NEW YORK — Twitter just can’t seem to catch a break.

Critics have panned the company’s slowing user growth. It has churned through the hiring and firing of top managers. Recently, investors have started to wonder if Dick Costolo, Twitter’s chief executive, is the right man for the job.

And 2015 is not looking so good, either.

On Thursday, the company reported revenue of $479 million in the fourth quarter, up 97 percent compared with $243 million a year ago and besting analyst expectations of $453 million.

But it was a faint glimmer of good news for the eight-year-old micromessaging service, which since its initial public offering in 2013 has been playing defense against shareholders who expect blockbuster quarterly results akin to those at Facebook, a far larger social media service.

Twitter said it had 288 million regular users on its platform, an addition of only 4 million people from the previous quarter and roughly one-fifth the number who visit Facebook on a monthly basis. It is a significant miss from analysts’ expectations of about 291 million regular users.

The company reported a loss of $125 million, or 20 cents a share, up from a loss of $500 million, or $1.41 a share, in the fourth quarter a year earlier. But using a measure of income that excludes stock-based compensation and other expenses, the company reported a profit of $79 million, or 12 cents a share, in the quarter, compared with a profit of $10 million a year before.

Analysts lowered their estimates for Twitter’s year-end quarter after Anthony Noto, recently appointed as chief financial officer, cautioned that continued changes in Twitter’s core product may cause the company’s metrics to fluctuate.

The real proof of change, some say, will be in the coming months.

“Twitter is very much in its ‘prove it’ time period, and the results this quarter won’t prove it,” said Robert Peck, an analyst at the brokerage firm SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. “What we want to see: As we look into the first quarter, is Twitter going to see real traction from it for the rest of the year?”

For months, Twitter has been trying to prove that traction will come in a series of small yet significant changes over time.

It has promoted Kevin Weil, a well-regarded manager in its revenue division, to oversee all the company’s consumer and revenue products. Twitter has released a feature that allows users to take video inside its app, which will probably be a long-term source of ad revenue.

And on Thursday, Twitter announced a partnership with Google that will make the hundreds of millions of tweets that flow through the service every day much easier to find, using the world’s most popular search engine.

Summary: Twitter reported revenue of $479 million in the fourth quarter, up 97 percent compared with $243 million a year ago and besting analyst expectations of $453 million. But it was a faint glimmer of good news for the eight-year-old micromessaging service.


03/20/2015 AT 02:40 PM EDT

Flashback Friday has been taken to a whole new level in the

of the Fox musical dramedy will feature a stroll down memory lane to when Will Schuester (

) began forming the New Directions – and PEOPLE has an exclusive First Look.

In the clip, Artie (

) auditions with a rendition of Ginuwine's "Pony" that Mr. Schu calls "soulful."

will also feature a large group number with a parade of returning guest stars.

of filming the finale. "There are some takes I'm sure they can't use because we were all weeping. It was hard to get through."

airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.

Summary: Watch an exclusive sneak peek of the Fox musical's final episode


Nina Dobrev (as Elena Gilbert) on The Vampire Diaries

04/14/2015 AT 09:35 AM EDT

Elena and Stefan, together forever.

, and on Monday she reached a bittersweet milestone – her final scene with costar

Dobrev, 26, and Wesley, 32 – who goes by

on Instagram – have been the show's leads through six seasons. With a seventh season on the way, Dobrev has announced she is leaving (

, who plays Tyler Lockwood) and officially commemorated the end of the Stelena era with a sweet Instagram post.

Just finished filming my last Stefan and Elena scene with the amazing @paulvedere /@paulwesley #Stelena #TVDFamily pic.twitter.com/m5AYrVnsP1

"Elena fell in love not once, but twice, with two epic soulmates, and I myself made some of the best friends I'll ever know and built an extended family I will love forever," Dobrev wrote earlier this month on Instagram when announcing her departure.

Wesley replied to Dobrev's tweet on Monday with the ultimate sign of sadness:

There are just five more episodes of

(airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW) this season, with the season finale set for May 14.

Summary: The actress posted a pic of the two of them as a tribute to vampires Elena and Stefan


04/21/2015 AT 10:05 PM EDT

, Drs. Paul Nassif and

were confronted with one of their toughest fixes yet: a woman with no belly button.

At her heaviest, Katina clocked in at nearly 300 lbs. When she realized that she couldn't keep up with her kids, she decided to lose weight the old-fashioned way: through diet and exercise. And she succeeded, losing more than 100 lbs.

But that left her with folds of loose skin hanging down over her nether regions, known as an "apron." She had surgery to get the apron removed, but the skin became infected and she lost her belly button to necrosis. Now, all Katina wanted was to look normal.

The doctors admitted it wouldn't be easy. "Katina's abdominal wall looks like a bomb has gone off," Dubrow noted conversationally while slicing into her stomach. And for a second, it looked like the surgery was off after he found what looked like "liquid cheese" inside her belly. "Did I just get into one of her organs?" he asked, panicked.

The liquid cheese turned out to be belly button cheese – that is, bacteria found in the navel – which meant that Katina's actual belly button was still there! Indeed, the doctors found a remnant of the old indentation and used it to build a new one.

"It's an absolute grand slam," declared Dubrow, who couldn't resist telling Katina in graphic detail about the goo he found inside of her. But once she laid eyes on her beautiful new belly button, she couldn't think of anything else. She was ecstatic.

, who was looking to

her impressive bosom. "If I had to run in that bathing suit with these boobs, they would be, like, hitting me in the face," she said.

But the docs weren't convinced. Dubrow urged Eggert not to downgrade too much. "Her breast width won't match her breast proportion," he explained in an aside. "I hope she doesn't expect her old body back. The only way to get that is in the gym."

In the end, she let the doctors do what they wanted – and was extremely pleased with the results. "They are so much more fitting for my body type," she gushed, proudly displaying her new breasts to her friends and family.

, a.k.a. Rodrigo Alves, asked for a nose job. Altogether, the London-based flight attendant estimated that he's spent nearly $200,000 on perfecting himself, including building a pretty impressive six-pack.

Nassif told Alves that he couldn't build him a new nose without taking a piece of rib from his torso – which would leave a nasty scar across that magnificent chest.

Alves was not having it and he decided to skip the surgery ... for now.

airs Tuesdays (9 p.m. ET) on E!

Summary: Plus, meet a woman with no belly button


Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande

Courtesy The Happy Hippie Foundation

05/14/2015 AT 09:00 AM EDT

What happens when you mix two hot young artists, a rockin' backyard and adult-size animal onesies?

awesome new music collaboration with

Performing a rendition of the Crowded House rock classic "Don't Dream It's Over" – while decked out in cozy unicorn and mouse onesies – Cyrus, 22, and Grande, 21, recorded the music video in the

The duet, released to PEOPLE and

, is all in the name of raising awareness for

a nonprofit organization Cyrus recently launched to

surrounding homeless youth and other vulnerable populations, including the LGBT youth community.

"No one should have to hide who they really are, no matter what his or her name, gender, status or orientation,"

. One of the foundation's missions, added Cyrus, who has been an

for LGBT rights for years, is "to make sure those who question the value of themselves and their lives feel protected and loved."

Teaming with Facebook, Cyrus kicked off the initiative on May 5 with

, a curated collection of music video collaborations between Cyrus and other like-minded artists, including Grande,

Her first session was a collaboration with Jett for a rendition of "Different," a track off Blackhearts' 2013 album

. "I think what Miley's doing is wonderful and important to help people find their authentic selves,"

Summary: The singers unite for Cyrus' Happy Hippie Foundation, which aims to make vulnerable youth feel "protected and loved"


NEW ROCHELLE HENRY MOORE belongs to that generation of artists whose careers were delayed - more seriously in England, perhaps, than here - by both the Depression and World War II. His reputation began when he was 30 with the relief carving he did for the London Passenger Transport Board but did not take off until 20 years later, after he had won the sculpture prize at the 1948 Venice Biennale.

With his work now distributed around the globe in all but the newest and poorest countries, the artist may be said to have more than made up for lost time. Like the late and equally prolific Alexander Calder who also was born in 1898, Mr. Moore has become a full-blown institution. In some respects, it is his fame rather than his art that is being celebrated by an exhibition scheduled to open tomorrow at the Castle Gallery of the College of New Rochelle.

Though it includes a selection of lithographs and five maquettes by the master, the show focuses on about 50 photographs taken by David Finn in both black and white and color. A resident of New Rochelle, Mr. Finn is best known as the cofounder and board chairman of Ruder & Finn, a large international public relations firm with a style considered by some to be unbearably abrasive. The company is, however, one of the few of any consequence to operate in the arts field. It has made numerous matches between museums and corporate sponsors and numbers Philip Morris among its most prominent clients.

A widely published writer on the subjects of public relations and management, Mr. Finn is an amateur painter given to making sculpture out of paper clips. But for the last 10 years, he has been photographing the sculpture of others, notably Gustav Vigeland, Donatello and Michelangelo, exhibiting the results and publishing them in fairly sumptuous books. His most recent work is a study of Ghiberti's bronze doors for the Florence Baptistery, put out by Viking.

Most of the Moore photographs at the Castle Gallery appear in the fat volume - a 10-pounder, at a guess - ''Henry Moore, Sculpture and Environment,'' published in 1977 by Thames & Hudson. Introduced by Lord Kenneth Clark, the deluxe volume includes a running commentary by the photographer and remarks by the artist.

