The party’s support for making paedophilia legal only ended in 1990 but the past has haunted them throughout this election campaign.

Mr Trittin argued at the press conference that the party’s view on paedophilia was shaped by the campaign against Paragraph 175, the provision of the German criminal code that made homosexuality illegal. This was abolished in 1994.

He said: “In the founding phase of the Greens, gay and lesbian groups were campaigning to reverse discrimination of a kind you can hardly imagine today.

“The impetus for liberalisation and decriminalisation overshot its target. And it overshot, because there was the fiction that - beyond violence and the abuse of a relationship of trust — there could be sexual relations between adults and children.”

The Greens announced earlier this year that they would set up an inquiry into their links with paedophile groups, following a row over a Green MEP Daniel Cohn-Bendit’s apparent endorsement of sex with children.

The first report of the inquiry, published last month, concluded that the Greens “set barely any boundaries on sexual relations between teachers, carers and their charges — or between adults and children”.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a student leader in the 1968 unrest in Paris, claimed in a 1975 book that he interacted sexually with children while working at a kindergarten. The remarks came to light again this year when he was awarded a prize by the Theodor Heuss Foundation, which honours West Germany’s first president.

He subsequently insisted that he was not a paedophile and had made the remarks solely in order to shock “bourgeois” society.

The Greens slipped to 8.6pc in regional elections in Bavaria on Sunday, a week ahead of Germany’s national elections on September 22. German chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative allies the Christian Social Union von 47.7pc of the vote, a swing of more than four percentage points from their 2008 result.

Hermann Groehe, general secretary of Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said: “This election gives us tailwind for the national election.” The liberal Free Democrats, who are in coalition with Mrs Merkel’s party nationally, won only 3.3 per cent of the vote in Bavaria, losing more than half their support and all their seats in the parliament in Munich. In national polls the Free Democrats hover around the 5pc threshold needed to keep their seats in the Bundestag.

Germany’s main opposition party, the Social Democrats, finished a distant second in Bavaria with 20.6 per cent.

Summary: The head of Germany’s Green Party has expressed regret about a two-decade-old   political pamphlet containing calls to legalise some forms of pedophilia.


It was only when the plane wreckage was put on display in Trafalgar Square in London did they discover that its pilot was not Captain Albert Horn, as Hess had identified himself to Mr McLean, but Hitler’s second in command.

Mr Boyd sold the fuselage in the 1960s to the former assistant secretary of the Battle of Britain Association, who then passed it to The War Museum, a private collection in America.

Details of Mr McLean’s quick-witted salvage operation have only just emerged – more than 70 years on – after a letter written by Mr Boyd that tells their story has been put up for sale alongside the wreckage they recovered.

In the previously unseen letter, Mr Boyd wrote: "I got a call from Dave one late morning in May of 1941 telling me a German pilot had landed on the farm.

"He had captured the fellow and handed him to the local Cpl of the signals unit next door. The pilot had a broken ankle so was taken to Maryhill Barracks Military Hospital for treatment.

"His fighter plane had crashed in the next field which was Bonnytons Farm and Dave had gone over on his cycle and hidden a few souvenirs in the bushes!

"The army signal unit and Home Guard and police were on their way so he had to be quick.

"The whole wreckage was taken away by the Army Maintenance unit from Carluke and nothing was left.

"Dave went back later in the tractor and retrieved the items of which he gave me the section you are having for your collection.

"When we all found out later that the pilot was the German deputy leader under Hitler we really couldn't believe it!"

One of the plane's engines is currently on display at the RAF Museum in London, while the other one is at the Imperial War Museum alongside another section of fuselage.

Hess explained his plan to meet with the Duke of Hamilton, who he wrongly thought was the leader of a political party opposed to war with Germany, in a letter to Hitler.

After his capture, Hess was kept in Britain as a prisoner of war until his trial following Germany's surrender on May 8 1945.

During the trial he said that he could not remember his actions but later admitted that was just a ruse.

Hess was found guilty of war crimes and sent to Spandau prison in Germany to serve a life sentence.

On August 17 1987, then aged 93, Hess hanged himself in the prison's summerhouse using an electrical cable.

The fuselage and letter are expected to £3,000 pounds when they go under the hammer at Bonhams, the auction house, in New York on June 5.

Tom Lamb, a historian at Bonhams, said: "The story of Rudolf Hess' strange flight to Britain in 1941 is well known but the story of Stanley Boyd, the farm hand who ended up with this section of fuselage, has never been told before.

"Hess was a key figure in the war and this section of his plane is an incredibly important part of the war.

"Not many people get to own a piece of a Messerschmitt, let alone one flown by Rudolf Hess."

Summary: The wreckage of a Messerschmitt, flown by Hitler’s right-hand man to Britain   in an attempt to broker a peace deal in May 1941, was secretly hidden by   farmers, it has emerged


Two men have been charged over the death of a 45-year-old man in an outback hotel in the WA mining town of Newman.

Police were called at about midnight on Friday and found the man unconscious and he later died at Newman Hospital.

A 26-year-old man and a 44-year-old man have been charged with grievous bodily harm by major crime squad officers who travelled from Perth.

The men will appear South Hedland Magistrates Court on Monday.

Summary: Two men have been arrested and charged over the suspicious death of a man in a hotel in the mining town of Newman.


Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos sold one million shares of his holdings in the company raising $757 million last week, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That is a record sale amount for Bezos, exceeding the $671 million worth of shares he sold in May.

Like the May sale, Bezos benefited some from the stock market reaction to impressive quarterly results at Amazon. The e-commerce giant reported revenue of $30.4 billion, up 31% from a year earlier, and adjusted profit per shares of $1.78, versus just 19 cents per share a year earlier. Both results also beat Wall Street analyst expectations. Amazon shares have gained 2% since the results came out and 14% over the past three months.

See also: Warren Buffett Just Unloaded $195 Million Worth of These “Weapons of Mass Destruction”

But Bezos sale was predetermined by what is known as a 10b5-1 plan, named after an SEC regulation which allows company insiders to avoid insider trading charges by setting up a schedule of sales in advance. Even if Amazon had reported disappointing results causing its share price to fall, Bezos still would have sold one million shares under the 10b5-1 plan.

The sales occurred from August 2 through August 4 at prices ranging from $750.35 to a high of $765.01, according to the filing, which was earlier reported by the web site Geekwire.

Amazon has benefitted this year not just from strong online sales of all kinds of merchandise, but also from the increasing popularity of its cloud software business.

Bezos, who founded the site as an online bookseller in 1994, still owns 80.9 million shares worth $62 billion at Monday’s closing price. Even after the sale, the value of Bezos Amazon shares has gone up about $8 billion from his last sale in May thanks to the company’s rising stock price.

Amazon amzn may face increased online competition from rival Walmart wmt in the future. The country’s biggest physical retailer announced it was buying Amazon competitor Jet.com for $3 billion on Monday.

Summary: Stock keep going up, padding CEO's pockets


New details have emerged in the tragedy that has transfixed the nation after a Texas mother fatally shot her two daughters before being killed by a police officer.

Authorities on Monday said Christy Sheats, 42, convened a “family meeting” inside her Katy home Friday evening before opening fire on her two daughters, 22-year-old Taylor Sheats and 17-year-old Madison Sheats. Christy Sheats’ husband Jason Sheats was also present in the living room but was not injured.

All three managed to scramble out of the house through the front door, but the younger daughter collapsed and died, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office said.

Christy Sheats shot her older daughter again as she ran into the street and then went back inside their home to reload her five-shot, .38 caliber handgun, according to authorities. The mother returned to shoot Taylor Sheats once more.

A police officer killed Christy Sheats with one shot about 5 p.m. after she refused to drop her weapon. Her husband had managed to safely run all the way to the end of the cul-de-sac on the street.

The shootings have shocked friends and family members. “We’ve had the preachers here and everything,” the young girls’ grandmother, Ann Sheats Wooten, told TIME on Tuesday before being overcome with emotion. “I just can’t handle it today, or ever I guess.”

Here’s what we know about the family:

Taylor Sheats was passionate about drawing and caring for children, according to one of her good friends and a former boss. The 22-year-old last May graduated with honors from Lone Star College in Cypress, Texas. Shortly after, she began working full-time as a teacher at Kids R Kids, a child day care center and pre-K school in Katy.

“She was a wonderful person, a wonderful teacher. She was always around children,” Kids R Kids Director Cindy Graves told TIME on Tuesday. “We’re all very sad here to hear of the loss. It happened so close to home.”

Taylor Sheats, who worked evenings as a nanny after her daytime shift at the center, spent about six months at the pre-K school, where she helped to teach 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds in two different classrooms, Graves said. She also decorated the entire facility with her own artwork. “She was an amazing artist,” Graves said.

The young woman wanted to become a professional artist and diligently worked toward that goal, according to her good friend Cris Mascorro, who grew up with her since middle school. “She had a plan and she knew exactly what she was doing,” said Mascorro, 20, who had enlisted Taylor Sheats to help his photo booth business.

Taylor Sheats often illustrated scrapbooks and photo albums for his clients and always checked in to see if they were happy with the final products, he said.

A large portion of her joy also came from her longtime boyfriend Juan Lugo. Lugo, who could not be immediately reached for comment, is the subject of many of his girlfriend’s Facebook posts. The two were approaching their five-year anniversary in December.

Madison Sheats also loved being around children. The teenager had been babysitting part-time for almost three years. “She was always smiling,” Mascorro said.

Mascorro said he texted Taylor Sheats as soon as he heard that two adult daughters were shot in Katy. “Without knowing who it was—I texted Taylor just to make sure she was OK. I didn’t get an answer,” he said. “I was freaking out. It wasn’t until later that night that I found out it was them. It just tore me apart. I just don’t understand.”

