At more than 1 billion swipes per day, the dating app Tinder has proven there is a mega market of young singles who want a fast, tactile way to find potential dates. But Tinder’s pick-up-and-play feel can result in fly-by interactions that, for some, are too casual, and perhaps even offensive.

Singles now have yet another mobile dating option, The Grade, which comes with an unusual twist. Launched last month, the service gives each user a letter grade, and, most notably, expels those who earn an F.

You might think it would be hard to fail out of dating apps that only require basics like age, location, a brief bio and a photo to get started. Such a system sounds more conceivable on pay sites like Match.com or JDate, on which daters fill out detailed, extensive profiles.

But in fact, The Grade has already flunked 5% of its small pool of singles.

“We want to hold users accountable for their behavior,” says Cliff Lerner, CEO of SNAP Interactive, which created The Grade. “We believe the next big thing in online dating is accountability.”

Lerner knows a thing or two about the online dating space. In 2007, his company built the dating site AYI (Are You Interested), a pay service aimed at adult singles over 45. With AYI going strong at 100,000 paying subscribers, Lerner wanted to create a mobile-first, social dating app that is based around the promise of high-quality users.

“We don’t think anyone is delivering that right now,” he tells Fortune. “We think people are ready for the next Tinder.”

Lerner cautions that Tinder, Hinge, JSwipe, HowAboutWe, Plenty of Fish, and all the other mobile dating apps you could name are not necessarily competitors. Rather, he uses the argument that the success of any one of them is a rising tide that should lift all boats.

Instead, he considers The Grade’s competition to be mobile games. After all, the feel of any swipe-based dating app is that of a fun, casual game. Lerner wants to get away from that feel. Many daters, women especially, are frustrated by the people they see on dating apps who aren’t truly looking to find a relationship, but rather, to hook up.

The Grade wants its users to be a show a bit more seriousness by responding to their messages, and by using proper grammar. (“HBU,” standing for “how bout u?” is the no. 1 most commonly used abbreviation by women on dating apps right now, Lerner says—a sign of the pervasiveness of slang.)

The Grade’s concept—that everyone has been evaluated—might remind some of controversial service Lulu, an app for women that made a splash earlier this year for inviting its female users to give men overall scores and to rate their physical appearance, bedroom performance, and personality. (The Daily Beast wrote that it was “ruining dating.”) The dangers of a system that allows people to publicly critique former lovers are obvious.

But daters on The Grade aren’t grading each other. Instead, the grades are determined by an algorithm—which is safer, but also potentially less exciting.

Sloppy texters and hard-to-get, infrequent responders, beware: the algorithm looks at everything from grammar to how often users respond to messages. Overall grades are calculated based on the profile quality (are your photos blurry?), responsiveness (when a potential date writes to you, do you write back?), and message quality (are your messages offensive or filled with typos?).

After using the app for a little while, daters are automatically given a grade via an alert. More alerts will follow if their grade falls precipitously. In this regard, the grades, which are always being updated, could be a double-edged sword. Choosy women excited about no longer seeing men who send offensive messages can’t be so choosy that they don’t respond to messages—or they, too, risk getting a poor mark.

Even though the U.S. online-dating industry is still small ($2 billion in annual revenues, according to the most recent IBISWorld report, and dominated by IAC, which owns Match, OkCupid, and Tinder), it is a space that can yield compelling data, and quickly. The team at OkCupid proved this a few years back with the project OkTrends, which shared fascinating insights gleaned from the behaviors of online-daters.

Similarly, in the month since it launched, and with only 7,000+ downloads, The Grade has already tracked some useful trends about male vs. female daters. Understandably, since it is the app’s selling point, the data it is sharing is centered around how behaviors change when grades are added to the mix.

According to the company, the rate at which women “like” men increases 21% when the men have grades. For men, there is no change at all. Similarly, women respond to messages from men 47% more often when there is a grade, while the response rate from men only goes up 3%. Both of those data points, of course, suggest that men are, well, a bit less exacting in their swiping. They’ll “like” a woman, and message her, whether there is some signal of quality or not. Meanwhile, both women and men, when a grade is involved, use almost half as much “inappropriate content or slang” in their messages (women 53% less, men 43% less).

One last comparison Lerner makes, though it is anecdotal: women care more about message quality, he believes, while men care more about response rate. Thus, The Grade isn’t just aimed at women who fear offensive jerks (in a survey by The Grade, 90% of women said they have received sexually suggestive messages on mobile dating apps); it’s also aimed at men tired of not getting responses to their messages.

Pleasing both parties, of course, is a tall order. And if your profile isn’t up to snuff, the message you receive is rather blunt: “You have failed to meet The Grade standards, resulting in loss of membership.” It’s easy to imagine the company facing issues of user outrage if someone feels they were unjustly expelled.

Never fear, you can appeal the decision in writing. But the writing had better be good.

Summary: A new dating app gives users a letter grade, and kicks off anyone who earns an "F"-- which turned out to be 5% of its early users.


Warren Borsje with actor and former US Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Facebook)

An Australian man found dead at a hotel in Bali's popular tourist precinct was a motivational speaker who gave inspirational money-making talks all over the world.

Staff at the hotel found 42-year-old Warren Borsje, from Brighton in Melbourne's southeast, lying face down on his bed after he failed to check out from the Fave Hotel on time on Australia Day.

Witnesses reported seeing Mr Borsje intoxicated earlier in the day, with another hotel guest helping to escort him back to his room.

Warren Borsje, 42, was found dead in the hotel. (9NEWS)

Mr Borsje is believed to have been sick, with medicines found in his room. (9NEWS)

His body was discovered in the Fave Hotel after he failed to check out on time. (9NEWS)

Police are investigating and it is believed his passport and money were untouched.

Kuta police investigator Dewa Tagel said preliminary investigations indicated that the man may have been sick as medicines were found in the room, located in the heart of the trendy Seminyak district.

"We didn't find any sign of violence on the victim's body, including in the hotel room. There is no sign of a fight in the room, as all the stuff was still neatly arranged in the room," Mr Tagel said.

Mr Borsje was a self-proclaimed millionaire who started his own training and entrepreneurship business at age 22 after dropping out of school at 13.

Warren Borsje with US boxer Mike Tyson. (Facebook)

After establishing his business in the late 90s and making his fortune, he began conducting seminars around the world to teach others how to emulate his success.

His wealth strategies and seminars, largely relating to playing the property market, were publicised in international media, including the UK Telegraph, BBC and Russian national television.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed they were providing consular assistance to his family.

Warren Borsje giving a seminar in his native Melbourne. (Facebook)

Do you have any news photos or videos?

Summary: An Australian man has been found dead at a hotel in Bali's popular tourist precinct.


Parents of a group of US boy scouts have been left furious after their children were taken to a nude beach during a hike.

The troop of scouts were on a nature walk through Torrey Pines State Beach in San Diego on January 24 when the trail went through Black’s Beach, a well-known 'naturalist' area, CBS 8 reports.

Diane Lekven, who was on the hike with her son and husband, immediately asked pack master Desmond Wheatley why he had brought them there.

"When I got up there I said 'Hey, what are you doing? We’re in the middle of a nudist beach'," Mrs Lekven said.

"He said, 'This is a naturalist beach, and my family and I go through here all the time, it’s not a big deal'. And I got really angry."

She said the troop had gone too far to turn back so were forced to continue through the beach.

The nudists seemed just as stunned by the children being there as the parents were, Mrs Lekven said.

"It’s not anything against the nudists. They were in their environment and they were looking at us like, what the heck (are you doing here?)," Mrs Lekven said.

"I don’t think it’s okay for somebody to not disclose that they’re going to put other people’s children in an environment like this. I think it’s wrong."

The Lekvens filed a complaint after the incident calling for Mr Wheatley to be disciplined.

But the scouts said in a statement ultimately it was decided "proper protocol had been observed and appropriate steps were taken" by Mr Wheatley.

Do you have any news photos or videos?


Behind every great CEO is a great board, and I’ve noticed that startup founders tend to put off the task of building strong boards. Consider successful tech companies like Amazon AMZN and Google GOOG that built their boards early on. They’re more an exception than the rule, however; more often than not, companies find that there are few, if any, consequences until they run into trouble.

Many boards have gotten into trouble when they think they answer only to the CEO.

After years of advising startups on board management and executive search, I believe that the only true role of the board is to hire and fire the CEO. After all, great boards understand that they are accountable to each other and to company shareholders. Also, great boards are diverse – in thought, background, and perspectives. The statistics bear repeating: Just 10% of Silicon Valley directors are women, and the percentage of VC-backed startups with a female founder or CEO is even lower.

