OWINGS MILLS, Md., Dec. 21— Frank Kush, discharged as Arizona State's football coach two years ago after the university administration had joined in accusations that he had punched a player and then lied to cover up the assault, was named head coach of the Baltimore Colts today. He replaced Mike McCormack, who was dismissed after compiling a 2-14 record this season, his second at Baltimore.

''Mike is a good man,'' said the Colts' general manager, Dick Szymanski. ''I'm sorry to see him leave, but it's the bottom line, wins and losses.''

At a news conference at the team's training camp here, Szymanski said that Kush, who is 52, had agreed to a five-year contract. The signing came nine months after a state jury in Phoenix voted in Kush's favor against a harassment suit brought by Kevin Rutledge, the Arizona State player he was accused of having assaulted.

McCormack, 51, who took over from Ted Marchibroda at the end of the 1979 season, had a 9-23 record during his two years with the Colts. His dismissal came a day after the club, in its last game of the year, had broken a 14-game losing streak by defeating the New England Patriots, 23-21.

McCormack, who compiled a 16-25-1 record during three years at Philadelphia before spending four seasons as offensive coordinator at Cincinnati, issued a statement that said he was disappointed in the decision of Robert Irsay, the Colts' owner.

''But at the same time, it has been a season of disappointment,'' McCormack said, ''and I fully understand the reason for his action.'' Kush, after a hiatus of one year from coaching, returned this season as coach of the Canadian Football League's Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who were 11-4-1.

At Arizona State, he had produced winning seasons in 20 of his 21 years, and his 176 career victories placed him second to Paul (Bear) Bryant of Alabama among active coaches of major college teams. But the university dismissed him in 1979 after the administration had accused him of lying, and encouraging his assistants to lie, in an attempt to conceal an assault on Rutledge in a fit of rage on the sideline during a game the previous season.

By the time Kush was discharged -with a $200,000 severance settlement -Rutledge had filed his $2.2 million suit against the coach and others responsible for administering Arizona State's athletic program. Kush maintained repeatedly that he had neither attempted a cover-up nor punched Rutledge, and the player ultimately lost the court battle.

Still pending against Kush in Arizona is a defamation suit brought by Rick Lynch, a former drag-strip operator who is an Arizona State booster. The suit cites a newspaper article, published 10 days after Kush had been dismissed, that quoted the coach as saying that Mr. Lynch had played a role in the discharge.

Today's announcement by the Colts came one day after the National Football League had confirmed that it had conducted an investigation to determine if Kush was suitable to coach in the league.

The inquiry was first made public by The Boston Globe, which said it was carried out last month by private investigators hired by the N.F.L.

''We have been asked by clubs to update us on Frank Kush's situation regarding the litigation that he has been involved in,'' said Jim Heffernan, the league's director of public relations. ''We have made such an investigation and reported back to any club that has made an inquiry.''

Kush told reporters today that his conscience was clear. ''I've not done anything that I am embarrassed about,'' he said. ''I'm going to continue to coach the way I've been coaching.'' Kush said he had asked for a five-year contract to give him sufficient time to establish a winning football team. ''If I can't do it in that period of time,'' he said, ''I ought to be gone.'' McCormack had one year left on his three-year contract. Kush's three-year agreement with Hamilton contained a clause allowing him to terminate the contract at any time.


The main focus in Washington early this week will again be on the Senate as it continues its historic debate on whether to expel Senator Harrison A. Williams Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, because of his conviction on charges growing out of the Abscam investigation. The deciding vote could come as early as Tuesday and Senator Alan Cranston, Democrat of California, may well move at that point to reduce the penalty from expulsion to censure.

Also on the Senate agenda this week is more debate, and possibly a final vote, on the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1981, which would make it a crime to publicly identify an American intelligence agent.

For President Reagan, who is to return from his California ranch late today, there will be a number of important meetings this week, starting Tuesday when he goes to Capitol Hill to lunch with Republicans and try to dispel concern about his budget proposals. He also meets Tuesday with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher of West Germany to discuss NATO and European security.

