A Victorian man drove a car at speeds of 210km/h the night he killed his teenage girlfriend in a crash, a court has been told.

Sasho Ristovski, 28, was today sentenced to seven years behind bars with a non-parole period of four years and nine months, following the fatal July 2014 crash.

He was high on ice and drunk when he lost control of his father’s high-powered car and slammed into a tree in Laverton North, instantly killing his girlfriend and passenger, 16-year-old Maddison Tilyard.

He tattooed his face as a “reminder” of the crash.

Sasho Ristovski (right), 28, has been sentenced to seven years jail after killing his girlfriend in a car crash last year. (Twitter)

Melbourne’s County Court was told Ristovski felt angry and had taken the drug ice to “calm down” on the night of the crash.

He also told Tilyard he would kill her in a car crash that night, and ignored the pleas of her and her friend to slow down.

“I’ll put you in a grave by the end of the night,” he told her.

County Court Judge Frank Gucciardo said Ristovski had “appalling reckless disregard” for the lives of his passengers and other motorists.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016

Summary: A Victorian man who was drunk and drugged when he killed his teenage girlfriend in a car crash has been jailed for seven years.


Brit has agreed to put his WBO world super-welterweight title on the line in America, with a venue set to be announced soon

LIAM SMITH will attempt to succeed where Amir Khan failed against Saul Alvarez on September 17.

Smith, 27, has agreed to put his WBO world super-welterweight title on the line in America, with a venue set to be announced shortly.

And the Scouser believes he can fare better than fellow Brit Khan, who was knocked out by Alvarez in the sixth round last month.

Smith said: “I am delighted to get the opportunity to defend my title against Canelo and headline in America, which is a dream I have had since I started in boxing.

“This fight will allow me to make a name for myself in the US and show just how good I am.

“As soon as I became world champion my next goal was to make my name across the Atlantic and this is the big stage that will enable me to do that.

“My trainer Joe Gallagher and I are going to initiate a plan to ensure we beat Canelo and shake up the world of boxing.

“I am confident of keeping my title on September 17 and returning to Liverpool with my belt still around my waist.”

Smith’s promoter Frank Warren added: “Liam grabbed the opportunity to take on Alvarez.

“This is a fantastic chance for him to showcase his talent in such a high-profile fight in America.

“He believes, as do I, that he has the tools to beat Alvarez and stake his own claim to be the world’s best.”

Alvarez, 25, has suffered just one defeat in 49 pro bouts. He was beaten on points by retired pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather in September 2013.

Summary: LIAM SMITH will attempt to succeed where Amir Khan failed against Saul Alvarez on September 17. Smith, 27, has agreed to put his WBO world super-welterweight title on the line in America, with a ve…


Mall giant Simon Property Group Inc. has hired investment adviser Lazard Ltd. and law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to help it formulate a strategy for possibly bidding for all or part of rival General Growth Properties Inc., which is operating under Chapter 11 protection.

The moves set the stage for what could be a takeover struggle as General Growth readies a plan to reorganize and exit from bankruptcy. General Growth, the country’s second-largest mall operator, after Simon, by number of properties, is close...

Summary: Mall owner hopes to take its coveted assets and emerge from bankruptcy. Rivals loom as spoilers.


At least one and as many as three people have died in a helicopter crash in Palm Bay, Florida, local media have reported.

The helicopter left Orlando Melbourne International Airport on Tuesday afternoon local time and crashed about 2pm in south-west Palm Bay, Bay News 9 reports.

Smoking wreckage could be seen in footage of the crash scene filmed by the Wesh 2 news helicopter.

Three people died in the crash, Bay News 9 and Wesh 2 have reported citing police.

"There is no threat to the general public at this time, but Palm Bay citizens are asked to stay clear of the area," Palm Bay Police Department Lieutenant Mike Bandish told Bay News 9.

Authorities are inspecting the helicopter wreckage in Palm Bay, Florida. (Wesh 2)

Earlier, ABC News reported at least one person died in the crash, which involved a military-style Sikorsky S-61N helicopter that had reportedly been "flying low".

Get breaking news alerts when a major story happens near you by downloading the 9NEWS Alerts app, available on iPhone and Android.

This is a breaking news story. More detail will be added shortly.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016

Summary: Three people have died in a helicopter crash in Palm Bay, Florida, local media have reported citing police.


Congress in 2008 authorized two federal programs to provide small businesses with quick infusions of cash in response to complaints after Hurricane Katrina about delays with disaster-recovery lending.

One Small Business Administration program promised to provide small firms with quick government-backed “bridge loans” of up to $25,000 and a...

Congress in 2008 authorized two federal programs to provide small businesses with quick infusions of cash in response to complaints after Hurricane Katrina about delays with disaster-recovery lending.

One Small Business Administration program promised to provide small firms with quick government-backed “bridge loans” of up to $25,000 and a 36-hour decision.

But eight years after the law was enacted, not a single loan has been made under either program. A 2015 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office criticized the SBA for dragging its feet.

“Lenders have not been interested because of the cost of participation, loan terms and conditions contrary to conventional lending practices,” an SBA spokeswoman said, noting that the loans have 10-year terms. SBA loan processing times “have fallen dramatically” since the law was passed, she added.

A 2015 analysis of small business relief after Hurricane Ike gave the highest marks to a bridge loan program set up by local banks because it quickly moved money to a large number of small firms. “The incredible part of the bridge loan program is the fact that none of the banks had a loan default, even though they loaned primarily off of good faith,” according to the report, by Yu Xiao and Maria Watson of Texas A&M University.

Defaults have also been minimal for low-interest loans issued to small businesses hit by Hurricane Sandy under a partnership between New York City and local banks. Just 16 of the 797 firms that received $18.3 million in loans defaulted, according to the New York Business Development Corp., which administered the program.

In Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber is using private donations to fund $350,000 in grants to 57 small local businesses. But because of funding limitations, less than 10% of the initial 630 applicants have received money, leaving out at least 200 other firms that would have otherwise qualified. Another 155 businesses have since submitted funding requests.

“A small amount of aid will be a really good incentive for [small businesses] to come back,” said Nina Lam, a professor at Louisiana State University who studied how small businesses fared after Katrina. But if it takes “longer than six months, businesses have already made the decision not to come back.”

Write to Ruth Simon at ruth.simon@wsj.com

Summary: Eight years after Congress authorized two federal programs to provide small businesses with disaster-recovery lending in response to complaints about delays after Hurricane Katrina, not a single loan has been made under either program.


WASHINGTON, April 28 (UPI)—The phones in the White House rang throughout the day today with calls from dog lovers protesting President Johnson's playful act of pulling the family beagles by their ears to make them yelp.

The President, joking but obviously disturbed by the protests, said, “I don’t want to be inhumane.”

The White House would not say whether it had received protesting telegrams about the incident. But it was known that local dog fanciers had kept switchboard operators busy after Washington's two evening newspapers appeared.

On both front pages were photographs of Mr. Johnson pulling the beagles, Him and Her, by the ears in the White House Rose Garden yesterday for visiting bankers, newsmen and photographers.

He told his guests, “It's good for them, it does them good to let them bark. If you ever follow dogs, you like to hear them yelp.”

He told a group of servicewomen in the Cabinet Room that he had pulled the beagles’ ears for the benefit of a photographer and then a reporter “wrote a story about it—about my being inhumane.”

Only last Sunday Mr. Johnson was the subject of an article in Parade Magazine describing his affection for Him and Her and how he paused in the midst of a busy workday to play with them.

But today the news columns; carried articles quoting displeased officials of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty

J. J. Shaffer, managing director of the Chicago Humane Society, said there were all sorts of ways to lift a dog. “In our experience,” he said, “this is the wrong way to do it.”

This article can be viewed in its original form. Please send questions and feedback to archive_feedback@nytimes.com

Summary: Johnson disturbed by reptg of his handling of his dogs


An alleged drunk driver in central Queensland has been charged after he allegedly headbutted a police officer who was trying to restrain him.

Police say the man, 30, was pulled over around 11.50am on Monday for a breath test before he was taken back to the Mackay police station for further tests.

It is alleged he became aggressive and headbutted a male police officer who was trying to restrain him.

Summary: An alleged drunk driver has been charged after he allegedly headbutted a police officer in central Queensland.


A fighting fund for legal action against the controversial Perth Freight Link has been boosted, with a local council pledging $25,000.

Save Beeliar Wetlands raised $50,000 in one month to pay for its High Court challenge to the WA government's environmental approval for the Roe 8 highway extension, which is the most contentious part of the $1.9 billion project.

The protest group expects to find out in about five weeks whether it has been granted leave to appeal in the High Court, and if proceedings progress to a full hearing, the City of Cockburn has promised to contribute a further $25,000.

The group was outraged last week when the state government signed a $450 million construction contract for Roe 8.

The Labor opposition reiterated it would axe the project if it won power at the March state election, but stopped short of pledging to tear up the contracts, saying it needed to see the documents and explore its legal options first.

Premier Colin Barnett was dismissive of the High Court bid, saying even if it goes ahead, "it is very unlikely to succeed because there is no dispute about environmental standards."

Convenor Kate Kelly said the group would mount "a very strong campaign, legal and otherwise".

"We believe we can stop Roe 8 through legal action, however we may need to respond quickly to any physical threat to the wetlands, particularly if injunctive proceedings are required," she said.

"If we win this court case, the environmental approvals will be swept away.

"What are they doing signing contracts when they know that the potential is those contracts will not be able to be honoured?"

Mr Barnett says the joint state and federal funded project will provide a direct route for trucks to Fremantle port - reducing congestion, improving road safety and freight efficiency.

He says it is supported by the transport industry as well as most southern suburbs residents who want fewer trucks on busy Leach Highway.