As a rule, Mr. Finn surveys the whole sculpture, approaching it from various angles; he then zeroes in on details. He insists that he is performing a service to the art, paying close attention to its settings, which usually are landscapes, and revealing aspects of it that otherwise might go unnoticed. And, in pictures such as those of the Glenkiln ''King and Queen,'' he does all of that.

Set on the moors of the Keswick estate in Dumfries, the bronze figures on a bench preside over bleak scenery with nothing to distract the eye save a leafless tree nearby.

A view of the bronze ''Warrior'' that sits outside the cathedral in Arnhem is also very effective, though less for the sculpture tucked in the lower right of the print than for the buttress behind it and the adjacent trees that loom so strangely out of a foggy atmosphere. It is no surprise to learn that scarcely anyone in this Dutch town is aware of the work's presence.

If many pictures show Mr. Finn discharging his self-imposed mission quite conscientiously, there are more that reveal him chafing a little under the burden. Views of forms joining, of the holes that are the trademark of both Mr. Moore and Barbara Hepworth and of the relationship between the art and surrounding foliage, these prints often threaten to turn their subjects into something else. There is, for instance, a detail of ''Large Arch,'' as it appears in the Indiana landscape that could be a part of Le Corbusier's church at Ronchamp; while shots of individual whorls and crevices in the curving piece owned by the State University College at Purchase begin to resemble a series of orifices seen by Georgia O'Keeffe.

Furthermore, Mr. Finn's emphasis on the art's surroundings can get him into esthetic trouble. The vista of a lake, yacht masts and a railing in Zollikon, Switzerland, doesn't exactly suit the bronze, ''Falling Warrior,'' displayed in front of it. In such a setting, the supine figure, one foot raised, resembles a tourist too charred to come in out of the sun. Unfortunate in another way is the rear view, again in color, of the Arnhem ''Warrior.'' The angle, coupled with unduly warm color, makes the torso seem like a living amputee proceeding across a de Chiricoesque stage set.

Color is not on the whole Mr. Finn's forte: The bronze female seated among narcissus in, apparently, an English town, appears quite black and reptilian against its background of washed-out blue sky and gray Jacobean buildings. The problem may come from a lack of technical know-how; but it has also to do with Mr. Finn's fundamental unease with nature. (Ever the humanist, the photographer speaks on one occasion of a tree relating to a sculpture, instead of the other way around.)

Photographing art is a very tricky business requiring, among other traits, a certain modesty. Despite his credentials as a collector of art and as a cultural hero worshiper, Mr. Finn is not a modest man, to judge from the zest with which he plays with Mr. Moore's forms in his detail studies. And, with all due respect to Lord Clark, he is far from being a ''photographer of genius.'' This is not to say that there aren't striking pictures here or that Mr. Finn's mission doesn't have fascinating psychological overtones. But his stance as the interpreter and enhancer of an oeuvre that needs neither service should be taken with a grain of salt. (Through Feb. 20.)

Illustrations: photo of sculpture bny Henry Moore


By United Press International Arctic cold moved in from the Great Lakes to southern Florida yesterday, @maging some citrus. Heavy rains flooded towns in the mid-Pacific Coast, washed out roads and forced more than 1,000 people to higher ground.

A 10-degree temperature reading in Atlanta broke the previous mark of 12 degrees established in 1901. Temperatures in the teens in Birmingham, Ala., caused the deaths of at least two persons, the police said.

Readings were in the teens and 20's in the Florida citrus belt. Earl Wells, a spokesman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said growers in Polk, Orange and Osceola Counties were expected to be hardest hit, but Hardee, Desoto and Hendry Counties received the brunt of the cold air.

Nearly all of Lakeview, Ore., was flooded because of mountain runoff from nearly 2 inches of rain. Flooding also was reported in Medford, Ore. About 1,000 people were forced to flee from a resort area on the Russian River 50 miles north of San Francisco. Three people were killed in the storm.


Possible delays in Justice Department approval of New York's new political boundaries could force postponement of the state's primary election, now scheduled for Sept. 14, according to key legislators.

The primary will likely be postponed, they say, unless the Government makes a decision by next Thursday, when a Federal court is to hold a hearing on a competing set of lines for Congressional and legislative districts.

''It all depends on whether Justice can give us an answer by June 10,'' said Assemblyman H. Melvin Miller, the Brooklyn Democrat who heads the Assembly's Codes Committee.

A Justice Department spokesman said in Washington that he doubted that deadline would be met. ''We've barely gotten into it,'' said the spokesman, Arthur P. Brill.

A new calendar that would postpone the primary for a couple of weeks is under consideration in Albany, Mr. Miller said. Even with Federal approval by the time of the court hearing, there could be a delay, to allow local election boards to adjust to the revised lines.

As with most matters in politically divided Albany, there are two approaches. While the Assembly, which is controlled by the Democrats, contemplates delaying the primary, the Republican-controlled Senate would simply shorten the political calendar. The Senate would postpone the date when candidates start circulating petitions - now June 22 - but would keep the primary date the same, according to James J. Lack, the Suffolk County Republican who heads the Senate Elections Committee.

''There's a move afoot to delay the election calendar,'' he said. At present, he added, candidates could confront ''the specter of going out in the next couple of weeks with petitions for districts that aren't set.'' Five House Seats Lost

The new lines, drawn to reflect population shifts measured by the 1980 census, cut five seats from the state's Congressional delegation, reducing it to 34, and shift legislative power from New York City. The State Assembly would stay at 150 members, and the Senate would grow by one member to 61.

Federal approval is required under the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which applies to three of the state's 62 counties, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, where voter registration is low.

While Federal lawyers study masses of maps and computer printouts from the state - the final State Senate lines, complicated by late adjustments in Queens, did not go to Washington until last Wednesday - a completely different set of lines is being prepared.

The second set, drawn under nonpolitical guidelines, is to be presented to a three-judge Federal court Monday by a special master, Robert P. Patterson Jr.

Mr. Patterson was appointed when the Legislature failed to act on reapportionment by a court-ordered deadline. Subsequently, the Legislature passed its own plan, but, by that time, Mr. Patterson had gone to work and the court continued in control. Legislators' Worry

What worries legislators is that their lines might still be in limbo, awaiting Federal approval, when the court holds its hearing on Mr. Patterson's version.

''I haven't looked at the Legislature's maps,'' Mr. Patterson said the other day. The court instructed him to rule out political factors. This would wipe out districts like the one drawn by the Legislature for the Congressional seat now held by Representative Frederick W. Richmond of Brooklyn.

Albany's version of the district, designed to elect a Hispanic candidate, starts in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, crosses the East River to Manhattan's Lower East Side and then vaults up to East Harlem.

Both plans - the Legislature's and Mr. Patterson's - must meet the one-man, one-vote guideline and, under the Voting Rights Act, must insure that there is no reduction in the number of districts in which racial minorities are in the majority. A key difference between the two sets of maps is that the Patterson plan does not require Justice Department clearance. Court's Options Considered

Legislators differ over the court's options. Can it, for instance, simply reject the Legislature's lines in favor of Mr. Patterson's? Not the way Assemblyman Miller sees it. ''If we've adopted a constitutional plan, we're it,'' he said. Senator Lack was not so sure. ''The court has continuing jurisdiction,'' he said. ''But I assume that Justice, signing off (on the Legislature's lines), would be a big plus.''

Whenever final lines are certified, election boards still must do considerable tinkering. In hundreds of cases, existing election districts have been split by new legislative or Congressional lines. Redrawing them is ''a horrendous job,'' said Betty Dolen, executive director of the New York City Board of Elections. The job is complicated, she noted, because Justice Department approval is required in the three boroughs covered by the Voting Rights Act.


Video recruiting technology company HireVue has racked up some pretty impressive clients during its decade-long existence—Chipotle Mexican Grill, Hilton Worldwide, Marathon Petroleum, UnitedHealth Group, and Urban Outfitters.

Now, it’s parlaying its 500-or-so customer references—along with an anticipated $50 million in sales this year—into a $45 million funding round led by Technology Crossover Ventures.

The money will be used to expand the company’s latest offering, a coaching and training platform called Team Acceleration that combines video with predictive analytics. So far, the Utah-based company has raised $93 million, but the founder won’t discuss its valuation.

“How do you keep people on message, make sure they are aligned with career goals, or teach them how to handle [sales] objections,” asked HireVue founder and CEO Mark Newman. “We can bring scale to these interactions,” he said.

Recruiters use HireVue’s core platform to create a series of questions that candidates consider via video, using the digital camera on a personal computer or mobile device to record their answers. Not only does this standardize the information collected—eliminating potential bias introduced by individual interviewers—it helps hiring managers prescreen more applicants. That’s quite impactful when you consider that some organizations spend upwards of $1 billion annually identifying and onboarding new talent, Newman estimated.

The latest twist, Team Acceleration, extends HireVue’s recruiting approach to coaching and training scenarios.

Video and written interviews are used to assess baseline knowledge, typically for customer-facing processes such as lead-generation techniques to competency with software coding or engineering skills, Newman said. As skillsets evolve, so do the assessments. “It becomes a collaborative learning tool,” he said. Over time, performance profiles can be created for employees.

Technology Crossover Ventures principal Nari Ansari, who joined HireVue’s board along with this investment, said in a statement:

HireVue’s customers have a unique consumer-like passion for the technology. Not only are they realizing a direct and measurable return on investment; they are simultaneously driving a more efficient and effective process around the strategic acquisition, assessment and development of talent to drive their organizational agendas.