“I just have them in my prayers and have them in my thoughts. I always will be thinking about them,” he added.

Christy Sheats lived for her children and constantly talked about them while showing off their photos, her friend Catherine Knowles told TIME on Monday. “This woman loved her children. That was her life purpose. That was her pride. That was her joy,” said Knowles, 53, of Huntsville, Ala. “Christy wasn’t crazy. I don’t know what could have made her snap. To do this, it’s insanity. The whole thing.”

Sheats showed no signs of emotional turmoil before the tragedy, she said.

The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office said officers had responded to 14 calls from the Sheats household since January 2012. Sheriff spokeswoman Caitilin Espinosa told People that one of the incidents was over a “mental crisis,” although additional details were not disclosed. Authorities said some of the calls were because of alarm issues.

Summary: The tragedy has transfixed the nation and shocked family and friends


Diners Club, the original charge card, is attempting a comeback, and the new version comes with one of the most flexible -- but expensive -- rewards programs available.

Created in 1950 as a way for busy executives to pay for meals when they didn't have cash, the card rose to become the epitome of suave and even had a movie made about it once (starring Telly Savalas). But in recent years, the brand faded as merchants flocked to Visa...

Summary: Diners Club is attempting a comeback, and the new version comes with one of the most flexible -- but expensive -- rewards programs available.


08/16/2016 AT 09:30 PM EDT

Longtime political pundit John McLaughlin has died. He was 89.

The creator, executive producer and host of

"passed away peacefully," according to the CBS show's Facebook page on Tuesday.

"A message from the McLaughlin Group family. Earlier this morning, a beloved friend and mentor, Dr. John McLaughlin, passed away peacefully at the age of 89," the statement read. "As a former jesuit priest, teacher, pundit and news host, John touched many lives. For 34 years, The McLaughlin Group informed millions of Americans. Now he has said bye bye for the last time, to rejoin his beloved dog, Oliver, in heaven. He will always be remembered. Please note, we will inform you – via this page – of memorial service details."

John is with Oliver. https://t.co/SIn1ZpyaD4

first aired in 1982, McLaughlin had never missed a show in the 34 years – until Sunday.

At the top of the program, the show aired a handwritten note from McLaughlin that read: "Dear friends of The McLaughlin Group, Dr. McLaughlin here. As the panel's recent absences attest, I am under the weather. The final issue of this episode has my voice, but please forgive me for its weaker than usual quality. Yet my spirit is strong and my dedication to this show remains absolute!"

McLaughlin was born in 1927 in Providence, Rhode Island, and he entered the Jesuit Order at age 20 before graduating from Boston College. He alsoe earned a Ph.D. (philosophy) from Columbia University. McLaughlin first entered the political world in 1970, when he unsuccessfully ran for United States Senate.

Following the defeat, he worked as a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon until his resignation. In 1981, McLaughlin began his journalism career starting with a column for

John McLaughlin was a TV institution for generations of Americans. We will miss his contagious spirit & tireless dedication.

RIP John McLaughlin. My parents made us watch him every week which made the SNL sketches all the sweeter.

Theatrical, pyrotechnical, a firecracker of a man... John McLaughlin, you were damned good company. #McLaughlinGroup

Notable figures in journalism and Hollywood took to Twitter following news of McLaughlin's death. Seth Meyers, Dana Delany and Morgan Fairchild tweeted condolences in addition to Jake Tapper, Chris Matthews and Nancy Pelosi.

He was always fun, Chris. Thanks for such a nice send off for John! He certainly deserves it! https://t.co/R5XOlAmhQd

Been watching @McLaughlinGroup group for years & thought @danacarvey's impersonation was spot on. RIP John McLaughlin. You will be missed

I adored John McLaughlin. Apt that he missed his 1st show in 34 yrs & then died. That rigorous Jesuit mind. We will not see his like again.

Rest in peace, John McLaughlin who passed away today at the age of 89. (Image: NAID 194578; May 3, 1974) pic.twitter.com/SZI38c9viX

John McLaughlin's legacy and influence can be seen on at least five cable channels daily. He changed political TV. Right? or WRONG!!?? RIP

McLaughlin not only had a long-running TV career but he also cameoed in various films including

Summary: Mclaughlin's death was announced on The McLaughlin Group Facebook page Tuesday


The auditor-general has rejected a call for an independent review of a major Defence Department submarine contract.

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon has asked the Australian National Audit Office to audit the command and control system selection for the SEA 1000 Future Submarine Project.

However auditor-general Grant Hehir said in a statement on Wednesday he does not plan to do a separate audit in the light of advice from the government and the fact that there was already an audit under way into Defence's arrangements to select a preferred partner for the Future Submarine Program.

Summary: A fresh performance audit into a key aspect of Defence's submarine program won't go ahead, despite a call from the Senate crossbench.


A woman has been killed after she was thrown from a car that rolled in central Australia.

Police say the woman, 44, and a 45-year-old man were travelling to Finke from Kulgera community on Saturday night when their car rolled several times, throwing them both out.

"Investigations are continuing but early indications suggest speed, alcohol and the lack of seat belts may be contributing factors," Superintendent Janelle Tonkin said in a statement on Monday.

The man remains in Alice Springs Hospital.

The NT road toll is now 28, compared with 33 for the same time last year.

Summary: A woman was killed and a man was hospitalised after they were thrown from a car that rolled near the NT desert community of Finke.


09/16/2016 AT 05:15 PM EDT

recently amended his 2013 legal claim that he was sexually abused by

with the startling allegation that the artist operated the "most sophisticated public child sexual abuse procurement and facilitation organization the world has known."

The fact that he waited until decades after the alleged abuse took place – and three years after Jackson had died – has raised some eyebrows, but his lawyer says that Robson began to reflect upon the memories of the abuse he always had and saw them in a different light after becoming a father to now 5½-year-son Koa.

"He just recently made that determination soon after giving birth to his first child," attorney Vince Finaldi tells PEOPLE exclusively. "He started having all these things come up. This wasn't loving, normal behavior – things that the world just won't understand. If this were my child I would absolutely not be okay with it. This is sexual abuse. He went to a therapist."

Though the original complaint was

, Finaldi explains that a previous legal effort named the late singer's estate in their claim, despite the fact that the statue of limitations had passed. (Howard Weitzman, an attorney for the Jackson estate, hailed the ruling at the time, saying the estate believed Robson's earlier sworn testimony in Jackson's defense "when his sole motivation was 'to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.'")

Since he's been brought on, Finaldi's strategy is to continue with the cases against the late singer's business entities, MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures, which remain active.

"What triggered the amendment complaint is our review of the files and materials, and our determination that [Jackson] was in fact operating MJJ Productions as a child sexual abuse procurement operation. That was unquestionably the second purpose of this business," Finaldi alleges. "He was using it to pay for gifts for kids and parents in order to groom them for later sexual abuse. He was using it to pay for trips for kids, for plane tickets, for hotels to bring them with him on concerts and to also employ some of these kids as 'dancers' – but he would also be putting them into his room and sleeping with them at night and sexually abusing them."

He continued: "None of these are standard operations for an entertainment company that's supposed to be distributing music as an entertainment."

According to Finaldi, Robson, 33, is intent on "getting answers as to why this happened. If you can't figure out why this was allowed to happen, you can't protect kids from this happening in the future in the entertainment industry in general. One of his main concerns is making sure that this does not happen again and kids are protected. He wants to get the real story out there."

Representatives for MJJ have yet to respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Peter Kramer / NBC NewsWire via Getty

While the case is prepared, Finaldi says that Robson continues to work on his personal demons.

"As with any other survivor, there are good days and there are bad days. You just have to plod through it, so he's still in therapy. He's working his depths going from being a victim to a survivor, and he's really committed to it. This is really hard work. This is lifetime work."

The trial is currently set for March 2017.

Summary: Wade Robson's attorney claims Michael Jackson's production company was a "child sexual abuse procurement operation"


A crowd-funding campaign to aid the recovery of a Queensland toddler bitten by a deadly snake has received twice as much as its $20,000 target.

More than $40,000 has been raised for Eli Campbell, who remains in hospital after being bitten three times by a coastal taipan while collecting eggs from his family's chicken pen in Agnes Water more than a week ago.

The two-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be revived by paramedics before being airlifted to the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital.

Eli is off life support but his family faces a nervous wait to discover the extent of brain damage he sustained.

In an update to a GoFundMe page on Wednesday, Eli's grandparents said initial signs showed the damage was significant.

"The area of his brain that has been affected the most is the occipital lobe, responsible for interpreting what he sees and he may also have some motor function impairment," they said.

"But it is early days ... though difficult we must keep sending positive thoughts to this little boy for recovery."

Summary: Donations are continuing to pour in to aid the recovery of a Queensland toddler bitten three times by one of the world's deadliest snakes.


Apple beat Wall Street expectations for profit and revenue, but iPhone sales fell 3 million short of expectations—despite hitting a record 51 million. Also, the company cautioned that its revenue growth would soon slow. That led to an 8 percent drop in Apple's stock, reducing the value of the company by $40 billion.

Investors seemed to latch on to even minor blemishes. General Electric's profit margin from industrial operations by improved by 0.66 percent, barely missing its target of 0.7 percent. Still, that was enough to send shares down 11 percent since it reported results January 17.

"The market is punishing those that don't deliver," says Krosby.

On the other hand, companies that have posted strong results and outlooks for 2014 have been bid up sharply, despite the overall market slide.

"The companies that come out with strong data and margins that are intact are getting rewarded," Krosby says.

(Read more: Markets fear US chilled by more than weather)

Google posted a 17 percent gain in revenue and profit Thursday, and shares remained up by 2 percent despite the broader market decline. Caterpillar's earnings per share beat analyst expectations by 21 percent, and the company raised expectations for profit in 2014 last Monday. Shares responded by rising 7 percent since then.