So here are some practical tips for assembling a great board.

Know the company’s vision. Where do you want the company to go? Define what you need the board to do to achieve those goals. Keep that in mind as you consider and define the attributes, skills, and experiences that you need of your board members.

Seek the right skills. Create a simple grid combining attributes that actually exist in the market. Draft a table with all the desired aspects of a “final” board. Fill in the table with prospective ideas for each director, ranking each in terms of depth or fit and whether that person can be recruited. Keep this list current, fresh, and ongoing, and make it an active item of discussion at board meetings.

Develop role and responsibilities for members. As Jim Collins says, “Do you have the right people in the right seats on the bus?” It’s never too early to have committees or key areas of responsibility. Do you have the best head of audit, compensation etc.? Who are the lead directors that you as CEO can rely on in each critical area?

Build a culture and invite debate. Foster a culture of open feedback and independence. You want different opinions and perspectives to help you consider alternatives. Consider the culture and interaction you want from your board: passionate and intense debate, or cerebral and deliberative? You want to recruit a board that pushes you, makes you uncomfortable and challenges conventional wisdom. At the same time, you want a board and not an operating committee – so setting boundaries is important.

Break through your comfort zone. Boards tend to reach for what’s familiar and comfortable, which results in homogeneity. Knowing that, you should strive for diversity of opinion and not be afraid to go against the grain. Keeping that top of mind will help you be open-minded to alternatives you would not have considered in the first place.

Juliet de Baubigny is a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. She advises the firm’s portfolio companies on all aspects of company building including executive leadership, recruiting, compensation, corporate governance and team-building.

Summary: Many companies put off the task of assembling an effective board until they run into trouble.


FORTUNE — Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech Conference (July 22-24 in Aspen, Colo.) regularly brings together the best and brightest minds in tech innovation. Each week, Fortune turns the spotlight on a different conference attendee to offer his or her own personal insight into business, tech, and entrepreneurship. This week, we asked Change.org President and COO Jennifer Dulski to answer 10 questions about life outside of work, the company she admires most, and industry advice for young entrepreneurs. Her responses follow.

What is the best advice you ever received?

It came from a research study by one of my favorite Cornell professors, Thomas Gilovich, focusing on regret. The research concluded, “Actions, or errors of commission, generate more regret in the short-term; but inactions, or errors of omission, produce more regret in the long run.” In other words, while people in the short-term regret “bad” choices, like trying out for something and getting rejected or choosing a job and deciding they don’t like it, things are different when they look back on their lives: they most often regret the things they did not try, like not accepting a certain job offer, or not asking out that person they really liked. I often think of this research when faced with a decision, and it pushes me to try new things and challenge myself.

What was the most important thing you learned in school?

The teachers who challenged me the most were also the ones I learned the most from in school. I remember a particular high school teacher of mine, Joe DiPrisco, who had impeccably high standards for strong writing and correct grammar. Even though it was uncomfortable to be corrected, I finished his class as a much stronger writer. I believe the same principle holds true in business – understand that those who push you will make you better, and surround yourself with people who aren’t afraid to challenge you. Similarly, others on your team are more likely to exhibit excellence when you expect it of them, so keep your standards high.

What has been your biggest failure?

There’s one big mistake I made as a first time entrepreneur that I still laugh about. I named my startup’s first product with an apostrophe. In the desire to get a name we could afford without paying through the nose for a domain, I chose “Center’d” (because “Centered” was taken and we couldn’t afford to buy it). Not only is an apostrophe a “special character” that caused all kinds of issues in the code for our website, but it was also nearly impossible to speak about Center’d in the possessive, since it then had a double apostrophe! My main learning was this: pick a name that’s easy to spell, helps to clearly explain what you do, and, ideally, works around the world. “Center’d” did none of those things. But “The Dealmap,” the name for our second product, did all three – and boy, was it easier to give our elevator pitch and to get people to use our product.

What do you do to live a balanced life?

I focus on being a present parent. When I look back on my childhood and young adult years, one of the things I remember clearly is that my parents were always there. They were both working parents, and yet they showed their support for me by coming to important events, even in the middle of a work day. That support helped give me confidence that I could take risks and aim big.

Now that I’m a parent myself, I want my children to feel that I’m there to support them. I leave work early to attend their dance recitals, school concerts, and other events. I even take them to nearly all of their appointments (doctors, dentists, orthodontists,

etc.) – not because I need to, but because I want them to know I care about all the things they do, not just the big events. (Plus, I like spending time with them!)

Of course, there are times when I just can’t make it, so I work hard to make sure I’m present for them whenever I possibly can be.

What would you do if you weren’t working at your current job?

There’s honestly nowhere I’d rather work – I’ve always wanted to blend my passion for building big internet companies and my desire to drive global [and] social impact, and Change.org is the ideal place to do both. But, if I were not doing this, I could imagine going back to teaching, which I did early in my career and loved.

What do you do for fun?

My two favorite activities are spending time with my family and friends and traveling to learn about other places around the world. I look forward to taking my daughters to visit some of the 18 countries where we have Change.org offices.

What would you say to a group of young people looking to enter the tough job market?

First, believe in yourself. The first time you do anything, you’ve never done it before, so the best thing to do is give it your all and learn as much as you can from others. Remember that we were all there at some point – everyone who interviews you and everyone you’ll be working with as well – so don’t get intimidated. Second, look for work you believe is worthwhile. There’s nothing better than working in a place where the time you invest in your job and the impact you make on the world are aligned.

What other companies do you admire? Why?

I admire what LinkedIn has created. It started as a useful tool for professionals to build their profiles and connect to each other, but it had a problem with low user engagement. But over time, new tools like “LinkedIn Today” and the influencer blog network have made the site a very engaging place to spend time. This combination of a highly useful professional tool with a diverse and strong business model really sets LinkedIn apart.

What is one characteristic that every leader should possess?

I believe the best leaders are excellent at listening to those around them and synthesizing their insights into great ideas. The best leaders can put themselves in others’ shoes, understanding the pain points of their customers and building products that creatively solve those problems. Strong leaders also exhibit empathy for their teams, recognizing people are motivated by different things and helping them find roles and projects that leverage their strengths and bring out their best work.

Is business school necessary for entrepreneurs?

I’m a big fan of business school, both for what you learn and for the people you have the chance to meet. I still use plenty of the things I learned in business school, from negotiation tactics to financial modeling. That said, I believe it’s possible to master the skills of great entrepreneurs – primarily customer focus, creativity, and relentless persistence – through other channels as well. In fact, I think business schools need to adapt to do a better job preparing students to become entrepreneurs. The only way to really learn what it takes is to try it, and both undergraduate and graduate schools should be helping students get more real-life entrepreneurship experience beyond classroom learning. I’m excited about some of the programs coming out in this arena.

Summary: Why every leader should be empathetic.


These days, JPMorgan is emphasizing dog treats over derivatives.

On Tuesday, at the bank’s annual investor day, when CEO Jamie Dimon took the mic, one of the first things he told investors to do was check out one of the bank’s branches. “Around the country, people bring in their dogs and sit around for social reasons,” said Dimon. “We give out little doggie bones.”

The buzzword these days in big banking is simplicity. And on Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase executives became the latest top bankers to claim they want to be more George Bailey than, well, J.P. Morgan. The bank said it will cut $2.8 billion in expenses from its investment banking division in the next three years. About $1.5 billion of those cost reductions will come from “business simplification.”

JPMorgan JPM has long had one of the largest financial derivatives operations on Wall Street. The bank invented the securities that were used to bet on—and eventually against—the mortgage market. On Tuesday, Daniel Pinto, the head of JPMorgan’s investment bank, emphasized how the bank was looking to reduce its activity in one of the most complex areas of finance. Pinto said the bank would either exit or dramatically scale back its processing of over the counter derivatives transactions for clients. He said the bank also plans to “rapidly compress” its own derivatives exposure.

JPMorgan said it was reducing its derivatives operations on account of new regulations that would require the bank to set aside more capital. Also, if you want to be known as a simpler bank, derivatives is probably not the place you want to be.

