Let’s face it, if the updated “Annie” (2014) weren’t made with kids in mind first and foremost, the movie probably wouldn’t fly at all. Girls in foster care shrugging off neglect with songs about smiles and sunlight and some choreographed commiserating? To swipe a line from Harold Gray’s original, vintage comic strips: Leapin’ lizards! But despite tepid critical reviews, the target audience is likely to consider this disc repeat-viewing material. Eleven-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis (an Oscar nominee at 6 for “Beasts of the Southern Wild”) is clearly having fun here. Our lament: It’s too bad that director Will Gluck (“Friends With Benefits”) doesn’t let Wallis be herself even more of the time. Ditto for Jamie Foxx as Daddy Warbucks — er, Will Stacks — who’s best in scenes where he’s goofing a bit. “We didn’t want kids that felt very, very Broadway actor-y,” Gluck says in one featurette, but at points, it feels like they’re being nudged to deliver just that. Not the case with some unplugged extras that should appeal to grade-schoolers and their parents alike. A video for a tweaked “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile” features the girls, as themselves, hitting Midtown Manhattan and Central Park to share cheery placards, free lemonade, and that familiar musical wardrobe tip. Meanwhile, on Blu-ray, “It’s a Hard Knock Camp” shows Wallis’s young castmatesreacting to getting hired, breezily rehearsing, and forming the kind of bond that had them giddily texting the choreographer their own practice video — at 1:35 a.m. What would Miss Hannigan say? (Sony, $30.99; Blu-ray, $38.99)

Chris Rock directs one sharp showcase for himself: a look at a comedian-turned-movie star examining his life during an intimate interview with an equally complicated journalist (Rosario Dawson). It helps to be a Rock fan, but anyone will be entertained by his riff on Tupac’s coulda-been political prospects. Minor quibble: We’d be even more impressed if his character’s schlock movie choices were less broad and more cuttingly satirical. Some raunchiness is also hit or miss — although one of the hits, amusingly, comes from Jerry Seinfeld. Extras: commentary by Rock and costar JB Smoove; stand-up outtakes. (Paramount, $29.99; Blu-ray, $39.99)

SON OF A GUN (2014)

We were hooked by the casting on this low-profile Aussie import, which stars Ewan McGregor as a criminal hardcase and up-and-comer Brenton Thwaites (“The Giver”) as the young felon he takes under his nasty wing. (Even the box art is attention-grabbing: a seething McGregor frozen in mid-punch.) But writer-director Julius Avery delivers a heist yarn that disappointingly makes them come across like a couple of pussycats, never really as tough, volatile, or cunning as the narrative demands. Chess and evolution metaphors are OK stabs at idiosyncrasy, but we could use more sequences like the showy prison break that McGregor orchestrates. (Lionsgate, $19.98; Blu-ray, $24.99)

Titles are in stores Tuesday unless specified.

Summary: New releases on disc include “Annie,” “Top Five,” and “Son of a Gun.”


05/01/2015 AT 11:15 AM EDT

has plenty to celebrate: from her

and hunky boyfriend to her thriving career.

Spears – who is expected to resume her

this week – put together a list of the things that make her happy for

See the 10 things that made the cut:

1. My boys, of course!

4. A good sweaty run

7. The smell of roses

9. A juicy romantic novel

10. Last but certainly not least ... my fans!

Next up for the 33-year-old singer: the release of "Pretty Girls," which is her

Summary: The singer shares a list of what pulls a smile on her face


Snapchat will start charging companies two cents to put video ads on its picture-sending platform, finally presenting a plan for just how the company plans to make money.

A 10-second ad on Snapchat will cost advertisers two cents per view, according to AdWeek.

Snapchat made the announcement at the Daily Mail/Elite Daily Digital Content NewFronts presentation Thursday.

For years, investors and journalists have questioned how Snapchat —which is especially popular with Millennials — would turn its strong user base into cashflow for investors. This latest development could be a sign that the company is trying to move into a position to start bringing in revenue.

Summary: The social network finally wants to make money.


DETROIT, April 17— The American Motors Corporation, the first domestic automobile maker to report first-quarter earnings, said today that it lost $52.7 million in the period, primarily because of sharply reduced auto and Jeep sales.

In the next few weeks, the Ford Motor Company is expected to report a loss of more than $300 million for the quarter and the Chrysler Corporation a loss of $200 million to $300 million. The major American auto makers lost more than $4 billion last year, ranging from Chrysler's $1.71 billion to A.M.C.'s $197.5 million.

The American Motors loss, a company record for a January-March period, compared with a profit of $1.3 million, or 4 cents a share, in 1980's first quarter, the last quarterly profit that A.M.C. has reported. The previous record loss for the first quarter was $47.8 million in 1975. Revenue Down 24 Percent

Sales revenue in the first quarter dropped 24 percent, to $598 million, from $798 million in the 1980 period.

A.M.C. said its combined worldwide auto and Jeep vehicle sales in the quarter were 71,277, down 31 percent from 103,703 in the opening 1980 quarter. In the United States and Canada alone, sales for the period declined by almost 39 percent, to 54,213 from 88,664.

''The auto recession has proved to be deeper and longer-lasting than anyone anticipated, and American Motors has been affected along with the rest of the industry,'' Gerald C. Meyers, the company's chairman, said. ''Although the first quarter was an unsatisfying start for 1981, we anticipate improved results in the months ahead. We have taken the actions required to benefit from a return to better economic conditions later this year.''

Mr. Meyers said the company had ''implemented stringent economy measures, cut our salaried work force by more than 12 percent and eliminated all but necessary outlays.'' He added that A.M.C.'s 10 percent price rollback on all its vehicles, in effect since mid-January, had reduced inventory to the lowest level in six years.

The company's most recent sales report, for the month of March, showed that sales of 13,724 vehicles were down 17 percent from sales of 16,467 in March 1980. For the year to date, sales trail 1980 figures by 8 percent. A.M.C. is the nation's fourth-largest auto maker, following General Motors, Ford and Chrysler.

A.M.C.'s inventory at the start of April stood at 49 days' supply, compared with the industry average of 44. A year ago, the company stockpile would have lasted 80 days. Auto executives consider about 60 days ideal. Jeep Sales Down Sharply

Sales of Jeeps, which accounted for the bulk of profits in good years, fell more sharply in the first quarter than vehicle sales as a whole. During the quarter, Jeep sales in the United States and Canada were 41 percent below a year ago, while car sales were down 38 percent, the company reported.

Because of its losses and its mounting debt, A.M.C. last year worked out a rescue plan with Regie Nationale des Usines Renault, the big French Government-owned auto company. Under the plan, Renault would eventually build its equity stake in American Motors to a controlling 46.4 percent.

Renault is to pump more than $200 million into A.M.C., much of it to build a line of French cars in A.M.C.'s United States facilities. American Motors already markets two cars in this country for Renault, a minicar and a sedan.


WASHINGTON, Feb. 4— Edwin L. Harper, a deputy budget director, is the leading candidate to replace Martin C. Anderson, who is resigning as chief of the White House Office of Policy Development, Administration officials said today.

Mr. Harper was a White House staff member under Presidents Ford and Nixon. Mr. Anderson announced today that he was resigning effective March 1. In accepting the resignation, President Reagan said in a letter to Mr. Anderson that he was ''inde bted to you personally for your dedication an d the many contributions you have made to 'our crusade' through the y ears.''

As a longtime adviser to Mr. Reagan, Mr. Anderson played a key policy role in both the 1976 and 1980 Presidential campaigns. In the White House, however, some Administration officials said, he was pushed aside by others and had less influence over policy than several other officials, including David A. Stockman, director of the Office of Management and Budget, and James A. Baker 3d, the White House chief of staff.

Mr. Anderson has repeatedly stated that he was satisfied with his White House role, adding that he had deliberately sought to play down the functions of the 41-member Office of Policy Development. Under past Presidents, the office has been a much more aggressive force in formulating policy. To Resume Academic Career

Mr. Anderson said today that he had decided last Labor Day he wanted to resume his academic career and that his decision in no way reflected any frustrations at the White House. He said he would become a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he planned to write a book about the rise of conservatism as a political and intellectual force in the last decade.

As assistant for policy development, Mr. Anderson has reported to Edwin Meese 3d, the White House counselor. He has been, in effect, the domestic policy equivalent of the national security adviser, as well as the keeper of the catalogue of Mr. Reagan's past policy positions.

White House officials said today that Mr. Meese had asked Mr. Harper to replace Mr. Anderson but that Mr. Harper had not yet accepted. It was understood that Mr. Harper was reluctant to leave his post as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, an agency that is regarded by many as a more powerful influence on domestic policy matters than the policy development office under Mr. Meese.

Many White House officials have said that the budget office, as well as the Legislative Strategy Group operating under Mr. Baker, had become much more influential in policy formulation than Mr. Anderson's office. More a Scholar Than Manager

''I've never seen Marty complain, but it had to be frustrating for him,'' said an associate at the White House. ''He is more of a scholar than a manager, he's a true libertarian in philosophy, and so the compromises he has had to make have probably also been frustrating.''

Other White House officials said Mr. Anderson had been personally influential on some issues, even though he did not mold the policy staff to serve as a significant bureacratic force.

For example, he successfully argued against immigration restrictions, increases in excise taxes and the imposition of oil import fees. On the other hand, he was said to have been on the losing side when he opposed extension of draft registration and the voluntary import curbs on Japanese cars.


"The latest GDP report confirms the Fed's narrative that the first-quarter weakness was transitory. The bar for them to hiking rates is not very high," said Ian Gordon, G10 currency strategist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in New York.

The dollar index rose 0.54 percent to 97.50, its highest this week. The greenback strengthened against major currencies following the second-quarter GDP news.

It was up 0.19 percent at 124.14 yen, while the euro shed 0.54 percent to to $1.093 after hitting a one-week low of $1.08993.

