MOSCOW, Sept. 8— The third Moscow International Book Fair closed today after a relatively uncontroversial week. Soviet organizers claimed unprecedented successes, those Americans who did come expressed satisfaction and many book-starved Muscovites succeeded in making free additions to their libraries.

With the majority of American publishers staying away because of the paucity of sales in past years and in protest against Moscow's treatment of dissident writers, there were none of the clashes, controversial news conferences or extensive seizures by Soviet authorities that characterized the last fair, in 1979.

Only about 10 books were deemed inadmissible by the ''panel of experts'' that screened the volumes placed on exhibition, the result, according to some of the participants, both of a more lenient attitude on the part of the Russians and deliberate attempts by many exhibitors to avoid confrontation by not shipping in books the Soviet censors might block.

2 by Kissinger Held Out

Belated additions to the list of blocked books were two by Henry A. Kissinger, which arrived three days late and were waylaid by censors: ''The White House Years'' and ''For the Record.'' The volumes had been part of the Time/Life stand, and the former work had been attacked by Izvestia in 1979 for its allegations that Moscow has ''expansionist designs.''

For the thousands of Muscovites who lined up outside the two spacious pavilions, the fair was the chance to see, touch and leaf through books that are all but impossible for most to obtain in the Soviet Union. And in a nation where books are a national passion, the immense temptations posed by the fair led once again to large-scale pilferage, despite security checks of bags and parcels at every door.

Michael Colenso, an organizer of the Times Mirror Company exhibits, which included art books, paperback novels and works on medicine, said 39 percent of his books had disappeared - many overnight, when the pavilions were supposed to be closed. The most sought-after items, he reported, seemed to be glossy art books, coffee-table gift editions and novels. Some Encouraged Thefts

Not all exhibitors were dismayed by the losses. At the stands of the American Association of Jewish Publishers or the stands of Israel, exhibitors made little effort to conceal their hope that the historical and religious books they brought in would end up in the hands of Moscow's Jewish community. The Jewish stands drew long lines of visitors throughout the week, but their organizers reported that Soviet security officials at the entrances seemed disproportionately successful in recovering pilfered Jewish works. All the books recovered from visitors' bags or sacks were politely returned to the stands, they said.

Soviet organizers of the fair were characteristically lavish in their assessments of the event, held under the slogan ''Books in the Service of Peace and Progress.''

''The results of the Moscow International Book Fair eloquently illustrate the fa ct that its prestige becomes increasingly tangible in the international book world,'' declared B oris I. Stukalin, chairman of the Government agency responsible for publishing. He said2,300 companies from 86 countries had signed more than 2,000 contracts - 10 percent more than in 1979, and that 90 million rubles ($125 million) worth of deals were concluded, $4 million more than last time. Technical Works Popular

Among American participants, Mr. Stukalin's elation was most closely matched by that of publishers of books on science, technology and medicine, who, as usual, did good business. The Plenum Publishing Corporation, which has been translating Soviet scientific works into Eng lish for t hree decades, signed agreements to further broaden an already exten sive exchange.

Martin E. Tash, president of Plenum, said particpating at the fair was an invaluable way to meet the researchers, academicians and other scientists whose works he translates and who are the primary recipients in the Soviet Union of his books.

Exhibitors of art books, novels and other mass-market works were more guarded in their assessment of the Moscow fair. Mr. Colenso of Times-Mirror praised the Soviet organizers for ''dramatically'' improving facilities and services at the fair, but he said the commercial value of participating remained to be seen. He said the fair would have to generate at least $100,000 in sales over the next two years to justify the $12,000 spent by Times-Mirror in coming to Moscow. Boycotting Criticized

Among the most outspoken defenders of participation in the Moscow fair and a critic of American publishers who stayed away was Robert E. Baensch, chief executive officer of Springer Verlag New York Inc. Boycotting the fair, he said, was the ''easy way'' to combat the Soviet approach to press freedoms. ''When I come here and watch people touch the books, I recognize what it means to them,'' he said. ''Moscow provides an opening in the door, and the challenge for publishers is to see how far they can open that door.''


JUST as a play needs a plot, political campaigns need issues. And when none are forthcoming from the electorate, candidates must forgo their own and hope to catch the fancy of the voters.

Currently at work in New Jersey are two potential issues, one contrived and the other genuine. The make-believe issue is ''Initiative and Referendum,'' and the Republican minority in the State Legislature hopes to make this the point of a broad attack on the Democratic Party in the coming legislative elections.

It is not that ''I and R,'' which allows voters to make constitutional and legal changes through the ballot, does not have its supporters. It is just that it is not a burning public issue in the state this year, even though it will figure in the fall campaign speeches.

The Senate already has approved a resolution that would ask the voters to decide in November whether they want ''I and R.'' However, the proposal will die unless the Assembly returns before Aug. 5 and completes passage of the measure.

The Assembly is not scheduled to return until September and, since the Speaker is a Democrat and the party has a healthy majority, the minority Republican bloc has hit upon a ploy designed to provide a windfall in the coming battle.

A number of Republican lawmakers have written to the Speaker, Christopher J. Jackman of West New York, urging him to recall the Assembly to vote on the resolution in time to put the question on the ballot.

A G.O.P. aide confided that the Republicans were no more anxious than the Democrats to interrupt their summer vacations, and that they therefore expect their entreaties to be ignored. What many of them want is the ability to charge the Democrats with denying the public the right to decide the question for themselves.

In short, they want the initiative and referendum issue, not necessarily initiative and referendum. The real issue, one which affects the livelihood of millions of people, is the future of the Social Security system and what should be done to insure its solvency.

The Legislature and Governor, of course, have no direct say in the operation of the Federal retirement program. However, if the public becomes alarmed over the recent gloomy predictions concerning the system, any candidate for public office had better be prepared to talk intelligently about the problem.

Naturally, members of Congress are in the direct line of fire, and how they respond to the Reagan Administration's proposals to reduce benefits and thus preserve the retirement system could affect their re-election chances next year. If the problem lingers past the end of the year, it could dominate the campaigns next spring.

Some Congressmen see the problem coming. Representative Frank J. Guarini, Democrat of Jersey City, said that President Reagan's tax cuts and the Social Security system's financial woes insured ''a long, hot summer'' on Capitol Hill.

Representative Marge Roukema, Republican of Ridgewood, recently held three ''community round tables'' in her district to discuss the Social Security system, its fiscal problems and the proposals being advanced to solve them. The meetings were well attended, with the audiences consisting primarily of older residents already receiving Social Security or looking forward to receiving benefits in the near future.

Absent were young people, those whose payroll contributions support the program. However, they can be expected to become more interested as the talk gets around to raising Social Security taxes or when they become alarmed over the prospects of not being able to receive the benefits of a program that they have supported for years.

''The people who attended the meetings were able to ventilate their fears and a certain amount of anger,'' Mrs. Roukema said. Understandably, she added, the Social Security recipients do not want their benefits reduced, although surprisingly, she noted, there was some sentiment for cutting back on cost-of-living adjustments if that would help save the system from bankruptcy.

There also was support for separating the ''add-ons,'' like Medicare, from the Social Security system and financing these services out of general revenues.

''This issue is too important to become a political football,'' Mrs. Roukema said. ''We must act responsibly to save the program. If we fail, it not only will damage the retirement system, but also will undermine the confidence of the American people in our ability to govern.''


By United Press International Firefighters battled thick smoke and flames yesterday from three forest fires in Idaho and one in Oregon.

One of two fires in southwestern Idaho was started by lightning and had charred about 30,000 acres near Kuna, state officials said. The second fire, near Mountain Home, had burned about 20,000 acres.

In eastern Idaho, about 322 Forest Service firefighters, along with Idaho National Guardsmen, were fighting a 12,000-acre range and timber fire near the Montana border, a Forest Service spokesman said.

In Oregon, 538 firefighters contained a 190-acre blaze at the Cinder Cone tourist attraction in the Deschutes National Forest.


* American Commonwealth Financial Corporation's Great Commonwealth Life Insurance Company subsidiary completed the purchase of the Wabash Life Insurance Company for about $28 million.

* Barnett Banks of Florida Inc. reached a final agreement to acquire the First State Banking Corporation of Miami for about $59 million of convertible preferred stock.

* Butler Aviation Internatonal Inc. purchased the business of Savannah Air Service Inc., an aviation service company in Savannah, Ga.

* CSE Corporation signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by La Guarantie Mutuelle des Fonctionnaires, a Paris-based insurance company, for about $47 million.

* Gulf United Corporation's shareholders approved the company's proposed acquisition of the Republic National Life Insurance Company, Dallas.

* Hughes Aircraft Company received a $34.5 million Air Force contract for limited production of transceiver terminals for use on Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft.

* Memorex Corporation entered into a technical information exchange agreement with the Control Data Corporation covering the research and development of thin-film recording heads and thin-film head-arm assemblies.

* United Banks of Colorado received Federal Reserve Board approval for the acquisition of Bank of Durango and Bank of Ignacio, both in southwestern Colorado.

* Western Massachusetts Electric Company filed for a rate increase that would raise revenue by $45.5 million, or 20 percent.

* Southwest Bancshares Inc. agreed to acquire all the outstanding shares of Mansfield State Bank in exchange for 152,000 of Southwest's common shares.

* Teleprompter Corporation was awarded a franchise to serve the 21,600 homes in Buena Park, Calif.

* Todd Shipyards received several commercial contracts, including the construction of two large bulk coal barges, for about $22 million.

* Tracor Inc. bought the spectrometer and detector product line of the United Scientific subsidiary of Data-Design Laboratories.