Summary: If Save Beeliar Wetlands' High Court challenge to the Perth Freight Link proceeds to a full hearing, the City of Cockburn will contribute $25,000 to legal fees.


Nearly 200 people reportedly left Amy Schumer’s comedy show in Tampa after she mocked Donald Trump on Sunday.

The American stand-up comedian, who is currently on tour, was booed when she reportedly quizzed a Trump supporter on stage about why he supports the Republican candidate, The Tampa Bay Times reports.

When some of the crowd began to boo, Schumer reportedly invited them to leave and also asked security to help escort anyone booing out.

Schumer also reportedly called Trump, among other things, an "orange, sexual-assaulting, fake-college-starting monster."

During the show, Schumer reportedly discussed political topics such as gun control, which she has been an advocate for since a man opened fire during a screening of her comedy movie Train Wreck, killing two people and injuring nine others.

She also asked anyone who was a victim of sexual assault to stand, which many reportedly did.

In her recent book, The Girl With the Lower Back Tatoo, Schumer revealed she was a victim of sexual assault.

But many show goers were not happy with Schumer’s decision to make things political.

"I don't want to hear that. We wanted to have a good night without distractions with the politics," Bryon Infinger said to the newspaper.

“The show became political. I definitely didn't come to hear this," another show goer said.

About 10,000 people turned out to see her show at Tampa’s Amalie Arena.

© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016


Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman banking One Nation Queensland coalition. (Source: AAP)

Queensland will have a coalition government comprising One Nation and a major party after the next election, according to former premier Campbell Newman.

Mr Newman also predicts his former treasurer and current Liberal National Party leader Tim Nicholls will also have to publicly confront that reality if he's to become the state's next premier.

Speaking on Sky News on Monday night, Mr Newman said he believed One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson was "an older and wiser politician" than 20 years ago.

"Things could change, of course, but I think the next government in Queensland will have to be a coalition government with One Nation," he said.

"You can talk preferences all you like, but they're going to win enough seats."

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson. (Source: AAP)

Mr Newman compared inaccurate polling on Ms Hanson's popularity with the lead-up to president-elect Donald Trump's surprising victory in the US.

"There was a poll in Queensland on the weekend that says she was at 16 per cent cent," Mr Newman said.

"I think it's over 20."

Regarding preferences, he predicted Ms Hanson would "keep her powder dry" and that it would ultimately come down to a seat-by-seat basis.

Mr Newman admitted Ms Hanson's sympathies were likely to lie with the LNP.

"Tim Nicholls might be the next Queensland premier, but he's going to have to confront that issue and he's going to have to answer in the media," he said.

Labor has pledged to preference One Nation last at the next poll, which is due by early 2018, however Mr Nicholls has repeatedly danced around the question and said it was a matter for the party's executive.

Both parties have declared they will attempt to combat the One Nation threat by "listening to the concerns" of the electorate.

Summary: Former premier Campbell Newman believes One Nation will be part of a coalition government after the next state election.


An overwhelming majority of voters - 90 per cent - want Britain to continue to trade freely in goods and services with its European neighbours after quitting the EU, according to a survey.

But seven out of 10 think the UK should be able to limit the number of EU citizens coming to live and work in the country - something leading European politicians say is not compatible with the single market membership required to permit untrammelled free trade.

Forced to choose between the two priorities, voters questioned by NatCen Social Research opted by the narrowest of margins for immigration controls, with 49 per cent thinking freedom of movement for EU citizens should be kept if it enables the UK to keep free trade, and 51 per cent opposing it.

NatCen senior research fellow Professor John Curtice said the findings suggested voters are not attracted by either the "hard Brexit" or "soft Brexit" scenarios which are often presented as the only options in Britain's withdrawal negotiations.

Prime Minister Theresa May has always insisted that the choice between hard or soft Brexit is a false one, and that she will seek a bespoke arrangement tailor-made for the UK.

The NatCen poll found that 94 per cent of Remain voters and 90 per cent of Leave voters agreed that companies based in the EU should be allowed to "sell goods and services freely in Britain in return for allowing British companies to sell goods and services freely in the EU" - a wording intended to describe continued membership of the single market.

Other "soft Brexit" arrangements also appealed to people on both sides in the referendum debate with some 86 per cent - including 68 per cent of Leave voters - saying all EU citizens in the UK should be allowed to stay

Summary: Ninety per cent of surveyed British voters want to keep free trade with the EU.


BIG NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP co-owner Ed Kane believes the way to create high-end hospitality at his company’s eight restaurants and nightclubs is by employing only the very best people. Big Night, whose properties include Boston’s Red Lantern and Empire, plans to open four new venues between 2017 and 2019. Kane has two strategies to attract and keep the very best: Pay workers well, and cultivate an environment in which every server and sous chef can be heard and contribute to the company’s success.

Thoughts from the top: “We give you a vehicle for growth: You can start as a busboy and end up a general manager,” Kane says. “Work ethic is probably the most important thing for us.”

A magic moment: When Jamie Pollock, director of operations for Massachusetts, attended his first Big Night management meeting, he decided to take a chance and throw out some ideas, even though he was the new guy. He knew he was someplace special when his proposal — a first-time diner program to help hook new customers — was welcomed warmly and quickly implemented. “They really listen to their employees and run with it,” he says.

Office space: In every restaurant the group opens, it strives for a sophisticated, luxury aesthetic; its newest venue, Scorpion Bar at Patriot Place, features custom art, wrought-iron chandeliers, and domed brick ceilings. The design goal is twofold: appeal to customers and stoke the pride of the workforce, Kane says. “They’re so proud to work in the space,” he says. “It’s really helped us get some terrific people.”

Get Todays Headlines in your inbox:

Balancing act: As long as Big Night’s corporate employees work the core hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., they have the freedom to structure their day to suit their needs. “I work hard and I work a lot,” says human resources director Christine Roane. “But I’ve never missed one of my daughter’s soccer games.”

Summary: It’s easy to move up in this growing operator of nightspots and restaurants.


Backpackers won't abandon their working plans even if a new "terrible" tax shaves 15 per cent off their income, many travellers say.

Most backpackers AAP spoke with outside Sydney hostels on Tuesday were unaware of the new tax that's set to pass parliament later this week and the majority say they would still continue to travel and work in the country regardless.

However, most also think the tax is unfair.

English traveller Tom Crich, 19, and Juma Ing, 18, from Holland say a new tax wouldn't affect their plans to pick fruit and travel the east coast of Australia.

"The sort of jobs we are looking to do, they pay better than what we are used to in our countries, so for us it is fairly easy to save," Mr Crich said.

But a new tax would make it harder to stay in Australia, especially while paying rent in Sydney, he said.

"With a bit extra knocked off, breaking even will be hard."

English backpacker Erin Millner, 24, said it was unfair to target backpackers and she would have been less likely to have come to Australia if it had been put in place.

"With the fruit picking, Australians don't want to do it ... because it's s***. We're not taking Australian jobs," Ms Millner said.

Similarly fellow English traveller Roxy Emerili, 25, said she would be less likely to work while she travelled in Australia if a new tax were introduced.

Meanwhile 25-year-old Yoshiki Mase from Japan said the tax was "terrible" but was unclear how it would affect his plans.

Summary: Backpackers won't change their travel or working plans in Australia even if they are slapped with a new tax, the majority of travellers who spoke to AAP say.


There's an episode from the last season of

that I kept thinking about this week. Doug Heffernan, played with impeccable comic timing by Kevin James, is a character who loves his fast food burgers, chips and other assorted junk foods. Well, in this particular episode, he almost hits a chicken on the highway, and then he winds up adopting the bird as a pet.

Suddenly the thought of eating chicken or any meat appalls him. So he becomes a vegetarian, and pretty much overnight, as I recall, without all of those burgers and chips coursing through his body, he turns into this intellectual who enjoys crossword puzzles and

, and not comic books but actual novels with feeling and depth.

But then as you're watching the show, you suddenly realize that Doug's doomed because there are some fast food restaurants concocting these amazingly delicious burgers. Doug succumbs, of course, and goes back to his gluttonous ways.

I kept thinking about that episode because here I am, in week 13 of "The Money Diet," and I saw two amazing looking burgers at two different fast food outlets, and really, really wanted them, and somehow managed to not order them.

But before I go on, if this is your first time reading "The Money Diet," here's the scoop: Every Friday, since Jan. 1, I've been writing about my attempt to lose weight. I've been adding up the money I save

buying fast food and junk food, and then, of course, fervently hoping that along with expanding my checking account, maybe I'll shrink my waistline.

At first, the diet worked beautifully. I lost 11 pounds in the first week. Apparently, my body went into some sort of shock, no longer getting a steady supply of Doritos, pretzels, Pringles, fast food burgers and fries, Coca-Cola and whatever else I was typically consuming.

After that, I lost a little more, and had one week where I gained some, and then I lost a bit more, and then had quite a plateau where nothing much was happening. Then last week,

but feared it was a fluke.

Well, not ordering the two burgers I saw (more on those in a moment), and trying to watch what I'm eating in general, and trying to exercise a little more, has all apparently paid off. At least, this week, it did.

I have lost two more pounds.

So here's how my weight's looking now.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to lose these two pounds. Several days ago, I found myself at 245 pounds and thought, "Boy, if I can just maintain this weight until I write the column..." And to my surprise, the morning I wrote the column, I had shed another half pound. It was nice to think, "Hey, I'm on a roll," instead of, "Hey, I'd like a roll."

So about those burgers. Last weekend, I took my daughters to a park, and my wife called on the cell phone and suggested I pick something up to eat. Foolishly, I let my daughters choose where we'd go pick up our food, and my oldest voted for Burger King, and my youngest, McDonald's. So off we went.