While recent economic data have raised the chances of a U.S. rate increase, some analysts cautioned that Greece's unresolved debt woes and the turmoil in China's financial markets may worsen again, forcing the Fed to postpone a rate hike in September.

"It's not a done deal, but we are still of the view that a September (rate hike) liftoff is on the cards, contingent on the view that the data out of the U.S. continues to be firm," said Sue Trinh, RBC Capital Markets' senior currency strategist in Singapore.

Read MoreEuro whipsaws after Fed leaves rates unchanged

The dollar's renewed strength put pressure on commodities prices and currencies closely linked to them.

The Canadian dollar and Norwegian crown were down 0.47 percent and 0.45 percent, respectively, while the New Zealand dollar fell 1 percent.

Another mover was the Swedish crown following data that showed stronger-than-expected GDP in Sweden in the second quarter.

The crown, which hit its lowest since February against the euro on Wednesday, was up 0.66 percent at 9.492 crowns. It slipped to a three-month low against the dollar, last down 0.12 percent at 8.6277 crowns.

Summary: The dollar rose to its highest level this week on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve took another step towards raising interest rates.


One indicator of Fed policy expectations, interest rates on overnight indexed swaps, suggested traders now see a 27 percent chance of a rate hike next month, down from 32 percent on Thursday and off from 48 percent a week earlier, according to data from inter-dealer money broker Tullett Prebon.

The euro, which is used as a 'funding' currency borrowed to buy riskier but higher-yielding emerging market currencies, easily topped $1.13 as investors reversed such trades and bought it back.

The euro was last trading against the dollar at $1.1367, up 1.16 percent. Earlier the euro hit a session high of $1.1375, last touched on June 22.

Data showing euro zone business growth unexpectedly accelerating this month gave the euro a brief boost, but most investors reckon China volatility and other external factors are more important drivers at the moment.

The dollar index of major currencies traded against the greenback was down for a third day and was last off 1.07 percent to levels last seen on June 30.

Read More Banks braced for billions in civil claims over forex rate rigging

Against the yen, which is also used as a funding currency and is a more traditional safe haven, the dollar fell to its weakest in six weeks at 121.81 yen, and was last down 1.07 percent at 122.12.

"Receding expectations for the Fed to raise rates at its coming meeting on Sept. 16-17 wield the potential to weaken the dollar further over the short run," said Joe Manimbo, senior market analyst at Western Union Business Solutions in Washington. "However, a door seen as still ajar to a move next month should help limit losses in the dollar."

Summary: The dollar tumbled more than 1 percent against the euro and the yen on Friday.


The Dow Jones industrial average fell as much as 390 points on Tuesday, as traders digested problematic earnings impacted by currency issues from blue chips such as Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, and DuPont.

Read MoreDow hit by Microsoft, Caterpillar; data disappoint

The scope of foreign exchange impact on earnings surprised the market, Charles Bobrinskoy, vice chairman of Ariel Investments, told "Street Signs."

"We all knew that foreign exchange was going to be an issue, and it was going to be an issue on guidance, but it's clearly been a bigger issue than we thought," he said.

Bobrinskoy also noted that headwinds for capital expenditures among energy companies due to low prices for oil appear to be overshadowing the positives for consumer spending as Americans spend less on gas, he said.

On Tuesday, heavy-equipment maker Caterpillar blamed its earnings miss and poor guidance not just on the strong dollar, but the decline in oil prices.

These surprises show that the market has not incorporated all the bad news baked into macro developments yet, he added.

Read MoreCashin connects dots on strong dollar stock drop

CastleArk Management's president and CEO, Jerry Castellini, said earnings reports like P&G's show that companies with much of their revenue denominated outside of the United States face a deteriorating capital situation.

"The companies like P&G, like Microsoft and these big multinationals have this headwind now, and we're quite frankly surprised that it's taken this long with the activity in the currency markets for these stocks to finally wake up to this concept," he told "Power Lunch."

Asked whether U.S. equities are still the best bet, UBS' Tom Digenan told "Power Lunch" that Europe may be the place to be for investors who want to take a risk-on approach. He said the European Central Bank's impending quantitative easing policy makes sense, but it only provides half the formula for recovery.

"They have 17 different, 18 different fiscal policies. Trying to do that with one monetary [policy] is a tough thing to juggle, and the U.S. is still where you see some growth," he said.

Read More Can Europe resist Greek demands for a debt haircut?

TIAA-CREF is looking outside of the United States for investment opportunity because it has low expectations for earnings this year, Dan Morris, the firm's global investment strategist told "Street Signs." He sees potential coming out of Europe, where margins are lower and the ECB is about to launch a bond-buying program to boost growth.

"All that is an environment where you think there is potential for much bigger gains in European equities than you're likely to see in the U.S. So I think that's what people need to keep in mind," he said.

"It's always when the pessimism is at its highest that you're going to find the best opportunities. And for the most part most investors I think are too pessimistic about Europe."

Summary: The Federal Reserve wants to see inflation tick up, but Ron Insana sees the U.S. and other countries missing inflation targets this year. Here's why.


He now sees the blue-chip index - which closed 4.3 percent lower Friday at 3,509.98 points - dropping to 3,282 points, or even 3,200 points. At this juncture, his technical models state there could be a 40 percent rally, which would mirror similar moves in 1987 and 2001. However, he added that a further fall was still possible which would echo world stock markets in the time of the Great Depression.

"We can't determine that right now. We think there's going to be great rally, meaningful rally off the 3200 (points), or even worse case 3282, and we'll see a retracement of 40 percent of the decline. And at that time we can reassess what the outlook is," he said.

Summary: Chinese stocks are in danger of replicating the hefty losses seen in the U.S. exchanges in the Wall Street crash of 1929, an analyst has told CNBC.


Another rallying name, Amazon, will "stall" soon, said trader Guy Adami. Amazon has surged nearly 25 percent this year, bringing it to about $384 per share.

Adami believes the stock will flatline at around $400 per share, where investors should "take profits."

Read MoreFour survivor CEOs since Nasdaq last hit 5,000

Tesla Motors has struggled to inspire investor confidence, said trader Steve Grasso. Tesla stock closed nearly nearly 2 percent higher around $207 per share on Thursday, a level that he said isn't appealing.

"I think the competition is extreme for them. It's lost its mojo. I would stay out of the name," Grasso said.

Read MoreApple car: 5 reasons it's intriguing, 5 reasons it's nuts

Another technology name, Texas Instruments, is currently expensive relative to other names in its sector, trader Brian Kelly said. The semiconductor maker has "huge negative exposure" to a stronger dollar, he said.

It closed Thursday just below $60 per share.

"You want to start taking some profits here," Kelly said.

Tim Seymour is long AAPL, T, BAC, C, KO, DIS, F, GE, GM, GOOGL, INTC, JCP and SUNE. Tim's firm is long BABA, BIDU, MCD, NKE, NOK and SBUX.

Steve Grasso is long AAPL, BA, CLVS, EVGN, FB, GDX, GOOGL, IMMR, KBH, KDUS, MHY, MJNA, NVIV, PFE, POT, SO, T, TMUS, TWTR and YHOO. His kids are long EFA, EFG, EWJ, IJR and SPY. His firm and some of its partners are long AER, AMD, AMZN, CUBA, FCX, FNMA, HSPO, IBM, ICE, KDUS, KO, MAT, MCD, MJNA, NE, NEM, OXY, RIG, SALT, STAG, TAXI, TITXF, TSE, USO, VALE and ZNGA.

Brian Kelly is long BTC=, U.S. dollar, GLD, CTRL calls, HYG puts, BBRY, BBRY call spreads and TLT. He is short EWA, EWG, EWQ, EWZ, EWW, JJC, Australian dollar, British pound, Canadian dollar, euro, yen and yuan. Today he shorted euro and JJC.

Guy Adami is long CELG, EXAS and INTC. Guy Adami's wife, Linda Snow, works at Merck.

Summary: Investors should start shedding some rallying stocks as U.S. markets linger near highs, CNBC's "Fast Money" traders said.


"You're going to see three or four times a travel range in one trading day as you normally would," Gordon said Wednesday on CNBC's "Power Lunch." "A volatile market takes more action."

Read MoreThe inspiring story of the worst market timer ever

Gordon recommends that traders reduce their targeted holding periods. For instance, while he tends to hold onto positions for a week or longer, in markets like these he sticks with trades for three sessions or less.

He also recommends that technically minded traders utilize shorter-term charts showing intraday movements, rather than daily or weekly charts.

Finally, Gordon says it's critical to closely examine the size of one's trades. A smaller trade could now have the same risk/reward profile of a larger trade put on in less volatile times.

Still, on the whole, volatile markets are great for those who can make skilled moves quickly.

"Generally they say you make 70 percent of your money 30 percent of the time," Gordon said. "We love the volatility."

Summary: Technical trader Todd Gordon explains why he "loves that volatility."


Toll Brothers, the largest U.S. luxury home builder, said orders have risen 16 percent so far in the quarter started August, outpacing the 12 percent rise in the third quarter, indicating that the housing recovery is gathering steam.

Toll Brothers, which builds homes that can cost upward of $2 million, forecast an average selling price of $745,000 to $760,000 for 2015, compared with its forecast of $730,000 to $760,000 issued in May.

"Consistent new order growth and modestly higher prices should result in double-digit earnings growth in 2015, 2016 and 2017 if current trends persist," RBC Capital Markets LLC analyst Robert Wetenhall wrote in a preview note.

U.S. homebuilders, including Toll Brothers, D.R. Horton and Lennar, have been able to raise prices as low mortgage rates and strong employment trends boost demand, putting the housing market on a path to steady recovery.

Latest data showed U.S. housing starts rose to a near eight-year high in July, while homebuilder sentiment touched its highest in almost a decade.

No.1 U.S. homebuilder D.R. Horton reported a better-than-expected quarterly profit in July and said orders rose 22 percent.

Toll Brothers said orders rose 12 percent to 1,479 homes in the third quarter ended July 31 at an average price of $834,000, the highest in the company's history.

