“It is never easy to tell people that whole parts of the business that have put bread on their table and bought them a second house have become uneconomic,” said Guy Moszkowski, a longtime securities analyst at Autonomous Research.

By any measure, Mr. Thiam is an unconventional choice to lead an investment bank. Born to a prominent family in Ivory Coast, he cut short a career at McKinsey & Company in Paris in 1994 to join a reform-minded government in his home country as a top banker and minister.

Following a military coup in 1999, Mr. Thiam returned to McKinsey, and in 2009, he was named chief executive of Prudential, the British insurance conglomerate — becoming the first African to head a major listed company in Britain.

Six-foot-four and snugly tailored, Mr. Thiam has an air about him of not suffering fools. He had a successful run at Prudential (no relation to an American company with a similar name), overcoming an uproar following a failed bid to buy the Asian operations of the American International Group. Along the way, he became one of London’s more celebrated executives and a regular on the circuit of global get-togethers.

That he has not bent to the complaints of bankers and traders in unprofitable businesses should not come as a surprise. “There needs to be a cultural change,” he said in a televised interview in March, in which he argued that bankers were pursuing risky trades to justify their high pay. “A lot of the problems in the investment bank are that people are trying to generate revenue at all costs.”

In turn, deal makers in London and New York, who have seen their bonuses slashed by nearly 40 percent, are not hiding their dislike of the man.

The results bolstered the position of Tidjane Thiam, the new Credit Suisse chief executive, as he prepares to put his stamp on the Swiss bank.

More than any other bank on Wall Street, Credit Suisse restricts the cash portion of its bonuses, allocating large chunks in company stock, which has halved in value. So when their new chief executive gave a speech in May and said that Credit Suisse’s stock price “reflected reality,” bankers, especially the many who have worked at the firm for decades, could not believe it.

On Credit Suisse’s newly renovated trading floor in New York, several bankers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, grumbled that Mr. Thiam had “lost the building,” which is Wall Street parlance for chief executives who no longer command the respect of their traders. And when he has appeared on television in recent months, employees loudly vented their frustrations at the screen, according those bankers, who witnessed the events but were not authorized to speak publicly.

Mr. Thiam was hailed during his first visit to the trading floor in New York last year, but the reception during a more recent appearance was chillier, said two employees who were on the floor during his visits but were not authorized to speak publicly. In particular, many at Credit Suisse find Mr. Thiam’s personal style to be jarring at a time when thousands are being laid off and the stock is trading at a multiyear low.

This is particularly true when compared with Brady W. Dougan, his low-key predecessor: Mr. Thiam’s own dealings with the media are handled by a British firm, Powerscourt. He enjoys a robust social life and has been seen doing the rounds at clubs in London and Davos, Switzerland. And he recently purchased a luxury home in Herrliberg, an exclusive lakeside enclave in Zurich.

To be sure, analysts agree that Credit Suisse can no longer rely on trading derivatives with firms like Deutsche Bank as a profit center. Instead, Mr. Thiam is encouraging his deal makers to support the firm’s private bankers in Asia, by providing loans to palm-oil magnates in Indonesia or helping billionaire clients in China with initial public offerings.

Mr. Thiam is clearly enamored with the prospect of tapping growth markets in emerging economies. He has been to China and broader Asia at least four times in his new capacity, and his business cards carry a Mandarin translation on the back.

Mr. Thiam’s defenders say that with the future of Credit Suisse in doubt, he has no choice but to make these painful changes and that resistance from well-compensated traders and bankers should not deter him. And it is also true that wealth managers in Switzerland and Asia, where Mr. Thiam is adding resources, are embracing the new strategy.

Following last year’s losses, he also asked his board for a 40 percent cut in his bonus, taking in $4.5 million for the six months he worked last year.

To date, the Credit Suisse board appears to be standing with Mr. Thiam. Indeed, having had two Wall Street chiefs since 2001, the board clearly believes that only a prominent nonbanker like Mr. Thiam can wean the firm off a line of business that has so long defined it.

Nevertheless, directors were not happy with his televised comments in March when Mr. Thiam suggested that traders at the bank were hiding losses from him. Mr. Thiam quickly corrected himself at a conference that same day and said no limits were breached, though not without taking another dig at his traders by questioning their judgment. Mr. Thiam also called these distressed-debt traders and offered what a spokeswoman for the bank said was a “clarification” of his remarks.

“The board is 100 percent behind the strategy, Tidjane and the executive board,” said Richard E. Thornburgh, a former Credit Suisse banker with 30 years of experience at the firm who is now chairman of the board’s risk committee.

With morale in New York at a low point, Mr. Thornburgh has had recent meetings with top bankers and traders, hearing them out and urging them to remain focused on their clients. For many, though, this is easier said than done. It is unusual, after all, for an incoming chief executive to be so publicly critical of employees responsible for a quarter of a firm’s revenue.

That is particularly true on Wall Street, where punctured vanities can quickly harm a firm, as productive bankers head for the exits in droves. Over the last six months, at least 18 bankers and traders have left the firm, with many of these coming from Credit Suisse’s once prestigious technology unit in San Francisco.

The culture clash at Credit Suisse recalls a similar dispute at Morgan Stanley a decade ago. Like Mr. Thiam, Philip J. Purcell was a former whiz kid consultant from McKinsey who preferred slow and steady brokers over bankers with big egos and even bigger paychecks. A banker-led uprising forced Mr. Purcell’s departure, since power on Wall Street was then still in the hands of deal makers and traders.

With wealth managers now ascendant, Mr. Thiam seems willing to accept the wounded cries of his own bankers as a painful necessity if his grand plan is to succeed. “Is there a vision. Is there a direction?” Mr. Thiam asked aloud last year in a speech introducing his strategy. “The Germans say that the horrible end is better than horror without end.”

A version of this article appears in print on June 5, 2016, on page BU1 of the New York edition with the headline: A Bank Boss Who’s Losing the Bankers. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

Summary: A drop in bonuses and a move away from investment banking have led traders to grumble about Tidjane Thiam’s plans for the future of the Swiss bank.


Along with serving grain-free, organic and all natural foods to their cats and dogs, more Americans are dishing out raw food to their pets. In the past year, retail sales of raw freeze-dried dog and cat food jumped 64%, from $25 million to $40 million, and sales of raw frozen pet food jumped 32% from $52 million to $69 million, according to GfK, a market research firm.

Petfood Industry, a trade publication, called the trend part of the “humanization” of pet food, where owners want to provide better nutrition, higher quality and organic ingredients. And now as a corollary to our Paleo diet, they’re embracing raw food as a way of simulating how dogs and cats would eat in the wild.

Proponents of raw pet food, which can be purchased fresh, frozen or freeze dried, claim that it will keep pets healthier, give them shinier coats, healthier skin, and more energy, and keep them free of such problems as obesity and a list of canine and feline diseases. A Survey by Allprovide, a raw pet food company, found that 33 percent of “health conscious” pet owners surveyed said they would be interested in feeding their pets a fresh, raw food diet.

Yet, the trend to go raw is not without controversy — and health concerns. There’s been an uptick in the number of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls of raw pet food because of contamination with listeria, salmonella and E. coli. In July alone, there were four recalls of raw pet food. Vital Essentials’ batches of frozen beef tripe and Stella & Chewy’s batches of chicken freeze-dried dinner patties were among the products recalled, due to potential listeria contamination. Nature’s Variety voluntarily recalled its Instinct Raw Chicken Formula for dogs due to a possible salmonella risk.

However, recalls of pet food of all kinds have become the norm. “In recent years, the whole pet food industry has been heavily scrutinized by the FDA, and it’s part of this drive to move them to the same standards as human food,” says James Marsden, PhD, professor of food safety and security at Kansas State University. The vast majority of recalls have been precautionary, resulting from routine sampling, not pets or people coming down with illnesses.

Still, raw food of any type is riskier. A study conducted by the FDA found that raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with salmonella or listeria compared to non raw pet foods sampled for the study. The FDA is mostly concerned about humans. Handling raw meat at home can expose pet owners to the bacteria, and could potential make you, well, sick as a dog.

Pets may also carry the pathogens without showing signs of sickness, and can shed germs that could make their pet owners sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But dogs and cats are not immune to some of these pathogens either. Pets can get sick from salmonella and E. coli, though healthy pets will rarely become sick from listeria.

In 2012, the American Veterinary Medical Association passed a resolution discouraging feeding pets raw food diets because of the risks to their owners. But Marsden said this advice is outdated. The technology to kill pathogens, including high pressure processing and slow pasteurization, has improved dramatically since then. “If it’s done right, they’re very, very safe,” he says. “The industry leaders are taking measures to control contamination. If they weren’t, they would have contamination in every lot.”

“Most companies have stringent safety and quality control programs in place to ensure their products are contaminant-free,” says Debbie Phillips-Donaldson, editor-in-chief, Petfood Industry.

Laurie Tarkan is an award-winning health journalist who writes for The New York Times, Fortune and other publications. She is the three-time recipient of the National Health Information Awards, and won the Rose Kushner Award for Writing Achievement in the Field of Breast Cancer.

Summary: Raw pet food sales jumped dramatically in the last year, even as the trend is raising health concerns.


As a Nashville native, Meagan Nordmann thought she knew all about friendly locals—until she flew to Albuquerque.

“Before my plane had even landed in The Land of Enchantment, I had probably 20 tweets from locals offering to take me out for coffee,” says the digital marketer, who recently relocated to the New Mexico city. “I dare say, Albuquerque is even friendlier than Nashville. I suppose this is one of the reasons locals here jokingly call it ‘The Land of Entrapment.’ ”

That group-hug mentality is indeed one reason why the Southwestern city—as well as the affable folks in Tennessee—made Travel+Leisure’s top 10 for friendly cities. In the most recent America’s Favorite Cities survey, readers ranked 38 metro areas for such inviting features as wine bars, pizza and luxury shopping—along with the conviviality of the locals who might be serving drinks, ringing up your order or just offering directions outside your hotel.