The outlook for corporate profits and revenue for 2014 is strong, according to S&P Capital IQ. Revenue is expected to rise 4.5 percent for the year, compared to just 1.9 percent in 2013, and earnings are expected to rise 8.5 percent for the year, better than 2013's 5.8 percent gain.

But investors are concerned that this isn't quite enough to justify stocks' high prices at a time when the Federal Reserve decision to slow its stimulus program is making cash a little less easy to come by. Less cash in the system means less cash for investors to buy stocks with.

"The more you drain the stimulus, the better results you need to see," Krosby says.

The slowing stimulus is crushing stocks in developing nations, because investors fear a smaller supply of cash in the world will drain money from their economies. At the same time the Chinese economy appears to be slowing and prices for European goods are growing more slowly than the European Central Bank had hoped, raising fears of deflation there.

"All these concerns are translated into people paring back on any type of risk," says Robert Pavlick, chief market strategist at the investment firm Baynan Partners.

Summary: Investors are too worried about larger global macroeconomic forces to do much buying.


Is the College Football Playoff better than the dearly departed Bowl Championship Series?

In a word, hell yes!

Do you hear all the jostling and politicking for a playoff spot by the coaches and athletic directors? No? Because it's not happening, not yet anyway. That in itself is already a huge improvement from the BCS era.

Ten years ago this week, I launched the now-defunct BCSGuru.com because I was frustrated by the media's and public's ignorance of the BCS standings formula and how it worked. Over time, I became an expert at projecting the standings, with an overall accuracy of higher than 95 percent. I correctly predicted the two teams that would meet in the BCS title game every year until the demise of the BCS after the 2013 season.

In latter part of the BCS era, politicking and jockeying were a necessity because two-thirds of the standings were controlled by the voters, who in fact determined the final matchup every year. The computers served as mere distractions and window dressing, as they proved to have no influence over who got picked for the title game.

The smartest thing the CFP, now in its third year of existence, has done is to ditch the polls. While you may have objections to a dozen people sitting in the room deciding who should make the four-team playoff, this model is infinitely better than what essentially became mob rule in the BCS era.

The CFP committee members won't meet for another three weeks, which also allows them to see the totality of the season's picture better when they do get together. That's also a huge upgrade from the BCS era when the voters started their year with preseason polls and stubbornly stuck to them even when facts on the ground no longer aligned with their preconceived notions.

So the best thing about the CFP is that it renders college football (mostly) politics-free. And in this contentious election season, that's a not-so-small favor we can all be thankful for.

Alabama (-13) at Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

The Third Saturday in October is a rivalry that's noted for its streaks. After ending a 12-game skid against Florida in The Third Saturday in September, Tennessee hopes to do the same to its nine-game losing streak to Alabama. But this is a much taller order considering that the No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide have steamrolled every opposition this season while the Vols are coming off a heartbreaking OT loss to Texas A&M. Tennessee has gone 5-1 and reached its top-10 ranking by rallying from double-digit deficits four times, but don't expect that to happen against Nick Saban, who's never lost to the Vols since he arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007.

Also keep an eye on

Ohio State (-10.5) at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC

By now everyone is expecting the Michigan-Ohio State showdown in late November to decide the Big Ten's playoff representative, but Wisconsin will have a lot to say about all of that. After hanging close with Michigan in a 14-7 loss, the Badgers represent the only realistic challenge for the Buckeyes before their date with the Wolverines. Wisconsin also most likely will win the Big Ten West, meaning win or lose Saturday, it might get another shot at the Michigan-Ohio State winner in the conference championship game.

Nebraska (-3.5) at Indiana, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2

Even though Nebraska is 5-0 and may challenge Wisconsin for the Big Ten West title, it can ill afford to look past Indiana. Coming off a 38-17 loss at Ohio State, the Hoosiers are a gritty group that can grind it out with anyone. With games against Wisconsin and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks still coming up, the Cornhuskers must handle all their business against underdogs to have any shot at a trip to the Big Ten title game.

West Virginia (-1) at Texas Tech, noon ET, FS1

Pat Mahome II's namesake father was a 12-year veteran in Major League Baseball as a pitcher, but even he must have been impressed at how much his kid quarterback is throwing for Texas Tech. In last week's 44-38 loss to Kansas State, the younger Mahomes aired it out 62 times for 504 yards. He leads the nation in passing yards with 2,274, just ahead of his former teammate Davis Webb (now at Cal). To hand West Virginia its first loss of the season, Texas Tech will need Air Mahomes to chuck it around with all his might.

-- Samuel Chi is the managing editor of RealClearSports.com and proprietor of College Football Exchange. Follow him on Twitter at @ThePlayoffGuru.

Alabama Crimson Tide, College Football, College Football Playoff, Football, Indiana Hoosiers, NCAAF, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Tennessee Volunteers, Wisconsin Badgers

Summary: Politicking and jockeying were once a necessity for schools angling to get in BCS title game, but those influences are irrelevant now with playoff.


Pam Baker nearly passed out in her lounge room when Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015.

"It was the end of a long era and Michelle did it!" Baker told reporters on Tuesday at the launch of a showcase at the MCG to honour women in racing.

Baker started as a track-work rider before her push for female jockey licences in 1971 enabled her to compete professionally.

"I did it because I wanted to see women beat men," Baker told AAP.

Baker's guts and determination to forge a path for women in the once male-dominated sport of racing are honoured in the display.

Whips, jodhpurs, racing colours, badges, a bookmaker's bag and riding boots owned by some of Australia's female racing pioneers are also there.

Long-time advocate for female racing roles, Peter Moody, says women play a massive role in racing these days.

"It has taken a long time to have women recognised in the sport" Mr Moody told AAP.

Among the attendees in support of women in racing on Tuesday were the owners of the Melbourne Cup 2015 winner Prince of Penzance.

Summary: Women trailblazers in horse racing have been honoured at the MCG.


Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg denies the Paris climate change agreement is dead in the wake of Donald Trump's presidential victory.

Mr Frydenberg is headed to the UN climate change conference in Morocco, which will focus on how signatory nations will implement last year's treaty to curb the rise of carbon emissions and global temperatures.

He told ABC Radio on Friday he didn't want to pre-empt Mr Trump's actions but warned it would take four years for the US to pull out of the agreement.

"I don't think Paris is dead," he said.

"No country can unilaterally end the agreement."

Mr Frydenberg pointed out that more than 190 countries had adopted the deal.

It was important for the US to be at the table on climate change action because it was the world's biggest economy and a big carbon emitter.

Summary: Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg says it would take four years for the US to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement.


Millions of dollars worth of illegally grown tobacco have been seized during raids in northeast Victoria.

The Australian Taxation Office and Victoria Police on Tuesday found more than 123,000 tobacco seedlings growing in a large hot house at a property in Eurobin, with a potential excise value of $10 million.

It has been illegal to grow tobacco without a licence in Australia since 2006.

Summary: The ATO and Victoria Police have seized hundreds of thousands of illegally grown tobacco seedlings, with a potential excise value of $10 million.


Allowing Queensland's independent supermarkets to sell alcohol will lead to a significant increase in violence, says the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Master Grocers Australia wants independent supermarkets to be permitted to sell alcohol to compensate them for Coles and Woolworths being granted longer trading hours from December 1.

RACS spokesman Dr John Crozier says the College is against allowing any more outlets to sell alcohol in Queensland and believes it would be safer if there were actually fewer bottle shops.

"The College's position is a reduction in the number of outlets and the reduction in the hours of trade," Mr Crozier told AAP.

"We know chain outlets substantially increase the contribution to trauma risk and each additional chain outlet brings a 35 per cent increase in intentional injury."

The RACS has applauded the Queensland Labor Government for its tough stance on trading hours for licensed premises.

Under the new laws which came into effect on July 1, licensed premises can only operate until 2am, unless they are within a designated safe night precinct where last drinks are called at 3am.

The ban on the sale and supply of rapid intoxication drinks after midnight includes jelly shots, bombs and those containing more than 45 millilitres of spirits or liqueur.

Lockout laws come into effect in February.

Dr Crozier said Australia's drinking problem is cultural and, while illicit drugs receive a lot media focus, it's alcohol which fuels violence in general.

"The lawn is the alcohol, the weeds are the illicit drugs. By far the biggest cause in cost terms in incidents is the contribution of alcohol to those harms," he said.

"Some of the police data shows 70 per cent of incidents to which police are called with domestic violence as the trigger, alcohol is significant co-variable.

"It's not the cause but it is a significant co-contributor."

The Queensland Trading Hours Review is considering submissions on trading hours, which not only includes supermarkets but everything from hardware stores to car yards.

The findings are expected to be delivered to the government in December.

Summary: The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is against allowing independent supermarkets to sell alcohol.


American Atheists, one of the nation's largest secular groups, has released its Christmas 2016 billboard ad campaigns in which it uses President-elect Donald Trump's "Make America ...

We are fortunate that so many of today’s NFL players understand the incredible platform they have been provided to make meaningful contributions in their communities—their hometown...

Jingle bells, carolers, the hum of 200 strands of Christmas lights, toy commercials two whole decimals louder than the Christmas movie, Christmas can be noisy, to say the least!

The other day, I was just minding my own business, trying to get to work, when a woman in a black Lexus brought out the worst in me.

I am not a lazy person, but I definitely overrate how much I contribute at home.

Hampshire College in Massachusetts raised the American flag back to full staff Friday after outraged veterans protested the school's decision to stop flying all flags across campus...

In a move to show respect to all religions, a school district in Oregon has decided to ban religious-themed decorations in the classrooms during the holidays.

This year should we really bother to pull out the tinsel and garland or just fast-forward to the New Year?

Summary: Values news articles and videos from FoxNews.com's US section.