"This housing recovery appears to be built on a very solid foundation," Chief Executive Douglas Yearley said in a statement on Tuesday.

Toll Brothers targets customers who typically make at least $100,000 a year and are therefore less affected by slight changes in interest rates.

The company's revenue fell 2.7 percent to $1.03 billion, reflecting a lull in demand last year. The company books revenue after handing over a completed home.

Toll Brothers' net income fell to $66.7 million, or 36 cents per share, from $97.7 million, or 53 cents per share, a year earlier.

Up to Monday's close of $38.06, Toll Brothers' shares had risen about 11 percent this year, slightly outpacing a rise of about 10 percent in the Dow Jones U.S. Home Construction index .

Summary: Toll Brothers said orders have risen 16 percent so far in the quarter started August, indicating that the housing recovery is gathering steam.


U.S. and Swiss authorities are separately investigating the football organisation's bidding process for corruption.

If either country does lose its hosting privileges, a several countries have already put their names forward as possible replacements.

Read MoreHow much could Russia lose from FIFA scandal?

Last week, U.K. culture secretary John Whittingdale told the House of Commons that the country, which unsuccessfully bid for the 2018 games, has the facilities to host the event if asked to do so by FIFA.

Though he added it was unlikely to happen: if Russia keeps the 2018 World Cup, another European country would not be given the 2022 event.

Meanwhile, Australian sports minister John Eren claimed his country was prepared to host the games in 2022. He told newspapers: "(Australian city) Victoria has the best stadiums in the world — and unlike other cities, we can fill them. We could stage the World Cup at a moment's notice, all we need are the goalposts.''

The U.S. is another possible replacement. Just like Australia, the U.S. applied to host the 2022 games during the bidding process in 2010 and has the necessary infrastructure.

Summary: Russia and Qatar, hosts of the next two soccer World Cup tournaments, could lose the right to hold the games if evidence of bribery emerges.


NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) - In early Asian trading hours on Monday, when typically only tens of contracts of gold are traded, investors dumped more than $500 million worth of bullion in New York in four seconds, triggering the market's biggest rout in years.

The sell-off began when one or more massive sell orders hit the price of gold on the CME Group's Comex futures in New York a tenth of a second after 9:29 a.m. in Shanghai, triggering turnover of almost 5,000 lots of gold in a blink of an eye. (Graphic: http://reut.rs/1KjLJ7H)

That equates to 13 tonnes of gold, more than typically trades in hours during this time of day, and the selling knocked the price almost $20 to $1,100 per ounce during those four seconds. It marked the first leg of a dramatic 60-second sell-off that saw prices sink more than 4 percent to five-year lows.

The rout astonished even veteran traders and followed months of calm ensured by competing forces, from the Greek debt crisis, the stronger dollar and expectations of a U.S. interest rate increase.

"I was stunned that 8,000 lots moved the market by $50," said Tai Wong, director of base and precious metals trading for BMO Capital Markets in New York.

"It was an illiquid time, but nevertheless the impact was outsized to say the least."

Within seconds of the New York sell-off, turnover picked up in the Far East where morning trading on the Shanghai Gold Exchange had just started, though prices did not immediately reflect the selling pressure.

Many dealers, rattled by the recent stock market crash in China, which knocked commodities prices lower, were quick to blame Chinese funds for the selling.

But a Reuters analysis of trade data from New York and Shanghai exchanges shows that it was New York which recorded far heavier volumes and a bigger downdraft on prices.

While Chinese investors participate in the U.S. market, it was not immediately clear who the sellers were.

"Whoever wanted to sell and get out, got out. It looks like a big hedge fund or producer decided to move an order," said Doug Cifu, Chief Executive of Virtu Financial Inc, an electronic market maker.

The selling triggered stop loss orders, pushing prices through technical support levels and leaving bullion teetering on the brink of $1,000 per ounce.

The trade statistics also underscore the U.S. market's role as the center of liquidity for global bullion trading, even as secretive Chinese funds have caused big swings in base metals prices this year.

To be sure, low liquidity in both markets accelerated the drop.

It was late Sunday evening in New York and 2:30 a.m. in London. Japan was closed for a national holiday, removing a big chunk of liquidity from the Tokyo commodity exchange, TOCOM, where average daily turnover is about 23 tonnes, a sizeable portion of the average global daily turnover.

By the end of the New York trading session on Monday evening, prices had recouped about half of the lost ground.

But while the sell-off only lasted a minute, the depth of the rout and the weak rebound signaled long-term damage to bullion sentiment.

"The magnitude of the drop showed low interest in the gold market even at current levels was exacerbated by a toxic combo of a potential Fed rate hike and a regulatory environment reducing trading interest," said Wong.

The episode was the biggest in a string of sell-offs during Asian hours that have plagued the illiquid market in the past few years and stirred memories of the 2013 rout that wiped hundreds of dollars off the price of gold.

And it only took one minute.

First, CME circuit-breakers stopped trading after the main contract sunk $20 in just four seconds to prevent cascading stop orders that could exaggerate price movements in illiquid markets.

When trading resumed, another 1,554 lots changed hands over the course of nine seconds, pushing prices down a further $29, or 2.7 percent, to hit five-year lows of $1,080 an ounce at 9:29:32, triggering the second circuit breaker.

As of 10:46 p.m. EDT (0246 GMT), spot gold traded at $1,096.4 per ounce, down 0.5 percent, teetering close to Monday's lows, suggesting there is more pain to come.

"Although the (gold) complex attempted such a reversal on Monday, the effort was rather halfhearted, leading us to conclude that we are not out of the woods just yet," said INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.

(Reporting by Josephine Mason; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)

Summary: NEW YORK, July 22- In early Asian trading hours on Monday, when typically only tens of contracts of gold are traded, investors dumped more than $500 million worth of bullion in New York in four seconds, triggering the market's biggest rout in years. The sell-off began when one or more massive sell orders hit the price of gold on the CME Group's Comex futures in New York...


Productivity has been a hot topic this week in the U.K., with Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England, also raising concerns. Economists have spoken of low-income, low-skilled occupations and new employees doing jobs they're not yet accustomed to.

Krugman joked that the Apple iPhone – launched in 2007 -- might not have driven advancements in labor productivity – rather, it may have had an adverse effect on people's attention spans.

He also said that the mystery of high employment but low productivity could be explained by semi-employed people, or "lots and lots of people calling themselves consultants."

Read MoreBoE confounded by low UK productivity

"Employment is pretty good and that's the really, really weird thing," he added.

The widely-watched economist has been a vocal critic of the U.K. government's policies over the last five years. The ruling Conservative Party's program of fiscal retrenchment has been praised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), however, and the party was re-elected last week with even more parliamentary seats than in its first term.

Summary: Unemployment might be low, but poor productivity proves the economy is far from full health, Nobel prize-winning economist Krugman argues.


David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

A shopper browses at an Old Navy store in San Francisco.

What's more, millennials aren't the only group to adopt digital and mobile technologies, including 34 percent of online shoppers who are older than 65 and own a smartphone.

"Misleading media and hype lead [online business] executives to believe that these changes are somehow different from anything that's happened before, and that they must address these generational variances immediately or perish," Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru said. "That perception is misguided at best, false at worst."

Read MoreAmazon sees Wal-Mart's bet, raises ante

Retailers from Whole Foods to Macy's have been tweaking their business strategies to attract a younger shopper. Whole Foods said last month that it will launch a new, low-cost grocery format that caters to millennials; Macy's is testing an off-price concept and beefing up its millennial-facing wedding category.

But transforming a company's business plan to reach this group may not be worth it, Mulpuru said. For one, millennials are financially strapped. Households under the age of 25 shelled out 7 percent of their total spending on education in 2013, up from 1 percent in 1973.

Read MoreWant to tap $3.4 trillion? Don't miss this shopper

They've also experienced more decline in real income than any other age group over that time frame. Compare that to the purchasing power of people ages 55 and older who, according to a recent report by FBIC, control more than three-fourths of the country's household net wealth.

For another, attracting consumers at a young age no longer has the long-term benefits of creating a "customer for life"—something Mulpuru said doesn't exist in today's hypercompetitive retail landscape. According to Forrester, there were nearly twice as many bricks-and-mortar stores in 2014 as there were in 2002.

Summary: A new report argues that conclusions about shoppers born between 1980 and 2004 "often provide convenient excuses" for retailers.


Robert Zemeckis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt had their work cut out for them in making “The Walk,” their account of French aerialist Philippe Petit’s celebrated high-wire stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Not that the inherent technical demands were a reach for Zemeckis. His well-known zeal for such challenges stretches from “Forrest Gump” to the motion-capture stumbles and successes of “The Polar Express” and “A Christmas Carol.” The real hurdle was putting together an account on a par with the 2008 Petit portrait “Man on Wire,” perhaps the most ebulliently absorbing documentary of the last several years.

Zemeckis’s true-ish version doesn’t reach those heights throughout, as it proves tricky to capture and dramatize Petit’s street-performer whimsy in a way that doesn’t feel forced. Still, Gordon-Levitt is likably energetic, gamely owning his spotty French accent, and intriguingly playing the intensity propeling Petit toward the void. Plus, a narrative feature can do what the documentary couldn’t: re-create the tightrope act in full, glorious motion, rather than editing together surreptitiously snapped photos. These dizzying IMAX 3-D visuals truly are big-screen magic, taking us inside Petit’s transcendent experience as he navigates his preternatural path, indulges his showman’s flair, and — agh! — reclines to commune with the heavens.

The movie’s early going looks back at Petit when he was a young wannabe begging for advice from veteran circus wirewalker Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley, working a Czech accent nearly as over the top as his cigarette holder). Black-and-white sequences stylized with splashes of color put us in the crowd at Petit’s early Paris street performances. We see how he met his girlfriend and confidante, Annie (Charlotte Le Bon), and how he latched onto his impossible dream of conquering the Twin Towers, then still under construction. His warm-up: Notre Dame cathedral.