On Thursday, President Mohammed Siad Barre of the Somali Democratic Republic will see Mr. Reagan, with the Persian Gulf area and the Horn of Africa the main topics. On Friday, Mr. Reagan meets with President F@r@a@n,c@o@i@s Mitterrand of France, who is flying in for a quick visit, a prelude to the seven-nation economic summit to be held at Versailles in early June.

Endangered Act? Administration views on reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act will be aired today in hearings before the House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and Environment. 10 A.M., Room 1334, Longworth Building.

Afghanistan Day: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will kick off a worldwide commemoration of Afghanistan Day when it hears Walter J. Stoessel Jr., Deputy Secretary of State, give an overview of the situation there. 10 A.M., Room 4221, Dirksen Office Building. On Wednesday, President Reagan will sign a joint Congressional resolution declaring March 21 Afghanistan Day.

Court Hearing: Possible imposition of sanctions against the United States Government and the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation will be considered in Federal District Court at 9:30 A.M. when testimony is presented on the alleged destruction and concealment of evidence in the ''Saigon Orphans'' case that stemmed from the crash of a C5A during the 1975 Operation Babylift. Tuesday

Budget Business: David A. Stockman, the budget director, and Richard S. Schweiker, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will defend Administration budget proposals when they appear before the Senate Finance Committee as it begins a week of hearings on the fiscal 1983 budget. 10 A.M., Room 2221, Dirksen Building. Wednesday

Marching Orders: President Reagan lunches with Peter Grace, newly appointed head of the Cost Control Task Force. Secret Business: House Government Information subcommittee begins two days of hearings on proposed executive order calling for tightening of Government secrecy classifications. 10 A.M., Room 2247, Rayburn Office Building. Thursday

Human Rights Focus: Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds second of its hearings to review the President's certification of aid to El Salvador. Administration officials to appear. 10 A.M., Room 4221, Dirksen Office Building. Friday

Producer Prices, a measure of inflation at the wholesale level, come out today. They'll indicate the latest course of inflation. G.O.P. Gathering: Republicans of all stripes - members of Congress, governors, top Administration aides and top elected officials from across the country - will head for Easton, Md., and the three-day, fifth annual Tidewater Conference. They'll eat oysters, sing, drink and try to figure ways to beat Democrats at every turn.

Lowenstein Remembered: A two-day symposium begins on the second anniversary of the death of Allard Lowenstein, the New York Congressman and human rights activitist. Members of Congress, academics and political figures will participate in a series of panels and discussions on domestic policies and national security issues. Cannon Office Building. Barbara Gamarekian

Summary: Monday   The main focus in Washington early this week will again be on the Senate as it continues its historic debate on whether to expel Senator Harrison A. Williams Jr., Democrat of New Jersey, because of his conviction on charges growing out of the Abscam investigation.  The deciding vote could come as early as Tuesday and Senator Alan Cranston, Democrat of California, may well move at that point to reduce the penalty from expulsion to censure.   Also on the Senate agenda this week is more debate, and possibly a final vote, on the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1981, which would make it a crime to publicly identify an American intelligence agent.   For President Reagan, who is to return from his California ranch late today, there will be a number of important meetings this week, starting Tuesday when he goes to Capitol Hill to lunch with Republicans and try to dispel concern about his budget proposals. He also meets Tuesday with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher of West Germany to discuss NATO and European security.


RICHMOND, April 10— Gov. Charles S. Robb has signed legislation declaring a moratorium until July 1, 1983, on the issuing of uranium mining permits in Virginia.

The moratorium was sought by environmental groups and municipalities in the central and Piedmont areas of Virginia. They fear that stepped-up exploration and mining under existing laws will damage underground water supplies and threaten public health.

Uranium mining is not conducted in any state east of the Mississippi River, but the Marline Uranium Corporation, a New Yorkbased company, has leased 55,000 acres in Virginia and sunk hundreds of exploratory drill holes in Pittsylvania County, near Danville. In the last two years, the company has spent more than $9 million in its search for the ore deposits.

