There is a big misconception in the financial world and among consumers today that all interest is the same: that, for example, a 6 percent mortgage is the same as a 6 percent line of credit. That's not true, because the type of interest you are paying and how it is calculated are just as important. Most U.S. mortgages are financed with fully amortizing loans. This means that a monthly payment to pay off the loan is based on the interest rate, the amount and the term. For example, if you borrow $200,000 using this kind of loan, your payment based on a 6 percent rate and 30-year amortization schedule is $1,075. You may have heard that just one extra payment a year toward the principal of such a loan will pay it off about 10 years sooner. Homeowners have many reasons not to do this. They don't want to tie up that extra $1,075 in their house. They receive no immediate benefit. They would rather keep their $1,075. They want to spend it on something they probably don't need and won't want three months after they buy it. They reason that they will sell their home in eight years anyway, so it doesn't matter. Or they believe interest rates are so low now that they should borrow as much as they can, and invest all of their money rather than paying down debt, because they will come out ahead that way. That last argument is seriously flawed. Reduce the Finance Charge In home equity lines of credit -- also called HELOCs -- the interest rate is less important than the finance charge. Finance charges on lines of credit are figured on average daily balance for the month. For example, when the 30-day finance period closes, your bank calculates that you had an average daily balance of $50,000 and the interest was 6 percent, so you will pay $8.22 per day in finance charges. Your interest charges for the month total $247, so your total payment might be around $325 because the bank will also require some money toward the principal. Simple enough, right? What happens if on the first day you pay $5,000 on the principal? Your balance is now $45,000, so your 6 percent rate now produces a finance charge of $7.40 per day or $222 for the month. You consider that $5,000 as a pay-down, but your bank considers that $5,000 as your payment for the month. Where do we get the $5,000? How about if you used your paycheck? Too many Americans let their pay sit in checking accounts until they pay bills. Why let that money sit there earning zero (or very little) interest? Let that income sit in your revolving line of credit to reduce or cancel finance charges.

If the line of credit is properly set up, would you be able to access your funds by writing a check? Absolutely! Would you have immediate access to any extra loan pay-downs, such as the $5,000 in the example above? Absolutely! Would the time that your money sat inside the line of credit affect your finance charge to your favor? Absolutely! Make Every Penny Count Let's go back to that example. You pay down $5,000 on your line of credit -- but only for 20 days, until you need most of the money to pay bills. The money then gets withdrawn (borrowed again). Your average daily balance and finance charge have been reduced. This is making every penny count by earning or canceling interest every day. %VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%The next step is to leave some discretionary income in the line of credit. Over time, your line of credit will fall dramatically and seemingly without effort. When you balance goes down to $40,000 and all the bills are paid for the month, you can borrow $10,000 from the line of credit and send it to your first mortgage as loan pay-down? You should and do it as often as possible. You are systematically transferring your debt from front-end-loaded amortized debt to average daily balance debt. Every time you do this, your will increase the port of your regular mortgage payment that goes towards the principal and reduce how much goes toward interest. In this was, you can use the principles of interest cancellation (and some of your discretionary income) to pay off mortgages, cars and any other amortized loan in a fraction of the scheduled time. I've had many clients take almost-new 30-year mortgages, and using this program, put themselves on pace to pay them off in six to 12 years without it affecting their lifestyle. Many Australians open big lines of credit to buy their homes and pay their mortgages off in a fraction of the time it takes most Americans. John Jamieson is the best-selling author of "The Perpetual Wealth System" and each week promotes a free training video of the week.

Summary: Studiously transferring your debt from a mortgage to a line of credit could help you pay off your mortgage in a fraction of the scheduled time.


What a wild weekend for the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. The zoo spent the weekend in the national spotlight after a 3-year-old jumped into the gorilla enclosure Saturday. Harambe, a 17-year-old male gorilla, hung around and physically handled the child for about ten minutes and was shot to death by zookeepers.

That tragedy overshadowed the zoo's release of a video made by attaching a GoPro to a cheetah. If you've ever wanted to run from the point of view of a cheetah, this is your chance.

The cheetah's name is Savanna, and although she looks friendly, kids should stay out of her enclosure.

More Animals: -- Bat Dog Steals Show During A-Rod's Double-A Rehab Assignment -- Paul Pierce Buys His Daughter A llama For Her Birthday -- Yoenis Cespesdes, Noah Syndergaard Ride Horses Into Practice

Animals, cheetah, Cincinnati Zoo, Fast, GoPro, Point Of View, Running, Speed, Zoo

Summary: The Cincinnati Zoo strapped a GoPro to a cheetah.


Volkswagen's Up! city car has led the way for some finely honed badge engineering from the VW Group. Within just weeks of the Up!'s debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Skoda announced its new Citigo and Seat its Mii. All are four-seater city cars due to go on sale in the next year for less than £8,000, powered by the same three-cylinder engine. In addition to the production models, VW has used its Up! platform to demonstrate several concepts, including the GT, Cross Up! and Buggy Up!

Summary: The VW Up!, Skoda Citigo and Seat Mii are a fine example of badge engineering,   but they are by no means the first.


The news that Carnegie Mellon had mistakenly sent acceptance emails to applicants who didn’t actuallly make the cut was especially cruel for the 800 kids who were actually rejected from their elite computer science program. But—while there is a special irony to this mistaken mass email coming from officials at the school ranked #1 in computer science—this kind of spirit-crushing mixup is sadly common. It’s become a nearly annual rite of college admissions, particularly since application processes went electronic in the early 2000s. Here’s a rundown of some of the worst offenders:

1995: Elizabeth Mikus, a 17-year-old, is among 45 early-acceptance applicants who receive a fat envelope with a form letter that says “Welcome to Cornell!” But it turns out that the envelopes were sent “due to a clerical error.” Mikus suffers a second time in April when she gets a thin envelope rejecting her again. The family threatened to sue the school over the mishap.

2002: Administrators at the University of California, Davis pick a cruel date to correct a mistake. After sending letters of acceptance to 105 high school students the previous month, the school sends follow-up emails on April Fool’s Day explaining that those letters had been sent in error.

2003: Cornell again. This time the university sends an email saying “Greetings from Cornell, your future alma mater!” to nearly 550 high school students who had already received their rejection letters in December. The school sends emails explaining the mistake a few hours later, in an era when news outlets still called them “email letters.”

2004: UC Davis has back-to-back mishaps. First, the school allows personal data from some 2,000 applicants, including SAT scores and Social Security numbers, to become viewable by other applicants. Soon after, the school acknowledges that they mistakenly sent emails telling 6,500 applicants that they had won $7,500 scholarships. It is the first year UC Davis had sent scholarship announcements by email. “Clearly, we have bugs in that system,” a school representative told the Los Angeles Times.

2006: About 100 high school students receive a congratulatory note welcoming them to the University of Georgia, only to get another letter a few days later explaining that those notes should be disregarded. Someone picked up “the wrong file,” an administrator explains, and failed to send what the students should have gotten: a letter thanking them for applying.

2006: Thousands of applicants to law school at the University of California, Berkeley are invited, and then uninvited, to an alumni-sponsored party for students who had been admitted early. “Anybody who’s made this sort of error can imagine my feelings at that point,” says the admissions director who had accidentally sent the email to the entire applicant pool. “It was a shocking kind of realization: ‘Oh my goodness, what have I done?'”

2007: More than 2,500 students are emailed a congratulatory note on their admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill — only to be told the following day that decisions about their applications had not yet been made. “I’d give anything to go back to 3 p.m. yesterday and change what happened,” the director of undergraduate admissions told WRAL.

2008: About 50 students are welcomed to Northwestern University’s renowned Kellogg School of Management, before being informed that they were actually rejected. Officials describe it as a “technological glitch” in their “automated mail-merge process.”

2009: Yet another unwelcome April Fool’s surprise. About 500 applicants to New York University’s graduate school of public service receive emails announcing their acceptance. About an hour later, they receive emails saying they had not, it turns out, been selected.

2009: Perhaps the largest ball-dropping yet occurred when the University of California, San Diego sent 28,000 students an email saying they had been accepted. Of course, they were not.

2010: Roughly 200 students who had sought early admission to George Washington University receive notes that, as the Washington Post put it, “welcomed them to the Class of 2014 — for several hours.” The mea culpa follows shortly after. The same year, 56 applicants to Vanderbilt University are mistakenly sent acceptance letters, as well as 2,500 applicants to Middlesex University in the U.K.

2011: About 2,000 students are sent acceptance letters from Virginia’s Christopher Newport University, followed by a apology (and take-backsies) about four hours later. The culprit is a database error committed by a human.

2012: Nearly 900 students are informed, wrongly, that they got into UCLA. Hundreds are told, in error, that they’re welcome to attend Ireland’s University of Ulster. And 76 students are led to believe, for 30 minutes, that they have been accepted early to Vassar College.

2013: About 2,500 early-admission applicants to Fordham University are sent financial aid notices congratulating them on their acceptance to the school, though their fates had not actually been decided. “Fordham and its undergraduate admissions staff are acutely aware of the high hopes prospective students and their families have regarding college acceptances,” the school told the New York Times. “The University deeply regrets that some applicants were misled by the financial aid notice.”