It’s all meanderingly familiar until the focus turns to planning the New York walk, or as Petit gleefully calls it, his “coup.” That’s when the action shifts into caper mode, right down to the jazzy score, and the movie starts powering toward its thrilling final act. James Badge Dale is fun as a witty Manhattan shopkeeper who falls in with Petit’s ragtag crew of accomplices/enablers, which includes cautious Jean-Louis (Ben Schwartz) and acrophobic Jean-Francois (César Domboy). But make no mistake, this is Petit’s show. And thanks to some genuinely extraordinary work by Zemeckis and company, we can feel like death-defying virtual costars.

At Boston Common, Assembly Row, Jordan’s IMAX Reading, Natick.

Rated PG (thematic elements involving perilous situations, brief nudity, language, brief drug references, smoking).

Summary: “The Walk” re-creates Philippe Petit’s 1974 stroll between the Twin Towers.


In 2013, food giant Nestle sold a stake in Jenny Craig to North Castle Partners, a private equity firm focused on health and wellness businesses. At the time, analysts saw the diet company as an underperforming asset that was a prime candidate to be offloaded by the Swiss food giant.

Fast forward a year, and the company has more spring in its step. Late this year, nearly 60 new locations will begin to offer Jenny Craig alongside with Curves fitness programs, part of the strategy to tie the two brands closer together.

"We are really distancing ourselves from a do-it-yourself approach and sticking to what works for members: working towards goals on a one-on-one basis," said Sharma.

The CEO is in tune with the busy lives of the Jenny Craig member, and tries to keep things simple for clients who find weight loss–and the time to commit to a program–a real struggle. He says if you don't have 15 minutes a week to come in and talk to a coach, Jenny Craig offers an application to help for customer convenience. In keeping with the consumer friendly approach, diet coaches are also available by phone, and uses data to identify at-risk dieters.

"Jenny Craig holds you accountable," said Sharma. "We partner with members to teach them how to have a healthy relationship with food, exercise more and help them modify bad behaviors to get the results they want."

Still, the full menu of pre-prepared foods and counseling sessions doesn't come cheap. Jenny Craig enrollment begins at $99 a month, with an additional $19 a month for unlimited consultations that may vary among different plan options.

According to the USDA's Food Price Outlook, the average weekly food budget for a single woman between the ages of 30-65 can range from a $37 to $77. Jenny Craig foods can average nearly $115 per week–which doesn't include additional grocery shopping for fresh produce, let alone an outside monthly gym membership fee.

Not every woman has that kind of money, but Sharma stands firmly behind the results.

"This is the only program that worked for Kirstie," he said. "She's come, gone and done it again and we're really proud of what she's accomplished."

Summary: The CEO of Jenny Craig says his company's program gets results, one of the reason celebrities swear by its services.


11/06/2015 AT 07:00 PM EST

Friday morning via satellite in the wake of co-host's Joy Behar and Michelle Collins

In addition to discussing issues like minimum wage and what it means to be a feminist -

took the opportunity to "clear the air" surrounding the recent controversy – Goldberg asked Fiorina how she plans to "thicken her skin" to "accept some of the humorous things that will be said" about her.

"If you meant your comment about my face being demented and a Halloween mask is humorous, so be it." Fiorina responded, "I guess you misinterpreted Donald Trump's comments about my face and thought those weren't humorous, because you kind of took him to task."

Joy Behar responded to Fiorina's remark by explaining that the two are incomparable as Trump is running for President while they are "comedians."

"You know what Joy, you can say whatever you want. I'm not going to stop that," Fiorina said, "and donât worry, I have skin plenty thick enough to take whatever people throw at me. I think there are real issues in this nation that we ought to able to discuss in a fact-based [conversation]."

Summary: âIf you meant your comment about my face being demented and a Halloween mask is humorous, so be it." Fiorina says on The View


In 1994, I was commissioned to photograph the children of asylum seekers as part of an art project, and I went to a refugee centre in Leiden, in the Netherlands. I spent about three days there before starting work.

All the kids were wearing tracksuits and T-shirts. I suppose they were comfortable, but I thought they looked as if they were wearing pyjamas. I felt that, if their portraits were to be exhibited, they should be able to wear nice clothes. I asked one of them if she had a dress and she said sure, and I started photographing her.

Another girl started to cry. I asked her what was wrong, and she said: "I want to have my picture taken, too!" Her name was Almerisa – she's the girl in this photo. She was six at the time. Her family were from Tuzla; they are Bosnian Muslims, but non-practising. Their room at the refugee centre was shared with five or six families, in a space that was 8m by 8m. The beds were stacked on top of each other, and they tried to create some privacy by hanging up blankets.

First, I took a picture of Almerisa on the bed, with all the blankets behind her, but then I changed my mind: I didn't want to draw attention to her situation. I improvised a little studio in the corner of the room, and the result was much better. If you don't explain everything in a photo, the little details become important: the clothing, the chair, the corner of the cupboard. The family were living out of suitcases and so the dress was wrinkled, the shoes didn't fit any more, and she was wearing strange socks that don't go with the outfit.

A couple of years after I took this, I started to wonder what had happened to Almerisa, so I tracked her down. Now, I take pictures of her every few months. The pictures get more interesting all the time: she started to change, slowly adopting a western European culture. I find the whole context fascinating: a child moving from east to west, from a warzone to peace.

Inspirations: August Sander, Diane Arbus.

High point: "When I started doing my own pictures, a series of beach portraits, after years of doing commissions."

Top tip: "Always stay close to your own experiences. It's very important to photograph what you like, not what you dislike."

Summary: Rineke Dijkstra: The family were living out of a suitcase, so the dress was wrinkled, the shoes didn't fit and she wore strange socks


Last week, Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 3.62 percent from 3.65 percent the previous week as global concerns over the economy continued. New numbers will be released Thursday.

Affectiva, the Boston startup that is working on emotion-sensing technology, is having a weekend-long hackathon for participants to develop their own “emotion-aware technology.” Attendees will be developing software to work with devices like Pavlok, a wearable device that administers a zap to break bad habits. Friday, 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Microsoft NERD, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. $25.

The North Shore Technology Council is hosting an event with LaunchWorks Manufacturing Lab on how scientists can shift their mind-set and behavior to become managers or executives at biotech firms. Friday, 12:30 to 2 p.m., 100 Cummings Center, Suite 221-E, Beverly. Free for NSTC members, $15 for nonmembers.

General Assembly Boston’s class on how to use Twitter to promote a business is taking place this weekend. Entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses, and nonprofits are invited to learn how they can build a following on one of the most important social media platforms for businesses. Saturday 3 to 4:30 p.m., 51 Melcher St., Boston. $35.

Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy has organized a conference on managing political risk. Panel discussions will address topics such as how to protect data from cyberattacks. The keynote speech will feature former director of the National Security Agency Keith Alexander. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Microsoft New England R&D Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. $20 to $90.

Summary: Emotion hackathon, cybersecurity, and more notable things to know.


Nevertheless, it's been an ongoing argument in the CNBC Digital newsroom this week ever since we published our interview with one of Olive Garden's Never Ending Pasta Pass holders. In our look at his experience, one detail caught attention: He ate about $800 worth of food, mostly via take out, but only left about $20 in tips.

Read More One man's story: 30 days of endless Olive Garden

"…It's pretty low class as well as cheap not to tip for take out," said one commenter. Other commenters took the opposite stance. As did reporters and editors in this newsroom.

What do people on the front lines think?

"No, it's not customary, but some people do it. About one in 15," said a very busy manager ("Dude, I got like 15 kids here in front of me!") over the phone at Nauna's Bella Casa Ristorante in Montclair, NJ. "We have a jar."

What do the experts say?

"I do not tip for takeout at restaurants even though the workers want tips and many other people do tip them," said Michael Lynn, a professor of food and beverage management at Cornell University who's done research into tipping, via email. "Why don't I tip them? Because the service they provide (bagging food and handing it to me) is minimal and standardized. I don't think they deserve a tip."

Okay, maybe if they throw an extra garlic knot or two into the bag, you throw them a dollar in the jar. But still, as a rule? The consensus seems to be no tipping on take out.

Delivery is another matter entirely.

Summary: Our story this week on one man's food bonanza gave rise to the pragmatic if not really important question: Should you tip on take out orders?


03/26/2016 AT 01:25 PM EDT

Former Miss Puerto Rico Kristhielee Caride said this week that she "got some help" following "a dark depression" after she was stripped of her title.

"I can tell you I got some help because a dark depression came over me and I couldn't eat or sleep," Caride

"This situation has hit me very hard," Caride said, in an English translation of the Spanish interview.

"[I feel] betrayed by the organization because there was never a moment that I disrespected them. There wasn't a reason for them to do what they did to me," she said.

On Facebook, Caride's mother recently wrote of focusing on her daughter's emotional wellbeing, according to

"My priority in this moment is the emotional health of my daughter and my family because if my children fall, the world crumbles for me," Brenda Santiago wrote, according to the paper.

Caride held the title of Miss Puerto Rico for four months, and competed in the

because she didn't like doing media appearances.

"When I'm listening and she says, 'I don't like the camera,' I say that is a big problem," organizer Desiree Lowry said Thursday. "Miss Puerto Rico is a public figure and part of your job is to be in front of the camera."

Summary: "This situation has hit me very hard," Kristhielee Caride told Univision


Six years after a spinal injury left Ian Burkhart’s brain unable to talk to his hands, scientists have found a way to bypass his broken nervous system.

After a breakthrough study, they have built him an external spinal cord directly linking his hand to his brain.

In a demonstration of the technology on Wednesday in Ohio, Burkhart, who became a quadriplegic in a 2010 diving accident, was able to play 'Guitar Hero' and swipe a credit card.

The unprecedented feat was made possible by hardware and computer software replacing the damaged highway between his brain and hand muscles.