But at Burger King's drive-through, I found myself longingly staring at their A.1 Steakhouse

. I'm not sure how long it's been on the menu, but it was as if we had met for the first time. I couldn't remember seeing anything quite like it. As their Web site says, it's "an extra-thick flame-broiled 7 oz. beef patty topped with mayo, crispy onions, A.1 Thick & Hearty Steak Sauce, plus American cheese, lettuce and red-ripe tomatoes."

And the photo on the drive-through menu? Well, it was like food porn. Suddenly, I wanted her -- I mean, it -- at all costs.

, my little voice urged.

my reasoned part of my brain stammered.

, my evil little voice pointed out.

my evil voice suggested helpfully,

I would know. So I ordered for my daughter and drove off to McDonald's and picked up some food for my youngest daughter and my wife.

And then days later, when I was looking up the XT burger online,

, and what I managed to avoid. I'm not really sure what it's like to have a chill run up your spine, but I think that's what happened when I looked everything over:

Wow, maybe if I were 20 years younger, with a faster metabolism, I might try that burger, but clearly, the XT is out of my league.

And then everything was going fine for several days, and I forgot about cheating on my diet, until the evening before writing all of this, I stopped at a Wendy's with my two daughters, after another visit at a park and a rousing game of tag. I bought my youngest a kid's size Frosty and found myself staring at the drive-through menu. Wendy's has something fairly new, called the Bacon & Blue Hamburger.

Once again, I was in love... and considered ordering it on the spot, since, well, I had surely lost of a lot of calories in that game of tag.

This burger is slathered in "blue cheese crumbles," according to its Web site, "layered with four strips of thick, fresh-cooked Applewood Smoked Bacon." Not to mention onions, a creamy steakhouse sauce, tomato... The photo on the drive-through menu once again had me wanting to push my diet to the side and start a steamy, sordid affair on the side with this burger.

, it's just as well that I didn't get this, too. It's nowhere near what the XT Burger is, but still...

So, yeah, I'm glad I didn't fall for temptation, and I definitely saved some money in the process.

And, by the way, after picking up that Frosty, I bought my oldest daughter some ice cream at Dairy Queen. Once again, I didn't buy anything.

Yeah, it was a long week.

So here's my weekly list of what foods I avoided and how much I believe I have saved:

There might be more examples I'm forgetting, but those are the significant moments.

So, yeah, two pounds this week. It was a good week, and I'm proud that, unlike Doug Heffernan, I didn't succumb to the whims of fast food.

Is it pathetic that I'm now bragging that my willpower is stronger than the willpower of a fictional television character? Yeah, probably, but please let me have my moment.

Summary: There's an episode from the last season of King of Queens that I kept thinking about this week. Doug Heffernan, played with impeccable comic timing by Kevin James, is a character who loves his


Willie Nelson drives a Mercedes.

Paul Natkin/Farm Aid, via Associated Press

Willie Nelson helped promote it in Seattle.

The diesel fuel BioWillie is sold in four states.

But do not lose faith, true believers. The exhaust from Mr. Nelson's diesel-powered Mercedes smells like peanuts, or French fries, or whatever alternative fuel happens to be in his tank.

While Bono tries to change the world by hobnobbing with politicians and Sir Bob Geldof plays host to his mega-benefit concerts, Willie Nelson has birthed his own brand of alternative fuel. It is called, fittingly enough, BioWillie. And in BioWillie, Mr. Nelson, 72, has blended two of his biggest concerns: his love of family farmers and disdain for the Iraq war.

BioWillie is a type of biodiesel, a fuel that can be made from any number of crops and run in a normal diesel engine. If it sounds like a joke, a number of businesses, as well as city and state and county governments, have been switching their transportation fleets to biodiesel blends over the last year. The rationale is that it is a domestic fuel that can provide profit to farmers and that it will help the environment, though environmentalists are not universally enthusiastic about it.

"I knew we needed to have something that would keep us from being so dependent on foreign oil, and when I heard about biodiesel, a light come on, and I said, 'Hey, here's the future for the farmers, the future for the environment, the future for the truckers," Mr. Nelson said in an interview this month. "It seems like that's good for the whole world if we can start growing our own fuel instead of starting wars over it."

In some ways, it is a return to the origins of the diesel engine; some of Rudolf Diesel's first engines ran on peanut oil more than a century ago.

Last week, a cargo-loading company that operates in the Port of Seattle said that to fuel its equipment next year it would purchase 800,000 gallons of biodiesel, most of it a blend known as B20 that is 80 percent conventional diesel. As of late September, Minnesota requires almost all diesel fuel sold in the state to be 2 percent biodiesel, and Cincinnati started using a 30 percent biodiesel blend, B30, in its city buses because of concerns about fuel shortages after Hurricane Katrina.

Biodiesel can cost as much as a $1 a gallon more than regular diesel when pure, though it is typically sold as B20. Prices vary depending on volume and region, and new tax incentives are aimed at closing the cost gap. BioWillie was selling for $2.37 a gallon yesterday in Carl's Corner, Mr. Nelson's own truck stop in Texas that serves as headquarters of his year-old company, Willie Nelson BioDiesel. That was just 4 cents more than the conventional diesel selling at another station nearby.

Mr. Nelson's BioWillie is aimed mostly at truckers and is usually sold as B20 (pure biodiesel can congeal in colder climates). BioWillie is currently sold at 13 gas stations and truck stops in four states (with Texas having the most), and it fuels the buses and trucks for Mr. Nelson's tours.

If BioWillie demonstrates anything, it is that the combination of Middle East wars, global warming and rising prices at the pump has led many people to offer solutions to the world's energy's squeeze. Depending on whom you ask, cars will someday run on hydrogen, electricity, natural gas or ethanol.

Mr. Nelson is making his bet on biodiesel.

"I don't like the war," he said in the interview. "In fact, I don't know if you ever remember a couple years ago, it was Christmas day, and my son Lukas was born on Christmas Day, he's like 16 years old, and we were watching TV and there was just all kind of hell breaking loose and people getting killed and I was talking to my wife, Annie, and I said, You know, all the mothers crying and the babies dying and she said, 'Well, you ought to go write that.' "So I wrote a song called 'Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth?' "

He began to recite the first verse:

So many things going on in the world,

Just how much oil is human life worth?

And whatever happened to peace on earth?

"That upset a lot of people, as you can imagine," he continued. "I've been upset about this war from the beginning and I've known it's all about oil."

Summary: Willie Nelson has his own brand of alternative fuel called BioWillie that can be made from any number of crops and run in a normal diesel engine.


Chinedu Echeruo hopes New Yorkers will log onto his Web site rather than rely on the kindness of strangers - when it comes to asking for advice on which subway or bus to take, that is.

Mike Falco for The New York Times

Chinedu Echeruo's Web site HopStop.com helps travelers navigate mass transit systems. Directions can be sent as text messages to cellphones.

In November, Mr. Echeruo started a Web site, HopStop.com, that he says will so simplify the world of mass transit that advertisers, Internet search engines and transit agencies will eventually clamor to use and buy ads on the site. He says the site has processed more than a million requests so far this year and averages about 150,000 users a month.

HopStop users type addresses, landmarks or businesses into origin and destination fields. Based on criteria set by the user, the site determines the quickest and most convenient pathway through New York's expansive mass transit system. Users of the free service can print the directions or have them sent as text messages to cellphones.

The site's results are based on time of day and whether users prefer walking more or making transfers. Mr. Echeruo says sophisticated algorithms create the directions by taking into account users' preferences, as well as train and bus schedules.

"Every entrepreneur starts off thinking 'What's a problem I can fix?' " said Mr. Echeruo, a native Nigerian who has spent much of the last decade in New York. "The problem for me was how to get from Point A to Point B in New York."

It is a challenge that Mr. Echeruo, 32, has been working on since 2001.

HopStop has expanded into Boston and Washington, though the services in those cities are not yet complete. By the end of the year, HopStop expects to offer a similar service for transit systems in North Jersey and Philadelphia. Eventually, Mr. Echeruo said he hoped to provide information for the 10 biggest United States transit markets.

Transit direction services are still in their infancy and there is no central, national repository for local train and bus information, something HopStop aspires to become, just as MapQuest did for online road mapping information.

In the New York region, a nonprofit organization created by local transit agencies, Transcom, recently introduced a travel site, Trips123.com. But delays in creating it prompted one local programmer, Edward J. Garrity, to build his own site that is available free to the public, SubwayInfo.com.

So far, HopStop's only income comes from banner and text ads inserted by Google. The revenue is not enough to make the site profitable, but Mr. Echeruo says he does not need much to keep the business going. His four programmers work from home, and he works out of a room in his brother's Park Avenue law offices.

Mr. Echeruo, a Harvard Business School graduate, worked as an analyst at investment banks and hedge funds before starting HopStop. He declined to disclose HopStop's backers or how much they have invested, but he said the site cost "substantially less" than the $20 million that Transcom spent on creating Trips123.com, which covers more mass transit systems than HopStop.

Mr. Garrity, SubwayInfo.com's creator, says he admires HopStop's clean interface and smart tools, but said he was unsure whether the site could become profitable "unless the cost of advertising goes back to the levels it was back in the late 1990's."

Mr. Echeruo acknowledges that HopStop cannot earn a profit on advertising alone. His plans call for creating partnerships with Internet mapping and search companies like MapQuest, Google, MSN and Yahoo.

HopStop appears to be unique in some of its services, said Gary Stein, a senior analyst at Jupiter Research in San Francisco. "Clever ideas have a really great chance to build on this system," he said.