HireVue’s other backers include Sequoia Capital, Granite Ventures, Investor Growth Capital, Peterson Ventures, and Rose Park Advisors’ Disruptive Innovation Fund.

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily morning newsletter about the business of technology.

Summary: More than 500 organizations use the 10-year-old software company’s video platform, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Hilton Worldwide.


Deborra-Lee Furness and High Jackman; Angelina Jolie (inset)

Daniel Torok/Patrick McMullan/AP; Inset: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty

07/06/2015 AT 11:25 AM EDT

Well, all couples have their lines in the sand – even in Hollywood.

For actress Deborra-Lee Furness, that means her handsome husband,

, 49, isn't "allowed" to star opposite

in Australia on Monday, Furness, 59, joked she's made arrangements to make sure her husband, 49, isn't cast alongside the sultry star.

"I've told his agent he's not allowed to work with Angelina, I'm sure she's lovely," Lee-Furness says, then adds, "I'm just kidding."

Lee-Furness says she's actually a huge fan of Jolie – both on- and offscreen – and mentioned the good work the 40-year-old actress has done for adoption and world aid. The couple were on the show to spread awareness for Adopt Change, an organization that aims to empower Australians to engage with issues affecting adoption.

Lee-Furness and Jackman, who met on the set of the Australian drama

, have been married for 19 years. She says it's important to choose wisely – especially in show business, where you kiss your partner goodbye and he's off to kiss someone else for an acting part.

"It just goes to show, if you get it right, if you pick the right partner, then you traverse all those travails and challenges."

The couple, who struggled to conceive a child naturally, have two adopted children, Oscar, 14, and Ava, 9.

So, what's their secret to a long and happy union? "Deb had a rule, never apart for more than two weeks," Jackman explained, saying that early in their relationship he learned it was best to say "yes" to her every whim.

Lee-Furness, for her part, says she likes having Jackman around. "He tells really good jokes, I mean I miss him," she says, of his occasional absences.

Summary: The actor's wife cracks that she's laying down the law when it comes to her husband's potential costars


Read MoreThese are bad days for big boys in high finance

Indeed, Citi is far from the only bank experiencing such problems.

The general tenor of comments at the Deutsche conference reflected an air of worry.

Various bank officials said a low-volatility environment has created a difficult climate. The CBOE Volatility Index is at its lowest level of the year as broad equity indexes continue to push to new highs.

"Until you see volatility increase, trading revenue in general will be challenged," Barclays analyst Jason Goldberg said at the conference, according to the Journal.

Read MoreWhat Citi's trading woes say about the market

Citi's trading loss in particular comes at a rough time for the bank, which had its capital plan to do a share buyback program and issue a dividend rejected by the Federal Reserve in March following the central bank's latest round of stress tests.

The Fed based its rejection on what it deemed an inadequate plan from Citi to prepare for another recession. Big banks have been under scrutiny since the bailouts that accompanied the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009.

Gerspach called the rejection "deeply disappointing."

Read MoreCiti's 2Q trading revenue down at least 20%

In addition to the trading dollar losses, the firm also recently saw its head of global equities trading leave. Mike Pringle departed to join Moore Capital, a $12 billion European hedge fund.

Despite the bad news, Citi shares were little changed in Wednesday trading but have fallen nearly 9 percent in 2014.

As a sector, the S&P 500 financials are up about 1.5 percent for the year, the second worst sector after consumer discretionary and trailing the broader index's gain of 3.7 percent.

Summary: Another big Wall Street bank is reporting problems with trading, raising questions over just how bad things are getting.


Photo: Yuri Cortez, AFP / Getty Images

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the...

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement. AFP PHOTO/ Yuri CORTEZYURI CORTEZ/AFP/Getty Images

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the...

Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" (C), is escorted by marines as he is presented to the press on February 22, 2014 in Mexico City. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt Sunday and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government.

Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman"...

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the...

Mexican National Safety Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido (C) speaks during a press conference in Mexico City, on July 12, 2015. Rubido spoke about the escape of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman from a Mexican prison.

Mexican National Safety Commissioner Monte Alejandro Rubido (C)...

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal policemen inspect a pipe under construction by the...

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the...

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Mexico on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison, the government said Sunday, his second jail break in 14 years. The kingpin was last seen in the shower area of the Altiplano prison in central Mexico late Saturday before disappearing. "The escape of Guzman was confirmed", the National Security Commission said in a statement.

Federal policemen inspect a pipeline under construction by the...

Police arrest some protesters during a march in support of jailed drug boss Joaquin Guzman Loera, "El Chapo" in the city of Culiacan, Mexico, Wednesday Feb. 26, 2014. Hundreds of people marched on the streets of Culiacan, the drug lord's bastion, demanding that Guzman be freed. They briefly clashed with police who fired tear gas at them.

Police arrest some protesters during a march in support of jailed...

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman along the highway between Mexico City and Toluca on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican...

Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" (C), is escorted by marines as he is presented to the press on February 22, 2014 in Mexico City. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt Sunday and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government.

Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman"...

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman sits inside a federal police helicopter at a navy hanger in Mexico City, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2014. The world's most-wanted drug lord, Guzman, arrived at the Mexico City airport after his arrest early Saturday and was being taken directly to prison, said Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam.

Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman sits inside a federal police helicopter...

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman along the highway between Mexico City and Toluca on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican...

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman along the highway between Mexico City and Toluca on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican...

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman along the highway between Mexico City and Toluca on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Mexican soldiers take part in a search operation to locate Mexican...

A Federal policeman stands outside of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Toluca, Mexico, from where Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" escaped on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

A Federal policeman stands outside of the Altiplano prison in...

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013. file photo, Art Bilek, executive vice president of the Chicago Crime Commission, left, announces that Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has been named Chicago's Public Enemy No. 1, during a news conference in Chicago. Guzman, the one they called "shorty" because of his 5'6" frame, a man who grew up poor and had no formal education, would rise from a small-time Mexican marijuana producer to lead the world's most powerful drug cartel.

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2013. file photo, Art Bilek, executive vice...

Federal policemen stand outside of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Toluca, Mexico, from where Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" escaped on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Federal policemen stand outside of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya...

Federal policemen stand outside of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Toluca, Mexico, from where Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" escaped on July 12, 2015. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

Federal policemen stand outside of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya...

A photo taken on July 12, 2015 shows a view of the Altiplano prison in Almoloya de Juarez, Toluca, Mexico, from where Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera aka "el Chapo Guzman" escaped on July 11. Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman has escaped from a maximum-security prison for the second time in 14 years, sparking a massive manhunt and dealing an embarrassing blow to the government. The kingpin was last spotted by security cameras entering the shower area of the Altiplano prison, 90 kilometers (55 miles) west of Mexico City, on July 11 night before disappearing, the National Security Commission said.

A photo taken on July 12, 2015 shows a view of the Altiplano prison...

In photo taken on Nov. 4, 2013, a Homeland Security Investigations member of the special response team looks south in a border tunnel equipped with lighting, ventilation and an electric rail system discovered between Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego in San Diego. Discovered on Oct. 30, 2013, the secret passage on the U.S.-Mexico border was linked by authorities to Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and its leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was arrested on Feb. 22, 2014 in Maztalan, Mexico.

In photo taken on Nov. 4, 2013, a Homeland Security Investigations...

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2014 file photo, people march in support of jailed drug boss Joaquin Guzman, "El Chapo," in the city of Culiacan, Mexico. Hundreds marched in the streets of the drug lord's bastion, demanding that Guzman be freed. Guzman, the one they called "shorty" because of his 5'6" frame grew up poor and had no formal education, would rise from a small-time Mexican marijuana producer to lead the world's most powerful drug cartel.

FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2014 file photo, people march in support of...

Accused Sinaloa Cartel drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman reportedly slipped through this tunnel, evading captors, in Culiacan, Mexico, last week. Photo was taken Feb. 24, 2014.

Accused Sinaloa Cartel drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman...

A brass band plays songs known to be favorites of Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman during a march in Culiacan February 26, 2014. More than a thousand people marched through the streets of the capital of captured drug lord Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman's home state in northwest Mexico on Wednesday, calling for his freedom. Guzman was captured on Saturday in a predawn raid in the beachside resort and fishing center of Mazatlan, around 125 miles (200 km) southeast of Culiacan. Picture taken February 26, 2014.

A brass band plays songs known to be favorites of Joaquin "Chapo"...

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is escorted to a helicopter in handcuffs by Mexican navy marines at a navy hanger in Mexico City. Mexico's security commission says top drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman has escaped from a maximum security prison for the second time.

FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2014 file photo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman...

Young women wear headbands featuring the name of Chapo Guzman during a march in Culiacan February 26, 2014. More than a thousand people marched through the streets of the capital of captured drug lord Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman's home state in northwest Mexico on Wednesday, calling for his freedom. Guzman was captured on Saturday in a predawn raid in the beachside resort and fishing center of Mazatlan, around 125 miles (200 km) southeast of Culiacan.

Young women wear headbands featuring the name of Chapo Guzman...

Mexican navy marines patrol near the maximum security prison Altiplano in Almoloya, west of Mexico City, Sunday, July 12, 2015. Mexico's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, escaped from a maximum security prison through a tunnel that opened into the shower area of his cell, the country's top security official announced.

Mexican navy marines patrol near the maximum security prison...

