FORTUNE — To the protester, they represent the problem. But you don’t have to search long among Wall Street’s rank and file to find something unexpected: sympathy for the occupiers of Zuccotti Park.

“There are a lot of folks on Wall Street who are just like the 99 percenters,” says a 44-year-old principal at a small investment firm on Wall Street, walking along Nassau Street, about a block from the protests. “Goldman Sachs for example pays out a certain amount in bonuses, and they say that employees get an average of $500,000. That’s not even close to the truth. Most don’t get that. Many on Wall Street are just like them and would like to join them but are afraid.”

In Wall Street terms, 2011 is certainly shaping up to be a bad year. Banks from UBS UBS to Goldman Sachs GS are planning thousands of layoffs. Bank of America alone is promising to shed 30,000 jobs over the next few years. Yet it’s hard to imagine the blue suits carrying signs along Broadway or sporting New York’s latest fashion must have: a spray-painted t-shirt proclaiming ‘I am a 99 Percenter.’ Sure, bonuses are smaller this year — but they’re still coming.

Still, the protesters have made their mark, and not just in Zuccotti Park. Along the quieter streets east of Broadway, as Wall Street-types make their way along barricaded sidewalks for a sandwich, coffee or smoke, they’re paying attention to the demonstrations. Some may be annoyed at the disruption — closed subway stops, and an overcrowded McDonalds. But others wonder, do the protesters have a point?

“The big banks got the bailouts but it’s much harder for the smaller firms to survive,” says Troy Holland, 39, an officer with HIC Financial, a small investment banking firm on Wall Street, who was heading over to the protest at Zuccotti Park on a recent morning. Donning a pinstriped suit, Holland could hardly be mistaken for a protester. And yet he has concerns about his firm’s ability to compete today. “As entrepreneurs with our own firm we are the 99% just like Occupy Wall Street. [They] got it right.”

What you (still) get with your college degree: A better shot at the 1%

Certainly Wall Street is studded with bankers firmly within the 1%. The average salary for those who work in New York City’s securities industry is, after all, $361,330 — 5.5 times higher than the average in other private sectors, according to the New York State Comptroller. But many on Wall Street are themselves assistants, clerical staff and mailroom clerks — the workers who keep Wall Street humming who are unlikely breaking six figures a year. (I should know. I was once one of them.)

Some of them have mixed feelings about the movement. “I have a little bit of empathy and anger for the protesters,” said an executive assistant for an insurance firm near Wall Street. “I don’t know what they’re expecting. What’s going to change?”

But of course Wall Street itself has changed. Citigroup and Morgan Stanley are headquartered in midtown — far from the dark downtown tunnels of the financial district. And families populate the neighborhood now as much as bankers, with the financial district a popular and expensive residential area. Toddlers from a child care center on Chase Manhattan Plaza outnumbered employees one recent morning, dancing under the Dubuffet sculpture, unaware of the chaos just blocks away.

“I work on Wall Street and Wall Street is just a place,” says the 44-year-old investment bank principal who didn’t want his name printed. “It just signifies what everyone is fighting against.”

Where will Occupy Wall Street take us?

Yet CEOs have realized they need to start sounding the empathy bell. Take Vikram Pandit, Citigroup’s CEO who noted that the complaints of those protesting are “…completely understandable,” he told Fortune magazine’s Andy Serwer last week. “Trust has been broken between financial institutions and the citizens of the U.S., and that is Wall Street’s job, to reach out to Main Street and rebuild that trust.”

But are they really trying? Bank of America BAC and Wells Fargo WFC both announced new debit card charges, and Citigroup is raising some checking account fees aimed squarely at Main Street.

Solidarity for the protesters can be found among the suits in the financial district, but not easily. For every Wall Street employee thoughtful about what the demonstrators hopes to accomplish, several others walking along Nassau, Pine, William and Liberty Street complained about the inconvenience the protesters have created, as the blocked plazas and streets create an even more maze-like warren in lower Manhattan.

“They have the right to assemble,” said one 29-year-old banking executive in the mortgage industry, chatting with a friend just outside Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.’s building at 140 Broadway. “But this is starting to get bothersome.”

Summary: Fortune went downtown to chat not with the Occupy Wall Streeters, but with the occupied on Wall Street. Surprisingly, they sympathize.


Affordable housing for all is an ambitious goal but an agenda that Jonathan Reckford hopes to move forward as one of the 2,500-plus delegates at Davos this year. It’s his ninth visit to the conference in Switzerland.

Since 2005, he has led Habitat for Humanity International as chief executive officer. The nonprofit builds or renovates houses around the world to help people improve their living conditions. It has more than 70 affiliates globally and 1,400 local groups in the US. Its vision: a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Reckford started his career on Wall Street and held management or executive roles at investment bank Goldman Sachs, hotel chain Marriott and Walt Disney Co, among others. Now, as the head of a global non-profit that has “helped more than 6.8 million people improve their living conditions” since 1976, Reckford’s mission at Davos is focused.

He sat down with BBC Capital columnist Lucy Marcus to explain. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow.

Q: You’re here at Davos to focus on a couple of special issues. What are you going to talk about here?

A: I’m here as part of the Future of Cities, focused on sustainable cities and of course our particular issue is affordable housing and the desperate need [for more of it]. So many of our cities today aren’t built for their current population, let alone their future population.

Q: People are sometimes sceptical about whether people actually get anything done at Davos…. Why is it useful for you to come?

A: I think what’s unique about Davos is the convening power and for really complex issues we need multi-sector solutions. So, the fact that we have government leaders, corporate leaders and civil society represented allows a conversation that’s very hard to replicate in other places.

What we’ve seen is that decisions don’t get made here, but the relationships that get started here have led to progress outside Davos.

Q: So have you seen over time that it’s worth it for you to come and have these conversations, despite the expense?

A: To me it’s very efficient for the sheer number of meetings and relationships you can have, but also for meetings you probably couldn’t have in a lot of other places, in terms of that multisector approach. I’ve always found it productive and I’m always optimistic. You have to be in our world. But we want to make sure to try to get housing on the agenda because it’s remarkable how often housing is really left out of the poverty alleviation conversation.

To follow BBC Capital’s Davos coverage or to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Capital, please head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

Lucy Marcus is an award-winning writer, board chair and non-executive director of several organisations. She is also the CEO of Marcus Venture Consulting. Follow her Davos coverage for BBC Capital here and on Twitter @LucyMarcus.

Summary: Amid the dealmakers and powerbrokers at the World Economic Forum, this executive wants to address poverty in a way that’s often left out of the conversation. This is why.


Police in London armed with sub-machine guns. (AAP)

At least 14 schools in Britain and five in Paris have been evacuated due to bomb threats.

Thousands of students were forced to leave their schools a week after some were targeted in a similar threat.

Six schools in Birmingham, four in London and four in Cornwall in England's southwest were cordoned off and searched.

The Metropolitan Police said the threats were being treated as "malicious communications".

In Paris police bomb squads were searching the schools as students waited in courtyards and on the streets, Le Parisien reported, and some traffic was diverted.

French broadcasters reported that six schools were being searched, but a police spokesman declined to give details.

Paris has been under high alert due to a series of terrorist attacks that began in January 2015, and France has been in a state of emergency since the latest attacks in November.

Summary: Five schools in Paris are being searched after students were evacuated becasue of a bomb threat.


Vestavia Hills Police Department (2)

02/01/2016 AT 01:45 PM EST

Alabama authorities continue their search for an allegedly "armed and dangerous" man and woman accused of a crime spree including kidnapping a woman during a home invasion Sunday morning and two robberies.

A statement from police in Vestavia Hills alleges Blake Fitzgerald and Brittany Harper, both 31-year-old residents of Joplin, Missouri, are wanted on kidnapping and theft charges.

Police say Fitzgerald allegedly entered a Vestavia Hills home early Sunday morning through an opened garage door.

Once inside the home, he allegedly told the husband and wife living there he was having car trouble, after which he allegedly pulled a gun on the pair and demanded their car keys.

Subsequently, Fitzgerald allegedly forced the wife into the car, where he was joined by Harper. The suspects allegedly drove the woman to a nearby hospital and dropped her off, unharmed.

Police say Fitzgerald and Harper are wanted for at least two other robberies reported to police on Sunday.

Police urge anyone who spots the two suspects to call 911 and to avoid confronting the duo.

Summary: Police claim Blake Fitzgerald and Brittany Harper were involved in two other robberies Sunday


FORTUNE — Fashion site BaubleBar has spent two years building an avid group of fans who turn to the site to sift through a fast-changing array of hip jewelry sold at reasonable prices. On October 17, the company will invite customers to try on that jewelry in person — at THE BAR, a 500 square-foot showroom that will open in the back of the company’s Manhattan corporate headquarters.

Consider it a modern twist on an old trend: since the birth of the web, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have been creating digital storefronts. Web sales of apparel and accessories, in particular, are growing far faster than any other e-commerce product category and are expected to reach $40.9 billion in 2012 according to eMarketer. But until recently, digital retailers rarely took to the streets. (When’s the last time you drove down to your local Amazon AMZN to pick up a skirt?)

Now that’s changing as a new crop of entrepreneurs are developing digital brands that migrate to physical locations. They know that the online opportunity may be big, but it is still dwarfed by more traditional shopping experiences; 80% of transactions still occur offline after all.

MORE: 3 things holding New York tech back

Thus trendy glasses-maker Warby Parker recently opened a SoHo showroom, and the company has retrofitted a school bus to be a pop-up store-on-the-go that will travel to nine cities over the next six months. It has also launched showrooms within existing retail spaces in nine US cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Another example: Last fall Bonobos, an Internet fashion brand that peddles trendy pants to affluent men, opened a storefront it called “Guideshop” in the company’s Chelsea headquarters. In April, the company took a $16.4 million investment led by Nordstrom’s JWN (along with Accel Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners) and struck a deal with the retailer to sell its clothes in more than 69 physical stores. A year later, Bonobos has “Guideshop” boutiques in Boston and Palo Alto and a Chicago store will open October 15.