The bank on Tuesday said it was looking to reduce the amount of deposits it holds for other businesses by $100 billion, cut back on the amount of lending it does to hedge funds and even close about 300 of its dog-friendly bank branches. All of this comes as an olive branch of sorts to JPMorgan’s critics, who say the bank is too big. Last month, Goldman Sachs issued a report that said JPMorgan would be worth more if it were split up. On Tuesday, though, Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan’s CEO, said he has no plans to do that. “We’re not going to give up investment banking for anyone, not even Richard Ramsden,” said Dimon, referring to the Goldman analyst who wrote the report.

Wall Streeters typically say they are in the business of helping clients manage sophisticated risks and transactions. Stressing simplicity is an odd sales pitch for a large bank like JPMorgan. But the problem Dimon and other top bankers have is that investment banking—in part because of new regulations and also on account of the fact that the business has change—is not as profitable as it used to be. Just four years ago, the return on equity of JPMorgan’s investment bank was nearly 20%. Now, it is half that.

Investors may accept lower return businesses as long as they are convinced that they are lower risk as well. Shares of Morgan Stanley MS , for instance, have outperformed rivals recently, as CEO James Gorman has emphasized lower risk businesses like asset management.

Dimon seems to be getting the message. On Tuesday, he said JPMorgan was really no different than the average regional bank, just, ya know, bigger. In fact, he said this twice.

For a bank that still has a derivatives book with a notional value of $65 trillion, that statement is a stretch. But even as large as it is, JPMorgan is probably far less risky and complex than its detractors would have you believe.

Nevertheless, the notion that JPMorgan is just too big to work seems to be gaining momentum. So, if Dimon wants JPMorgan to remain in investment banking, and all of the many businesses it is in, he needs to sell simplicity. He’s trying his best.

Watch more business news from Fortune:

Summary: JPMorgan executives are the latest top bankers to claim they want to be more George Bailey than, well, J.P. Morgan.


Sharna Burgess and Noah Galloway of Dancing with the Stars

04/01/2015 AT 11:10 AM EDT

was a voracious fitness buff with an enviable six-pack before he dropped out of college to join the military after 9/11.

But a 2005 incident in Iraq would alter his life forever. Three months into his second tour of duty, Galloway, now 33, lost his left leg above his knee and his left arm above his elbow during an improvised-explosive-device attack. He remained unconscious in a German hospital for five days.

After returning home to Alabama, the vet says he fell into a deep depression.

"I was drinking, eating bad, spending days at the house without leaving," Galloway told PEOPLE. "And then one day I realized I wasn't being a good father, a good person. I let myself get out of shape, and something needed to change."

Galloway already knew what could make a difference – a new commitment to get into the best shape of his life. He was outfitted with a prosthetic leg that could help him run road and trail races.

"I knew that fitness is better than any medication out there," Galloway said. "A buddy of mine who was in the Humvee when I got hit saw me on Facebook working out, and invited me to do a race. And after that, I wanted to do another race. It kept growing to bigger races. It led me to be on [MTV's]

about the Tough Mudder races, then I made the cover of

, then I was on

and then here I am on

"It's been this amazing journey that I can trace back to me getting up one night and deciding that I needed to quit focusing on what I lost and concentrate on what I have left – that I have two of my limbs and, more importantly, I have three children that I can be a better father for."

Summary: The 33-year-old Army vet reflects on the moment that eventually led him to Dancing with the Stars


Photo: David J. Phillip, AP

File photo of Arik Armstead

File photo of Arik Armstead

In this Nov. 1, 2014, file photo, Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead (9), center, sits during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Stanford in Eugene, Ore.

In this Nov. 1, 2014, file photo, Oregon defensive lineman Arik...

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, at the time #9 of the Oregon Ducks, tackles running back Remound Wright #22 of the Stanford Cardinal during the first half of the game at Autzen Stadium on November 1, 2014 in Eugene, Oregon.

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, at the time #9 of the Oregon...

File photo of Arik Armstead

File photo of Arik Armstead

Brotherly bond: 49ers’ Armstead eager to start NFL career his sibling was denied

Both Arik Armstead and his older brother, Armond, were prep All-American defensive linemen at Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove, became starters at prestigious Pac-12 programs and landed in the NFL.

The difference: Barring the unforeseen, Arik will be the only sibling to play in an NFL game.

Arik Armstead, 21, was selected by the 49ers in the first round of the draft Thursday night, about 10 months after Armond, 24, was forced to retire from the league because of health issues.

At the combine in February, Arik, who played at Oregon, told reporters he grew up following in his brother’s footsteps. And he was eager to start on the path Armond was unable to travel.

“My brother not being able to play anymore, that’s why I’m trying to carry on that torch,” Arik said. “In high school, I wanted to be like him. I fell in love with the game early on, when I was little. My brother, hearing his name, he was a big-time recruit in high school and I wanted to be just like him.”

Armond’s medical issues began in March 2011 when he suffered a heart attack at USC, where he started 17 games from 2008-10. He wasn’t medically cleared to play in 2011 and later sued the school: He alleged his heart attack was triggered by doses of the painkiller Toradol given to him by the medical staff.

After he wasn’t selected in the 2012 draft, Armond played in the CFL and his impressive season attracted NFL interest. He was signed by the Patriots in January 2013, but contracted an infection that required surgery in the summer of 2013. It’s not known if the infection is tied to his heart ailment. Armond spent 2013 on the non-football injury list, returned last year to take part in some of New England’s offseason program, but was forced to retire before the start of training camp in July.

“He’s had a lot of adversity personally that he's had to deal with -- unusual compared to most other players -- but he’s always had a great attitude, worked hard, and really did everything we asked him to do,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said at the time. “While it is unfortunate he will not be able to play football, Armond is an outstanding young man who has a very bright future in whatever path he chooses.”

Armond has since spent part of his time helping Arik prepare for the draft. In February, Arik said his big brother has always been eager to assist.

“I fell in love with football and he’s been helping me ever since,” he said. “He kind of paved the way for me.”

Summary: Both Arik Armstead and his older brother, Armond, were prep All-American defensive linemen at Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove, became starters at prestigious Pac-12 programs and landed in the NFL.  Barring the unforeseen, Arik will be the only sibling to play in an NFL game.  Armond’s medical issues began in March 2011 when he suffered a heart attack at USC, where he started 17 games from 2008-10.  Armond spent 2013 on the non-football injury list, returned last year to take part in some of New England’s offseason program, but was forced to retire before the start of training camp in July.  “He’s had a lot of adversity personally that he's had to deal with -- unusual compared to most other players -- but he’s always had a great attitude, worked hard, and really did everything we asked him to do,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said at the time.  While it is unfortunate he will not be able to play football, Armond is an outstanding young man who has a very bright future in whatever path he chooses.


Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Manny Pacquiao

05/03/2015 AT 12:55 AM EDT

Although Floyd Mayweather Jr. won the so-called "fight of the century" on Saturday night, the real winners were boxing fans all around the world who clamored for this bout to happen for years.

Well, was it worth it?

Even before Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao stepped foot into the ring at Las Vegas's Grand Garden Arena before a throng of fans and celebrities, the fight was already the richest in boxing history, with both fighters expected to split an estimated $300 million.

The hype surrounding the prized fight was unlike anything that has been seen in recent times, with thousands of people descending on Sin City just to be near the action.

And celebrities couldn't resist the temptation of seeing history either, with everyone from

throwing pre-fight and post-fight parties.

, an avid Mayweather supporter, even told a radio station that he planned on betting $1.6 million on his buddy. Just a week before the fight, PEOPLE caught up with 50 Cent to chat about the fight.

"Floyd is usually an easy bet. I think this is going to be the fight everyone anticipates because it's going to start Round 1," he said. "Pacman is no slouch. That's why you haven't heard the same antics and comments as the other fights from Floyd. He's real cool about it. You're gonna hear some new energy because I'm around here. Floyd's energy will shift and he'll start riding on what I'm doing."

He wasn't the only celebrity to apparently bet big on the fight.

had a $250,000 bet with Diddy on the fight.

, a Pacquiao supporter, even went to watch his fighter train in Los Angeles.

"Styles make fights," Wahlberg said on HBO's

. "If you think about the tough match ups that Floyd's had over the years, the same guys that Manny's faced, Mannyâs handled them decisively, so I think Mannyâs my guy."

, on the other hand, was all-in on Mayweather, as the two are friends. (No word on whether he bet on the fight.)

"Floyd is a friend and a great fighter. He works hard and really focuses. I am glad I can be a part of his journey," Bieber told PEOPLE exclusively.

Even though the long-anticipated and long-hyped "fight of the century" is now over, its memory will live on for a long time â¦ and so will both fighter's wallets.