Police inspect a vehicle as they search for escaped drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, around the Almoloya de Juarez prison in Toluca, Mexico, Sunday, July 12, 2015. Mexico's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, escaped from a maximum security prison through a one mile long tunnel that opened into the shower area of his cell, the country's top security official announced Sunday.

Police inspect a vehicle as they search for escaped drug lord...

Federal police inspect a drainage pipe outside the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City, Sunday, July 12, 2015. Mexico's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, escaped from a maximum security prison through a tunnel that opened into the shower area of his cell, the country's top security official announced.

Federal police inspect a drainage pipe outside the Altiplano...

An army tank is parked near the Altiplano maximum security prison in Almoloya, west of Mexico City, Sunday, July 12, 2015. Mexico's most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, escaped from a maximum security prison through a tunnel that opened into the shower area of his cell, the country's top security official announced.

An army tank is parked near the Altiplano maximum security prison...

U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon makes reference to a chart of know Mexico-based Sinaloa Cartel members, during a news conference after twin brothers Pedro and Margarito Flores were sentenced to 14 years for their drug related activities in the cartel, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Chicago. Fardon characterized the Flores brothers cooperation in bringing down the cartel as extraordinary. He says their reduced sentences should illustrate to criminals that, "You can right some of what you did wrong, by helping the government." (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Fardon makes reference to a chart of know...

When Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, head of the now defunct Guadalajara Cartel, was arrested in 1989 for the murder of a DEA agent, new cartels were created: the Tijuana Cartel, the Juarez Cartel, and the Sinaloa Cartel according to Mike Vigil, author of the book DEAL.

When Miguel Angel Felix Gallardo, head of the...

After Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera was arrested, Ismael “Mayo” Zambada Garcia took the reins. El Mayo is on Mexico's and U.S. most wanted list for crimes including drug trafficking and murder.

After Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera was...

"The Sinaloa Cartel has a very strong bench in terms of its leadership"

After the 2014 arrest of El Chapo Guzman, former leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, the group has continued to function without incident. According to Vigil, former chief of international operations for the DEA, the Sinaloa Cartel offers law enforcement officials and other cartels a strategic challenge because of how decentralized they are.

"The Sinaloa Cartel has a very strong bench in terms of its...

In the midst of their beneficial decentralization of power, the cartel thrives by operating as what Vigil called "franchises." Small, regional factions work under the Sinaloa Cartel's name with the absence of their recently arrested leader.

In the midst of their beneficial...

They are among the most powerful cartels in Mexico

In addition to maintaining power in Mexico, they have been able to expand their operations into Europe, Australia, and other countries according to Vigil.

reports they may be functioning in as many as 50 countries.

According to Vigil, their principal enemy has been Los Zetas. The cartel has also fought the Tijuana and the Juarez Cartels for control of the United States/Mexico border.

According to Vigil, their principal enemy has...

They are brutal, and have the stories to prove it

In 2010, the group killed a member of the Juarez Cartel, skinning his face and stitching it to a soccer ball the group attached a message that read "Happy New Year because it will be your last" according to Vigil.

They partake in MANY illegal activities

The Sinaloa Cartel distributes just about every drug you can think of, including cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and heroin. According to

, they partake in drug transit, kidnapping, domestic drug sales, drug production, human trafficking and money laundering.

They recruit poor and young

"A friend of mine told me about this business. He was part of this team, so I joined too," one Sinaloa Cartel member

. "I was 14 years old. I was not good at school. I like this. How to explain? I don't like fighting but I do like the weapons."

"A friend of mine told me about this...

that more than 60,000 people have been killed by cartel violence from 2006-2012. The Sinaloa Cartel, now unrivaled, has been at the center of fewer violent conflicts.

They are a social bunch

Cartels often leak photos to media, capturing their lavish lifestyles and exotic animals, however a few members have snagged photos with stars like Paris Hilton. You can decide if it's photoshopped or not.

Cartels often leak photos to media,...

No deal with DEA, or U.S. government

Vigil, who is familiar with the rumors surrounding an alleged deal the cartel had with the U.S. said "There was no deal struck with the Sinaloa Cartel. The allegations stem from Vicente Zambada Niebla’s defense attorney who stated that the DEA had agreed not to interfere with the Sinaloa Cartel in exchange for information on rival cartels. It was nothing more than a ploy to sway jurors during Vicente’s trial."

Vigil, who is familiar with the...

Summary: MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico mounted an all-out manhunt Sunday for its most powerful drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who authorities said escaped from a maximum security prison through a 1.5-kilometer (1 mile) tunnel from a small opening in the shower area of his cell.  The elaborate underground escape route, allegedly built without the detection of authorities, allowed Guzman to do what Mexican officials promised would never happen after his re-capture last year — slip out of one of the country's most secure penitentiaries for the second time.  Guzman's escape is a major embarrassment to the Pena Nieto administration, which had received plaudits for its aggressive approach to top drug lords.  Since the government took office in late 2012, Mexican authorities have nabbed or killed six of them, including Guzman.  Guatemala's Interior Ministry said a special task force of police and soldiers were watching its border with southern Mexico for any sign of the fugitive drug lord.  Associated Press journalists near the Altiplano prison saw roads being heavily patrolled by federal police, with numerous checkpoints and a Black Hawk helicopter flying overhead.  The Mexican government at the time vehemently denied the need to extradite Guzman, even as many expressed fears he would escape as he did in 2001 while serving a 20-year sentence in the country's other top-security prison, Puente Grande, in the western state of Jalisco.  Rep. Filemon Vela, a Democrat from Texas, wrote that Mexico's failure to extradite Guzman and other figures facing charges in the United States "is an insult to the law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel who have worked for years to build criminal cases against these drug profiteers."


08/14/2015 AT 02:35 PM EDT

There are no second chances for daredevil

when he's performing his life-threatening high-wire walks. Fortunately that's not the case when it comes to his wedding.

In a sneak peek at Friday's episode of

, Wallenda and his wife Erendira are preparing to renew their vows after 15 years of marriage, and Erendira shares the inside story of their engagement.

"He proposed to me on a wire in front of 32,000 people," she says.

to Erendira during a sold-out show in Montreal in 1999, but the fiancés "had no money for a wedding," Erendira says, "so we went to the courthouse, and I didn't even have a wedding dress. I had to borrow one from my mother-in-law."

Her "something borrowed" doubled as her "something blue" – she wore a long, blue dress, with polka dots; Nik wore a grey suit. The couple now has three children: Yanni, Amadaos and Evita.

Much like her husband – who has crossed tightropes over

(blindfolded!) – eighth-generation acrobat and performer Erendira has been performing since she was a small child.

For her "I do" do-over, Erendira is enlisting the help of the Kleinfeld Bridal to get her outfitted for the couple's dream ceremony.

airs Friday at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

Summary: Nik Wallenda's wife, Erendira, shares romantic proposal details as they prepare to renew their vows on TLC's Say Yes to the Dress


’Tis the season for celebrity documentaries made from the inside out. “Amy,” with its rich trove of Amy Winehouse home-video footage, is still in theaters, and here comes “Listen to Me Marlon,” a spooky and fantastically moving meditation on the life and career of Marlon Brando that is told almost entirely in his own words. British filmmaker Stevan Riley has availed himself of hours of private audio recordings made by the late actor over the course of his life, and he has edited these together with films clips, news reports, archival footage, and the occasional random image. The result is something that feels fresh, even revelatory — a work of elegiac bio-doc impressionism. “Listen to Me Marlon” gets under the skin of the most mysterious performer of the 20th century and forces us to recalibrate all our feelings about him.

The movie’s signal image is its eeriest find: digitized footage of Brando’s head and face from a 1980s film test. This is Marlon as the ghost in the culture’s machine, a blue grid of Brando-esque pattern-dots that reappears throughout the documentary to quote Shakespeare and drop bitter musings in our ears.

“I arrived in New York with holes in my socks and holes in my mind,” the actor says, and Riley folds in clips of Brando the young god, on the loose in New York. We glimpse acting teacher Stella Adler in old interviews and hear Brando recalling how she taught him to live and act without fear. Early memories of his youth in Omaha turn from innocence to darkness; of his adored mother, he says, “I used to love the smell of liquor on her breath.”

Fame comes with “A Streetcar Named Desire” on Broadway and then on screen, “and then your life changes. Girls saying ‘Hi, Mar.’ ” Not that he turned a single one of them down. But already the split was evident between who Brando was and who we wanted him to be — an entirely new kind of actor, an entirely new kind of star. He was revolutionary in both areas, but you can feel the hostility when he says, “There’s nothing about me like Stanley Kowalski. I hate that guy,” and you can see it in his eyes during his first Hollywood screen test or when he got mobbed at the New York premiere of “Guys and Dolls.” “If they think I’m going to bare my soul for my next movie,” Brando says at one point, “they’re going to choke on their shrimp salad.”

And so on, through the 1955 Oscar for “On the Waterfront” (”When I saw the picture finally, I was so embarrassed, so disappointed with my performance”), the discovery of Tahiti during the filming of “Mutiny on the Bounty,” the decline in the 1960s, the resurgence with “The Godfather” and “Last Tango in Paris,” the personal tragedies of Brando’s later years. He was scorned by so many people for getting fat, for losing his art, for not being sufficiently grateful for our attention, but with “Listen to Me Marlon,” it’s as if Riley has ushered us into the darkened chamber of the actor’s memories, where Brando himself can whisper in our ear.