It’s a strategy that makes sense, says Forrester FORR analyst Sucharita Mulpuru, because real estate is relatively cheap right now and online retailers have drastically reduced the price of inventory. (Many still mail the inventory online after customers have reviewed the products in the store.) “They’re small bets,” Mulpuru adds. “If it ends up being successful they can extend it to other places as well.”

That’s the model BaubleBar hopes to follow. Founders Daniella Yacobovsky and Amy Jain, both 30, developed the idea for the jewelry company, which sells necklaces, earrings and bracelets for an average between $20 and $120, a few years ago when they were classmates in their second year of Harvard Business School. They noticed most shoppers had no brand affiliation with jewelers the way they might with clothing, say, or shoes. Thus department stores competed on margins, not volume: they bought from many smaller designers without care-taking relationships and then marked the jewelry way up.

After meeting with hundreds of designers, Yacobovsky and Jain turned to the Internet to cut out the middlemen, bringing prices down for consumers while at the same time paying designers more. They launched officially in January 2011 after issuing BaubleBar invitations to friends, and have grown mostly by word-of-mouth. With $5.6 million in funding, the company, which adds roughly 100 new products to the site every week, is also able to move very fast — a classic Internet advantage — and to localize products.

Yacobovsky and Jain now hope that speed together with their expert product picks will pay off in physical stores. Beyond THE BAR, they plan to launch more boutiques across the country catering specifically to local tastes. If a fashion blogger in Atlanta is talking up spikes, for example, they can stock an Atlanta store with spiked jewelry within weeks. They can merchandise a store in Atlanta very quickly.

More e-tailers may follow suit. Even Amazon is rumored to be considering a brick-and-mortar store, giving a whole new life to the term “multichannel.”

Summary: Jewelry site BaubleBar's THE BAR is the latest in a trend of e-tailers setting up shop in traditional retail spaces.


02/04/2016 AT 10:10 AM EST

could whisper "potato" in anyone's ear and it would sounds sexy, but give him a few Valentine's Day messages to recite and hearts melt to the floor.

on Wednesday, where he agreed to seduce a random person by whispering messages from candy hearts.

Of course it didn't take long to find a willing participant from off the street, as a fan named Jennifer was swiftly rushed into the studio to join the

star on the couch for a little Tatum-style romance.

Channing Tatum with a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

After getting comfortable on the couch, with Tatum's legs draped over Jennifer's lap, he seductively purred one-liners like "Sup babe" and the ever-classic "Bling" into her ear.

Channing Tatum with a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Naturally, the fan remained speechless nearly the entire time, happily accepting the candy hearts Tatum fed her.

To finish off the swoon-session, the actor got down on one knee, held up the candy heart and said the words every girl is dying to hear: "TTYL."

Unfortunately Tatum only has one Valentine this year: his wife,

– but that surely won't stop fans from dreaming.

Summary: Channing Tatum seductively purred one-liners like "Sup babe" and the ever-classic "Bling"


The chief executive of the Triple Sharp Venture Engineering investment firm is presenting at an event cosponsored by LaunchWorks Manufacturing Lab and the North Shore Technology Council. Gary Magnant will discuss venture engineering, a way to strategically invest for quick returns. Wednesday, 7 to 9 a.m., Peabody Marriott, 8 Centennial Drive, Peabody. $25 to $40.

Entrepreneurs from the Bay State will gather for a MassChallenge open house called Entrepalooza. The event will showcase local organizations devoted to helping launch startups. Wednesday, 6 to 9 p.m., Royale, 279 Tremont St., Boston. $5 for drinks.

US Representative Elizabeth Esty of Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District is the featured guest at a congressional roundable organized by the New England Council. Esty serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Thursday, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Bank of America, Long Lane room, 100 Federal St., Boston. Free.

At an MIT event called Delivering on the Artificial Intelligence Challenge, attendees will hear a panel of AI experts discuss the future of computer learning. Panelists will discuss their experiences developing new AI technologies and bringing them to market. Thursday, 5:30 to 8 p.m., MIT Stata Center, rooms 32 to 123, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge. Free for students, $20 for members, $45 for nonmembers.

Google, Brandwatch, Carbonite, and others will be presenting at the first Digital Marketing Innovation Summit organized by Cape & Plymouth Business magazine and Garvey Communication Associates Inc. Attendees will learn best practices for digital marketing. Cape Codder Resort and Spa, 1225 Iyannough Road, Hyannis. $55.

Summary: Government roundtable, MassChallenge open house, and more notable things to know.


Even granting that “The Simpsons’’ does not consistently scale the giddy satiric heights it once did, the show’s status as one of the greatest TV series of all time remains secure. Just consider the way its ever-expanding comic universe has managed to encompass virtually every facet of American life as the 20th century yielded to the 21st.

So it’s fitting that the series serves as the fulcrum of Anne Washburn’s fascinating “Mr. Burns, a post-electric play,’’ a dystopian vision of a post-apocalyptic future in which an episode of “The Simpsons’’ looms increasingly large as a cultural totem.

This multilayered drama, which is certain to polarize audiences, is directed by A. Nora Long with steadily gathering force at Lyric Stage Company of Boston. “Mr. Burns’’ asks us to consider what it is about storytelling that makes it so important to our survival — quite literally, in this case — and how the shape and meaning of our stories can change over time, depending on the needs of the reader, the listener, or the viewer.

Implicit in Washburn’s play is a recognition that pop culture only seems disposable, that in reality it often lodges itself permanently in our memory banks, a kind of secular scripture for times of need.

Need at a dire and existential level is pressing in on the survivors of a global nuclear catastrophe in “Mr. Burns,’’ who inhabit a planet devoid of electricity and poisoned by radioactivity. At the start of the play, they are gathered in near-darkness around a fire in a trash can, trying to reconstruct the plot and dialogue of the “Cape Feare’’ episode of “The Simpsons,’’ in which the hilariously deranged Sideshow Bob (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) talks his way out of prison so he can pursue his murderous vendetta against nemesis Bart Simpson.

While the conversation among the survivors illustrates the randomly firing synapses of cultural memory, there’s also a striking intensity to the way they hash out every detail of the episode, ranging from “Cape Fear,’’ the 1962 Robert Mitchum film that inspired the “Simpsons’’ episode, to the ultra-violent 1991 remake directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, to Mitchum’s “The Night of the Hunter’’ and Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing.’’ Like custodians of the oral tradition from the age before Homer (the other Homer), these survivors are holding on for dear life to remnants of their vanished world.

That “Simpsons’’ episode will prove to be the foundational text for the civilization that staggers on into an increasingly bleak future. If you think the network competition for Nielsen ratings is fierce today, wait till you see the second act of “Mr. Burns,’’ set seven years after the first, when performance of “Cape Feare’’ and other “Simpsons’’ episodes is essentially a life-or-death proposition (“Survivor,’’ indeed), which makes story lines and scraps of dialogue a desperately sought form of currency. Playwright Washburn recognizes the primacy of TV as the true home to the defining narratives of our times, but she’s also subtly arguing for theater’s vital role in sustaining those narratives.

Skillfully meeting the performance challenges of “Mr. Burns’’ are the seven members of Long’s ensemble, each of whom plays both a survivor and a character from “The Simpsons’’: Aimee Doherty, Brandon G. Green, Nael Nacer, Lindsey McWhorter, Jordan Clark, Gillian Mackay-Smith, and Joseph Marrella.

When playing members of a theater troupe with a “Simpsons’’-centric repertoire, the cast bursts into a pop medley, choreographed by Yo-El Cassell, that is exhilarating yet contains hints of dread. Soon enough comes a development that is both shocking and inevitable. But Washburn isn’t done: After intermission, we’re launched far into the future, where the nuclear catastrophe — having now attained mythic status — is enacted in macabre story and song by a troupe in “Simpsons’’ masks. (Washburn wrote the lyrics to music by the gifted Michael Friedman, of “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’’ fame, and the rivetingly creepy masks were designed by Lauren Duffy).

Make no mistake, “Mr. Burns’’ is a love-it-or-hate-it proposition. (I’m firmly in the first camp). The Lyric Stage production is slow going at first, and it helps to have at least some familiarity with the “Simpsons’’ characters and sensibility. If you don’t, you might find yourself confused or exasperated at times. But I’m willing to bet you’ll be thinking about this play for a long time, because “Mr. Burns’’ is challenging in all the right ways.

MR. BURNS, A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY

Play by Anne Washburn. Music by Michael Friedman. Lyrics by Washburn. Directed by A. Nora Long. Music director, Allyssa Jones. Choreography, Yo-El Cassell. Presented by Lyric Stage Company of Boston. Through May 7. 617-585-5678, www.lyricstage.com

Summary: Anne Washburn’s complex and challenging play offers a fascinating vision of a post-apocalyptic world in which an episode of “The Simpsons’’ looms increasingly large as a cultural totem.


By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall and Tierney McAfee

05/09/2016 AT 04:25 PM EDT

in this presidential election has you missing

anchor desk, you'll be disappointed to hear that Stewart doesn't feel the same – and won't be coming back.

"I'm not going to be on television anymore," Stewart said flatly when pressed Monday to address rumors to the contrary.

Stewart, appearing at the University of Chicago's Institute of Politics for a taping of

, said Trump's success in the Republican primaries and the prospect of his general-election fight with Democrat front-runner

have hardly been cause to reconsider his departure from TV political satire last summer.

"I'm not restless," Stewart told institute director and former adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod, taking issue with Axelrod's premise that Stewart is no longer engaged in the national conversation over politics.

"I feel like I'm engaged now," Stewart said. "When you're not on television, you're still alive and you're still engaged in the world. And I feel more engaged now in the real world than I ever did sitting on television interviewing politicians."

Stewart did offer fans a kernel of hope, hinting at plans to make short, viral-video political cartoons starting in September. "We're working on technology and animation to try and do interesting and little small bits," he said. But he downplayed any effect he and his satire might have on the outcome of the November election.

"The October surprise in this election is not going to be a two-minute cartoon that I'm going to release."