James Greiner, director of marketing at MapQuest, said his company wanted to provide transit directions, but accurate and updated data on subway, train and bus schedules were not readily or easily available. "We are excited about HopStop because we think that represents the next innovation in the industry," he said.

Mr. Greiner said he had met Mr. Echeruo, but MapQuest, which is owned by America Online, has no formal relationship with HopStop. MapQuest, which comScore Media Metrix says is the Internet's most-used mapping service, said it would want any potential partner to have national coverage.

Stephen Lawler, general manager of Microsoft's MSN Virtual Earth and MapPoint services, said his company encouraged companies like HopStop to provide their services on top of the Virtual Earth mapping service and software. "Our vision is it would be an open system and they can come up and add their layer," he said.

Besides end users, Mr. Echeruo is also looking to pitch HopStop's services to transit agencies. Having built a mapping infrastructure for New York subways and buses, which he describes as "the most complex transit system in the country," Mr. Echeruo said he believed he could sell the service to smaller cities.

"A transit authority that has, say, 75 buses in a urban town, they can go through the process of hiring some custom software programmers," he said. "But if they worked with us, they can have a trip planning service that is available to their users within two months."

It is unclear whether many public agencies will hire the company to create their sites, but officials at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which has had a trip-planning tool on its Web site since 1999, said they would be eager to talk to HopStop, especially about providing transit directions to large Internet search engines.

Syd Garriss, an electronic communications media manager for the authority, said technology companies and transit agencies had not collaborated as fully as they might. "It's truly somewhat of a communications block between the two industries," he said.

Summary: Chinedu Echeruo, the innovator behind HopStop, an interactive online guide to navigating the New York City transit system, plans to extend it to other cities -- and make money.


By ANA FIGUEROA in Los Angeles and LARRY SUTTON and CORKY SIEMASZKO in New York

Friday, May 29th 1998, 2:04AM

Emmy-award winning "Saturday Night Live" star Phil Hartman was shot dead yesterday in his California mansion by his wife, who then killed herself as cops carried their pajama-clad children from the house, police said.

The sharp-witted master of a thousand voices, known for his amusingly insincere grin, was the seventh member of the snakebit show's cast to die young.

As details continued to emerge last night, police questioned a mystery man who called 911 from inside the $1.4 million Encino estate to alert authorities that something terrible was happening inside, said Detective Craig Harvey of the county coroner's office.

The man apparently arrived after Hartman was killed.

The comedian was dead when cops arrived just after 6 a.m., and officers were carrying the two children from the house when they heard the self-inflicted shot that killed Brynn Hartman, Harvey said.

"She shot herself as police were removing the second child from the home," said Lt. Anthony Alba of the Los Angeles Police Department. "Mr. Hartman had been dead for a while."

The Hartmans were found dead on the bed in the master bedroom, Harvey said.

Phil Hartman, 49, who mimicked President Clinton and Ed McMahon on "SNL" and went on to star as a smarmy newsman in the NBC sitcom "NewsRadio," was found lying on his side, wearing boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

His blond ex-model wife was sprawled on her back in cotton pajamas, Harvey said.

"There is a clear possibility he was shot more than once," Harvey said. "There was no sign of a struggle or that he took any defensive action."

Brynn Hartman, 40, was last seen the night before, happily sipping drinks with a friend at an Italian restaurant a block from her home.

Two .38-caliber revolvers were seized from the house, but Harvey would not say whether either was used in the shootings.

Police arriving at the gated estate found 9-year-old Sean and 6-year-old Birgen wandering around the house in their nightclothes.

The kids "shaken" but unharmed were in police custody last night, awaiting the arrival of relatives, police said.

"They seem to be coping okay," said Cmdr. David Kalish.

Actress Cassandra Peterson best known as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark said in an interview published yesterday on the Mr. Showbiz Web site that Hartman's marriage was troubled.

"They fought a lot," said Peterson, who was pals with Hartman for 20 years. "But at the moment, they seemed to be doing fine."

She added, "I hope she shot him in his sleep. I hope he wasn't staring down the barrel of a gun."

She said Hartman "didn't have a weird secret life he was a clean slate and a great guy." As for his wife, Peterson didn't mince words.

"She was a very troubled person with a lot of problems," said Peterson, who added that she tried to talk Hartman out of marrying her in 1987.

One neighbor said the marriage was in trouble though nobody expected it to end in violence.

"I knew they were having marital difficulties," neighbor Andrea Diamond said. "It was building but this was totally unexpected."

Brynn Hartman, a sometime actress, grew up as Vicki Omdahl in the small Minnesota town of Thief River Falls and changed her name when she moved to Hollywood.

Fred Slater, manager of the Buca Di Beppo restaurant near the Hartman home, said Hartman's wife spent about an hour there with a female friend Wednesday night.

"We left them alone," Slater said. "The two women were making jokes like they always did."

A neighbor, Susan Kaplow, said Brynn Hartman showed no sign of distress Wednesday. "She left me a really happy message," Kaplow said. "Everything was fine."

The four-bedroom, five-fireplace, 4,300-square-foot English-cottage-style home where the tragedy played out is shielded from prying eyes by stands of trees.

Summary: Emmy-award winning "Saturday Night Live"star Phil Hartman was shot dead yesterday in his California mansion by his wife, who then killed herself as cops carried their pajama-clad children from the house, police said. The sharp-witted master of a thousand voices, known for his amusingly insincere grin, was the seventh member of the snakebit show's cast to die young. As details continued to emerge last night, police questioned a mystery man who called 911 from


Monday, February 10th 2003, 7:31AM

WPIX/Ch. 11 correspondent Toni Senecal will turn matchmaker this week.

Senecal is looking for men and women willing to propose marriage on the air during this week's "WB 11 News at 10."

(Yes, it's a sweep month and yes, Senecal and Ch. 11 are trying to capitalize on the reality craze to boost February ratings.)

Senecal will preside this week over "Marry Me TV." Interested couples should log on to www.WB11.com and offer reasons why they should get a shot.Richard Huff

Tonight, the Travel Channel will air "American Icons: Inside NASA Space Centers." Last week, producers made some changes to the show, removing potentially sensitive material following the shuttle Columbia disaster. A network spokesman said the show, at 9 p.m., will be dedicated to Columbia's crew.

WNBC/Ch. 4 reporter Darlene Rodriguez and her husband, David, welcomed daughter Natalia Raquel on Thursday. The baby weighed in at 8 pounds, 1 ounce. She's the couple's second child. ABC's Peter Jennings will anchor "World News Tonight" from New Mexico tonight through Thursday. Greta Van Susteren has a prime-time show on Fox, but there's more to her than meets the eye. Asked by Glamour magazine for five things people would be surprised to know about her, Van Susteren said she'd give her right arm to be a judge for Miss America.

Summary: Even news programs wedded to reality craze WPIX/Ch. 11 correspondent Toni Senecal will turn matchmaker this week. Senecal is looking for men and women willing to propose marriage on the air during this week's "WB 11 News at 10."(Yes, it's a sweep month and yes, Senecal and Ch. 11 are trying to capitalize on the reality craze to boost February ratings.) Senecal will


"Twilight" starlet Kristen Stewart and actress Anne Hathaway topped Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck, released Tuesday.

For every $1 Stewart is paid, her films yield an average of $55.83, according to the money magazine's calculations covering projects over the past three years.

The 21-year-old has primarily focused her energy on the massively successful "Twilight" franchise of vampire films and has only taken minor roles in smaller indie projects.

Hathaway, 29, came in at number two on the list -- for every $1 she is paid, her films earn an average $45.67.

The newly engaged actress starred in the box office hit "Alice in Wonderland" but her other recent films "Love and Other Drugs" and "Bride Wars" didn't gain much traction with fans.

In third place on the list is Stewart's "Twilight" costar and rumored boyfriend Robert Pattinson. For every $1 the English actor, 25, earns, his films -- including "Water for Elephants" and "Remember Me" -- earn an average $39.43.

Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck

1. Kristen Stewart: Film yield per $1 paid -- $55.83 2. Anne Hathaway: Film yield per $1 paid -- $45.67 3. Robert Pattinson: Film yield per $1 paid -- $39.43 4. Daniel Radcliffe: Film yield per $1 paid -- $34.24 5. Shia LaBeouf: Film yield per $1 paid -- $29.40 6. Robert Downey Jr.: Film yield per $1 paid -- $18.74 7. Matt Damon: Film yield per $1 paid -- $15.83 8. Cate Blanchett: Film yield per $1 paid -- $15.17 9. Meryl Streep: Film yield per $1 paid -- $13.54 10. Johnny Depp: Film yield per $1 paid -- $12.48

Summary: Kristen Stewart, Anne Hathaway Top Forbes List of Best Actors for the Buck


WASHINGTON - Orders for factory-made goods that signal business investment plans fell for a second straight month, part of a mixed report on manufacturing in November.

Overall factory orders rose 1.8 percent, the Commerce Department said yesterday. The largest increase since July was chiefly because of a surge in airplane orders, which can be volatile from month to month.

Demand for so-called core capital goods, such as computers and electronic equipment, declined 1.2 percent after a similar drop in October. Economists pay closer attention to this category because it can be a good indication of business investment, which drives economic growth.

Still, the decline may be temporary. A private survey showed this week that US factories ended the year with their best month of growth since late spring.

Factories hired more workers last month, saw the most growth in new orders since April, and ramped up production, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday.

John Ryding and Conrad DeQuadros, analysts for RDQ Economics, said they are more likely to overlook the weak report on factory orders after seeing the more positive ISM survey.

A bigger issue for US factories may be Europe’s debt crisis. Many economists believe that Europe, a major market for American goods, has already slipped into a recession.

Economists also expect that economic growth in Asia will slow in coming months as well.