The movie convinces a viewer of the actor’s seriousness of intent in supporting the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and the Native American resistance movement of the 1970s. We all remember the farce of Sacheen Littlefeather lecturing the Oscar audience when Brando turned down his “Godfather” award, but Riley makes sure to add a subsequent Dick Cavett interview in which the star waxes brutally eloquent on America’s treatment of its native peoples.

Riley serves as his own editor, and he makes historical and emotional connections that Brando himself might argue with. Did Brando’s son Christian shoot and kill his sister’s abusive boyfriend out of the same protectiveness that prompted the young Marlon to shield his own mother from paternal beatings? That’s a tabloid reach, thankfully one of the movie’s few.

More often, “Listen to Me Marlon” puts us in a fugue state — with the help of a carefully chosen ambient-rock score and Brando’s own homemade self-hypnosis tapes — and urges us to consider anew this damaged, sensitive, ridiculous man who, when he cared to, could seem more thrillingly there than anyone in the history of cinema. “Figure out a way to do it that has never been done,” we hear Marlon say to his tape recorder — for us, for posterity, or maybe just to remind himself. “You want to stop that movement of the popcorn to the mouth. The truth will do that. . . . Then you feel whole. You feel good.”

Summary: The documentary ‘Listen to Me Marlon’ offers a uniquely personal look at Marlon Brando.


In Cramer's playbook of rules in the current environment, he emphasized to own the MLPs with the least commodity price exposure, such as the pipeline plays. Pipelines tend to operate like a utility, changing a fee based on the volume of oil or gas that it transports. Thus, it has less of a direct connection to the actual price of oil.

With this in mind, Cramer presented a case study of two very different MLPs that reported recently and moved down together: Plains All American Pipeline, and Energy Transfer Partners. Plains All-American reported a bad quarter, and Energy Transfer reported a good one.

Yet, both stocks were crushed. What the heck?

In Cramer's opinion, it was the horrendous results from Plains All American that caused the entire MLP cohort to be slammed from its negative pin action.

Additionally, Cramer saw some enormous red flags from Plains All American. A large reason why investors own an MLP is because they assume that the cash distribution to shareholders will continue to increase. However management recently not only slashed its full year guidance, but it cut its distribution growth forecast down to 6 percent for 2015.

On the same day, Energy Transfer Partners and its general partner Energy Transfer Equity reported its results, which were pretty darned good in Cramer's opinion. And while the quarter seemed similar to that of Plains All American, when Cramer dug deeper he found that the results started to look different.

Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer

Cramer Remix: May be the best trade in the week ahead Cramer game plan: I smell profit in this next week Cramer: How to know when to sell a sizzler

Management indicated that it is on track to continue growing the distribution going forward. Meaning, the yield can go higher even if the stock does nothing—unlike Plains.

"So when you buy Energy Transfer Partners for its 8.15 percent yield here, you can take some comfort in knowing that the distribution is not only safe, it's also still growing," Cramer said.

At a time when the MLPs seem ripe for the rebound, Cramer warned investors to be careful. Only buy the strongest players in the space with the safest yields. That is why he is a buyer of Energy Transfer Partners and will stay far away from Plains All American. (Tweet This)

Summary: Jim Cramer enters the danger zone and takes a closer look at the oil related master limited partnerships. Could they be ripe for a rebound?


Earlier this week, luxury brands Chanel and Tag Heuer became the latest labels to tweak their pricing—changes they attributed to currency fluctuations. On Tuesday, Chanel said because of the depreciating euro, it will raise prices in Europe and trim them in Asia, to "offer our products to all of our customers at a harmonized price."

Hours later Tag Heuer announced that because of the Swiss franc's appreciation, it would keep prices flat in the euro zone, Japan and Singapore, but lower them in places including the United States, South America and the U.K.

"This will be an effective way to preserve and develop the quality and uniqueness of Chanel customers' experience in the boutiques," the company said. "It is also intended to fight against the parallel resale markets, which benefit from current price differentials and jeopardize the business, the image and the exclusivity of Chanel."

Read MoreWhat not to wear: Most out of style fashion stocks

Hana Ben-Shabat, a partner in the retail practice of A.T. Kearney, agreed that Chanel's move will likely cut back on the gray market—a term that includes people who buy products in bulk in a cheaper geography, and then resell them for a higher price.

But because higher prices in the U.S. and China are nothing new, the move could be designed more as a means to kickstart sales in China, where the recent slowdown in luxury spending may have been the tipping point.

"Things are so expensive and you don't have gifting anymore, [so] reducing the prices in China makes sense if you want to re-energize the market," Ben-Shabat said.

Summary: Price increases for luxury handbags are significantly outpacing inflation, according to the Boston Consulting Group.


Yet, despite the strong seasonal patterns, the cost of insuring your portfolio remains historically low, with the VIX, which measure prices for puts and calls, hovering below 14.

"What I'm looking at is protection and I'm going to use these [past] returns to help me figure out what are the best strikes to trade," Gilbert said on Tuesday's "Trading Nation."

Read MoreThis stock is sliding ahead of its earnings report

She looked at the options in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, the SPY, which expire in May. Specifically, she bought the May 208/198 put spread for $1.98.

The trade offers Gilbert protection if the SPY falls below $206.02 by May expiration. However, by selling the lower strike put, she has limited her hedge to the lower strike of the put that she sold, in this case, 198. That corresponds to a level of 1,980 on the S&P 500, which happens to be the lows reached during the last earnings season.

"This is a way to protect your portfolio as U.S. earnings get into full swing."

Summary: Stacey Gilbert of Susquehanna gives a clever options strategy to protect your portfolio if earnings season proves to be volatile for stocks.


Another major problem in all the union talk is the money, said Dave Hollander, a sports business professor at New York University.

"Determining how much is paid to players and what's fair has to be worked out," he said.

That could set off an even bigger bidding war for high school players, said John Lomax, a partner at the law firm Snell & Wilmer based in Phoenix. It would be the nonunion teams vying against the union schools who could offer more to players, Lomax said.

"You could have a private school like a unionized Northwestern and the public University of Michigan without one. Northwestern might have the better players because they're paying their athletes and offering health care and other benefits," he said. (The NLRB's current ruling only applies to private colleges and football players.)

Read MoreNFL players learn a new skill: Avoid going broke

The idea to unionize might also trickle down the sports food chain, said Lomax,

"Can the college tennis team try and form a union? What would prevent other scholarship athletes from saying they want bargaining rights?" he asked.

Even nonscholarship athletes might want to be treated as workers.

"They could claim they do as much work as scholarship players even though they are voluntarily participating," contended Lomax.

Summary: If the ruling on allowing Northwestern University football players to unionize stands all challenges, it may not be so easy to do.


Among precious metals, spot platinum gained the most, rising 3.1 percent to $989.50 an ounce, a session high.

The U.S. dollar turned lower after Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said the global deflationary trend "bothers" the Fed but is one of many factors it is watching, stoking uncertainty about a September rate hike.

The 19-market Thomson Reuters CoreCommodity Index surged 2.1 percent as copper, oil and grains rallied.

Gold prices extended gains on short-covering and buy-stops that were triggered around $1,100, traders said.

"The gold market triggered a lot of stops on the upside. That was a pretty good driving factor," said Phillip Streible, senior commodities broker for RJO Futures in Chicago.

Read MoreGold hasn't done this since 1999

While the market is still awaiting further clues on the prospect of a near-term rate rise, gold is lacking an immediate driver, ABN Amro analyst Georgette Boele said.

"Gold prices just need a new acceleration point. We still expect the interest rates in the U.S., and the dollar, to (provide that)," Boele said.

Gold fell for a seventh week in a row last week, its longest such retreat since 1999, having struggled to pull away from a 5-1/2-year trough reached in July.

Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Shares, slipped to their lowest since September 2008 on Friday.

Spot palladium rose 1.3 percent to $605.50 an ounce while silver was up 2.5 percent at $15.21 an ounce.

Summary: Gold rose 1 percent to above $1,100 an ounce on Monday, its biggest increase in more than seven weeks, as the U.S. dollar turned lower.


Some 36 percent of the 214 panelists surveyed for the bank's monthly fund manager poll, who are collectively running $604 billion, now view oil as undervalued following its recent price crash.

This reading is up over 20 percentage points since October and reflects oil's lowest level since 2009. Meanwhile, investors have bolstered their positions in European equities.

Read MoreBrent slumps to $59, WTI at $54 on oversupply

"We are seeing capitulation out of energy and materials to the benefit of the dollar, cash, euro zone stocks and global tech and discretionary stocks," said Michael Hartnett, chief investment strategist at BofA Merrill Lynch Research.

"The prospect of European Central Bank (ECB) quantitative easing (QE) has brought growing consensus on European equities, but the weakening business cycle and falling commodity prices are working against true earnings recovery," said European equity and quantitative strategist at the bank, Manish Kabra.

Brent crude fell below $59 a barrel and U.S. oil prices briefly dipped below $54 a barrel on Tuesday, extending a six-month selloff as slowing Chinese factory activity and weakening emerging-market currencies added to concerns about demand.

Read MoreGross: US structural growth rate to be about 2% or less

Star bond fund manager Bill Gross said he anticipates economic growth in the U.S. to fall to 2 percent next year as a result of the decline in the oil price and expects it will be "very difficult" for oil prices to stabilize.

"Oil determines currency movements; currency movements determine spread markets, risk markets, high yield markets, the potential for bankruptcy or solvency for not only companies but countries," Gross said in an exclusive interview with CNBC on Monday.