NEW YORK (AP) President-elect Donald Trump is partaking in one the nation's most storied football rivalries, saluting U.S. troops at the annual Army-Navy game on Saturday as he prepares to enter the White House.

The future commander-in-chief planned to attend the 117th game between the military academies at West Point and Annapolis, which is being held on relatively neutral ground, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md.

The appearance caps a week of rolling out Cabinet picks, holding ''thank you'' rallies in North Carolina, Iowa and Michigan, and trying to cement his incoming Senate majority with Saturday's runoff election in Louisiana.

The incoming president appeared jovial and relaxed as he plunged back into electoral politics on Friday, a full month after he won the presidency. He held large-scale events in Louisiana and in Michigan, where he regaled supporters in Grand Rapids by reciting his victories in battleground states.

Trump is the first Republican to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush in 1988. He attributed his feat to failures by Democrats.

''They forgot about you people,'' Trump said. ''In four years they're not going to forget. But it's not going to work because you're not going to forget.'' Several protesters were removed from his rally at DeltaPlex Arena, prompting the president-elect to declare at one point, ''Get `em out of here.''

Trump introduced Betsy DeVos, his choice for education secretary who hails from west Michigan, and announced that Andrew Liveris, the chief executive of Dow Chemical, would lead his American Manufacturing Council. Taking the stage, Liveris said the company would soon bring a new research-and-development center to Michigan.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Trump campaigned for Republican John Kennedy, the state treasurer who faces off Saturday against Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, a Democrat, for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. David Vitter. Neither won a majority in the November primary. Polls show Kennedy with a comfortable lead in the runoff.

While candidate Trump was often at odds with the establishment wing of his party, GOP leaders have broadly supported him as president-elect, and he's trying to consolidate any lingering factions, most immediately in Louisiana, where a Kennedy win would cement the party's four-vote advantage in the new Senate.

''We need John in Washington,'' Trump said, speaking in front of a lectern that urged voters to ''Geaux Vote. Vote GOP.''

In private, people close to Trump said he was expected to name yet another Goldman Sachs executive to his White House team. The president-elect's National Economic Council is to be led by Gary Cohn, president and chief operating officer of the Wall Street bank, which Trump repeatedly complained during the election campaign would control Hillary Clinton if she won.

Washington state Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a member of the GOP House leadership team, emerged as a leading candidate to head the Interior Department, according to a person involved in the transition.

Major decisions remain - most importantly Trump's choice for secretary of state. The deliberations have become a source of tension within his transition team, with chief of staff Reince Priebus said to be backing Mitt Romney while other advisers oppose the idea of selecting the 2012 GOP nominee, given his fierce criticism of Trump during the campaign.

Trump announced that Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who was an early favorite, was no longer under consideration.

On a busy Friday, Trump also spoke by telephone with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who broke with protocol during the campaign to publicly endorse Hillary Clinton and said afterward she would not maintain ''a diplomatic silence in the face of attitudes of racism, sexism, misogyny or intolerance of any kind.''

Sturgeon's office said she used Friday's call to emphasize the ''values Scotland and the United States share.'' Trump's transition team described the conversation as a ''short congratulatory call.''

Meanwhile, there apparently is a split over Priebus' replacement as Republican National Committee chairman.

Priebus is said to support Michigan Republican Party chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel for the post, though other senior officials are backing Nick Ayers, an aide to Vice President-elect Mike Pence. McDaniel addressed the crowd in Michigan before Trump took the stage, but no announcement on the RNC chair was made.

Associated Press writers Lisa Lerer, Julie Pace, Julie Bykowicz and Lolita Baldor in Washington and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa contributed.

Reach Thomas on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KThomasDC

Summary: NEW YORK (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump is partaking in one of the nation's most storied football rivalries, saluting U.S. troops at the annual Army-Navy game on Saturday as he prepares to enter the White House.


Asian markets were broadly lower Thursday, in response to strong economic data out of the U.S. overnight that raised the odds of rate increases, dollar strengthening and more capital flight from Asia.

Durable-goods orders in the U.S. rose 4.8% in October from a month earlier, well above the 2.7% gain predicted by economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal. In addition, a measure of U.S. consumer sentiment rose in November, signaling rising confidence in the economy.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 closed nearly flat, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed 0.3% lower and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.8%. Japan’s Nikkei, however, gained 0.9% for the day.

The data pointed to likely improved U.S. demand for goods and commodities from the Asia-Pacific region.

“I was very surprised to see strong European PMIs [purchasing managers indexes] and very strong U.S. data as well…it’s boding well for risk appetite,” said Christoffer Moltke-Leth, director of global sales trading at Saxo Capital Markets.

But more significantly for markets, the data ramped up expectations for interest-rate increases in the U.S., causing traders to pull cash out of emerging Asia.

“There are concerns about emerging markets,” said Mr. Moltke-Leth, pointing to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s November meeting indicated most officials believe a rate increase could become appropriate “relatively soon” if data continued to show an improving economy. This has seen the U.S. dollar strengthen against most currencies in Asia.

The Indonesian rupiah was off 0.5% Thursday, the Japanese yen slipped 0.7% and the Malaysian ringgit was 0.4% lower.

Japanese stocks benefited from the weaker yen, which boosts the competitiveness of the country’s exporters.

Yen weakness continues to be “very favorable” for equities, said Hisao Matsuura, chief strategist at Nomura Japan. He said he expects Japanese firms to post positive earnings revisions as early as next quarter. “How much they recover will show how much things have improved,” Mr. Matsuura said.

Hong Kong stocks slipped as continued yuan slippage hurt offshore interest in Chinese companies listed in the city.

China’s central bank fixed the yuan 0.26% weaker against the U.S. dollar on Thursday. It has guided the currency weaker for most of this month, as the U.S. dollar has experienced a broad-based rally.

“The [yuan] depreciation will be more negative to Chinese companies that have offshore [listings],” said Alexander Lee, research director at DBS Vickers. “These tend to be China properties, airlines and some of the environmental companies.”

Copper, however, has been a bright spot. The industrial metal was up 2.8% at $5,903.50 a metric ton in late Asia trade, buoyed by positive U.S. economic data and expectations that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will spend heavily on infrastructure.

Gains in the metal boosted shares of copper companies. Jiangxi Copper closed up 6.4% in Hong Kong and Yunnan Copper finished up 4.6% on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Asia-Pacific government bond yields rose Thursday, tracking the movement of U.S. Treasurys as market expectations for an interest-rate increase in the U.S. in December stayed strong. Yields rise as bond prices fall. The 10-year debt yield edged up for Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea and Malaysia.

—Suryatapa Bhattacharya, Saumya Vaishampayan, Saurabh Chaturvedi, Biman Mukherji, Carol Chan and Ese Erheriene contributed to this article.

Write to Willa Plank at willa.plank@wsj.com

Summary: Markets in Asia were broadly lower, as strong U.S. economic data raised the odds of rate increases, dollar strengthening and more capital flight from the region.


Come to a study session on programming language Python through the Dataquest learning platform, an online data science tool. Attendees will learn the basics of Python, including modules, enumeration, indexing, and scopes. Attendees must bring a laptop. Tuesday, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Starbucks Coffee, 1 International Place, Boston. Free.

Make it your first priority to attend this networking event on goal-setting, multitasking, and effective project portfolio management. Guest speaker Johanna Rothman, technical editor of AgileConnection.com, will outline effective business management plans. Refreshments and pizza will be served. Tuesday, 6 to 8:30 p.m., The MITRE Corporation, 202 Burlington Road, Bedford. Free.

Learn how to empathize with customers and embrace failure in a crash course on design thinking methods. Attendees will learn how to make faster design decisions by putting the client first. No laptops are required. Tuesday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., General Assembly Boston, 125 Summer St., 13th floor, Boston. $45.

Grab a drink with PyLadies Boston, a group of women Python developers and programmers from around the area. No prior experience is required to join the group, just an interest in learning to program. Wednesday, 6 to 9 p.m., Flat Top Johnny’s, 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge. Free.

Get Talking Points in your inbox:

An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered weekdays.

Attend an event on big data analytics with two guest speakers who will talk about real data examples and analytics from a marketing point of view. Guests will also have the chance to network with like-minded individuals. Snacks and soft drinks will be provided. Thursday, 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., Boston University Mugar Library, 771 Commonwealth Ave., Boston. Free.

Summary: Classes, networking, and more notable events and things to know.


Meghan McCain, the daughter of 2008 Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona, has become a permanent co-host of the Fox News daytime show “Outnumbered.”

McCain, 32, has appeared frequently on the program as a Fox News contributor since 2015. On Monday, the channel announced she will appear daily with co-hosts Harris Faulkner and Sandra Smith.

“Outnumbered” is a daytime discussion program featuring four women panelists joined by a male guest. The program has been the most-watched cable news program in its slot at noon Eastern Time since its launch in April 2014.

Before joining Fox News Channel last year, McCain served as the host of Pivot Network’s “TakePart Live” and has contributed to such publications as the Daily Beast, Newsweek and Time.

Although McCain describes herself as a Republican, she deviates from the party line on a number of issues including same-sex marriage and climate change. In 2011, she co-wrote a book called “America, You Sexy Bitch.”

Silicon Valley is trying to figure out how to work with a Trump-led government

DirecTV's Daniel York brought hardball tactics to Dodgers channel negotiations

What a Trump administration means for Fox News and other cable news networks

Summary: Meghan McCain , the daughter of 2008 Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain of Arizona, has become a permanent co-host of the Fox News daytime show “Outnumbered.”


Judge Samuel Alito Jr., whose entire history suggests that he holds extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress, will almost certainly be a Supreme Court justice soon. His elevation will come courtesy of a president whose grandiose vision of his own powers threatens to undermine the nation's basic philosophy of government  and a Senate that seems eager to cooperate by rolling over and playing dead.