The legislation that Governor Robb signed Wednesday established a moratorium so that the Legislature would have time to decide what rules were needed to govern uranium mining operations. Company's Opponents Surprised

State statutes do not address reclamation or standards for exploratory mining. Existing laws on mining could largely exempt small excavations and shafts if applied to uranium.

In late December, Marline surprised its local opponents when it announced that it would not seek state mining permits to extract uranium for 18 months.

Company officials have steadfastly maintained that they support strict state controls. But Edward E. Lane, a former Richmond legislator lobbying in behalf of Marline, quietly submitted draft legislation to key legislators last November that proposed to streamline the state's permit procedures.

The Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, which was studying the uranium question, was not informed of the proposed rules. Later, the commission recommended that the Legislature adopt the moratorium.

Despite such maneuvering, Marline officials say they are more concerned with protecting their investment and whether mining will be allowed at all.

Daniel B. Denning, vice president of the company, said in an interview in December, ''It is the question of whether or not uranium development will be allowed at all that is of concern to Marline, and not the enactment of reasonable statutes regulating the industry and protecting the environment.'' Disagree Over Safety Issue

There is little agreement between proponents and opponents of uranium mining operations as to the levels of risk of exposure, nor is there much agreement on how much radiation would be released into the air and ground water by a uranium mining and milling operation.

But a study published in 1971 by the Public Health Service found that lung cancer rates in Colorado uranium miners were five to 25 times the normal rate.

In 1977, Marline geologists began looking in Virginia for areas where low-flying aircraft could pick up radiactive emissions, a possible indication of uranium deposits.

After that, the company quietly acquired uranium leases, mostly in Pittsylvania County but also in Culpeper and Orange counties. 'Cows That Glow Green'

Marline officials have acknowledged they could have done a better job of explaining their intentions to the public. But Mr. Denning maintains that local fears have been greatly exaggerated, especially in largely rural Culpeper and Orange counties, where he said ''there was talk of radiation in the water and cows that glow green.''

Lindsay Gordon, a 59-year-old dairy farmer who has served 12 years on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, has another view. ''We're like babes in the woods, but we like to be careful here,'' he said. ''My daddy told me, 'If you don't know, vote no.' ''


CHICAGO, May 11— The number of mergers and acquisitions in the first quarter of the year rose to 604 from 599 for the similar period last year, according to a merger intermediary.

W.T. Grimm & Company, which publishes the Mergerstat Review, said that the 1982 first-quarter count also represented a 2.7 percent gain over the 588 transactions recorded in the last quarter of 1981.

''Like last year, the majority of transactions were acquisitions of closely held concerns and sales of divisions and subsidiaries,'' Willard T. Grimm, chairman, said. ''Both purchases of private companies and divestitures accounted for 89 percent of the 604 transactions announced during the first quarter of this year.''

However, Mr. Grimm said large-scale mergers, such as the acquisition of natural resource concerns, were ''noticeably absent from the merger scene thus far.''

As a result, he said, the total dollar value paid for all transactions in the first three months of 1982 dropped to $11.9 billion from $17.5 billion for the same period last year.


A Waltham man has been found guilty of using insider information he learned from a golfing buddy to help his friends make money on the stock market, according to documents filed in US District Court in Boston Wednesday.

A federal jury convicted Eric McPhail on felony counts of securities fraud and conspiracy, according to court documents. Sentencing is scheduled for September 17.

McPhail was one of two amateur golfers accused by the US Department of Justice of trading on insider information about American Superconductor that they picked up from a company executive at Oakley Country Club in Watertown. Five other golfers were charged civilly by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Douglas Parigian, McPhail’s co-defendant who was accused of using information passed along by McPhail, pleaded guilty to the criminal charges against him on May 13, according to the SEC. McPhail, Parigian, and their lawyers could not be immediately reached for comment.

Summary: Eric McPhail, who allegedly provided friends with insider information about American Superconductor stock, has been convicted of criminal charges.