Stewart didn't shy away from discussing the election during the talk, however, offering up criticism on both Trump and Clinton.

He joked at one point, "I would vote for Mr. T. over Donald Trump."

Stewart also questioned Trump's eligibility to run for president, asking: "I'm not a Constitutional scholar so I can't necessarily say, but

you eligible to run if you are a man-baby? Or a baby-man?"

"I'm not here to be politically incorrect, if they're referred to as man-baby Americans â¦ but he is a man-baby," Stewart joked to laughs from the crowd. "He has the physical countenance of a man and a baby's temperament and hands."

Jokes aside, Stewart added that Clinton is going to be in "big trouble" if she doesn't find a way to convince voters of her "authenticity."

Pressed again by Axelrod on the possibility of a return to the political sphere by November, Stewart replied by quipping, "I mean, I'll vote â¦"

For those missing his commentary this election season, Stewart added that "television has never been more ripe with beautiful satire." Pointing to John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Seth Myers and other TV hosts, he said, "I am so impressed and amazed at the level of insight and wit on television today."

But as Axlerod pointed out – there's only one Jon Stewart.

Summary: "I'm not going to be on television anymore," Jon Stewart said flatly when pressed Monday to address rumors to the contrary


Laura shows off her prom dress pick to TLC's Monte Durham and Laura Marano

05/13/2016 AT 10:30 AM EDT

As much as she loved the pre-prom pampering, the gifts of gorgeous gowns, and all of the other treats from TLC's

, Miami high school senior Ashley loved something else even more.

"Oh my God, I love Monte!" she said, after getting several one-on-one consultations with Monte Durham.

Durham, the fashion director of

, was on hand at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, to help 55 underprivileged high school girls get ready for the prom of their dreams.

"He took so much time with me, and he gave me great advice, not just about fashion, but about life, too," Ashley said (their schools ask that the girls' last names not be used). "He made me feel really good about myself."

Ashley walks down the runway

Durham shared his confidante/new best friend style with the girls at the day-long event in Miami in March, which culminated in a runway-style show for the 55 girls emceed by Durham and Disney actress Laura Marano.

It was all filmed for TLC's

special, which airs on May 20 at 9:30 p.m. ET. Discovery Communications, the parent company of TLC, sponsored similar prom dress giveaways at other cities around the country, but focused on filming the Miami girls for this year's prom special.

Durham, dressed for most of the day in a fawn grey suit over a lavender and white gingham print shirt and lavender tie, took 10 minutes to change at the end of the day for his runway hosting duties.

"These girls look so glamorous, I think I should look a little glamorous too," Durham said.

He soon emerged in a spiffy white tuxedo, ready to usher girls onto the brightly lit runway set up for the day in a conference room in the historic hotel.Â Â He was besieged with selfie requests throughout the day, and he patiently posed dozens of times, often taking the cellphone himself to snap the pics.

Brooklyn poses in her prom dress

Then came the runway show, and Durham had to coax several of the girls onto the stage.

"Some of them are so shy; they've never had this kind of attention before," he said. "We're all about teaching them confidence."

TLC's Say Yes to the Prom: Paula struts down the runway

Even girls who had never seen Durham on TV – several admitted to never having watched

, but vowed to start now – became instant fans once Durham counseled them on their dress choices. Standing alongside each girl in front of a full-length mirror set up in Biltmore ballroom, Durham quietly advised each girl on which look flattered her the most. And he tried to get them comfortable with glamour.

"These are girls who are used to buying off racks, and in discount stores and secondhand racks," Durham said. "They're used to wearing things that are two or three years old, not the latest style. And you know, as a young lady, you want to wear the latest trends. It's important to them."

Summary: Monte Durham, Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta's fashion director, wins over teens, hands out prom gowns and free advice


If it seems like mass shootings in public places have become more commonplace in the United States after a summer of deadly shootings in Charleston, Chattanooga and elsewhere, that’s because they are.

According to a recent study released by the Congressional Research Service, the average rate of mass public shootings—defined by the FBI as “a multiple homicide incident in which four or more victims are murdered with firearms, within one event, in at least one or more public locations”—has gone up from being a singular, annual tragedy in the 1970s (a 1.1 incidence rate) to about 4.5 incidences per year between 2010 and 2013.

The CRS report, which was based on data from the FBI and also from criminologist Grant Duwe, found that the U.S. sees a total of 21 mass murders by firearms a year on average—including not just public shootings in places like churches and schools, but familicide and shootings committed during other criminal activity.

The report recommends Congress direct the federal government to improve how it collects data on shootings with multiple fatalities.

Summary: The "incidence rate" has quadrupled since the 1970s


Before you go, we thought you'd like these...

If you follow Rihanna's Instagram, it might feel like you have a pretty good look at her on- and off-stage life. But director Peter Berg thinks there's way more to the "Work" singer's story. According to Deadline, Berg ("Lone Survivor") has launched a new production company, Film 45, which will focus on non-scripted projects, with one of the first efforts described as a theatrical feature documentary about Rihanna that he will direct.

Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, Hillary Clinton Appear at Black Girls Rock!

Intended as a modern take on the iconic 1967 Bob Dylan rock documentary Don't Look Back, the Rihanna project is described as an "unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon." Berg, who directed Rihanna in her first major film role in the 2012 flop Battleship said he was attracted to the idea of looking at "a young artist at the top of her professional field," describing the doc as "much more a character study than a music film."

Rihanna's 11 Best Videos: From 'Umbrella' to 'BBHMM'

In a tease for the movie on the Film 45 site, Berg describes it this way: "Follow this true international superstar as she navigates life as an artist, businesswoman, and humanitarian, while contending with the inherent pressure of artistic freedom. Peter Berg's Rihanna is an unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon, providing a glimpse into the evolution of one of the world's most well-known pop artists." The 45 site says the film is "coming soon," though no specific release date has been announced.

Rihanna Tops Hot 100 for Eighth Week, Ties the Beatles for Second-Most Total Weeks at No. 1

Check out more from Rihanna in the gallery below:

Rihanna to star in an 'Unfiltered' documentary about her life

An icon who does it all needs a shoe that can keep up. Introducing the Pulse XT, worn by @badgalriri. #ForeverFaster

She's always been unstoppable. And now she is officially #ForeverFaster.

on the dotted line. #PUMA

Forever at the forefront of culture and fashion. Now #ForeverFaster. Global superstar #Rihanna will blaze the way for a new generation of women as the face of PUMA’s Women’s Training.

Summary: The Rihanna project is described as an 'unfiltered look into Rihanna's life and how she's ascended to become a global icon.'


Who knew bike travel yielded so many entertaining short films? Now in its seventh year, the Ciclismo Classico Bike Travel Film Festival returns to the Regent Theatre in Arlington on June 1 at 7 p.m.

Highlights include the festival’s 2016 Grand Jury Prize winner, “Perceived Limits,” an 11-minute film by Charles Scott about his adventures while biking with his young son and daughter. Scott will attend the screening.

“Tandem USA” is British director Rob Lilwall’s five-minute account of how he and his wife, Christine, soaked in American culture during a comic romp from Southern California to Washington, DC. From Scotland is Sarah Grant’s “The Cyclist,” a four-minute comedy about a commuter who breaks free from his daily grind and stays on his bicycle for a tour of the inspiring Scottish countryside. Canadian Jennifer Hosek’s “Rodando en La Habana: Bicycle Stories” is a 29-minute documentary by a largely Cuban film crew about contemporary Havana, 20 years after more than a million Chinese bicycles were imported to deal with a sudden drought of Soviet petroleum.

Ciclismo Classico, by the way, is an Arlington company that’s promoted bicycle vacations since 1988. They say that this is the only film festival in the US that focuses specifically on bicycle travel. Sounds plausible.

For more information go to www.regenttheatre.com.

Quick, what film marks the first collaboration between writer Graham Greene and director Carol Reed? No, not “The Third Man.” That came next, after 1948’s “Fallen Idol,” which was based on Greene’s story “The Basement Room.” If you haven’t seen “Fallen Idol,” which seems likely, note that it returns to the big screen for an exclusive engagement starting June 10 at the Kendall Square Cinema.

Both Reed and Greene received Oscar nominations for this Hitchcockian thriller about a lonely 8-year-old named Philippe (Bobby Henrey) and his attachment to Baines (Ralph Richardson), the household butler. Secrets and lies threaten both during a weekend when Philippe’s parents are away.

For more information go to www.landmarktheatres.com/boston/kendall-square-cinema.

Another classic headed to a local screen is the MGM silent melodrama “Flesh and the Devil” (1926), the movie that sparked the romance between stars Greta Garbo and John Gilbert. It screens June 5 at 2 p.m. at the Somerville Theatre with live music accompaniment by Jeff Rapsis as part of the “Silents, Please!” monthly series.

“Flesh and the Devil” is about a love triangle between two boyhood friends (Gilbert and Lars Hanson), who are soldiers in the German army, and the seductive Countess Felicitas (Garbo) who comes between them. It was the first collaboration between Garbo and director Clarence Brown, who’d go on to direct more of Garbo’s films than anyone else, including five of her “talkies,” among them “Anna Christie” and “Anna Karenina.”

For more information go to www.somervilletheatreonline.com.

The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society’s second annual Nature as Inspiration: MV Environmental Film Festival closes May 29 with two screenings. “Merchants of Doubt” (4 p.m.) is director Robert Kenner’s account of how a handful of scientists willfully obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming. Philip B. Duffy, president and executive director of the Woods Hole Research Center, will be on hand for a post-screening conversation.

At 7:30 p.m. the fest shows “Love Thy Nature.” Narrated by Liam Neeson, it’s described as “a cinematic journey through the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world.” Director Sylvie Rokab will chat via Skype after the screening.

For more information go to www.mvfilmsociety.com.

Summary: It returns to the Regent Theatre in Arlington on June 1.


Poets, Shelley famously wrote, “are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Of course, as a poet himself, the great Romantic might have been slightly biased in his own, and in his fellow bards’, favor.