Summary: Celebrities attended and sounded off on Vegas's big fight


Updated MAY 03, 2015 3:06a ET

If you felt like Mike Tyson and were disappointed by the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight, we've got something to cheer you up.

Actually, Saturday Night Live does.

To open this week's show, Jay Pharoah, Kenan Thompson, and Aidy Bryant gave their unique version of how the "Fight of the Century" went down. Check it out below.

Summary: WATCH: Saturday Night Live opens with spoof of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight


Joan Jett and Miley Cyrus

05/06/2015 AT 11:00 AM EDT

In order to bring awareness to

– the new nonprofit she launched Tuesday –

has kicked off a number of new musical performances titled

The intimate, outdoor performances were shot at her home, and the videos – all to be released on the foundation's website and the singer's Facebook page – will raise funds for the new foundation, whose mission is to rally young people to fight the injustices faced by homeless youth, LGBT youth and other vulnerable populations.

In a touching tribute to

, the transgender teen who

in Ohio last December, Cyrus sings

"There's no love without freedom â¦ no freedom without love," Cyrus tenderly sings.

"Listened to this song a lot in December when Leelah passed away," Cyrus wrote in a caption alongside the video. "These lyrics relate so perfectly to Happy Hippie & our message to the world!"

"The only way I will rest in peace is if one day transgender people aren't treated the way I was," Alcorn wrote in her suicide note. "They're treated like humans, with valid feelings and human rights."

In a second "Backyard Sessions," Cyrus

The "Wrecking Ball" singer has also shot a number of other "Backyard Sessions" to be released, according to

, including a performance with

, in an attempt to help prevent some of the 40 percent of homeless youth who identify as LGBT from being rejected and running away.

"I'm fighting for people I don't know," Cyrus told Out.com, "but it's also a fight for people I do know, and people I'm close to and love."

Concluded the singer, who has long been an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights: "As you get older, you start to realize what's happening around you. You realize, 'This isn't the world I want to be living in.' And you say, 'What do I really want my life to be about?' [Homelessness] is something that we see every single day. It's like the birds chirping – we just ignore it because we're so used to it."

Summary: The singer jams with Joan Jett and dedicates a song to Leelah Alcorn, the transgender teen who committed suicide


According to The Times of Aug. 25, Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko of the Soviet Union has proposed in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim that an international treaty ban weapons of any kind from being sent into orbit around the earth. He has asked that the proposed treaty be added to the agenda of the General Assembly, which opens Sept. 15. His proposal should be supported by the Reagan Administration.

In view of the fact that this treaty was ratified on April 25, 1966, by the U.S. Senate and entered into force on Oct. 10, 1967, why does Mr. Gromyko ask for a new treaty which apparently covers the same area? And why is the United States, despite this adopted treaty, making specific plans for the military use of the space shuttle in outer space? Why spend billions of dollars to do something which we as a nation are pledged not to do?

The problem is that this international pledge does not seem to be taken seriously. All too many Government offi cials appear to be blindto it when it seems advantageous to defense o r national security to be so. The definition for defense, however, h as of late been reinterpreted.

This is very evident in the document ''Q's and A's on Military Use of the Space Shuttle,'' published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (my copy is dated July 10, 1981). It says that military use of the shuttle does not mean ''unpeaceful'' or ''aggressive.'' How come?

And there is now a discussion about where space ends and outer space begins. If the U.S. can, all by itself, declare an international treaty for all practical purposes null and void in order to serve its own military needs, what about the value of other international treaties it has officially ratified? Such treaties are given in full in the 1980 edition of ''Arms Control and Disarmament Agreements'' published by the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. They are worth reading just now.

In order to save the good name and the global integrity of U.S. policy, and to clear up the entire issue of the right of ''defense'' in outer space (or for space in general for that matter), I am convinced that Mr. Gromyko is doing us all a real favor by asking for a formal debate on this crucial problem at the Gneral Assembly's fall session.

A new treaty might not be necessary. A letter of agreement between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. might do. Or agreement could be reached by adopting a protocal of understanding to the present Outer Space Treaty. Then both nations would be free to throw their combined weight behind the Second U.N. Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to be held in Vienna from Aug. 9 to 21, 1982.

Such united action would greatly reduce any prospect of a nuclear arms race in outer space, help balance our national budget and allow billions of dollars to be transferred from ''defense'' to social, economic and human rights needs the world over. Moreover, it would unite the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. in space projects of a nonmilitary nature and show Mr. Gromyko that President Reagan is just as interested in world peace as he is.

Now is the time for these great nations to begin in earnest to ''beat their swords into plowshares,'' that war shall be no more. STANLEY I. STUBER Southport, Me., Aug. 29, 1981

Summary: To the Editor:     According to The Times of Aug. 25, Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko of the Soviet Union has proposed in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim that an international treaty ban weapons of any kind from being sent into orbit around the earth. He has asked that the proposed treaty be added to the agenda of the General Assembly, which opens Sept. 15. His proposal should be supported by the Reagan Administration.


It is fundamental to the white magic of art that it does away with the nightmare of disorientation. Not only does art tell us who we are, but it tells us - or it used to tell us -where we are. And ''Where am I?'' is, after all, one of the most poignant of human formulations. It speaks for an anxiety that is intense, recurrent and all but unbearable. Not to know where we are is torment, and not to have a sense of place is a most sinister deprivation.

We look to painting, to the novel, to the movies and to the theater to relieve that deprivation. Poetry is likewise a sovereign specific: with just a line or two by Elizabeth Bishop, for instance, we can feel our way around Washington, and around Paris, and around the forests of New Brunswick as they look from the window of a bus.

Music works less directly upon us, though the harmonic system as it existed for several centuries can be read as a sustained metaphor for losing and finding our way. When Robert Browning wrote about ''the C major of this life'' as an image of health, vigor and stability he knew what he was talking about. Just occasionally, too, music in the hands of a great eccentric can operate in terms of place, as happened when Charles Ives wrote ''Central Park in the Dark.''

But what is being discussed here is the interlock of personality and environment. When that interlock has once been made vivid to us - as it is in play after play by Ibsen, for instance - we are like strayed travelers to whom someone has handed a compass. Experiences of that kind and that order are available all over our city, now as at every other time. Among movies now playing, four in particular come to mind: ''Oblomov,'' ''Confidence,'' ''Breaker Morant'' and ''Atlantic City.'' In the bookstores, we can quickly verify that Elizabeth Bowen in her short stories - just republished by Knopf in a collected edition - has no equal when it comes to the evocation of London in the days when it was being bombed. And for the sense of place as it once operated in the European theater, we have a capital little show at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum of 19th-century German theater designs. Especially relevant, in that show, are the inventive and fat-free designs with which the audience for Ferdinand Raimund's classic ''The Peasant as Millionaire'' is given just enough to keep the imagination alert. We know at once where we are. We recognize the great Viennese townhouse sketched in a line or two -just as we recognize the garden filled with obelisks as one that could border the sloping terraces of the Belvedere. Even the view of stone faces near the roofline of the house stare down at us with a mischief that could only be Viennese.

In everyday life, ''Where am I?'' often gets a simple answer. ''On 36th Street, just east of Second Avenue,'' some kind person says, and with no more ado the questioner heads for home. But if the answer is ''Shea Stadium, and it's out of season,'' he starts to wonder in what state of amnesia he got there. And if no answer comes at all - why, then he experiences a breakdown of orientation and feels himself the archetypal lost soul, condemned to wander forever.

And he's right. Not to be able to tell one thing from another - to have no sense of place, in other words - is one of the nastiest things that can happen to us. ''Everywhere looked alike,'' the traveler says of a new country that he didn't care for. ''We couldn't find our way around,'' he says of Tokyo, where street names and street numbers are rare. On bright, broad, faceless boulevards, as much as in the ''dark forest where the straight way was lost'' that Dante evokes in the opening lines of the ''Inferno,'' we have trouble making out unless we have a sense of place.

It was always so. What was it that Sigmund Freud most dreaded when he was taking his ax to the dark forest of human motivations? ''At that period,'' he wrote later, ''I was completely isolated, and in the network of problems and accumulation of difficulties I often dreaded losing my bearings, and also my confidence.'' Bearings lost, and confidence lost: what could more succinctly define the ultimate in human disarray?

That is why we are trained to have a sense of place. From the moment of birth we are kept busy, orienting and being oriented. It is in a frenzy of identification that we seize upon certain vital concepts: ''crib,'' ''lap,'' ''carriage,'' ''food,'' ''light,'' ''dark.'' ''Indoors'' and ''outdoors'' come later, followed by a huge apparatus of codes cracked and conundrums happily resolved. We take it as the highest and most metaphorical of compliments when someone in later life says to us ''You certainly know your way around.''