Both could weaken demand for US goods and slow growth.

The government report on factory orders also showed:

Demand for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, rose 3.7 percent, reflecting gains in demand for airplanes, autos, and industrial machinery.

Summary: Orders for factory-made goods that signal business investment plans fell for a second straight month, part of a mixed report on manufacturing in November. Overall factory orders rose 1.8 percent, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The largest increase since July was chiefly because of a surge in airplane orders, which can be volatile from month to month.


The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here.

Quick Pitch: Wunderlist is an easy-to-use task management tool with online synchronization.

Genius Idea: Web-based and mobile task managers are easy to come by, but all are not created equal, and the good ones usually come with a price tag. Enter wunderlist, a new free task manager for PC, Mac and iPhone that aims to be more flexible than competitors like Things and OmniFocus.

Wunderlist is quite simple in purpose and function. Once you fire up the application you can walk through a quick tutorial to get situated with the wunderlist commands and features. Really, though, the application boils down to two key components: Tasks and lists.

Type a task, add an optional date and hit enter. You can add tasks to your inbox or to any of the lists you create, and you can drag and drop them to move them about. Tasks can be starred, arranged by date and checked off when completed.

Because it’s a desktop application, you can update wunderlist while offline and your data will be synced once you’re back online.

The just-released iPhone application [iTunes link] is nearly an exact replica of the desktop version and sorts tasks by lists, starred, today and overdue. It also includes the same great search functionality of the desktop app, nine background choices and, of course, syncs with your desktop tasks.

Plus, it’s hard to ignore the elegant styling of the desktop and iPhone applications, which marry function with design. We can’t attest to being more productive just yet, but there’s certainly something to be said for an application that looks polished and feels completely frictionless.

Wunderlist is the first product from 6 Wunderkinder, a newly founded software shop focused around working and productivity and based out of Berlin. The team is hoping to build a strong fan base with this first release, and designs to use this group to learn more about how people work with tasks and productivity, says CEO and founder Christian Reber.

Just weeks old, wunderlist is already proving to be an early success with productivity types. The product has more than 27,500 users who have created upward of 500,000 tasks.

Reber shares that the team is looking for funding right now and that it plans to monetize its service with its next product release — wunderkit. That product is said to be a productivity platform with business users and collaboration in mind.

Image courtesy of Flickr, adesigna

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by sign up today.


When you first meet him, Ai Weiwei seems as solid and impassive as a pillar of granite. He leads the way into his home without a word, then sits silently at the head of a long wooden table. But on the wall of his elegant, open-plan home, in the outskirts of Beijing, hangs a single image: of a hand with its middle finger raised. Ai has plenty to say.

Indeed he has so much to say that the 53-year-old is not only China's most famous living artist, but also a constant irritant to its authorities. When Tate Modern announced recently that it had commissioned him to fill its Turbine Hall later this year, it was a welcome reminder of his work, which in recent times has become almost overshadowed by his social and political criticism. Ai is now perhaps best known for his angry and sustained denunciations of officialdom through interviews, documentaries and above all the internet.

Around 26,000 people follow his volley of outrage and satire, facts and aphorisms, on Twitter: "No outdoor sports can be more elegant than throwing stones at autocracy; no melees can be more exciting than those in cyber space," read one recent missive.

"People often say I started to become too outspoken after a certain period. It's all because of the internet – if we didn't have this technology I would be same as everybody else; I couldn't really amplify my voice," he says.

But the voice itself was forged in his earliest childhood. "I experienced humanity before I should. When I was very young," he says. If that sounds grandiloquent, consider his history: Ai spent years of his childhood in a labour camp in the far north-west of China, on the edge of the Gobi desert. His father, Ai Qing, was an artist and one of China's most revered modern poets, but fell foul of the late 1950s anti-rightist campaign. Life was precarious, and his parents had little time to spare for their offspring. "It was like being a little boy in the centre of a storm. Just always scared or surprised by surroundings that you cannot make sense of. And you have no comparisons because you have no memory of what another life can be," he says.

Ai Qing, a cosmopolitan intellectual who had translated symbolist poets, spent years cleaning toilets. "Sometimes he shared stories with us, like his early [years] in Paris and the kind of paintings and artworks he liked – always things full of joy," says Ai Weiwei. "But it had nothing to do with our surroundings – they were very tough. For years he wouldn't take one day off. We always saw him as this very tired worker coming home with no energy; just having to lay down and sleep."

On a good day, Ai Qing would rouse himself and amuse his children by sketching for them. His ability to depict a scene in a few simple lines captured his son's imagination, but he never encouraged his offspring to take up art. "I guess that's kind of the way he tried to protect us, because hundreds of thousands of artists and writers were being punished, severely," says Ai.

Instead, a family friend pushed Ai into applying to the Beijing Film Academy. It was 1978 and the cultural revolution was over, and the students flocking through its reopened doors included the now celebrated film directors Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige. For many it was a heady, inspiring atmosphere in which they could embrace creativity and explore western culture. To Ai, it seemed stifling and doctrinaire. "All I wanted was freedom, because my life had always been under these circumstances of strong repression and pressure," he says.

So in his early 20s he packed up and moved to New York for good – or so he thought. "That was quite a shock. I was a young person from the Gobi desert, who grew up almost having no electricity, who was suddenly dropped into this city full of energy and speed and all kinds of craziness," he says. His hazy image of the US had been largely derived from Walt Whitman's poetry and other early Americana. "I loved New York – every inch of it. It was a little bit scary at that time, but still, the excitement was so strong – visually and intellectually. It was like a monster."

But 12 years later, when his father fell ill, he moved back to Beijing. He did so with little to show for his time in the US, at least to the outside eye. "I hadn't become very rich or got status or become part of the American dream – I had no success. I hadn't got my school diploma [or] American citizenship – that's unique for the early Chinese students in the US; those are two things they all got. I was unmarried, didn't have a real job, couldn't drive. So my mother really thought I'd never been there. She was shy to even introduce me to her friends," he says jokingly.

Ai's father sensed his discomfort on returning and offered some advice: don't be courteous. Treat this country as your home. Do whatever you want. The artist is still grateful for those words, though one feels the Chinese government may be less so. Ai helped to design the "Bird's Nest" national stadium for the 2008 Olympics – then blasted the country's "disgusting" political conditions and the use of the games as propaganda. Since then he has championed a number of sensitive causes, notably internet freedom and justice for children who died when shoddy schools collapsed in the devastating Sichuan earthquake. Others have fallen foul of the government for far less, and supporters fear Ai's position and his father's reputation will only shield him for so long. Certainly, the authorities seem to regard him, increasingly, as a problem. His China-based blog has been closed down, his email account hacked into, and security officials have made inquiries at his bank. In Chengdu last year, police detained him and fellow activists to prevent them attending the trial of a campaigner investigating schoolchildren's deaths. In the furore, a policeman punched him in the head, leaving him with painful headaches; weeks later, while working in Germany, he underwent surgery after doctors spotted internal bleeding.

"Life is never guaranteed to be safe so we better use it when we are still in good condition," he says now. "I always think that incident shouldn't have happened that way. Other than that . . . I don't want the bad memories, bad incidents, to stop me or have an effect on me."

But he acknowledges a "strong increase in danger" from a state that seems increasingly intolerant of criticism. In December, a court jailed the well-known author Liu Xiaobo for 11 years for inciting subversion, one of the harshest punishments given to a dissident in recent years. Many had thought him relatively insulated from pressure, but his co-authorship of a call for political reforms proved unacceptable.

"The state is taking action against people who have peacefully demonstrated their ideas. They are writers – all they did is to express their minds through the internet. So the pattern is very clear. The state tries to maintain stability by crushing any thought of making change," Ai says. "It could happen to me, because I did the same thing and in many cases I went much further and deeper. But I always think the government can learn from their mistakes – they should learn and should understand; they should be just as intelligent as anyone else. I have to be wishful [optimistic] in that sense."

His father's experiences have left him, he says, with a sense of duty "to speak for the generation, or generations, who didn't have a chance to speak out". "And I also have to speak out for people around me who are afraid, who think it is not worth it or who have totally given up hope. So I want to set an example: you can do it and this is OK, to speak out," he says.

And then, of course, there's his art. Ai's growing profile as a government critic has come swift on the heels of artistic acclaim for works such as his photographic series "Dropping a Han dynasty urn", which captures his destruction of an ancient vessel. But to Ai there is no meaningful distinction between his art and the rest of his life: "I'm not worried viewers will be distracted [by my activism] – I am worried they will not," he says. "I would never say I am just an artist or have some higher aesthetic values."

In recent years even his work for galleries has become overtly political, blurring the boundary between art and activism – at a recent show in Munich, his Remembering installation comprised 9,000 children's backpacks, in reference to the death toll of pupils in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Attached to the outside of the Haus der Kunst, they spelled out a grieving mother's words: "She lived happily for seven years in this world."

Ai thinks the casual jobs he did in New York, babysitting and housecleaning, were as formative as the visual education or western culture he experienced there. In those days he hungered for success, he says, but it arrived long after he realised "that it's not so important – that life can be much bolder and stronger without that kind of recognition". Fame is a kind of burden, he thinks, giving him the responsibility to speak out as well as a certain space to do so. "China's rise affects everyone, not just its citizens," he says. "China still cannot offer any real value to the world except cheap labour, manufacturing and its own so-called stability. Besides that, I don't see any creative values and creative minds – thinking – that can be announced from China. It [needs] to have a more reasonable political structure which allows this kind of development to happen."