2014: Johns Hopkins University mistakenly sends acceptance letters to about 300 applicants who had already been told they didn’t make it into the cut among early decision applicants. Their misfired “Embrace the YES!” email was soon followed by another a few hours later saying that the real news was the bad news.

Summary: This sort of thing happens pretty much every year


It’s never been easier to listen to music–and never harder to decide what to listen to. First, Apple let us digitize our music libraries and put them in our pocket with the iPod. Then streaming services like Spotify made the idea of a “library” obsolete, promising unfettered access to tens of millions of songs at all times. Now, tech companies are trying to make sense of this massive sea of songs with an idea ripped straight from the analog era: getting actual human beings to offer up curated selections of music.

“No one on the Internet is like, ‘But where do I get more songs?’” says Elias Roman, product manager for Google Play Music. Roman was a co-founder of Songza, a music service focusing on curated, contextual playlists that was acquired by Google in July 2014. Since acquiring Songza, Google Play Music has placed context front and center in its streaming interface. When booting up the service on mobile or desktop, Google Play Music provides a list of potential activities you may be doing based on timing. On the 4th of July, for instance, the service offered different sets of playlists for hosting a barbecue, watching fireworks or celebrating with patriotic tunes.

“What I’m most excited about is having people feel like they’re paying to make their workouts and commute better,” says Roman. “The value prop is around lifestyle enhancement.”

Though Google calls these playlists “radio stations,” they’re built differently from the way Internet radio services such as Pandora operate. While Pandora uses listeners’ past preferences and song metadata to algorithmically build stations based on artists or genres on the fly, every track in Google’s contextual playlists are hand-selected by teams of music curators and editors (Play Music has a separate, Pandora-like radio feature with algorithmically driven stations). That human touch helps give the stations a quirky specificity that’s hard for computers to match—there are playlists for Ron Burgundy’s bachelor pad, Kanye West’s soul-sampling “Pink Polo” era and sipping tea with Drake.

Google pays musicians, DJs, music journalists and other experts to build these unusual playlists. A small team of editors permanently employed at Google (and previously Songza) are in charge of managing the curators, tweaking their playlists and framing each collection of music with the right headline and description. They also analyze the way users are interacting with individual lists, swapping out songs that are being skipped too frequently for ones that might be more appealing.

While the curators often have highly specific taste—Google has worked with an expert in Spanish-language children’s music, for instance—the editors have to be generalists who understand the appeal of many different styles of music. As part of the hiring process, some editors had to make a playlist for Susan Boyle fans to prove they could pick songs that don’t necessarily align with their own taste.

“Even if it’s done by a super expert, it’s still for a general audience,” says Jessica Suarez, a product marketing manager at Google who serves as one of Play Music’s editors. “We’re trying to reach as many people as possible.”

Only Google knows exactly how well this focus on human-curated content is paying off. The company declined to disclose the number of Google Play Music subscribers, though it said the figure has doubled since it acquired Songza. A recently launched free, ad-supported tier centered around these playlists indicates that Google believes in their appeal. Newly launched Apple Music, meanwhile, has a similar emphasis on human expertise, with numerous playlists made by Apple editors and a live radio station geared toward highlighting lesser-known gems. Spotify also pays curators to make popular playlists on its service (curators across the services can expect to make a couple of hundred dollars per list, according to The Wall Street Journal).

For online music services, the increased importance of these human experts may be proof the algorithm’s role as the final arbiter in all digital decisions may be fading. “At this point, it’s not cool if you’re listening to Green Day radio,” says Roman. “Like, what does that even say about you? But if you’re listening to ’90s Aggro Anthems’ at the gym, you’re feel like you’re listening to something that’s thoughtful and representative of you and your aspirations and it’s not just pure, lowest-common-denominator background music.”

Summary: When it comes to tunes, human curation is back in a big way


The federal government has gazumped a Labor policy announcement by moving to appoint a new disability discrimination commissioner.

Federal cabinet has agreed to appoint a full-time commissioner to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, reversing a 2014 decision to abolish the role, which was absorbed into the age discrimination commissioner’s job.

It is understood the appointment will be announced next week.

Related: Tim Wilson resigns to seek Liberal preselection for seat of Goldstein

The government has been facing pressure from advocates who argued disability-related complaints formed the Australian Human Rights Commission’s biggest caseload.

On Thursday Labor announced it would reinstate a full-time commissioner in government, but that would involve scrapping the position held by former human rights commissioner Tim Wilson.

“Pleased that the govt has again followed Labor’s lead and announced a f/t disability commissioner, straight after our announcement today,” the shadow attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, tweeted on Thursday.

It’s not uncommon for commissioners to serve dual roles: Graeme Innes, who was disability commissioner, also served as rights and race discrimination commissioner for two years.

Summary: It reverses the 2014 decision to abolish the post and include it in the age discrimination portfolio


Leadership Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: When you get passed up on a promotion, what’s the next step? is written by Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founder and CEO of VaynerMedia.

Getting passed up on a promotion can be brutal. Especially when you were so confident they were going to pick you, yet somehow they picked someone else. It can feel like a huge diss and shot to your ego. But while initial feelings of defeat can feel overwhelming, it’s important to look to the next step as soon as possible — and get back on your feet. The sooner you are able to evaluate and move forward, the sooner you will be on to the next awesome thing.

So, what is the first step to moving on?

It’s quite simple really. Anytime you’re presented with a crossroads in the workplace you need to weigh both extremes, but only when you’ve had a chance to clam down and collect your thoughts. Before even considering the two extremes, you need to get into a space that allows you to be serene. Exhale. No seriously, take a breath. In the few hours or days after the news, have you taken a moment to breath deeply? If not, do it now. This really isn’t the worst thing in the world.

After you’ve mentally calmed down, it’s time to physically do something you enjoy. Maybe it’s a sport like basketball or yoga. Or perhaps you need to get away for a weekend. Essentially, compose yourself for 24-hours using an activity that can act as a reset button. Get yourself to a happy place so you’re not making a decision based on the raw emotions that emerged following the missed promotion.

In my opinion, the vast majority of bad decisions in life are made because of unchecked emotions. That’s why all the things above need to not only ground you, but also put you in a good mood; make sure you are on the positive side of life. Once you are confident that you are, you can now start to weigh the two extremes that I brought up before.

The first extreme requires you to ask yourself the following questions: Do you want to change jobs? Or companies? Or even careers? Is this the right time for you to revisit missed opportunities? Audit yourself and bet on your strengths.

Or, maybe it’s the second extreme: take a step back and try to understand why you were passed up on a promotion in a place that you enjoy working. Let HR and your managers know that you are happy for the person that did get the job; be the bigger man or woman. Then, talk to them about what they expect from you. From their perspective, what are you missing? What do you need for next time? If you are able to digest their explanations and agree with them, then great.

But if you feel like they dealt you a bunch of bull crap, then it might be time to go back to option one. Explore the possibilities of a new career and a new environment. While it may feel like missing that big break could be a door slamming shut, think of it as an invitation to look beyond your current situation.

Summary: Take time to mentally and physically reset -- this really isn't the worst thing in the world.


(Reuters) – A U.S. magistrate judge in Boston in February ordered Apple to assist law enforcement officers in examining the iPhone of an alleged gang member, according to a court filing unsealed on Friday.

“Reasonable technical assistance consists of, to the extent possible, extracting data from the device, copying the data from the device onto an external hard drive or other storage medium and returning the aforementioned storage medium to law enforcement,” U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler wrote.

Apple has been under pressure in recent months to assist law enforcement agencies in searching its iPhones after the U.S. Justice Department sought access to a phone used by a gunman who fatally shot 14 people in San Bernardino, California, in December. The FBI has since said it has figured out a secret method for unlocking iPhones.

Apple aapl objected to the Boston order on the same grounds as it did in the San Bernardino case, an Apple employee briefed on the matter said, and the government did not pursue the matter in this case.

Summary: Order follows intense battle over another criminal investigation.


From left: Alek Skarlatos, Anthony Sadler and Spencer Stone

06/05/2016 AT 12:00 PM EDT

Being honored at Spike TV's annual Guys Choice Awards by

is among the many unexpected highlights for the three Americans who

a gunman on a train bound for Paris last August.

accepted the hero award Saturday night from Eastwood and then shared an animated conversation with the actor backstage, a thrill for the lifelong fans.

"I'm such a huge Clint Eastwood fan. I've seen all of his movies growing up," Skarlatos told PEOPLE on Saturday at Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards in Culver City, California. "Actually meeting him in person, having him give us the award. Then we talked with him for like 10 minutes afterwards. It was one of the coolest experiences that has happened to us so far."

From left: Anthony Sadler, Spencer Stone, Clint Eastwood and Alek Skarlatos

That's saying something. Since being honored internationally for their brave actions that stopped a potentially tragic terrorist attack, the heroes have met

in the Lakers' locker room and Skarlatos even finished in third place on season 21 of

"People try and ask us what's the coolest things we've done, but I can name 100. It's hard to categorize them," Stone said.