Summary: BRIEFS   * American Commonwealth Financial Corporation's Great Commonwealth Life Insurance Company subsidiary completed the purchase of the Wabash Life Insurance Company for about $28 million.   * Barnett Banks of Florida Inc. reached a final agreement to acquire the First State Banking Corporation of Miami for about $59 million of convertible preferred stock.


W orkers are wondering about the order of emergency priorities listed in the Federal buildings handbook for reporting trouble. Popular demonstration is listed second here in the citadel of democracy on the list of problems for which building guards should be called, right after fire, and before robbery, assault, theft, bomb threat and suspicious persons.

The format for reporting a ''telephonic bomb threat,'' includes a list of five questions to ask the bomber, beginning with, ''When is the bomb going to explode?'' moving right along to, ''What does it look like?'' and ending, ''Why did you place the bomb?'' The bomb instruction concludes: ''Prepare a written report of the call before discussing the matter with other employees.'' Francis X. Clines Warren Weaver Jr.

Summary: In an Emergency ...   W orkers are wondering about the order of emergency priorities listed in the Federal buildings handbook for reporting trouble.  Popular demonstration is listed second here in the citadel of democracy on the list of problems for which building guards should be called, right after fire, and before robbery, assault, theft, bomb threat and suspicious persons.


Two officers of the Boston Carmen’s Union who serve on the MBTA pension board called for “an immediate, open and complete audit” of the retirement system for transit workers.

The public statement Thursday by the union officials was a departure for members of the MBTA pension board. The T pension fund’s status as a private trust makes it unique among Massachusetts retirement plans for public workers, and the staff and board have long used that status as reason not to open meetings to the public and to withhold records that other pension plans disclose.

Local 589 president James O’Brien and treasurer James Evers said the union supports a review of the $1.6 billion fund following a critical report by Wall Street whistle-blower Harry Markopolos that alleged as much as $470 million in questionable accounting and reporting practices.

“While we have not seen nor read the outside audit by analyst Harry Markopolos and Boston University professor Mark Williams, which generated the recent concern, we want to make absolutely clear that we stand with former state Treasurer Steve Grossman and others in favor of an independent review,’’ the statement said. O’Brien and Evers added that such a review “will either verify or refute” Markopolos’s findings.

The Markopolos-Williams report, which the Globe wrote about on Sunday, questioned the accuracy of the pension fund’s posted investment returns, as well as the methods used to calculate its assets and long-term obligations. The report said the practices may overstate the financial health of the fund.

The move comes after an analyst said the $1.6 billion fund might be overstating its financial health by as much as $470 million.

The authors presented their findings last week at a meeting with members of the US attorney’s office, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the FBI, and the state Office of the Inspector General.

CHESTER HIGGINS JR./NEW YORK TIMES/FILE 2011

Wall Street whistle-blower Harry Markopolos helped produce a report that outlined what he called questionable accounting and reporting practices.

A spokesman for the pension fund board, Steve Crawford, has said the panel stands by its reported results and accounting of its assets and liabilities.

Grossman, who as treasurer served as chairman of the much larger state pension fund, is one of three people newly appointed to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority pension board by Governor Charlie Baker. Grossman said he will urge the board to conduct an independent review and to fully disclose its finances.

There are three union representatives on the board, along with the three new “management” representatives named by Baker. A seventh person, lawyer Katherine Hesse, serves as a tie-breaker.

Summary: Two top officers of the Boston Carmen’s Union, Local 589, who serve on the MBTA pension fund board issued a statement Thursday calling for “an immediate, open and complete audit” of the retirement system for transit workers.


Christine Ouzounian; Ben Affleck (inset)

07/30/2015 AT 04:45 PM EDT

's former nanny who found herself at the center of a

this week, sought work caring for celebrity children simply because she believed it paid "good money" – and didn't care about having intimate access to stars, says a friend.

"She was never obsessed with celebrities and only saw working as a nanny for celebs as a good business opportunity to make good money," a childhood friend of Ouzounian tells PEOPLE.

Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that Ouzounian, 28, told pals she was having an affair with Affleck, 42, and is "in love" with him. Affleck has strongly denied the claim, stating the pair has "a work relationship and a friendship," but nothing more.

Ouzounian's friend says she is "shocked about the Ben situation," in part because she knows the Santa Monica native is close to her family and seemingly grounded.

"Christine still lives in the family house where she grew up with her twin sister. She was always very focused on her studies, work and a very caring, reliable friend. She loves the beach, hiking and is very much a normal Southern Cali girl," she says.

Ouzounian stepped out in Los Angeles Wednesday, a smile on her face as she was photographed looking chic in blue jeans, a sleeveless white top and carrying a blue leather bag.

Ouzounian began working with Affleck and Garner's three children this spring, and one pal said she was with the family

Affleck and Ouzounian were photographed visiting each other at Affleck's L.A. rental house on July 17. Sources say the duo have not seen each other since July 19 after spending the night together there.

Summary: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner's former nanny Christine Ouzounian "is very much a normal Southern Cali girl," a friend tells PEOPLE


There has never been a big UK retrospective for the father of modern art, Édouard Manet. Nor has there been one anywhere in the world devoted to his portraiture. Now the Royal Academy in London said it will fill both those gaps with a show that may be one of the exhibition highlights of 2013.

The curator MaryAnne Stevens promised many surprises and insights into the 19th-century artist when the show opens in January, offering British audiences the chance to see more of Manet's works than have ever before been gathered in the UK.

She said it was quite extraordinary that there has been no big retrospective. Reasons for that include the sheer difficulty of getting the loans but also, she said: "He is a very difficult, enigmatic figure. People do shy away from him.

"He's generated a vast body of literature but it tends to be all interpretive rather than historically based and that's not the fault of any of the scholars, it's just that they're rather lean on facts. Manet did not leave a huge amount of evidence behind him and the vast majority of what we know about him is secondhand."

His early death, at the aged of 51 in 1883, means there are only about 400 works to go at. They are often the jewels in the public collections they are housed in, or in a fragile condition.

Despite the difficulties, the RA has gathered more than 50 paintings including some notable loans. The Musée d'Orsay in Paris is lending four of its Manets: Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets; Stéphane Mallarmé; Madame Manet au Piano and his portrait of Émile Zola coming to the UK for the first time.

Other highlights include: The Railway from Washington; The Luncheon, which is almost never lent by the Neue Pinakothek in Munich; and a portrait from the National Gallery of one of Manet's pupil, Eva Gonzales, dressed to the nines while apparently working on one of his finished paintings. "It is truly remarkable," said Stevens.

There are works that are almost never seen, for example the "incredibly ambitious" full-length portrait of Monsieur Arnaud, on horseback, which hangs in the Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Milan.

The biggest Manet show there has been was one staged in Paris and then New York in 1983. Since then exhibitions have tended to look at specific aspects of his work – such as still lifes or the sea. Yet his portraiture has not been studied in either exhibition or book form.

Stevens said: "It is the bit of Manet that has not been studied and, I think, given the towering significance of Manet the artist it deserves exploration."

It is all the more surprising since Manet had "an unswerving commitment to the genre of portraiture," she added.

The show is a collaboration with the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, where it first opens on 7 October and while the RA hopes it will have audiences swooning at the beauty of the paintings there will also be a rigorously academic aspect to the exhibition.

It will raise "crucial questions about Manet's creative procedures and the uncertain terrain between finished and unfinished work," said Stevens, and also explore the artist's trailblazing use of friends and family as sitters in his depictions of bourgeoise life in a rapidly modernising France.

Manet, with his unconventional technique and totally individual style divided critics right up to his death but his influence, as the precursor to impressionism, has been immense.

"He is challenging," said Stevens. "But then he's also appealing – when you see a work like the Railway, it is a fantastic picture."

The exhibition Manet: Portraying Life is on at the Royal Academy, London, from 26 January to 14 April 2013

Summary: An exhibition highlight of 2013 brings more than 50 paintings to London, including neglected portraits


NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - TD Ameritrade Holding Corp , parent of the biggest discount brokerage by trade executions, is experiencing "widespread" problems executing orders, including those it has accepted, company officials said on Friday morning.

The company is not yet aware of the cause of the problem, said Chris Gulick, who works in the Omaha, Nebraska-based company's office of the president.

"We are having some order issues and are working to resolve," trading product head Nicole Sherrod wrote on Twitter. "I know this is a critical day and all hands are on deck."

Gulick said the issue appears to be affecting orders designated for a variety of marketplaces. Asked if all orders received this morning or waiting to be executed are affected, he said the problem is "widespread" and began around the time of the market opening at 9:30 am ET (1330 GMT).

On Wednesday, the New York Stock Exchange experienced a nearly four-hour trading halt related to installation of new software.

(Reporting By Jed Horowitz; Editing by Steve Orlofsky; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Summary: NEW YORK, July 10- TD Ameritrade Holding Corp, parent of the biggest discount brokerage by trade executions, is experiencing "widespread" problems executing orders, including those it has accepted, company officials said on Friday morning. The company is not yet aware of the cause of the problem, said Chris Gulick, who works in the Omaha, Nebraska- based company's...


Congressman Paul characterizes this as "making exceptions." But it's actually making a key definition that explains the important difference between libertarianism and anarchy.

Just think of it: Every time some senator or congressman knucklehead introduces a bill to stamp out prickly heat or sugary snacks in school vending machines, voters, members of the media and even his colleagues in Washington could ask, "Does this meet the vaccine standard? Does this save us from a disease that could kill thousands of infants and toddlers every year? Is this really worth scaring people over?"