But we cannot go everywhere, let alone be everywhere at one and the same time. That is where art comes in. We rely upon art, whether we know it or not, to fortify our sense of place and keep it in good trim. The great novelists help enormously, for instance, and time lies lightly on their definitions. No amount of computerization in Wall Street can stop Herman Melville, in ''Bartleby the Scrivener,'' from giving us a sense of that particular place. Paris has changed very much indeed since Gustave Flaubert, and even since Marcel Proust, told us what it is like to visit friends for dinner. But what they have to tell us is still our best orientation when we step out of the elevator and press the bell.


DETROIT, April 14— Sales of new cars by the three major American auto makers dropped 11.9 percent from a year earlier in the April 1 to April 10 selling period, mainly as a result of a poor showing by the General Motors Corporation after the end of customer rebate sales promotions.

''Clearly we're heading back to where we were before the rebates began,'' said Harvey Heinbach, auto analyst for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. ''I don't think we're going to see much of a spark in auto sales until the second half of this year.''

The Chrysler Corporation reported a sales increase of 32.8 percent over last year, and the Ford Motor Company a 4.8 percent rise, but sales at G.M. fell 22.9 percent. There were nine selling days in the early April period both this year and last.

The seasonally adjusted annual selling rate was 6.2 million units in the first 10 days of April, up from a 5.3 million rate for the last selling period in March, but down from the rates that have prevailed since sales began to pick up in January. The rate that month was 6.8 million units. In February, when rebates began, it was 7.4 million units, and in March, 7.8 million units. Throughout March, rebate programs propped up sales.

G.M., largest of the American car makers, sold 94,023 new cars in the period, down from 121,92l last year, when the company offered incentives to its dealers in most divisions. So far this year, G.M. dealers have sold 1,156,083 new cars, or an average of 13,601 a day, down 7.5 percent on a daily selling rate basis from last year's sales of 1,264,973, or 14,709 a day.

There were 85 selling days in the 1981 year-to-date period and 86 in 1980. G.M. Dominates Market

G.M. held 57.6 percent of the market for domestically produced cars in the early April period, and 61 percent of the market in the yearto-date period. Sales of domestically produced cars make up about 75 percent of all new-car sales in the United States, with imports making up the remainder.

Ford sold 40,62l units in the period, up from 38,755 last year, and captured 24.9 percent of the domestic market. From Jan. 1 through April 10, Ford sold 418,249 new cars, or an average of 4,921 a day, down 9.4 percent from sales last year of 467,141, or 5,432 a day. Ford's year-to-date market share is 22.1 percent.

In a prepared statement, Philip E. Benton Jr., vice president, sales operations, Ford North American Automotive Operations, said, ''We are continuing the momentum of the past two months and are realizing the deliveries from the orders taken during the recent cash assistance program.''

Chrysler sales have continued to climb from a depressed period last year. The company sold 20,444 new cars in early April, up from 15,384 a year earlier, and captured 12.5 percent of the market. Sales for the year to date were up 15 percent, to 232,073, or 2,730 a day, compared with last year's sales of 204,121, or 2,373 a day. Chrysler held a 12.2 percent share of the domestic production market.

Sales by Volkswagen of America were down 9.6 percent in the early April period; the company sold 3,9l3 new cars this year, compared with 4,328 last year. In the year-to-date period, sales declined 7.6 percent, with sales of 47,879, or 563 a day, down from 52,362, or 609 a day. Volkswagen sales made up 2.4 percent of all domestic sales in the 10-day period and 2.5 percent for the year to date.


Secretary of State Haig had a closed meeting last week with the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a general discussion of policy. In the course of it there was an extraordinarily revealing exchange.

Haig was explaining the Reagan Administration's plan to resume arms aid to the right-wing military Government of Argentina. The United States, he said, had shared values with Argentina: a compatibility of views.

Sometime later Representative Gerry Studds, Democrat of Massachusetts, asked the Secretary what values he thought we shared with the Argentine regime except for opposition to Communism. For several minutes, in emotional tones, Haig denounced those - presumably including Studds - who did not understand how Communism was advancing in our hemisphere.

The Congressman said he noted the comments but still would like an answer to his question: What values do we share with the Argentine Government? According to two persons who were present, Haig replied: ''A belief in God.''

Could he have meant the God of Torquemada? Of the Cossacks who terrorized Jews? Of Julius Streicher? For in the last five years Argentina, under its military regime, has experienced anti-Semitism so widespread and brutal that it cannot be a secret to anyone who cares. In the words of Jacobo Timerman, ''nothing equal to it has taken place in the Western world since 1945.''

Timerman, who was a leading Buenos Aires editor and publisher until his detention and torture by Argentine military units, describes in his just-published book what it was like to be a Jew in those circumstances. He heard the Nazi talk, the theories of Jewish conspiracy. He was taunted as a Jew. He felt in his torturers ''a gut excitement, the sense of one's entire being abandoned to hatred.''

And Timerman is not the only first-hand witness who has described the anti-Semitism at work in Argentina. In a country where most political expression is banned, anti-Semitic magazines are freely sold. The swastika appears on the walls of prison interrogation rooms.

Is it possible that Alexander Haig is unaware of those facts? After Haig's answer about a shared belief in God, Congressman Studds said he thought Jacobo Timerman would be surprised. Haig replied that Timerman was not the only expert on the subject.

Haig's remarks showed at the least an incredible insensitivity to the fact and meaning of anti-Semitism - and to the terrible danger for everyone, Jew and non-Jew, when it appears in so morbid a form in a supposedly civilized country.

There is a question here, too, for the American Jewish community. Is it going to sit quietly by while a high official of its Government says we share values - ''a belief in God'' -with a regime under which violent anti-Semitism has been practiced?

In Argentina many Jewish community leaders thought it best not to protest too loudly, not to rock the boat. That troubled Jacobo Timerman more than anything. When he was visited by Yigal Allon of Israel, he writes, ''I told him that I had not been humiliated by torture, by electric shocks on my genitals, but had been profoundly humiliated by the silent complicity of Jewish leaders.''

The Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, former Senator James Buckley, urged the Foreign Affairs Committee successfully not to demand some Argentine steps toward decency before resuming arms aid. He assured the committee that the Argentine Government was not involved in anti-Semitic acts. Is the American Jewish community going to accept such statements, such insults to common intelligence, in silence?

But of course it is not just a Jewish question. Over the last five years thousands of Argentines of all faiths - the estimates run from 5,000 to 15,000 and more - have ''disappeared.'' They were kidnapped by armed military men. Sometimes their bodies turned up, hacked to pieces or burned. More often they were simply never seen again. And no one with the least knowledge of the situation doubts that official military units were responsible.

Nor is it by any means a question limited to Argentina. The Reagan Administration is now considering the resumption of arms sales to the Government of Guatemala that in some ways make Argentina's look moderate. Amnesty International estimates that murder squads under direct Guatemalan Government control have carried out more than 3,000 political killings in the last two years. The Christian Democratic Party has had 76 of its leaders assassinated in the last 10 months.

The question is one of our own soul. Are things at such a point that we Americans must enlist torturers and murderers as our allies and proclaim their values, their God, as ours? Can we conceivably believe that embracing them as our own will strengthen our influence in this hemisphere? How must we appear to our most important Latin neighbors, Mexico and Venezuela? How must we appear to ourselves? What kind of country are we?


RED BARBER was the best baseball broadcaster of his time, to many the best of any time. And tonight his soft Southern voice will be heard again in the opening of ''The First,'' a Broadway musical about Jackie Robinson's rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947 as the major league's first black player.

''The bases,'' Red Barber will say in recreating one game at Ebbets Field, ''are F.O.B.'' Anyone who remembers ''the ol' redhead'' knows he meant the bases were ''full of Brooklyns.'' He put ''rhubarb'' into baseball vocabulary. He had teams and players ''tearin' up the peapatch'' and ''sittin' in the catbird seat,'' which is exactly where he sits now at age 73, living in Tallahassee, Fla., with his wife, Lylah, writing a Sunday sports column for the Tallahassee Democrat and doing a Friday spot on National Public Radio.