It is hard to imagine a moment when it would be more appropriate for senators to fight for a principle. Even a losing battle would draw the public's attention to the import of this nomination.

At the Judiciary Committee hearings, the judge followed the well-worn path to confirmation, which has the nominee offer up only the most boring statements and unarguable truisms: the president is not above the law; diversity in college student bodies is a good thing. But in what he has said in the past, and what he refused to say in the hearings, Judge Alito raised warning flags that, in the current political context, cannot simply be shrugged away with a promise to fight again another day.

The Alito nomination has been discussed largely in the context of his opposition to abortion rights, and if the hearings provided any serious insight at all into the nominee's intentions, it was that he has never changed his early convictions on that point. The judge  who long maintained that Roe v. Wade should be overturned  ignored all the efforts by the Judiciary Committee's chairman, Arlen Specter, to get him to provide some cover for pro-choice senators who wanted to support the nomination. As it stands, it is indefensible for Mr. Specter or any other senator who has promised constituents to protect a woman's right to an abortion to turn around and hand Judge Alito a potent vote to undermine or even end it.

But portraying the Alito nomination as just another volley in the culture wars vastly underestimates its significance. The judge's record strongly suggests that he is an eager lieutenant in the ranks of the conservative theorists who ignore our system of checks and balances, elevating the presidency over everything else. He has expressed little enthusiasm for restrictions on presidential power and has espoused the peculiar argument that a president's intent in signing a bill is just as important as the intent of Congress in writing it. This would be worrisome at any time, but it takes on far more significance now, when the Bush administration seems determined to use the cover of the "war on terror" and presidential privilege to ignore every restraint, from the Constitution to Congressional demands for information.

There was nothing that Judge Alito said in his hearings that gave any comfort to those of us who wonder whether the new Roberts court will follow precedent and continue to affirm, for instance, that a man the president labels an "unlawful enemy combatant" has the basic right to challenge the government's ability to hold him in detention forever without explanation. His much-quoted statement that the president is not above the law is meaningless unless he also believes that the law requires the chief executive to defer to Congress and the courts.

Judge Alito's refusal to even pretend to sound like a moderate was telling because it would have cost him so little. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr., who was far more skillful at appearing mainstream at the hearings, has already given indications that whatever he said about the limits of executive power when he was questioned by the Senate has little practical impact on how he will rule now that he has a lifetime appointment.

Senate Democrats, who presented a united front against the nomination of Judge Alito in the Judiciary Committee, seem unwilling to risk the public criticism that might come with a filibuster  particularly since there is very little chance it would work. Judge Alito's supporters would almost certainly be able to muster the 60 senators necessary to put the nomination to a final vote.

A filibuster is a radical tool. It's easy to see why Democrats are frightened of it. But from our perspective, there are some things far more frightening. One of them is Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

Summary: Senate Democrats should fight Judge Samuel Alito Jr.'s confirmation to the Supreme Court.


Wednesday, August 7th 1996, 2:00AM

NOTHING goes with good music and good memories like good food unless it's a cookbook that combines all three. Or better yet, two cookbooks!

"Made With Love: Stories, Recipes and Crafts From Grateful Dead Fans" (St. Martin's. $9.99), by Elizabeth Peace Zippern (her real name, she swears), and "Rock 'n Roll Recipes" (Info Plus. $16.95), by Chef Rex Havick (obviously, a nom de toque), prove that old rockers still love to chow down.

"Made With Love" conjures up the smoky glow of a Grateful Dead show before Jerry Garcia died, when fans sold homemade snacks in the parking lot. Zippern, a 26-year-old from New Jersey who saw more than 100 shows, describes it as "a little city everyone has a setup for their food." This is just the cookbook for an aging (or retro) hippie, with veggie recipes from chemically assisted Deadheads like "Lynn," whose Thai peanut sauce is "very alive, it breathes, it moves, it's crazy, it's wild, it really is."

"Rock 'n' Roll Recipes" is more Casey Kasem's speed, pairing corny menus with classic hits: "Love Me Tenderloin," "Fleetwood Macaroni and Cheese" even "Hootie and the Grilled Fish." David Wiemers, the Hollywood TV producer behind the book, says he asked stars to submit dishes, "but their idea of a good recipe was peanut butter and anchovies, so I said, 'You guys stick to music, I'll do the recipes.' "

From "Made With Love." Asian markets and health food stores stock ingredients.

2to 3 tablespoons olive oil

8ounces seitan (wheat gluten cooked

1pound firm tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

1/2sprig lemon grass, finely chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons red chili paste

1/2to 1 head garlic, finely chopped

Handful of fresh basil, finely chopped

1/2cup each: carrots, red cabbage, and

1/2cup bean sprouts (preferably mung)

21/2cups chunky, unsalted peanut butter

1/2sprig lemon grass, finely chopped

2to 3 tablespoons grated ginger

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

Bring pot of water to boil and turn off heat. Add rice noodles and soak until not quite al dente, about 2-3 minutes. Drain 1 minute, rinse with cold water and set aside. Heat olive and sesame oils in medium-sized pan and saute seitan, tofu, curry powder, lemon grass, ginger, chili paste and garlic to taste until lightly browned. Add basil; saute 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator. Combine vegetables in a large bowl.

Fill another bowl with tepid water and dunk rice papers one at a time until slightly soggy. Lay flat on counter. Place small amount of noodles, vegetables and spice paste in center. To roll, fold two opposite edges toward center, fold in bottom edge and roll upward. Repeat with remaining spring rolls.

For sauce: In medium bowl, gradually mix tepid water with 2 cups peanut butter until thickish paste forms. Combine remaining peanut butter with sesame oil and add to mix. Stir in remaining ingredients and thin with water until creamy. Cover and chill overnight. If sauce thickens, thin with water before serving.

Great Balls of Fire With Be-Bop-A-Lula Sauce

From "Rock 'n Roll Recipes." Jerry Lee Lewis' classic plays great with Gene Vincent's hit.

1/4cup green bell pepper, minced

Salt and black pepper to taste

Halve cherry peppers lengthwise, removing seeds. In a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to simmer and drain.

In a bowl, combine crab, onion, bell pepper, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Stuff into pepper halves and press together. In another bowl, combine flour with spices, gradually whisk in beer, let batter stand 30 minutes and whisk again.

In a pot, pour oil 2-3 inches deep and place over medium heat. Dip peppers in batter and deep-fry until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Combine ingredients for sauce and serve.

Summary: NOTHING goes with good music and good memories like good food unless it's a cookbook that combines all three. Or better yet, two cookbooks! "Made With Love: Stories, Recipes and Crafts From Grateful Dead Fans"(St. Martin's. $9.99), by Elizabeth Peace Zippern (her real name, she swears), and "Rock 'n Roll Recipes"(Info Plus. $16.95), by Chef Rex Havick (obviously, a nom de toque), prove that old rockers still love to chow down.


By DAVID HINCKLEY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, July 21th 1999, 2:10AM

Staffers at WBAI (99.5 FM) have joined colleagues at sister station KPFA in blasting their parent Pacifica Foundation for policies that staffers fear could destroy Pacifica's position as radio's last noncorporate alternative.

The Pacifica board recently moved toward a more centralized policy-making system that lessens the voice of local stations and listeners.

A hundred staffers and listeners at KPFA, in Berkeley, Calif., have been arrested in protests over the dismissal of hosts who criticized these policies on the air.

The chief union steward at WBAI, R. Paul Martin, yesterday issued a blistering statement saying "the staff of WBAI is appalled at these anti-labor tactics" and vowing, "This assault will never be forgotten."

WBAI, like the other four Pacifica stations, forbids hosts from discussing policy issues on the air. Amy Goodman's "Democracy Now" program was cut off last week when it got into that area.

But yesterday morning, WBAI "Wake Up Call" co-hosts Goodman and Bernard White talked about the issue gingerly in response to listeners' phone calls. Goodman said both staff and listener action is necessary, and while she didn't get into specifics, she suggested it has to be well thought out and must happen soon.

She said what happens at WBAI may be the key to saving the whole network, an action she and White call essential.

Unlike National Public Radio, Pacifica takes no corporate money, and thus is more apt to do stories on, say, exploitation of workers and pollution of the land by multinational oil companies in Africa.

Without Pacifica, warned Goodman, those stories will not be told.

Pacifica staffers have been concerned that the board is tidying up the organization so it can seek corporate underwriting or sell stations to take advantage of the current market. WBAI alone would likely bring more than $100 million.

The board denies it will seek underwriting or sell. But the newsletter Counterpunch last week published a memo that, over the signature of a Foundation official, suggests exploring a sale of KPFA.

Micheal Palmer, treasurer-elect of Pacifica and alleged author of the memo, has not confirmed he wrote it. Described by Counterpunch as an E-mail accidentally sent to the wrong person, it says KPFA "would lend itself to a quiet marketing scenario of discreet presentation to logical and qualified buyers."

WBAI staffers and listeners held a demonstration Friday supporting the KPFA staff and opposing the sale of any stations.

WBAI staffers have been at odds with Pacifica for some time over lack of a contract. Management wants to remove unpaid staffers, a large part of the WBAI workforce, from union coverage.


What’s the most important part of a manager’s job?

Most business managers, who make dozens of decisions every day, say few of their choices are more important than the selection of people who work for them. It’s also one of the hardest things to do well on a regular basis.

That’s true for all kinds of managers. But today we’re evaluating just one, departing Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein. He’s leaving town with a poor overall record on personnel decisions that doesn’t match up with his reputation as a wizard in selecting ballplayers. The brief manager evaluation: Theo is no genius.