Geographically, the top 15 winners represent a distinct advantage among heartland cities—though one could argue that the size of city, not the location, may be a better indicator of heart. The winning cities also ranked well in the survey for some concrete features that make it easy for locals to show off their sunny demeanors: pedestrian-friendly streets, cool boutiques, coffee houses, and even communal, picnic-table-equipped food truck pods.

The friendliest cities have certain intangible qualities, too. Charleston’s high ranking may come in part from its slower-paced lifestyle, says Isabelle Furth, a p.r. exec who lives in Washington D.C. (a city that, ahem, did not make the top 15 this year). “I remember walking into an upscale boutique in Charleston and being offered sweet tea and a cookie,” says Furth. “The soft Southern accents don’t hurt, either.”

With a song in their hearts—and probably one on their lips, too—these Tennesseans won the survey for making visitors feel welcome. Not surprisingly, they also won the survey for their music scene: you can mingle with the locals at the singer-songwriter-loving Listening Room Café; the rehabbed, music-plus-eats Acme Feed & Seed; or at lovable dives like Santa’s Pub, the double-wide-trailer-housed bar managed by a suspiciously jovial bearded fellow. Nashville also ranked at No. 11 for its cheery food trucks, like Biscuit Love and Smokin Thighs. All that smiling is apparently good for the skin: Nashvillians also made the top 10 for their good looks.

These outdoorsy locals apparently treat visitors like family. In that spirit, the city also ranked near the top for being both kid-friendly and having a sense of adventure; outside of ski season, you can combine the two at Snowbird—by hiking, mountain biking or riding its twisting Alpine Slide and Mountain Coaster. If you come to ski in December, though, you can see why the city also ranked at No. 3 for Christmas lights. Year-round, readers’ favorite food in SLC was the burger, in part because the city has its own regional quirk: pastrami-topped wonders, like the originals found at Crown Burgers.

If they’re weren’t so darn nice, you might have to loathe these Minnesotans, who also ranked at the top of the survey for being smart and super-fit. Plus, they know how to entice visitors, earning the silver-medal spot for free attractions like the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (currently showing an exhibition of pieces from the royal Habsburgs) and the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden (home to Claes Oldenburg’s Spoonbridge and Cherry). To bond with the locals over one of their well-ranked craft brews—they took the bronze medal for beer in this year’s survey—go to Dangerous Man Brewing Co., where, just to be nice, patrons are invited to join in community volunteer projects. Speaking of perceived danger, the Twin Cities also ranked near the top for feeling nicely non-threatening.

These helpful Missourians clearly made readers feel at ease: the city ranked at the top for being both affordable and having good drivers. The locals also warmed the hearts of readers with their barbecue, which won the survey this year. While you can’t go wrong with the classic burnt ends at either Arthur Bryant’s or Gates Bar-B-Q (with its “Hi, May I Help You?” sign), carnivorous foodies also love The Local Pig, near the East Bottoms stockyards district, which boasts of using only humanely raised meats and gets creative with lamb, rabbit, and duck, along with dishes like burnt-end bratwursts and Thai peanut sausage.

The folks in Oklahoma’s state capitol struck readers as having few pretensions: they ranked as the least rude and the least snobby in the nation (but, alas, also as the least stylish). But perhaps they just have a misunderstood fashion sense: some of the best shops in the artsy Plaza District have a serious streak of kitsch, like the retro boutique Dig It and the in-your-face vintage of Bad Granny’s Bazaar. To channel a little more of the city’s grandmotherly karma—and see why the city was perhaps underrated for its wild side—order a slice of Bird Dog Buttermilk (peaches, raspberries and brown sugar oat crumble) at the neighborhood’s Pie Junkie.

Not only do these South Carolinians rank as some of the best-mannered people in the nation, they’re also some of the best coiffed, ranking at No. 3 for being pretty. Charleston also scored No. 1 for its pretty (and hospitable) architecture: You can stay in the John Rutledge House Inn, the only home of a Constitution signer that is now a B&B. Since the city also ranked near the top for home décor and antique shopping, you can take some of the hospitable vibe home: check out the Matouk and Sferra linens at The Boutique, off Washington Square, which, despite all the crystal and china, also welcomes dogs (assuming they are well-mannered, too).

These Pennsylvanians got high marks for being exuberant—they ranked at No. 1 for sports-team passion—but they know how to make nice in the off-season. If you want to break bread with them, go to one of their famed (and No. 6-ranked) sandwich places—like Primanti Bros., where the sliced-bread sandwiches are topped with coleslaw and French fries, or Peppi’s, where you can butter up the Steelers fans by ordering a Roethlisburger (named for quarterback Ben, and topped with ground beef, sausage, eggs and cheese). Pittsburgh also made the top 20 for its mass transit: the buses and light rail are accommodatingly free within the city’s Golden Triangle zone.

In the city that triumphed at No. 1 for quirky locals, wall-to-wall festivals, and wild weekends, readers clearly felt they could be themselves here. Since the city ranked in the top five for nearly every nightlife category, locals might seem even friendlier after dark: you can come as you are to the no-cover-charge, Saturday night dance party at The Hi-Ho Lounge (with DJ-spun funk, jazz and “underground disco” until 3 a.m.), or pull up a stool to the tabby-cat bartender at beloved dive bar Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge (known to attract fun-loving celebs like Quentin Tarantino and George Clooney). No coincidence, the city also ranked at the top of the survey for vivid people-watching.

The New Mexico city made the friendly top 10 for its affable citywide demeanor: it ranked well for its lack of noise, great weather, and overall relaxing vibe. The locals also seem to have a healthy sense of humor: You can spend the night in a rehabbed psychiatric hospital (the sleek Hotel Parq Central), or pick up sweets related to the city’s connection to Breaking Bad, like the faux crystal-meth candy from The Candy Lady or even the “Blue Sky” donuts at Rebel Donut. Just don’t spoil your appetite: Albuquerque also ranked well for its street food, and has a large presence on the state’s so-dubbed Breakfast Burrito Byway: two classic spots are Frontier and Burrito Lady.

The Texas capital is a highly social town. You can find chatty locals jogging around Lady Bird Lake (they ranked at No. 5 for being fit), taking a dip in the bracing waters of Barton Springs, or just waiting in line for the legendary brisket and trimmings at East Austin’s Franklin Barbecue. The city also ranked well for brainy locals and bookstores—and you can find both at BookPeople, the city’s nerve center for readings and book signings. Granted, these locals might want to be more than friends: Austin also ranked in the top 5 for its singles scene.

This article originally appeared on Travel + Leisure

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Summary: These cities will welcome you with open arms


Three months ago Intel said it would buy chip maker Altera in a deal valued at $16.7 billion. It was a significant investment for the world’s largest chip company and much was made over the consolidation in the semiconductor industry. On Thursday however, we got a lot more color on why Intel plans to plunk down a considerable hunk of money for Altera.

It basically boils down to this one statistic offered up by Jason Waxman, the VP & GM of the cloud platforms group at Intel. Waxman said that by 2020 Intel believes a third of the data center market could be using the type of chips that Altera specializes in.

Altera makes a type of chip called a field programmable gate array, or FPGA, that’s really a fancy way of saying a type of chip that can be reprogrammed after its made. The industry has traditionally used FPGAs in specialty scenarios as opposed to putting them in common servers or workstations because they are larger, cost more, and generally don’t perform as efficiently as general purpose chips.

In presentations covering the data center, where clients like Microsoft are using FPGAs to run their search algorithms to presentations on accelerators where future machine-learning customers are eyeing FPGAs to run neural networks, Intel sees FPGAs everywhere. In the networking word, FPGAs are already present in cellular base stations, and Intel INTC is hoping to gain more market share inside those boxes with, yes, its FPGAs.

Basically, Intel sees FPGAs like I see Sriracha. They belong everywhere.

Intel’s optimism isn’t totally unfounded; it’s part of a shift to agility and customization that’s playing out at all levels of the hardware ecosystem. As “software eats the world,” it’s tougher to be a chip company designing and building a product that requires 18 months to go from idea to something physical. At least with an FPGA, you can offer a physical product that can be changed, even if that ability to tweak it comes at a cost.

There’s an opportunity here too for startups trying to alter the current FPGA model to make it a little bit more flexible. For example, the startup Flex Logic is trying to make an FPGA that is a little bit faster than the current generation of chips. On the software side, BitFusion hopes to help companies run their code on the most optimal hardware for their current job without having to rewrite that code for the chip underneath—be it an FPGA or not.

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For more on Intel, check out the following Fortune video:

Summary: The secret is in Altera's programmable chips.


The Phillies' 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres on Thursday afternoon behind a dominating performance by 22-year old Vincent Velasquez was a perfect symbol of why the team is back at the .500 mark and showing improved competitiveness thus far in the 2016 season.

The performance also highlighted why the Phils are only a .500 team, and will struggle to get much above that mark, possibly even to maintain that level for very long here in the early stages of their rebuilding program.

SEE MORE: Bryce Harper smashes his 100th homer

Velasquez tossed the first complete game of his professional career, and the shutout was the third produced by the pitching staff in these first 10 games. As shown in this Tweet put out following yesterday's game by Comcast SportsNet's Corey Seidman, that staff is putting up some league-leading numbers to date.

Velasquez has yet to allow a run of any type over 15 innings in which he has allowed just six hits and has a 25/3 K:BB ratio. In his first two starts, Jerad Eickhoff has a 1.50 ERA, and has allowed just nine hits over 12 innings with a 12/2 K:BB ratio.

Jeremy Hellickson has a 1.54 ERA, having allowed just six hits in 11.2 innings with an 11/1 K:BB ratio. Aaron Nola has allowed just 10 hits in 14 innings with a 17/0 K:BB ratio.

The bullpen, much maligned and rightfully so following the season's first four games, all losses, has recovered wonderfully led by surprise closer Jeanmar Gomez. Seen as the perfect swingman, instead Gomez has, at least for now, solidified that closer spot by earning Saves in his first four opportunities. He has a 1.80 ERA, and has allowed just three hits over five innings.

