s wife, who was too scared to give her name or be pho­tographed, said she re­mains hope­ful that her hus­band will re­turn to her. She be­lieves that some­thing ter­ri­bly went wrong that day as she was told “strange things” maybe “clues,” “He went by a broth­er of his and I had called him and told him to stop and buy some veg­eta­bles when he was com­ing home. About 8.30 pm I called him and asked him where he was. “Then af­ter a while, I called him and asked him where he was and he told me to call his broth­er that his car get stick up,” she added. An­oth­er rel­a­tive fur­ther ex­plained that many times be­fore in con­ver­sa­tion, Gan­gad­har, when talk­ing about crimes would not say the word “hi­jack” but would say “stick up” which she said meant some­one be­ing hi­jacked or hi­jack­ing. “So…think­ing about it that could have been an­oth­er clue that he was try­ing to give, maybe?” the rel­a­tive said. It is said that dur­ing a call to Gan­gad­har’s cell­phone on one oc­ca­sion that night, male voic­es were heard in the back­ground as though a quar­rel was go­ing on at the time. There was al­so mu­sic heard play­ing be­lieved to be com­ing from the car’s ra­dio. In that call, Gan­gad­har did not say any­thing. The phone sud­den­ly hung up and calls af­ter that went straight to the voice mail record­ing. Gan­gad­har’s car, which was sub­se­quent­ly im­pound­ed at the Ch­agua­nas Po­lice Sta­tion, was re­cent­ly re­leased to the fam­i­ly and is now parked up in Gan­gad­har’s back­yard. With sad­ness in her eyes, oc­ca­sion­al­ly “drift­ing” in her thoughts, Gan­gad­har’s wife for eight years stood next to her hus­band’s car in dis­may dur­ing an in­ter­view with the T&T Guardian. An­oth­er rel­a­tive said she strong­ly be­lieves that in­ves­ti­gat­ing of­fi­cers at the An­ti-Kid­nap­ping Squad could do more in their at­tempts to find Gan­gad­har. “He went miss­ing two days be­fore Na­tal­ie Pol­lon­ais and they were able to use all the tech­nol­o­gy to find her, why they couldn’t use that same pro­ce­dure to find him?” the rel­a­tive said. Any­one with in­for­ma­tion on his where­abouts or oth­er in­for­ma­tion con­cern­ing his dis­ap­pear­ance can con­tact the po­lice at 555, 800 TIPS or the near­est po­lice sta­tion.