We all know baseball and other professional sports leagues are hyper-competitive businesses. Teams count on their players to perform at a very high level, under pressure. There is no tide lifting all boats, just a winner and a loser at the end of a game. By the end of a season, there are lots of losers and just one winner.

But managers in all sorts of other ventures face many of the same personnel questions that confront the GM of a baseball team. Will a candidate who looks good on paper really pan out? Can someone who performed well elsewhere adapt to new circumstances? Which young prospects have the kind of potential worth nurturing? Does a new employee have character issues?

Epstein, then 28, was a true boy wonder when he landed the Red Sox job in 2002. A product of the Moneyball age, he believed in the power of Sabermetrics data analysis and looked to those numbers for insight about potential hires.

Like many other managers, Epstein turned out to be quite good at some kinds of personnel decisions and not very good at others. Unfortunately, the worst decisions came with astounding price tags.

This is the truly strange thing about the Epstein era. The Red Sox GM worked with one of the biggest checkbooks in baseball, outspending all but a few teams every year. But the big money led to his worst personnel mistakes. Collectively, they cost hundreds of millions of dollars and locked the team into long-term deals with players who could not or cannot perform to the standards of their paychecks.

To his credit, Epstein displayed a keen sense for spotting value in up-and-coming talent and underappreciated veterans. That includes signing free agents and developing draft picks - something the Red Sox did not do well in the pre-Theo days.

The Globe’s Peter Abraham produced a helpful and entertaining compilation of Theo’s many Red Sox deals - free agent signings, trades, and contract extensions - and graded them as good, bad, mixed, or incomplete. As a fan, I could argue with a few of those ratings (five years of J.D. Drew for $70 million rates a mixed review?) but most of his grades strike me as spot on.

Epstein’s reputation for seeing value among free agents was really established by signing slugger David Ortiz for short money in 2003, just as he was emerging as a star. Other free agents who became Red Sox - including the solid Bill Mueller, one-year wonder Adrian Beltre, and the more recent addition Alfredo Aceves - also accrue to Epstein’s credit.

The Red Sox farm system developed a lot of major league talent during the Epstein years, too. That includes Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, and Jonathan Papelbon. Perhaps Clay Buchholtz and Daniel Bard will deserve to be in that sentence soon.

The biggest Epstein bust? That comes down to a pitcher’s duel between Daisuke Matsuzaka (total cost of $101 million in a six-year deal) and John Lackey ($82.5 million over five years). Underwhelming newcomer Carl Crawford ($142 million over seven years) may become a contender soon.

Epstein’s strange search for the perfect shortstop led to a string of expensive mistakes. He picked and then ditched Edgar Renteria ($40 million over four years) and Julio Lugo ($36 million over four years).

The Red Sox won two world championships and broke the most famous curse in sports during the Epstein era. Give the GM lots of credit for that. But the complete Epstein record as a hiring manager — while spending circles around most of the competition — falls far short of genius material.

Summary: The departing Red Sox GM leaves town with a poor overall record on personnel decisions that doesn’t match up with his reputation as a wizard selecting ballplayers, writes the Globe’s Steven Syre.


Tunisian police beat activists trying to attend a planned meeting by the country's only independent human rights body, witnesses say.

Dozens of plainclothes policemen blocked roads leading to the headquarters of the Tunisian Human Rights League and allowed no one to approach the site, the witnesses said on Saturday.

Security officials traded insults with members of the league while European and US diplomats and French lawyers, who were invited to the congress, looked on.

Witnesses said police beat and kicked league activists who tried to breach the cordon.

The incident was the latest in a series of what rights activists say are government abuses, including beating lawyers, jailing opponents and stifling the press.

AccusationsMokhtar Trifi, the president of the group, said: "It is shameful that those invited to support human rights in Tunisia cannot gain access to the headquarters of the human rights league."

"It is shameful that those invited to support human rights in Tunisia cannot gain access to the headquarters of the human rights league"Mokhtar Trifi,President,Tunisian Human Rights LeagueSome pro-government members of the league say Trifi and other leaders have muzzled a free debate before the planned meeting. They accuse the league's leadership of cronyism, physical and verbal violence against militants and sidelining members who disagree with them.

"It is shameful that those invited to support human rights in Tunisia cannot gain access to the headquarters of the human rights league"Mokhtar Trifi,President,Tunisian Human Rights League

As a result of their complaints, a court ruled that the meeting would be illegal pending further judicial hearings next month.

Hunger strikeMeanwhile, Aljazeera reports that members of the Tunisian National Organisation for Lawyers have begun a hunger strike in protest against the law of the Supreme Bar Institute which was endorsed by the Tunisian parliament.

The lawyers accused the ministry of justice of seeking to control the lawyers syndicate.

Rights activists say Western governments tend to focus on Tunisia's strong economic performance and the government's success in tackling Muslim extremists while turning a blind eye to what they say is often heavy-handed tactics to suppress dissent.

The government says it is committed to democracy and respect of human rights, adding it has no political prisoners and that no one has been jailed for expressing their opinions.


It has probably happened to you. You download a free BlackBerry game, full of so much hope and promise, only to discover that it was a waste of time and disk space. “At least it was free,” you tell yourself.

This is an especially common experience for BlackBerry owners. There are, however, many free top-notch BlackBerry games out there. It’s just a matter of conducting the downloading experiments to sort them out –- which, luckily for you, we’ve already done.

We’ve weeded out throwbacks to Oregon Trail (we have nothing against Oregon Trail, but click-through decision screens — “Do you want to ford the river?” — are a bit past their prime), games that get old after a couple of plays, and games that were never much fun to begin with. The following eight games made the cut.

Match Tetris-style falling pieces (Gloms) by color. If you group four Gloms of one color together, they explode and disappear (Ka-Glom!), which earns you points. Blocks, which don’t disappear when you group them, disappear and earn points when Gloms explode near them.

You would think a name like Number Cruncher would scare away a lot of people, but this is consistently one of the BlackBerry App World’s most popular free games.

There’s actually no math involved. The object is to create as many sequences of numbers in an allotted amount of time. For instance, circling a sequence (2,3,4) or multiples (2,2,2) of numbers earns points. As in Ka-Glom, matched numbers disappear and cause the board to shift. The developer describes it as “a cross between Sudoku and Tetris.”

You don’t need to buy the physical newspaper just for the Sudoku anymore. This app comes with 10 puzzles and three levels of difficulty to attempt each at. Just like the paper version, the game allows players to note multiple number possibilities in each box. There’s also an option to manually add puzzles from outside sources like newspapers, but it seems like in that case it would be easier to just borrow a pencil.

Brought to you by the Professional Bowling Association, this is more than a point and click bowling game. Players choose to play a single game or a tournament and have the option to play against a second player or a handful of pro bowlers. Superior graphics make the choice of lane type and location come to life. Choosing a different ball weight and timing an appropriate release (with the option to add some spin) make the game a must for any BlackBerry-toting fan of the lanes.

The object is to change a quilt of multicolored squares (or pixels) into a solid color screen. Your first move only affects the colored square in the upper left-hand corner; you choose which color the square should change to. When it changes, the number of squares your next color choice affects grows by the number of surrounding blocks that the first block now matches.

It’s strangely addicting to watch the blob of uniform color you’ve created expand across the screen. Under the default settings, you must clear the screen in fewer than 21 moves to win.

Remember the plight of the little red car in the Rush Hour puzzle? Same concept here. In this game, you move traffic to clear a path for a little red car. The original plastic version came with 40 puzzles; the free Blocked Traffic app comes with 80 puzzles.

These games from Gold Thumb hook you up with an opponent to play an online version of classic games like Connect Four, Blackjack, Roulette, Texas Hold Em and Battleship. They’re all easy and intuitive to use, which is why they made this list. Plus, it’s more fun to play an ostensible human being than a computer.

Are you at work but would rather be golfing? This app lets you choose a club, line up the shot, and decide how hard to swing. Unfortunately an avatar still handles execution, but it’s about as close to golfing as you’ll get in a cubicle. The free version lets you play three different holes.

- 15 Free Tools to Turn Your BlackBerry into a Communications Powerhouse - Why Smartphone Adoption May Not Be as Big as You Think - A Look Back at the Last 5 Years in Mobile - 10 Must-Have BlackBerry Apps for Small Business - 4 Ways BlackBerry Can Stay Relevant

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Alija

Summary: Need a break from the e-mail influx? Sneak away and grab one of these free and fun BlackBerry games.


This year, a dark horse has entered into the Grammy race, an ever-changing, crowd-sourced, interactive music video featuring a musician who is no longer among the living: The Johnny Cash Project.

Facing off against wildly popular adversaries, such as Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” (more than 300 million YouTube views), Cee-lo Green’s “F**k You” (32 million YouTube views) and Eminem & Rihanna’s “Love The Way You Lie” (around 200 million views), The Johnny Cash Project’s “Ain’t No Grave” has been nominated for Best Short Form Music Video in the 53rd annual Grammy Awards. Pretty impressive for a vid that, 1). Is created anew daily by fans from around the world, 2). Features a singer who passed away in 2003.

According to video director Chris Milk, The Johnny Cash Project — produced by Radical Media — came together in a rather fortuitous way. Milk was in Portugal at an art and technology conference back in 2009, where he met Aaron Koblin, who currently heads up Google Creative Lab’s Data Arts Team. The two got to talking about their work — Milk has directed music videos for the likes of Gnarls Barkley and Kanye West, Koblin was working with crowd sourcing (Koblin has done a ton of crowd-sourced art projects, such as “Sheep Market,” a collection of sheep drawings done by workers on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk).

“It was like ‘you got your chocolate in my peanut butter, you got your crowd sourcing in my music video,’” Milk says of the conversation. “We started talking about how those two things could work together.” Koblin and Milk also collaborated on “The Wilderness Downtown,” an HTML5 masterpiece of a music video done for Arcade Fire.