He also recently completed a manuscript for a book that Doubleday will publish in the spring. ''My working title for it is, '1947 -The Year All Hell Broke Loose in Baseball,' '' he was saying now. ''Jackie Robinson arrived that year. Leo Durocher was suspended that year. I think it was the most exciting, pivotal year that baseball ever had. And a year that, because of Jackie Robinson, is important in American history.''

Red Barber had been alerted by Branch Rickey, then the Dodgers president, as early as 1945 to the breaking of baseball's color line.

''In March of that year we went to Joe's Restaurant one day and Branch selected a table way back in the room and told me he was going to sign a black player. He planned to scout black players under the guise of forming a Brooklyn Brown Dodgers team in the black league. And then he told me, 'You're the only one who knows this besides the director of the ball club. Naturally, you can tell your wife, but no one else.' It shook me up.

''You've got to remember that I was born and raised in Mississippi and went to school in Florida, the idea of a black being in the major leagues was unthinkable. I even thought about quitting as the Dodgers announcer, but I realized I had no control over being born white anymore than someone else had control over being born black. And let me say that Jackie Robinson was the most exciting ballplayer I've ever seen.''

Red Barber remained in Brooklyn through the 1953 season, then he joined the Yankees as a broadcaster through the 1966 season before returning to Florida. Several months ago, his phone rang.

''At my age, you get all sorts of calls, people want you to buy a cemetery lot, all sorts,'' Red Barber said with a laugh. ''When this man identified himself as Martin Charnin and said he put on Broadway shows, I said, 'Yes.' When he said he was going to do a musical about Jackie Robinson's first year, I said, 'Yes.' I guess he could tell I was withholding - is that a kind word? Then he said, 'I put on 'Annie,' ' and I said, 'Oh, yes.' Then he said he'd like to have me come up and do some sound tracks for his new musical.''

Red Barber planned to be in tonight's audience along with Duke Snider and Ralph Branca from the 1947 Dodger team, Larry Doby (baseball's second black big leaguer) and Leo Durocher (who managed Jackie Robinson in spring training in 1947 prior to his suspension). But when Red Barber was asked what he thinks of current broadcasters, he chuckled.

''I don't think,'' he said. ''I was the servant of microphones for more than 30 years in baseball. I don't have to listen to ball games now. But the current broadcasters seem to be under a lot more pressure than we were. We didn't have club owners who were egomaniacs. And let me say that Vince Scully is the best play-byplay man and Pat Summerall is the best former athlete who has made himself a good broadcaster by working at it.''

Asked for his opinion of Howard Cosell, today's best-known broadcaster, Red Barber paused. ''Cosell is a different fellow,'' he said. ''Cosell doesn't do play-by-play. He's not an announcer, he's what I call a feature man. The first feature man was Dizzy Dean, who didn't do play-by-play either. Dizzy was in another area and so is Cosell, but Howard has been very cordial to me and he did a lovely thing for my daughter Sarah at Jackie Robinson's funeral.''

As a youngster, Sarah Barber often played with Jackie Robinson's children during spring training. ''When she got to Jackie's funeral at the Riverside Church, she couldn't get past the police barricades,'' Red Barber said. ''But she told a policeman that she was Red Barber's daughter and he suggested she tell that to Howard, who was nearby. When she did, Howard took her by the hand and put her in the sixth row. When you have these things happen to you, you guard your thinking.''

As a former broadcaster for both the Dodgers and the Yankees, he had an interest in both of the recent World Series teams. ''I've tried not to root,'' Red Barber said, laughing, ''but Lylah kept walking the floor for the Dodgers all through the Series. I don't miss baseball, I really don't. I'm having a wonderful time now. Lylah and I, we keep house together, we work in the yard together, we go to the supermarket together. I couldn't have a better life. And the broadcasting business has changed so.''

Red Barber remembered that when he was hired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1934 he had to handle only three commercials in nine innings. ''Now there's one every half-inning,'' he said. ''They don't let a broadcaster be a broadcaster anymore. And if I tried to get into broadcasting now, I'd have a hard time. I never won 20 games or hit .300.''

Illustrations: Photo of Red Barber


When a fox is set to guard the chickens, we can assume that the farmer really wanted fricassee. The appointment of Lieut. Gen. Edward L. Rowny as chief arms control negotiator (news story May 1) underscores exactly how little the current Administration cares about potential incineration of this planet.

Actually, this kind of appointment follows a tradition established by the Great Powers in the late 19th century. When, in August of 1898, the Czar issued his famous Rescript, calling on governments to meet for a discussion of the spiraling arms race in Europe, most political leaders responded with suspicion bordering on paranoia but eventually agreed to assemble at The Hague in May of 1899.

Immediately it was evident that progress on arms control would never happen. The German Kaiser's Government sent as its military adviser Baron Karl von Stengel, who had just published a sarcastic attack on the possibility of any arms limitation treaties (''Der Ewige Friede''). Von Stengel subscribed to the notion that governments would violate the law of the survival of the fittest if they attempted to circumscribe power. Fittest meant strongest.

The British sent Sir John Fisher, architect of their program for naval supremacy, and the United States sent Admiral Mahan, author of ''The Influence of Sea Power on History.'' Mahan was not merely a theorist but an active propagandist for the expansion of the U.S.Navy and its future role in global patrolling.

No military adviser at that con-ference - or indeed at its successor in 1908 - was willing to propose the slightest transnational control on his nation's right to arm to the teeth. Not only did national secu-rity require such sovereignty but, they argued, international controls would stifle scientific ingenuity. In order to be enforced, they would require violations of national sovereignty.

Thus, two efforts to curb the international anarchy were thwarted and Europeans rushed on into 1914, so perfectly ''prepared'' that they nearly eliminated Western civilization in the terrible equality of their power. In the post-1919 decade, when efforts at arms control revived with far greater public sympathy, the military experts continued to find reasons why ''it would never work.''

Military specialists involved in international arms limitation activities have generally taken the position that no treaty is viable without guarantees of superiority for their side. Given that viewpoint, the 80's promise to become the most dangerous yet of the cold-war decades. SANDI E. COOPER, Professor of History, College of Staten Island, Staten Island, N.Y., May 4, 1981

Summary: To the Editor:    When a fox is set to guard the chickens, we can assume that the farmer really wanted fricassee.  The appointment of Lieut. Gen. Edward L. Rowny as chief arms control negotiator (news story May 1) underscores exactly how little the current Administration cares about potential incineration of this planet.    Actually, this kind of appointment follows a tradition established by the Great Powers in the late 19th century. When, in August of 1898, the Czar issued his famous Rescript, calling on governments to meet for a discussion of the spiraling arms race in Europe, most political leaders responded with suspicion bordering on paranoia but eventually agreed to assemble at The Hague in May of 1899.


WASHINGTON, Aug. 9— Spokesmen for a major Iranian student organization say they are receiving no financing or direction from the Iranian Government, but they acknowledge that they have informal connections with the militants holding the American hostages.

''We haven't accepted any money from the Government of Iran,'' said Mohammad Badr, a bearded 34-year-old doctoral candidate at St. Louis University in Missouri. ''They say we received $5 million from the Government. We don't need that kind of money. The only expense we have is paying for lawyers, and we can pay for that with donations. The students pay their own expenses to come to the demonstrations.''

Last week Federal officials said they had evidence that Iran had sent money and other assistance to supporters of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the revolutionary leader, to foment civil disturbances in the United States. The officials would not provide details but said the evidence would be sent to a grand jury probably one already sitting in Chicago.

There were allegations from law-enforcement sources that money for protest efforts was being raised through the sale of heroin and hashish brought into the United States. To these allegations Mr.Badr replied: ''That's a stupid remark. If the police have information about drugs, they should arrest someone.'' Onlookers Jeered and Threw Eggs

Some Washingtonians, angered by Iran's continued holding of the hostages, have thrown eggs and tomatoes at the Iranian students and jeered or excoriated them as they marched through the streets in a series of demonstrations in the last two weeks.

But Mr. Badr and Abbis Esfahani, a 24-year-old senior at Kansas State University in Manhattan, both of whom said they had been selected as spokesmen for the Moslem Student Association of North America (Persian Speaking Group), said the demonstrations had nothing to do with the hostages and were in protest against what they believed was continued United States intervention in Iran.

Mr. Esfahani described the aborted mission to rescue the hostages in April as a terrorist action and said he believed that the United States had been involved in several attempts to overthrow the Khomeini regime.