"This is the first time a completely paralysed person has regained movement just by using their own thoughts," said researcher Chad Bouton of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset.

Burkhart has a pea-sized chip in his head to read his brain signals, which are then deciphered by a computer and rerouted to the hand, wrist and finger muscles.

The 24-year-old underwent surgery to have the chip implanted in the brain's motor cortex area, which controls movement.

The muscles receive their instructions from an electrode sleeve worn on the right forearm, with which Burkhart can now also pick up a spoon and hold a phone to his ear.

The chip was attached on top of the skull to a "connector" linking it to a computer which Burkhart "trained" to read his mind and decode which movements he wanted to execute.

The command to open, clench or pinch is then relayed to an electrode sleeve on Burkhart's right arm.

Ian Burkhart is slowly relearning to use his fingers. (Source: Youtube)

"When we first hooked everything up... it was a big shock," he said.

"I hadn't moved in about three-and-a-half years at that point. Now it's something that's just so fluid it's kind of like it was before I had my injury.

"I just think about what I want to do, and now I can do it."

Some of the functions he has relearnt have the potential of changing his daily life for the better. But for now, he can only do them in the lab.

The researchers said they hope to improve the technology to help not only people with spinal cord injuries, but also those who suffered a stroke or traumatic brain injury.

"Maybe in a few years from now we can have a wireless system that allows a patient like Ian to be able to move his hand and his arm ... without cables to connect," said Ali Rezai of Ohio State University.

"This becomes more streamlined hopefully over time, maybe integrated into your cellphone... communicating with your sleeve."

Several teams worldwide are researching ways to bypass a damaged spinal cord, many focusing on using the mind to control robotic limbs or exoskeletons.

But the holy grail is to allow quadriplegics to use their own limbs, limiting the need for surgery and prosthetics.

"If all the work we've been doing can help anybody get more independence back, I mean that's great," said Burkhart.

"I really cherish the independence I had before my injury, so if you can give someone that ability back, it's huge."

These new developments are a big leap forward for Burkhart, who made headlines two years ago when the technology first enabled him to open and close his hand.

"Doctors told me I'd broken my neck and that most likely I'd be able to move my shoulders around, but nothing else for the rest of my life.”


04/22/2016 AT 04:20 PM EDT

Almost 20 years after its final episode graced the small screen,

still reigns as one of TV's biggest triumphs.

, who won a myriad of honors for her performance as the smart but slightly neurotic Elaine Benes, reflects on the final days of the '90s sitcom in a new interview with PEOPLE and

"At the time, I was ready to take a break. I had two very young kids. I had a baby and a 5-year-old. I wanted calm, and [to] just sort of hunker down at home," Louis-Dreyfus, 55, explained of

's end after nine seasons.

"It was definitely bittersweet though. That night of our last show â¦ was very emotional. The motto of our show was 'No hugging, no learning,' which is true. We were never trying to teach or [be] sentimental, but in fact, we were very sentimental," she said. "That night when we all bid goodbye was unbelievably wrenching."

, Louis-Dreyfus has gone on to score a heap of successful roles, most recently on

, HBO's critically acclaimed political satire for which she's earned four consecutive Emmys for her gig as Selina Meyer.

's season 5 returns Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET on HBO. Check out the full interview with Louis-Dreyfus above, and listen to it again on Sirius XM's

Radio (ch. 105) this weekend.

Summary: "At the time, I was ready to take a break," Louis-Dreyfus tells PEOPLE's Jess Cagle


Gia đình các nạn nhân thiệt mạng trên chuyến bay MH17 của Malaysia Airlines vừa được nhìn tận mắt các mảnh vỡ máy bay lần đầu tiên.

Các mảnh vỡ được trưng bày tại căn cứ không quân Gilze-Rijen, Hà Lan.

Toàn bộ 298 hành khách trên chuyến bay đi từ Amsterdam đến Kuala Lumpur đã thiệt mạng.

Các nhà điều tra Hà Lan hôm 3/3 cho biết chiếc máy bay có thể đã bị bắn hạ bởi một bệ phóng tên lửa đất đối không Buk, nhưng cũng nói "vẫn còn quá sớm để loại trừ các khả năng khác".

Một báo cáo sơ bộ hồi tháng Chín cho biết nhiều vật thể đã đâm thủng vỏ chiếc Boeing 777 khi nó đi qua khu vực do quân nổi dậy kiểm soát ở Đông Ukraine.

Chính quyền Ukraine và phương Tây cáo buộc Nga cung cấp tên lửa cho phe ly khai.

Moscow đã bác bỏ cáo buộc này và nói quân đội Ukraine có thể là thủ phạm.

Các mảnh vỡ từ máy bay được đưa về căn cứ không quân Gilze-Rijen từ miền nam Hà Lan hồi cuối năm ngoái để phục vụ cho cuộc điều tra do Hà Lan dẫn đầu.

Các mảnh vỡ bao gồm cánh, bánh xe, những kết cấu từ phần thân máy bay và khoang hành lý phía trên đầu.

Một số bộ phận bị cháy sém, trong khi một mảnh vỡ khác từ phần thân kim loại của máy bay bị trầy xước và biến dạng.

Khoảng 500 thân nhân của các hành khách dự kiến sẽ đến xem tận mắt các mảnh vỡ máy bay trong tuần này.

Bà Silene Fredriksz-Hoogzand, người có con trai, Bryce, thiệt mạng trên chuyến bay cùng với bạn gái, Daisy Oehlers, sẽ có mặt tại đây vào ngày 7/3.

Bà nói: "Chiếc máy bay giờ đây đã về gần đến nhà. Đây là nơi mà con tôi đã trải qua giây phút cuối cùng".

Ủy ban An toàn Hà Lan đang dẫn đầu cuộc điều tra dân sự và nói bản báo cáo cuối cùng sẽ được công bố vào tháng 10.

Người phát ngôn của ủy ban này, bà Sara Vernooij, nói các nhà điều tra đang ghép các mảnh vỡ lại với nhau để đánh giá mức độ hư hại và xác định nguyên nhân chính xác khiến máy bay rơi.

Các nhà chức trách trước đó đã bác bỏ tin từ đài NOS của Hà Lan trong đó nói cảnh sát và các ủy viên công tố tỏ ra không hài lòng trước việc cơ quan tình báo AIVD che giấu thông tin.

Một số nguồn tin từ nhóm điều tra tỏ ra lo ngại rằng hiện vẫn không có đủ một quyết tâm chính trị để đưa các thủ phạm ra đối mặt với công lý, NOS cho biết.

Summary: Gia đình các nạn nhân thiệt mạng trên chuyến bay MH17 của Malaysia Airlines được nhìn tận mắt các mảnh vỡ máy bay lần đầu tiên ở Hà Lan.


Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy A8 is the company’s thinnest phone ever, measuring up at just 5.9mm thick. The phone, which is being released in China, is slightly thinner than its predecessor, the A7, which measures 6.3mm thick.

The A8 will retail for about $515 and is considered to have mid-range specs otherwise. The all-metal phone from Samsung isn’t the thinnest ever made in general, notes The Verge. It is, however, thinner than Apple’s iPhone 6, which measures 6.9mm thick. Samsung’s flagship product, the Galaxy S6, is 7.1mm thick.

Interestingly, the next iPhone may be thicker than its current offerings. Fortune previously reported Apple’s next iPhone phone could be 0.2mm thicker, according to an Apple analyst’s prediction.

Thinness is often a trade-off in smartphones, as thicker phones can fit larger batteries, generally helping battery life performance.

The launch of an even slimmer phone comes as Samsung recently announced it will move up the launch of the upcoming Galaxy Note 5 to August, as opposed to September. That change could help Samsung get ahead of the hype surrounding Apple’s next iPhone.

Summary: It's just 5.9mm thick


T-Mobile’s brash and outspoken CEO John Legere gets attention, and plenty of free media buzz, for various hijinks, such as his liberal use of expletives at press conferences and crashing rock shows sponsored by his competitors.

On Monday, Legere took his tricks to another level, publishing a rap mashup of the voice of Verizon CFO Fran Shammo from an earnings call last week with analysts and the song by Afroman called “Because I Got High.”

Using the Smule web site, which lets anyone create a Karaoke-like version of famous songs, the T-Mobile tmus CEO added a clip of Shammo’s discussion of a 1.5% decline in revenue at Verizon, excluding its acquisition of AOL, to the background music from the Afroman song.

Verizon vz declined to comment.

The nation’s largest wireless provider reported total revenue, including AOL, to have increased 0.6% to $32.2 billion with earnings per share up 4% to $1.06. A strike by some 40,000 Verizon workers from Massachusetts to Virginia has not yet impacted the company’s financial results, Shammo said.

“If we exclude AOL, which was not part of Verizon a year ago, our top line revenue declined by 1.5% for the quarter,” Shammo said during the April 21 call. “This was due to lower wireless phone activations on the device installment sales, lower upgrades, and the continued migration of our customer base to unsubsidized pricing.”

Given Legere’s snarky post, it’s a good bet that T-Mobile will have better revenue growth than Verizon.

T-Mobile reports its first quarter earnings on Tuesday, with analysts expecting revenue to have risen 8% to $8.4 billion and earnings per share of 10 cents, up from a net loss of 9 cents per share a year earlier.

Summary: John Legere likes to swear, but now he's on to rap spoofs of his competitors.


CHICAGO — An economic engine. A jumpstart for lower-income students. A partnership with businesses to groom a workforce. The idea of free community college has been touted as all these, by President Barack Obama, Democratic presidential candidates, and some Republicans.

The idea is to curb student debt and boost employment by removing cost barriers. Educators are split on its merits, with some worrying the push could divert students away from four-year schools. And some proposals could cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars, and may still leave students with debt.

But thousands of high school graduates have just started community college for free, with the first batch enrolled in independent first-year programs in Tennessee, Chicago and soon Oregon doing so under different price tags and philosophies — offering templates of how a federal program might look and potential glitches.