in French). Nov. 19 at 3:30: "Walkabout" (1971, Nicolas Roeg). Nov. 20 at 1 and Nov. 22 at 4:40: "Mean Streets" (1973, Martin Scorsese). Nov. 20 at 3:15: "Christmas in July" (1940, Preston Stur- ges). Nov. 20 at 4:45: "Mouchette" (1967, Robert Bresson; in French). Nov. 21 at 1 and Nov. 23 at 4:45: "His Girl Friday" (1940, Howard Hawks). Nov. 21 at 3 and Nov. 22 at 9: "I Walked with a Zombie" (t). Nov. 22 at 7, Nov. 23 at 8:45, and Nov. 25 at 2: "Scarface" (1932, Hawks). Nov. 23 at 1: "I Was Born, But. . ." (1932, Yasujiro Ozu; si- lent). Nov. 23 at 3: "Not Reconciled" (t). Nov. 23 at 6:45 and Nov. 25 at 4: "The Lineup" (1958, Don Siegel). A tribute to Frank Sinatra. Nov. 19 at 8:30: "Some Came Running" (1958, Vincente Minnelli), introduced by Adrian Wootton. "Golden Silents." Nov. 21 at 7: "The Docks of New York" (1928, Joseph von Sternberg; silent). A Tribute to Pierre Clémenti. Nov. 25 at 6:15: "Les Idoles" (1968, Marc'o; in French). READINGS AND TALKS MCNAllY JACKSON BOOKS The sixties vets Ed McClanhan, the author of the newly published autobiographical short -story collec- tion "0 the Clear Moment," and the novelist Robert Stone take a look back at the consequential decade. (52 Prince St. No tickets necessary. Nov. 19 at 7.) CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK The poet and memoirist Mark Doty reads from his work. (Graduate Center, Fifth Ave. at 34th St. No tickets necessary. Nov. 20 at 7.) BARNES &amp; NOBLE The actor Christopher Plummer offers selections from his memoir, "In Spite of Myself." (Broadway at 66th St. No tickets necessary. Nov. 21 at 7:30.) SOlAS St. Mark's Bookshop runs a reading series at this watering hole, which is just around the corner from its East Village home. On Nov. 24 at 7:30, it pre- sents the novelist Junot Díaz and the science-fiction master Samuel R. Delany. (232 E. 9th St. No tickets necessary. ) ABOVE AND BEYOND ON THIN ICE The American Museum of Natural History is open- ing a skating rink outside its doors on Nov. 22. The rink, which is a hundred and fifty feet by eighty feet, can accommodate up to two hundred people; at its center is a seventeen-foot-tall polar bear made of stainless steel, boxwood boughs, and lights. But what really makes the rink special is its surface: instead of ice, it's made of a special global-wanning-proof plas- tic. (Central Park \XZ at 79th St. For more informa- tion, call 212-769-5200. Through Feb. 28.) AUCTIONS AND ANTIQUES With the two-week Impressionist -modern-postwar- contemporary smackdown over and done, the auc- tion houses settle back into their new everyday busi- ness-trying to sell expensive works of art in the midst of a bear market. This week, that means works by Latin-American masters. The painter Rufino Tamayo, who ably combined elements of Cubism and Surrealism with Mexican themes and a keen sense of color, is represented by six works in Sothe- by's Latin-American sales (Nov. 18-19). The most important is a monumental canvas from 1955, "America," which for the past fifteen years has been on view at the Dallas Museum of Art. The Tamayos will share the podium with works by the Uruguayan- born modernist Joaquín Torres-García and his fol- lowers (known as the School of the South) and by several female Surrealist painters, including Reme- dios Varo and Leonora Carrington. (York Ave. at 72nd St. 212-606-7000.) Christie's Latin-American sale (Nov. 19-20) also features a smattering of Tamayos, the most highly valued of which, "Sere- nata a la Luna," depicts a solitary figure serenading the glowing night sky with a guitar. But the leading lot in this sale-which also includes works by Car- rington, Matta, and the Argentinean artist Emilio Pettoruti-is by Torres-García, a stained-glass-like composition entitled "Tres Figuras." A few days later, the house shows a more playful side in a pop- culture sale devoted to punk and rock-and-roll items and designer toys (Nov. 24); fans can bid on one of Bob Marley's guitars or on the portable organ played by John Lennon at Shea Stadium in 1965, as well as vintage posters and flyers for the Ramones and the Clash. (20 Rockefeller Plaza, at 49th St. 212-636-2000.) For its upcoming auction of mod- em and contemporary editions (Nov. 23), Phillips has gone all out, printing a special catalogue help- fully entitled "Collect This Catalogue," which in- cludes four original prints by the artists Hilary Hark- ness, James Hyde, William Pope.L, and Kay Rosen. The sale itself contains some striking pieces, includ- ing two lithographs by Jean Dubuffet from his "As- semblages" as well as the whimsical engraving "Score for Ballet 0-100" by Alexander Calder. (450 W. 15th St. 212-940-1200.) NEWYORKER.COM Visit the Goings On blog, at www.newyorker. com/go/goingson, for additional cultural cover- age and commentary. /' <=I "-.."'"1 "" " -- .. '" ., . --_ /' ':ìf tij' , I , /' / ON THE HORIZON MOVIES COLD TURKEY Nov. 28-30 As a welcome corrective to Thanksgiving-weekend sentimentality, Walter Reade presents three days of rain on your parade, with the series "Problem Child: A Cinematic Display of Bad Behavior." The program includes such bilious classics as "The Exorcist," "The F "" M . D " ury, ommle earest, and the rare "Tomorrow, the World!," from 1944, about a teen-age Nazi in >- an American college town. z (212-875-5600.) ,/ I / \ )) .- 4'f \ .- i q \ .- / ART TESTING HIS METAL Dec. 9-Mareh 1 Alexander Calder is best known for his mobiles, but he was a prolific jewelry maker as well. A hundred or so whimsical brass, silver, and gold pieces-some set with beach glass or found bits of wood in lieu of gems-will be exhibited at the Met in "Calder Jewelry." (212-535-7710.) NIGHT LIFE TIN MAN Dec. 9-18 Ten years ago, Howard Fishman, a local singer and songwriter whose 36 THE NEW YORKER, NOVEMBER 24, 2008 -;-" . , / J JI j/ V , ,,/ \J ' .. 1 interests range from swinging small-group jazz to Bob Dylan's "Basement Tapes," made his début at the Algonquin Hoters famed Oak Room. In celebration of that anniversary, he's appearing there and at many other clubs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. (www. howardfishman.com.) CLASSICAL MUSIC STRIKING TWICE Dec. 9, Dec. 11-13 When the Bang On a Can composer Michael Gordon and the visual wizards of Ridge Theatre got together in Brooklyn in 2004, the result was the . thrilling musical film " D ." h iT ecaSla ; now t ey Oller "Lightning at Our Feet," a song cycle inspired by Emily Dickinson, at the BAM Harvey Theatre. (718-636-4100.) THE THEATRE DATE NIGHT Dec. 16 Gina Gionfriddo's new comedy, "Becky Shaw," comes to Second Stage. Peter DuBois directs the play, in which a newlywed couple try their hand at matchmaking. (212-246-4422.) "Lightning at Our Feet, " at the BAM Harvey Theatre.