On July 27, in the first of the recent demonstrations, a number of Iranian students were injured in a clash with the police and 192 men and women were jailed on charges of disorderly conduct. Those charges were dropped six days later, but the Immigration and Naturalization Service ordered that the students be flown to Federal prisons in New York State and detained on suspicion of violating immigration laws. Four days later the Government said all but one of the students seemed to be within the law and they were freed. Demonstrations Were Held in Iran

In Iran tens of thousands poured into the streets to show their support for the students in the United States and to protest their jailing, raising fears among Americans that the hostages' lives might be endangered.

Mr. Badr said he had been told that while the students were in jail, some members of the Moslem Student Association had telephoned friends among the militants in Iran on a personal basis, not in behalf of the student group. ''We didn't ask for any instructions and we didn't give any advice,'' he said.

Mr. Badr said he and the others believed that the jailing of the students in the United States had had a psychological effect on the hostages. He said the student group had prepared a leaflet urging the Iranian Government not to relate ''our situation with the hostage crisis.'' ''We shouldn't be traded for the hostages,'' he added.

Asserting that the student group was independent, Mr. Badr said, ''We're not going to listen to anybody, even the students who took the hostages. And they're not consulting with us.''

Mr. Esfahani said the hostages did not enter into the planning of his organization. ''We don't even talk about that situation,'' he said. ''We don't even include that in our slogans.'' Professor Quoted on the Students

Thomas Ricks, an assistant professor of Middle Easteren history at George Washington University and an expert on Iranian student organizations, said the students were simply saying to the United States, ''Hands off Iran.''

Mr. Esfahani said the main purpose of the demonstration of his group on July 27 was to counter a march by an group called the Iranian Freedom Foundation.

''They were really being organized by the United States,'' he said. ''We were protesting that the United States was trying to organize those people. We thought this was another conspiracy against the revolution in our country.''


A LOCATION in Levittown notwithstanding, Divino has a great deal in common with restaurants in old Roslyn and Glen Cove, both in its style and its menu. It should prove a welcome addition to this mid-Nassau area.

The restaurant has been tucked into the side of the building that houses the glittery Decameron nightclub, but it is tailored and sedate. The dining room, on two levels, is softly lit and done in a neutral taupe. Tables covered in pink are roomy and chairs are capacious, but it seems as though those responsible for the decorating never sat down for a meal because the attractive glass bud vases, each with a single fresh bloom, are just tall enough to obscure the face of the person opposite. Radio music piped in with commercials does not provide a quality touch.

The owner of the restaurant is a thoroughly gracious professional who has assembled a staff of well-trained servers and captains. Some of them make up for a lack of polish with obvious efforts to please. They are ready to refill wine glasses, proffer a pepper mill and make sure you are content. Despite the formality of the setting and the service, the atmosphere remains pleasantly unpretentious.

The menu offers the Continental amalgam of French and Italian specialties, a few of which are original enough to keep things interesting. Snails in mushroom caps are not a novelty, but here they come basted with a fragrant tarragon and wine sauce. Cream of mussel soup with saffron is an ivory bisque thickened with bits of mussels. The saffron is so subtle as to be nonexistent, but the flavor of mussels carries the day.

First courses of shared pasta dishes might focus on strands of fettuccine in a cream sauce liberally mixed with plump snails, which when enhanced by salt, pepper and some additional cheese is delicate but satisfying. Tortellini fashioned of spinach pasta basks in a gossamer tomato sauce sharpened with vodka and touched with cream.

The entree of scampi broiled to a turn in a sauce enriched with white wine, tarragon and tomato, while made with shrimp of modest size, was very good. A portion of striped bass in a green, parsleyflecked white wine sauce with a garnish of clams and mussels was a light, fresh and simple dish inspired by the cooking of Spain.

A special one evening of roast veal with a forcemeat of spinach, meat and cheese in a natural gravy was a delectable change of pace, the filling adding a savory counterpoint to the tender slices of veal. What was billed as quail stew turned out to be a trio of tiny roasted quail in a tomato-based sauce that moistened the slightly overcooked birds without actually relating to them.

Problems with sauces that do not marry well also affected the slices of filet of beef Madagascar in Cognac and cream. That dish could have used the sharp bite of peppercorns that the name Madagascar suggested. (Green peppercorns are usually imported from Madagascar.) The dish was composed of rather bland beef in a sauce that was nearly tasteless.

Duck with amaretto and fruit was crisply roasted without sacrificing its succulence, and the garnish of fresh apple slices, yellow raisins and canned bing cherries was kept tart enough to make the dish acceptable. But the amaretto did little to enhance it, and a simple dash of brandy might have been preferable.

The entrees are served on particularly small plates, which definitely detract from the presentation. And the overlarge servings of vegetables on the side, the same to every customer (broccoli one night, beans another), are often overcooked and tepid. Dinnerware of a size that can accommodate properly garnished entrees would be far more attractive.

Both Caesar and spinach salads, prepared to order in the dining room, are decent but not outstanding. Desserts include satisfactorily rich chocolate mousse cake, a good cassata cake laced with amaretto, and creamy cheesecake. Chocolatecovered strawberries are too soft and sticky. Cannoli and a chocolate-covered ice cream ball are banal.

The wine list offers mainly Italian selections, including a superbly smooth and well structured 1971 spanna by Brugo for $12.75. This wine from the Piedmont region of Italy is in impeccable condition, just ready for drinking and an outstanding value at the price. The 1980 Torresella pinot grigio for $9.75 is a delightfully refreshing white wine.

A three-course dinner with wine is likely to average $30 a person including tax and tip. **Divino 2890 Hempstead Turnpike, Levittown. 579-4411. Atmosphere: Subdued, tailored dining room; generally professional, concerned and considerate service. Recommended dishes: Snails with tarragon, cream of mussel soup, fettuccine with snails, tortellini alla vodka, roast veal with spinach stuffing, duck with amaretto, scampi Portofino, striped bass in green sauce, chocolate mousse cake, cassata cake. Price range: A la carte entrees $7.25 to $16.25. Credit cards: American Express, Diners Club, Master-Card, Visa. Hours: Dinner only, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 6 P.M. to 11 P.M., Friday and Saturday 6 P.M. to 1 A.M. Dinner guests are entitled to dance in the adjacent nightclub, which connects directly with the restaurant on evenings when it is open. Reservations: Necessary on weekends. What the stars mean: (None) Fair to poor * Good ** Very good *** Excellent **** Extraordinary These ratings are based on the reviewer's reaction to food and price in relation to comparable establishments.


The Manhattan Theater Club pays attention to writers, whom it brings to public attention either in person or in their words in several series, called the Poetry Series (although by no means limited to versifiers), starting at this time of year.

Tonight at 8 P.M., the movement kicks off with ''Writers in Performance,'' a Monday night series whose first undertaking promises to draw such an audience that it has been moved to the auditorium of the City University Graduate School Center at 33 West 42d Street. Tickets for this event only, a benefit, cost $30 (some discount tickets will be available at the door).

The subject is ''An Evening With Raymond Chandler,'' and the writings of the whodunit master will be voiced live by John Houseman, the theatrical man of all chores; Darren McGavin, who has been a very tough private eye, indeed, in movies; and Frank McShane, who has written biographies of Chandler, John O'Hara and Ford Madox Ford. They will give a theatrical reading that will take you back to such Chandler heroes as Philip Marlowe, the protagonist of ''The Big Sleep,'' ''Farewell, My Lovely'' and ''The Long Goodbye.''

In addition, film clips will be shown of ''The Blue Dahlia,'' the 1946 movie written by Chandler that starred Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake. All followed by a party to celebrate the start of the second decade of the series.

The block on West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues is one of those nice old New York blocks, brownstones and other lowlevel buildings that lend themselves very neatly to sites for restaurants. There are so many of them, from fancy to modest, that the block is officially designated in street signs as Restaurant Row. The emphasis here is on eating, but there is entertainment also.

Broadway Joe, at 315 West 46th Street ( 246-6513, 974-9832), is one of the senior restaurants on the block but under new ownership it has set about adding a new look to accompany its traditional steaks and other specialties. It has also installed music, mostly jazz, as a permanent feature.

Tonight and tomorrow, for instance, starting at about 10:30 P.M., Charles Cochran takes over the piano, with his large repertory of jazz, show tunes and other pop. From Wednesday through Saturday, the piano is manned by Jimmy Lyon, well known for his manipulation of the keys on Cole Porter's white piano at the Waldorf-Astoria.