Special report: Get tips and advice about college at the Freshman Year Experience

"My family wasn't going to be able to support me financially," said 19-year-old aspiring doctor Michelle Rodriguez, who's taking classes for free in Chicago after concluding that even with in-state tuition and a scholarship a state university would be tough. "I'm the oldest. I'm the first generation to go to college."

Tennessee is at the forefront, with over 15,000 students enrolled in what's characterized as a jobs program. Chicago has just under 1,000 recent graduates in its City Colleges plan, with a push toward getting students into four-year schools at a discount. Oregon is accepting applications for next fall, with as many as 10,000 applicants expected. Other states are watching and considering their own programs.

In this 2008 file photo, Ashley Kelley, a freshman business major at North Idaho College, shops for textbooks at the start of the fall semester at the community college in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Jerome A Pollos, Coeur d'Alene Press / AP

Cost is bound to be a contentious issue, especially with strapped state and municipal budgets.

The Chicago's Star Scholarship — a signature Mayor Rahm Emanuel initiative — is the most generous. Beyond tuition, it picks up books and transportation. "All I have to worry about is ordering my books on time, getting my homework on time and studying," Rodriguez said. The price tops $3 million for the inaugural class.

Related: Pay Attention to Changes in Federal Student Financial Aid Program

Tennessee, which this year relies on roughly $12 million from lottery funds, is a "last dollar program" — paying what federal aid doesn't cover, with an average of $1,165 a person. Related costs are up to students. For now, Oregon has set aside $10 million, and will cover up to the average tuition of $3,500 annually per student.

Obama has floated a $60 billion nationwide plan calling for two years of free community college available to most anyone with a family income under $200,000 who can keep a 2.5 grade point average.

Republicans criticized the cost, and at least one presidential candidate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, has said it's a bad concept. But Republican Jeb Bush likes the general idea and has supported Tennessee Promise. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both have proposed affordable college plans, and Sanders has introduced legislation to make four-year public universities free.

Using public dollars for such programs is relatively new. Organizers studied plans utilizing private dollars as a model. Graduates from Kalamazoo, Michigan, have had free tuition available at some public colleges for a decade. Philanthropists have run a similar Knoxville, Tennessee, fund since 2008.

Still, Democratic state Sen. Mark Hass, who pushed the Oregon Promise, had a hard time convincing his own party of benefits. He went to the economics.

Related: For-Profit School Operator to Pay $95.5M to Settle U.S. Lawsuit

"To make a business case out of it, you look at the social costs that some of those people would likely incur on the way to poverty," he said. "A year of community college is a lot less than a lifetime on food stamps."

GOP-led Tennessee, which has all 13 of its community colleges participating, saw an 18 percent enrollment bump at technical colleges, according to Mike Krause, executive director of Tennessee Promise.

"This is a jobs conversation," he said.

With most students in Tennessee and Chicago just finishing their first semesters, it's early for data on dropouts, higher degrees or job placement. Education experts, though, say the Tennessee and Oregon models could still leave students with debt.

"Students from low-income families, even when getting their tuition paid for, still have substantial shares of their cost of attendance to cover," said Debbie Cochrane, research director at the nonprofit Institute for College Access & Success. "They're not borrowing for tuition. They're borrowing for costs beyond tuition."

That organization says 69 percent of 2014 college graduates left school with outstanding student loans, which averaged $28,950.

Octavia Coaks, an 18-year-old in Chicago, said she feels lucky that her parents, a nursing assistant and railroad engineer, don't have to borrow more.

"I have a sister in college, they're (already) taking out loans. I don't want to put that kind of burden on them," said Coaks, who wants to study forensic science.

Setting the qualification parameters is one way to define the program. Unlike Obama's plan, the state and Chicago programs are limited to recent graduates.

Related: Just Over Half of All College Students Actually Graduate, Report Finds

Tennessee has no grade requirement. Oregon will require a 2.5 average. Chicago requires a 3.0 GPA.

City Colleges of Chicago Chancellor Cheryl Hyman said that level is a signal students "have the persistence and dedication to their studies needed to succeed in college."

Some researchers worry the program could divert students, at least initially, from four-year schools.

"Typically, students who have a 3.0 are already going to go to college," said Sara Goldrick-Rab, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who studies such programs. "It doesn't usually change who goes to college, it might change where they go."

But many in the Chicago program say they're trying to complete general requirements and then transfer. A dozen Chicago-area colleges say they'll offer scholarships to Star Scholars. Chicago graduate Oscar Sanchez, 18, says he's inspired by his older classmates in community college.

"If they're putting that much effort, why can't I?" he said.

Summary: Educators are split on the merits of free community college, with some worrying the push could divert students away from four-year schools.


Producer Joe Roth said of Maleficent, “There was no point in making the movie if it wasn’t her.” The “her” in question is Angelina Jolie, who played the role of the sorceress fairy badmother in Roth’s live-action origins story based on the Disney animated feature Sleeping Beauty.

No one but Jolie could have incarnated Maleficent with such plausible majesty. And nobody else could have led this troubled production, with only so-so entertainment value, to a $70-million first weekend at the North American box office — plus another $100 million in foreign markets.

(READ: Corliss on Angelina Jolie in Maleficent)

The year’s biggest opening for a movie with a female lead, Maleficent certifies the standing of Jolie as the one actress who can open big movies to big numbers. In action and fantasy films — genres usually dominated by men — Jolie, who turns 39 on Wednesday, has consistently appealed to audiences of all demographics. Fanboys worship her; women admire her; kids flock to see her as Sleeping Beauty’s nemesis or to hear her growl as the sexy Tigress in the Kung Fu Panda movies.

From her first superheroine role in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — which earned $275 million globally in 2001, back when that was real money — Jolie has been the one actress who can stand up to any male star and stare him down. Unlike Tom Cruise or Adam Sandler, she’s not an aging kid in arrested development; unlike them, she hasn’t been in an expensive flop since Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow a decade ago. And her films almost always earn more money where it counts, in foreign markets. Jolie’s exotic mixture of brains and glamour makes her the one reliable international star, and one of the few of either gender to make people in every country pay to see her.

(FIND: Angelina Jolie on TIME’s Top 10 Performances)

The box-office numbers for Jolie’s last four mainstream live-action movies prove her worth. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, the 2005 spy romance that introduced her to her future partner Brad Pitt, opened to $50.3 million and grossed $186.3 million in North America and nearly $300 million more abroad. In her 2008 Wanted, the male lead James McAvoy added little marquee luster, yet the suppervillain movie earned $50.9 million its first three days in 2008, $134.5 for its domestic run and more than $200 million overseas. Two years later, Salt, another solo action film, took in nearly $300 million worldwide. The Tourist, a spy comedy with Johnny Depp, was no great shakes at home ($67.6 million), but it earned $211 million abroad, putting the film solidly in the black.

In sum, Jolie’s films have earned $4.88 million globally, and she’s sure to pass the $5-billion threshold shortly, as her new film opens in China and Japan. That’s why, despite her not having appeared on screen since The Tourist nearly four years ago, Jolie commanded a $33-million salary for Maleficent, making her the only woman in the 2013 top-10 list of highest-paid actors (tied for ninth with Denzel Washington). For the third time last year, she perched atop Forbes magazine’s list of the top-paid actresses.

(READ: Who Are the 10 Richest Actors in Movies and TV?)

Her box-office clout stems in part from the limitations of her statuesque regality. Jolie is not the girl next door — unless you live on Olympus. And though she is one of the most famous celebrity mothers — and played a brave, forlorn mom in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling — her iconography makes her unsuitable for maternal roles. In a way, Maleficent domesticates this least domestic of all actresses, by turning her into Sleeping Beauty’s surrogate mother. But audiences have come to see Jolie toss thunderbolts of righteous wrath, not to nurture. Her fans should know that she’ll be in full feral form soon in a third King Fu Panda and a second Salt.

Behind the screen, Jolie works tirelessly for UNICEF and has directed two indie films: In the Land of Bloody and Honey, a political drama in the Bosnian and Serbian languages ($300,000 when it played in all of 18 theaters in 2011), and the forthcoming Unbroken, the true story of an Olympic runner imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II; that film, for which Joel and Ethan Coen contributed to the script, opens Christmas Day.

(READ: Angelina Jolie on motherhood)

And last month Variety reported that she and Pitt will collaborate in some fashion on a Jolie script, the details as yet undivulged. It won’t be Maleficent, but it might, Jolie’s world of fans hope, be magnificent.

Summary: Because she triumphs in many genres. Because she's popular here and abroad. Because she can out-stare any male star. And because she's Angelina Jolie!


just released a new video to show his fans he's "fine" after a violent incident at his L.A. home this weekend.

In the clip, the platinum rapper shows off his bruiseless body and face and promises fans he's "still gorgeous" -- adding, "whatchu got to know is I'm fine ... there's nothing wrong with nobody."

As TMZ first reported, law enforcement sources claim Berg was pistol-whipped when armed assailants entered a house party at the rapper's L.A. home this weekend and robbed several of his guests.

Berg, who's currently in Las Vegas, never mentions the incident specifically in the new video.

Summary: Yung Berg just released a new video to show his fans he's "fine" after a violent incident at his L.A. home this weekend. In the clip, the platinum rapper…


CORRECTION: This article originally mistakenly referred to Square’s competition in the “online payments space” when it is a mobile payments company. The article has been updated.

Hello friends and Fortune readers.

The new week begins with U.S. stocks on a three-week winning streak and a limited supply of remaining quarterly updates from major companies. Meanwhile, Republican and Democratic voters continue to head to the polls in select states around the country at a time when the Republican party struggles with competing interests within the GOP. Also, Europe’s central bank makes a key monetary policy decision and China sets economic targets.

Here’s what you need to know for the week ahead.