Self-serving or not, his point is worth examining: in a world where the acknowledged legislators, i.e., politicians of all stripes, scramble for power while yammering about what’s best for all of us, there’s something deeply heartening about the idea that, when all is said and done, it is the artist — the writer, the musician, the creative spirit, and not the lawmaker — who truly shapes the future. In fact, one could take the argument further and propose that a single, specific artistic pursuit has always managed to shape the future with more authority than any other: namely, the practice and the process of architecture.

From the Parthenon to the Taj Mahal to Fallingwater to the Empire State Building, consciously designed structures — temples, mausoleums, private dwellings and public edifices— are often the most eloquent messengers from one generation, and from one culture, to another. Architecture, when done right, embodies a civilization’s values and aspirations: it shows what mattered to a given group of people at a given time in history, and translates an artist’s vision into tangible, lasting form.

One such artist, whose work so defined his time that it’s impossible to imagine certain decades and cityscapes without his influence, was the German master Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 – 1969). Like his contemporaries Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, Mies (pronounced “mees,” like “peace”) championed simplicity in the cause of a truly Modern architecture, eschewing decorative elements in favor of clarity and emphasizing functionality as absolutely central to any structure’s aesthetic appeal.

Mies loved the George Washington Bridge, for example, not only because he so admired the at-once muscular and elegant proportions of the vast steel span above the Hudson River, but because one can see virtually every critical element of the bridge’s construction simply by glancing at it. The GWB does not hide or attempt to divert one’s attention from its underlying structure; instead—for Mies and for those who share his sensibility—the genuinely dramatic appeal of the bridge is its structure: the spare, gorgeous sinews that delineate its function. Here, LIFE.com republishes a series of photographs by photographer Frank Scherschel from a feature that ran in the March 1, 1957 issue of LIFE, at the same time that the architect’s signature achievement—the 38-story Seagram Building on Park Avenue in New York—was nearing completion.

Titled “Emergence of a Master Architect,” the LIFE article made clear from the outset that until the mid-1950s, “Mies was renowned chiefly among fellow architects and his revolutionary ideas were known chiefly through models, a few buildings in Europe and the work of disciples.

“But today at 70, after living inconspicuously in the U.S. for 20 years, Mies is bursting into full, spectacular view … [A sudden surge of high-profile commissions] is accepted by Mies as vindication of his lifelong principle that architecture must be true to its time. His own severely geometric, unembellished buildings have been designed to express in purest forms a technological concept of our technological age. They also … express the simplicity and sturdy nobility of Mies himself.”

“Romanticists don’t like my buildings,” Mies told LIFE, speaking with the sort of simple, unadorned directness that one would expect from the visionary behind the Seagram Building, the Farnsworth House and other Modernist architectural touchstones. “They say [my designs] are cold and rigid. But we do not build for fun. We build for a purpose.”

Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.

Summary: LIFE celebrates a visionary who said of his stark, gorgeous designs: "Romantics don't like my buildings. They say they are cold and rigid. But we do not build for fun. We build for a purpose."


When modern tablet computers first arrived to market, many people thought they would be primarily used to consume, rather than create, content. And who could argue? Without a keyboard or mouse, and only a stubby finger to flick, creation seemed like it would be troublesome at best.

My, how things change. My Apple iPad has quickly become an indispensable tool for work. For the last two years I’ve worked from an iPad on a daily basis. I often tout it as my favorite computer even when I’m asked to compare it to my iMac, a full-fledged desktop, or MacBook Air, a featherweight laptop. The iPad’s portability, day-long battery life, and built-in cellular connection—not to mention the broad selection of apps—only help.

As the winter holiday season approaches each year, I find myself more excited for Apple’s iPad event than I am for its iPhone event, which typically precedes it. This year was no different: right on schedule in October, Apple introduced an updated iPad lineup.

The improved iPad line comes at a time when Apple AAPL has seen a decline in that product’s sales for three consecutive quarters. The decline itself coincides with a trend in which smartphones, including Apple’s own iPhone, are growing in size. The shift blurs the line between phone and tablet, and prompts the question: where should the iPad fit in our lives?

The new iPad Air 2 (the most notable model of the new crop) offers a display with improved color and contrast, a slimmer profile, and Apple’s fingerprint scanning technology. It also has a faster processor and more storage.

I spent two weeks testing the iPad Air 2, and at the end of my time with the device, I found myself equally impressed and disappointed. The tablet is impressively responsive and smooth when it comes to scrolling through documents or web pages and launching applications. Yet when I set aside the physical keyboard that I used with the device and attempted to use it strictly as a mobile device, I often felt as if the iPad was nothing more than an extra screen offering bigger pictures and larger text than my phone.

(It should come as no surprise that I have been using Apple’s new iPhone 6 Plus in recent weeks, which I’m sure helped contribute to the feeling.)

Instead of picking up my iPad to read an article or watch a video on YouTube, I would find myself remaining with the iPhone, the experience just as pleasant. Anecdotally, friends have told me similar scenarios: since upgrading to the iPhone 6 Plus, their iPad sits on a shelf, collecting dust.

The similarities are underscored by the fact that the latest version of iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system, is exceedingly similar between the iPad, iPad mini and iPhone 6 Plus. For example, there is now enough room on the iPhone for two column-views in landscape mode, something only the larger iPad previously enjoyed.

But that’s alright. If the tablet is the new laptop, the blurred line between it and the phone matters less, and there may be room for growth at the other end—certainly from a productivity standpoint. I would love to see Apple release a physical keyboard built specifically for the iPad and with software support for custom interactions and auto-correct. I would love the ability to run two apps in a split-screen arrangement, for example. And going out on limb that’s sure to fall, I’d love to see Apple bring more information to the home screen using widgets. Yes, widgets.

Despite these shortcomings, I developed an appreciation for the iPad Air 2. I found the addition of the tablet’s fingerprint sensor for secure access convenient (it works with the handy password manager 1Password) and a productivity boost. The recently released Pixelmator for iPad, an image editor, combined with the new model’s improved graphics performance has helped reaffirm it as a PC replacement for me.

But let’s be honest: My use case is far from the norm. I’ve spent countless hours and dollars researching apps and accessories in order to make the iPad work for me. I have forced the iPad to fit into my life. The average person is less likely to invest that kind of time. For those people, that burden lies at Apple’s feet.

“Logged In” is Fortune’s personal technology column, written by Jason Cipriani. Read it on Fortune.com each Tuesday.

Summary: As phones grow ever larger, Apple's new iPad Air 2 shines in a different light: as a PC replacement.


For the first time in a decade-and-a-half, the F.B.I. is requiring its agents to pass a fitness test.

(Yes, it is strange that they aren’t already forced to do so.)

The agency used to require mandatory fitness testing in the 1980s and 1990s, but put things on hold in 1999 because the bureau wanted to evaluate the test’s efficiency. Their reemergence is, in part, a response to the stress agents have endured since 9/11, which has cut into their focus on fitness.

In reintroducing the tests, F.B.I. Director James Comey said that protecting the lives of colleagues and the American people “may well depend” on agents’ ability to run, fight, and shoot. “I want the American people to be able to take one glance at you and think, ‘THERE is a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,’” he said.

So what’s required of F.B.I. agents? The New York Times has the full run-down; here are a few highlights:

Men, age 20-29, must complete:

Women, ages 20-29, must complete:

Less is required of agents as they age.

Men, ages 50-59, must complete

Women, ages 50-59, must complete

Fitness assessments are typical in law enforcement occupations, which are often physically demanding. Applicants to the New York Police Department, for instance, must pass the so-called Job Standard Test, which requires wannabe officers to complete an obstacle course in four minutes and 28 seconds that simulates on-the-job tasks like jumping a six-foot-barrier and dragging a 176-pound human dummy 35 feet.

The F.B.I.’s new fitness test, which 13,500 agents have until October to take, recalls the spirit of the bureau’s first director, J. Edgar Hoover, who translated his obsessions over his own weight into concern over his agents’ well being.

Watch more business news from Fortune:

Summary: The agency has introduced new physical requirements for its officers.


For ice-cream lovers today is the best day of the year—Ben & Jerry’s Free Cone Day.

From 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, the Vermont-based creamery, which is owned by Unilever ul , will be handing out free ice cream at participating locations. Unlike other similar promotions that are limited to just one serving per customer, Ben & Jerry’s will give you as many scoops as you’re willing to wait in line for.

It’s an annual tradition that the ice cream maker has has going for nearly 40 years. According to Fox News, it first began in 1979, though it started as a Vermont-only event. It has since gone global, and last year the company gave out more than a million free servings of ice cream to loyal fans around the world. It’s possible it could hand out even more this year now that the company has expanded its consumer base—this is the first Free Cone Day to feature Ben & Jerry’s new non-dairy flavors.

It’s the second time in less than a month that Ben & Jerry’s is giving out free ice cream. On March 31 founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield went to Union Square in Manhattan to hand out free sundaes of “Bernie’s Yearning,” the flavor they created for Bernie Sanders.

Summary: As many scoops as you can stand.


Russell Street bomber, Stanley Taylor, has died in custody aged 79.

He was sentenced to life in prison for the 1986 car bomb explosion that killed a female police officer and injured 21 others outside the Melbourne police office on Russell Street.

Corrections Victoria confirmed a prisoner of that age died of natural causes at St Vincents Hospital on Wednesday.

Taylor had been ill for at least a year, according to numerous media reports.

A career criminal, Taylor was known for having a hatred for authority.

Before the bombing, he had served 17 years in prison for numerous bank robberies.

Eight years after getting out, he would commit one of the most brutal acts of terror in Victoria.

The car bomb was set up to explode at 1pm, precisely the time most people would be heading out to get their lunch.

It was stuffed with almost 60 sticks of gelignite and timed for maximum destruction.

Constable Angela Taylor, 21, was on her way to pick up lunch for her office when she was in the direct firing line.

She died of her injuries 24 days after the bombing, becoming the first Australian police woman to die in the line of duty.

The explosion was so large that debris was found three blocks away.

Police were led to Taylor and his accomplices when they were able to rebuild the car used in the attack, and found it had been stolen.