The piano at Broadway Joe is in the bar up front, where you can drink or eat and look at the wall drawings of sports and other prominent New York personalities done for the place by Al Hirschfeld. Drink s, from $2.75 up; main courses, from $10 .50 up. No minimum, no cover Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, the re is also jazz startingat 9 P.M., but with special charge. FOOTNOTE TO HISTORY

In 1945, the leaders of the fight against the Axis, Truman, Stalin, Churchill and Attlee, met at Potsdam, 30 miles from shattered Berlin, to discuss the shape of the world to come out of the ashes and to plan the end of the war against Japan. To provide some mental surcease from these pressing problems, four British musicians were also dispatched to Potsdam to provide the leaders with soothing chamber music.

That's history. David Pinner, a British writer, was taken by the story of the musicians. He wrote a play about it, ''The Potsdam Quartet,'' which makes its American debut at 8 tonight in a production by the New York Theater Workshop at the Lion Theater, 422 West 42d Street.

In the play, the four musicians are seen while taking their breaks (you never see faces of the world leaders) and the story centers on their developing relationship in their comparative isolation from the rest of the world. ''The Potsdam Quartet,'' which first appeared in London in 1980, is directed by Jacques Levy, who directed Jean-Claude van Itallie's ''America Hurrah'' and Bruce Jay Friedman's ''Scuba Duba,'' among others.

The cast includes John Braden, Roger Forbes, George Kyle, Bill Mor and Gavin Reed. Performances, after tonight, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 7, with matinees at 3 on Saturday and Sunday. Admission: $10, $12.

For today's Entertainment Events, see page C12. For Sports Today, see page C5. Richard F. Shepard

Illustrations: photo of Charles Cochran

Summary: IN WRITING   The Manhattan Theater Club pays attention to writers, whom it brings to public attention either in person or in their words in several series, called the Poetry Series (although by no means limited to versifiers), starting at this time of year.   Tonight at 8 P.M., the movement kicks off with ''Writers in Performance,'' a Monday night series whose first undertaking promises to draw such an audience that it has been moved to the auditorium of the City University Graduate School Center at 33 West 42d Street.  Tickets for this event only, a benefit, cost $30 (some discount tickets will be available at the door).   The subject is ''An Evening With Raymond Chandler,'' and the writings of the whodunit master will be voiced live by John Houseman, the theatrical man of all chores; Darren McGavin, who has been a very tough private eye, indeed, in movies; and Frank McShane, who has written biographies of Chandler, John O'Hara and Ford Madox Ford.  They will give a theatrical reading that will take you back to such Chandler heroes as Philip Marlowe, the protagonist of ''The Big Sleep,'' ''Farewell, My Lovely'' and ''The Long Goodbye.''


The article concerning a new development (''A New Boon for the Careful Shopper: Talking Cash Registers,'' Feb. 3) indicates that the price of each purchase is announced as it passes through the scanner. For items that bear a code there is probably no difficulty.

Fresh produce, however -fruits and vegetables - lack ready identification. Nothing was mentioned on this point and I'm also left to wonder how ''cents off'' coupons, also in the uncoded category, are handled.

As the bill mounts, the feminine voices which reportedly furnish information to the cust omer will have to surmount a considerable volume of noi se.

At present some markets employ amplification at regular intervals to announce daily specials; others prefer to beguile the shopper with background music which might more accura tely be labeled ''foreground music.'' The Tower of Babel coul d finish a poor second to the supermarket of tomorrow. THOMAS G. MORGANSEN Jackson Heights, Queens

Summary: TO THE LIVING SECTION:   The article concerning a new development (''A New Boon for the Careful Shopper: Talking Cash Registers,'' Feb. 3) indicates that the price of each purchase is announced as it passes through the scanner. For items that bear a code there is probably no difficulty.


05/26/2015 AT 09:45 AM EDT

cut a stunning figure in cream on Monday as she attended a photo-call for her new comedy

The 44-year-old actress was all smiles as she posed on the red carpet at the Hotel De Rome in Berlin looking noticeably slimmer.

McCarthy previously told PEOPLE that she's happy with the way

. "I've never felt like I needed to change," she said. "I've always thought, 'If you want somebody different, pick somebody else.' "

a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. "It was a little overwhelming," she later admitted.

"I thought, 'Just try to stay in it so you remember it, don't get so overwhelmed,' because I'm like, I don't want to forget today, I don't want to forget my mom, my kids, anybody that I get to see here watch this happen. I want to remember every second of it," she said.

as a CIA analyst who gets a shot at her first mission in the field. Needless to say, things do not go as planned.

The film, which also stars Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Jude Law, hits theaters June 5.

Summary: The actress donned a stunning cream-colored dress


Kourtney Kardashian (left) and Kylie Jenner

08/07/2015 AT 08:50 AM EDT

were photographed out and about Wednesday wearing stylish shades and mono-material outfits: head-to-toe denim for Kardashian, 36, (plus a name game necklace by Danielle Stevens Jewelry) and leather for Kylie, 17.

Kylie also posted an Instgram of the reality stars' shoes – metallic pumps and strappy black stilletos – with the caption, "Another @kourtneykardashian & Kylie day."

Kardashian has been focusing on family since splitting from longtime love

has some competition for her older sister's affections.

"Abigail is totally not taking it seriously that Amelia may have replaced her," Kourtney

of her outing with Kylie, referring to the silly nicknames she and Khloé use for each other. (They're also the names of sister geese in the Disney movie

Khloé, 31, has been jet-setting around the world, from Australia to promote the sublings' Kardashian Kids clothing line to Mexico to

And Kylie is gearing up for her 18th birthday Monday, after which she'll head to Montreal, Canada, where she can legally drink, for a

Summary: The siblings were photographed out and about in Beverly Hills


Getting access to a reliable, clean source of water is a daily challenge for a lot of the world's population. According to the United Nations, roughly 1.2 billion people worldwide live in an area where water is physically scarce.

For many who do have access to water, it is often dangerously contaminated and unfit for human consumption: the World Health Organization states that 1.8 billion people drink water contaminated with sewage.

One company is looking to change the lives of people across the planet by creating drinkable water from sunshine and sea water. Desolenator has developed what it describes as a solar-powered, low-cost desalination system that can, the company claims, "make any type of water – including sea water – drinkable."

Read MoreCould algae save the planet?

The size of a flat-screen TV, the Desolenator can produce roughly 15 liters of water per day, according to the company. The cost of installing a Desolenator in a house will be less than £500 ($774), according to William Janssen, founder and CEO of Desolenator.

Like any solar panel, the Desolenator converts sunlight into electric energy. Foam insulation and double glazing make the Desolenator incredibly hot, and when water is fed over what the company describes as a 'solar collector' it boils, creating water vapor. According to the website of Desolenator, this vapor is then, "captured and fed back into the solar collector as condensed, distilled water."

Read MoreHow fermentation can turn plants into plastic

"Currently there is no cheap, effective, straight forward small scale solution available for desalination," Janssen told CNBC.com in a phone interview.

"There are reverse osmosis devices… but they consume a huge amount of power, electrical energy, and they are not very green because they need chemicals and they need constant maintenance," he added. "They provide a solution, but it is a complicated solution."

Summary: A company is looking to change the lives of people across the planet by creating drinkable water from solar power and sea water. How?


A spokesman for Adelson declined comment.

Adelson sued O'Keeffe in a Hong Kong court after a December 2012 article in The Wall Street Journal described Adelson as "a scrappy, foul-mouthed billionaire from working class Dorchester, Mass."

Adelson took issue with the "foul-mouthed" label and filed suit in Hong Kong, which doesn't have the same press protections as the U.S. The article detailed a legal battle between Adelson and Steve Jacobs, the former CEO of the Las Vegas Sands' Macau operations.

Read MoreMore people give up citizenship

U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk ruled Tuesday that Adelson could not block efforts by O'Keeffe from seeking documents from Kirk Thorell, a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers' Florham Park, New Jersey, office, who was Las Vegas Sands Casino's auditor for 25 years.

"It is O'Keeffe's position that Mr. Thorell has or may have information and/or documents that would support the notion that Mr. Adelson is 'foul-mouthed,'" Falk wrote in his opinion.

Read MoreConnecticut to rich: Please don't leave

In a statement, Jason Conti, senior vice president and deputy general counsel, for Dow Jones, said: "We are gratified that the court rejected Mr. Adelson's attempt to avoid discovery in the United States. We will continue to vigorously defend our reporter in this meritless Hong Kong libel case."

To read the full NJ.com report, click here.

Summary: Billionaire Sheldon Adelson has been called many things, but there is one label that he has decided to fight in court: “foul-mouthed.”