SEE MORE: Adam LaRoche worked undercover to free sex slaves?

Also strong thus far out of the pen have been Hector Neris, who has allowed no runs and just one hit over his first 4.2 innings across five appearances. He has a strong 6/1 K:BB ratio. Lefty Brett Oberholtzer has a 2.70 ERA and a 5/1 K:BB ratio over 3.1 innings.

David Hernandez, who could still end up as the longer term closer in the end, has now registered five consecutive scoreless outings since allowing three earned runs in an Opening Day meltdown at Cincinnati.

But with all the quite obvious improvement across the pitching staff, the offense continues at an unacceptable pace. To date, the Phillies have scored just 29 runs over these first 10 games, a 2.9 runs-per-game pace that ranks 12th of the 15 teams in the National League.

The current run-scoring pace lags behind even that of a year ago, nearly a full run behind the 2015 season, when the club finished just 27th in all of Major League Baseball with a 3.86 runs-per-game average. This current pace would have put them well at the bottom of the MLB rankings a year ago.

Not only is the club just 12th in the NL in runs scored, but they are also just 12th in stolen bases and walks. That is really going to make things difficult as the season moves along, should those trends continue.

The Phillies do not possess much power in their current lineup, with only Maikel Franco and Ryan Howard as consistent longball threats. They are seventh in the league in homers, but five of the team's seven dingers have come off the bats of those two power sources.

There are three positions in particular where the Phillies are receiving little or nothing as far as offensive production is concerned. At catcher, Cameron Rupp is hitting for just a .217/.217/.304 slash line with no homers or RBI across his first 23 plate appearances. Carlos Ruiz has a home run, but has just two other hits over his first 16 plate appearances.

At shortstop, Freddy Galvis is at a .182/.200/.303 slash line with just two extra-base hits and not a single stolen base attempt over his first 35 plate appearances of the season.

The corner outfield spots, places where every contending MLB team receives production, have given the Phillies none. Peter Bourjos has 31 plate appearances with just a .172/.200/.310 slash line, and despite possessing good speed, he has attempted no stolen bases. Cedric Hunterand Tyler Goeddel have just one extra-base hit, a homer by Hunter, over their 36 combined plate appearances.

The punchless Phils have tried to swipe a bag just eight times thus far over these first 10 games, and the results are ugly. Two of those attempts even came from players who will not and should not be running much, Ruiz and Darin Ruf.

The speedy Cesar Hernandez has run four times, but been caught on three of those attempts. Hernandez, center fielder Odubel Herrera, and utility player Emmanuel Burriss own the Phils' three successful stolen bases to this point.

There are no easy answers for these Phillies, considering the talent of the players currently on the big league roster. An influx of talent from the minors later in the summer could inject some offensive spark, with the bats and legs of J.P. Crawford,Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, and Andrew Knapp. But barring major injuries, those players are not likely to see Citizens Bank Park until at least the summer months.

For now, the best that Phillies fans, and that outstanding pitching staff, can hope is that the Phils decide to push the running game more, finding success in producing runs in that manner. That, or some of those listed above have to begin hitting much more consistently, while Franco and Howard continue to provide real power.

Solid pitching is carrying Phillies' drastic improvement

30. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Rays

The playing surface is a mixture of grass and artificial turf, and there are fire inspection rings in play over head. Must be a joy to play in.

29. Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays

The only things worse than this warehouse-looking place are the metric measurements on the outfield walls.

27. Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas Rangers

Remember when this place was state of the art? Neither do we.

26. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox

What’s more bland than the Chicago White Sox? Their uniforms. What’s worse than that? The stadium.

25. Turner Field, Atlanta Braves

This place won’t live to see its 20th birthday. Good luck to the Braves’ next home, which will probably still always be empty, too.

24. Marlins Park, Miami Marlins

Makes perfect sense for an orange and teal team to play in a stadium with neon green everything. Also, has anyone ever figured out what exactly this is?

23. Angel Stadium, Los Angeles Angels

Nothin’ like some fake rocks in center field to really set the mood for a baseball game.

22. Progressive Field, Cleveland Indians

The fact that it’s no longer Jacobs Field bumps this down at least five spots.

21. Busch Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals

Can this place just stay out of the playoffs just once?

20. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds

How cheap is that wind tunnel?

19. Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks

Center field is the deepest part of the stadium, guys. The wall doesn’t need to be that high.

18. Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees

Great place to see the best baseball players of the 20th century.

17. Miller Park, Milwaukee Brewers

Bernie sliding down that slide for every home run is ridiculous and awesome at the same time. Every time.

16. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia Phillies

Once you get over the fact that some little league parks have deeper fences? Cool place to catch a game.

15. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers

They should probably just name it Vin Scully Stadium at this point. Might help them out in these rankings.

14. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals

The scoreboard being shaped like a long crown is a bit odd, but you can’t blame them for playing up the whole royalty thing.

13. Coors Field, Colorado Rockies

If it’s not a blizzard in Denver, Coors Field is still pretty impressive. But let’s lose those humidors and get these balls flying like its 2001.

12. Comerica Park, Detroit Tigers

Credit to the grounds crew for making sure the infield didn’t collapse through the ground while Prince Fielder and Miguel Cabrera manned the corners. That approached a good 600 pounds of man.

11. Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros

Get back to us next year, once that ridiculous hill and flag pole are scrapped.

10. Target Field, Minnesota Twins

You probably won’t want to sit outside in Minnesota until about mid-June, but after that, Target Field is tough to beat.

9. Citi Field, New York Mets

Ownership may be fresh out of cash, but at least its stadium has an awesome selection of $12 beers.

7. Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners

For a stadium that opened up in 1999, the Mariners’ digs have held up pretty well -- even when their roster hasn’t.

6.. Petco Park, San Diego Padres

Fun fact: An old candy factory building was physically moved to make room for the stadium.

5. Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox

Relax, Fenway is definitely an amazing place to watch a game. But sitting directly behind a pole and/or facing the left-center field wall just isn’t always appealing.

4. Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs

We’re glad the Cubs decided to keep their old home intact, but there’s no two ways about it: Until renovation is complete, Wrigley is a dump.

3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh Pirates

After two decades under .500, the Pirates are finally playing some winning ball again. Good thing, because their park deserves as many games as possible.

2. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles

Still as beautiful as the day it opened in 1992, Camden Yards is headed toward becoming the next legendary American ballpark.

1. AT&T Park, San Francisco Giants

Already 15 years and three names later, AT&T Park remains the best place to watch a Major League Baseball game. Between the amazing food, packed-out stands and the glistening bay in right field, San Francisco is lucky to call it home.

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Summary: The Phillies' 3-0 win on Thursday behind a dominating performance by Vincent Velasquez was a perfect symbol of why the team is back at the .500 mark.


's ex-wife is sick and tired of dragging him to court to squeeze out child support ... she's asking a judge to make him cough up the next 13 years worth RIGHT NOW -- a cool $1.2 MILLION.

TMZ broke the story ... after the couple's nasty divorce Iverson was ordered to pay $8000/month in child support for their 5 kids. Problem is, Tawanna has gone to court on numerous occasions because A.I. won't pay.

It came to a head in July when a judge

, unless he forked over $40,000 in back support --

. But Tawanna says she doesn't want to keep running into the same problem.

On August 1st she filed docs asking a judge to make A.I. cover ALL the support through October 2026 (when their youngest turns 18). After the math, it comes to $1,272,000 ... which Tawanna wants put in a trust for the children.

A court has yet to rule.

Summary: Allen Iverson's ex-wife is sick and tired of dragging him to court to squeeze out child support ... she's asking a judge to make him cough up the next 13…


A Dallas-based private equity investor will be sentenced early next year for his role in New York’s public pension kickback scandal. What won’t be mentioned, however, is how a major Wall Street bank may have helped keep him in business.

Saul Meyer is a crook. The former private equity pro has admitted to indirectly bribing public pension officials in order to secure investment contracts for his firm, Aldus Equity, which has since collapsed under the weight of scandal. In February, he’ll be sentenced by a New York judge.

In most respects, this is old news. Meyer pleaded guilty to felony securities fraud in October 2009, and Aldus settled with New York earlier this month for $1 million in restitution and a forfeiture of interest and fees in a fund that it had managed on New York’s behalf.

Barely mentioned by prosecutors, however, is that Deutsche Bank held a 45% interest in Aldus at the time of Meyer’s arrest. Not mentioned at all are allegations by a former Aldus partner that Deutsche Bank not only was warned of Meyer’s possible wrongdoing prior to its investment, but that it effectively forced Aldus to keep Meyer on staff.

In late 2006, Dallas-based Aldus Equity had a big problem.

The firm had spent several months negotiating to sell a minority equity stake to Deutsche Bank, with a bank option to acquire the remaining interest at a later date (it also had a put, which it exercised when Meyer was arrested).

The initial purchase was to be valued at approximately $28 million, including around $10 million up-front. More important, from Aldus’ perspective, was access to Deutsche clients and a bank promise to use Aldus as its exclusive platform for fund-of-funds and co-investments in the private equity space.

But Aldus was hardly a stable partnership. During the first full week of October, a majority of Aldus partners had voted to oust firm founder Saul Meyer. News of the termination hit the trade press before all clients could be informed, and a meeting with Deutsche Bank was hastily arranged for the following Tuesday.

The sit-down took place in New York’s Pierre Hotel, and was attended by a Deutsche Bank executive and two remaining Aldus principals.

One of those Aldus principals, Marcellus Taylor, tells Fortune that the bank’s representative was informed that Meyer had been fired over suspicions of illegal behavior, including possible kickbacks to a New Mexico placement agent.

According to this telling, the bank’s response came after the meeting and stunned Taylor.

“They gave us two choices,” he says. “Either reinstate Saul, or forget about the investment. And if we didn’t bring him back, Deutsche would also sue us to recoup its legal fees. We couldn’t believe it.”

Deutsche Bank acknowledges the Pierre Hotel meeting, but differs on what was said.