Maureen Hancock is an internationally renowned Spirit Medium, intuitive, teacher, lecturer, Holistic Healer, and author of the bestselling book, “The Medium Next Door: Adventures of a Real-Life Ghost Whisperer.” She is the star of the Style Network documentary, Psychic in Suburbia. Hancock has been interviewed by national television, radio, and print publications, including CNN, Associated Press, VH1, Martha Stewart Living magazine & radio, The Boston Globe, Coast-to-Coast radio, ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX Television programs all over the country. She has spent decades demystifying the overwhelming subject matter of death, and helping individuals to flex their intuitive muscle, and tap into messages from spirit. Maureen’s work has brought comfort, hope and healing to the masses. She has taught workshops on intuition building to law enforcement, medical professionals, financial experts, and the “Average Joe.” She spends much of her time giving back by assisting those with terminal illness, sitting with newly bereaved parents, aiding law enforcement- including the FBI, and motivational speaking about life after death, stress management, intuition, and perspective building. Maureen was a reoccurring guest on the Ricki Lake Show, and recently filmed a Television pilot for a major network with the hopes of having a nationally syndicated talk show in the near future. She sent us her newest predictions for our readers to ponder. Trump will stay in office, despite Mueller’s thorough, and fact-filled investigation, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the President was involved in a number of illegal activities, including campaign finance violations, back deals with Russia, The Saudi Prince, and more. February is a volatile time politically. Trump will NOT be reelected. Multiple indictments will be issued within days of the end of his term. –Joe Biden will win the Democratic nomination for President. He will ask Beto O’Rourke to be his Vice President on the ticket. Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke will be ever so close in the bid for the Democratic nomination. Joe Biden will win the nomination. Trump supporters will slide over to Biden with his “knock-him-out” old fashioned style tough talk. O’Rourke, with his Kennedy look-a-like persona will take the country by storm. However, his lackluster policy ideas, and not signing the bill for Social Security, as well as non-support of the bill for Medicare for All, will hurt him. Trump will go neck-and-neck with Romney for the Republican nomination. I feel Trump will win the nomination. I predict Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. The stock market takes another serious dive in February around the 14/15th. March shows improvement as a new deal with China is reached. Stocks soar to an all-time high with the China trade deal by April 1st. The housing market: Mortgage rates will rise to 5.5% by June. Home prices will increase slowly, and inventory for new home buyers will go down. New construction will be at an all-time low by spring. June is peak time for the market to show these changes. This spring is a Seller’s market. The end of 2019 shows signs of a recession. Tensions remain high with Russia. March brings increased tensions with Putin due to a devastating military action in the Ukraine. North Korea launches a missile test around May/June, causing increased tensions with the US (South Korea & Japan). More troops will be deployed to Afghanistan by May/June due to increased tensions and military actions. Trump will pull troops out of Syria beginning in March, and by summer he will have to order troops back, in larger numbers, due to an overwhelming attack on the Kurds. –The winter will bring unexpected amounts of snow and Nor’easters to the whole East Coast, with the biggest surprise impact in February from Maryland to the Carolinas. Over 2 ft. of snow will fall on the Boston area around Feb. 6th, and the whole North East will be crippled by an even larger storm around Feb. 14/15th. June brings a trifecta to California. an Earthquake, 6.2 scale or greater, followed by mudslides, and devastating drought brings wildfires the end of June. A natural disaster in the form of an earthquake and volcano eruption for Italy around August. Prince Harry & Duchess Meghan will give birth to a baby girl, with an “A” name (like Amelia) the end of February/beginning of March (not late March April as announced). Prince Philip’s health declines significantly with a heavy gloomy feeling on November/December. Taylor Swift will announce her engagement to Joe Alwyn around April. Selena Gomez will undergo a serious medical procedure (possible stem cell transplant) by the summer. Miley Cyrus will announce her pregnancy in June. Jennifer Anniston adopts a baby by the fall. Brad & Angelina talk reconciliation come summer. Sofia Richie & Scott Disick announce their engagement this spring! Sofia will be pregnant by summer. Bill Cosby has renal failure in prison. He might not make it through the treatment. Venus Williams announces engagement to Nicholas Hammond by the summer. She will be pregnant soon after the quick wedding! What are the Top Five Action Games?

(Reuters) - U.S. ride services firm Lyft Inc is in talks with an advisor for a targeted March or April 2019 initial public offering, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter. An initial public offering for Lyft would amplify Uber’s[UBER.UL] troubles. It would be an opportunistic way for the company, which was valued at $7.5 billion in its last funding round, to capitalize on its larger rival. Fresh capital for Lyft would merely compound the frontrunner’s injuries.

Samoas and Thin Mints and Tagalongs, oh my! It's time to celebrate those little cookies that make diets shut right up and give you reason to shell out hundreds of dollars to your co-workers' kids each year. If the world were run properly, we would all be asking politicians and potential life partners, "Thin Mints or Do-si-dos?" because Girl Scout Cookie preferences are just so telling. But did you know that along with those sweet treats comes an interesting evolution? Turns out, the cookie names we all live and die by vary from state to state, and, at one point in history, girl scouts had to swap cookies for calendars. Mashable rounded up 10 of the most surprising facts about those boxes of sinful deliciousness. But, be forewarned: You will so strongly be craving cookies by the end of this video that you may start having Thin Mint hallucinations. Skivenes posted this as part of the hashtag #WhatInstagramMeanstoMe.