And 99 percent of the time the answer will be a resounding "no!"

As it is, every law that everyone introduces gets labeled as "vital" or "crucial."

Read MoreWhy vaccines can't be a choice: Disease specialist

The logical place libertarians should have by shining a light on these absurdities is nullified because we're usually too far off the mainstream radar. And opposing vaccination rules just pushes us all further away.

If all we do is oppose all wars and all government laws all the time, then we end up involuntarily recusing ourselves from the crucial debate on everything from fighting ISIS to reducing job-killing regulations.

Just think how much credibility libertarians would have as viable candidates if they had made the argument for vaccine laws and explained that such a mandate is one of the few things we do expect and want from government!

They could go on and more specifically define what constitutes a true threat to our national security, what workplace safety rules are really needed, and whether something as natural as carbon dioxide is really going to kill us all in 50 years.

Read MorePolitics comes down with measles, GOP on defensive NYT

Instead, an anti-vaccine law stance makes it harder for libertarian voices to be heard. This is similar to some of the enduring calls for abolishing the entire Federal Reserve as opposed to a much more realistic push to reform it and hold it to higher standards.

This anti-vaccine law stance is just another all-or-nothing mispackaging of libertarianism.

And that's as lethal to the movement as not getting properly vaccinated is to your kids.

Commentary by Jake Novak, supervising producer of "Street Signs." Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

Summary: People like Ron Paul need to stop hiding behind libertarianism to make the case against vaccine laws, says Jake Novak.


Thinking about Meerkating or using Periscope during MLB games? Not so fast.

Major League Baseball teams will be on the lookout for fans using the live streaming apps during games, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

"Fans don't have the right to emulate the game. Live streaming doesn't change that," Bob Bowman, president of business and media at MLB, told the Journal. "We'll be watching to see how it's used and when."

Nevertheless, curtailing the use of Meerkat, Periscope or any other live-streaming app could prove to be a difficult one. Bill Schlough, the San Francisco Giants' CIO, told the Journal he'd be monitoring the stadium's network in order to spot potential mobile streamers. However, he added that he had not figured out exactly how to curtail the activity.

Read MoreThe state of baseball as a business on opening day

MLB did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.

Summary: Baseball fans should watch out if they're thinking of Meerkating MLB games, The Wall Street Journal reports.


In his day job, Monte McNair crunches numbers to inform scouting and coaching decisions for the NBA's Houston Rockets. He has fine-tuned a March Madness algorithm that he first made as part of his college thesis.

McNair, director of basketball operations for the Rockets, hosts his own tournament website for fun. Last year, he won the Machine Madness contest and entered the Kaggle competition.

In the Kaggle contest, data-driven algorithms assign a probability that each team would win in a game against every other eligible squad. While machine models generally predict more accurately than the average office bracket, the randomness of the tournament wreaks havoc on even the best statistical models.

Read MoreThe role of data in transforming pro sports

The likelihood of correctly picking even 75 percent of games correctly is "astronomically low," said Michael Lopez, who was on last year's winning team. His team's model won while getting 73 percent of games right.

Lopez, an assistant professor of statistics at Skidmore College, said he believes that it was more luck than skill that earned his team the first-place finish and $15,000 prize, which he split with a teammate. He plans to enter again this year, when $10,000 will go to the first-place team, and the second-place team will receive $5,000.

Lopez won't be disappointed if he can't replicate last year's results.

"People recognize that if you're in this contest, you need to get really lucky," he said. "If I get a lottery ticket and don't win, should I be mad?"

Summary: Forget actual knowledge about basketball. Tech-savvy sports fans construct algorithms to make March Madness predictions——for a $15,000 prize.


It takes a wide-ranging skill set to be a successful entrepreneur. Your product has to be good, has to fill a niche, address a problem.

Many entrepreneurs may have those boxes checked but fall short when it comes to selling the vision to an investor. It may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but without backing it will remain an unfunded figment of a dreamer's imagination.

What can entrepreneurs do to successfully sell an idea? CNBC.com asked a number of investors and inventors to define the elements of a perfect pitch.

The responses, which went far beyond "convey perseverance" or "wear a tie," may seem counterintuitive in some cases. But they all derive from lessons learned through experience, so anyone who's designed the perfect widget should read ahead to learn a thing or two.

—By CNBC's Daniel Bukszpan Posted 6 Jan. 2014

Tuesdays have more bite with back-to-back episodes of "Shark Tank" on CNBC every Tuesday night.

Summary: So you're an entrepreneur with a great product, and now you have to get financing. CNBC.com asked investors and inventors to define the perfect pitch.


The news on credit card debt is not all bad. A survey for the National Foundation for Credit Counseling found that the percent of households with credit card debt has been steadily declining, from 44 percent in 2009 to 34 percent in 2014.

In addition, the share of people paying off their balance seems to be gradually increasing, according to Matt Schulz, a senior analyst at CreditCards.com. The American Bankers Association calculated that so called transactors, people who pay their balance every month, accounted for 29.2 percent of credit card accounts in the fourth quarter of 2014, up 0.5 percent from fourth quarter 2013.

"The number of people I see paying off their balance is still not enough people, but it's good that that number is climbing," Schulz said.

Credit card delinquencies have been falling as well, but McQuay is not impressed. "In the financial crisis, a lot of people declared bankruptcy, so banks had to write off their credit card debt and it comes out delinquency rate. I don't really read the delinquency rate being so low as such a big thing," he said. "I don't think it was consumers paying off their credit card debt that really moved that needle."

Summary: Consumers are taking on more credit card debt, putting them at risk for an expensive surprise if the Fed hikes rates.


There's something wrong with this picture.

The S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, mimicked by the popular PowerShares product (SPLV), has enjoyed a great run over the past few years. Because despite only tracking 53 percent of the S&P 500's moves on paper (according to a popular metric called "beta"), the ETF has risen nearly as much as the S&P itself since inception in May 2011.

For many capital markets professionals, this is a deeply confusing fact. After all, potential reward is supposed to compensate investors for taking on risk, in one of the key concepts undergirding modern financial market theory.

In fact, noting its outperformance versus the expectations of traditional capital markets theory, some traders say that low volatility names, and the (SPLV) in particular, is set to drop sharply. The S&P 500 Low Volatility Index, which the ETF tracks, is made up of the 100 S&P 500 stocks that have been least volatile over the last year, with quarterly rebalancing.

"It's really outperformed because everyone wants to be in it," said Dennis Davitt of Harvest Volatility Advisors. "These are crowded trades. And as people un-crowd out of them, these perceived low-volatility names are the first thing they're going to sell. So they will fall even more than the market as a whole" in a correction.

But there's an alternative explanation.

According to John Feyerer, vice president of ETP Product Management at Invesco PowerShares, the success of the company's product is a function of the failure of the capital markets theory. While the famous Capital Asset Pricing Model states that expected returns are a function of exposure to overall market risk, represented by the stand-in "beta," Feyerer says that this simply isn't borne out by the data.

Summary: The low volatility ETF has performed remarkably well over the past four years. And that is raising some very uncomfortable questions.


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The U.S. stock market will drop by 10 percent at some point during the next five months, pulling the S&P 500 lower to 1,900, Stifel strategist Barry Bannister wrote in a note to clients.

"We believe the S&P 500 has reached the end of the road in terms of being supported by the trilogy of weak commodities, dollar strength and a low 10(-year) yield," Bannister said in Monday's note.

The other big factor is the end of the Federal Reserve's stimulus. His report showed a high correlation between the rise in the S&P 500 and the expansion of the Fed's balance sheet since 2009.

The central bank's assets have leveled since it halted the purchase of Treasurys (QE) last October, yet the S&P 500 has continued higher.

Stocks will correct during "the seasonally weak May-October 2015 period due to the weight of a Fed Assets-dependent S&P 500 pricing model we use," Bannister wrote.

In other words, without the Fed's free money, stocks are worth a lot less.

Read More Top stock picker's strategy for the second half

The report's other big call is that oil prices will surge as the dollar falls, a move that will help trigger the stock correction.

The call for a correction is a reversal of a bullish call the strategist made about U.S. stock market last October after an end of the Fed's quantitative easing caused the S&P 500 to drop almost 10 percent.

Bannister predicted the S&P 500 would rally to a record 2,300 level in a "reasonable" amount of time. He got the direction right, but was a little too bullish as the S&P 500 hit a record price just above 2,100 last month.

Summary: The stock market will drop 10 percent at some point during the next five months, according to one Wall Street firm.


Ramin Talaie | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A customer leaves the Tommy Hilfiger flagship store, now owned by PVH, on Fifth Avenue in New York.

After trading sideways for nearly four months, consumer discretionary stocks are finally breaking out, boosted by higher consumer confidence and lower oil prices.

"Oil prices are providing a significant boost to consumer confidence," wrote Atul Lele, chief investment strategist at Bahamas-based Deltec International Group, which manages $4.5 billion is assets.

He believes the 40 percent drop in oil prices in the past year will lead to a 1 to 2 percent increase in real incomes. Based on his estimates, it takes six to nine months to see the effects of those savings.

Similarly, consumer sentiment is back on the rise, climbing nearly 4 points to 94.6 last week, approaching its best reading of the economic recovery that began in 2008, according to Nasdaq OMX Group.

Summary: After trading sideways for nearly four months, consumer discretionary stocks are finally breaking out. Here's what to buy.


Five major chains dominate the market—Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's, Little Caesars and Papa Murphy's. In reality, Pizza Hut is owned by conglomerate Yum Brand, and Little Caesars is privately held, so that leaves just the three remaining players.