“We knew that we would need an artist that had a certain level of universal love for them already existing, and that’s a difficult thing on the Internet nowadays because you only have to go a couple of pages deep to find millions of haters of everything,” Milk says. “So I left Portugal knowing what I had to find in an artist and totally unsure of who that could possibly be, because an artist like that is one who has passed away, in most instances, and those artists are usually not coming out with new albums.”

Lucky for Milk, music producer Rick Rubin had the golden ticket. A month after Milk got home, he and Rubin got to talking about doing another project. They had previously worked on a video for Green Day and U2.

“I do have this one idea, but it really requires a unique and special artist that I don’t know exists in the current musical landscape,” Milk told Rubin. “For instance, if you had a Johnny Cash single that was left over that you were going to use for a benefit album or something, this could be a perfect project for that single.”

Rubin just smiled and said, “This is fate, because I’m finishing the final Johnny Cash album right now and I’m at a loss what to do for a visual component to it.”

“When Rick played the song for me, everything really lined up in that moment,” Milk says of the single “Ain’t No Grave.”

“Johnny is really singing about his own mortality, and resurrection and eternal life. And this is a concept where Johnny’s fans, through their own love and creativity, are giving him that eternal life that he’s singing about. The video is really a visual manifestation of all of that love for Johnny coming together into something tangible and permanent.”

The video(s) in question is The Johnny Cash Project, a dedicated website where fans can use a specialized drawing tool to redraw a frame of footage of the country legend. “It was important to me that we built our own drawing tool to democratize the submissions,” Koblin says. “We really didn’t want people opening $50,000 CG software and competing with folks drawing on napkins.”

Consequently, fans all work on their submissions via The Johnny Cash Project website, where their work is added to videos that all alter twice a day.

“We call it ‘a living portrait,’ because it’s a portrait of a man that just keeps growing and changing and evolving, and it’s all through the love of his fans and the effort and creativity that they put into it,” Milk says. “It’s never the same video twice.”

When Milk and Co. were called upon to send a cut to stations for traditional broadcast, they created the video at the top of this page, which is prefaced by a short documentary featuring people who contributed to the director’s cut of the vid. “It’s nice to see the faces behind it and the humanity that’s behind every single frame of the piece,” Milk says.

And that’s what’s so singular about The Johnny Cash Project — behind every frame is a real person, a fan. Over the last few years, we’ve seen web video becoming less of a passive experience — it’s an inevitable transition, given that we’re watching these videos on our computers instead of passively from the couch.

“It’s a whole new canvas with a whole new set of paints,” Milk says. “And you can create things that you never could before.”

“I don’t know if [the web] will ever resolve and become the defined art form that cinema has become,” he adds. “Maybe the web is so ever-changing and growing that the art form will also be ever-changing and growing. But for me, as a director, as a maker of images that move, it’s an amazing, awesome time to be making stuff.

Summary: A dark horse has entered into the Grammy race, an interactive music video featuring a musician who is no longer among the living: The Johnny Cash Project.


Having no trouble climbing above the pack upon his desire, actor Robert Pattinson earned the top spot on the GossipCenter Hot 45 list during a full throttle week of promotional efforts tied to his upcoming movie “Water for Elephants”.

The “Twilight” heartthrob ousted last week’s champ Kim Kardashian while fending off surges by runner-up Katy Perry and third place finisher Demi Lovato.

Let’s see how this all played out.

He’s one of the most adored actors to grace the big screen, and Robert Pattinson showed no signs of slowing down after captivating Internet browsers with a plethora of “Water for Elephants” press related interviews and appearances over the past seven days.

Among the highlights, the English actor was caught sharing a rare PDA moment with girlfriend Kristen Stewart following his movie’s NYC premiere while also opening up during visits to the “Tonight Show,” the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”. Starring alongside Reese Witherspoon, Rob’s book-based circus flick “Water for Elephants” hits theaters on Friday, April 22nd.

Right on Rob’s coattails, the always-high-ranking Katy Perry churned out another second place effort. The 26-year-old started off the week by attending the Coachella Music & Arts Festival before jetting overseas to join husband Russell Brand at the UK premiere of “Arthur”. And while she was already doing well for herself on the Hot 45 List, Katy’s big surge came at week’s end thanks to her stage appearance on Thursday night’s “American Idol” during which she performed her song “E.T.” alongside Kanye West.

Rounding out the Hot 45 List top three was recuperating Disney damsel Demi Lovato – who is trying to get her career back on track after spending months in a treatment center in Illinois. While Miss Lovato has been careful not to overwhelm herself, the 18-year-old Dallas native drew plenty of attention after announcing her planned departure from “Sonny with a Chance” while also opening up about her battles with bipolar disorder, bulimia and cutting during a sitdown with “Good Morning America”.

As for the big movers of the week, the always-entertaining Tina Fey shot up from the 100’s to ninth place following a week in which she paid a visit to the “Ellen DeGeneres Show” while also offering up a candid interview for GQ’s May issue.

During the chat, Tina touched on the subject of breast pumps, saying, “Yeah, the thing's upsetting. I would try to pump milk while watching Entourage on demand. And that was the worst possible way to do it. Like, I had the pump on, and I'd hear Turtle on TV: Yo, E, you ever f**k a girl when she has her period? I just sat there thinking: Oooh, this is not how this is meant to be.”

Joining Miss Fey as a big riser, Evan Rachel Wood ascended from obscurity to capture the 11th slot after her Esquire May 2011 interview went public – during which the redheaded hottie revealed her taste for “androgynous things” including relationships with both guys and girls.

And while Evan and Tina both were on the up and up, Kate Hudson found herself on the opposite end of the GossipCenter Hot 45 List. The typically popular actress sunk from the top 20 all the way to 117th thanks to a press-free week as she moves closer and closer to her due date while expecting her first child with Muse musician beau Matthew Bellamy. The baby on the way will join Kate’s son Ryder from her previous marriage to rocker Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.

The Gossip Center Hot 45 List is calculated by looking at the popularity of the site's hottest stories, and determining which stars are on the rise, and who is crashing and burning. All of the articles, pictures and videos on the Gossip Center Network are scanned for activity, and the rankings are updated several times a day.

Summary: Having no trouble climbing above the pack upon his desire, actor  Robert Pattinson earnedthe top spot on the GossipCenter Hot 45 list during a full throttle week of promotional efforts tied to his upcoming movie “Water for Elephants”.


HealthPop: Booze, butts and buds

A new report from the CDC estimates that 38 million U.S. adults binge drink four times a month; Also, using nicotine patches or gum will not help you quit smoking for good; And, the occasional marijuana joint may temporarily impair your judgment, but it won't permanently hurt your lungs. CBSNews.com's Nick Dietz has the details.

Summary: CBS News video: Hot flashes therapy helps breast cancer patients - British researchers say they've found a way to reduce hot flashes in breast cancer patients recovering from chemotherapy. Tina Kraus reports from London


‘Girl Model” is a powerful documentary that, with a wider scope and a bit more shaping, could have been even more powerful, perhaps unbearably so. What’s there is strong enough. The topic is the bottom levels of the international modeling business, with agencies and fashion magazines preying on the dreams of thousands of naïve teenage girls. When codirectors David Redmon and Ashley Sabin begin their film, we’re at a cattle call in Siberia, a harshly lighted ballroom filled with a docile mob of adolescents in bikinis. They look identical but we hear the scouts point out each girl’s flaws: too wide …

This is an article preview. The full story is available to BostonGlobe.com subscribers.

Summary: **1/2 Girl Model A verite-style documentary about an international modeling industry that preys on adolescent girls like 13-year-old Nadya from Siberia. It’s a distressing eye-opener that could have used more shaping and focus, but it’s still worthy. If you know a teenage girl with her own dreams of modeling, she really needs to see this. (78 min., unrated) (Ty Burr)


NEW YORK — A week after Superstorm Sandy, the price of gas has increased 10 cents per gallon or more in the New York City area and in hard-hit parts of New Jersey. Images of long lines of cars and interviews with frustrated drivers have become staples in news coverage of the storm’s aftermath.

But across the United State the price of gasoline is falling — fast. The average fell 7 cents this past week and has declined nearly 9 percent in a month to $3.47 per gallon. The national average should be only slightly higher on Election Day than a year ago. That’s due to a dramatic drop in the price of wholesale gasoline and low demand from cautious consumers.

The average price for gas in Massachusetts was $3.659 a gallon in the latest weekly AAA survey, down 1 cent from the previous week’s average, AAA Southern New England said Monday.

Prices should fall further in the coming weeks, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service.

Kloza predicts that within a week, many commuters across the country will be paying less to fill up than at this point last year.

The national average is currently about 6 cents higher than a year ago.

Summary: Drivers in the New York area may soon get relief from long lines and higher gas prices. A week after Superstorm Sandy hit the area, the price of gas has increased 10 cents per gallon or more in the New York City area and in hard-hit parts of New Jersey. But across the U.S. the price of gasoline is falling — fast. It fell 7 cents this past week and has declined almost 9 percent in a month to $3.47 per gallon. The national average should be only slightly higher this Election Day than a year ago.


ORLANDO, Fla. — Walmart Stores Inc. is hoping for a groundswell ‘‘made-in-America’’ movement.

The world’s largest retailer hosted its first two-day summit Thursday, gathering retailers, suppliers, and government officials at an event it hopes will build on the company’s recent commitment to drive more manufacturing in the United States.

The event — which attracted representatives from 500 manufacturers, eight governors, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, and officials from three dozen states — comes seven months after Walmart pledged that it planned to buy $50 billion more US-made goods over the next decade. That is the equivalent of more than 10 percent of what Walmart will sell at retail this year.

Walmart has said that if other merchants do the same, it would mean an additional $500 billion in American-made goods over the next decade.