Advocates for government accountability were alarmed to learn Gov. Jared Polis was undecided on whether to veto a bill to expand police transparency in Colorado. But Polis spokeswoman Maria De Cambra set the record straight late Wednesday. The signing is slated for 10:50 a.m. Friday at the Capitol, and it will be open to media, De Cambra said. Polis is allowed to wait 10 days to sign bills, which gives him until Saturday in this case. In an earlier call Wednesday, De Cambra had said that the governor was still undecided. The bill — HB-1119, sponsored by Democratic Denver Rep. James Coleman — would require Colorado law enforcement agencies to open the files on completed internal investigations into a wide range of police interactions with citizens, including alleged incidents of excessive force. This would mean the public, media, lawyers and any other interested parties would, through open records requests, get a glimpse at how Colorado cops police themselves. As it stands, the Denver Police Department is the only Colorado law enforcement agency that consistently releases comprehensive information following internal investigations. The bill passed the House and Senate and has been sitting on the governor’s desk for about a week, awaiting the final signature needed to make HB-1119 state law. Upon learning Polis was not necessarily on board with the bill, the Colorado Press Association — one of the primary backers of the bill — sent out an email to its members that called the situation “urgent” and implored journalists and editorial boards to speak out now in support of HB-1119. Media in the state have heralded the bill as a key step toward transparency from an institution that shrouds much of its accountability system in secrecy. The Denver Post’s Noelle Phillips testified in support of HB-1119 this year. The effort’s other supporters include the ACLU and Colorado Common Cause, the libertarian Independence Institute and media groups such as the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. Colorado Independent Editor Susan Greene testified last year in support of a version of the bill.

If it were ever possible to cram all the glittering boy-meets-girl, high-school-love-story stereotypes into one movie, A Cinderella Story does it in spades. The 2004 movie stars Hilary Duff, whose father dies in an earthquake, forcing her to work in a diner for her evil stepmother who keeps her from chasing her college dreams. She meets a boy (Chad Michael Murray) online, but he’s in the cool crowd and she doesn’t fit in (even though she’s beautiful and smart). They agree to meet on the school dance floor, where she wears a mask barely covering her eyes so he magically can’t tell who she really is (even though you can see her entire face). Duff’s performance in the movie snagged her a Razzie nomination in 2005 for Worst Actress. Did anyone expect anything more?

MADRID: As Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed his time off at the French Riviera, his Portugal team-mates were busy handing Italy another disappointing result in the UEFA Nations League. Portugal did not need Ronaldo, who skipped international duty to recharge after a busy summer, to beat Italy 1-0 in Europe’s newest soccer competition. Elsewhere, Turkey mounted a remarkable comeback from two goals down against Sweden, while Kosovo made history with their first competitive win since being admitted to UEFA in 2016. The European champions easily outplayed Italy, which had opened its Nations League campaign with a disappointing 1-1 home draw against Poland in its first competitive match under coach Roberto Mancini. Andre Silva scored on a counterattack early in the second half to give Portugal the Group 3 win in the top-tier League A. The hosts had several chances to extend their lead at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon, while Italy created little and relied mostly on set pieces. The Nations League gives UEFA’s 55 member countries competitive games and eliminates friendlies. The winners of the League A groups featuring the highest-ranked countries go into a final-four competition in June. Santos did not call up Ronaldo after talking to the player and saying he needed more rest following the World Cup and his transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus. Ronaldo also didn’t play in the team’s 1-1 draw in a friendly against Croatia last week. Social media photos showed Ronaldo and his family enjoying time off in Monaco in recent days. It was Italy’s second competitive match since last year’s World Cup playoff loss to Sweden. Two goals five minutes apart early in the second half gave Kosovo a historic 2-0 win over the Faroe Islands in Group 3 of the fourth-tier League D. Kosovo, the Balkan republic which was accepted by UEFA and FIFA two years ago, had opened with a 0-0 draw at Azerbaijan. Turkey bounced back from an opening loss to Russia by coming from two goals down to defeat Sweden 3-2 thanks to two late goals by Emre Akbaba. Akbaba scored in the 88th minute and two minutes into stoppage time to give Turkey the League B victory. Sweden, making its Nations League debut following its surprising quarterfinal appearance at the World Cup, had taken a 2-0 lead by the 49th minute at Friends Arena in Stockholm. It was Turkey’s first away win in seven matches. In the third-tier League C, Scotland ended its run of three straight losses with a 2-0 win over Albania in Group 1. In Group 4, Serbia and Romania drew 2-2, while Montenegro defeated Lithuania 2-0. In League D, Andorra and Kazakhstan drew 1-1 in Group 1, while Malta drew with Azerbaijan 1-1 in Group 3. The Nations League guarantees at least one of Europe’s low-ranked League D teams will qualify for Euro 2020 through a playoffs.