But he says his relationship with the country has been strengthened by his struggles with it. He makes a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sigh when asked if he fears the authorities might bar him from returning to China one day. "People have said, if you leave, you may never come back. Or they may not even let you leave. So this is always a cost you may have to pay," he says. "But I don't want to restrict myself: when it happens, it happens. I have to deal with it, but not to prepare for it, because it is a kind of stupidity. If you prepare for it too much, you become a part of it."

Summary: This autumn, Ai Weiwei, China's most outspoken artist, will take over Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. He talks about how his art and politics are indistinguishable


Over the past five years, America has quietly slipped into a hunger crisis. It began in 2008, when hunger and food insecurity spiked across the country as a result of the financial collapse. Congress authorized tens of billions of dollars for food stamps and other nutrition programs to slow the rise of hunger, but not enough to bring it back down to pre-recession levels.

Last year, 49 million Americans suffered from food insecurity. Food stamp use has risen to historic levels, and food pantries are struggling to keep up with unprecedented need for their services. And instead of getting better, things are about to get much, much worse.

The food stamps program will receive an automatic $5 billion cut on Nov. 1, affecting every single family that relies on the program. Photographer John Trotter spent time with one of those families: Brooklyn’s Winsome Stoner, her husband, and her five children.

Summary: In the past 5 years America has slipped into a hunger crisis


From glittery eye makeup to punk chic, Mick Rock is the British photographer credited with constructing and capturing the subversive face of rock music – from David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust to Debbie Harry's Blondie. His camera gave the world of music several of its most famous album covers, including Lou Reed's Transformer and Queen's Queen II.

Now 65, and working with contemporary bands such as the Killers and the Black Keys, Rock has taken part in a new project designed to celebrate his best-known images. With the help of young Brooklyn singer-songwriter Danielle Parente, the veteran photographer – who has homes in his native London and Staten Island, New York – has been recreating his "greatest hits".

The "man who shot the 70s" calls his project The Revisit. To reconstruct a key Debbie Harry shot (which he calls Blue Debbie), he used a Nikon DF camera with one of his favourite lenses, the 28mm that he used for a famous shot of Pink Floyd's Syd Barrett. Three members of Parente's band also joined her for a revamp of the Queen II cover, which itself had been recreated in the Bohemian Rhapsody music video.

So much for nostalgia. Speaking to the Observer before the exhibition, Rock said he was unsettled by the dominance of image over music in the industry today. Present-day artists such as Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga, he argued, operated primarily as visual products rather than creative musicians.

"When I was photographing in the 1970s it was to accompany the music. It was clearly adjacent to it," he said. "We were living in a much less visual universe and before we took pictures we often used to lie down, light a joint and listen to the music. Now the song is a mere accompaniment to the images."

Looking back at his work, Rock said it was clear that the music business had changed. "This may be a golden age of photography, in as far as many people can take a lot of quality shots," he said. "But we are all now so aware of the power of imagery that in the case of someone like Miley Cyrus, and even with Lady Gaga, clearly the image comes first. I know what Miley Cyrus looks like, but have to admit I don't really know what she sounds like."

After meeting Bowie in 1972, Rock took the famous shots of the singer making himself up as Ziggy. The images had come to symbolise the era, he said, yet they had no idea they would last. "In those days, you didn't know if your pictures would have any afterlife, so in a funny way they were more disposable," said Rock. "A photo session was more relaxed. These people were friends of mine, whether it was David, Debbie Harry, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop or Freddie Mercury."

Drugs were a part of the path to creativity. "I had to take LSD before I could pick up a camera," he said. "That, and the yoga I was practising from early on, opened me up.

"I have become so universally identified with that era that they say I shot the 70s," Rock said. "But I never shot REO Speedwagon, the Carpenters or the Strawbs." He did, however, shoot well-known images of Pop, Mercury, Bryan Ferry, Mick Jagger, Alice Cooper and Reed.

"I might have been a writer or a lecturer if I had not picked up that camera," said the former Cambridge modern languages student. "Certainly that is what my mother thought. She was very concerned at the time. Now, at 93, she feels a bit differently. She knows I am a relic."

He first turned to rock photography after university precisely because it was not cerebral, so he finds it hard to accept that his work is now on show in museums and cultural centres. "What was once rock'n'roll and very disposable is now art. My vision, for better or worse, has been pure music," he said.

Rock suspects his old collaborator Bowie is equally disconcerted by the modern emphasis on image over music.

"It is true that a lot of my images defined David, but I always think of him as being magical and super-intelligent. He doesn't always like being taken quite this seriously as a cultural figure, I think. He did not want to be directly involved with the recent V&A show about him. David is quite a light spirit and his main concern is his music. That can get a bit lost now."

Rock said he regards his own talent as an "aptitude" rather than a creative vision and that he has thousands of unseen images of Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust era – and possibly more of the late Lou Reed. Although Rock thinks drugs were a useful way of opening up his own mind to a new way of life, he said he did not believe they were crucial to the artistry of the stars he photographed.

"Lou's song Perfect Day was a love song really, I believe," he said, referring to the persistent claim that Reed wrote the song in praise of heroin. "There were a certain amount of chemicals involved then for many of us, it is true, but it was almost peripheral, really. Creatives are creative people and they are going to create whatever."

These days, the kind of cool cats that Rock photographs are rather different. "If I am taking shots for pleasure now, I tend to take them of my Maine Coon cat. It really is a spectacular breed," he said.

Summary: The 'man who shot the 70s', capturing classic images of Blondie, Bowie and Queen, thinks music now take second place in the careers of performers such as Miley Cyrus, writes Vanessa Thorpe


1. A bunch of outlets are reporting that the Congressional Budget Office says Obamacare will result in 2.3 million lost jobs. They are wrong. Joining Chris Hayes to tell you why they are wrong are Publisher of The Federalist, Ben Domenech, and Senior Fellow at Media Matters, Ben Boehlert.

2. According to new data released by the New Jersey based housing organization, Fair Share Housing Center, 80% of residents who were initially rejected by a Louisiana-based company for housing grants, won their appeals. President of the Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey, Staci Berger, joins Chris Hayes to discuss Wednesday’s revelation.

3. Chris Hayes sits down with Senior Editor at the New Republic, Noam Scheiber, to discuss his recent piece: “The Case for Socialized Law | Inequality has bent American justice. Here’s a radical way to fix it.”

4. CVS announced on Wednesday that it will no longer sell cigarettes. The war on tobacco is being won. Joining Chris Hayes to discuss are Professor of Public interest Law at George Washington University, John Banzhaf, President of Demos, Heather McGhee, and Host of “Majority Report with Sam Seder,” Sam Seder.

Summary: All In Agenda for Wednesday, February 5.


On the surface, there’s nothing particularly surprising about the news that Microsoft is working with Insteon, the creator of one of the major home-automation standards, to provide Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8 with new apps. Home automation is rapidly becoming a major tech category unto itself. The deal will let consumers control household items such as lamps, security cameras and thermostats from their Windows PCs, phones and tablets, and Microsoft will sell Insteon hardware kits in its stores.

It sounds like a sensible partnership, and it is. But it’s also evidence that the Microsoft of 2014–the one run by Satya Nadella–is a whole lot humbler and more sensible than the one which dominated the industry for so long.

The old Microsoft was often prescient when it came to identifying emerging categories. It entered them aggressively, usually with its own technologies and almost always with a Windows-centric perspective on the world. Its goal was to crush the competition.

Sometimes the strategy worked: That’s how we got Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer, both of which reached 90 percent-plus market shares in their respective categories. But it also led to plenty of stuff which never went anywhere, such as the Microsoft SPOT platform for devices such as smartwatches, the Plays for Sure system for copy-protected digital music and Windows Media Photo, an alternative file format to JPEG for storing digital photos.

If home automation had started blossoming a decade or so ago, it’s likely that Microsoft would have devised its own platform–let’s call it Windows for Your House–and would have tried to topple the standards of the day, which included Insteon as well as perennial rivals ZigBee and X10. It’s possible that such a gambit would have succeeded. But it seems even more likely that it would have been a waste of everybody’s time.

Which is why the partnership with Insteon is such a refreshing move, in line with other recent Microsoft developments such as it release of a capable version of Office for Apple’s iPad. The company still needs to provide millions of people with clear reasons to dump their old copies of Windows 7 and–bleeecch–Windows XP and move to Windows 8.1. It also has to provide reasons to choose a Windows Phone over an iPhone or an Android handset. The new Insteon support is a small-but-meaningful incentive, in a way that some new Microsoft technology would not be.

An important point: Microsoft hasn’t given up on the view that as new gizmos come along, they should all be based on Microsoft technologies. At its BUILD conference last month, it talked about a new shrunken-down version of Windows for “Internet of Things” devices. Among its potential applications are household appliances. And the company is giving the operating system to hardware makers for free, which certainly sounds like an attempt to grab lots of market share as quickly as possible.

But whether or not you ever own a toaster that runs Windows, future versions of the operating system for PCs, phones and tablets will work with the hundreds of devices which already support Insteon. That’s good for everybody involved, including Microsoft, Insteon and–most important–both companies’ customers.

Summary: Rather than trying to destroy an established leader in the category, the company is embracing it


Richard Wilson's 20:50. Photo: Antonia Reeve

Collections of Richard Wilson's work rarely appear in galleries; but anyone whose interests involve slicing ships in half or suspending swimming pools upside down generally requires a wider environment for their megalomania.