Alongside Taylor in 1988, Craig Minogue received life with a minimum of 28 years and Rodney Minogue was jailed for eight years with a minimum of six in 1988.

Another man, Peter Reed, was found not guilty but was later jailed for 13 years, with a minimum of 11, of the attempted murder of police during the investigation of the bombing.

Craig Minogue will be up for parole by the end of this year.

As with all deaths in custody, Taylor's death will be referred to the coroner.

Summary: Thirty years after the Russell Street bombing killed one police officer and injured 21, one of the perpetrators, Stanley Taylor, has died in custody.


Harrison Ford has been fingered for a crime he didn't commit, and cops are trying to find out who set him up ... TMZ has learned.

According to the Huntington Beach PD Arrest Log -- a 73-year-old Harrison Ford was arrested Thursday at noon for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse and possession of a controlled substance.

Problem is ... cops have no record, outside of the online entry, of the actor -- or any other Harrison Ford -- getting busted. BTW, sources close to Ford tell us he's not even in the country right now.

The suspicious arrest log is also weird because the "Case ID" doesn't match the numerical pattern of other listed cases.

Cops tell us they're working to get to the bottom of the bogus record. But to be clear ... Indiana Jones/Han Solo was NOT arrested.

Harrison's gotta be used to this kinda frame job though. Y'know, after that whole One-Armed Man mess ...

Summary: Harrison Ford has been fingered for a crime he did not commit, and an investigation is underway to find out who set him up ... TMZ has learned.


HOUSTON — On Thursday, head coach Jim Tomsula came to the defense of his much-maligned backup quarterback, saying, “I’m a believer in Blaine Gabbert.”

Two days later, Gabbert justified his coach’s confidence.

A year after he began a miserable preseason by posting a 1.7 passer rating in the opener, Gabbert began the exhibition season with a bang. He completed 8 of 11 passes for 86 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown strike to tight end Garrett Celek. Passer rating: 125.6.

“I’m not surprised by that,” Tomsula said. “It’s good to see Blaine out there with a nice supporting cast and able to function the way he practices.”

Gabbert was asked if he’s now more comfortable in his second season with the 49ers. He credited increased practice opportunities for his improvement.

“I think the way we approached this offseason, this training camp, the amount of reps the quarterbacks have gotten,” Gabbert said. “Running our core offensive plays, it’s helped tremendously. The more reps you get, the better you’re going to play.”

Bad connection: Quarterback Colin Kaepernick played just one series and the four-play sequence featured a near-miss: Kaepernick had Torrey Smith open deep downfield for what would have been an 82-yard touchdown pass, but he overthrew the fleet wide receiver.

“We were just trying to give Torrey a chance on that play,” Kaepernick said. “…It was a play we had dialed up. It happened to work out. Just got to make that connection.”

Kaepernick completed 1 of 3 passes, finding wideout Anquan Boldin for 14 yards on his lone completion.

Boone blasts call: It didn’t count in the standings, but that doesn’t mean guard Alex Boone was going to shrug off a holding call on tight end Vance McDonald on the 49ers’ first offensive play.

The microphone of referee Jeff Triplette was on when Boone told him: “That holding call was bull—.”

Asked after the game about his critique of the call, Boone still sounded less than amused.

“I said what I said. I stand by it. It’s bull—,” Boone said.

How did Triplette respond: “He laughed,” Boone said. “He said I was right.”

No Bo: As expected, NaVorro Bowman’s return to the field didn’t come Saturday.

The 49ers’ inside linebacker, who is 19 months removed from a severe knee injury, was held out of the game. In addition, tight end Vernon Davis and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett didn’t play. Dockett, 34, is a year removed from a torn ACL and his snaps have been monitored during the first two weeks of training camp.

Injury report : The good news in a loss: The 49ers emerged nearly intact.

Inside linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf) suffered the lone injury. The 49ers entered the game thin at inside linebacker: Michael Wilhoite, Philip Wheeler and Nick Bellore didn’t travel to Houston.

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.

Summary: HOUSTON — On Thursday, head coach Jim Tomsula came to the defense of his much-maligned backup quarterback, saying, “I’m a believer in Blaine Gabbert.”  A year after he began a miserable preseason by posting a 1.7 passer rating in the opener, Gabbert began the exhibition season with a bang.  Passer rating: 125.6.  “I think the way we approached this offseason, this training camp, the amount of reps the quarterbacks have gotten,” Gabbert said.  Running our core offensive plays, it’s helped tremendously.  Quarterback Colin Kaepernick played just one series and the four-play sequence featured a near-miss:  Kaepernick had Torrey Smith open deep downfield for what would have been an 82-yard touchdown pass, but he overthrew the fleet wide receiver.  Kaepernick completed 1 of 3 passes, finding wideout Anquan Boldin for 14 yards on his lone completion.  The 49ers’ inside linebacker, who is 19 months removed from a severe knee injury, was held out of the game.  [...] tight end Vernon Davis and defensive tackle Darnell Dockett didn’t play.  Dockett, 34, is a year removed from a torn ACL and his snaps have been monitored during the first two weeks of training camp.


Used to be the arrival of an album big enough to contend for year’s best was an event: something a record company spent time setting up scrupulously, seeding advance stories, securing media coverage to whet anticipation and fuel desire. Something you marked on the calendar, even. But now we live in the age of Beyoncé — more properly, the age of “Beyoncé,” the name of the “video album” that artist dropped without warning in December 2013.

The tide has turned, clearly. The year’s biggest albums show up unannounced, sometimes shrouded in intentional mystery, like Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” in April and Radiohead’s “A Moon Shaped Pool” in May. Sneak-drop releases from Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, and James Blake prove that the old rules no longer apply.

It’s hard to imagine that Dev Hynes — whose third album as Blood Orange, “Freetown Sound,” is among this year’s most extraordinary creations — was banking on that kind of buzz when he broke curfew on his LP, releasing it three days before its July 1 due date. More likely Hynes simply was eager to get his wildly ambitious creation out into the world — damn the consequences.

That he had an album so quietly revolutionary in him doesn’t come as such a surprise, given his rapid trajectory. From his brittle dance-punk in Test Icicles to the cozier indie-rock he made as Lightspeed Champion, Hynes has accrued layers of sophistication. Blood Orange has seen him tip the scales toward R&B and funk awash in electronics, and incorporating disparate guests like an indie-film auteur. Carly Rae Jepsen, Nelly Furtado, and Debbie Harry occupy significant spots on “Freetown Sound,” as do, via choice samples, poet Ashlee Haze and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Less a thematic cycle than “Lemonade,” Hynes’s album — its title a reference to his father’s Sierra Leone hometown — compiles contemplations of race, gender, sexuality, and desire. His references are seldom specific (though his samples often are), yet “Freetown Sound” demands to be considered within the context of its times: from Black Lives Matter and the latest police shootings to Leslie Jones being virtually lynched on Twitter this week.

Marginalized viewpoints surface repeatedly. On “By Ourselves,” Haze loudly praises Missy Elliott for outlier inspiration. “Desirée” recycles thoughts about sexual commerce spoken by the late transgender performer Venus Xtravaganza in the film “Paris Is Burning.”

Charged stuff, yet Hynes never resorts to polemic. Global and personal politics mix and mingle, animated with gospel, funk, and hip-hop modes and moves. What results is an album to live with, and to live inside: engrossing and necessary.

NINE MORE BEST ALBUMS OF 2016 (SO FAR)

Daniela Vesco/Invision for Parkwood Entertainment/AP Images

Beyonce performing in May in Canada.

Anohni, “Hopelessness”: Shedding prior chamber-pop decorum, this initimable singer weaponized electronica on a subversively seductive protest album.

Beyoncé, “Lemonade”: The extent to which this cycle of songs about betrayal and self-discovery may have been drawn from life pales next to its electric potency and majesty.

James Blake, “The Colour in Anything”: Post-breakup self-absorption has rarely sounded more inviting than on this LP, which showed up abruptly, demanding extended engagement.

David Bowie, “Blackstar”: An art-pop chameleon to the very end, Bowie enlisted a lithe jazz combo to assert his will on this, his final testament.

Chance the Rapper, “Coloring Book”: Having hijacked Kanye West’s uneven “The Life of Pablo,” Chance stepped up with a charismatic clutch of gospel-steeped hip-hop.

Maxwell, “blackSUMMERS’night”: Among the truest successors to the late, great Prince, Maxwell matched romantic ruminations to pitch-perfect soul settings.

Parker Millsap, “The Very Last Day”: Singing with a penetrating quaver, Millsap suffused arresting vignettes about marginalized characters with gravity and empathy.

Radiohead, “A Moon Shaped Pool”: After disappearing completely for a few days to set the stage, Radiohead returned with sumptuous contemplations of maturity and loss.

Esperanza Spalding, “Emily’s D+Evolution”: Untethered from her jazz-virtuoso status, Spalding showed explosive creativity in this offbeat funk gem.

Summary: “Freetown Sound” has rewarding depths and a quiet urgency, placing it among the likes of Beyoncé and Bowie on a list of 2016’s strongest albums so far.


Their working day will now consist of ten hours, with regular breaks to sustain them, with no models under the age of 16 used to represent adults. All youngsters are to be accompanied by a chaperone, with no nudity or semi-nudity required.

Hailing the decision to sign the contract, Equity has now called Vogue a “pioneer in the international modelling industry” which is “committed to the health and welfare of models”. “pioneer” in showing the commitment to protect models.

Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, said the contract was a sign of the magazine’s “continued commitment” to setting the “benchmark” for the industry.

The union now hopes other magazines follow Vogue’s example, bringing in the clauses throughout the fashion industry.

Last year, supermodel Kate Moss spoke of her experiences as a young model, admitting her frequent nudity on photo shoots caused her distress.

"I see a 16-year-old now, and to ask her to take her clothes off would feel really weird,” she told Vanity Fair magazine.

"But they were like "If you don't do it, then we're not going to book you again". So I'd lock myself in the toilet and cry and then come out and do it. I never felt very comfortable about it.”