However, the three childhood friends weren't looking for this kind of attention or rewards. They claim they simply didn't want to die.

"I know I can speak for all of us when we say we don't think we're heroes," Stone said.

He added, "We're just ordinary guys. We just got lucky. We had a chance to do something good and we took it. That's pretty much it."

The heroes may be humble about their heroic actions, but they do admit they are proud of how they reacted to the situation, no matter how frightening.

"We lived up to what we hoped we would do," Skarlatos said. "But I mean, nobody knows what they're going to do in that kind of situation. I mean, like I said, the first thing I told Anthony when we got off the train was, I'm just glad I didn't piss my pants. I mean, I had no idea that I had that in me."

He continued, "We didn't have time to think or make a decision. It was just act or die. We chose the right thing and we lived. I mean, a lot of luck was on our side. We had friends backing us up obviously. We made it through. I mean, doesn't mean nine times out of ten we wouldn't have died, but that time, we kind of hit the lottery and we just are lucky to be alive and be here and have all the opportunities." Stone is keeping his options open but plans on getting his paramedics license to become a paramedic firefighter. Meanwhile, Skarlatos admits he'd be happy becoming a cop as he planned. Will life soon be back to normal for the guys? Probably not, if you ask them. "You know what, everyone keeps saying that. The rollercoaster ride is coming to an end," Stone said. "But it's been what, almost eight months now? And it's still going. So we have some things coming up. I don't think it's going to end any time soon."  Reporting by SCOTT HUVER

Summary: The American heroes were honored at Spike TV's 10th Annual Guys Choice Awards by Clint Eastwood


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

NORFOLK, Va. (WTVR) -- Thanks to the quick action of a passenger at Norfolk International Airport and a building maintenance team, 10 baby ducklings are safe and back with their mother.

The ducklings ran into some trouble after falling into a grate in the airport parking lot.

A vigilant traveler spotted the duckling in the storm drain and a building maintenance team quickly assisted to remove them from harm's way.

The airport said after a few tense moments and a lot of quacking from their mother, the 10 baby ducklings were pulled out of the drain by a net.

The ducklings were unharmed and have been reunited with their mother.

Check out more photos of ducks being adorable:

10 baby ducklings rescued from storm drain at airport

(Photo by Darren Moston via Getty)

(Photo by Denis Tabler via Shutterstock)

(Photo by Dan Wilton via Getty)

(Photo by Brian Stablyk via Getty)

More from AOL.com: Here are the world's busiest airports Brussels Airport reopens to thin stream of passengers ISIS urges attacks on German chancellery, Bonn airport: SITE group

Summary: Thanks to the quick action of a passenger at Norfolk International Airport and a maintenance team, 10 baby ducklings are safe and back with their mother.


“Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie announced on air Tuesday that she was expecting her second child in December — and skipping NBC’s Olympics broadcast in Brazil over Zika virus concerns.

“I’m not going to be able to go to Rio ... The doctors say that we shouldn’t because of the CDC, because of the Zika virus, so I’ll miss it,” she said.

“You’re going to have to go to female beach volleyball without me, Matt (Lauer). Try to carry on,” she joked. “You guys will have a great time, and I’ll hold down the fort.”

The 44-year-old joins a handful of staffers at the Peacock Network already nixing their travel to Rio de Janeiro this summer for fear that they’ll catch the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to birth defects.

Zika worldwide epidemic ‘imminent’ after Olympics: ex-NY Lt. Gov.

“It’s very simple,” one employee previously told the Daily News. “I have a family. I have small children and for me, at least, the trip seems too risky. I might want to get pregnant soon.”

More than 2,000 NBC employees — among them Guthrie’s coworkers Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira — will descend upon Brazil in August to cover the games. The network won’t require any personnel to report from Rio “if they believe their personal health or safety is at risk,” a rep said in a statement last week.

Guthrie, who with husband Mike Feldman has a nearly 2-year-old daughter, Vale Guthrie Feldman, dropped her big news in a fake segment called “Tuesday Trending Fishbowl.”

“Are you pregnant?” she said, reading a so-called question from the fishbowl. “Well, yeah, I am pregnant!”

Mother of baby born in U.S. with microcephaly speaks out

After receiving hugs from her excited coworkers, the anchor also shared a joyful FaceTime screenshot of her mother reacting to the news and an adorable video of Vale wailing over the impending new addition.

Summary: Pregnant “Today” show anchor Savannah Guthrie is skipping the Olympics over Zika virus concerns.


The Internet of Things (IoT) is the next frontier in technology, and there’s already several companies trying to capitalize on it.

Internet of Things is a term used to define adding Internet connectivity to formerly “dumb” devices, enabling them to communicate with users and other devices. IoT is perhaps best exemplified in Google’s GOOGL Nest Learning Thermostat, which turned a product that has long lacked any real intelligence into a “smart” product capable of identifying user behavior. The Nest is joined by countless other products, including smart light bulbs from companies like Philips PHG , smart remotes from Logitech LOGI , and even a home-shopping button, called Dash, from Amazon AMZN . There are also a slew of wearable devices, like Apple Watch.

IoT will play an important role in the future: There is expected to be a significant amount of cash flowing through the market in the coming years, says Raj Talluri, Qualcomm senior vice president of product management. In June, research firm IDC reported that while the IoT market’s revenue reached $655.8 billion in 2014, by 2020, that figure is set to grow to $1.7 trillion. That report followed a claim from researcher McKinsey & Company, which said in December that the IoT market will have between 20 billion and 30 billion connected devices by 2020.

“I don’t think anyone really knows yet how big it’s going to get because the possibilities are really endless,” Talluri says.

Based on that alone, to not be invested in IoT is a very big (and potentially costly) mistake. That’s likely why some of technology’s biggest names are, in addition to offering IoT products and components, investing in the market.

Underneath the hood, a veritable who’s who of companies are investing in Internet of Things. Google is developing a platform called Brillo on which other devices could offer Internet of Things services. Intel INTC and Qualcomm QCOM are both offering chip-based platforms designed to bring connectivity to formerly “dumb” devices. Apple AAPL is getting into the mix with a smart home platform, called HomeKit, that’s designed to help device makers connect their products to iPhones and iPads. Even BlackBerry BBRY is building out an IoT business.

“Consumers are already demanding that their various devices connect and sync seamlessly—from their fitness trackers to cars to home security cameras,” says Talluri. “When everyday devices are intuitive to use and can share data intelligently, it improves peoples’ lives, from better personal safety, to being able to more closely monitor our health and that of our loved ones, to helping us save time and make better use of our natural resources.”

The sheer number of ways companies are vying for a spot in the market is staggering. Perhaps one of the more surprising moves came recently when Netflix NFLX , a company that provides streaming-video services and would ostensibly have no interest in IoT, delivered a smart solution for users. Dubbed the Netflix Switch, the prototype allows users to control Netflix, dim lights, and order food. Netflix even provided a step-by-step guide on its website to show do-it-yourselfers how to can create their own Switch.

“The Netflix Switch is a marketing play for hardware hobbyists intrigued by smart home and IoT tech,” Frank Gillett, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, told Fortune, seemingly brushing aside Netflix’s creation. But the very fact that Netflix even created its own IoT device illustrates how important the market has become.

According to venture-capital tracker CB Insights, Intel’s investment arm spent the most money on IoT starts up in 2014, dropping cash on Enlighted, Appscomm, and Avegant. Qualcomm Ventures and Cisco CSCO Investments also joined the funding parade alongside traditional venture capitalists, like Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.

Although CB Insights did not share exact funding amounts, research from Tata Consultancy Services found that 26 companies around the globe, including 14 in the U.S., plan to spend at least $1 billion on IoT this year.

“Creating a connected product using IoT technologies creates a relationship between the product company and the customer,” Gillett said of why companies are willing to invest so heavily in IoT. “This becomes an ongoing service experience and relationship that dramatically improves customer engagement and brand awareness. The relationship goes from being a one-time, arm’s-length transaction to an ongoing service relationship.”

Looking ahead, as companies continue to invest in IoT, the benefits to consumers will only grow. In fact, Talluri sees a world where IoT makes lives easier and maybe even a bit cooler.

“The benefits are endless,” Talluri said, adding that he sees a future where IoT will deliver “smarter, more efficient use of natural resources to safer driving conditions to lighter and trendier wearables.”

One other benefit of IoT, according to Talluri: “drones replacing selfie sticks.”

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For more on IoT technology, check out the following Fortune video:

Summary: In the coming years, the number of Internet of Things devices is expected to grow drastically.


Anne W. Simon, an environmentalist whose books explored the perils to the world's seas and shorelines, particularly on her beloved Martha's Vineyard, died on Monday at her Manhattan home. She was 82 and also had a home in Chilmark, Mass.

At her death she was working on a book on the changing nature of Martha's Vineyard and what might be done to save the island where she had summered for many years. An article based on its first chapter was published in the July issue of the monthly Martha's Vineyard Magazine.

The article echoed her earlier book, "No Island Is an Island: The Ordeal of Martha's Vineyard" (1973). There she told the tale of how the Vineyard, after hundreds of years of slumber, surrendered to tract subdivisions, an explosion of second homes, sewage spillovers and traffic jams.