1. U.S. stocks and economic data

The stock market will look to keep up its recent success this week after recording three straight weeks of gains amid stabilizing oil prices and a stronger-than-expected monthly employment report. The recent gains have pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average back over the 17,000-point mark, as all three major indices finished the week up by more than 2% apiece. There won’t be a ton of economic data or corporate earnings this week to weigh on market activity, though the Commerce Department will release data on January wholesale inventories while the Labor Department will have information on February import prices.

The Republican party may be suffering through a major identity crisis at the moment—as the party’s establishment continues to attack frontrunner Donald Trump—but GOP voters still have to head to the polls to pick the party’s eventual presidential nominee. Following weekend contests in Maine, Louisiana, and other states, Republican and Democratic voters will cast votes on Tuesday for the next face of their respective parties in Michigan and Mississippi, while GOP-only contests will occur that day in Hawaii and Idaho.

In China, the National People’s Congress got under way in Beijing over the weekend and will run through March 16, as the country’s leaders set targets for the government’s budget and outline a five-year development plan. The congress comes at a time when global markets have experienced volatility due to concerns over the economic slowdown in China, where it was reported last week that the government plans to lay off as many as 6 million state workers over the next few years in industries that are over-staffed. While Chinese Premier Li Keqiang opened the congress over the weekend by laying out targets for 2016 economic growth, the New York Times noted that economists and investors around the world remain skeptical of the country’s official figures and targets.

4. Earnings: Dollar General, Square

Discount retailer Dollar General DG is expected to report Thursday that its fourth-quarter sales dipped from the previous quarter after the company cut its full-year sales forecast in December. Rival retailers such as Dollar Tree DLTR and Walmart WMT also reported weak sales in the most recent quarter due to the strong U.S. dollar and falling food prices. Then, on Wednesday, mobile payments company Square SQ will report quarterly figures for the first time since the company went public last fall. Square, which is headed by Twitter TWTR CEO Jack Dorsey, will likely post fourth-quarter revenue that falls short of Wall Street’s forecasts as the company faces increased competition in the mobile payments space.

Other companies reporting earnings this week include apparel retailer Urban Outfitters URBN and growing fast-food chain Shake Shack SHAK

On Thursday, the European Central Bank will meet to make a decision whether or not to again lower the region’s interest rates in order to stimulate the European economy. ECB President Mario Draghi will announce the central bank’s decision on Thursday, with analysts and investors showing concern over how negative interest rates could negatively affect Euro area banks. International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde is among the area leaders who have cautioned against implementing negative rates as a means of spurring economic growth. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney will testify in front of U.K. lawmakers with regard to Britain’s referendum on membership in the European Union.

—Reuters contributed to this post.

Summary: Here's what you need to know this week.


Word choice can predict whether you’re depressed, suicidal or lying. Swearing makes you more persuasive. It’s true, asshole:

…obscenity at the beginning or end of the speech significantly increased the persuasiveness of the speech and the perceived intensity of the speaker. Obscenity had no effect on speaker credibility.

Word choice changes when you’re lying:

An analysis of 242 transcripts revealed that liars produced more words, more sense-based words (e.g., seeing, touching), and used fewer self-oriented but more other-oriented pronouns when lying than when telling the truth. In addition, motivated liars avoided causal terms when lying, whereas unmotivated liars tended to increase their use of negations.

Things that are easy for our brain to process feel more true than concepts that are difficult to process. This is one of the reasons we tend to like the familiar more than the unfamiliar. It’s also why we may fall for the glib and specious versus more accurate but challenging explanations.

It’s also why small words are more effective than big ones and why trying to sound smart actually makes you seem stupid.

Words affect our decision making. When crime is described as a “beast” people favor police and jails, when it’s a “virus” the public supports social reform.

But can words really predict behavior?

Boxers who spoke positively and referenced health and work before a match were more likely to win. Those who spoke tentatively and talked about social factors lost.

Speaking positively and using words related to “insight” is associated with outstanding achievement.

The way employees gossip about a company can predict its success or failure.

Via The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us:

And be very concerned if an organization’s employees start calling it “the company” or, worse, “that company” and referring to their co-workers as “they.” They-companies can be nightmares because workers are proclaiming that their work identity has nothing to do with them. No wonder consultants report that they-companies have unhappy workers and high turnover.

Which CEO’s are going to run a company into the ground? Count the number of times they use the word “I” in their annual letter to shareholders.

Via Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else:

Laura Rittenhouse, an unusual type of financial analyst, counts the number of times the word “I” occurs in annual letters to shareholders from corporate CEOs, contending that this and other evidence in the letters helps predict company performance (basic finding: Egomaniacs are bad news).

That word “I” can be very telling. Powerful people don’t say it much. Less powerful people say it the most. People use “I” rarely when lying in order to psychologically distance themselves.

By the same token, “we” can be extremely powerful. Just saying it can make people feel more positive toward you and create a feeling of familiarity.

Couples who say “we” often when describing their relationships are more satisfied. Use of the word “you” is a bad sign. Using “we” can even predict whether you’ll survive a heart attack.

From The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us:

A couple’s use of we-words when talking to a third party predicts a satisfying relationship…

In the laboratory, when talking about marital disagreements, we-words indicated a good relationship whereas the use of you-words suggested problems. The use of you-words, such as you, your, and yourself, were most apparent in toxic conversations—usually where the two participants were accusing each other of various shortcomings.

We-words may even save your life. In one project, patients with heart failure were interviewed with their spouses. They were asked a series of questions, including “As you think back on how the two of you have coped with the heart condition, what do you think you have done best?” The more the spouses used we-words in their answers, the healthier the patients were six months later.

Mimicking another person’s word choice improves negotiations.

In fact, similarity in word choice can predict who will fall in love. Examining the words of speed daters was more effective at predicting who would get together than watching them interact.

Your body language may be eight times as influential as your words.

Via The Most Human Human: What Artificial Intelligence Teaches Us About Being Alive:

Language is an odd thing. We hear communication experts telling us time and again about things like the “7-38-55 rule,” first posited in 1971 by UCLA psychology professor Albert Mehrabian: 55 percent of what you convey when you speak comes from your body language, 38 percent from your tone of voice, and a paltry 7 percent from the words you choose.

(More on body language here.)

And in case you were curious: just like you get words stuck on the tip of your tongue, deaf signers get words stuck on the tips of their fingers:

The “tip of the fingers” phenomenon (TOF) for sign language parallels the “tip of the tongue” phenomenon (TOT) for spoken language. During a TOF, signers are sure they know a sign but cannot retrieve it.

This piece originally appeared on Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

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What are the ten rules you need to know to communicate effectively?

What are the 18 secrets to giving a presentation like Steve Jobs?

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Read next: 5 Body Language Secrets to Get Yourself Ready for Anything

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FORTUNE — As health insurance is reshaped, some major corporations are switching the way they offer coverage to current employees and retirees, in a move that is likely to pave the way for major change to the American health care system.

IBM IBM — which has about 110,000 retirees — is planning to shift its traditional company-administered plan to private Medicare health insurance exchanges for people who are 65 and older. Retirees can use company subsidies to buy Medicare Advantage plans or other coverage to supplement the services they receive under the federal program.

On the heels of IBM’s retiree changeover, drug-store giant Walgreen Co. WAG announced this week that it would move its 160,000 current employees to Aon Hewitt’s Corporate Health Exchange starting next year. Two major companies, Sears Holdings Corp. shld and Darden Restaurants DRI , have already signed their current employees with Aon Hewitt, which says that it is now providing services to some 330,000 active employees.

IBM’s move could be a win all around — savings for companies trying to keep a lid on contributions to retired employee medical costs, lowered costs because of more insurance carrier competition, and a wider range of coverage options. Or, as the health care overhaul kicks into gear, it could usher in an era of confusion as people struggle to navigate online insurance marketplaces.

MORE: Google’s stealthy anti-aging startup

One point of confusion is the word “exchange.” A private exchange, like Extend Health, where IBM’s retired workers are being directed, or Aon Hewitt, is different from public health insurance exchanges, called for under the Affordable Care Act in every state, where government-subsidized premiums help those with lower incomes.

With private exchanges, companies pay a set amount annually to cover the company’s obligation for health care, and workers use that sum to buy coverage of their choice.

“A private exchange is a fancy word for more choice,” says Paul Fronstin, head of health research for the Employment Retirement Benefits Institute.

Although the institute conducts research independently, one of its founders was IBM, which was fairly blunt about its reasons it opted to switch how it provides health care insurance to its retirees.

The company, in a video statement, told its retirees that the cost of its current group plan is projected to triple in the next few years, affecting retiree premiums and out-of-pocket costs. IBM retirees have yet to learn how much the company will contribute to their health insurance spending accounts.

Major corporations like Time Warner twx , Caterpillar cat , CSX CSX , and Whirlpool whr have signed up their Medicare-eligible retirees to participate with Extend Health, which was acquired last year by Towers Watson.

More companies are expected to adopt the exchange model and move their retirees away from group health coverage. A Towers Watson survey, released in August, of 420 midsize and large companies found that by next year 25% of them are likely to discontinue their employer-sponsored plans for employees older than 65. That percentage will rise to 44% by 2015, according to the survey findings.

MORE: 50 Best Small and Medium-Size Companies to Work For

According to Aon Hewitt’s projections, the company expects to almost double its clientele next year, providing coverage for 600,000 employees and their families.

In shifting health care, companies appear to be following the pension phase-out game plan. Many corporations have eliminated the company pension and, instead, make contributions to employee 401(k) plans. Now, with health care, they will not be burdened with open-ended medical costs.

That burden is then put on the employee or retiree, who must individually factor in the costs of chronic conditions like diabetes or blood pressure, ongoing mechanical issues like a pacemaker, as well as their financial means, location, and other considerations in selecting a plan.

For retirees, the average couple is projected to need $240,000 for medical expenses during retirement, according to Fidelity Investments’ May 2012 report, “Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate,” making health care one of the biggest expenses for elder Americans.

Bryce Williams, who founded Extend Health and is now Towers Watson’s managing director of exchange solutions, says that the company will be providing phone assistance to help retirees choose the best option among the 4,500 plan combinations offered by 90 insurance carriers.