Wilson's idea of moving house is to cast a full-scale steel skeleton of his home in Streatham and transplant it, upside down, to a remote spot in the Japanese countryside. Most famously, he flooded the Saatchi Gallery with sump oil for his seminal installation, 20:50. This inky masterpiece started life as a Portuguese shoe box. Wilson had the idea while on holiday in the Algarve, and with nothing at hand to realise his plans, pedalled off to the nearest village in search of modelling materials. Thus it was that, with the help of some children's poster colour, an abandoned carton became the blueprint for the most influential British installation project of the past 20 years. This candidly revealing exhibition gives the shoe box pride of place, alongside other diagrams and doodles. It is a chance to engage with Wilson's grand projects at a Lilliputian level, in the form of the small cardboard maquettes and technical diagrams that first emerge from his drawing board. It gives the most grandiose architectural interventions an intimate, personal feel.

Naturally Wilson finds scope to turn this office clear-out into an installation project in its own right. At first sight, it looks like an earthquake in a stationery cupboard. The space is littered with grey filing cabinets, subjected to the Wilson gorging-and-gouging treatment so that the contents are glimpsed through gutted, mechanical innards.

Nearby, in a DVD interview, Wilson deadpans about how he and a team of Middlesbrough engineers armed with heavy cutting equipment spent several months turning a decommissioned dredger into a ship sandwich. The one thing he steadfastly refuses to reveal is just how deep that tank of sump oil in the Saatchi Gallery really is. "I always say to people", he demurs, "that it's as deep as you want it to be."

· Until April 7 Details: 0114-278 2600.

Summary: Mappin Gallery


06/20/2014 at 03:40 PM EDT

premiere on the horizon and concerts crammed in between, the singer's schedule looks more like a novel than a to-do list.

One thing he does make time for, though? Sharing every part of his crazy life with his fans on social media. Seriously, the man manages to keep a sense of humor through all of this – and, apparently, fill some kind of daily selfie quota.

Don't believe us? (Or haven't started following Paisley on Twitter yet?) Here's a peek into the past highlights of his week, as told by

, he continues his quirk of using fans' GoPros as guitar slides:

Found it! In Bangor last week another guy had a @gopro in the front! Again, not a set up. Real deal-Keep it up ya'll https://t.co/62vhFZRUqz

Also gives a shout-out to some old friends in the crowd:

Crazy to play for the soldiers 2weeks ago in Afg. & then their significant others here at home. Sgt.Kelly &Sgt.Gross pic.twitter.com/5W2J4ItV1y

Kicks off his week by kicking it with his castmates on the set of ABC's new singing competition,

. But hey, don't pretend like you're not guilty of it too, Brad:

Two of these kids are on their phones and not paying attention in class. @KeshaRose @Ludacris pic.twitter.com/WSxLxtnq9s

And this post at least makes us

he watched the World Cup:

U.S.beat Ghana? Don't know much about Ghana. Some college pals of mine ran around with a girl named Rhea from Ghana. Or something like that.

Lets his Nashvillian pride shine by enjoying a mason jar of moonshine with Jimmy Kimmel – and unveiling the cover of his new album, aptly titled

Takes a selfie (or four) with the crowd after his performance of "River Bank" on

Selfies I just took - pic.twitter.com/09wldUvXlj

And shows some love to his fellow

judge, Ludacris (don't take it personally,

Absolutely love Ya @Ludacris. Somebody snapped this last night. I would never hug @joshgroban this way. He'd cry. pic.twitter.com/9MqR2AGz0w

Gets creative while selfie-taking and album-promoting:

Here's a higher res album cover for you folks to praise and/or trash. Ha! pic.twitter.com/fnWfMEjjAf

Throws back to a leisurely nap with a friendly squirrel on the set of his "River Bank" music video:

Wows an Indy crowd with some country music:

It's a great night in Indy! pic.twitter.com/TFZym2UlxB

And, at the end of the day, remembers to thank his fans:

A woman gave me her sister's cancer ribbon bracelet tonight. Whoever you are, Want you to know I have it,& thanks. pic.twitter.com/3FIz42spL7

premieres Sunday night, June 22, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Summary: The singer and Rising Star judge may use social media more than a 14-year-old girl, but he does it in all the right ways


With Market Basket’s finances growing increasingly dire, family members fighting over the grocery chain have promised to make an all-out effort to reach a deal to rescue the company by the end of the week, according to people briefed on the discussions.

Warring factions of the Demoulas family made that commitment following several hours of negotiations late Sunday, brokered by Governor Deval Patrick and Governor Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.

Executives of the company have agreed to hold off on firing employees or closing stores to allow some time for the discussions to play out, according to the people who were briefed. The sides are negotiating a sale of Market Basket, as well as efforts to stabilize the embattled company’s operations and finances.

Arthur T. Demoulas is trying to buy the 50.5 percent of the chain owned by his cousin and longtime foe, Arthur S. Demoulas, and other relatives.

Meanwhile, another potential suitor, the parent of Hannaford Bros. Co., has spoken to Arthur T. about managing the company if it is successful in buying Arthur S.’s shares, according to a person who was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.

Arthur T. was fired as president in June by a board controlled by his cousin.

Market Basket is losing millions of dollars a day because of customer boycotts and an employee walkout over Arthur T.’s dismissal.

The walkout has prevented fresh food from reaching stores. Industry analysts said the 71-store chain cannot continue to operate much longer under the current conditions.

“The company’s cash position is lousy,” said Kevin Griffin, publisher of the Griffin Report on Food Marketing. “It’s in a really tough spot right now.”

More evidence of the financial troubles came in a letter posted Monday on a Facebook page critical of the company’s current management, in which the chief executive of a major seafood supplier announced that his firm was cutting its ties with Market Basket.

Boston Sword & Tuna’s chief executive, Tim Malley, said in an interview that his company normally sells $10 million worth of seafood to Market Basket annually. But in recent weeks, he said, payments did not arrive on time. He said one check had to be returned because Market Basket overpaid him by $415,000.

Malley said he decided to disclose the problems to show the economic damage being inflicted on the businesses that rely on Market Basket. “We thought about the other vendors like us that were losing thousands of dollars,” he said.

A spokesman for Market Basket said the company had worked with Boston Sword & Tuna to try to find a solution. He said in a statement that the problems with vendors were inevitable, given the decision by company employees who have refused to work, in solidarity with Arthur T.

“The longtime employees that ran Market Basket’s buying and distribution system walked out on their jobs, their customers, and their vendors on July 18,” the statement said.

“We do understand the problems that the shutdown of the distribution system has caused Market Basket’s vendors who are caught in the middle of this situation. We have been diligently working with vendors to limit the damage the walkout has caused.”

Market Basket’s board met Monday in Boston to address the crisis. It is unclear how much longer the company can continue to pay employees and keep stores open as the daily losses mount. A person briefed on the company’s finances said it has begun exploring a line of credit to keep funding basic operations.

After brokering negotiations Sunday night, Patrick and Hassan issued statements saying that Demoulas family members were making progress in resolving their dispute. But no deal appeared imminent Monday, and Patrick declined to discuss the matter.

Other than the vow to work toward an agreement by Friday, there were no details on Monday about when or where the two sides would meet again.

The Demoulas cousins have been fighting over ownership and management of the company for more than two decades. Arthur T., whose side of the family owns 49.5 percent of the business, has offered to return as president and buy the rest of the company’s shares, all of which are owned by Arthur S. and other rival family members.

The negotiations on Sunday, which took place in Patrick’s office in Springfield, included Arthur T. and Arthur S., board chairman Keith Cowan, and Tina Albright, representing one of the shareholders on Arthur S.’s side of the family.

It is unclear when or if the governors will convene another meeting to try to reach a deal. Their involvement signaled a final push to end the extraordinary showdown over the company, which has put thousands of Market Basket’s part-time employees out of work and is threatening the jobs of thousands of full-time workers.

Market Basket has more than 25,000 employees in New England. The vast majority of its employees work at stores and other facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

The Demoulas family has been at odds since the 1990s, when Arthur S.’s side of the family won a lawsuit finding that Arthur T.’s father, Telemachus, had defrauded them out of their shares in the company. A judgment awarded Arthur S. and his relatives $500 million, but it kept the ownership of the company almost equally divided between the family factions fighting over it.

Despite the feud, the company has prospered in recent years. It is reported to have had revenue of $4.6 billion in 2013 and is ranked by Forbes as the 127th-largest private company in the United States.

Many onlookers have been confounded by the continued inability of Arthur S. and Arthur T. to reach a deal to save the company from financial ruin.

“I just can’t understand why you would want to kill the golden goose,” Griffin said.

“This is a business these two inherited. They were born into the lucky club, and you wonder why they can’t wise up and get their act together.”

Summary: With Market Basket’s finances growing increasingly dire, family members fighting over the grocery chain have promised to make an all-out effort to reach a deal to rescue the company by the end of the week, according to a person briefed on the discussions.


Swiss-French designer and architect Le Corbusier. Photograph: Corbis

Blue Iris: Colour of the Year

Pantone, the global authority on colour, best known for its colour guides used by design industries worldwide, declares Pantone 18-3943 Blue Iris, "a beautifully balanced blue-purple", as the Colour of the Year. "Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the US Pantone Color Institute, "Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement." Eiseman suggests that, this year, we should "look for it artfully combined with deeper plums, red-brown, yellow-greens, grapes and greys". Very nice, too.

Fiat UK launches the entertaining new Fiat 500 in January, a retro-styled car that looks and feels just right. Although fun to drive and a doddle to park, it's bigger than its famous predecessor, the Fiat 500 Nouva of 1957 (the last were made in 1975), designed in every last detail by Dante Giacosa. Safety regulations demand chunkier cars than those of the era of Gina Lollobrigida and La Dolce Vita. The 500, though, is quite a bit smaller than a beefy BMW Mini and a much more convincing car altogether than VW's retro-Beetle. Designed in-house by Fiat's Style Centre, Turin.