According to a bank spokeswoman: “At no point did the former Aldus partners indicate any concerns to Deutsche Bank about fraud, as it pertained to Saul Meyer.” Instead, she claims that Deutsche was led to believe that Meyer’s termination was related to a “business dispute” over firm control and/or economics.

Deutsche Bank would not allow Fortune to speak with its representative at the Pierre Hotel meeting.

No matter which side you believe, three things are certain: (1) Aldus chose to reinstate Meyer; (2) Deutsche Bank completed its investment in Aldus; and (3) Meyer was able to keep receiving fees related to fraudulently-obtained contracts.

It would be easiest to leave this story alone as a he-said/they-said, but I’m not quite able to do that. Something just doesn’t sit right about the Deutsche Bank version.

First, Marcellus Taylor does not seem to have anything to gain by making this story public, and he only did so after being contacted on a separate matter (Fortune obtained, and partially published, a confidential offering document recently circulated by Taylor, in which he is seeking to sell his personal stake in an Aldus co-investment vehicle).

Moreover, it would seem that he’d come off better had he either refused to reinstate Meyer, or had informed law enforcement of his suspicions (he says his inaction was due to a lack of tangible evidence against Meyer).

Second, it wasn’t exactly a big secret that Aldus seemed able to win state pension contracts it had no business winning (just ask any of its former peers). For example, a mandate from the New Mexico Education Retirement Board came over the objection of New Mexico ERB staff. One of the only other times I’ve heard of that happening came when CalPERS invested in a Hicks Muse buyout fund over staff objections. Hicks Muse’s placement agent on that fund, Alfred Villalobos, is currently under indictment in California for fraud.

Third, Deutsche Bank later retained Meyer’s “placement agent” pal in New Mexico, to help it secure a $250 million hedge fund commitment from a state pension fund. Taylor says that the introduction was made by Meyer, following Deutsche Bank’s investment.

Fourth, Deutsche Bank cannot convincingly claim that it threatened to bail on the investment because of concerns over an unstable partnership. Seems to me that Aldus was just as shaky with its founder back in the fold, given that his partners had compelled to reverse course under threat of lost investment.

To be clear, there also is circumstantial evidence in the other direction. For example, Deutsche says that “the deal documents that each of the partners signed contained explicit representations that the business was being run lawfully.”

The truth almost certainly lies somewhere in between. My best guess, however, is that it’s closer to Taylor.

Summary: A Dallas-based private equity investor will be sentenced early next year for his role in New York’s public pension kickback scandal. What won’t be mentioned, however, is how a major Wall Street bank may have helped keep him in business. Saul Meyer is a crook. The former private equity pro has admitted to indirectly bribing…


Donald Trump promised us a speech on Hillary Clinton’s past, and on Wednesday, he didn’t disappoint.

On top of calling the former Secretary of State “the most corrupt ever to seek the presidency of the United States,” he also made serious accusations of corrupt conduct during her time as First Lady, Senator from New York, and as the head of the State Department.

One of the more stunning allegations Trump made against Clinton is that Clinton helped the Chinese government build up its economy in return for cash. “Hillary Clinton gave China millions of our best jobs, and effectively let China completely rebuild itself.” Trump said. “In return, Hillary Clinton got rich.”

Trump doesn’t exactly back up these allegations, though he does quote from a book, Clinton Cash, published last year by conservative writer and Brietbart News Editor Peter Schweizer. The book details instances when Bill Clinton was paid to give speeches by foreign business groups while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, like a speech to a business conference called the Huatuo CEO Forum in 2011 for $550,000.

Trump didn’t say, however, what exactly he thinks Hillary Clinton did as Secretary of State that helped the Chinese economy or caused the trade deficit between the United States and China rise. He does mention President Clinton’s support for the North American Free Trade Agreement as well as his support for China’s entrance into the WTO, but both of those events occurred before Hillary Clinton held public office and before Bill Clinton began accepting money to give speeches.

Summary: Bill Clinton was paid to give speeches in China while HIllary was Secretary of State.


The Jets turned the pressure up on free-agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tuesday by bringing in Brian Hoyer, another free-agent signal-caller. A source said Hoyer arrived at the Jets’ Florham Park headquarters for a visit that will continue into Wednesday.

Re-signing Fitzpatrick remains the priority for the Jets, a source said, but they are doing their homework on Hoyer, who would be a cheaper alternative. Hoyer, 30, was cut by the Texans in a move announced Tuesday, after one season in Houston. He went 5-4 as a starter there, helping the Texans to the AFC South title, but he became expendable when the team signed Brock Osweiler to a monster free-agent deal.

It does not sound like anything will happen quickly with Hoyer, as the Jets are holding out hope Fitzpatrick still will come back, but it feels like more than just the leverage play Robert Griffin III’s visit was last month.

The Jets had interest in signing Hoyer last year before he went to the Texans, which prompted the Jets’ trade with Houston for Fitzpatrick. Hoyer chose Houston because he thought he had a better chance to start there and the Texans’ contract offer was better than the Jets’.

Fitzpatrick and the Jets remain in a contract stare-down that shows no signs of ending. The two sides have been far apart for more than a month. Fitzpatrick wants to be paid in the neighborhood of $16 million a year, which is what most veteran starters are making. The Jets’ initial offer was around $7 million, though a source said that offer has been sweetened since then. It is unclear how much the Jets are offering now.

The Jets began their offseason program this week, slightly elevating the need to get something done at the quarterback position. The truth is the Jets probably could live with Geno Smith and Bryce Petty through the spring, though. It is not like the 33-year-old Fitzpatrick needs the spring practices to learn coordinator Chan Gailey’s offense.

Coach Todd Bowles said last month the team has an internal deadline to get Fitzpatrick signed, but did not say when it is. It could be as late as the start of training camp. It would be hard for the team to function beyond then with uncertainty at quarterback.

Hoyer would come much cheaper than Fitzpatrick. He was scheduled to make $4 million with the Texans, who tried to trade him before cutting him this week. The lack of a willing trade partner is an indication his price tag might be lower than $4 million now. Would the Jets rather have Hoyer at $3 million or Fitzpatrick at the $13 million cost it probably will take to get a deal done?

Fitzpatrick led the Jets to a 10-6 record last year and threw a franchise-record 31 touchdowns. He also was immensely popular in the locker room.

Hoyer won the starting job in Houston out of training camp but was benched in the first game of the season by coach Bill O’Brien, who went with Ryan Mallett. Hoyer still wound up starting nine games for the Texans, throwing 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His season ended terribly, with a five-turnover performance against the Chiefs in a 30-0 wild-card playoff loss.

Summary: Your move, Fitz. The Jets turned the pressure up on free-agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on Tuesday by bringing in Brian Hoyer, another free-agent signal-caller. A source said Hoyer arrived at t…


Last Updated Feb 2, 2011 11:20 AM EST

, aka Curtis J. Jackson III, was busily sending out Twitter messages to his 3.8 million followers last weekend. But instead of taking about new music, the popular rapper was supposedly "looking out for ya" investments by touting a little-known penny stock called H & H Imports.

(sold under the ticker HNHI.OB) soaring some 270% in a matter of hours. The problem here? 50 Cent, through a holding company that Jackson owns and controls, is a majority owner of H&H.

, Jackson owns 30 million H&H shares or 12.9% of the company, which he acquired specifically because H&H would soon be promoting products developed by "affiliates of Mr. Jackson."

In addition to shares, Jackson has "warrants," which are rights to buy shares at a set price in the future. From the filing, it appears that about one-third of those warrants will only have value if the company manages to get its stock price up from the current 30 cent range to more than 50 cents per share. (Coincidence?)

50 Cent's tweets, according to

, appeared designed to tout the stock and were anything but subtle:

"They are no joke. Get in now."

"You can double your money right now. Just get what you can afford."

"If you get in, technically I work for you."

What's H&H? It's a tiny Florida company that sells stuff via Infomercial. But you've probably sold more stuff on eBay that H&H has sold to date. During the six months ended Sept. 30, 2010, H&H had sold $457,231 worth of goods. Unfortunately those goods cost H&H $581,274 to acquire -- $124,043 more than it got. When you add in the company's operating expenses, H&H lost $2.4 million during the six months ended last September.

Other red flags for investors come from

(a legal document filed with securities regulators when you sell stock to the public). The section titled "risk factors" takes up 6 of the 42 pages of the document.

We'll dispense with the legal mumbo-jumbo and give you the plain English summary of what they said:

You may think I'm being flip here, so I invite you to

50 Cent may have inadvertently added to the company's troubles with his tweet-a-thon. Why?

Securities laws are complicated, but promoting a stock in which you have an interest is a potential violation of securities laws, said Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago securities lawyer. Even if you're saying something that you believe to be true, promoting shares without mentioning your personal interest in the company gets scrutinized under "pump and dump" rules. These rules are aimed at stopping insiders from saying: "Get in now" while they're quietly getting out.

But even if 50 Cent was shilling the stock because he believes in it, he could still be in trouble, Stoltmann said. And that could sweep the company into legal hot water that it can ill afford.

"The SEC loves nothing more than making a high-profile example out of somebody who is violating the rules. We don't need to look further than Martha Stewart to see that. If the department of Justice can get a clean shot at him, I'm sure they would love to take a swing," said Stoltmann. "If [50 Cent] has a managerial role, interlocking business relationships, or if he's on the board, the company could be dragged into a suit as well."

In the meantime, if you're thinking about buying H&H stock on 50 Cent's recommendation, you should know that penny stocks are the Wild West of the securities market. Fortunes are made and lost overnight. That means you might want to add a tiny addendum to what 50 Cent suggested: "Just get what you can afford"...to lose.

© 2011 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

Summary: 50 Cent was busily sending out Twitter messages to his 3.8 million followers last weekend, but he wasn't touting music. He was touting penny stocks.


Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

The Marin Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 is slowly being widened as funds become available to eventually end a long time traffic nightmare.

The Marin Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 is slowly being widened as funds become available to eventually end a long time traffic nightmare.

The Marin-Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 is becoming wider.