She added the stress of being told to straddle male models left her bedridden and fearing she would die, with “massive pressure to do what you had to do”.

A spokeswoman for Equity said the union was “delighted” to sign the first model of conduct with Vogue,

Dunja Knezevic, a working model and current chair of Equity’s models committee, said: “Signing up to Equity’s Code shows Vogue UK’s dedication to improving the working conditions of models.

“We hope that other magazines and publishing houses, retailers and designers will also understand the importance of protecting models in the workplace, sign up to the Code and prevent treatment of the kind which would be wholly unacceptable in any other profession!”

Alexandra Shulman added: “Work has been ongoing in the year since the Health Initiative was announced by all international Vogue editors.

"Here in Britain we’ve been working with model agencies to assist in the education and mentorship of younger models, and our support of the Equity Code reinforces our continued commitment to set the benchmark for this important industry issue.

"We’re very pleased that Equity is using its position in such a positive way.”

Summary: Models have been promised a square meal, central heating and no pressure to go   naked on photo shoots, as fashion bible Vogue become the first magazine to   sign a contract enshrining their dignity and respect at work.


Want to enter the New Year free of stress and muscle tension?

Yoga expert Bee Bosnak breaks down three simple yoga moves to help you ease into 2017.

1. Seated spinal twist Try this move to release any stagnation and congestion in the thoracic spine, and to strengthen the spine and increase flexibility.

Extend your legs forward, and then pull your right knee towards your chest. Find a tall spine. Bend your left knee, and take your left foot to the outside of your right hip so that your left knee is forward. Take your right foot over to the left, and place your right hand behind you. As you inhale, reach your left arm up to the sky, and then as you exhale hook your elbow to the outside of the right knee. Gently rotate the upper back.

“The power in the pose is coming from your right foot, so imagine standing on that leg. With each breath in, create more length in your spine, and with each exhale, create a little bit more rotation in your spine,” says Bosnak. “This will help you to rinse out any negative energy from the spine or anything in your thoughts or mind that is holding you back, and will help you to let go.”

2. Pigeon pose Pigeon pose stretches the hip flexors, and helps unlock fear and anxiety.

Begin the move on all fours. Step your left leg back, and then step your right leg back. Bring your right knee towards your right wrist, and then send your left leg as far back as you can. Relax your left toes on the ground. Walk your hands back and balance out your hips. As you inhale, push the ground away and open your chest, and as you exhale, very softly move closer to the ground. You can keep your elbows down on the ground, or your arms can be completely straight.

“This will help you to create more space and expansion in the capsule of your hip as well as release any kind of stored energy that needs to go in the hip joints,” says Bosnak.

3. Upward facing dog This classic yoga pose strengthens the spine, arms and wrists while stretching the chest, lungs and abs.

Begin on all fours. Step your left leg back and then step your right leg back. Push the earth away as you slowly start to hover your belly towards the ground. Use the stability of your hands to create space in your chest and your shoulders. Relax your toes down and squeeze your inner thighs. Let the back bend happen from your upper chest rather than from your lower back. Take a full breath in and a deep breath out.

Bosnak says doing an upward facing dog “will help you to create more expansion in your shoulders, pecs, and sternum, and keep you open, free and relaxed.”

Summary: Yoga expert Bee Bosnak demonstrates three yoga moves to help you release stress and muscle tension before starting the new year


French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has summoned the US ambassador over leaked documents that suggest her government spied on President Francois Hollande and two predecessors.

Diplomatic sources told AFP that US Ambassador Jane Hartley had been summoned for a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the documents published by Wikileaks the day before.

The documents - labelled Top Secret and appearing to reveal spying on Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Hollande from 2006 to 2012 - were revealed online by WikiLeaks, in partnership with French newspaper Liberation and the Mediapart website.

The White House did not comment on past activity, but said it was not targeting Hollande's communications and will not do so in the future.

Do you have any news photos or videos?

Summary: The US ambassador to France has been summoned to the French Foreign Ministry following revelations by WikiLeaks.


09/29/2015 AT 11:45 AM EDT

Rather than calling a locksmith on Sunday to help unlock his car, an alleged Ohio drug dealer called 911 instead – and now faces marijuana trafficking charges.

A Reading police spokeswoman tells PEOPLE that Dylan Lee Hopkins, 21, reached out to police soon after locking his keys inside his car. The spokeswoman said that responding cops struggled for a bit but eventually unlocked the vehicle.

Once they did, they noticed the strong smell of marijuana wafting from the car, the spokeswoman said.

Hopkins allegedly confessed to police that he had pot in his car, the spokeswoman said, and a quick search of the car allegedly turned up a scale, plastic bags and half-a-pound of marijuana.

"We recovered items that indicate Mr. Hopkins intended to sell that marijuana," the spokeswoman says.

Summary: Ohio man who locked himself out of his car and called 911 for help


It stands on the edge of a mill pond or a little town in Galway. Its roof may be thatched, its walls of stone. The furniture is a bit rough, perhaps, but there is a cozy fireplace for cool evenings. And looking out toward the town, or across the quiet Irish countryside, the only sounds are the buzzing of insects, the trickling of a lazy stream, the soft winds rustling shade trees and fields of long grass.

The ''Rent-an-Irish-Cottage'' program, long popular around Shannon, will be expanded next year throughout much of Ireland, particularly in Ballinglanna in County Cork, Carraroe in County Galway and Dun Oir in County Kerry.

These housekeeping cottages have well-equipped kitchens and usually accommodate six to eight guests, groups or families. The costs are reasonable by almost any modern standard of tourism: $150 to $300 a week.

For the more affluent, another idea - ''Rent-an-Irish-Castle'' - is beginning to flourish. Castles may be rented by the day, week or month, by families or groups. Three are available currently: Killoskehane at Borrisloeigh, Tipperary; Carraigin at Headford, Galway, and Cloghan at Kilchreest, Loughrea, also in Galway.

Contact the Irish Tourist Board, 590 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10036 (212-246-7400). Sentimental Rail Journey

Describe a dream come true for railroad buffs: Plush velvet seats, polished wood and brass fittings, elegant meals, entertainment in the lounge car, private-room cars and the kind of service that hasn't been around for decades on the nation's passenger trains - and it will all be on track next year in a series of trans-continental trips combining whistlestop nostalgia and up-to-date luxury.

Re-creating an era of grace and style, five round trips between New York and Los Angeles will be offered to about 40 on each trip. They'll ride in four private cars furnished in 1930's and 40's art deco and drawn by regular Amtrak trains, like the Bankers, the Crescent and the Sunset Limited.

The pace will be leisurely - nine days for each continental crossing - with stopovers in New Orleans and Phoenix, where chauffeur-driven limousines and luxury hotels will be provided.

The dates are not set, but the first of the sentimental journeys will begin in the spring. The price, $2,295 per person one way, will cover meals, cocktails, live entertainment in the lounge car and a staff of seven on the train. Also included will be rooms at the Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix and the Beverly Wilshire.

Reservations may be made through American Express offices. Jesus' Life Portrayed At Its Origin

A note for Americans traveling soon to Israel: Amid the ancient beauty of Jerusalem and the Galilee, two new theatrical productions are stirring deep emotions and attracting large audiences of Israelis and foreign visitors.

While New York audiences are marveling over the marathon events of Charles Dickens's ''Nicholas Nickleby'' at $100 a ticket, theatergoers in Israel are, for the first time, getting a chance to see productions of ''The Passion Play'' and ''The Nativity of Jesus,'' both for $50 a ticket.

In the courtyard of St. Pierre in Gallicantu, in Jerusalem - the site, scholars say, of the Palace of Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest in the era of the crucifixion - ''The Passion Play'' is being presented in sound-and-light form by a company of actors and artists of various faiths with the permission of the Israeli Government.

''The Nativity of Jesus,'' meantime, is playing near Bethlehem, at Shepherd's Field in the Village of Beit-Sahou. Performances of ''The Passion Play,'' which is scheduled to run until Oct. 31, are being given on alternate nights under the direction of Francisco de Araujo, the American conductor who wrote the three-hour play, which attempts to end centuries of controversy over fixing blame for Christ's crucifixion.

It is being produced in ''a spirit of conciliation, devoted to peace,'' and to ''bury forever the distorted notion that any one race or group of people should be generally blamed for the crucifixion,'' a spokesman for Mr. de Araujo said.

Tickets for both plays are available from International Theater and Historical Productions, Suite 302 at 5855 Green Valley Circle, Culver City, Calif., 90230 (213-670-3048). Addtional information is available from Wallace Henley, director of communications, Passion Play of Jerusalem, Jefferson Federal Building, Birmingham, Ala. 35203 (205-956-5133). A Weekend In Nantucket

A wilderness of sand dunes and scrub pine, driftwood and salt air, and a quaint old town filled with memorabilia of 19th-century whalers and square-rigged ships will be the focus next weekend on a three-day tour of Nantucket, and the guides will be staff members of the South Street Seaport in lower Manhattan.

The tour, from 7 A.M. Friday to 10 P.M. Sunday, will begin and end at the museum's Education Workshop at 165 John Street. After lunch in Hyannis, Mass., on Cape Cod, the group will be ferried to Nantucket and will check in at the antique-filled Jared Coffin House. A cocktail party will enliven the evening.


The nationwide uproar over police-involved shootings in Louisiana, Minnesota, and Texas this week is fueling sales for companies like Axon, the country’s leading provider of body-worn cameras, used primarily by law enforcement.

Axon spokesman Steve Tuttle tells Fortune that he spent most of Friday fielding media calls, less than 24 hours after at least five police officers were shot dead by a disgruntled sniper. The shooter later told police that his killing spree was motivated by the digitally-recorded deaths of two black men, killed by white officers, earlier in the week.

“This is such a nationwide news, attention-grabbing situation that just tears at your heartstrings,” Tuttle says. “You’re just seeing this enormous change in the way we view police. We need tools to address this. If it hasn’t sunk in yet, it will now.”