February sees the publication of a new edition of Le Corbusier's strident and seductive manifesto, Toward an Architecture (Frances Lincoln, paperback £17.99), first published in 1923. This was the world of architecture's equivalent of the Communist Manifesto - a clarion call for a radical new architecture, it included the dictum, "the house is a machine for living in". The first English translation, by the artist Frederick Etchells, was published as Towards a New Architecture in 1927. Frances Lincoln describes the 1927 edition as "second-rate" and "sprinkled with blurry photographs". Now, at last, we can read Le Corbusier, newly translated by John Goodman, in all his revolutionary glory.

Once you've read the man, see his work. Le Corbusier: the Art of Architecture promises to be the most comprehensive, and fresh, exhibition of the great Swiss-French radical's paintings, furniture, book design, interiors, polemics, drawings, photographs, films and buildings (which, still largely misunderstood in Britain, remain the most unexpected and moving of all Modern architecture). The show will open in the glorious crypt of Liverpool's Metropolitan cathedral, then move on to London. The crypt is the only part of a titanic domed cathedral designed by Edwin Lutyens, Britain's greatest architect of the first half of the 20th century, to have been realised. Many visitors to Frederick Gibberd's 1960s space-capsule cathedral above are wholly unaware of this baroque cavern below their feet. God only knows what Le Corbusier would have made of it.

· Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool, Oct 2-Jan 18 2009 (0151-709 9222).

An ambitious London-based event spawned from two popular architecture "biennales" held in Clerkenwell in 2004 and 2006. Organised by publisher and architectural impresario Peter Murray, and chaired by novelist and biographer Peter Ackroyd, this year's festival is spread across five "hubs" (or parts of London). Its theme is "Fresh!", and it's about new ideas and attitudes concerning architecture, design, public places and, yes, food. The 2008 festival will host the Architecture Student Festival, while foreign embassies are being lined up to showcase the work of their countries' best architects. Amid all the vibrant, 24-hour, world-class designs on show, the festival also promises old-fashioned guided tours of London architecture on foot and on bicycle.

· Various venues, London, June 20-July 20 (020-7436 8625).

The much-travelled Emperor Hadrian (AD76-138) was an ambitious and impressive builder. He loved architecture not just for what it represented - the might and magnificence of Ancient Rome - but for its own sake. His villa at Tivoli stretched through many pavilions set in extensive parkland; the size of a town, it remains a wonder to idle through. He rebuilt the Pantheon into one of the true wonders of historic architecture. He built the Temple of Zeus, and an aqueduct, of course, in Athens, and, he is remembered best in Britain for his famous stone wall that still stretches, coast to coast, across the Cumbrian and Northumbrian countryside. Expect much about clashes of civilisation, but expect, too, a fresh look at one of the world's greatest architectural clients, who, very possibly, had a hand in the actual designs of the imposing structures that bear his name.

· British Museum, London, July 24-Oct 26 (020-7323 8000).

Liverpool: 2008 European City of Culture

Events all year, many relating to architecture and design. The New Year begins with a peal of bells from the daunting gothic tower of Giles Gibert Scott's Anglican cathedral.

Summary: The year has much in store for lovers of design and architecture, from the re-launch of a motoring classic to a salute to one of the greatest designers of all time


FORTUNE — Who needs polite conversation when you have the American legal system? Corporations unhappy with shareholder proposals are taking their frustrations to federal court, suing investors instead of, you know, working things out with them.

In recent months, corporate law firms have awakened to the prospect of a new revenue stream as companies like Express Scripts and Waste Connections have used the federal courts to sue small investors and prolific proposers — and have won.

But last week, decisions in two cases could turn the tide. Small shareholders won victories in suits brought by tech firm EMC EMC and advertising giant Omnicom OMC .

The spate of corporations suing their own investors is quite a shift from the past, when lawsuit was considered a dirty word to business people everywhere. In the 1990s and part of the 2000s, lawyers who represented customers, shareholders, or employees with gripes against companies were the bogeymen executives loved to hate. In 1995 and 1997, Joe Nocera wrote in Fortune about silicone breast implant and tobacco settlements in articles with titles like “Fatal Litigation” and “The Plaintiffs Bar Strikes Again.” In 2000, George W. Bush slipped into office promising to tame out-of-control lawyers who were, according to the talk of the day, destroying our economy and capitalism by suing companies and reaping large settlements. In 2001, BusinessWeek amplified the attacks on the plaintiff’s bar with a cover story titled “The Litigation Machine.“

MORE: Are you entitled to overtime pay?

In the EMC case, which was decided in Massachusetts federal district court, the winning defendants did their own lawyering. Citing a recent Supreme Court ruling, the defendants asked the court to dismiss EMC’s lawsuit on the grounds that the federal court did not have jurisdiction since there was no impending threat that the defendants would harm EMC. “Even if EMC could demonstrate that it faced a high probability of an SEC enforcement” if the company decided to exclude the proposal from a vote, such harm would come from the SEC, not the defendants, they argued. Judge Mark Wolf agreed with the defendants, saying there was “no standing and no case or controversy,” and even if there were, he would not issue the judgment EMC wanted.

The EMC case involved a proposal to require that the board chair be an independent director. EMC had made some (but not all) of its arguments about the proposal to the SEC before suing its shareholders. The SEC offered an informal view that the shareholder proposal should be included and brought to a vote.

“I regard [bringing the case to court] as an inappropriate practice of depriving the SEC of the opportunity to perform its proper role of considering all the grounds that in this case have been argued to me and giving informed advice,” the judge said at a hearing on Friday. Further, he noted, “abetting an end run around the SEC deprives shareholder[s] of a relatively inexpensive opportunity to get claims disputes resolved.”

EMC public relations officer Dave Farmer said in a voice message, “EMC is exploring all its options, and beyond that, EMC wouldn’t be commenting on the case.”

Judge Louis Stanton of the Southern District of New York wrote the following in the Omnicom case: “This case raises the question whether a corporation that has sufficient doubt whether it is entitled to exclude a shareholder’s proposal from its proxy materials should consult its attorneys and follow their advice, with the common risk that a court may later hold to the contrary.” He noted that “There are thousands of public companies in the United States; they have annual meetings, and their shareholders are free to suggest items for inclusion in their proxy materials.” Again, the judge found no “actual or imminent” harm that would give Omnicom’s suit standing.

Despite these victories, the corporate rush to federal courts is troubling. Lawsuits take up court time and can be a forceful intimidation tactic.

In 2012, Chevron cvx subpoenaed investors’ correspondence with the media and others related to shareholder proposals. Chevron chose the “nuclear option,” it was like “killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer,” says Tim Smith, a senior vice president at Walden Asset Management. ”We are in the process of re-filing the three shareholder resolutions from last year. In addition, Walden Asset Management has filed a new resolution citing Chevron’s harassment of long-time shareholders,” he wrote me in an email.

MORE: Herbalife and the FTC’s uneven history with pyramid schemes

If shareholders grow reluctant to submit proposals, companies will be less accountable for their actions. And investors will then have fewer opportunities to bring positive changes to companies, like voting on whether the election of a director should require more than one yes vote (as has been the case at companies like Cablevision and Impax Labs) or if businesses should provide additional information on environmental liabilities.

As it is, shareholders have limited resources. And some companies receive insufficient shareholder focus.. For example, the Comcast-Time Warner merger has attracted plenty of attention, but “investors should be concerned that John Malone is handing additional voting power to CEOs at two companies with significant governance weaknesses,” Dana Wise, deputy director at CtW Investment Group, wrote me in an email. “Discovery has had persistent pay for performance misalignment and problematic pay practices for three consecutive years. John C. Malone serves on the boards of six additional publicly traded companies, which is excessive. At Liberty Global, we see a similar misalignment of CEO pay for performance and governance problems. Shareholders should be engaging these companies to address these problems. Granting more power to the CEOs of these companies should be of great concern.”

Meanwhile, the corporate shareholder lawsuit train keeps chugging along. The defendants in the EMC case now face a similar suit from Chipotle CMG in Colorado federal district court.

Eleanor Bloxham is CEO of The Value Alliance and Corporate Governance Alliance ( http://thevaluealliance.com ), a board education and advisory firm.

Summary: A growing number of corporations unhappy with shareholder proposals are taking their frustrations to court.


This article is published in partnership with People.com. The original version can be found here.

A Portland, Oregon, woman claims she was fired for taking too many bathroom breaks when she was pregnant with her second child.

Dawn Steckmann, a former technician at Maxim Integrated Products, alleges in a gender and discrimination lawsuit that her bosses at the Beaverton cell phone chip manufacturer never told her she had to clock out before using the toilet.

The suit, which was obtained by PEOPLE, alleges one of Steckmann’s supervisors told her she had been fired for stealing because “not clocking out to use the restroom is stealing from the company.”

The same boss, she said, told her that she could have been “watching a movie” during her bathroom breaks.

Steckmann is seeking $400,000 in damages. Melissa Healy, who is defending Maxim in the civil lawsuit, did not return a call for comment.

According to the lawsuit, Steckmann, who worked at the company for 10 years, claims she told her supervisor during her first pregnancy in 2011 that she needed more frequent bathroom breaks and asked if she needed to clock out. He told her not to bother, the lawsuit said.

Even before she was fired, Steckmann had complained to the CEO that her supervisor favored male employees over female, assigning them the best tasks and going light on discipline, the suit said.

When she told him in January 2013 she was pregnant a second time, he “appeared unhappy with the news,” the lawsuit stated. Because of a bladder condition from her first pregnancy, she needed to go even more often during her second – and more quickly.

“[Steckmann’s] bladder issues were so severe that she would not even have had time to clock out to use the restroom without an accident,” the lawsuit states.

The suit was filed last month in Multnomah County.

Summary: A gender and discrimination lawsuit has been filed.