The Marin-Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 is becoming wider.

Work on the project to add a lane to the Marin Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 in Petaluma continues in fits and starts.

Work on the project to add a lane to the Marin Sonoma Narrows on Highway 101 in Petaluma continues in fits and starts.

New funds for next step in widening of Narrows highway

For as long as most North Bay drivers can remember, the two-lane Marin-Sonoma Narrows has been an intractable choke point on Highway 101 and a dashboard-pounding frustration to anyone hoping for traffic relief anytime soon.

Even the start of the widening project in 2010 to add a third lane in both directions between Novato and Petaluma has offered little solace. The work is being done in multiple phases, but not sequentially, so that a widened stretch still feeds into narrower segments.

And there are questions about funding. More than half of the 17-mile, $709 million project has been completed, but there’s no promise of the roughly $250 million needed to finish it off.

But two recent developments offer some relief for weary road warriors. On Wednesday, three transportation agencies broke ground on the next phase — a 3-mile widening and realigning of 101 south of Petaluma — and celebrated the completion of a new, wider highway bridge over the Petaluma River and three new interchanges south of Petaluma.

Several days earlier, Sonoma County officials agreed on a plan to divvy up $18 million in federal money — originally set aside to build a ferry terminal in Port Sonoma, a project since discarded — with $15 million going to the Narrows project. That’s enough to pay for the next phase, enabling Caltrans to widen 5 more miles of highway in both directions.

“This is a positive sign,” said Seana Gause, senior projects planner for the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. “We are inching toward the finish line.”

The finish line couldn’t come soon enough for many drivers who have to cope with a severe commuter backup during the weekdays and on weekends as tourists head to the Wine Country and the redwoods.

“Fridays are brutal,” said Dianne Steinhauser, executive director of the Transportation Authority of Marin. “It can take you two hours to get from San Francisco to Santa Rosa,” a trip that should take half the time.

Marie McCusker, executive director of the Petaluma Visitor Center, said the bad traffic sometimes persuades people to pull off the freeway and see what her city has to offer.

“It’s frustrating,” she said. “You come out of Novato and the freeway goes from four lanes to three lanes to two lanes. You’ve got to creep your way to Petaluma. Another lane would be a great help.”

The Narrows project illustrates the difficulty of getting major transportation projects constructed in California, especially in smaller counties. State and federal money for transportation projects has been drying up, leaving counties like Marin and Sonoma to scrounge for funding where they can. Often that means passing county transportation sales taxes or raising bridge tolls.

Steinhauser said 60 to 70 percent of transportation funds come from such local sources. For perspective, she said, consider that Marin receives about $2 million in federal gas tax revenue and $3 million in federal revenue. The 3-mile widening started this week will cost $50 million to $65 million.

“For a little county like Sonoma or Marin, you’d have to save money for 10 or 15 years to pay for that,” she said. “And, meanwhile, the public is saying why can’t you finish that road? Get it done. Well, we’re doing the best we can.”

Soon after Caltrans, working with Marin and Sonoma counties, completed planning for the project billions in state money became available for highway projects, which enabled work to get started in Marin County. Segments have been completed in both counties and more than half of the job is done, Gause said. After the next two segments are completed, transportation planners will need to find the $250 million to finish the job.

Big yellow earth-moving machines working on the hills west of 101 are evidence that the next phase just south of Petaluma is under way. They’re smoothing the way for the highway to be moved to the west, out of a flood plain, and to have a third lane added. More than 500,000 cubic yards of soil will be moved during the work. It is scheduled to be completed late in 2018.

5 more miles in works

The new commuter rail line is expected to start service late this year.

The new funding agreement still needs to be approved by the California Transportation Commission. If it is, Gause said, more than 5 miles of a new three-lane highway, including a part-time carpool lane, will be built, giving those in southern Petaluma a quicker trip.

For those who endure the Narrows regularly, the promise of even incremental progress is encouraging.

“I’ve lived in the North Bay my entire life,” Gause said, “and as far back as I can remember, it’s been discussed.”

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan

Summary: New funds for next step in widening of Narrows highway  For as long as most North Bay drivers can remember, the two-lane Marin-Sonoma Narrows has been an intractable choke point on Highway 101 and a dashboard-pounding frustration to anyone hoping for traffic relief anytime soon.  [...] two recent developments offer some relief for weary road warriors.  On Wednesday, three  transportation agencies broke ground on the next phase — a 3-mile widening and realigning of 101 south of Petaluma — and celebrated the completion of a new, wider highway bridge over the Petaluma River and three new interchanges south of Petaluma.  Several days earlier, Sonoma County officials agreed on a plan to divvy up $18 million in federal money — originally set aside to build a ferry terminal in Port Sonoma, a project since discarded — with $15 million going to the Narrows project.  “This is a positive sign,” said Seana Gause, senior projects planner for the Sonoma County Transportation Authority.  The finish line couldn’t come soon enough for many drivers who have to cope with a severe commuter backup during the weekdays and on weekends as tourists head to the Wine Country and the redwoods.  “Fridays are brutal,” said Dianne Steinhauser, executive director of the Transportation Authority of Marin.  Marie McCusker, executive director of the Petaluma Visitor Center, said the bad traffic sometimes persuades people to pull off the freeway and see what her city has to offer.  State and federal money for transportation projects has been drying up, leaving counties like Marin and Sonoma to scrounge for funding where they can.  Soon after Caltrans, working with Marin and Sonoma counties, completed planning for the project billions in state money became available for highway projects, which enabled work to get started in Marin County.


Apple may have created a new rock star in the tech world at its developer conference last month, when it featured Bozoma Saint John, head of consumer global marketing for its music service, in its keynote address.

One of the few female executives to ever take the stage at the annual conference, Saint John is now putting her newfound fame to good use. Using the Charitybuzz website, she is auctioning off a one-hour “power lunch” for two with her in Los Angeles. The top bid in the auction, which kicked off Thursday, was up to $2,000 within a day. Bidding closes on July 21.

Money raised in the auction will go to the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, which runs art programs for inner-city kids in New York City and exhibits the work of emerging artists at two local galleries.

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In Saint John’s attention-grabbing speech at Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference in San Francisco, she tried to get the crowd bopping to the beat of the Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight.” But when few in the audience were moved to dance, she quipped: “No, we’re gonna pause this, because some of you guys are not rapping to the beat.”

The winning bidder will have to work around Saint John’s busy schedule—lunch is to be held at a mutually agreed upon date based on her availability. And “Boz,” as Saint John is known, won’t be picking up the tab. The winning bidder will be responsible for the cost of the meal, Charitybuzz says.

Apple aapl CEO Tim Cook has similarly auctioned off a lunch for charity for the past four years. In May, he raised over $500,000 for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where he sits on the board of directors. The undisclosed winner got to spend an hour noshing with Cook at Apple headquarters.

Saint’s lunch auction was reported earlier by the AppleInsider website.

(Updated on July 8 to correct that auction started on Thursday, not Friday.)

Summary: The Boz will do a one-hour power lunch with winning bidder


WHEN China’s president, Xi Jinping, visited the north-western region of Xinjiang in late May he spoke of spreading nets “from the earth to the sky” to capture terrorists. The increased concern of China’s leadership with domestic security coincides with an uptick in violence attributed to ethnic tension, and possible indications of growing links between Xinjiang and foreign Islamist extremists.

In the last eight months, since a flaming car ploughed into crowds in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, killing five, there has been an escalating number of attacks labeled as terrorist throughout the country. The government blames such actions on “religious extremists” from the Uighur community, a Xinjiang-based Muslim ethnic group. A key factor behind the upsurge in attacks, the government says, is the spread of extremist materials aligned with global jihad.

Mr Xi’s “nets” remark coincided with the launch of a year-long anti-terrorism campaign. State media reports that during its first month authorities busted 32 gangs and sentenced 315 people to prison or death for crimes including religious extremism, manufacturing guns, spreading propaganda and illegally crossing international borders. One sentencing of 55 suspects in front of a crowd of 7,000 at a sports stadium in Yili prefecture evoked China’s revolutionary era rallies. On June 29th a further 113 people with Uighur names were sentenced to prison terms in Kashgar, a city in western Xinjiang, for crimes including terrorism, inciting ethnic hatred, bigamy and drug trafficking.

The government has also renewed efforts to curb the spread of extremist material online. “[Terrorist suspects] exchanged experiences of making explosives and propagating jihad through chat tools, text messages and illegal preaching sites,” Xinhua, a state-run news agency, said. It added that Chinese police tracked over 100 pieces of terror-related audio and video content in 2013, compared with 32 in the previous year.

One concern is that some elements among Xinjiang’s Uighur population, long having chafed at Communist Party rule, are becoming radicalised. On June 24th state television broadcast a documentary (in Chinese) designed to suggest as much. The film included gruesome footage from past terror attacks and also clips of jihadist videos alleged to be from Xinjiang militants from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Details about ETIM, which seeks an independent state encompassing Xinjiang and other Middle Eastern countries, remain murky and contested. Stratfor, an American research outfit, says ETIM is the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) by another name. The TIP has lately expanded its online presence, issuing videos calling for a jihad by Uighurs, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank.

A report by the Wall Street Journal points out that the new wave of Uighur-language videos do closely resemble ones used by Middle Eastern jihadist networks. In one, men in balaclavas and camouflage garb train with swords in what is said to be the Gobi desert. In another scene militants burn Chinese and American flags. The amount of radical material on Uighur-language websites has increased as internet access in remote parts of the north-west has improved. The internet in Xinjiang, even more so than the rest of China, is heavily censored, driving Uighurs to use virtual private networks to access content from abroad.

Foreign analysts have long been sceptical about the links between Uighur separatists and the global jihadist independence movement. The unrest they say instead stems from resentment at Communist Party rule. There are around ten million ethnic Uighurs in China. Their language is Turkic and they practice Sufi Islam. Since the party wrested control of Xinjiang in 1949 there have been violent clashes. Some Uighurs protest what they say is cultural assimilation. In 1949, 76% of Xinjiang’s population was Uighur and 7% ethnic-Han. In 2012 Uighurs made up 46% while the number of people of Han ethnicity amounted to 39%. Grand infrastructure schemes and booming trade is transforming the region. But many Uighurs—especially those who do not speak Mandarin or who lack skills—feel they miss out on benefits that instead flow to Han migrants.