Another volume, "The Thin Edge: Coast and Man in Crisis" (1978), discussed the precarious state of dunes and beaches, wetlands and estuaries everywhere that economic development reaches them. "Neptune's Revenge: The Ocean of Tomorrow" (1984) was an unsparing critique of the environmental damage to oceans from oil spills, overfishing, the greenhouse effect and the dumping of sewage, toxins and radioactive waste.

Anne Wertheim was born in Cos Cob, Conn., and in 1935 graduated from Smith College, where she edited the campus newspaper. She earned a master's degree at the School of Social Work of Columbia University.

She was a writer at radio station WNYC, became a television critic for The Nation and subsequently wrote for McCall's, Good Housekeeping and other periodicals. Her first book was "Stepchild in the Family: A View of Children in Remarriage" (1964), a primer based on her own experience as a stepchild and as a stepparent.

She was married three times and had taken the surname of her last husband, Prof. Walter Werner, while keeping her pen name. He died in 1986. Her previous marriages, to Dr. Louis Langman and Robert Simon, ended in divorce.

She is survived by a son and three daughters from her first marriage: Thomas Langman of Washington, Betsy L. Schulberg of Westhampton Beach, L.I., Lynn L. Lilienthal of Reston, Va., and Deborah L. Lesser of Berkeley, Calif., and 11 grandchildren.


Apparently, there's still money to be made in boxing -- because

per MONTH in 2010 ... this according to legal docs filed in his divorce case.

Mosley was just ordered to pay his soon-to-be ex-wife

a whopping $20,000 per month in support starting this month ... plus he's got to shell out an extra $60,000 for the past three months.

According to the docs, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Jin claims she needs the cash to pay for several monthly expenses like:

-- Cosmetics, beauty ........................................... $2,000

-- Massage therapist ........................................... $360

-- Personal trainer ................................................ $720

The couple was also ordered to sell their Southern California mansion ASAP so they can divvy up the cash from that deal.

Mosley did get one minor victory -- the judge ruled he's allowed to keep his 2006 H3.

The man appreciates a good Hummer.

Summary: Apparently, there's still money to be made in boxing -- because Sugar Shane Mosley pulled $650,000 per MONTH in 2010 ... this according to legal…


A FUNDAMENTAL reason why our intelligence agencies, military leaders and (above all) Washington pols can’t understand Afghanistan is that they don’t recognize that we’re dealing with alien life-forms.

Oh, the strange-minded aliens in question resemble us physically. We share a few common needs: We and the aliens are oxygen breathers who require food and water at frequent intervals. Our body casings feel heat or cold. We’re divided into two sexes (more or less). And we’re mortal.

But that’s about where the similarities end, analytically speaking.

In my years as an intelligence officer, I saw colleagues make the same blunder over and over: They rushed to stress the ways in which the Russians, the Chinese or the Iranians were “just like us.” It’s the differences that kill you, though.

I was an effective intelligence officer. Why? In junior high, I matured past the French Existentialists and started reading science fiction. The prose was often ragged, but the speculative frameworks offered a useful approach to analysis.

Begin with the view that all opponents are aliens from another cultural planet. Build your assessment from a blank slate. What do the alien collectives desire or fear? How do they perceive the galaxy? What are their unique weaknesses?

Regarding Planet Afghanistan, we still hear the deadly cliché that “all human beings want the same basic things, such as better lives and greater opportunities for their children.” How does that apply to Afghan aliens who prefer their crude way of life and its merciless cults?

When girls and women are denied education or even health care and are executed by their own kin for minor infractions against the cult, how does that square with our insistence that all men want greater opportunities for the kids?

What about those Afghan parents who approve of or even encourage suicidal attacks by their sons? This not only confounds our value system, but defies biological reason.

So: These humanoid forms with which we must deal don’t all want or value the same things we do. They form different social aggregates and exchange goods and services within wildly different parameters (and exhibit hypocritical sexual tastes that diverge from procreative mandates – ask our troops about that).

These alien tribes seek to destroy physical objects and systems valued on Planet America. They perceive time differently. They treat other life forms more harshly than we do. Their own lives are shorter, with different arcs. They quite like our weapons, though . . .

The point isn’t to argue that Afghans are inferior beings. It’s just that they’re irreconcilably different beings – more divergent from our behavioral norms than the weirdest crew member of the starship Enterprise.

As an analytical exercise, try to understand Afghanistan as a hostile planet to which we have been forced, in self-defense, to deploy military colonies. How do the bizarre creatures on that other planet view us? What do they want? What will they accept? Is killing us business, pleasure – or both?

Are there tribes among these aliens with which we can cooperate? Which actions of ours inflame the alien psyche? What will the alien willingly die for? What does the alien find inexplicable about us? Must we preserve a useful climate of fear?

Do we intend to maintain our military colonies out there in deep space? For how long? Can the angry planet ever be sanitized of threats?

Of course, there’s more in play than images of our “starship troopers” combating those alien life-forms that call themselves “Taliban.” This exercise is just meant to break our mental gridlock, to challenge our crippling assumption that we’re all merry brothers and sisters who just have to work through a few small understandings.

This is a “war of the worlds” in the cultural sense, a head-on collision between civilizations from different galaxies.

And the aliens don’t come in peace.

Ralph Peters’ latest book is “Looking for Trouble: Adventures in a Broken World.”

Summary: A FUNDAMENTAL reason why our intelligence agencies, military leaders and (above all) Washington pols can’t understand Afghanistan is that they don’t recognize that we’re dealing w…


Katharine McPhee may be “over it” — but her ill-fated romance is going to leave a dent in her wallet.

The "American Idol" alum finalized her divorce from her manager Nicholas Costas on Wednesday and her former beau is walking away single and richer, according to court documents.

The 31-year-old actress and singer will have to pay up to $400,000 a year in spousal support dependent on her income, records obtained by People magazine said.

In the next few days, McPhee must also fork over $102,616 to Costas.

The dues come from the couple splitting the rights to songs McPhee recorded while together — which includes tracks that have yet to be released.

Costas will also receive half of the income from her acting work in the show “Smash.”

McPhee tried to argue against this dividing by claiming the pair actually separated in March 2013, while Costas stood firm with a 2014 date — the latter winning out , according to TMZ.

However, the “Scorpion” star will retain complete rights to income earned from tours and live performances which took place after she separated from Costas.

And, Costas will only get half of the dough earned from the pilot episode of McPhee’s new CBS show.

McPhee does get to keep her 2012 Mercedes- Benz SUV, while her 50-year-old ex retains a 2013 Jeep Wrangler.

The American Idol runner up from season five married Costas in 2008 and the pair announced they were divorcing in May 2014, after a year of being separated.

“The two have an amicable relationship and will remain friends,” a rep for the actress told People magazine at the time.

Six months after separating from her husband, McPhee was snapped kissing a married director of her now canceled musical show.

While the showman, Michael Morris, has since reconciled with his wife, McPhee rebounded with another on-set romance.

She is currently dating her “Scorpion” costar Elyes Gabel, who she’s been linked to since August 2014.


Jack O'Connell/Globe Staff file photo

Mark Parenteau at WBCN in 1978.

Longtime former WBCN DJ Mark Parenteau died early Friday, according to his ex-wife, Gail. A Worcester native, Parenteau died from complications following a long illness. He was 66.

“Mark was someone blessed to be able to do what he loved in life — entertain on the radio,” Gail Parenteau wrote in an e-mail to Globe. “His renowned career in broadcasting that began as a teenager took him from Worcester to Detroit, Boston, New York City, D.C., and back to Worcester. I hope the many friends, artists, and listeners he made over the years will remember Mark with kindness and a smile.”

A friend to many rock stars in the 1970s and ’80s — he was sometimes referred to as the unofficial sixth member of Aerosmith — Parenteau began at WBCN in 1978.

He left the station two decades later and worked at XM Satellite Radio in Washington D.C. It was there, in 2004, that he pleaded guilty to second-degree child sexual abuse and was sentenced to three years in prison.

Summary: Longtime former WBCN DJ Mark Parenteau died early Friday, according to his ex-wife, Gail Parenteau.


The U.S. will begin efforts to normalize diplomatic relations with Cuba and will open an embassy on the island nation following the release of an American government subcontractor and a swap of intelligence assets, President Barack Obama said Wednesday. It marks the most significant change in the U.S.-Cuba relationship since the Cuban revolution.

“Neither the American nor Cuban people are served by a rigid policy that’s rooted in events that took place before most of us were born,” Obama said in a televised address. “I believe we can do more to support the Cuban people and our values through engagement. After all, these 50 years have shown the isolation has not worked. It’s time for a new approach.”

Following a year of secret back-channel talks in Canada and at the Vatican, and culminating with a historic nearly hour-long call between Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro on Tuesday, the Cuban government released 65-year-old Alan Gross on Wednesday on humanitarian grounds. His release clears the way for a broad relaxation of the 53-year U.S. embargo on Cuba.

In a prisoner swap, Cuba released an unnamed U.S. intelligence asset who has been imprisoned for 20 years, while the U.S. government released the final three members of the spy ring known as the Cuban Five remaining in federal prison.