"There are oil producers in South America, such as Venezuela that certainly have that potential (of bankruptcy)," he added.

Read MoreGreece can't afford another crisis: Former PM

Investors see deflation as the big risk in 2015 according to some 69 percent of fund managers polled by BofA ML, as inflation expectations have now fallen to their lowest level since August 2012.

European economist at Capital Economics, Jennifer McKeown said the falling oil price adds to the already significant risk of deflation in the euro-zone, which ultimately strengthens the case for a full-blown bond-buying program from the ECB.

This, coupled with the recent resurgence of the economic crisis in Greece, increases the risk of deflation, supporting the view that "the ECB will announce sovereign debt purchases next month," she said.

Summary: Fund managers are still confident in stocks but the falling oil price is pushing them to add to their cash holdings.


Since 2008, around 16 million cars with Takata air bags have been recalled worldwide, with more than 10 million of those in the United States.

Another question, particularly for drivers, is how quickly Takata can supply replacement parts.

In filings with NHTSA on Wednesday, automakers including Honda and Toyota said they were looking into the option of getting air bag inflators from other companies, but most said that would take too long. BMW is backing Takata's efforts to shift inflator production to Germany from Mexico, and said it was not looking elsewhere for supply as it would take two years to approve a new source.

Takata recently told analysts it had enough existing and planned capacity to make replacement parts—but that doesn't factor in a nationwide recall. Reuters calculations show it could take five months to make just 1 million inflators on two new production lines planned in Mexico from January, assuming work around-the-clock five days a week.

Takata has set aside 77.5 billion yen ($660 million) for recall costs since last year to cover about 9 million vehicles, fewer than the number of cars recalled since 2013.

"The American people deserve to know the whole story behind this air bag recall," Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Florida who will chair the congressional hearing, said on Wednesday. "That's why we're holding this hearing to get them some answers and spur automakers to do more to help get these dangerous cars off the road and fixed as soon as possible."

Read MoreMinivan crash test among the worst seen

Thursday's witness list includes Hiroshi Shimizu, senior vice president of global quality assurance at Takata; Scott Kunselman, Chrysler's senior vice president of vehicle safety and regulatory compliance, Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America, and Stephanie Erdman, a victim of Takata's air bag defect.

David Friedman, NHTSA's deputy administrator, will answer to criticism his agency has been slow to respond to the scandal.

NHTSA agreed in June to allow automakers to do a regional recall and use their discretion in deciding how and when to notify customers and replace faulty parts, resulting in confusion for car owners receiving mixed messages.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he was nominating Mark Rosekind, an expert in human fatigue, as the next head of NHTSA.

Summary: Executives from Takata and two automakers will face U.S. senators on Thursday over the risk of millions of potentially defective air bags.


reform@ (Adds context, details, recasts lead)

BEIJING, June 17 (Reuters) - China's cabinet has allowed Bank of Communications (BoCom) to look into taking on more private shareholding as part of the government's push to reform state-owned lenders struggling with a spike in bad loans in a slowing economy.

The proposal, cited in an exchange filing, gave no details about the possible reform, but said the government would retain control of BoCom, China's fifth largest lender by assets.

HSBC is the largest foreign shareholder in BoCom, with a 19 percent stake, but the plan also did not mention anything about foreign ownership of Chinese banks.

When asked about the proposal, HSBC told Reuters it currently had no plans to change is shareholding in BoCom, which remains below the government's 20 percent cap. "BoCom is a long-term strategic partner," said Vinh T Tran, HSBC senior media relations manager.

Although BoCom is publicly traded, state-owned institutions remain the largest shareholders. In its exchange filing late on Tuesday, the bank said it had won approval from the cabinet to explore allowing diversifying its shareholder structure to include more private ownership.

The proposed reform comes at a time when China's cooling economy has squeezed lending margins and sharply pushed up bad loans at the big five state-owned banks, adding urgency to the reform process.

BoCom was the first of these big lenders to start reforms under Beijing's two-year-long overhaul of its inefficient state-owned enterprises. Many of these companies have diversified ownership to include more non-state investors, seen as helping fight official corruption, as well as embarking on mergers and restructuring.

Ma Kunpeng, a Shanghai-based banking analyst at Sinolink Securities Co, said he expected Bank of China Ltd and China Construction Bank Corp to follow BoCom with their own reforms.

"BoCom's reform is a start," he added.

Last month, state-owned investment company Central Huijin Investment Ltd sold off some of its mainland-listed A shares of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd and China Construction Bank Corp, which some analysts took as a signal that banks would soon start diversifying ownership.

The reforms in the banking sector also come after several global banks sold their holdings in Chinese lenders.

Spanish Bank BBVA this year said it had agreed to sell a 4.9 percent stake in China's CITIC Bank. In 2013, both Goldman Sachs and Bank of America sold stakes in top Chinese lenders.

(Reporting By Shu Zhang and Pete Sweeney; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Miral Fahmy)

Summary: BEIJING, June 17- China's cabinet has allowed Bank of Communications to look into taking on more private shareholding as part of the government's push to reform state-owned lenders struggling with a spike in bad loans in a slowing economy. HSBC is the largest foreign shareholder in BoCom, with a 19 percent stake, but the plan also did not mention anything about...


"German business confidence only gave in marginally, illustrating almost imperturbable optimism," Carsten Brzeski, the chief economist at ING, said in a research note. "The fundamentals are sound enough to see another acceleration of the German economy."

The euro edged higher on the news and stocks lifted off session lows.

Meanwhile, Germany's final figure for first quarter gross domestic product came in at 0.3 percent. This confirmed an earlier flash estimate.

French May business confidence data, also released on Friday morning, showed it had hit its highest level since August 2011.

Investors also focused on Sintra in Portugal, where approximately 150 central bank governors, academics and financial market representatives attended a forum on central banking.

Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, spoke at the event during the morning session. He said that the economic outlook for the euro zone was "brighter today than it has done for seven long years."

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks traded mostly lower on Friday as investors awaited a speech from Fed Chair, Janet Yellen for new clues on when it could hike interest rates. Her speech is due at 6 p.m. London time.

Elsewhere, European leaders urged Greece to return to the negotiating table, as Athens and Greece's international bailout supervisors lock horns over a much-needed cash-for-reforms deal.

Follow us on Twitter: @CNBCWorld

Summary: European equities closed mixed on Friday as investors focused on a central banking forum in Portugal and a speech from U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.


Japan has suffered since the first consumption tax hike from 5 to 8 percent in April. Abe said the rise in the sales tax "acted as a heavy weight and offset a rise in consumption". A second consumption tax hike was set for October 2015 which would have seen a 2 percent increase to 10 percent.

Abe also said the lower house of parliament would be dissolved on November 21 and an election would be called in a move to strengthen his mandate for "Abenomics" - his set of economic policies.

Read MoreWhy the global economy could be in trouble (again)

The Japanese Prime Minister admitted that it will be a "difficult election" but said he wanted the public to back his package of reforms.

"There are differing opinions on the structural reforms we have proposed and I have decided that I need to hear the voice of the Japanese public on whether or not we should go forward with these reforms," Abe said.

The Nikkei closed up 2.18 percent in anticipation of Abe's announcement, while the yen strengthened against the dollar hitting $116.49 by mid-morning following the news.

Analysts said the delay in a consumption tax increase would do little to foster economic growth.

Read MoreDollar-yen rally stalls: What next?

"The reality is that PM Abe faces a monumental task to try to engineer a sustainable upturn in Japanese economic growth. The Japanese economic outlook remains bleak, faced with the highest government debt to GDP (gross domestic product) ratio in the OECD, ageing demographics and a declining population," Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS, told CNBC via email.

Summary: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called a snap election and announced a delay in the second sales tax hike by 18 months.


It may be hard to Belieb, but

has always had a way with words. Growing up in the spotlight, the 21-year-old says he's turned his

into lessons – and isn't afraid to sound off on touchy subjects.

Here are five nuggets of wisdom from the singer:

The "Never Say Never" singer's on-and-off relationship with

magazine, Bieber addresses his views on love.

"Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling. People have made it seem in movies that it's this fairy tale. That's not what love is. You're not gonna want to love your girl sometimes but you're gonna choose to love her."

In addition, he said: "If I have an awesome, bomb girlfriend, I'm gonna wanna show her off and go around and tell people my girl is the s---. I'm not gonna cheat on her because she's the best."

The pop star has been very vocal about his religious beliefs and what it means to be a Christian â¦ and his reasoning might include a popular fast-food restaurant. (Yes, we're serious.)

"At this point, my faith has gotten me to where I am," Bieber told

. "My faith has brought me to a whole other level. I love talking about my faith. I think that with Christians, they've left such a bad taste in people's mouths. Just like, overly pushy with the subject, overly churchy and religious."

Furthermore, Bieber explains why he believes you don't need to go to church to be a Christian.

"If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco," he added. (Can't argue with that!)

Let's be honest, Bieber is the king of "swag."

"I wear black diamonds instead of regular ones because I'm not flashy, just flossy," the "What Do You Mean" singer told

"That's not the only fashion secret the Biebs is willing to share.

"I have a swagger coach that helps me and teaches me different swaggerific things to do â¦ He has helped me with my style and just putting different pieces together and being able to layer and stuff like that." Trust Bieber to coin the term "swaggeriffic."

graduate high school with a 4.0.