"And guess what? If you owned any of these three stocks over the last year, you've made a killing," Cramer said.

Papa Murphy's is the newest of the bunch; it came public in April of last year. Cramer has liked this chain because of its growth and unique take-and-bake business model.

Then there is Papa John's, which is trying to be the Chipotle of pizzerias with its "better ingredients, better pizza" motto.

"That feels like a stretch to me, although I can't deny that they make good breadsticks," Cramer added.

Last, but not least, there is Cramer-fave Domino's Pizza, which has spiked more than tenfold since he started recommending it five years ago. Domino's is the top dog, with more than 11,700 locations and a large international franchise base. It has also crushed the competition with technology, where customers can even order via Twitter and text messages.

Ultimately, after crunching the numbers looking at same-store sales and revenue growth, it was clear to Cramer that while Domino's might be a superior operator, Papa Murphy's is the smaller up-and-comer with faster growth.

---------------------------------------------------------- Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer Cramer Remix: Icahn has to shift his focus Lightning Round: My top oil play—with an open hand Cramer: Netflix split & I don't care! ----------------------------------------------------------

But what about the stocks?

"For me, this valuation equation is the cincher. Not only is Domino's the best operator, but it's also got the least expensive stock, even up here at roughly $3 off its all-time highs," Cramer said.

So, the battle of the pizza has determined Domino's as the winner. Not only is it a bargain versus the competition, but Cramer recommends to buy, buy, buy Domino's and ring the register on some of your position on Papa Murphy's.

Summary: Jim Cramer sees plenty of pizza stocks heating up lately. Which one delivers the ultimate cheese?


2. You get a built-in network of skilled experts, mentors and investors.

At the end of an accelerator, start-ups usually get a "demo day," a chance to pitch their start-ups to deep-pocketed investors in the hopes of scoring more funding. "The first person who committed to invest in the company, we met through ERA," said Parking Panda's Miller. But being around peers who are also building companies, as well as start-up veterans, is another big perk.

"The most important thing was the access to mentors and other entrepreneurs who are further along than you who have done these things before," said McKeever Conwell, founder of RedBerry, a mobile app that resembles Instagram and allows retailers to gain followers who can then buy merchandise with a click through the app.

Conwell spent last fall at a DreamIt Ventures accelerator in Philadelphia after having spent several months at two previous accelerators, in Baltimore and San Francisco, respectively, when he was at work on a now-shuttered start-up. "I now have a network of people in the Washington, D.C., Bay and Philly areas," he said.

Read MoreThe cheapest and costliest universities in the world

Elliot Menschik, the former managing director of DreamIt Ventures' health IT accelerator and an adjunct associate professor of engineering entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, said the "nuts-and-bolts mentorship of 'been there, done it before'" isn't always available at a business school. By contrast, in an accelerator "you're surrounding yourself with people who have been in the trenches and have seen things go wrong," he said.

Still, business schools tout similar sorts of networking opportunities. "Business schools, in general, they have huge alumni networks, and alumni are always willing to help any grad who's starting off," said John Hull, executive director of the Business Innovation Institute at the University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business. "Accelerators haven't been around long enough to have a huge alumni base. Most business schools have 50 years of living alumni floating around."

Summary: With the cost of an MBA $200,000 or more, tech geeks are turning to accelerators to fast-track business success. The lure: mentors and funding.


11/02/2015 AT 06:10 PM EST

The dental technician who accused

of assaulting her in 2014 has dropped her lawsuit.

Margarita Palestino filed a request for dismissal on Oct. 21, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. The dismissal was filed with prejudice, meaning that it was dismissed permanently.

, 50, in October 2014 for assault, sexual battery and intentional affliction of emotional distress after alleging that the actor got violent during a visit to the dentist's office that September.

According to the suit, Sheen was seeking treatment for an abscess and allegedly ripped off the nitrous oxide mask Palestino had placed on him and shouted, "I'm going to f---ing kill you!"

Palestino claimed Sheen grabbed her "left breast area" and bra strap and "forcefully pulled it down in an attempt to open or remove her bra."

She also claimed that Sheen threatened one of the dentists in the room

, and that she was told Sheen was "high on a combination of crack cocaine, Theradol and alcohol" during his visit.

Sheen's publicist at the time told PEOPLE the actor "had a bad reaction" to the gas administered at the dentist's office and denied a knife or illegal drugs were involved.

Summary: Margarita Palestino filed a request for dismissal of the case on Oct. 21


Johnny Depp (center) and Reba McEntire (right)

12/13/2015 AT 05:10 PM EST

left a star-studded Las Vegas stage Friday night for an equally star-studded backstage, where she ran into

McEntire, 60, has been performing along with Brooks & Dunn

at The Colosseum at Ceasars Palace.

The country star; Dunn's wife, Janine, and Depp all hit it off, too, according to McEntire's

"@janindunn and I loved getting to visit with Johnny Depp and his group last night after our show at Caesars. What a nice man!!!!" McEntire posted.

, had flown in for a "rare" Vegas visit to see the show,

Depp also visited with Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, according to the paper.

"This is the best room in the world. I've been raving about the acoustics on stage. I've never heard a better stage sound in my life," Dunn

when the residency kicked off. "That alone makes it fun. Here it's like a record."

star is himself no stranger to music or the stage.

Summary: Depp and his wife reportedly made a "rare" trip to Las Vegas to see Reba perform at her Vegas residency with Brooks & Dunn


I cannot figure out how to start this blog. I have never blogged before, and, in addition, I have never written about a night where I met 28 amazingly beautiful women. This experience is just too surreal to be real. And even sitting here today, having lived it all and watched the first night on TV, I can't believe it actually all happened. So, I am in a continual cycle of typing then deleting the first sentence to this blog. Anyways, when I don't know what decision to make it's usually best when I just jump in and begin â¦ so let's begin!

Things like this don't happen to me. I mean I'm not "The Bachelor." I know that's what people call me now, but I am just a software salesman from a tiny town in Indiana. Even when I tried out for

, I never thought it would go anywhere, and now here I am.

Ben Higgins with the cast of The Bachelor

It's been a whirlwind, but I am just trying to keep my head on straight. It's so crazy going back to the places where I grew up and to my high school and having people actually excited to see me! It still hasn't sunk in, and I doubt it ever will. Hopefully in time this will all fade and I'll just be Ben from Indiana again, but for now I am soaking up and enjoying and really APPRECIATING all that everyone has done for me to be here today.

And that's the key thing about when I went back home before this whole thing started; there is no way I would be here with all of this opportunity ahead of me, had it not been for the people in my life that have loved me and supported me along the way. Sitting with my parents and just being able to talk openly about my hopes and fears going into this really meant the world to me. My parents are truly my idols. I would not be the man I am today without them by my side, and I can only pray that I walk out of this whole crazy thing with a relationship as amazing as theirs.

And can we talk about the whole "unlovable" thing for a minute? I don't want people to get the wrong idea when I say that or think that I am being insincerely humble or beating a dead horse about it or anything like that. I really don't even like talking about it that much but in an attempt to really be open and put my whole self and heart on the table going into this, it is a real fear I have that I don't want to ignore. So here it is â¦

When I say that I worry about being unlovable, it doesn't mean I think I am some awful person or have no self-confidence or that I don't have people that love me in my life or anything like that. But in my experience in relationships so far, it has felt like I have been more invested in the relationship than the person I was dating at the time. I've had my heart broken. So until I am with someone that loves me wholly and gives themselves to me as fully as I give myself to them, it can be hard for me to know that that can happen for me.

It's an insecurity. We all have them, and no amount of being told I am crazy or that anyone would be lucky to have me is going to make that go away. That won't happen until I have that love and am in that relationship like the one I see my parents have. Which is exactly why I am here and what I am sincerely hoping to find in this experience.

So here we go! After

told me the first limo was arriving (Thanks for the hug, Chris!) I remember looking up at the sky thinking things like this do not happen to people like me. In addition, I was just happy to know there were enough women that showed up to fill a limo!

Please understand I am a very normal, average guy from Indiana who was standing in Los Angeles in front of a mansion with the opportunity to some amazing women who had already given up time in their lives to be with me on this journey. I was nervous. My mind was racing. How in the world was I going to be the man that each one of these women deserves in a situation so uniquely odd?!

As the first limo pulled up into the driveway I quickly said a little prayer and thanked God for continuing to be with my on this constantly weird experience we call life. When that first door opened and Lauren B. got out, I knew she was there for me because

Just wow. She took my breath away but also just eased my nerves with how normal it was to meet her in such an abnormal circumstance. That helped a lot.

Speaking of calming my nerves, these girls did an incredible job. They were just so amazing! Caila just jumping in my arms made me laugh and made my heart warm all at once. She has such an energy – you wouldn't believe it unless you've ever met her.

Jami really had me nervous for a minute, especially when she told me that she knew

and had talked to her about me, but I should've expected a sense of humor like that from any friend of Kaitlyn's. Good job Jami, you made me sweat!

I was definitely feeling a little warm after meeting Lace too. Not many girls can pull off a kiss before you even say hello but Lace sure did. Again,

Wasn't expecting that at all!

I thought I might be losing my mind when I saw a mini horse coming up the driveway, but how cool was that?! Maegan is truly one of a kind, and I only regret that America didn't get to see more of her like I did because she is awesome, and Huey definitely gave me competition as the most popular guy in the mansion that night.