A senior Administration official said the U.S. embassy would open “as soon as possible” in Havana.

Gross departed Cuba on Wednesday morning on a U.S. government plane, and arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C., shortly after 11 a.m., accompanied by members of Congress and his wife who had traveled to retrieve him aboard a U.S. Air Force plane. A Cuban court convicted Gross of espionage in 2011 and sentenced him to 15 years in prison for carrying communications devices into Cuba while working as as a subcontractor for U.S. Agency for International Development setting up Internet access in local communities. According to his attorney, Gross had been in deteriorating health while in prison.

Speaking at a news conference, Gross thanked Obama, said he supports the President’s policy shift and stressed he harbors no ill will toward the Cuban people.

“It pains me to see them treated so unjustly as a consequence of two governments’ mutually belligerent policies,” Gross said. “Five and a half decades of history shows us that such belligerence inhibits better judgment. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

“This is a game-changer which I fully support,” Gross added. “I truly hope we can get beyond these mutually belligerent policies.”

MORE: What to know about Alan Gross

The Obama Administration is maximizing the ability of Americans to travel to Cuba within the limits of the American travel ban, the President is “doing everything in his authority to facilitate travel within the limits of the law,” an official said, adding that Obama would support congressional efforts to lift the ban. Obama also announced that his Administration is easing economic and financial restrictions on Cuba, including increasing permitted American exports, as well as raising the cap on remittances. U.S. financial institutions will also be allowed to open accounts at Cuban banks to process permitted transactions, and U.S. credit and debit cards will be permitted for use in Cuba for the first time. Obama is also directing Secretary of State John Kerry to launch an immediate review of the 1982 designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, in consultation with intelligence agencies.

“I do not expect the changes I’m announcing today to bring about a transformation of Cuban society overnight,” Obama said.

Obama cannot unilaterally lift the U.S. trade embargo on Cuba.

“I look forward to engaging Congress in an honest and serious debate about lifting the embargo,” he said.

In an address that took place while Obama was speaking, Castro said he welcomes the cooling of relations between the two countries, but that differences remain that the countries need to learn to live with “in a civilized manner.”

Obama has twice previously relaxed restrictions on Cuba, in 2009 and 2011, opening the door for Americans to visit family members in Cuba and allowing travel for religious, educational and cultural endeavors. Authorized American travelers will now be able to import up to $400 in Cuban goods into the U.S., including $100 in tobacco and alcohol products. But senior Administration officials said there would be no immediate change to the ban on imports of Cuban cigars and other products for retail purposes.

Obama’s announcement was quickly criticized by Republicans and Democratic lawmakers who have long defended the embargo. Outgoing Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez (D., N.J.) blasted Obama’s decision as having “vindicated the brutal behavior of the Cuban government.”

“This asymmetrical trade will invite further belligerence toward Cuba’s opposition movement and the hardening of the government’s dictatorial hold on its people,” Menendez said.

American officials contend that the U.S. policy toward Cuba was antiquated and ineffective, failing to bring down the Castro regime after more than 50 years. Obama said he respects the “passion” of those who may disagree with his decision, but said he believes now is the time for a change. “I do not believe that we can do the same thing for over five decades and expect a different result,” he said.

In coordination with the American announcements, the Cuban government will announce that it will free 53 prisoners deemed by the U.S. to be political prisoners, American officials said. Additionally, the Cuban government has told the U.S. it intends to expand Internet connectivity for its citizens. But despite objections by the Cuban government, the U.S. will continue to fund so-called democracy programming in Cuba, meant to promote human rights and support the free flow of information into the communist country.

American officials praised the role of Canada and the Vatican, particularly Pope Francis, in helping bring about the agreement.

“Pope Francis personally issued an appeal in a letter that he sent to President Obama and to President Raúl Castro calling on them to resolve the case of Alan Gross and the cases of the three Cubans who have been imprisoned here in the United States, and also encouraging the United States and Cuba to pursue a closer relationship,” an official said, calling the papal letter “very rare … The Vatican then hosted the U.S. and Cuban delegations where we were able to review the commitments that we are making today.”

In a statement earlier this month marking the five-year anniversary of Gross’s arrest, Obama said that if the Castro-led Cuban government released him it would set the stage for other reconciliation efforts.

“The Cuban Government’s release of Alan on humanitarian grounds would remove an impediment to more constructive relations between the United States and Cuba,” Obama said.

Summary: Alan Gross' release brings an immediate cooling of tensions.


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

Cemeteries of the future may look and function much differently than the ones commonly used today.

SEE ALSO: Electric worker caught on camera brutally beating customer's dogs

Smithsonian.com is reporting that a team from Columbia University recently won a contest to design a next generation burial site.

Their proposal, called Sylvan Constellation, features a wooded path with lighted vessels that get their glow from the gasses emitted by decomposing remains.

RELATED: Lavish pet cemeteries in China:

Here's what future cemeteries may look like

Tomb of pet cat Pangmi, with its picture, is seen at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A bear doll is seen beside the tomb of a pet dog ahead of the Qingming Festival at Baifu pet cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Tibetan prayer flags wave above a pet dog's tomb at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A collar is placed on the tomb of pet dog Logan at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the out skirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A doll is left at the tomb of pet dog Logan at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the out skirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Baifu pet cemetery worker Du Huanying decorates a new pet tomb ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 27, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A pet owner stands next to a tomb with a dog statue at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 27, 2016. The Chinese characters on the gravestone read: "Gently you left, but will be in my heart forever."China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Toy cars, water and food are left around the tomb of pet dog Zhang Xiaoqiu at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the out skirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Pet owners walk among graves at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A pet owner (2nd R) and her relatives set up decoration flowers for her pet dog Li Naonao at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Baifu pet cemetery worker Zhang Youwang cleans the tomb of pet dog Baobao, which died at the age of 13, during his daily work ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing China, March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Pet owner Qingqiu gestures to her dog, Little Huoban, after she swept the tomb of her previous dog Huoban (which means "Buddy" in Chinese) who died at the age of 15, ahead of the Qingming Festival at Baifu pet cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Food is placed on the tomb of pet dog Xixi at Baifu pet cemetery ahead of the Qingming Festival on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. The Chinese characters on the gravestone read: "Mommy's only good son." China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

A dog doll is placed on the tomb of a pet dog ahead of the Qingming Festival at Baifu pet cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Pet owner Ma Ying cleans the glass covering her dog Liu Dazhuang's tomb, with bathtub, dolls and decoration flowers placed inside, ahead of the Qingming Festival at Baifu pet cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 27, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

Pet owner Qingqiu smokes next to the tomb of her first dog Huoban (which means "Buddy" in Chinese), who died at the age of 15, ahead of the Qingming Festival at Baifu pet cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, China March 26, 2016. China celebrates the Qingming tomb-sweeping festival on April 4 this year, with much of the ceremonial ritual of honouring the dead these days not geared towards beloved relatives, but beloved pets. Once banned by Communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong as a bourgeois pastime, having a pet has now become a symbol of financial success in China. REUTERS/Jason Lee SEARCH "PET CEMETERY" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "THE WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES

The team's Facebook page further notes, "Embedded in the forest floor or supported by a network of slender steel pylons, this multilevel memorial rises from the earthen territory of traditional burial into an elegant and truly perpetual constellation of light in the blooming woodland canopy above."

According to a press release, the judges at the University of Bath in the U.K. which hosted the competition were particularly impressed with the use of sustainable technologies as well as the "respectful disposition for human remains."

The team from Columbia won the equivalent of more than $7,000 and will be able to spend a month studying a historic cemetery in England.

More from AOL.com: Want to negotiate like a pro? Use these 2 unconventional tactics Sara Hopkins dishes her ultimate career advice Budget Better: 11 best items to buy at Whole Foods

Summary: Cemeteries of the future may look and function much differently than the ones commonly used today, according to a new report.


, it's time to get

. Well, through a new set of "Higher Education" Goals, that is. Rolling in the new High Education theme, these seven--count 'em!--Goals will guide you along in acquiring some of this new content. Now, let's find out from this early information just how you're going to keep on the books.

Clearly, the Downtown Library will be the first building you purchase from the new theme. For 20 thousand coins (this is a fairly high-level Goal), the building allows for 600 more citizens. Then, collect from it thrice and you're good to go. (

This Goal should have an option to ask friends for New Books from right within the menu. The Bookworm Collection, which can only be connected to the Downtown Library, will fill as you collect from the building. Frankly, that third requirement is just going to take some time.

If you have more than one Franchise, this first requirement will be even easier. When you break it down, that's six friend visits to send out 30 Tour Buses. And collecting from any Bank twice is simple enough.

You mean just visited your friends in the previous Goal? Zynga doesn't care! Go do it again, darnit--and do it with spunk! OK, Zynga never said that, but just visit 15 friends. Then, ask those same friends for Pro Education Posters.

Gathering 30 thousand coins might be a challenge for some considering they just spent 20 thousand on a Library. Any way, you'll need to collect from your City Hall twice and ask friends for Hammers the old fashioned way.