"I'm the type of dude who always wants to figure it out," he told

. "Science makes a ton of sense. Then I start thinking – wait, the 'big bang.' For a 'big bang' to create all this is more wild to think about than thinking about there being a God. Imagine putting a bunch of gold into a box, shaking up the box and out comes a Rolex. It's so preposterous once people start saying it."

The Canadian-born singer will always stick to his roots.

"I'll never be an American citizen," he said in the

article. "You guys are evil. Canada's the best country in the world. We go to the doctor and we don't need to worry about paying him, but here, your whole life, you're broke because of medical bills."

And that's not the only bone he has to pick with America.

"I don't really agree with war either, necessarily. I think everyone should just get along. I don't understand why people attack. What's the point of killing people – power? If no one cared about power, then no one would have wars. Canada doesn't go around attacking people."

Summary: The pop singer has always had a way with words – these are some of his best quotes


Chick-fil-A has received backlash over the years for its stance on issues like gay marriage, but the restaurant seems to have it all together when it comes to customer satisfaction.

The chicken chain ranked highest in the U.S. for customer satisfaction, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant Report 2015.

In its first appearance on the list, Chick-fil-A outpaced its peers with the highest level of customer satisfaction ever recorded by a fast food restaurant. (Tweet this.)

"We strive to provide a remarkable experience for each and every customer, so we are grateful and humbled that we were selected for this honor," Chick-Fil-A said in response to the survey.

Read More Fast food stocks have soared...but is it a bubble?

Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread, also newcomers to the list, ranked highly as well.

"As the economy improves, consumers with more disposable income—but squeezed for time—want higher-quality ingredients, freshness, and better service at a reasonable price," the report said.

"High scores for Chipotle and Panera Bread suggest that consumers think they're getting a reasonable value for money."

Read MoreBurger chain adds bugs to the menu...on purpose

Fast food burger chains slumped at the bottom of the list, with McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's each seeing year-over-year declines in customer satisfaction. Representatives for McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.

ACSI attributed the aforementioned drop to intense competition in the burger sector and shifts in consumer preferences.

The decline comes as more consumers move toward fast-casual burger chains, including Five Guys, In-N-Out Burger and Shake Shack, which typically offers better ingredients, freshness and more developed decor, according to the report.

Summary: Chick-fil-A has received backlash over the years, but the restaurant seems to have it all together when it comes to customer satisfaction.


Trader disclosure: On September 14, 2015, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC's "Halftime Report" were owned by the "Halftime Report" traders: Pete Najarian is long AMAT, BAC, BMY, BP, CSX, DISCA, DKS, FOXA, GE, KKR, KO, LLY, MRK, PEP, PFE, he is long calls AA, AAL, ABX, ALK, BEE, BUP, CRM, CSX, CVC, DAL, ETFC, HIG, HIMX, INTC, LM, PFE, QCOM, VLO, XLF, XOM, ZIOP, he is long puts DISH, FCX. Stephanie Link is long AAPL, BAC, BRCM, CHKP, CRM, DAL, DLPH, EL, ESRX, EXP, GILD, GOOG, GOOGL, HIG, HPQ, INTC, JPM, LLY, LOW, LPX, LULU, MAT, MCD, MS, PRU, RHT, SBUX, SLB, SWK, TIF, UNH, V, VFC, WFC. Josh Brown is long AAPL, BABA, DE, DNKN, EBAY, FB, FSLR, JMBA, NFLX, PYPL, SAM, SHAK, SPWR, TWTR, XLE, XON. Joe Terranova is long VRTS.

Summary: The "Halftime Report" traders toss around some 'under the radar' plays.


The city has found stronger financial footing since then and its bond rating has improved markedly, but not without having to raise taxes, trim 25 percent of the municipal workforce, cut back on paving projects, and reduce hours at municipal swimming pools and libraries. The 9.2 percent sales tax that shoppers and diners pay in Glendale is among the highest in the state.

To fiscal conservatives, Glendale serves as a cautionary tale for suburban cities across the United States that want to throw public money at professional sports projects.

"Overall, it's a bad move for cities," said Kurt Altman, general counsel for the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute, which fought Glendale over its enticements to the hockey team. "As much as they say it's going to make the city a destination, it just doesn't."

Read MorePats used under-inflated footballs:NFL

Glendale is a city of about 250,000 people in the northwest part of the Phoenix metro area. The location where the Arizona Cardinals' stadium and the Arizona Coyotes' arena were built had been a dusty farm area. The agricultural influence is visible to people driving to games when they pass tractors and farm equipment in nearby fields.

As the Coyotes and Cardinals sought new facilities in the early 2000s and efforts failed to build them in other parts of the Phoenix area, Glendale stepped in. The city helped pay for the Coyotes' arena with $167 million in bonds in 2003, and as the hockey team's finances began to fade during the recession, Glendale went all-in to keep the team in Arizona. The city dished out $50 million earlier this decade to keep the team and continues to make annual payments toward the arena, but the money it is getting in return has not met expectations.

The football stadium was built in 2006, but Glendale was not on the hook for the costs of the $450 million retractable-roof facility. It was funded primarily with new taxes on car rentals and hotels in the Phoenix area, but that financing hit a snag last year when a judge ruled that the car rental tax was unconstitutional, leaving a major funding source for the Super Bowl venue in jeopardy. The issue is still being argued in the courts.

Glendale is far from alone. Cities and states nationwide have long struggled with how much public money to spend on stadium projects. The effort to build a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings became embroiled in controversy over a financial commitment by the state that opponents said was excessive. The St. Louis Rams are at the center of a debate over whether to spend public money on a new stadium. Topeka, Kansas, is immersed in a fight over a motorsports track that has drawn comparisons to hockey in Glendale.

As he navigates the financial situation, Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers returns to a maxim he has repeated many times in his life: "I'm not living in the past. I'm just paying for it."

In the case of the Super Bowl, he believes the city is paying dearly. He said Glendale will actually lose a "couple million dollars" by hosting the event. It's spending huge amounts of money on overtime and police and public safety costs associated with hosting the Super Bowl but getting very little in return.

Read MoreAnte up: This year's weirdest Super Bowl bets

Super Bowl visitors are mostly staying in Phoenix and Scottsdale and only showing up in Glendale on game day, meaning the city won't see much of a boost in tax revenue. And the city was hoping the state would reimburse Glendale for its police overtime costs, but lawmakers have scoffed at the idea.

Summary: Glendale is suffering deep financial issues over its troubled effort to become a sports destination.


CAMBRIDGE — At one point in “The Past Is in the Present,” an eloquently moving short film about composer Gunther Schuller by Mary Trunk and Paul Sanchez, Schuller remarks with an aw-shucks tone: “Boy have I kept myself busy.”

This would be rather an understatement. During his lifetime, the cyclonic weather system of activity that was Schuller’s career — as performer, composer, publisher, historian, conductor, administrator, record producer, and all-around musical standard-bearer — did not ever seem to cease its whirl for long. His buoyancy and perennial optimism was of a kind that, despite the fact that he was 89 and fighting leukemia, his death in June still somehow came as a surprise. Schuller’s presence had a solidity as if its were its own local institution, right there alongside the city’s permanent orchestras and schools.

This month, as if to underline the point with a rare show of unity, a host of local academic institutions and performing-arts organizations are convening Gunther Schuller tributes. The commemorative programming will culminate on Nov. 22, when Schuller would have turned 90, with three different major events being presented by New England Conservatory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project in partnership with Odyssey Opera.

On Sunday night in Pickman Hall, Collage New Music helped to launch this season of Schuller with a program that featured not only the composer’s virtuosic 1988 “Bouquet for Collage,” but also the premiere of his “Singing Poems,” written for Collage earlier this year.

Scored for soprano and mixed chamber ensemble, the new work features settings of texts by Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and Gertrude Stein, among others. In the details of its scoring and the vivid specificity of its imagination, “Singing Poems” is masterful if also somewhat elusive. The music is by turns edgy, jumpy, fractured, restless, and rugged. It eschews any semblance of a valedictory tone and avoids any overt gestures toward the conventional signs and semaphores of a “late style.” The text that receives the most potently expressive setting is perhaps Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “Time does not bring relief,” about the persistence of pain after the loss of a loved one. To anyone who heard Schuller speak in public about his late wife, Marjorie, the subtext seemed clear.

The Collage players, under David Hoose’s direction, gave the work a devoted and crystalline account, with soprano Mary Mackenzie deftly negotiating the intensely challenging vocal part and Collage founder Frank Epstein returning to the stage to realize (alongside Craig McNutt) the score’s complex and elaborate demands for percussion.

Sunday’s program also featured works by Paul Brust, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and Rand Steiger. Sprinkled through the audience were many of Boston’s most celebrated composers. Their collective presence seemed a tribute all its own.

Summary: On Sunday evening in Longy’s Pickman Hall, Collage New Music delivered the first of the month’s many tributes to the composer Gunther Schuller.


NEW YORK — A lawsuit filed by a female executive alleging harassment and discrimination at a popular dating startup is reinforcing concerns that the technology industry is still a boys’ club that is unwelcoming to women.

Whitney Wolfe, former vice president of marketing for Tinder Inc., who described herself as a cofounder, said in a lawsuit filed June 30 that cofounder Justin Mateen verbally disparaged her and that company executives ignored her complaints and didn’t publicly recognize her as a cofounder because she’s a ‘‘girl.’’