Readers may be familiar with the fundamental changes that took place in the Roman world as it converted from paganism to Christianity in the fourth century, and as its emperors sought to govern, through the turbulent times of the fifth to seventh centuries, as Christian rulers. This is the stuff of late antiquity as it would be recognised in any classics or history university department. It is, as Tom Holland points out in the opening pages of his latest book, a period of fundamental importance for the shape of our world, as it is the era in which religious monotheism, rather than political kingdom, comes to dominate history. In that context, Holland focuses on the birth of Islam through the prophet Mohammed in Mecca and Medina (modern-day Saudi Arabia) during the course of the seventh century, as it is told to us by one of Mohammed’s biographers, Ibn Hisham, in the ninth century. The faith of Islam, as Holland points out, is centred on the study and strict observation of both the divine revelations to Mohammed (the Koran), and how Mohammed acted during his lifetime (the Hadith and the Sunna). Yet, echoing what many (mostly non-Muslim) scholars have queried before, Holland points to the historical problem of the evidence: before 800AD, almost 200 years after Mohammed’s death in 632AD, the only “traces we possess” for the development of Islam “are either the barest shreds of shreds, or else the delusory shimmering of mirages”. Holland examines late antiquity not as an age of decline and fall, but of energy and inventiveness, setting the Arab world and Mohammed’s life in the context of the changing geographies, cultures and priorities of the empires of Rome around the Mediterranean, the Sassanians to the East, and the religious and cultural melting-pot of the “Holy Land”, which connected them. Holland identifies key events, places, ideas and decisions within the Persian and Roman systems which may have impacted upon the Arab world, and, in turn, on the birthplace of Islam in Mecca and Medina. In so doing, Holland argues for the forging of Islam in the political and military instability and opportunity of a world convulsed by a changing balance of power. The process, he continues, ensured that, by the ninth century, “a version of Islam’s beginnings that gave no scope for anyone to rule as a Deputy of God”, and in turn no room “for acknowledging the momentous role in the forging of Islam by countless others”, had gained acceptance, the continued presence of which, inevitably, makes Holland’s thesis difficult reading for an Islamic audience. Focusing on the wider context to unpick key moments in history is a classic Holland approach, echoing, for example, his study of the fifth century BC Persian invasion of Greece in Persian Fire (2005), which explored the context and prior history of the Persian and Greek worlds. Such an approach is now in vogue, because it demands that the historian break the often stifling disciplinary boundaries that have traditionally governed the study of worlds which knew no such boundaries. This is a handsome volume, tackling an important question from a novel perspective, backed by useful notes and written in an accessible and fluid style. But, as I am sure Holland would accept, in part because of the charged nature of the material and issues on which it dwells, and in part because of the vast developments and arenas it attempts to encompass, it is also bound to encounter the full spectrum of critical reaction.

Florida Institute of Technology quarterback Brandon Ziarno. MELBOURNE, Fla. - Florida Institute of Technology quarterback Brandon Ziarno was arrested Friday on marijuana charges after a routine traffic stop yielded 65.7 grams of pot in small, plastic bags, according to police. Ziarno, 21, told officers he would tell them anything they wanted to know after he was pulled over for running a stop sign and police smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle on Country Club Road, News 6 partner Florida Today reported. Police reports state that Ziarno, a Melbourne Central Catholic graduate, confessed to selling marijuana to a "few" of his Panthers teammates. Ziarno was charged with possession of cannabis over 20 grams and possession of cannabis with intent to sell or deliver. For the past two seasons, Ziarno played backup to starting quarterback Marquis Cato Robins, who was also arrested on a DUI charge after police say he got drunk and crashed into a Melbourne home. Cato was then suspended from the team, allowing Ziarno to step in during a playoff game during the team's first postseason run during only its fourth year as a team. Cato was reinstated as starting quarterback for the 2017 season. Ziarno, heading into his junior year at Florida Tech, passed for 7,000 yards during his high school career at MCC before signing with the Division II Panthers.

A spokesman for the Red Crescent, Mahmoud al-Saadi, said Israeli forces opened fire on two young men who were traveling on a motorcycle near the Jalameh checkpoint in the northern city of Jenin. The two men were transferred to Jenin hospital. One succumbed to his wounds after he was shot in the head with a live round. He was identified by the Palestinian health ministry as 19-year-old Abdullah Tawalba. The other unnamed man is in stable condition. The Israeli army said its troops fired at “two assailants who hurled an explosive device” in the vicinity of the checkpoint, adding no soldiers were hurt.

Runaway Entertainment is looking for an experienced Associate General Manager to work across all their productions. Runaway Entertainment Ltd is an award-winning producing and general management company, based on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the heart of theatreland. We produce critically acclaimed and ambitious plays and musicals, working with the most exciting talents in the theatre industry. We love a challenge and are passionate about quality and innovation. Current projects include Girl From The North Country (Toronto) and Hair (Tour General Manager), as well as many others in various stages of development. Previous shows include Guys and Dolls (Savoy Theatre, Phoenix Theatre and UK Tour), The Railway Children (King’s Cross Theatre), In The Heights (Southwark Playhouse and King’s Cross Theatre), Girl From The North Country (Old Vic, Noel Coward Theatre and Public Theater). The Associate General Manager will report to the General Managers and provide support in the development, administration and day-to-day running of all productions. They will work closely with the General Managers and Producer to ensure the smooth running of each show. The successful candidate will have at least three years relevant general management experience in a theatre producing environment, excellent organisational and communication skills and strong attention to detail. For more information please see the attached job description. Please send your CV and a cover letter of no more than two A4 sides outlining how you meet the requirements of the role by email via the button below. The closing date for applications is 6pm on Friday 1st March 2019.