The Community College will presumably unlock at this point, a building that costs 30 thousand coins and brings in 1,300 Population. Collect from the building twice and then have one Crossing Guard, which we imagine is a decoration.

Asking for Bird Books will likely be done the same as time and time again. Also, this will likely unlock the Arboretum, which currently cannot be found in the game. However, it sounds as if it must be another Business or Community Building. And that's it for the Higher Education Goals--why an Arboretum is the pinnacle of education in CityVille we have no idea, but there you have it, folks.

Summary: According to Zynga, it's time to get edumacated in CityVille. Well, through a new set of "Higher Education" Goals, that is. Rolling in the new High Education theme, these


06/23/2016 AT 12:00 PM EDT

Erin O'Flaherty is an openly gay woman – and now, Miss Missouri 2016, a history-making combination.

O'Flaherty, who was crowned on Saturday in Mexico, Missouri, will be the first openly gay woman to represent the state in the upcoming Miss America pageant, according to

"I am totally in disbelief. I was really not expecting this," O'Flaherty, 23, told

A graduate of the University of Central Florida, O'Flaherty owns and operates a boutique in Chesterfield, Missouri, according to the

. Her platform is suicide prevention – a topic close to her heart, as a close high school friend committed suicide.

O'Flaherty thinks she is likely the first openly gay woman to compete on the national stage as well, but the Miss America Organization has yet to comment.

"I had my concerns about it," O'Flaherty told

of being out in the pageant world. "Progressive is not exactly a word people might think of when you think Missouri."

She continued, "I don't carry a rainbow flag with me everywhere I go, you know. It's not going to be my focus, but I certainly hope my presence will help people open up a little bit more. I'm very open about it. It's never going to be something I try to hide because I'm very proud to be a member of the LGBT community."

O'Flaherty will compete for the Miss America crown in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this September.

"What Iâm going to try to do this year is open up people's eyes and minds a little bit," she told the

Summary: Erin O'Flaherty was crowned Miss Missouri 2016 on Saturday in Mexico, Missouri


WASHINGTON - The president is working up a sweat, keeping that perfectly toned body perfectly toned. I slide past stone-faced men with earpieces and ask the president how it's going.

"Good," she says, grinning. "People ask me if there could really be a woman president and I say, Of course, it's the 21st century."

Geena Davis was shooting a rowing scene at the Potomac Boat House on Monday morning for her new ABC show, "Commander-in-Chief," about the first woman president.

Luckily, the first woman president is tall, a shade taller than W., so she's eyeball to eyeball with generals and ambassadors. And she's a redhead. Redheads, a recent study showed, have a higher tolerance for pain. In the show's premiere, a lot of pain is dished up for Ms. Davis's character, Mackenzie Allen, the vice president of a conservative president who keels over before the first hour is over.

Nobody wants the vice president, a political independent, to be Madame President. Not the president, who tells her before he dies to resign so his ally, the archconservative speaker of the House played by Donald Sutherland, can get the job. Not the president's chief of staff. Not her sulky, sexy conservative teenage daughter. Even her supportive (and faithful) politico husband gets skittish after East Wing staffers begin calling him "the first lady" and arrange his meetings with the White House chef.

Mr. Sutherland's Nathan Templeton condescendingly asks her, "How many Islamic states do you think would follow the edicts of a woman?"

"Well, not only that, Nathan," she replies sarcastically, "but we have that whole 'once a month will she or won't she press the button' thing."

He laughs nastily. "Well, in a couple years," he says, "you're not gonna have to worry about that anymore."

The creator and writer, Rod Lurie, also had an embattled woman vice president in his 2000 movie "The Contender." (He named his TV president and vice president Bridges and Allen; the stars playing those roles in 2000 were Jeff Bridges and Joan Allen.)

He told me he modeled his female president not on Hillary Clinton but on Susan Lyne, the smart, elegant former president of ABC Entertainment who is chief executive at Martha Stewart Inc. He said he wanted someone "of rather unimpeachable integrity, very kind, very calm."

As Geena Davis was bursting into the Oval Office, and the other TV president, Martin Sheen, was dropping in on Cindy Sheehan in Crawford, Hillary was plotting for real.

Her political activism began with her 1969 Wellesley commencement speech, when she slapped back a Republican senator, Edward Brooke, for criticizing the students' Vietnam War protests. She praised "that indispensable task of criticizing."

But now Hillary's voice is often pianissimo on the current hot issue: how to get out of Iraq. Once we made sure Saddam was armed against Iran. Now we may have to arm an Islamic protégé of Iran if we want to pull out.

But Hillary's not playing the vocal peacenik this time -- she's the cagey hawk. She knows if she wants to be the first woman president, she can't have love beads in her jewelry box.

She has defended her vote to authorize the president to wage war, even though it was apparent then that the administration was snookering the country. And she has argued for more troops in Iraq, knowing it sounds muscular but there's no support for it from the public -- or Rummy.

She figures the liberals will stay with her while she scuttles to the center, even if they get angry when she's not out front on stopping the war or preserving abortion rights. No one knows how she'll vote on John Roberts, so this could be her own Sister Souljah moment -- will she break with the hard-line left on Judge Roberts?

What Hillary has going for her is exhaustion. Exhaustion kicks in with any party in power for eight years, let alone one that tricked the country into war. And at some point, voters may be too exhausted to resist Hillary's relentless ambition any longer.

But by hanging back and trimming her positions, by keeping her powder dry until a more politically advantageous time, she may miss the moment when Americans are looking for someone to emerge from her cowering party to articulate their anger about Iraq or their fear about a Supreme Court that will scale back women's rights and civil rights here, as Islamic courts do the same in Iraq.

Hillary may get caught flat-footed. Or she may be right in betting that there's no need to do anything rash now, like leading.

Op-Ed Columnist E-mail: liberties@nytimes.com; Thomas L. Friedman is on vacation.

Summary: Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column on Geena Davis as first woman president in upcoming ABC television series Commander-in-Chief, created by Rod Lurie; discusses Hillary Clinton, real-life potential candidate now playing 'cagey hawk' on Iraq, saying that what Clinton has going for her is exhaustion with any party in power for eight years, let alone one that tricked country into war; cautions Clinton that by keeping her powder dry she could miss moment when Americans look for leader to emerge from her cowering party (M)


The FTSE 100, for instance, after its initial alarming drop, quickly made up lost ground. By close of play Friday, London stocks were down just 1.9pc, meaning that the FTSE 100 is now slightly up on last weekend. After its Brexit plunge, sterling similarly staged a recovery, falling from $1.50 to $1.33, but then heading back towards $1.40.

My second observation is that, despite this initial resilience, we are by no means out of the market-volatility woods. Heavily weighing on the pound, for instance, is the UK’s external deficit, around 6pc of GDP. Added to that is our on-going fiscal deficit which, for all the talk of austerity, remains stubbornly high. New figures show government borrowing during April and May of £17.9bn, higher than the same two months last year. While some deprecation of sterling is good, making exports more competitive, a free-falling pound would provoke an inflation spike and possibly the spectre of rising interest rates.

And, while equity prices have shown some mettle, they are likely to be tested thoroughly in the days to come, as the markets digest this tumultuous Brexit news. Of particular importance are banks stocks, as it was the banks, of course, which sparked the 2008 financial crisis. Barclays and Lloyds initially fell more than 30pc, before partial recovering, but remain heavily down. US banks shares followed their UK peers downwards, although not as sharply. While the Western mega-banks remain systemically dangerous, they are carrying fewer bad debts these days, and are managed less recklessly, so pose less danger. Their respective governments, though, are now far more indebted, so less able to provide support.

Summary: So, the “smart money” was wrong.


is looking for a new lover.

show in an episode airing Friday, where she admitted she's a bit "sexually frustrated."

As the actress was chatting with DeGeneres about her line of wine, she explained that she's developed a bad habit of chewing on ice, and when the talk-show host said she heard that can mean a person is sexually frustrated, Keaton agreed.

"I am sexually frustrated," she said. "Do you know what that feels like, to be sexually frustrated?"

"I know what it feels like and it's not good" she said with a laugh, as she lamented needing to find a "new lover."

To help alleviate the problem, DeGeneres and Keaton played a game of "Who'd You Rather," during which the actress got to choose between fellow A-list stars as potential new suitors.

The only problem? Keaton wants them all.

"I don't like to judge, I'd rather take them both," she said when presented with pictures of Justin Bieber and

. "Each man has something special about him. When I look at Justin, I feel a special feeling for him. For example, that's a nice body and he's displaying it."

Keaton was then faced with one of her exes,

"He once enjoyed being around me, but only on occasion, so not often," she said. "So I say 'yes' to Mr. Pacino." But when her Something's Gotta Give costar Jack Nicholson popped up on the screen, Keaton insisted there's never been any sparks between them. "No, no, no Jack never had an interest in me," she said. "He loved me in the movie and I love him back in the movie. In real life he didn't love me." And though Keaton "liked them all," she eventually settled on Zac Efron, because, duh. "Zac Efron ... oh, that's the one. I have to say, wow."