Tinder’s chief executive Sean Rad said in an internal memo to employees obtained by Bloomberg News and confirmed by the company that the allegations are ‘‘full of factual inaccuracies and omissions.’’ Rad and the company, and parent IAC/InterActiveCorp, which was also named in the lawsuit, haven’t yet responded in court.

The allegations raised in the complaint underscore the perception of the US technology industry as a male-dominated culture unfriendly to women, according to Scott Kessler, an analyst at S&P Capital IQ in New York.

‘‘Although it is tempting to describe the conduct of Tinder’s senior executives as ‘frat-like,’ it was in fact much worse — representing the worst of the misogynist, alpha-male stereotype too often associated with technology startups,’’ Wolfe said in her complaint against Tinder, filed in state court in Los Angeles.

Rad, 28, said in his memo that the startup ‘‘did not discriminate against Whitney because of her age or gender’’ and takes gender equality very seriously.

Rosette Pambakian, a spokeswoman for Los Angeles-based Tinder, declined to comment beyond Rad’s memo.

Tinder was hatched two years ago during a hack-a-thon at an incubator backed by billionaire Barry Diller’s IAC. Though Wolfe was with the company from the onset and had been recognized as a cofounder, Rad stripped her of the title when she was 24, according to her complaint.

Wolfe said in her lawsuit that she was subjected to sexist comments, e-mails, and text messages from chief marketing officer Mateen, 28, and that her complaints were ignored by Rad. She said she was forced to resign and is seeking compensatory damages including back pay and equity.

Mateen was suspended upon the receipt of Wolfe’s allegations, pending an ongoing internal investigation, said Matthew Traub, a spokesman for IAC.

‘‘Through that process, it has become clear that Mr. Mateen sent private messages to Ms. Wolfe containing inappropriate content,’’ Traub said in an e-mail. ‘‘We unequivocally condemn these messages, but believe that Ms. Wolfe’s allegations with respect to Tinder and its management are unfounded.’’

Mateen didn’t respond to an e-mail sent to his work address seeking comment on Wolfe’s lawsuit.

The allegations could have an impact on IAC’s plans for Tinder, according to Kessler.

Tinder is part of IAC’s Match Group, a business segment that was separated into its own unit in December, potentially setting the stage for a spinoff of the dating services.

‘‘Given what’s going on at Tinder, I would assume that probably would cause IAC and Match to think a little bit longer and harder about pursuing that at this juncture,’’ Kessler said.

Even as the technology industry’s glass ceiling is being shattered by high-profile executives like Facebook Inc.’s Sheryl Sandberg and Yahoo Inc.’s Marissa Mayer, complaints about gender equality persist.

Technology companies Google Inc. and Facebook have recently acknowledged that women make up 30 percent and 31 percent of their workforces, respectively, ramping up pressure on Silicon Valley to hire more women and minorities.

Facebook and Twitter Inc. were criticized leading up to their initial public offerings for not having any female directors, and 74 percent of US workers in computer and mathematical occupations last year were men, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Snapchat Inc. chief executive Evan Spiegel apologized in May for profanity-laced e-mails he sent during his fraternity days at Stanford University that celebrated getting drunk and convincing sorority women to perform sexual acts.

In March 2013, Adria Richards received threats of violence and was fired from her software job at startup SendGrid Inc. after she posted an image online of male programmers she accused of making inappropriate innuendos at a programming event in Santa Clara, Calif.

Ellen Pao, a former partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, sued the venture capital firm in 2012 alleging it treated female employees unfairly by promoting and compensating them less than men. She said she faced retaliation after she complained about sexual harassment. Kleiner, which tried unsuccessfully to move Pao’s claims to arbitration, has denied the allegations.

Summary: NEW YORK — A lawsuit filed by a female executive alleging harassment and discrimination at a popular dating startup is reinforcing concerns that the technology industry is still a boys’ club that’s unwelcoming to women. Whitney Wolfe, former vice president of marketing for Tinder Inc. who described herself as a co-founder, said in a lawsuit filed June 30 that co-founder Justin Mateen verbally disparaged her and that company executives ignored her complaints and didn’t publicly recognize her as a co-founder because she’s a ‘‘girl.’’


11/19/2015 AT 12:25 PM EST

knows how to put Internet body shamers in their place.

The actress succinctly shut down the internet trolls who said she

"Fun fact: Wearing a dress that is not skintight=Pregnant/invites people 2 call u fat. I'm neither so thanks 4 that," she tweeted Wednesday night.

Paquin, 33, accompanied the tweet with a shot of

46, from the premiere. Pacquin, who is the

Poppy and Charlie, 3, wore a black embroidered dress with a full skirt.

Fun fact: Wearing a dress that is not skintight=Pregnant/invites people 2 call u fat. I'm neither so thanks 4 that pic.twitter.com/TZ960m8pPk

star followed up with another tweet an hour later, announcing to world, "dear mother nature, people who bravely hide behind computers and pass judgement have informed me my pale skin and dark hair=old/ugle/harsh."

Thankfully for Paquin, the nicer side of Twitter came out to support her after that, with people writing that she looks "gorgeous," "beautiful," and "stunning," and Paquin responded in kind.

sorry if this feels like blatant compliment fishing, really not my intention but do appreciate the love xo

"sorry if this feels like blatant compliment fishing, really not my intention but do appreciate the love xo," she wrote.

Paquin previously addressed the pressure to be thin in Hollywood back in 2010,

"Its one of those things that's instilled in you, that it'd be really unfortunate for you to not fit the sample size. I think that's a shame," she said.

"If you're not in shape and you don't look a certain way you might not get the parts you want. I wish it wasn't an aspect of the job, but I'd be lying if I said it isn't something I think about."

Summary: The actress fought back against people who criticized her outfit at The Good Dinosaur premiere


Cheniere's push right now on Wall Street is notable because it comes at a time when the energy markets are being buffeted by unusual volatility.

Read MoreWill oil's drop hurt renewable energy?

Since Thanksgiving, crude oil has been trading at multiyear lows, leaving the European benchmark, Brent crude, down some 40 percent on the year in the U.S. That move has raised questions about whether drillers, where prices have also plummeted, will be able to keep operating profitably and continue to repay their debts. Already, major players like ConocoPhillips are trimming their capital spending in anticipation of slimming profit margins.

Liquefied natural gas, the commodity Cheniere—whose stock ticker is LNG as well—is planning to produce, trades on a market separate from oil. But as a commodity, LNG's price can be greatly affected by the price of crude, which is frequently used as a peg for setting overseas prices.

LNG prices have tumbled this year, according to figures from the market-data provider Platts, sinking more than 43 percent in Japan and Korea, a key Asian market, and by more than 40 percent in other global markets.

Today's volatility is "happening at a time where gas prices were already much lower than the same period of last year," said Leslie Palti-Guzman, a senior energy analyst at the Eurasia Group, "so when you add to that glut lower oil prices, it means global gas prices are going to decline even further."

Read MoreOil's market impact: Barrel half empty, half full

She added that she "absolutely" expects LNG prices to fall in 2015, both in the "spot," or day-to-day, market, and in the longer-term contract market.

Cheniere, a Houston-based company that in 2012 became the first ever to receive Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) permission to export LNG from the lower 48 states, has been in the market to raise billions for the development of its Corpus Christi project since at least November, according to deal documents.

By late that month, the company had secured initial commitments from more than 16 major banks to provide up to $1 billion apiece for the planned seven-year credit facility, the documents indicated (although the actual amounts, they noted, might fall closer to the $625 million mark once the deal is consummated). The list of lenders includes Societe Generale, which is leading the financing effort, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Mizuho, along with more than a dozen others.

Read MoreThe countries slammed worst by plunging oil prices

Reached for comment on the expected deal, which people close to it say is hoped to close early in the new year, a Cheniere spokeswoman said, "There isn't any new information to be shared at this time." The financing plans were first reported Nov. 21 by the trade publication Power Finance & Risk.

LNG price estimates compiled by FERC pegged U.S. Gulf Coast prices at $3.72 for December, a level not far off from those of conventional natural gas, which closed on the benchmark Henry Hub market at $3.61 late Monday. Overseas, however, LNG trades at much higher prices, according to FERC charts, particularly in Asia, where it is estimated to be trading at $12 in the spot markets in Korea and Japan. The price tends to be even higher in longer-term contract markets, where companies like Cheniere do business.

But while many LNG contracts are determined in large part by Brent or other global crude markets, Cheniere has the advantage of using the Henry Hub natural-gas price as the basis of its 20-year supply contracts, according to company documents, leaving it less vulnerable to the vicissitudes of the oil market.

Read MoreVenezuela is in a bind for cash

Even if LNG markets don't fall by much, another potential hitch in the Corpus Christi deal would be a downturn in the high-yield debt market, which Cheniere is expecting to tap in order to help repay the banks in its planned $11.5 billion Corpus Christie LNG terminal. In 2015, for instance, Cheniere is expected to issue some $4 billion in bonds, deal documents suggest. In 2016, that figure would climb to $7.5 billion.

Cheniere backers argue that the company, whose shares have enjoyed a massive, 600 percent runup in the past three years, is well-positioned to weather additional volatility in the energy markets.

Bonds associated with its Sabine Pass terminal, a project similar to the Corpus Christi facility that is expected to come online next year, are trading at par, one market participant noted, whereas many other comparable energy bonds are trading below par.

Summary: Some of Wall Street's biggest players are ready to write billion-dollar checks to finance a nearly $16 billion Gulf Coast natural-gas project.