But while we're at it, can we take a second and admire each one of the women that got out of the limo on night one? The women sure outdid themselves did they not? I mean from Mandi's self-made rose hat to Lauren H.'s adorable bouquet toss, they just exceeded my expectations in every possible way. Seeing each one of these women get out of the limo (prop or not) helped calm my nerves and anxiousness. I was just happy anyone showed up, let alone 28 women as beautiful as the ones that I met that evening. I seriously cannot thank each one of them enough.

That's why I just had to call my parents before I went inside. They were truly living this experience with me, and I wanted to share that with them. I knew they were as nervous as I was and wanted them to know how great it was going from the start before it got too late out in Indiana. I just wish they could've been there to see all of this.

But as amazing as the limo entrances were, it didn't end there. As beautiful as these women all were, they were so smart and sweet and charismatic too! I mean just impressive! Words can't describe how blown away I was by each and every conversation I had. From having a woman as impressive as Jen telling me that she was actually attracted to ME to talking to Jubilee about her being a war veteran! And the twins! How could I have gone this far without talking about Emily and Haley! My mind was blown meeting them, and, even though they look so similar, it was apparent right from the start that even as individuals they are really incredible women.

But the most shocking part of the night might've been when Becca walked into the room while I was talking to Lauren H. â¦ and then Amber too! I had NO idea what was going on, and I think that showed on my face. Where they here for me? Or just to offer advice to the other women? I was clueless. And when they told me they were here to stay, I was extremely flattered.

Despite what people at home may think, this is not an easy thing to go through. There are parts that are incredible, sure, but no one will ever call it easy. That they were showing up again because they saw something in me, words can't describe how honored I felt.

So when Chris Harrison dropped that First Impression Rose on the table, my head was spinning. How was I going to be able to single out just one woman from all these unbelievable women?! I mean, come on!!!

But as hard as it was, Olivia really blew me away that night – and not only with her beauty, but also with her poise and intelligence and even more so with all that she gave up for a chance at finding love. Especially after going through this last season, it is not lost on me what each and every person has to go through and give up to be here, and what Olivia put aside and how confident she was that it was the right choice just made me feel so incredibly blessed.

And I still had to do a rose ceremony! I think it was Jen who mentioned how intimidating it was to be standing amongst "an army of freakishly good-looking women," but think about where I am standing! That army is all staring right back at me, and I have to make those decisions?! The words have not even been invented yet that can describe how nervous I was. I came here to find a wife and with so much going on that night it terrified me that I might be making a mistake right then and there and sending home my future wife before I even got a chance to really know her. But I had to trust in God and that he would guide me in the right direction through this all.

But when it was all said and done, as hard as it was, I was left with an unbelievable group of women to embark on this journey with. And honestly, I could not have been more relieved that that first night was over â¦ or so I thought!

When Lace pulled me aside, I was floored, honestly. After all that had gone on that night (and I hadn't even seen the half of it!) was she really questioning my intentions after I had just sent seven incredible women home?! But I guess you'll have to see next week. Just the first of an immeasurable amount of twists, turns and surprises on what was the most unforgettable journey of my entire life.

Thanks for reading and see you guys next week! Same time, same place!

airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.

Summary: After nearly winning Kaitlyn Bristowe's heart, "Ben H." is blogging exclusively for PEOPLE about his own journey to find love


02/04/2016 AT 04:15 PM EST

isn't afraid of working in a "man's world."

Alba is the head of a $1 billion dollar

, the mastermind behind her own

, and one of "America's Richest Self-Made Women," according to

– not to mention she's an actress, wife and mother.

So what's the secret to her undeniable success? Never doubting her own expertise.

"I'm in a man's world in business," she tells

as its latest cover star. "But I know what women want – [men] don't."

The Honest Company entrepreneur, 32, says she's learned to stick with her feminine instincts, even when being questioned by male colleagues.

"Whenever [male colleagues] question me in meetings, I'm like, 'Go home and ask your wife. This a pointless conversation. Go home and talk to her,' " she explains. "When we were talking about package designs, I was like, 'Are you really giving me notes on packaging for feminine care? I literally can't with you.' "

And as an established woman in both the film industry and business world, she's no stranger to the glaring problems women face when it comes to equality.

Alba commented on the issue of the

, as a well as the lack of women filling high-level job positions.

"There are not as many women in government titles, business titles. It's just not equal," she says. "And until there is equality, you're going to feel that no matter what industry you're in. But from day one, I was like, girls should have an equal seat at the table."

," she adds. "I mean, she's opening movies – she's the box office draw as much as any guy in the movie, if not more. She should be compensated for that."

Summary: "Whenever [male colleagues] question me in meetings, I'm like, 'Go home and ask your wife,' " Jessica Alba tells Cosmopolitan magazine


updated 02/25/2016 AT 04:25 PM EST

•originally published 02/25/2016 AT 02:25 PM EST

Jurors on Wednesday convicted a 57-year-old Indiana man on 51 criminal charges stemming from his role in intentionally causing a house explosion to collect insurance money in which two people died and twelve were injured, PEOPLE confirms.

A jury found Bob Leonard Jr. guilty of two counts of murder for plotting the 2012 blast that also damaged more than 80 surrounding homes, court officials tell PEOPLE. He's facing life in prison when he is sentenced March 18.

Investigators said Leonard, his half-brother and two other individuals hatched the scheme to collect a $300,000 insurance payout. Leonard, his half-brother Mark Leonard, Mark's ex-girlfriend, Monserrate Shirley, and another man, Gary Thompson, conspired to blow Shirley's Indianapolis home to smithereens, prosecutors said.

Two of Shirley's next-door neighbors – John Dion and Jennifer Longworth – died in the natural gas blast, which detectives determined was sparked by a timing device connected to a microwave oven.

Kelly Wilkinson / Indianapolis Star / AP

Police claim Longworth was killed by the blast itself and Dion was burned alive in a resultant fire.

This week's verdict comes six months after jurors convicted Mark Leonard, 46; he is currently serving two life sentences.

Shirley, who testified against the Leonard brothers, had pleaded guilty to lesser arson conspiracy charges and could be sentenced to 20 to 50 years in prison. Thompson pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and is awaiting trial.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE, Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry says the verdict "represents the third step in a long journey for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth and for the victims and neighbors of Richmond Hill."

Currey's statement continues: "More than three years have passed since the night that this senseless, criminal act devastated the lives and destroyed the homes of many. We will continue to pursue our pledge to bring justice for the residents of Richmond Hill as the final pending cases are prosecuted. As I have previously acknowledged, the investigation and prosecution of this matter has literally taken tens of thousands of hours of effort by numerous individuals."

Summary: Bob Leonard Jr. is facing life in prison for blast that killed two


It’s that time of year in New England, when unexpected snow squalls mix with days so sunny and warm they have you dreaming of the beach. And as winter disappears, savvy shoppers, such as a reader from Boxborough, are wondering: When is the best time to get winter boots and coats on sale? Though it would seem to be an ideal time for retailers to slash prices on remaining inventory, our reader has had no luck.

So, to get some advice for seasonal shopping strategies, we talked to Mike Tesler, partner at Norwell-based consultancy Retail Concepts and marketing lecturer at Bentley University in Waltham. The answer, he said, depends on the shoppers’ priorities of each shopper. The most fashion-forward consumers, for example, are unlikely to ever find anything on sale — they have to pay to stay ahead of the style curve.

Price-focused shoppers have two main options, Tesler said: the very beginning of the season and the very end.

For winter wear, the season can begin as early as late September; swimsuit season generally kicks off in March. To get the best deals — and the best selection — at these times of year, Tesler suggests trying stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls. These retailers often buy inventory at deep discounts at the end of the previous season, then put it onto the sales floor at the beginning of the next season. This model means in-season shopping at low prices.

“Even though what she might be buying is last season’s stuff, she can buy in-season and get brands at fabulous prices,” Tesler said. “Everyone’s getting a good deal as long as you are OK with 2015’s pink instead of 2016’s.”

The FCC last week introduced “broadband labels” for sharing all monthly charges and basic information about expected service.

End-of-season shopping can yield bargains but can be more hit-or-miss. It can be harder to find the right sizes and colors, and different retailers have different — and often changing — approaches to sales.

To maximize the chances of finding a deal, consumers should use the Internet and retailer mailing lists to keep on top of when each store or brand is offering the best discounts. Department stores and clothing brands that are close competitors tend to monitor each others’ sales and try to offer competing bargains, Tesler said. So as soon as you see one brand you like promote a sale, take a look at similar clothing lines to see if they, too, are offering any bargains.

Summary: Price-focused shoppers have two main options: the very beginning of the season and the very end.


World-renowned heart transplant surgeon Dr. Alex Panttiere (Melissa George) operates on her own terms, whether it's at home - where she co-parents her two sons with her ex who left her for a man - or at work, where, as her hospital's chief innovations officer, she pushes the boundaries of medical science. As she cares for her patients, Alex must juggle a gaggle of interns, challenging co-workers and a by-the-books hospital chief operating officer (Shelley Conn). Life is further complicated by the return of Alex's former mentor, Dr. Jesse Shane (Don Hany). The one who got away, Jesse stirs old memories and deep feelings in Alex, which is problematic given that she is now involved with sexy liver transplant surgeon Dr. Pierce Harrison (Dave Annable), who is ready to take their relationship to the next level.

As chief innovations officer, Alex must meet with potential investors, and despite her trepidation about talking to businessmen, she is wildly successful at it, securing millions in funding for the hospital. This victory comes at a price when Alex learns the donor heart slated for her patient - a young woman in rapidly diminishing health who has been on the transplant list for months - has been reallocated to one of the wealthy patrons she just secured.