Can Container Store Start 2015 on a Positive Note? In 2014, it was hard to find bad-performing stocks, as the market put in a sixth straight year of gains. For Container Store Group , though, its first full year as a public company was a disaster for investors, with the stock plunging almost 60% last year. Amid falling same-store sales and worrisome trends in overall revenue, confidence in Container Store&apos;s future prospects took a huge hit. Yet as shares have started to stabilize, though, shareholders hope that the worst is over for the company and that customers might return in force to take advantage of the retail chain&apos;s organizational products. Moreover, some enthusiasm both from the professional analyst camp and from an activist hedge fund could help support the stock in the future. Let&apos;s take an early look at what&apos;s been happening with Container Store over the past quarter and what it&apos;s likely to say in its earnings report on Thursday afternoon. Can Container Store get its earnings organized better this quarter?Investors are more pessimistic than they were a few months ago about Container Store&apos;s earnings, having slashed their views on November-quarter earnings by 30%. Yet even though the stock has fallen 14% since early October, share prices have bounced off their lowest levels since then. Just about all of the damage done to Container Store&apos;s stock came following its fiscal second-quarter report. On its face, 39% growth in adjusted net income seemed like a reasonably promising performance, coming from a 5.2% rise in net revenue. Yet comparable store sales were actually down 0.4% for the quarter, showing just how important Container Store&apos;s continued expansion has been to its overall growth. Overhead costs rose at a faster pace than revenue, and Container Store cut its guidance for full-year revenue by about $20 million and gave lower predictions of earnings per share than shareholders were looking to see. With comps also predicted to fall again this quarter, the stock plunged 25% in a single day following the announcement. Since then, Container Store has finally drawn some interest. In late October, a presentation from activist hedge fund Apex Capital highlighted its 4.5% ownership interest in Container Store, with Apex&apos;s founder exploring options such as encouraging faster growth, expense reductions, and even considering selling the company in a going-private transaction. With private-equity company Leonard Green & Partners holding a majority stake in Container Store, Apex will have to convince its institutional peer that its suggested plan of action has merit for the company. Moreover, some investors simply believe that Container Store&apos;s stock is cheap enough to be attractive. In November, analysts at Merrill Lynch upgraded the organizational-goods company, highlighting some of Container Store&apos;s plans to execute a turnaround of its sluggish sales and drive more customers into its stores. One long-term concern that investors need to consider is whether potential cost-cutting moves could endanger Container Store&apos;s renowned corporate culture. The company prides itself on treating its employees well, with generous salaries of roughly double the average in the retail industry. Many argue that treating its employees well leads to better results for Container Store, but without solid earnings growth, reducing compensation costs would be a tempting way for an institutional investor to push more money down to the bottom line quickly. In the Container Store earnings report, be sure to watch whether the company further reduces guidance. Although the fiscal quarter doesn&apos;t include the whole of holiday season, investors should expect to get a good read on whether Container Store had a successful time in a key season for the retail industry. If Container Store can&apos;t deliver an optimistic message this time around, its stock could easily end up headed downward once again. The article Can Container Store Start 2015 on a Positive Note? originally appeared on Fool.com. Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of The Container Store Group. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don&apos;t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The New York Times on Thursday printed a special section featuring portraits of nearly every member of the record number of female lawmakers in Congress. A viral Twitter thread from the Times’ design editor, Josh Crutchmer, includes a video of the covers the night before publication that has been viewed over 320,000 times as of Thursday morning. The photos, which were taken on Capitol Hill over five days by Times photographers Elizabeth D. Herman and Celeste Sloman, are meant as “a testament to what power looks like in 2019,” according to the paper. “Like the work of Kehinde Wiley, who painted Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaChina, Russia, Iran rise in Latin America as US retreats Castro wants to follow Obama's lead on balancing presidency with fatherhood Trump's regulatory rollback boosts odds of a financial crisis MORE’s official presidential portrait, these photographs evoke the imagery we are used to seeing in the halls of power, but place people not previously seen as powerful starkly in the frames,” the feature reads. There are 131 women serving in the House and Senate this term, a record class that includes a number of other “firsts,” including the youngest woman elected to the House, the first two female Muslim lawmakers, and the first two Native American female lawmakers. “Redefining Representation” features 130 portraits – Rep. Liz Cheney Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyRep. Cheney: Socialism 'driving the agenda of the Democratic Party' Dem lawmaker offers tool for 'filling in the blanks' of Green New Deal Judd Gregg: In praise of Mike Enzi MORE (R-Wyo.) was not available, according to the Times.

Packed WonderCon panel brings out stars and exclusive sneak peeks. Footage shown at WonderCon reveals what iconic monster looks like in new film. Fox panel debuts new look at the maze, featured stars Dylan O'Brien and Will Poulter.

Equipped with their own factory, they make different kinds of outstanding fish cake. Fish cake in Busan is the most delicious in the nation and Graesa fish cake is among the most premium in Busan. It is fresh and has no such things as MSG, preservatives, food coloring or flour in it. You can choose and pay on the first floor, and try it with coffee on the second floor. Although it is more expensive than that in super stores, its quality and taste cannot be compared. You can also order it offline or online. If your order is more than 50,000 won, it will be delivered free.