In the wake of spiralling unrest Mr Xi has called for tighter restrictions on religion and for greater assimilation. Critics argue such policies only increase the alienation of Uighurs. The party seems determined to quell even moderately dissenting voices. Ilham Tohti (pictured, in 2010), a prominent Uighur scholar known for his critical but judicious views, was detained in January and charged with inciting separatism. On June 26th Mr Tohti’s lawyer was able to see his client for the first time since his arrest at a prison in Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital.

Mr Tohti’s state of mind was “very anxious” and that he had been held in leg irons for 20 days and denied food for eight. If convicted of separatism Mr Tohti could face a lengthy prison sentence or the death penalty. His detention continues to draw condemnation from human rights groups worldwide

The recent spate of terror attacks suggests that the government’s Xinjiang strategy is going badly awry. On May 22nd attackers drove two cars into a market in Urumqi, throwing explosives and killing 31 people. In April in a knife and bomb attack in the same city three people died. In March a group of Uighurs stabbed 29 people to death in Kunming, a city in the south-west. A recent review of China’s security environment by Chinese academics said terrorism in the country has entered an “active period”.

Meanwhile analysts who watch online jihadist content in other languages report references to Turkestan from non-Uighur militants are becoming more frequent. This suggests that Xinjiang may indeed be increasingly on the radar of a broader global jihad. If the videos are any indication Mr Xi will have to cast his net wide.

(Picture credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP)

Summary: An uptick in violence is met with a tougher security policy in Xinjiang, heavy-handed treatment of Uighur activists, and charges of greater incitement by foreign...


The teenage son of country music star Craig Morgan was found dead, one day after he went missing following a freak boating accident in Tennessee.

The body of Jerry Greer, 19, was recovered from Kentucky Lake on Monday night by the Humphreys Country Sheriff's Department, Morgan's rep confirmed to the News.

"The family is grateful for the outpouring of support and requests prayers at this time as they privately mourn this terrible loss," a statement from his rep said.

A massive search for Greer began on Sunday after he fell into the water and never resurfaced while tubing with another teen on the Tennessee River, according to The Tennessean.

Multiple search crews looked for Davis throughout the night to no avail, prompting them to enlist the help of several more rescue organizations throughout Monday.

Police searched the area with 10-12 boats.

Authorities received a distress call at around 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Witnesses reportedly said Greer was wearing a life jacket. A source told TMZ that it was a "freak accident," and no signs of drinking have been reported yet.

Earlier in the search, Morgan and his wife Karen released a short statement.

"The family is grateful for everyone's support and prayers and requests privacy during this difficult time," the statement read, via Nashville's WTVF.

Greer, who recently graduated from Dickson County High School, is survived by his parents and three siblings. He was planning on attending Marshall University in the fall to play football.

He was reportedly very close with his father and has appeared on his dad's show on the Outdoor Channel, "Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors."

Morgan, 51, is an Army veteran who is best known for hits like "That's What I Love About Sunday," "Tough" and "Almost Home."

Summary: The teenage son of country music star Craig Morgan is missing after a boating accident in Tennessee.


Getting paid to make out with a beautiful woman is good work if you can find it. At the Gucci-sponsored after-party for "Puncture," Chris Evans told us that his dramatic turn as a crusading, drug-addicted lawyer in the movie was "unlike any other movie I've been a part of," but we hear he may have enjoyed himself more at another gig.

A source close to the "Captain America" star says Evans called the recent ad campaign he shot for Gucci with Evan Rachel Wood the "easiest paycheck I've ever had." We bet.

Globe-trotting Vice Media mogul Shane Smith prides himself on being unbiased - except when it comes to Moammar Khadafy. "I [bleeping] hate him," says Smith, who is still peeved about the Libyan stongman holding him and his camera crew prisoners in a Tripoli hotel last year. Smith says his "personal vendetta" against Khadafy - "I give him points for his cross-dressing" - motivated him to return to Libya recently to shoot a 12-part series on the revolution there for Vice.com. "The rebels liked me because I'd been arrested," he told us the other night at the Brooklyn launch of Vice's seven digital channels and its HBO show. A prior arrest in Yemen also earned Smith cred with Al Qaeda there. Less enthralled with him were police in Siberia, where he was detained a few weeks ago for snooping around labor camps. "They didn't believe I was a journalist," said the Rabelaisian rambler. "Then they saw my website and let me go" His next hellish vacation? "Somalia!"

Also at the Full Frontal Vice party at Skylight One Hanson were Spike Jonze, Johnny Knoxville and the Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's Nick Zinner. Bikini-clad women assisted Smith in demonstrating to advertisers and press his business model.Explained Smith: "Everything we know about the internet we learned from porn."

Times tries too hard (or not enough?)

The New York Times tries way too hard to be cool. To commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Nirvana's "Nevermind," the Gray Lady ran an online quiz last week titled "Test Your Grunge Knowledge" that asked such jaw-droppingly easy questions as which Nirvana member went on to front Foo Fighters? That's Dave Grohl for those who have a hard time at Taxi TV "Jeopardy!" We suspect the paper of record is still gunshy from the "Great Grunge Hoax" of 1992 when it published a mini-glossary of genre terms that turned out to be fake.

B-baller late to his own party

Carmelo Anthony was late to his own party Tuesday night. The Knick was honored at the New Yorkers for Children Fall Gala, and thanks to UN General Assembly traffic, made it to Cipriani 42nd Street 15 minutes after cocktail hour had ended. Fortunately, a slew of fashionable guests were tardy for the same reason.

Carey & Cannon cross the picket lines

Mariah Carey says she has "nothing but respect for those in the struggle" but the singer didn't show much empathy for striking restaurant workers Sunday. The diva and her husband Nick Cannon were spotted crossing picket lines outside the Central Park Boathouse and endured the wrath of workers who shouted "Shame on you, Mariah," according to a source in the workers' camp.

The couple kept their heads down and "appeared embarrassed" by all the attention before Carey took to Twitter to defend their excursion. "Clearly the issues the picketers are dealing with are issues we would never try to over look," Carey tweeted. Our source responds that if Carey was really sympathetic to the cause "all she had to do was walk another 150 feet to eat somewhere else."

Wesley back on stage in NYC

John Wesley Harding has become our favorite curator of essential music, writing and wit. The singer/songwriter - who also publishes smart novels under his real name Wesley Stace - returns to City Winery tomorrow with the first of three Cabinet of Wonders variety shows this fall, and the handpicked roster of artists he's putting on the stage keeps getting better. Tomorrow night will include performances by MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden, the Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger, novelist Jami Attenberg and comic Todd Barry. Here's hoping Harding performs "There's a Starbucks (Where the Starbucks Used to Be)" from his upcoming album, "The Sound of His Own Voice."

Dennis Walcott had a humina-humina moment at Public School 188 on the lower East Side yesterday. The schools chancellor was there to welcome the volunteer program Reading Partners to the school system, and, while sitting on the floor with students, recounted how he'd just sat behind First Lady Michelle Obama at the President's UN speech.

This prompted students to ask Walcott a number of questions about the nation's leader, but one second-grader had another "Great One" in mind. The student inexplicably asked Walcott if he knew Jackie Gleason. Walcott laughed and asked the boy if he meant baseball legend Jackie Robinson, instead of the late star of "The Honeymooners."

No, the kid replied. He meant Gleason.

For the record, Walcott never met Gleason, but he may have been to the Brooklyn bus garage named after the comic.

Contact Gatecrasher:Frank DiGiacomo: fdigiacomo@nydailynews.comCarson Griffith: cgriffith@nydailynews.comAdam Caparell: acaparell@nydailynews.com


PARIS—Ride-sharing firm BlaBlaCar has closed a new round of venture-capital funding at a valuation of about $1.5 billion, the company said Wednesday, expanding the number of European tech firms that are among the most highly valued private, venture-backed companies world-wide.

The French firm, which brokers long-distance carpooling between car owners and passengers, raised €180 million—or about $200 million when the round closed in...

Summary: Ride-sharing firm BlaBlaCar has closed a new round of venture-capital funding at a valuation of about $1.5 billion, expanding the number of European tech firms among the most highly valued private, venture-backed companies world-wide.


Cecil went on to devise bombing methods and tactics to combat the menace of the V1 and V2 rockets. In April 1945 he travelled to Hechingen, near Stuttgart, the site of the German nuclear programme, where he was involved in sorting top-secret documents and assisting in the dismantling of the German experimental nuclear pile. He was given the job of organising the airlift of some components back to the United Kingdom, but, in the event, all the material was taken to America.

Rupert Arthur Victor Gascoyne Cecil was the son of Lt-Col Victor Cecil, High Sheriff of Essex, and the great-grandson of the 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, the Prime Minister. Rupert was born in London on May 1 1917 and educated at Stowe and Balliol College, Oxford, where he was an outstanding sportsman before graduating with a degree in Biochemistry in 1939. He was a member of the Oxford University Air Squadron, with which he trained as a pilot.

On the outbreak of war Cecil was called up, and in June 1941 he joined No 61 Squadron, equipped with the pre-war Hampden bomber. He carried out many attacks against targets in Germany.

On one occasion he came under heavy anti-aircraft fire and, as he leaned forward to adjust his instruments, his cockpit was hit. When he landed it was soon apparent that the shrapnel would have hit him in the head had he been sitting in his normal position.

After completing nearly 30 operations he was awarded the DFC. Following a rest tour as an instructor, Cecil returned to No 61 in February 1943. The squadron was now operating the Lancaster bomber, and Cecil was appointed as a flight commander. He arrived just as Bomber Command began what was later dubbed the "main offensive", when a sustained and major campaign was mounted against the industrial cities of the Ruhr.