Undeterred, Alex searches for a new heart for her patient, and when the young woman's mentally unstable ex-boyfriend kills himself so that his former flame can have his heart, Alex is determined to fulfill his wish, despite the tragic circumstances. Using an experimental procedure without waiting for hospital committee approval, Alex is able to save her patient's life. It's a risky move, but it's all in a day's work for Alex, who, having lost someone close to her, will do whatever it takes to save a life.

Summary: World-renowned heart transplant surgeon Dr. Alex Panttiere is as unorthodox in the OR as she is in her personal life.


READ: The Laskett gardens: Paradise remade

Mr Pollard claims he has been forced to put the home they shared with their three children up for sale because he cannot afford to buy his wife, a former model, out of the property.

The couple met 30 years ago and spent four years turning the former nunnery and neglected grounds into a nationally renowned garden. This opened in 1994 and has attracted almost half a million visitors in the last 20 years.

The Pollards made headlines when they famously unearthed a skeleton of a 12th century monk in the tulip beds of the gardens, and have transformed the five acre grounds into a paradise of wildflower gardens, an ornamental pond, waterfalls and well-trimmed lawns.

Mr Pollard, 68, said: "The long and short of it is that Eve is leaving the Garden of Eden.

"Quite simply my wife is divorcing me, which has resulted in the putting of the house and the gardens on the market.

"It is a real shame and I am very sad and angry about it. I'm a very hurt individual."

Mr Pollard said they had made a go at their marriage until last July when his wife went to a ‘family healing’ course at Glastonbury.

He said: "After coming back she left me, the three kids - who are 18, 22, and 27."

He added: “I'm a womanising alcoholic.

"To all parties concerned it is 'where the hell did she dream that one up'.

"To call me a womaniser is ludicrous. Also an alcoholic - I like drinking like 80 or 90 per cent of the country. Her idea is that you shouldn't drink at all, you should abstain from alcohol completely.

"She also said I left the marital bed, but she was the one that moved."

In a statement Mrs Pollard said: "All I can say is that Ian and I are very different people but with common interests.

"We have brought different skills to the development of Abbey House and its gardens, which it has been a privilege to participate in.

"However I am not getting any younger, I will not last forever and I believe it is time to let someone else create a new chapter here.

"I wish to continue my interest in gardening, approach it in a different way and grow food among the flowers."

Mr Pollard claims his 62-year-old wife moved out of their home and filed for divorce three months ago, but then moved back into the 12 bedroom house ten days ago when the lease on her rented property ran out.

He also claims she returned and said she wanted to speak to ‘garden divas’ or fairies.

He added: “She said it was one of the things that she said she was going to when she came back. Scary stuff."

Mr Pollard said he would like to keep the house but cannot afford to buy his wife out of the mansion.

The pair were labelled the ‘naked gardeners' when they appeared on the BBC show Gardeners’ World and opened the grounds to fellow naturists for the first time. Around 200 visitors to the gardens stripped off.

Sue Poole, elected mayor of Malmesbury, has appealed for any prospective buyer to keep the gardens open.

She said: “Abbey House Gardens are very important to the town and has brought in a lot of people to Malmesbury. It has put the town on the map.

"People come to the tourist information centre and the town hall and ask 'where are the Naked Gardeners' and it will be a very sad loss to Malmesbury."

Summary: The 'Garden of Eden' created by the couple dubbed the 'naked gardeners' is up   for sale because they are to divorce, after she accused him of being a   womanising alcoholic


ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida treasure hunters found a trove of $4.5 million worth of Spanish gold coins 300 years to the day after a fleet of ships sank in a hurricane en route from Havana to Spain, the salvage owner said Wednesday.

The 350 coins found on July 30 include nine rare pieces, known as royal eight escudos, which were being transported to the king of Spain, according to Brent Brisben. His company, 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels, owns the rights to the wreckage.

Only 20 such coins were known to exist prior to the recovery of the nine royals, Brisben said.

“The gold looks like it fell into the water yesterday,” said William Bartlett, 51, the diver who spotted the haul.

Bartlett was part of a three-man crew aboard Brisben’s boat S/V Capitana when it found coins in shallow water off Vero Beach, Florida. The search site was picked because it was close to a previous discovery.

On the same day in 1715, a hurricane tossed 11 treasure-laden Spanish galleons onto reefs off Florida’s east coast, sinking them in the early hours the following morning. Today, the wreckage is scattered over a wide area.

The coins found by Bartlett are part of the now-scattered treasure transported by the galleons, which have since broken up.

Bartlett said the crew used the boat propeller to blow a hole in the sandy ocean floor to reach bedrock 8 feet (2.4 meters) down. The salvage operation lasted five days.

Like many Florida treasure hunters, Bartlett, a Pompano Beach kitchen and bathroom remodeler, dives as a hobby.

He said he did not hunt treasure for the money, and declined to say how much he would receive under contract with 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels.

“I’m just a guy on a boat living the dream,” Bartlett said.

Hunters like Bartlett typically work under contract with the company, which grants them a percentage of their find after the state of Florida exercises its right to 20 percent of the haul.

The company acquired legal custodianship of the sunken fleet from the heirs of world-renowned treasure hunter Mel Fisher.

Summary: ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida treasure hunters found a trove of $4.5 million worth of Spanish gold coins 300 years to the day after a fleet of ships sank in a hurricane en route from Havana to Spain, the…


A nearly 600-foot-tall construction crane came crashing down onto buildings, pedestrians and parked cars along a downtown Manhattan street Friday morning, killing a Harvard-trained mathematician on his way to work and injuring three other people.

Workers were attempting to secure the tower crane in the middle of a short but blustery snowstorm when the crane collapsed onto Worth Street near Church Street in Tribeca at around 8:25 a.m., officials said.

“When it came down, it felt like an earthquake. Our building rattled, shook,” Paul Capotosto, treasurer of the NYPD’s Sergeants Benevolent Association, whose office is nearby, told The Post.

Officials from the Buildings Department had stopped by the construction site early Thursday morning to inspect the crane and had approved an extension to its maximum length of 565 feet, officials said.

The crawler crane — which moves on caterpillar tracks and was installed at the site on Jan. 30 — was at that full length for the first time when it crashed amid winds topping 20 mph.

David Wichs, 38, was killed instantly when the crane pinned him to the snow-lined street, police and witnesses said.

“I checked to see if there were any signs of life. There were none,” said Lt. Jason O’Connor, a commanding court officer at a nearby courthouse who rushed over to the chaotic scene.

Photo: NYBuffPost1 via TwitterJust feet away, Thomas O’Brien, 73, sustained a head injury when the crane smashed into the roof of his black Jeep, shattering his sun roof. Video shows him clutching his head through the crushed car.

“He was conscious and alert, but he was trapped,” O’Connor said, adding that the man’s body was contorted inside the car, pinned in by a piece of the crane’s 565-foot-long boom.

O’Brien’s daughter was frantic as they waited for equipment to pry him loose.

“She said she wanted to be with her father, but we kept her away,” O’Connor said.

A 45-year-old New Jersey woman, Dawn Kojima, also suffered a head laceration and leg injury in the crash.

A firefighter responding to the scene suffered minor injuries, officials said.

Witnesses remarked that the damage — and death toll — could have been far worse.

“It’s usually crowded on Worth,” said electrician John Rizzo, 43. “It’s lucky this happened today. If it had been a nice day, there would have been bodies everywhere.”

The crane, which had been doing work on 60 Hudson St., was in the process of being lowered as winds approached the danger mark of 25 mph, Mayor de Blasio said.

“No work was done this morning because the crew made the decision to bring the crane down to the secure position,” the mayor said.

But at some point, workers lost control, and the crane plummeted to the ground, with its length stretching across two blocks.

“I thought they were trying to maybe get it down in one shot, but then the cab flipped over . . . I thought, I hope there are no pedestrians down there,” recalled Chris Andrinopiupous, 38, an electrician who was watching from the 38th floor of his nearby building.

The crane struck several buildings on Worth Street during its descent, cutting a swath of wreckage. Its giant hook crashed into an office of the New York Law School.

“When it landed it, was a big impact,” said Nicholi White, 20. “There was a loud bang and the sound of alarms going off. Then everything got quiet. I saw the cars in half. I was in shock.”

More than 140 firefighters flooded into the area, as several bystanders jumped in to help.

Capotosto said he and two other SBA officers rushed out of their building and into the wreckage.

There they found O’Brien trapped in his car, and Kojima leaning against a building, blood trickling down her forehead.

Many buildings in the area were evacuated, including the courthouse at 71 Thomas St., and gas lines were cut off along Worth Street. The FDNY and Con Edison scanned the scene for gas leaks every 15 minutes.

Photo: Steven HirschOfficials have yet to explain why exactly the crane capsized, but one expert explained that a 565-foot boom is devilishly tricky to lower.

“It will take hundreds of tons just to counterbalance that boom, and if you do it too quickly, it could be thrown off balance,” said James Pritchett, president of Crane Experts International, which investigates such mishaps.

The crane’s operator, Kevin Reilly, 56, has a record of three DWI arrests, all from the 1980s.

He was questioned by cops after the collapse and submitted to a Breathalyzer test, blowing a clean .000, law-enforcement sources said.

Locals said the crane’s looming presence had been making them nervous all week.

“When you look from my office, you see this thing 40 feet up in the air, it looks very unstable,” said Peter Allen, an architect who works nearby.