Summary: Ellen DeGeneres and Diane Keaton played a game of "Who'd You Rather," during which the actress got to choose among fellow A-list stars as potential new suitors


New York is one of only 14 states in which voters still choose some or most of their judges in partisan elections. Bar associations and other groups are urging the Legislature to switch to a system of appointment known as merit selection. Their campaign gained the support last week of the New York State Commission on Government Integrity, created by Governor Cuomo last year.

Some judges in New York State are appointed, but most are elected. One proposed change, submitted by Governor Cuomo, would merge most of the maze of lower courts into the Supreme Court, now the state's principal trial court. All justices of that court would be appointed by the governor, subject to the approval of the State Senate, from lists supplied by nonpartisan judicial nominating commissions.

Among the bill's chief proponents is former Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance, a past president of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and chairman of a lobbying group called the Committee for Modern Courts. One of the most outspoken opponents is Justice Edward J. Greenfield, former president of the Association of Supreme Court Justices of the City of New York.

Mary Connelly, an editor of The Week in Review, asked them to explain their views.

Excerpts follow. CYRUS R. VANCE Now, Party Bosses Decide the 'Elections'

The major problem with electing judges is that New York doesn't really have ''elections.'' Justices of the State Supreme Court, our principal trial court, are not selected by the voters in primary elections, but are handpicked by unelected party bosses and nominated at something called a judicial convention. When the nominating process is over, the election is, too. In most parts of New York one party is so dominant that its candidates are all but guaranteed election. Thus the party bosses not only select their party's candidate, but in effect ''appoint'' the judges. Candidates picked by the Democratic Party bosses in New York City - such as Stanley Friedman, former county leader of the Bronx, and the late Donald Manes of Queens - are guaranteed victory. In a great many places outside of New York City the nomination of the Republican Party is tantamount to election.

All this is an inevitable part of the partisan election system. And while the system has given us some outstanding jurists, too often judges are selected for their political service rather than their judicial ability. Far too often judges chosen by the bosses have been lazy, incompetent or, worse, corrupt.

Since 1940 there has been a strong movement throughout the United States to replace judicial elections with a process that combines the best elements of the elective and appointive systems, a process that embodies the American ideal of respecting ability and effort above political connections. That process is called merit selection of judges. Under the merit selection system for the New York Court of Appeals, in operation now for 10 years, our Governors have selected outstanding jurists upon the nomination of a bipartisan nominating commission. Our much admired Chief Judge, Sol Wachtler, who belongs to a different political party from the Governor, is a fine example of the new system at work. The next step is to extend that process to the trial courts. JUSTICE EDWARD R. GREENFIELD Governors, Too, Have Political Interests

With respect to the merit selection process, I believe that the only merit in that bill is in the title. It's a wonderful title. Being against merit selection is like being for sin. If, alternatively, it were called the Governor's-grab-for-power bill, people would have an entirely different attitude toward it; that would give it negative connotations. If it were given some neutral but accurate name, like the gubernatorial appointment system, then people might be able to look at it more objectively.

I object to the system of shifting from ultimate control by the electorate to total control by an appointing executive authority because unlike the claims that are made for that shift, i.e., that it takes the judiciary out of politics, what it actually does is transfer the arena of political maneuvering from the sometimes open, sometimes closed dealings that result in judicial nominations, or judicial primaries, to the entirely closed system of jousting for political appointments behind closed doors. What we're talking about here is the control, through appointment, of approximately 2,000 judges by the governor, or in some individual cases a local official. That is mind-boggling.

It's understandable, of course, why any chief executive would love to have that kind of political patronage at his disposal, but while that would bode well for a governor, it would not be a healthy situation for the independence of the judiciary.

The judiciary is supposed to be a totally separate and independent department, the third branch of government. Right now, the judiciary is called upon very frequently to pass on the propriety and legality of governmental acts by the executive departments, even by the Legislature.

Unlike the Federal judiciary, which is nominated by the President with approval by the Senate, our state judges do not enjoy lifetime tenure. It will be very difficult to have a forthright and courageous judiciary if every judge knows that his designation or reappointment depends on his pleasing the executive.

Now another consideration which has to come into play is the quality of the personnel. I don't know that there really would be that much difference in the quality of an appointed, as against an elected, judiciary. You can't really point to people from the appointed side and say they are so much superior.

One of the real problems that you have, however, if you concentrate everything in the hands of a governor, is that while much will be said about merit selection, the real truth is that appointments will be made, as they have been made in the past, on the basis primarily of political and ethnic considerations. Where there are proposals to have commissions to review the qualifications of candidates, in actuality we have found that almost invariably they come up with the very names that the Governor is known to have wanted in the first place. And in the area of the city of New York, where we've had that for some time, I think everyone's experience with it is very unsatisfactory because these commissions ultimately break down into a system which pits one special interest group against another. And you do not, despite the title, get true merit selection.

After going through the electoral process myself, attending dinners of the local grocers' association and shaking hands at subway stops, I used to think this was a hell of a way to pick a judge. But when I got away from the immediate irrationality of the process, I began to see it in better perspective.

At least this way, if a person who is not qualified should be designated by a political leader or a judicial convention, it is possible for that choice to be overruled by the electorate. If you have executive appointment, there is no such possibility. I'm not contending that every voter will always vote intelligently, but that's true when they vote for executives and legislators, too. A possibility exists of educating the public - and when they are educated, they do vote intelligently.

Summary: LEAD: New York is one of only 14 states in which voters still choose some or most of their judges in partisan elections. Bar associations and other groups are urging the Legislature to switch to a system of appointment known as merit selection. Their campaign gained the support last week of the New York State Commission on Government Integrity, created by Governor


MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Vermont financial regulators said Thursday they have reached a $5.95 million settlement with a financial firm related to the fraud investigation of real estate developments at two northern Vermont ski resorts.

The Department of Financial Regulation said it found Raymond James and Associates’ Miami branch failed to comply numerous times with supervisory requirements and Vermont law.

The department specifically cited Miami businessman Ariel Quiros, owner of Burke Mountain and Jay Peak ski resorts, and Bill Stenger, Jay Peak’s president, and their use of accounts at Raymond James to transfer funds among investors, limited partnerships and other entities.

Quiros and Stenger are accused by Vermont and the Securities and Exchange Commission of misusing about $200 million from foreign investors through a special visa program. The EB-5 program allows permanent U.S. residency for those who finance projects that create a certain amount of jobs.

Both men have said they’ll be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Raymond James said in a statement it was pleased a settlement has been reached.

The department said that under the settlement agreement, $4.5 million will go to the federal receiver overseeing the resorts and projects to reimburse possible claims by investors. Another $1.25 million will go to Vermont’s general fund as an administrative penalty and $200,000 will be paid to state financial regulation for the investigation, the department said.

‘‘Since the SEC’s seizure of the Jay Peak-related EB-5 projects, investors have been rightly concerned about possible recovery of funds. This settlement contributes to their restitution,’’ department commissioner Susan Donegan said.

Summary: Vermont regulators said Thursday they have reached a settlement with a financial firm related to a fraud investigation.


Shopping centre company Intu remains on track with its UK development pipeline as the number of people visiting its malls continues to rise.

In a quarterly update released this morning, the FTSE 100 company, which has a market cap of £3.9bn, said footfall in its malls was 1.4pc higher than the same period last year, although the number of retailers renting space was slightly down after Christmas.

Occupancy stood at 95.3pc in March, down from 95.8pc in December, but higher than the 94.3pc reported in March 2015.

Intu revealed it has ten shops let to BHS and two let to Austin Reed, both of which have fallen into administration in recent weeks. However, the company said the amount of rent paid by the two retailers amounted to around 1pc of its rent roll, and that it had plans for many of the stores, should they become vacant.

The company also said that uncertainty in the run-up to the vote on Britain's membership of the European Union was not affecting customer shopping habits.


A 47-year-old competitive eater DIED during a hot dog eating competition in South Dakota on July 3rd ... after choking on one of the hot dogs.

Walter Eagle Tail was participating in a 4th of July weekend contest at Way Park in Custer, SD when witnesses say he began to choke.

Paramedics were called to the scene and tried to help ... but they were too late.

Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler told the

, "There was someone doing CPR when we arrived ... Basically, he probably just suffocated. It got lodged in his throat and they couldn't get it out."

Wheeler added, "It all happened within minutes."

In the wake of Eagle Tail's death, event organizers canceled a pie eating contest scheduled to take place the following day.

Summary: A 47-year-old competitive eater DIED during a hot dog eating competition in South Dakota on July 3rd ... after choking on one of the hot dogs. Walter…


Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Alicia Bell, right, and several others activists chant outside the Oakland Mayor's office after bout 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The activists who have long opposed the project came up with their own development proposal for the land, only to see it land back in the hands of developer Michael Johnson.

Alicia Bell, right, and several others activists chant outside the Oakland Mayor's office after bout 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland,

Activists walk out of City Hall after about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The activists who have long opposed a development project on E. 12th Street, came up with their own development proposal for the land, only to see it land back in the hands of developer Michael Johnson.

Activists walk out of City Hall after about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The activists who have

Councilmember Noel Gallo smiles as he listens to a speaker before about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The activists who have long opposed a development project on E. 12th Street, came up with their own development proposal for the land, only to see it land back in the hands of developer Michael Johnson.