Axon is a division of Taser tasr , the Scottsdale, Ariz. electroshock weapon maker. Axon’s chief product, the Body 2 camera, first hit the market in 2014. Around that same time, the Black Lives Matter movement surged following the high profile civilian deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

In the two years since, Taser’s corporate earnings have grown from $36.2 million in the first quarter of 2014 to $55.5 million in the first quarter of 2016. (In the last year alone, sales in Taser’s Axon segment jumped 50% from $6.4 million to $9.7 million.) The company is far and away the dominant player in both the non-lethal weapon business and the police body camera category, according to various analyst estimates. As of this week, at least 3,500 police agencies and departments from 33 major cities across the nation use Axon body cams, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York, which began piloting a body cam program last month.

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It was an Axon body cam that recorded the fatal shooting of Samuel DuBose by former University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing in July 2015. Tensing told his superiors he shot DuBose in self-defense after the local man tried to run him over during a traffic stop; the officer’s body cam video disproved his claim. (Tensing was fired from his job after the video was released. A grand jury indicted him on murder charges; his trial begins in October.)

Taser isn’t the only police body camera maker seeing a sales uptick. Rival Panasonic, the leading provider of police dashboard cameras, has seen revenue growth of 180% year over year in its “mobile evidence capture” division, which makes body-worn imaging equipment for law enforcement, according to product manager John Cusick. (The Japanese electronics giant doesn’t break out sales figures for its body cam unit.)

“There’s an obvious increase in demand,” Cusick says. “There’s an expectation now that everybody should have one.”

Still, the proliferation of police body cameras hasn’t come without controversy.

Critics argue that video evidence from police body cameras rarely results in additional accountability for the wearer, and only serves to further erode the privacy rights of regular citizens.

Police Foundation president Jim Bueermann told the Wall Street Journal this week that most industry experts believe the technology is too rudimentary to make a difference—akin to 1980s-era phones, he said, and largely useless in certain circumstances, such as a physical struggle. The Police Foundation is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting innovation and improvement in policing.

Some law enforcement watchdogs are in agreement. Mike Bento, an activist for the pro-Black Lives Matter organization NYC Shut It Down, argues that body cameras worn by law enforcement can never replace the need for civilian surveillance of police officers.

For example, the Baton Rouge officers who shot Alton Sterling on Tuesday morning were wearing body cameras that failed to record the incident, he says. “That video was captured by a cop watcher, not a body camera,” Bento says. “Body cameras run the risk of becoming another tool of state surveillance. I’d be very skeptical of introducing body cameras to police for any reason. We don’t wish to give the police more power.”

Tuttle, the Axon spokesman, says the company’s cameras were not worn by Baton Rouge officers. Still, video evidence collected by police body cams are typically owned by the individual police departments that use them, he says. Therefore dissemination of that footage is subject to the department’s policies and local law.

Moreover, though Axon cameras are always on and recording, their footage is only saved when officers press a button on the device to initiate recording, such as when the officer begins a traffic stop or arrives at a crime scene, Tuttle says. (The data are saved to a removable flash drive to later be uploaded to department servers and an encrypted Axon cloud server accessible only by the department. More than 3 petabytes of data have been uploaded to Axon’s cloud environment to date.)

In short, police body cams are no panacea. But Tuttle argues that the devices help more than hurt. He dismisses those who say that police body cams fail to make a difference, pointing to a 2013 case study that found a large reduction in the number of complaints about police misconduct after the deployment of the devices.

“It’s an absurd premise,” Tuttle says. “Body worn cameras put police officers in a greater position to do their jobs better, to get the best available evidence, and to take the guesswork out of what occurred in those events.”

Summary: But critics argue that body cameras don't stop bad cops.


Creditors of Lucas Neill have held a formal meeting in the UK in the first step of formally determining who's owed what by the bankrupt former Socceroos star.

Neill wasn't present at Thursday's meeting, which took place at the Southend offices of Begbies Traynor's who were appointed joint trustees of his assets by the Secretary of State's office in April after he was adjudged to be bankrupt by Blackburn County Court on January 6.

The full process is expected to take several months to fully complete and caps off a remarkable fall from grace for the one-time poster boy of Australian football who spent 15 years playing in England and lucrative stints in Turkey, the Middle East and Japan where he earned an estimated $A40 million.

Details of the meeting are confidential by British law but according to records AAP obtained from UK Companies House, businesses in which Neill holds directorships are currently over STG7 million ($A13.5 million) in the red.

One of the companies, Take 5 Film Liabilities Partnership, has a number of star sporting names on its directors list including former England cricket skipper Michael Vaughan, jockeys Tony McCoy and Richard Johnson and several ex-soccer players.

Records show the company owes STG6.9 million ($A13.4 million) with another firm, The Film Development Partnership, showing debts of almost STG120,000 ($A233,000)

Neill is listed as owning three properties in the north of England, including a five-bedroom house in the Lancashire countryside that this week was sold, subject to contract, for $A1.65 million.

Neill also has investments around the world including property in the US, a coaching clinic in Australia, a restaurant company and he once owned five racehorses.

Summary: Lucas Neill's creditors have formally met at the offices of the trustees of the former Socceroos skipper's assets in the UK.


Marine investigators have joined local detectives on the NSW mid-north coast to examine a fatal collision between a boat and a jet ski.

A 54-year-old woman on the jet ski died at the scene at Nerong, south of Forster, on Friday afternoon.

An eight year-old boy who was also on the jet ski will have surgery for a broken leg after he was flown to John Hunter Hospital.

The boat's skipper, a male aged 46, was also flown to hospital with a broken nose and ribs.

Police say a child on board the boat was uninjured.

Marine Area Command's Superintendent Mark Hutchings said the boat had been seized for forensic testing.

"We are mindful of the tragedy that has befallen everyone involved and what sort of affect last night's events would have had," he said.

"Specialist marine investigators have been sent to the area to work with local detectives so a report can be prepared for the coroner."

Summary: A woman has been killed and an eight-year-old boy remains in hospital following a crash between a jet ski and a boat on NSW's mid north coast.


TOKYO — In the months before she jumped to her death from a company dormitory last Christmas, a young employee at a Japanese advertising agency told friends on Twitter of enduring harassment and grueling long hours on the job.

“They’re making me work Saturdays and Sundays again,” the employee, Matsuri Takahashi, 24, wrote in one post. “I seriously want to end it all.”

“It’s 4 a.m. My body’s trembling,” she said in another. “I’m going to die. I’m so tired.”

On Wednesday, the president and chief executive of Takahashi’s agency, Dentsu, one of the world’s largest advertising firms, said he would resign to take responsibility for her death, as well as the larger problem of dangerously long work hours at the agency that has been laid bare in its wake. Before her suicide, Takahashi was putting in more than 100 hours of overtime a month, according to an investigation by labor authorities, much of it unreported and unpaid.

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Japan has struggled for decades to tame the issue of excessive working hours and its consequences, including karoshi, the Japanese word for death from overwork, which gained currency in the 1980s.

Takahashi’s 2015 death has led to a new bout of soul-searching. It has also damaged Dentsu’s reputation and brought scrutiny from labor authorities and prosecutors.

“We are taking this seriously,” the Dentsu president, Tadashi Ishii, said at a news conference. “I offer my heartfelt apology.”

He said he would tender his resignation to Dentsu’s board next month but would remain in his post until March to give the company time to choose a replacement.

Working late has long been seen in Japan as a badge of corporate loyalty, repaid by employers in the form of ironclad job security. Both the security and the loyalty that many workers feel have eroded in recent years, as cultural norms have shifted and Japan’s economy has struggled. But the problem of health-threatening overwork has persisted.

In a government report on karoshi published in October, nearly a quarter of companies surveyed said some employees were working more than 80 hours of overtime a month. The true percentage is probably higher, since the survey relied on self-reporting.

Dentsu is known as a particularly demanding employer. A president in the 1950s urged its employees to work single-mindedly to complete tasks and satisfy clients, “even if it kills you.” The company continued to print the exhortation in training materials until after Takahashi’s death, when it had them removed, according to multiple Japanese news reports.

In the aftermath of the suicide, Dentsu is trying to change its culture.

The company has begun turning off the lights at its headquarters at 10 p.m., as a signal for employees to go home. It also now requires workers to take at least five days off every six months. Its employees are entitled to more vacation days than that but, fearing censure from bosses and colleagues, many never take them, a common phenomenon in Japan.

After examining the circumstances of Takahashi’s death, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare ruled that its underlying cause was overwork, a finding that entitled her family to compensation. Takahashi was not alone in working punishing hours, the ministry said. Its investigators searched Dentsu’s offices in November and found what they said was evidence that Dentsu had underreported overtime hours worked by several dozen other employees.

The ministry has referred the case to prosecutors as a potential violation of labor laws. A separate criminal investigation is not yet complete, and no charges have been filed.

Before her death, Takahashi told her Twitter followers and family members that she not only worked too much, but that she was bullied by her bosses. The harassment, she said, took the form of faultfinding about her work and sexist comments about her appearance.

As her exhaustion deepened, she said on Twitter, her supervisors chided her for coming to work with “messy hair and bloodshot eyes” and told her she had “no femininity.”

Shoichi Nakamoto, Dentsu’s deputy president, acknowledged at the news conference that “there was power harassment by supervisors.”


Cathriona White and Jim Carrey are seen in New York in May

09/30/2015 AT 05:25 PM EDT

at her L.A. Residence on Monday night, it was characterized as a possible suicide due to evidence found on the scene. The coroner's report noted that not only were there pills located near her, but there was also a suicide note – and the note contained Carrey's name, PEOPLE has learned.

Though Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said he did not personally seen the note, he confirmed to PEOPLE that the Los Angeles Police Department told him Carrey's name was in the letter.

"The LAPD evidently said [it contained Carrey's name]," Winter tells PEOPLE.

Further details of the note, including who it was addressed to, remain unknown.

White's official cause of death cannot be determined until an autopsy is performed, and according to Winter, toxicology results can take anywhere from eight to 10 weeks to be completed.