“There will be intensive help from agents because our previous experience has found that if people just buy the least expensive plan, that does not always provide the coverage they need,” he says. Having choices, he says, creates competition that keeps costs in check.

So far, Williams says Extend Health has enrolled nearly 500,000 retirees from 300 companies in its Medicare insurance exchange, which is the country’s largest.

In April, it also started an exchange for currently employed workers to offer health care options for full- or part-time employees. And with health costs projected to rise as much as 5.2% this year, the private exchanges are hoping to attract more companies to adopt the online marketplace model.

MORE: Fortune’s 40 under 40

While most workers are unfamiliar with the idea of exchanges, one-third of companies with at least 5,000 workers that were surveyed recently by Kaiser Family Foundation said they would consider offering benefits through a private exchange in future years. Those firms employ almost 40% of covered workers, according to the 2013 Employer Health Benefits Survey of nearly 3,000 companies released in August by Kaiser.

“Their interest could portend a significant shift in the way many people get their health insurance in the future,” the report noted.

So far, no one is forecasting a wholesale abandonment of company-subsidized health care benefits, which more than 80% of companies rate as an important factor in recruiting and keeping employees, according to Towers Watson.

Summary: Corporations like IBM and Walgreen Co. are sending retirees and current employees to health exchanges, a sign of a major shift for health care in the U.S.


A Japanese hotel is making headlines for offering “crying rooms” where women can “de-stress” by bawling their eyes out, a spokesperson tells TIME.

For 10,000 Japanese Yen (or about $85 U.S. dollars) per person, these special rooms at the Mitsui Garden Hotel Yotsuya in Tokyo are stocked with tissues, “warm eye masks” and about a dozen sentimental movies, six of which are available in English and include Forrest Gump, The Intouchables, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Notebook, One Day and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.

A spokesperson tells TIME that the hotel started the promotion “because Japanese ladies in their 20s-40s are often said to live a life of stress.”

The whole experience—which is available until August 31—sounds like a classier version of that scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary in which Renée Zellweger lip-syncs Céline Dion’s “All by Myself” in her pajamas:

Summary: Specifically for stressed-out young women


The rate of skin cancer has doubled over the last 30 years, according to new federal data.

Melanoma, specifically—which is the deadliest kind of skin cancer—is on the rise, and according to the latest research, the yearly cost of treating it is estimated to triple to a total of $1.6 billion in the year 2030.

One way to prevent skin cancer is to cover up, and sunscreen is typically a go-to to protect skin in the summer heat. However, recent data has suggested that while sunscreens add protection, they aren’t necessarily up to snuff and often brands make coverage claims they can’t really deliver. There’s also the fact that many Americans still don’t wear it daily (and many still use indoor tanning beds).

A recent report from the Environmental Working Group showed that many sunscreens offer poor coverage or have ingredients that the organization views as worrisome. Some brands market their SPF 70 or SPF 100+ even though they don’t really have much more protection than SPF 50.

New, better sunscreen ingredients could help. Recently, legislation was passed to make the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to more quickly respond to pending applications for new ingredients to add to sunscreens. Many of these ingredients have already been available in sunscreens abroad for years. The law is supposed to make the agency act more promptly, and hopefully result in sunscreens with better protection for Americans.

The FDA also said years ago that it would crack down on sunscreen regulation, by putting a cap on SPF at a max of SPF 50, establish standards for testing the effectiveness, and enforce better labeling.

So what’s the best way to stay protected? Keep wearing sunscreen (data suggests Americans could do a better job), but abide by other measures too. Health experts recommend covering exposed skin with clothing, avoiding time in the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m, and remembering to reapply sunscreen—a teaspoon per body part—at least every two hours.

Read next: You Asked: Is Sunscreen Safe — and Do I Really Need It Daily?

Listen to the most important stories of the day.

Summary: Skin cancer rates have risen significantly, what's the best way to stay protected?


WARSAW, Poland - The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum says it does not allow people to play "Pokemon Go" on their smartphones during visits to the former German death camp because it is "disrespectful."

The request comes just one day the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. released a statement saying the playing wildly popular app was "not appropriate in the museum, which is a memorial to the victims of Nazism."

Much like the U.S. Holocaust Museum, Auschwitz Museum spokesman Pawel Sawicki told The Associated Press on Wednesday that its authorities are asking game producers to exclude the site of the former Nazi German death camp from being a "pokestop," where players can play the game.

He said allowing such games to be active on the authentic grounds of the former death camp is "disrespectful to the memory of the victims of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camp on many levels and it is absolutely inappropriate."

The museum is a site of commemoration for the estimated 1.1 million people killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau and to the survivors who suffered as camp inmates. Most of the victims were European Jews who perished in the gas chambers, but there were also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and others.

Earlier in the day the Auschwitz memorial wrote on Twitter: "Do not allow playing #PokemonGO on the site of our Memorial and similar places. It's disrespectful on many levels."

"Pokemon Go" is a hugely popular new reality game that uses GPS and allows players to search locations in the real world to find virtual little creatures.

It has caused a lot of controversy, from the way it collects the personal data of players, to various safety concerns.

Police have had to warn the public about the dangers of playing the game while driving, and some distracted players have reportedly wiped out as they wandered public places in search of Pokemon. In Missouri, four men committed a string of robberies by targeting their victims through the game, CBS affiliate KMOV reported.

Summary: The wildly popular mobile app is sending distracted players out into the real world, and not everyone is happy about it


"At that time it was such a moment of hope," said the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan. "Here is a man who had lived and fought for peace and one united Sudan, and just as he was on the verge of achieving what he has lived and fought for, he is taken away from us."

On the face of things there was an orderly succession in place: just two weeks before his death, Mr. Garang chose a senior military commander, Salva Kiir Mayardit, as his deputy.

But Mr. Garang, even with his long experience at the helm of the rebel command, had struggled to keep southerners together. Mr. Kiir, who on Monday was selected as the commander in chief of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and as Mr. Garang's replacement as national vice president, was expected to encounter the same challenges.

"I call upon all members of the S.P.L.M. and the entire Sudanese nation to remain calm and vigilant," Mr. Kiir, a tall bearded man, said Monday morning in Nairobi, Kenya, shock still evident on his face.

In a statement, Mr. Kiir and other leaders lamented the loss of a "beloved leader" and called on Mr. Garang's backers "to remain calm under these difficult and trying moments so that the enemies of peace do not exploit the situation."

John Garang de Mabior, a Dinka tribesman, was born in June 1945 to a Christian family in southern Sudan. He earned a degree in economics from Grinnell College in Iowa in 1969. Mr. Garang returned to Africa, but in 1981 finished a doctorate in economics at Iowa State University.

He joined the Anya Anya rebellion against the government in 1970, and later was taken into the national army as part of a peace agreement. As a Sudanese officer, he received training at the United States Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga.

At the beginning of the 1980's he was at the forefront of a wave of discontent in the mostly Christian and animist south with the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, leading to outright civil war when the government declared Islamic law in 1983. He mutinied along with the army battalion he commanded, and for more than 20 years led the rebel movement, conducting a guerrilla war against the government that would take more than two million lives through fighting, disease and starvation by its end in January 2005.

Divided by clan and frustrated by the slow pace of peace and development, southerners have shown displeasure at times with Mr. Garang's leadership. Mr. Kiir helped convene a meeting of the rebel command in November to urge Mr. Garang to be a more inclusive leader.

Although he is a veteran commander, Mr. Kiir lacks his predecessor's political experience and broad contacts overseas. Mr. Garang visited Washington many times and was on a first-name basis with presidents, secretaries of state and members of Congress.

Unlike Mr. Garang, Mr. Kiir is much more open about his desire for two Sudans, one north and one south. He also sheds the diplomatic niceties that Mr. Garang had adopted.

In a recent interview with a South African newspaper, he said, "It would not be our choice, but if the government violates the comprehensive peace agreement, we are ready to go back to war."

Mr. Garang was credited with championing the rights of some of the most destitute people on earth. Southern Sudan is without paved roads. Children who do go to school are often taught at a blackboard propped up against a tree. Diseases wiped out in other places still thrive here.

The religious dimension to the conflict captured the attention of many Christian congregations in the United States, leading to a wave of American sympathy for the rebellion. But many of his supporters glossed over Mr. Garang's misdeeds. His rebel movement committed many human rights violations over the years, and opponents of Mr. Garang often disappeared and were presumed dead.

The Bush administration played an important behind-the-scenes role in shepherding the peace effort forward in recent years, leaning on both government officials and Mr. Garang to compromise.

Condolence calls came into rebel headquarters from diplomats and leaders from around the world. In Washington, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed condolences on the death of Mr. Garang in a telephone call to Mrs. Garang, and she dispatched two top envoys to encourage the Sudanese "to maintain momentum" on implementing the peace accord between north and south and in pursuing a settlement on Darfur.

Funeral plans were still under discussion, but a Catholic bishop held a memorial service here on Monday morning in which Mr. Garang's body was enveloped in a flag. It was a design that Mr. Garang and his deputies had chosen and it signified what they called the New Sudan.

Reuben Kyama contributed reporting from Nairobi for this article, and Steven R. Weisman from Washington.

Summary: Death of rebel leader John Garang in helicopter crash imperils Sudan's fragile peace; angry southerners riot in Khartoum, physically attacking Arabs and accusing government of orchestrating his death just three weeks after he was selected as vice president; southern rebels meet in remote wilderness outpost, desperately working to salvage historic peace agreement that Garang struck with Sudanese government this year; Garang was leader of Sudan People's Liberation Army for 21 years; he was credited with championing rights of some of most destitute people on earth, in southern Sudan; he was second in command to Pres Omar al-Bashir, man rebels long tried to topple; hopes were high for end to generation of war as they merged into one government; agreement was also seen as critical to reaching peace in Sudan's troubled western province of Darfur; photo (M)