Additional reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya, Megan McGibney, Natalie Musumeci and Laura Italiano

Summary: Warning: Graphic content. A nearly 600-foot-tall construction crane came crashing down onto buildings, pedestrians and parked cars along a downtown Manhattan street Friday morning, killing a Harvar…


A fractured vertebra might be enough to keep Brazilian soccer star

off the pitch, but it's not enough to stop him from partying with

The 22-year-old posted a photo to his Instagram page, posing with Paris in a nightclub in Ibiza.

Neymar suffered the terrible back injury during Brazil's quarterfinal win against Chile in the World Cup. He missed the next game and it's unclear if he'll be ready for the start of La Liga.

Paris is apparently popular on the soccer scene --

Summary: A fractured vertebra might be enough to keep Brazilian soccer star Neymar off the pitch, but it's not enough to stop him from partying with Paris Hilton.…


TUCSON, Ariz.— ''Calm down,'' Alex, an African Gray parrot, told Dr. Irene Pepperberg, the scientist at the University of Arizona who owns him. ''Don't tell me to calm down,'' Dr. Pepperberg snapped. Sometimes Dr. Pepperberg and Alex squabble like an old married couple. He even says, ''I love you.''

For the last 22 years, Dr. Pepperberg has been teaching Alex, who is 23, to do complex tasks of the sort that only a few nonhuman species -- chimpanzees, for instance -- have been able to perform. But unlike those other creatures, Alex can talk, or at least, he can vocalize. And, Dr. Pepperberg says, Alex doesn't just imitate human speech, as other parrots do -- Alex can think. His actions are not just an instinctive response, she says, but rather a result of reasoning and choice.

Assertions like Dr. Pepperberg's are at the center of a highly emotional debate about whether thought is solely the domain of humans, or whether it can exist in other animals. Although many people are intrigued by the idea that animals may be capable of some form of abstract reasoning and communication, scientists often ascribe what looks like clever behavior to mimicry or rote learning or even, in some cases, unconscious cues by a trainer.

So, just how smart is Alex?

The question of animal intelligence goes back at least to Descartes and his famous aphorism, ''I think, therefore I am.'' Animals cannot think, said Descartes, and therefore are inferior to humans. And for many theologians and philosophers, the ability to think gives man a unique closeness to God.

Parrots, of course, are famous mimics, and some parrots have bigger vocabularies than Alex. But no parrot, says Dr. Pepperberg, has been able to perform tasks as complex as Alex can. And she believes that when Alex vocalizes, he is expressing the results of his thoughts, not mere mimicry. For instance, when she asks Alex what color corn is, he answers yellow, even though there is no corn around. This means, she says, he has an abstract concept of what the words ''color,'' ''corn'' and ''yellow'' mean. He has not simply memorized them, but can apply them to different objects.

Chimpanzees and dolphins have been able to perform equally complex tasks, though the tasks differ from those given to Alex because of the differences between species. But chimps and dolphins, obviously, cannot vocalize in the way Alex does.

Few scientists would dispute that Alex is doing something unusual in the history of animal studies. At least, his behavior is more advanced than that of most other parrots who have been the subject of scientific experiments. But scientists differ on the implications of Alex's behavior.

Until now, Dr. Pepperberg has published her work in scientific journals, but in January Harvard University Press will publish ''The Alex Studies,'' a book summarizing her experiments with Alex.

Dr. Pepperberg bought Alex at a garden-variety pet store in Chicago when he was about a year old with the idea of studying him. As far as she knew, he had no particular pedigree, and she is not even sure whether he is particularly smart in relation to other parrots. Now she is trying to replicate his training with another Gray Parrot, Griffin.

Dr. Pepperberg, listing Alex's accomplishments, said he could identify 50 different objects and recognize quantities up to 6; that he could distinguish 7 colors and 5 shapes, and understand ''bigger,'' ''smaller,'' ''same'' and ''different,'' and that he was learning the concepts of ''over'' and ''under.'' Hold a tray of different shapes and colored objects in front of him, as Dr. Pepperberg was doing the other day as a reporter watched, and he can distinguish an object by its color, shape and the material it is made of. (Dr. Pepperberg said she frequently changed objects to make sure Alex wasn't just memorizing things and that she structured experiments to avoid involuntary cues from his examiner).

But on this day Alex was being recalcitrant. Dr. Pepperberg had been away for three weeks at M.I.T., where she is a visiting professor this year. When she leaves him, she says, Alex chews at his tail and wing feathers, giving him a rather threadbare appearance, and when she returns he is very demanding, turning his back and saying, ''Come here!''

''What matter is orange and three-cornered?'' she asked Alex, holding the tray of objects in front of him. First, Alex had to identify which object was orange and three-cornered, and then tell Dr. Pepperberg what it was made of. She allowed Alex to pick up the objects on the tray with his beak and to ''examine'' each one.

But after he finished, instead of giving an answer, Alex demanded a nut. ''Want a nut,'' he said clearly, sounding almost human. (He also responds to other people's commands, Dr. Pepperberg's graduate students for instance.)

''I know, I'll give you a nut,'' Dr. Pepperberg said, sounding annoyed.

''Wanna go back,'' said Alex, meaning go back into his cage.

Dr. Pepperberg continued trying to get Alex to perform, but he resisted and she began to lose patience.

''I'm sorry,'' he said. Usually, said Dr. Pepperberg, that means he is about to give in.

''What matter is orange and three-cornered, Alex?'' she insisted.

''Wool!'' said Alex, getting it right.


FORTUNE — Twitter this afternoon started the clock on its IPO, publicly filing to raise $1 billion.

The company did not indicate which stock exchange it has selected, but says that it will trade under ticker symbol TWTR. Goldman Sachs GS is listed as lead underwriter, with Morgan Stanley MS and J.P. Morgan JPM also are listed on the top line, while four other banks also are listed.

It reports a $69 million net loss on in $253 million revenue for the first half of 2013, compared to a $49 million net loss on $122 million revenue for the year-earlier period. The company also says that it had 218 million monthly active users in June 2013, compared to 151 million in June 2012 (and 204 million in May 2013).

Twitter co-founder Ev Williams is listed as the company’s largest single shareholder, with a 12% position. Fellow co-founder and current chairman Jack Dorsey has a 4.9% stake, while CEO Dick Costolo has a 1.6% stake. The company’s third co-founder, Biz Stone, is not listed as a 5% shareholder.

MORE: I was wrong about Twitter

Five institutions have at least 5% positions: Benchmark Capital (6.7%), Rizvi Traverse, Spark Capital, Union Square Ventures and DST Global.

Costolo earned approximately $11.5 million last year, including $200,000 in salary. In August his salary was reduced to just $14,000.

Twitter previously disclosed that it had filed confidentially with the Securities and Exchange Commission, but had not publicly disclosed any details. By making its filing public today, the company is on track to list by November 9. There is, however, a possibility that the government shutdown could hamper those plans. The SEC currently is operating at full strength, but may have to cut back on certain services were the funding to not be fully restored within the next few weeks. In that case, Twitter could have trouble getting amended filings approved (including the one where it lists anticipated pricing terms).

Sign up for Dan Primack’s daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com

Summary: Twitter files to raise $1 billion in IPO. Reports $253 million in first-half revenue.


By Jennifer Bain and Bob Fredericks

April 6, 2016 | 5:06pm

Ted Cruz visits a Chinese-Dominican restaurant in the Bronx on a campaign stop April 6. Photo: James Messerschmidt

There are more than 1.4 million people in the Bronx — but Ted Cruz couldn’t even muster 100 at a campaign event in Parkchester with state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a conservative Christian minister.

Cruz visited the Sabrosura Chinese-Dominican restaurant, where Diaz said the presidential candidate could “listen to the social, economic and spiritual needs of our community” while dining with other clergymen on the eatery’s famed fried rice and plantains.

Aside from about 70 ministers affiliated with Diaz, only a dozen voters turned up — and two of them were tossed out after screaming protests about the Texas senator’s hardline stance on immigration.

“He is anti-immigrant. He denies climate change. He’s a right-winged bigot and he’s not welcomed here,” said protester Rebel Diaz (no relation to the senator).

Cruz, meanwhile, doubled down on his assault on “New York values,” though he rebranded his message to make it easier for conservative New Yorkers to swallow by calling them “liberal Democratic values” and linking them to Donald Trump.

“Let’s be clear. The people of New York know what those values are, the values of liberal Democratic politicians like Andrew Cuomo, like Anthony Weiner, like Eliot Spitzer, like Charlie Rangel, all of whom Donald Trump has supported, given tens of thousands of dollars to throughout the years,” said Cruz, a day after his decisive win over Trump in the Wisconsin primary.

“If you want to know what liberal Democratic values are, follow Donald Trump’s checkbook.”

Asked about the Trump campaign’s charge that he broke federal election laws by colluding with super PACs, Cruz offered a sarcastic answer.

“Donald can always be counted on to take the high road and to demonstrate class. If he wants to engage in insults, he’s welcome to do so. He gets very angry when the voters reject him,” Cruz said.

He also unloaded on Mayor Bill de Blasio for not supporting charter school expansion or the NYPD.

“One of the first things he did was try to shut down charter schools in Harlem because he is captive to the union bosses who control him. So one of his first actions was to try to throw young African-American and Hispanic kids out of the schools that were giving them hope,” Cruz said.

“Every time there is a confrontation between criminals and cops, he sides with the criminals, looters and rioters instead of the police officers.”

Asked a question in Spanish, the Cuban-American son of immigrants replied that he understood the language but that his spoken Spanish was not that good — and answered in English.