10 diversity items for June 29: Unemployment up in most U.S. cities; Pew report shows diversity of U.S. Hispanics and more. For the first time in history the Pentagon celebrated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported. The ceremony, which was broadcast on a internal TV network to U.S. military bases around the world, was a straight-laced affair, according to the Times. It included pre-taped videos from President Obama and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. The American Civil Liberties Union will help the Ku Klux Klan in its bid to join a highway cleanup program, according to Fox News. When the International Keystone Knights of the KKK applied to join the program along part of Highway 515 in the north Georgia mountains, the state denied their application--which lead to a legal showdown. The ACLU is developing a strategy for representing the group in what it believes is a First Amendment case. When advocates for the Asian-American community decried a report by the Pew Research Center full of seemingly good news about Asians as "shallow" and "disparaging," both sides failed to acknowledge that the other may have had a point, Eric Liu wrote in Time on Tuesday. In May, unemployment rates rose in more than 75 percent of U.S. cities, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Among the cities with this highest unemployment rates were Yuma, Ariz. (28.9 percent); El Centro, Calif. (26.8 percent); and Yuba City, Calif. (17.9 percent). Bismark and Fargo, both in North Dakota, had the lowest unemployment rates--2.5 percent and 3 percent respectively--followed by Lincoln, Neb., with 3.4 percent unemployment. Eighty percent of Mexicans support their president's decision to use the Army to fight powerful drug cartels, a new poll from the Pew Hispanic Center shows. That support has dropped slightly over the past year. In 2011, 83 percent supported the use of military force. Forty-seven percent of those polled said they believed the Army was making progress in the fight. Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Hondurans, Ecuadorians and Peruvians make up 92 percent of the United States' Hispanic population, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of Census data released on Wednesday. The majority, 65 percent, of all 50.7 million Hispanics living in the country are of Mexican-origin. The next largest group are Puerto Ricans, who make up just 9 percent of the total Hispanic population. The attorney for a Latino man who claimed a Seattle police officer threatened to beat the "Mexican piss" out of him during a 2010 robbery investigation said a civil rights lawsuit regarding the incident, which was caught on tape, has been settled for $150,000, the Seattle Times reported on Wednesday. Tucson Police Chief: Can the Department Handle S.B. 1070 Workload? As the "show me your papers, please" provision in Arizona's immigration law goes into effect in the wake of the Monday Supreme Court decision, the police chief in Tucson, Ariz., wonders how his staff--which is down to 160 officers because of the economy--will handle the up to 50,000 additional phone calls a year to federal officials to verify the immigration status of people they stop, CNN reported on Wednesday. The U.S. government has quietly been training and arming the Ugandan military as it drives militants out of Somalia, a stronghold for Islamic militants, Wired reported on Wednesday. But American officials have indicated that the government might cut off that military aid because of LGBT issues. Uganda's gays, lesbians and transgendered citizens have long faced persecution, the magazine reported. Another lawsuit challenging Florida's contentious move to remove potentially ineligible voters from the state voting rolls was filed last week by The Advancement Project in partnership with other litigants, New America Media reported on Thursday.

An Alsip police officer seriously wounded a man in an on-duty shooting early Wednesday after tracking a Cadillac suspected of being involved in drag racing into the Mount Greenwood neighborhood. The officer fired shots when the driver of the Cadillac, identified as a 25-year-old man, failed to follow police commands to raise his hands and drove toward the officer and his partner, Alsip Police Chief Jay Miller said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. Just after 2 a.m., the officer saw a Dodge Challenger and a Cadillac drag racing in the David Estates neighborhood in the southwest suburb, Miller said. During a search for the vehicles, the officer pulled into a parking lot for an apartment building in the 4000 block of 115th Street in Chicago and found two people inside the Cadillac. The officer and his partner got out of their squad car and told the 25-year-old and his passenger to raise their hands, police said. Instead of following directions, the 25-year-old drove toward the officer, who then opened fire. The Cadillac crashed into vehicles parked in the lot and into a squad car. The 25-year-old was shot twice in the shoulder and was given medical attention by the Alsip officers before paramedics arrived, police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious condition. Both officers suffered “minor injuries,” Alsip police said. Miller said the 25-year-old, who has not been charged, was wanted on a warrant out of Indiana on a drug charge and had a “violent history” but did not provide specifics.

Urban, born Jacques Pantaléon in Troyes c. 1200, was elected to the papacy in 1261. He studied canon law at Paris and served as bishop of Verdun and patriarch of Jerusalem. He hoped to keep Sicily from the heirs of Frederick II, whom the council of Lyon excommunicated in 1245, because Urban wanted to restore papal influence in Italy. In 1263, he negotiated with Louis IX of France to put Louis' brother Charles of Anjou on the throne of Sicily. Urban died the following year before the treaty was signed.