Councilmember Noel Gallo smiles as he listens to a speaker before about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15,

L-R, Activists Dunya Alwan, Sampson McCormick, and Poonam Wahbi, chant in front the dais after about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The activists who have long opposed a development project on E. 12th Street, came up with their own development proposal for the land, only to see it land back in the hands of developer Michael Johnson.

L-R, Activists Dunya Alwan, Sampson McCormick, and Poonam Wahbi, chant in front the dais after about 50 members of the East 12th Coalition disrupted the Oakland City Council meeting at City Hall in Oakland,

The nation's top rental markets, via Zumper.

The nation's top rental markets, via Zumper.

Market action for the top cities, nationally, via Zumper.

Market action for the top cities, nationally, via Zumper.

Image 7 of 42 | What the Bay Area median rent buys you

Option 1 in Russian Hill, SF. 1 bed/1 bath renting for $3500 a month. Photos: Zumper

Option 1 in Russian Hill, SF. 1 bed/1 bath renting for $3500 a month. Photos: Zumper

Kitchen in Bret Harte Terrace Apartment/Russian Hill Photos: Zumper

Kitchen in Bret Harte Terrace Apartment/Russian Hill Photos: Zumper

Bedroom in Russian Hill. Photos: Zumper

Bedroom in Russian Hill. Photos: Zumper

Option 2: Junior 1 bed/1 bath in Pac Heights renting at $3100 a month. Photos: Zumper

Option 2: Junior 1 bed/1 bath in Pac Heights renting at $3100 a month. Photos: Zumper

Tiny but cute kitchen and eating area in Pac Heights. Photos: Zumper

Tiny but cute kitchen and eating area in Pac Heights. Photos: Zumper

Pac Heights bath. Photos: Zumper

Pac Heights bath. Photos: Zumper

The sleeping area. One small step up from a studio in Pac Heights. Photos: Zumper

The sleeping area. One small step up from a studio in Pac Heights. Photos: Zumper

Option 3: Telegraph Hill 1 bedroom at $3475. Photos: Zumper

Option 3: Telegraph Hill 1 bedroom at $3475. Photos: Zumper

Living room, Telegraph. Photos: Zumper

Living room, Telegraph. Photos: Zumper

Now to Oakland. Option 1: Uptown 1 bed/1 bath, 913 square feet, renting at $2450. Photos: Zumper

Now to Oakland. Option 1: Uptown 1 bed/1 bath, 913 square feet, renting at $2450. Photos: Zumper

Inside uptown apartment. Photos: Zumper

Inside uptown apartment. Photos: Zumper

Uptown kitchen, Complex also offers common area patio and rooftop BBQ area. Photos: Zumper

Uptown kitchen, Complex also offers common area patio and rooftop BBQ area. Photos: Zumper

Option 2 in Oakland: Adam's Point 1 bed/1 bath for $2495. Photos: Zumper

Option 2 in Oakland: Adam's Point 1 bed/1 bath for $2495. Photos: Zumper

Patio commons at Adam's Point. /Photos: Zumper

Patio commons at Adam's Point. /Photos: Zumper

Inside the Adam's Point unit. Photos: Zumper

Inside the Adam's Point unit. Photos: Zumper

Adam's Point bed. Photos: Zumper

Adam's Point bed. Photos: Zumper

Option 3 in Oakland: These apartments in Lake Merritt run $1950 for 570 square feet to $2200 for 650 square foot 1 bed/1 baths. Photos: Zumper

Option 3 in Oakland: These apartments in Lake Merritt run $1950 for 570 square feet to $2200 for 650 square foot 1 bed/1 baths. Photos: Zumper

Lake Merritt main room. Photos: Zumper

Lake Merritt main room. Photos: Zumper

Lake Merritt complex. Photos: Zumper

Lake Merritt complex. Photos: Zumper

San Jose, option 1: 1 bedroom with 789 square feet rents in this downtown complex for $2183. There's a pool though! Photos: Zumper

San Jose, option 1: 1 bedroom with 789 square feet rents in this downtown complex for $2183. There's a pool though! Photos: Zumper

Inside downtown SJ unit. Photos: Zumper

Inside downtown SJ unit. Photos: Zumper

Downtown SJ kitchen. Photos: Zumper

Downtown SJ kitchen. Photos: Zumper

Downtown SJ bed. Photos: Zumper

Downtown SJ bed. Photos: Zumper

Option 2: The Avalon ( a well known rental franchise) offers 1 bed/1 baths in Willow Creek for $2260 and up. They too offer a pool. Photos: Zumper

Option 2: The Avalon ( a well known rental franchise) offers 1 bed/1 baths in Willow Creek for $2260 and up. They too offer a pool. Photos: Zumper

The Avalon kitchen. Photos: Zumper

The Avalon kitchen. Photos: Zumper

Option 3 in the area is this Campbell Dry Creek complex. Photos: Zumper

Option 3 in the area is this Campbell Dry Creek complex. Photos: Zumper

Campbell 1 bed/1 bath units rent for $2049 and up. Photos: Zumper

Campbell 1 bed/1 bath units rent for $2049 and up. Photos: Zumper

Campbell patio. There's also a common area pool. Photos: Zumper

Campbell patio. There's also a common area pool. Photos: Zumper

Oakland City Council OKs high-rise despite protests

The Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to sign a deal for a controversial high-rise project on East 12th Street, in a meeting that was brought to a standstill when protesters took over the council chambers.

The meeting quietly resumed in a conference room of the mayor’s office, with only reporters allowed to attend. Down the hall, protesters chanted, banged cowbells, and waved a banner with the slogan “No segregated housing on public land.”

Within the conference room, council members had their own spirited debate about whether to pick the same developer behind last year’s ill-fated proposal for a 24-story market-rate apartment building on a prime acre of city-owned land by Lake Merritt. The deal was all but made final when the council abruptly scrapped it in July, after a memo leaked from the City Attorney’s Office saying that it violated a state law governing the sale of surplus land.

‘Best interest of the city’

On Tuesday, the City Council voted 6-1 to pursue a new agreement with developer Michael Johnson, this time for “a better project by far,” according to Councilman Abel Guillén, who represents the Lake Merritt district. Johnson’s company, UrbanCore, has partnered with the nonprofit East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. to build a 360-unit apartment building in which one-third of the units would be affordable.

“If we say no to this project, we’re saying no to $45 million in property tax revenue and an additional $21 million in business tax revenue,” Guillén told his colleagues in the conference room. “While this is a difficult vote to take, I’d ask you to look at what’s in the best interest of the city.”

But Councilman Noel Gallo — the lone dissenting vote — said the city should have gone with a competing plan conceived by a group of Oakland residents who were angered by the original East 12th Street deal. It called for 133 units of affordable housing.

“You have a key property that we own that everyone should share, not just the market-rate people,” Gallo said. He pointed out that his children and their friends are living with roommates because they can’t pay for their own housing in Oakland.

The protesters who disrupted Tuesday’s meeting released a statement that night, denouncing the new project as “a luxury development that includes a token amount of affordable housing in a segregated, separate building.”

Their highly choreographed disruption began early in the meeting, when a man in a suit tried to divide the crowd up by income. He was led away by police.

Members of the crowd shouted and jeered as Councilman Larry Reid, who was acting as chair, threatened to remove instigators. He was forced to halt the meeting when protesters stormed the dais. Among them were a clarinetist, several people banging cowbells, and at least four people who chained themselves to gates surrounding the podium.

Oakland police said they didn’t make any arrests.

It was the second takeover of an Oakland City Council meeting regarding the East 12th Street parcel. Last year, protesters stalled a council vote by chaining themselves to the dais and holding their own “People’s Council” meeting.

“We tend to have a lot of pressure on this one parcel to solve a lot of problems in this housing crisis,” Councilwoman Annie Campbell Washington said in the conference room.

“If we don’t build (this development), we’ll exacerbate displacement,” she said.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Summary: The Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to sign a deal for a controversial high-rise project on East 12th Street, in a meeting that was brought to a standstill when protesters took over the council chambers.  Down the hall, protesters chanted, banged cowbells, and waved a banner with the slogan “No segregated housing on public land.”  Within the conference room, council members had their own spirited debate about whether to pick the same developer behind last year’s ill-fated proposal for a 24-story market-rate apartment building on a prime acre of city-owned land by Lake Merritt.  The deal was all but made final when the council abruptly scrapped it in July, after a memo leaked from the City Attorney’s Office saying that it violated a state law governing the sale of surplus land.  Johnson’s company, UrbanCore, has partnered with the nonprofit East Bay Asian Local Development Corp. to build a 360-unit apartment building in which one-third of the units would be affordable.  “If we say no to this project, we’re saying no to $45 million in property tax revenue and an additional $21 million in business tax revenue,” Guillén told his colleagues in the conference room.  [...] Councilman Noel Gallo — the lone dissenting vote — said the city should have gone with a competing plan conceived by a group of Oakland residents who were angered by the original East 12th Street deal.  The protesters who disrupted Tuesday’s meeting released a statement that night, denouncing the new project as “a luxury development that includes a token amount of affordable housing in a segregated, separate building.”