Meanwhile, those closest to White are shocked and devastated by the sudden loss of the 30-year-old

With White's mother, sister and stepmother

to bring White's body back to Ireland, on Tuesday they released an emotional

"The family of Cathriona White sincerely regret the untimely passing of their beloved daughter and sister. Cathriona was a shining light in our lives who was loved deeply by her entire family.

They added: "We will miss her terribly and at this difficult time we ask to be left in private to mourn our loss. There will be no further statements on behalf of the family."

Carrey, who reportedly met White on a movie set in 2012 and dated for most of 2013 before reuniting earlier this year, also spoke out to honor his "sweet Cathriona."

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of my sweet Cathriona," he said in a statement. "She was a truly kind and delicate Irish flower, too sensitive for this soil, to whom loving and being loved was all that sparkled. My heart goes out to her family and friends and to everyone who loved and cared about her."

Summary: According to Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter, the note "evidently" contained Carrey's name


Akamai said the jump was largely due to increased attacks in the Asia Pacific region. Specifically, the company highlighted "attacks against sites in Singapore that occurred after the government there enacted an Internet licensing framework."

Read MoreA cashless society: the growing perils

Akamai's findings echo other recent reports from companies like Neustar, which said Tuesday that "nearly twice as many businesses surveyed suffered a DDoS attack last year and more than 40 percent estimated DDoS losses at more than $1 million per day."

Read MoreAsian hackers drive cyber-spying spike

Perhaps even scarier: Almost 90 percent of companies that suffered DDoS attacks were hit repeatedly, Neustar said.

On the positive side of Akamai's report, the average peak Internet speed worldwide was up 38 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2012, and about 3 percent more of the world was connected to Internet compared with the prior quarter.

—By Julianne Pepitone, NBC News

Summary: A new 'state of the Internet' report show that as the Internet grows, so does the number of cyberattacks - NBC reports.


A celebration for Prince is going down in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, but almost no one's heard about it ... unless you were a legit member of his inner circle.

A source who was VERY close to the singer tells TMZ they received an invitation that only mentioned the time, date, and city for the "Celebration of Life." The source was told to pass the word, but ONLY to the most important people his Purpleness would have wanted to attend.

One of Prince's family members says they didn't hear about it, so it appears this is exclusively for close friends and people in the biz. We're told the exact location is only being revealed to invitees who get vetted after RSVP'ing by email.

Bottom line: There are about to be some disappointed people who thought they were tight with Prince.

Summary: A celebration for Prince is going down in Beverly Hills Wednesday night, but almost no one's heard about it ... unless you were a legit member of his…


Constitutional expert George Williams has backed claims that if the election delivers a hung parliament, independents do not need to sign agreements to prove to the governor general that a major party can govern.

Independent members and candidates have suggested they would not sign any agreements along the lines of Julia Gillard’s agreement with Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott.

Williams said if one of the major political parties attempted to go to the governor general to form government, that party would simply require an “understanding” of support of supply bills in order to run the government.

Related: Pooling the polls: how we're tracking opinion polling for the Australian election

That support could be in the form of public statements, a signed letter or agreement or it could be tested on the floor of the parliament in a vote.

“It could be an understanding, it would not necessarily require a signed agreement or it could be left to the floor of parliament,” Williams said.

The two-party preferred polls remain deadlocked at 50-50.

The former prime minister John Howard was campaigning in South Australia where the Liberal party is trying to save former minister Jamie Briggs from Nick Xenophon’s candidate Rebekha Sharkie in the seat of Mayo.

Howard said the move away from the major parties predated Xenophon. He named former independent Pauline Hanson – who is running again for the Queensland Senate – and Donald Trump as manifestations of the loss of voter loyalty by the major parties.

“It’s a worldwide phenomenon – it’s not a Xenophon phenomenon and I don’t think we should overestimate it,” Howard said.

“In the end someone has to govern the country, you can’t just govern the country with 150 independents. I can’t think of anything more chaotic, that would be absolutely gridlock par excellence.”

Sitting Indi independent MP Cathy McGowan has resisted naming which side she would support in the event of a hung parliament. Fellow sitting Denison independent MP Andrew Wilkie – who was in the 43rd parliament – has suggested he would not sign an agreement, given Labor welched on his poker machine reforms contained in his agreement.

Related: Liberals recruit John Howard to protect seat from Nick Xenophon Team

In the New England campaign against the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, Windsor has said he would not pick a side in another hung parliament.

“If there is, I won’t be signing any document with either side,” Windsor said on Q&A on Monday. “That could have happened last time as well. The piece of paper in terms of the hung parliament is not worth the paper it’s written on. There is no legal standing in terms of that piece of paper.

“And in the last hung parliament, the only thing the piece of paper had was that the supported supply, when the budget was being presented, on all other issues ... it was an open book.”

Summary: Constitutional expert George Williams says if one of the major political parties went to governor general to form government, it would just need an ‘understanding’ of support


-- a finalist on the reality show "

" -- was detained briefly by customs in Guam after he was found to be in possession of marijuana.

May's rep tells TMZ custom officials found a small amount of marijuana -- less than an ounce -- as he was arriving in Guam on September 28. He paid a small fine and went on to do a series of performances there.

May says he loved his time in Guam and can't wait to return.

Summary: Comedian Ralphie May -- a finalist on the reality show "Last Comic Standing" -- was detained briefly by customs in Guam after he was found to be in…


President Obama, who started his career in politics as a community organizer, said Monday that protests in the wake of grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in the deaths of unarmed black men are a necessary step.

“As long as they’re peaceful, I think they’re necessary,” Obama said during an interview that aired on BET Monday. “When they turn violent then they turn counterproductive.”

“Power concedes nothing without a fight, that’s true , but it’s also true that a country’s conscious has to be triggered by some inconvenience,” Obama said. “The value of peaceful protests, activism … is it reminds the society this is not yet done.”

Obama’s statements echo sentiments of Attorney General Eric Holder, who said in an interview with TIME that this could be a seminal moment.

Two recent grand jury decisions not to indict police officers Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., and officer Daniel Pantaleo in New York on top of several additional shootings of unarmed black men and boys over the past few months have led to widespread protest across the country. The majority of the protests have been peaceful, though unrest in Ferguson led to violence in late November.

Throughout the interview, Obama touted initiatives his administration has launched to improve the nation’s approach to criminal justice as well as better relationships between communities of color and law enforcement agencies. In early December, Obama announced the launch of a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, designed to build trust within communities.

Obama said Monday he feels an “enormous amount” of responsibility for making an impact amid unrest in Ferguson, New York City and the disconnect some communities feel between themselves and police. Obama said his personal experiences largely shape that feeling of responsibility, which he was reminded of during a meeting with young leaders in the protests last week.

“Part of the reason I got into politics was to figure out how can I bridge some of those gaps in understanding so that the country realizes this not just a black problem or a brown problem. This is an American problem,” Obama said.

Obama said he’s been “explicit” about his concerns regarding minority community interactions with police, but says he can’t “put his thumb on the scale of justice.” The Department of Justice and his administration, he says takes the issue seriously, with federal investigations currently underway in both Ferguson and New York. He added that solving the systemic problems will not happen overnight, but Americans should understand that progress has been made.

“As painful as these incidents are, We can’t equate what’s happening now to what happened 50 years ago,” Obama said.

–With reporting by Zeke Miller

Summary: In an interview with BET, President Obama said protests were "necessary" about the deaths of unarmed black men at the hands of police.


Like a lot of buildings in this town lately, State Street Corp.’s complex in Fort Point is about to be sold by its developers for a big profit.

But that doesn’t mean the tax breaks that subsidized One Channel Center are going away.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority on Tuesday approved the continuation of $9.7 million in tax incentives on the Class A office building, which along with a neighboring garage is set to be sold for more than $300 million. That’s at least one-third more than its developers spent to build it just a few years ago.

It’s a deal that highlights the soaring prices that top-tier Boston buildings can fetch these days. And it’s prompting budget watchdogs to raise questions about the incentives that in some cases helped to fill those buildings with top-tier tenants.

“When the market is down or it’s tough to get a building built, then you start weighing these things,” said Matt Cahill, executive director of the Boston Finance Commission, which monitors city government. “In this economy it’s tricky to justify. It seems like everybody’s coming to Boston.”

The One Channel tax deal was approved in 2012, when the development boom that has engulfed Fort Point and the Seaport District was in its infancy, and when State Street was scouting the region for a site to consolidate several offices. City officials wanted to spark new construction in the neighborhood, and to keep State Street — which then had 8,000 employees in Boston — from moving jobs to the suburbs.

“When the [incentive] was originally negotiated it was a much riskier environment,” said BRA general counsel Renee LeFevre. “We were very concerned about State Street leaving the city.”

So they awarded the tax breaks over 15 years, with the benefits designed to flow directly to State Street, which is the sole tenant and is responsible for property taxes, according to city officials familiar with its lease. That’s unlike other Boston developments that have received tax incentives that include clawbacks if the building is sold at a profit. In this case, the subsidy is tied to the number of State Street employees at One Channel.

Today the company employs about 2,900 people at the building, according to Rebecca Lee, an attorney representing One Channel’s developers, a partnership of CV Properties and Ares Management LP. While the company recently said it will cut 600 jobs, including 56 in Boston, few of those will be at One Channel, city officials said. A State Street spokesman had no comment.

No matter who gets the incentives, a full Class A building in central Boston is a valuable asset.

A partnership of CV Properties and Ares Management spent $225 million building One Channel Center and its garage just a few years ago. Now they’re selling the complex to New York real estate giant Tishman Speyer, fetching $264.5 million for the office building, according to BRA documents, and roughly $50 million more for the garage, according to people familiar with the deal. The developers are also giving a 1.5-acre park on A Street to the city.

For the deal to go through, the BRA needed to transfer the tax breaks, which it did with no debate Tuesday night. The matter may have been a formality, said Sam Tyler, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, but it could have given the city a window to press for a better deal. Next time, he said, they might want to take a harder look.

“This is a strong market. Companies want to buy here,” said Tyler, whose group is a business-backed nonprofit that analyzes city government. The tax break “is a privilege, not a right.”