Before the event with the conservative state senator, his son, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., slammed Cruz as a hypocrite at a press conference arranged by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

“Ted Cruz is a hypocrite. He not only offended New Yorkers, he offended Bronxites, and now he’s here today in New York and in the Bronx looking for money and votes,” Diaz said. “We in the Bronx know how offensive he’s been. We know the truth about our borough.”

Also Wednesday, Cruz picked up an endorsement from New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, the PAC representing New York’s evangelical Christians.

Summary: There are more than 1.4 million people in the Bronx — but Ted Cruz couldn’t even muster 100 at a campaign event in Parkchester with state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a conservative Christian ministe…


The future operation of the detention centre on Manus Island appears increasingly uncertain, with Papua New Guinea police now patrolling within the compounds and further legal challenges to the detention of the men held within.

Since the PNG supreme court ruled in May that the detention centre was illegal, the operation of the centre has been legally precarious but the 905 men held within remain in detention. The detention centre is funded by the Australian government and holds asylum seekers who have tried to reach Australia by boat.

The PNG government has said the men on Manus are no longer detained but refugee Naseem Haider told Guardian Australia: “Police make illegal rules in this illegal place. You can’t speak about [being free] because police are now controlling the centre in the naval base. It’s ... like a big joke when they told you that you are free.”

Related: Papua New Guinea court rules detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island illegal

The men inside remain restricted in their movements, they cannot move freely within the compound, which is surrounded by razor wire fences, and can only leave with permission on prearranged buses into Lorengau town, nearly an hour’s drive away. Photos show detainees are still security screened by guards at the entrance to the camp.

Previously, security at the Manus detention centre has been solely the responsibility of Wilson Security, a subcontractor of centre manager Broadspectrum, which has a $1.2bn, one-year contract from the Australian government to run offshore detention centres. PNG police have not previously had a significant presence inside the Manus detention centre but, it is understood, with uncertainty over the extent of Wilson’s authority after the supreme court decision, more responsibility has been moved to police.

Daily protests at the compound fences have been running for 26 days inside the detention centre.

On 16 June, a second legal challenge to the Manus detention regime will be back in the supreme court. Three representatives from the Australian high commission were present at a directions hearing in Port Moresby on Monday.

The first legal challenge, brought by the opposition leader, Belden Namah, was upheld in May, with the court ruling the Manus detention centre was illegal. The court ruled the men’s detention – many have been held more than 1,000 days – breached their fundamental right to liberty, because they were trafficked into PNG against their will and were arbitrarily and unlawfully held without having committed, or being accused of, a crime.

The second challenge, brought by the Port Moresby lawyer Ben Lomai, is on similar grounds and the court has indicated it is prepared to combine the two challenges and could make consequential orders to have the centre closed.

Inside the detention centre, detainees say changes to the detention regime have only been cosmetic since the PNG supreme court ruling.

“Immigration’s and politicians statements [say] we are free to go and the detention is no longer but reality is very different,” Haider said. “Freedom is far away from us, we are still in detention and treating badly by the management and police.

“Freedom is [being able to go] where you want to go, no fear for safety and security. But here freedom means to lock in a small area and whatever you want it will depend on immigration’s approval.”

Behrouz Bouchani, who was found to be a refugee by PNG authorities despite refusing to make an asylum claim in that country, said refugees were being regularly harassed and arrested by police.

“PNG police two days ago arrested an Iranian man and put him in Lorengau jail,” he said. “Also they arrested two Pakistani men and have kept them at the police station for hours. Another Iranian man had a serious argument with an officer in Fox mess yesterday. Today one of officers wanted to beat an Iranian man too and a Pakistani man claimed that an officer pushed him and he made complaint against him.”

Bouchani said many men in detention were still frightened of police after the riots in 2014 in which police stormed their compounds, shooting at asylum seekers and beating others.

Related: What is Australia's points-based immigration system?

As detention continues on Manus, significant numbers of asylum seekers and refugees held by Australia offshore have been moved to Australia for medical treatment.

At least six people have been moved from Manus and Nauru to Australia in the past fortnight for serious medical conditions, a significantly greater rate than in previous months.

Many of those brought to Australia are being enjoined to legal challenges, or receiving assurances from the government of 72 hours’ notice if they are to be removed offshore.

As well, up to 17 men from Manus are currently in Port Moresby for medical treatment. Sources within the detention centre say the previously strict protocols to keep people at the detention centre have been relaxed and it is now much easier for sick or injured detainees to be moved for medical treatment.

On Nauru daily protests continue at the detention centre fences. Asylum seekers and refugees have protested every day for 80 days on the island, erecting banners and chanting at the wire fences at the boundary of the camp. The island has also been seized by a spate of self-harm and suicide attempts.

Wilson Security declined to comment, directing questions to the department of immigration and border protection. A spokeswoman for the department said “PNG authorities are responsible for the management and administration of the Manus regional processing centre. This is a matter for the PNG government”. PNG Immigration did not respond to requests for comment.

Summary: Detainees say changes to regime are only cosmetic and they cannot move freely in the compound or leave without permission


Robert H. W. Welch Jr., the founder and patriarch of the John Birch Society, died Sunday at the Winchester Nursing Home in Winchester, Mass. He was 85 years old and had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 1983.

Mr. Welch, who spent most of his adult life in the candy business, led the ultraconservative anti-Communist John Birch Society for 25 years, from its inception in 1958 until March 1983, when he stepped down as president and became chairman emeritus.

A voluble, gregarious man with restless blue eyes and a fringe of white hair, Mr. Welch was, for thousands of Americans in the 1950's and 1960's, a prophet with a vision of mortal danger in what he said was a Communist conspiracy to infiltrate Government, schools, business, the arts and other facets of national life.

Many Americans, however, regarded Mr. Welch and his followers as misguided extremists who themselves represented a threat to American freedoms. After the 1960's the size and influence of the society began to wane.

In recent years, as Mr. Welch's involvement declined, the society maintained a low profile - some members say it did so deliberately - and found itself at odds with many conservatives, including President Reagan, whom Mr. Welch once called a ''lackey'' of Communist conspirators.

Robert Henry Winborne Welch Jr. was born on Dec. 1, 1899, on a farm in Chowan County, N.C. He learned to read at the age of 3, finished high school at 12 and graduated from the University of North Carolina at 17.

He later studied for two years at the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent two years in law school at Harvard. Disillusioned with academia, he quit Harvard in 1921 and founded a company that made fudge in a loft in Cambridge, Mass.

The company prospered and in 1932 he joined the staff of E. J. Brach & Sons, at that time the nation's largest candymaker. Two years later he became sales manager for the James O. Welch Company, his younger brother's Massachusetts-based candy manufacturing concern. Under Mr. Welch's direction, the business grew from $200,000 in sales in 1935 to $20 million in 1956.

He ran for political office only once, campaigning unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1950. In the 1950's, Mr. Welch founded a conservative magazine, One Man's Opinion, and traveled widely, acquiring a growing belief in the existence of an international Communist conspiracy.

To combat the dangers he perceived, Mr. Welch retired after more than 30 years in the candy business. At a two- day meeting in Indianapolis with 11 other men in December 1958, he founded the John Birch Society, which he dedicated to the goals of ''less government, more individual responsibility and a better world.''

The society was named after an American intelligence officer killed by the Chinese Communists 10 days after World War II, a man described by Mr. Welch as the ''first casualty'' of the cold war. The society quickly attracted national attention and a limited but devoted following.

On the strength of what he called ''an accumulation of evidence,'' Mr. Welch called President Eisenhower ''a dedicated, conscious agent of the Communist conspiracy.'' Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Allen W. Dulles, the Director of Central Intelligence, and others were accused of being members of the Communist underground.

Mr. Welch advocated the impeachment of Chief Justice Earl Warren, repeal of the income tax, withdrawal of the United States from the United Nations, abolition of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, cessation of cultural and other contacts with the Soviet Union and restrictions on collective bargaining.

He also called for an end of all civil rights programs, which he called a cover for Communism, and advocated constitutional changes to overturn Supreme Court decisions outlawing racial segregation in public schools.

The size and influence of the society peaked in the mid-1960's, when it had nearly 100,000 members in clubs around the nation; a budget of $8 million a year and 270 paid employees, many of them working out of a headquarters in Belmont, Mass.; a book publishing house; two monthly publications; a speakers' bureau; a radio program and 400 Birch-owned bookstores.

Clamor over the society's influence reached a crescendo at the time of the 1964 Republican National Convention, when Senator Barry Goldwater, accepting the Presidential nomination, proclaimed ''extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice'' and ''moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.''

As the society's fortunes began to fade, its leaders became divided over tactics, strategy and goals; members were accused of disrupting school boards, harassing city councils and librarians and otherwise using unfair tactics against opponents, and Mr. Welch was accused of smears and character assassination.

Mr. Welch, a courtly man who delighted in intellectual discussions, insisted that he never indiscriminately called people Communists or Communist sympathizers.

His assertions about President Eisenhower, originally issued in a memorandum and expanded into an 80,000-word biographical document published in 1958 as ''The Politician,'' later became a persistent problem for society spokesmen.

In 1961, in a clarification for the press, Mr. Welch denied having accused Mr. Eisenhower and others of being Communists. ''They were being used by Communists,'' he said. ''I never said they were Communists and I don't say it now.''

In 1978, at a convention marking the society's 20th anniversary, Mr. Welch said the organization had itself been the object of smears by the news media and political opponents. He made his last public appearance at the society's 25th anniversary celebration in Indianapolis late in 1983.

Mr. Welch is survived by his wife, the former Marian Lucille Probert, whom he married in 1922; two sons, Hillard Walmer and Robert 3d, and six grandchildren.

photo of Robert Welch Jr.