Cecil flew on operations continuously for the next five months, including attacks on Berlin and Lubeck; during this time the bomber crews paid a very heavy price as they attacked the most heavily defended targets in Germany.

The unconventional Cecil was ever mindful of the possibility of being shot down over enemy territory. He had heard that many aircrew lost their flying boots during a parachute descent or found them too cumbersome when trying to evade capture; so he wore plimsolls under an oversize pair of shoes to give him an assured degree of mobility.

On completion of his second tour of operations, he was awarded a bar to his DFC, having "displayed fearless determination to bomb the target in the face of the heaviest opposition and for setting a magnificent example to his unit".

Cecil left the RAF in January 1946 to return to Balliol, where he completed a doctorate and remained for a period as a lecturer. He soon devoted his time to research in the university department of biochemistry, where he specialised in the study of insulin and haemoglobin with Dorothy Hodgkin and Professor Sir Hans Krebs.

In 1962 Cecil was appointed the first dean and vice-principal of the newly established Linacre College at Oxford, which provided a centre of study for graduates, many of them from overseas. He devoted the next 22 years to the development of Linacre. The college building was next to the police station, and, conscious of his own high-spirited youth and disdain for authority, he immediately established good relations with the force; there were regular invitations for officers to attend college dinners.

Cecil had a particular interest in laboratory technology, and this proved invaluable when, in 1976, he planned and masterminded the move of the college to a new building.

He also gave great service to the wider community of the university. He oversaw the creation of the university's own telephone network, and he was the university safety officer. As a member of the building committee, he gave specialist advice to architects on laboratories and the areas designated for science studies. He finally retired in 1984, but kept closely in touch with his former colleagues.

Cecil had a reputation for straight talking. His views could sometimes be pungent, but he was recognised as a man with great experience who could be relied upon to complete any job successfully.

To the surprise of many, he served for a number of years as a special constable. Friends believed it provided him with good intelligence, allowing him to ensure that his students stayed one step ahead of the law.

For many years Cecil spoke rarely of his wartime experiences, particularly his time in scientific intelligence. When asked what it was like to set off on bombing operations night after night, he would reply: "It was like going back to boarding school. You just had to do it."

He was often seen with a folding boat on the roof-rack of his car as he headed for the Thames. He also had a deep interest in the protection of rural England.

Rupert Cecil, who died on July 6, was married twice, and is survived by two sons and three daughters.

Summary: Bomber pilot who flew in plimsolls and later became a biochemist and vice-principal of Linacre College.


Other famous Yankee fights: Billy Martin vs. Reggie Jackson, June 18, 1977 These were Billy's Yankees, and that means there weren't too many dull moments. So when the Yankee skipper feels Reggie hasn't given his all going after a Jim Rice fly ball at Fenway, Billy yanks Jackson out of the game in favor of Paul Blair. Reggie is not pleased. The burly right fielder charges Billy, a confrontation ensues and coach Elston Howard breaks it up. Martin vs. Ed Whitson, Sept. 23, 1985 Here's a recipe for trouble: Martin gets involved in a bar-room scuffle with a patron the night before and Whitson is struggling in the bright lights of the Bronx. Whitson, 6-3 and 195 pounds, breaks Martin's arm with a kick outside the Cross Keys Inn in Baltimore. The fight starts in the hotel bar, moves to the lobby and eventually spills out into the parking lot. The pugnacious Martin, bloodied, boozed-up and wearing only his underwear, bangs on the door of Whitson's room, calling Whitson a coward and demanding that he come out to renew the donnybrook. Phil Linz vs. Yogi Berra, September of 1964 Linz is playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on his harmonica on the bus after the White Sox sweep a four-game series to extend their lead to 61/2 games over the Yanks. Berra, the manager, is not amused and demands he stop. Linz asks Mickey Mantle, "What'd he say?

" and Mantle stirs it up by saying, "He said, 'Play louder.

'" Berra walks back to Linz, who tosses Berra the harmonica. Berra, not gifted with an accurate arm, flings it back at Linz and winds up hitting Joe Pepitone. Linz ends up with a $250 fine but also lands a $5,000 endorsement deal from Hohner, a harmonica company. The Yanks tune out the distraction and rally to win the pennant. Ryne Duren vs. Ralph Houk, Sept. 14, 1957 Duren gets drunk on the train after the Yankees clinch the pennant and tries to stuff Houk's cigar in Houk's face. Houk, then a coach, punches him. Cliff Johnson vs. Goose Gossage, April 17, 1979 The fight that may have wrecked the Yankees season. It begins when the two are trash-talking each other and it escalates into a brouhaha that sees the two giants tangling in the shower area. Gossage suffers torn thumb ligaments and is knocked out for three months. Babe Ruth vs. Miller Huggins, 1925 Legend has it that Ruth held the diminutive Huggins out of a window during a train trip. Reggie Jackson vs. Bob Lemon, 1978 An epic nine-pitch, at-bat ends in a high-profile strikeout for Mr. October. When he returns to the dugout, Jackson complains that he was distracted by the baserunners, who were going on the pitch. Of course, there were two outs at the time. Lemon goes after Jackson, but before he can get there, coaches and players pull them apart. Reggie Jackson v. Graig Nettles, Oct. 15, 1981 The Yankees are enjoying a victory party at an Oakland restaurant to celebrate their pennant clinching. Jackson and Nettles get into a dispute over bringing guests to the bash and end up swinging. Nettles decks Jackson. Reggie Jackson vs. George Steinbrenner, Oct. 2, 1996 Jackson is on a team bus and Steinbrenner wants to know why. Ultimately, he tells Jackson, "You'd better let me know when you're coming.

" Jackson has to be restrained. Rick Dempsey vs. Bill Sudakis, October 1974 The players, both reserves, fight in the lobby of the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. Sudakis sets off firecrackers on the team bus after a delayed flight. Bobby Murcer breaks a finger while trying to break it up and doesn't play the next night. Lou Piniella, his replacement, misplays a fly ball in right, Yanks lose and are eliminated.

Summary:
YANKEE VS. YANKEE Other famous Yankee fights:           By ANTHONY McCARRON
   Billy Martin vs. Reggie Jackson, June 18, 1977
   These were Billy's Yankees, and that means there weren't too many dull moments. So when the Yankee skipper feels Reggie hasn't given his all going after a Jim Rice fly ball at Fenway, Billy yanks Jackson out of the game in favor of Paul Blair. Reggie is not pleased. The burly right fielder charges Billy, a confrontation


“Do it!” one shouted during a blistering 25-minute question-and-answer session. “Do it now!” Mr. Cruz resisted in his usual manner, saying he refused to be a “servile puppy dog.” He put the blame for his disloyalty on Mr. Trump’s repeated attacks on his family during the primaries.

Former admirers and his congressional colleagues took to television to criticize him, at times with profane language, the way his Senate colleagues have been doing for years behind closed doors. “Lucifer is back,” cracked the former House speaker, John A. Boehner, who was watching the convention with his wife and friends, according to an aide.

Senator Ted Cruz’s speech was a striking snub on the eve of Donald J. Trump’s formal acceptance of the party’s nomination.

“He really betrayed what our mission is here, which is to win in November,” said Nicholas A. Langworthy, a delegate from New York and chairman of the Erie County party, who helped lead the chorus of boos that followed Mr. Cruz off the stage. “He should just go back to Texas,” Mr. Langworthy said. “He slit his own throat. He is finished in national Republican politics.”

Representative Charlie Dent, a Pennsylvania Republican who has himself been critical of Mr. Trump, had harsh words for Mr. Cruz after his Wednesday remarks.

“Senator’s Cruz’s opposition is not based in principle but entirely personal, which is interesting given his sniveling, obsequious and fawning defense of Trump early in the primary campaign,” Mr. Dent said. “I suspect many Americans learned a lot about Ted Cruz last night and now better understand why so many in Congress harbor bitter feelings toward the junior senator from Texas.”

Hours before Mr. Cruz’s highly anticipated speech on Wednesday evening, his former campaign manager, Jeff Roe, received a call from Jason Miller, a former Cruz aide now advising Mr. Trump. Mr. Miller informed the Cruz team that “Mr. Trump would really appreciate” and “would remember it” if Mr. Cruz endorsed him in the speech, Mr. Roe said. “I hear you,” Mr. Roe told him.

When the speech was sent out a short while later, nothing had changed: There was still no endorsement.

As Mr. Cruz prepared to address supporters at an outdoor bar that afternoon, Mr. Roe suggested that the Trump campaign would have little to object to. “I think they’ll be pleased with the speech,” he told reporters, interrupting his news conference briefly when a call from Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman, came in. Mr. Roe was asked if Mr. Cruz’s speech would focus more on himself than on Mr. Trump. “Self-aggrandizing is not really his shtick,” Mr. Roe said to the reporters.

Mr. Trump’s aides were provided with a copy of Mr. Cruz’s remarks two hours before he gave them, both sides said, and were then outraged to see that not only would Mr. Cruz not endorse Mr. Trump, but that he would suggest pointedly that Republicans should feel no obligation to vote for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump and his aides briefly considered bumping Mr. Cruz from the lineup, but quickly concluded that that would bring more controversy to a convention that had been battered enough. Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump expected the speech to generate an angry reaction, but both sides were unprepared for its intensity.

As Mr. Trump’s children looked on in silence, Mr. Cruz read from a teleprompter, at first in lofty phrases that referred to the civil rights movement, the killing of police officers in recent weeks and one victim of a police shooting. He spoke of the inherent constitutional rights of all Americans, including gays and atheists.

But when Mr. Cruz used the code phrase “vote your conscience” — which in congressional terms means go against your leaders — he was met with boisterous boos and hisses from the crowd, led by the New York delegation a few feet away. One delegate said that some people on the floor were reduced to tears because of their disappointment and fury.

Protesters, reporters, delegates and security personnel converge this week in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention.

Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, sat watching the speeches from a skybox in the arena, realizing that prime time America was now watching an “Apprentice” style version of what he and his Republican colleagues had suffered through on the Senate floor, where Mr. Cruz once called him a liar.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan was backstage with Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, whom he would soon introduce as the Republican nominee for vice president, whose appropriate but mild remarks would be completely overshadowed by Mr. Cruz’s spectacle.

As Mr. Cruz slunk from the stage and Mr. Trump’s son Eric took the lectern, Mr. Trump’s aides sought out Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, who was slated to speak after Mr. Trump’s son.

“I don’t think they realized how strong the reaction was going to be,” Mr. Gingrich said. “They came to me and said: ‘We need to get closure here. Let’s talk it through.’ ”

They decided Mr. Gingrich would rebut Mr. Cruz by directly praising Mr. Trump. “I sat down with the senior editor of the teleprompter while Eric was speaking, and over those 12 minutes they were able to reload my remarks,” Mr. Gingrich said.

Mr. Cruz tried to repair to the luxury convention suite of the Las Vegas casino magnate and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson, but he was turned away like a freshman tossed out of a senior keg party. Andy Abboud, a top aide to Mr. Adelson, told Mr. Cruz he was not welcome there, according to two people in the suite who witnessed the exchange.

“Nobody’s ever done in America,” Mr. Gingrich said. (He should know.) Mr. Cruz clearly agrees. After his dismissal from Mr. Adelson’s event, Mr. Cruz found a friendlier face. He went directly to the Ritz a few blocks away for drinks with Andrew F. Puzder, the California-based chief executive of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. and a major Republican donor who raised cash for Mr. Cruz’s campaign.

Before long, Mr. Roe said, Mr. Cruz retired to his hotel room, keeping a lingering eye on his Twitter feed. After 1 a.m., a fund-raising email for his Senate campaign flooded email inboxes. Subject line: “Our fight goes on.”

An article on Friday about reaction to a speech by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas at the Republican National Convention misstated, in some copies, the surname of the chief executive of the parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. restaurants, who raised money for Mr. Cruz’s campaign. He is Andrew F. Puzder, not Pudzer.

Summary: Mr. Cruz used his speech not to endorse the nominee but to position himself for the future.


Rickey Henderson Already 40 when he joined the Mets in 1999, Henderson had a .416 on-base percentage for the team — incredibly, even better than his career .401 mark. But his brief stay ended in such acrimony that Henderson was the only player for the 2000 N.L. champions who was not given a ring by the team; he was cut that May and got $1.8 million in termination pay.

Pedro Martinez Two years after snagging Glavine in free agency, the Mets signed another star away from the team he would represent in Cooperstown. Lured from Boston by a four-year, $53 million contract, Martinez gave instant credibility to a sagging franchise. Let’s remember him joyously prancing amid the wayward sprinklers that interrupted a game in his scintillating 2005 season — and not for the three injury-marred years that followed.

Willie Mays People use the image of Mays falling down in the outfield in the 1973 World Series against Oakland as an example of a once-great athlete hanging on too long. Less remembered is his final career hit: a go-ahead single off Rollie Fingers in the 12th inning of the Mets’ victory in Game 2.

Eddie Murray The Mets signed Murray, a switch-hitting, slugging first baseman, for two years and $7.5 million before the 1992 season. In a productive but forgettable interlude in a marvelous career, Murray drove in 193 runs — and the Mets lost 193 games.

Nolan Ryan The majors’ strikeout king was on the mound when the Mets earned a trip to the 1969 World Series, working the final seven innings of the National League Championship Series clincher against Atlanta. Then he saved Game 3 of the World Series against Baltimore, the first of three consecutive victories at Shea Stadium as the Mets took their first title. In December 1971, the Mets traded Ryan to the Angels for Jim Fregosi — and you know the rest.

Duke Snider The Duke of Flatbush returned to New York in 1963 after the Los Angeles Dodgers sold the former Brooklyn star to the Mets. Snider got his 2,000th hit and 400th home run as a Met; at the time, only six others had reached both figures. He hit .243 with 14 homers and 45 R.B.I. as a Met, then retired after a final season with the San Francisco Giants.

Warren Spahn No left-hander had more victories than Spahn, with 363, but just four of them were for the Mets. After spending 20 seasons with the Braves, Spahn began his final year, 1965, by going 4-12 for the Mets. His manager was the same man he had played for as a rookie in 1942, prompting Spahn to say, “I’m the only guy to play for Casey Stengel before and after he was a genius.”

Casey Stengel The only number you will never see on the back of a New York major leaguer: 37, which the Yankees and the Mets both retired for Stengel. (All players wear No. 42 for one day in April to honor Jackie Robinson.) After winning 10 pennants and seven championships for the Yankees, Stengel guided the Mets from 1962 to 1965, with a record of 175-404.

Joe Torre He finished his playing career and started his managing career with the 1977 Mets, and those tenures briefly overlapped. Torre twice inserted himself as a pinch-hitter, drawing an intentional walk the first time and then, in his final at-bat, flying out to right field off Houston’s Floyd Bannister.

George Weiss The general manager for seven Yankees championship teams, Weiss was the first president of the Mets. “No other man, not even Babe Ruth or Ty Cobb, had more profound and lasting influence on the game,” Red Smith wrote in The Times after Weiss’s death. “None ever built as George Weiss built.” Weiss retired in 1966, and three years later, the Mets he had started to build won their first World Series.

The On Baseball column on Friday, about 15 former Mets players in the Baseball Hall of Fame who are better known for their work elsewhere, misstated, in some copies, the number of runs batted in that Duke Snider had as a Met. He had 45, not 43.

A version of this article appears in print on July 22, 2016, on page B8 of the New York edition with the headline: Mets Hall of Famers? Two. Former Mets in Hall? Lots. . Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

Summary: When Mike Piazza is inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, he will be only the second inductee with a Mets cap on his plaque. But 15 others have appeared on Mets rosters over the years.


Shortly after Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel killed 84 people by driving a truck through the crowd gathered on Nice’s seafront, France’s president, François Hollande, announced he would ask Parliament to extend for another three months the state of emergency declared immediately after the Paris terrorist attacks last November.

This was an abrupt reversal for Mr. Hollande, who had planned to lift the current state of emergency this week. But with presidential elections in France less than a year away, politicians on the right leapt to accuse Mr. Hollande’s Socialist government of failing to do enough to protect French citizens. They insisted on more.

On Thursday, Parliament, in addition to extending the state of emergency for six months, added measures to expand already broad police powers of search and detention, like increasing pretrial detention periods for children; allowing searches without the approval of a judge; and authorizing the police to seize data from computers and mobile phones, and to search luggage and vehicles without judicial approval. These changes will do nothing to help France fight terrorism — it already has sweeping counterterrorism laws — and may do permanent damage to the very things the Islamic State wishes to destroy: France’s democratic freedoms and its social cohesion.

In May, a French parliamentary report admitted that the state of emergency, perhaps useful at first, had grown less effective. In fact, some 3,600 warrantless searches and 400 house arrests have resulted in a mere six terrorism-related criminal investigations. Yet the state of emergency has been abusively used to put environmental and labor-law activists under house arrest.

It also risks further alienating French Muslims, who have been the subject of most of the raids. Many report being treated in a manner that “made them feel stigmatized and eroded their trust in the French authorities,” according to Human Rights Watch. This can only serve the purpose of the Islamic State.

France should, of course, take action to protect its citizens. The intelligence apparatus needs a thorough overhaul, as a parliamentary committee urged earlier this month. And there are still questions about how Mr. Lahouaiej Bouhlel was able to gain access to the promenade in Nice, which was supposedly protected by both national and local police officers.

In February, President Hollande promised that the state of emergency would not be permanent, saying, “If we were to fight terrorism by weakening our principles, it would be the first defeat followed by others.” The pre-election blindness to this truth is putting France’s civil liberties and long-term security in grave danger.

Summary: A stricter state of emergency will not improve counterterrorism efforts.


Maisie, who plays Arya Stark, took part in a hidden camera stunt for the magazine Nylon, which she features on the cover of this month.

Nylon explains: "Wearing an earpiece and taking directions from our team behind the scenes, Williams faced unsuspecting customers who swore they recognized her from that really popular HBO fantasy show, but couldn’t quite figure out what she was doing behind that counter.

Summary: Game of Thrones fans got a surprise when they visited this hobby shop in Santa Monica, California, recently.


Any suggestion that Melbourne firefighters won't be able to do their jobs during a terror attack because of a possible pay deal is "reckless and alarmist", the Victorian government says.

MFB chief officer Peter Rau has written to Emergency Services Minister James Merlino stating the brigade's ability to fight "rapidly evolving" security threats would be diminished if a workplace agreement similar to that proposed for the CFA was forced on his organisation.

The CFA deal - which is still being finalised - would give the United Firefighters Union increased control of operations and resourcing decisions.

Mr Rau said the current MFB agreement was already "unworkable" thanks to an existing consultation clause with the union.

He claims in the past he's been unable to deploy new trucks and appliances, or get more firefighters to work during extreme heatwaves, due to UFU obstruction.

People would be at risk if they had to wait for the union to give the OK in terror situations too, Mr Rau argues.

"In these circumstances it will not be possible or desirable to consult with union officials prior to enacting critical decisions," he writes.

But Mr Merlino on Wednesday dismissed the claims - insisting Victoria was prepared for emergencies.

"Those comments are reckless and alarmist and don't reflect the reality," he told reporters.

Mr Merlino said the real problem was a breakdown in the relationship between MFB management and the union - not consultation clauses.

The MFB is currently before the Fair Work Commission to finalise a new enterprise bargaining agreement.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy believes Mr Rau has raised "legitimate concerns" and Mr Merlino's personal criticism of him is "reprehensible".

UFU boss Peter Marshall labelled the MFB chief officer's letter a publicity stunt.

"That letter is very craftily designed to cause alarm without going into the detail," Mr Marshall told ABC radio on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has promised to block the CFA deal using the Fair Work Act once parliament resumes on August 30.

Summary: Melbourne's top firefighter has written to the state government warning the proposed CFA pay deal could affect the MFB and put lives at risk.