If you would like to support the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan's campaign of kindness, you may visit the organization's crowd funding site to help pay for supplies. The more money raised, the more random acts of kindness those in our community with Down syndrome will be able to commit. The Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan is a resource and advocacy organization promoting public awareness and supporting lifelong opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Down syndrome is the most commonly occurring chromosomal condition, with one in every 700 babies being born with Down syndrome. There are more than 400,000 people living with Down syndrome in the United States. For more information, visit www.dsawm.org.

AMC Networks Earnings Beat Estimates, CEO Says 'Walking Dead' Franchise "Will Have a Long Life" AMC Networks on Thursday reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings amid higher distribution and advertising revenue as management touted the outlook for hit show The Walking Dead, which is currently in its seventh season and which has been a big topic of debate among Wall Street analysts. AMC Networks shares were up 13.6 percent in early Thursday trading at $65.30 as investors cheered the upside earnings surprise. In the company's earnings report, he had similarly said: "The Walking Dead remains the No. 1 show on television by a wide margin and is a powerful example of programming that we own and distribute that commands a loyal audience, attracts advertising revenue, and has significant ancillary revenues that will benefit our business for years to come. With a rapidly expanding studio business, we now have a growing portfolio of shows that we own that provide this kind of opportunity for our business." Asked about the studio business on the call, Sapan said: "The company is becoming and has become more of a studio,” rather than “only a channel operator.” He said that has allowed its shows to play on its own channels in the U.S. and internationally, then go to Hulu or Netflix in a later window in the U.S. and be sold to other distributors in foreign markets where the company has no channels. AMC Networks so far has not produced shows only for other companies and has no plans to do so, but could consider such a production approach longer-term if the financial returns and strategic benefits make sense, said Sapan. Asked about the company's channel portfolio, Sapan said its quality and pricing counts more than the number of channels at a time when some peers may have to close down weaker channels, according to analysts. "We have been of the mind for some time that quality matters, brands matter, content matters, engagement matters," said Sapan. "And you don’t get a free lunch for showing up with 22 channels." He added that his team felt that "a day of reckoning would come” for some peers. While the company felt SundanceTV and BBC America, in which it bought a stake, are well-defined channels, overall, he said, "we have already skinnied our offering down.” And AMC Networks channels should still get higher carriage fees, he reiterated. “Collectively, they are underpriced," said Sapan. The cable networks company on Thursday posted a profit of $14 million for the latest quarter, or earnings per share of 20 cents, compared with $90 million in the year-ago period, or $1.23. The company in the latest quarter took non-cash impairment charges of $68 million related to AMC Networks International-DMC, its Amsterdam-based media logistics facility. Adjusted for charges, earnings reached $92 million, or $1.30 per share, compared with $102 million, or $1.39 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2015. The decrease in adjusted earnings per share was "primarily related to the increase in adjusted operating income more than offset by an increase in miscellaneous expense." Wall Street analysts had on average expected earnings of $1.27 per share. Estimates had come down a bit after Sapan in December said that advertising was looking softer than anticipated. A 9.2 percent increase in quarterly operating income and 9.2 percent adjusted operating income at the company's U.S. networks, which include AMC, IFC and SundanceTV, reflected higher revenue, offset by an increase in operating expenses. "The increase in operating expenses was primarily attributable to higher programming expenses, partially offset by a decrease in marketing expenses," the company said. "Programming expenses included charges of $5 million in the current-year period related to the write-off of programming assets, as compared to charges of $16 million in the prior year period." The company didn't immediately say which show or shows the write-off was for. U.S. advertising revenue rose 3.1 percent despite lower ratings in the quarter for the first half of season seven of The Walking Dead. U.S. distribution revenue jumped 15.6 percent. "2016 was a successful year for our company both financially and operationally, driven by our disciplined and focused strategy of investing in high-quality content and creating brands that have strong, growing, passionate and engaged audiences," said Sapan. He continued: "We are embracing changing viewing habits by making strategic investments in streaming services that fit well with our programming and the audiences at our network brands. As we look ahead in 2017, we see a number of attractive growth opportunities for our businesses and remain committed to delivering meaningful value to our shareholders. Michael Morris, an analyst with Guggenheim Partners, said in a note previewing the results: "Season 7 of The Walking Dead premiered in late October, and though the show started strong, by the mid-season finale ratings were declining in excess of 20 percent on a year-over-year basis, worse than the 15 percent decline built into our estimates." He lowered his fourth-quarter U.S. networks advertising growth estimate for the fourth quarter to 0.5 percent from 6.0 percent "given The Walking Dead's recent ratings trends." Said Morris: "This is consistent with management commentary provided in December. We expect the show to remain in production — and popular with consumers — for the next several years, and as such we anticipate related ancillary revenue (from digital and international partners) to remain intact." But, he warned, "Investor concern around the company's key Walking Dead franchise continues to weigh on shares. We continue to believe that market value under-appreciates the company’s ability to develop and monetize compelling programming. However, we do not see a clear path to investor realization and thus remain cautious in our target valuation multiple." Sapan on Thursday also touted the ratings performance of the company's networks. And he said that AMC will this year air such returning series as Humans, Better Call Saul and Preacher, plus new shows like The Terror and The Son.