The lineup for Thursday was impressive, and the campaign could serve to boost Walmart’s image, constantly under attack by labor-backed groups who have criticized the retail behemoth as a destroyer of US jobs, not a creator.

Mike Duke, Walmart’s chief executive, and Bill Simon, the company’s US division chief, met with other business leaders, including Kevin Toomey, president and chief executive of the Kayser-Roth Corp., and Jeff Immelt, chairman of General Electric Corp.

Immelt got into the spirit of the summit by announcing that GE would bring 150 manufacturing jobs to Illinois and Ohio, where high-efficiency lighting will be built. The $30 million investment will be at plants in Circleville and Bucyrus, Ohio, and Mattoon, Ill.

The announcement was in keeping with the goal of the summit, which is to start ‘‘connecting the dots’’ with a dialogue among manufacturers, retailers, and state officials about where opportunities are to bring more manufacturing to the United States, Simon said.

‘‘It could be difficult for one at a time, all of us on our own,’’ Simon said. ‘‘The best way to overcome the challenges is to talk to one another.’’

Rising wages have erased some of the competitive advantages China had in manufacturing, Simon said.

‘‘We think we can map out opportunities and put some systems in place and commit to this for the long term,’’ Simon said. ‘‘There’s nothing less than the future of our country at stake here.’’

In a recent interview, Walmart’s Michelle Gloeckler said the discounter can make a difference.

‘‘But this is bigger than Walmart,’’ said Gloeckler, the senior vice president of the home area who is leading the domestic sourcing initiative. “We want the support of other retailers.”

To be sure, even if Walmart is successful in getting key retailers and suppliers on board, experts say it will not rejuvenate the US manufacturing industry. But the movement could help stem the tide of jobs flowing to China and elsewhere.

Some specialists are skeptical, pointing out that Walmart led the migration of manufacturing jobs overseas in search of the cheapest labor, veering away from the principles of its late founder Sam Walton, who espoused buying American-made goods.

‘‘It’s a very positive PR move for the company,’’ said Burt Flickinger 3d, president of Strategic Resource Group, a retail consultancy. ‘‘But it took two decades to unwind the American manufacturing base, and it will take two decades to bring it back.’’He says what will be brought back will only be a fraction of business sent overseas.

This is not the first time that Walmart has pledged a made-in America campaign.

It pushed a similar program in the mid-1990s that fizzled because it couldn’t get enough low-priced goods to sell to its low-income shoppers. But executives vow its efforts this time around go well beyond a marketing campaign and involve dissecting each of its 1,300 product categories, from bath towels to gadgets, to determine which can be made here.

It’s also reaching out to state and local officials to work with suppliers to explore rebates, training, and other programs to attract US makers. The discounter also says it’s changing the way it does business with suppliers, giving multi-year commitments for basic goods where it makes sense, instead of season-by-season ordering.

Rebuilding US manufacturing jobs is resonating even more these days. The nation’s unemployment rate of 7.4 percent, while now at a 4½-year low, is still well above the 5 percent to 6 percent typical of a healthy economy.

Meanwhile, Walmart and other major retailers have been under fire for not doing a better job monitoring worker safety in factories overseas. That pressure increased after a factory collapse this past spring in Bangladesh, killing 1,129 people. That was the deadliest incident in the history of the garment industry.

But what could really propel the movement this time around is pure economics: Labor costs are rising in Asia, while oil and transportation costs are high and increasingly uncertain.

Walmart said several manufacturers had told executives privately they had defined ‘‘tipping points’’ at which making goods overseas will no longer make sense. Walmart says it doesn’t believe that its customers should pay any more for made-in-America goods and is focusing on working with suppliers to make sure the prices are in line with what shoppers want to pay.

‘‘It’s an economic advantage when you have the wind in your back, instead of having the wind in your face,’’ said Hal Sirkin, a senior partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group and an expert on manufacturing. He is serving as a consultant to Walmart. He believes that the movement could create 100,000 more jobs in the next decade.

Walmart, with more than 4,000 stores in the US and about $460 billion in total sales, has proven that it has the clout to get other suppliers and merchants on board. For example, in 2009, Walmart created a coalition among stores, suppliers, government, nonprofit organizations, and academic experts for a sustainability index that measure whether goods were made in a responsible way and whether the materials are safe.

Walmart has said that items made, sourced or grown in the US account for about two-thirds of the company’s spending on products for its US business, according to data given by suppliers. But analysts say that much of its clothing, home furnishings and consumer electronics are made elsewhere.

One company to sign up is Sleep Studio, which is now working with Walmart to produce memory foam mattress toppers. Before, all of the discounter’s toppers were produced by manufacturers overseas. This year, 20 percent will be made in the US.

CEO Michael Rothbard said Walmart worked with the company to streamline the costs, eliminating $10 from the price tag. The New York-based company has factories in California and Georgia.

‘‘The selling process was really intense,’’ Rothbard said. ‘‘We had to convince them our products offered unique benefits, and that we could meet their needs.’’

Summary: Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is hoping for a groundswell ‘‘made-in-America’’ movement. The world’s largest retailer hosted its first two-day summit Thursday bringing together retailers, suppliers and government officials that it hopes will build on the company’s recent commitment to drive more manufacturing in the United States. The event, which attracted representatives from 500 manufacturers, eight governors, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and officials from three dozen states, comes seven months after the Bentonville, Ark.-based discounter pledged that it planned to buy $50 billion more US-made goods over the next decade. That’s the equivalent of just more than 10 percent of what Wal-Mart will sell at retail this year. But Wal-Mart has said that if other merchants do the same, that would mean an additional $500 billion in American-made goods over the next decade.


Terrance Wise has two jobs in Kansas City — one at a burger joint, a second at a pizza restaurant — but he says his paychecks aren’t enough to buy shoes for his three daughters and insure his 15-year-old car. So he decided to draw attention to his plight: He walked off work in protest.

Wise was among a few thousand fast-food workers in seven cities, including New York, Chicago, and Detroit, who took to the streets last week, carrying ‘‘Strike’’ and ‘‘Supersize Our Wages’’ signs in front of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and other restaurants. They demanded better pay, the right to unionize, and a more than doubling of the federal minimum hourly wage from $7.25 to $15.

‘‘We work hard for companies that are making millions,’’ said Wise, 35, adding that he lost his home last year, unable to make mortgage payments despite working about 50-hour weeks at Pizza Hut and Burger King. ‘‘We’re not asking for the world. We want to make enough to make a decent living. We deserve better. If they respect us and pay us and treat us right, it’ll lift up the whole economy.’’

These one-day protests, which also took place in St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Flint, Mich., come amid calls from the White House, some members of Congress, and economists to raise the federal minimum wage, which was last increased in 2009. Most of the proposals, though, seek a more modest rise than those urged by fast-food workers. President Obama wants to boost the hourly wage to $9. And in July, more than 100 economists signed a petition supporting a bill sponsored by a Florida congressman that would hike it to $10.50 an hour.

The restaurant industry argues that a $15 hourly wage could lead to businesses closing and fewer jobs. It also notes the cost of living varies greatly around the country and many states have higher minimum wages than the federal rate. (Eighteen states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.)

The Employment Policies Institute, which receives some funding from the industry, ran a full-page ad last week in USA Today, warning of another potential consequence: It showed the uniform of a fast-food worker with an iPad face, saying the wage increase could result in employees being replaced with automation, such as touchscreen ordering.

So at a time when the economy is growing steadily but slowly and about 11.5 million people are unemployed — nearly double the level before the Great Recession — how likely is it Congress will increase the minimum wage? And have these protests done any good? The answers depend on whom you ask.

‘‘They’re very effective,’’ said US Representative Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat and cochairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. ‘‘They’ve brought attention to appalling conditions with workers putting in very long hours . . . and not making enough money to survive. This I think is scandal. . . . We believe it’s essential to be paid livable wages. We know the companies can afford it. These are highly profitable businesses. It would be good not just for the family budget but for the national budget.’’

But others are more skeptical and think if there is a winner, it’s unions. The Service Employees International Union is providing financial support and staff to help train organizers for this campaign.

These protests show unions ‘‘still can appeal to and speak for workers who are on the fringes of the workforce — the less skilled, the part-timers, and the immigrant workers,’’ Gary Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Massachusetts, wrote in an e-mail.

These still are hard times, people are happy to be employed, and the political climate in the House is not conducive for an increase, he adds. ‘‘The demonstrations are street theater and the rehabilitation of the image of American unions, but it’s not going to drive new minimum wage policy,’’ he wrote.

Scott DeFife, executive vice president of the National Restaurant Association, called the protests a campaign ‘‘to disparage the industry,’’ which he said operates on a tight profit margin. Doubling wages, he said, ‘‘would definitely have an impact on the creation of new jobs.’’ He said it would be especially harmful for young people, for whom the jobless rate in some communities is in the double digits.

The average hourly salary for fast-food workers was $9 in May 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average age for these workers is 29 years old; for women, it’s 32, according to the bureau. The restaurant association said its own analysis of census data found that slightly more than 25 percent of fast-food workers are heads of households.

Summary: Terrance Wise has two jobs in Kansas City — one at a burger joint, a second at a pizza restaurant — but he says his paychecks aren’t enough to buy shoes for his three daughters and insure his 15-year-old car. So he decided to draw attention to his plight: He walked off work in protest. Wise was among a few thousand fast-food workers in seven cities, including New York, Chicago, and Detroit, who took to the streets last week, carrying ‘‘Strike’’ and ‘‘Supersize Our Wages’’ signs in front of McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, and other restaurants. These one-day protests come amid calls from the White House, some members of Congress, and economists to raise the federal minimum wage, which was last increased in 2009. Most of the proposals, though, seek a more modest rise than those urged by fast food workers. President Obama wants to boost the hourly wage to $9.