At 15, Maddie Marlow — a Sugar Land, Texas, native — and Taylor Dye — from Ada, Okla. — met at a talent showcase in Dallas and instantly hit it off. They began writing songs together and traveling to and from Nashville to hone their craft in the city’s famous songwriting rooms in hopes of landing a publishing deal. At 17, they moved to Nashville. The pair say their parents thought they might be going through a phase with this whole songwriting thing.

But if this is a phase, the duo would be wise to stick with it. At 19, Maddie & Tae, as they are known professionally, are the toast of Music City, having conquered the country charts with their cheeky but pointed hit, “Girl in a Country Song.” With their voices locked in sweet harmony, Maddie & Tae slyly lacerate every lazy bro-country songwriting trope and buzzword, from Daisy Dukes to “sugar shakers,” offering the perspective of all those anonymous women propped like trophies in all those pickup truck cabs and tailgates. When the song, co-written by Marlow, Dye, and Aaron Scherz, hit number one in December, Maddie & Tae became the first female duo in 70 years to achieve that feat with their debut single.

That success rocketed them from playing, as Marlow puts it with a laugh, “some lady’s garage” in Nashville to an opening slot on Dierks Bentley’s amphitheater tour, which stops at the Xfinity Center Saturday with fellow warm-up acts Canaan Smith and Kip Moore.

On the phone from a Burgettstown, Pa., stop on the tour, the bubbly pair are still buzzing about the success of “Girl,” eager to see their current single — the encouraging “Fly” — follow its flight path, and looking forward to the release of their debut album, “Start Here,” out Aug. 28. (The album will be released by the Big Machine Label Group — home of Taylor Swift — and specifically the imprint Dot Records, which is also releasing Steven Tyler’s solo country debut.)

“We know that all the stars aligned,” says Marlow of their improbable success, not only in the face of their age and inexperience but the current tough row to hoe for female artists trying to crack country radio.

Although making the most of this starry moment meant forgoing college, at least for now, the women believe they are getting exactly the education they need on the road.

“We go out and watch Dierks’s set, and Kip and Canaan, and we take notes,” says Dye. “This is our college and we’ve learned so much, so it worked out perfectly.”

Bentley, for one, is blown away by how much poise and showmanship Maddie & Tae already exhibit.

“They have a full 360-degree show, it’s really well done. They play the right cover songs in the right places, they say the right things, they have a great band,” says Bentley, who himself is amping up his production for his first big headlining shows. “The first time I saw them [at a festival in Iowa] I sat there just shocked. These girls are not messing around, they came here to stay.”

He’s also impressed by their songwriting prowess, particularly when it comes to “Girl.” “It’s just fun to hear some girls in there, competing and getting heard,” says Bentley. “It’s a tough time for them in the genre right now. Girls are actually driving the format but buying guys’ songs. So I thought they did a great job of empowering themselves and embracing what’s out there and making it their own, with their own twist on it.”

Indeed, their own twist is important to Maddie & Tae. So much so that the duo pushed back the release of “Start Here” from June to August to make sure they personally dotted every i and crossed every t, balancing the demands of the pop-leaning marketplace with their own country influences, which include everyone from the Dixie Chicks to Gene Watson to Vince Gill to Lee Ann Womack. As Marlow says, “If we’re in a [songwriting session] and don’t really know what to say, we think, How would the Chicks say this?”

The album will include the four songs that were previously available on the eponymous EP that featured “Girl” — including mean-girl comeuppance track “Sierra” and the foot-stomper “Your Side of Town” — as well as six new tracks, all of which they co-wrote, a major point of pride. They are especially grateful to co-writers like Scherz who took a chance on them, since they are well aware they were a hard sell to some in the veteran Nashville songwriting community.

“Obviously when their publisher called them and said, ‘Hey, do you want to write with two 15-year-old girls who don’t live in Nashville yet?’ they were probably like, ‘Umm, I’m sure they’re great but I’ll pass,’” says Dye with a laugh. “So it didn’t surprise us that people were skeptical because just looking at it, it does seem that way. But we’re so thankful that we did find writers that did believe in us from the beginning.”

With Kip Moore, Maddie & Tae, and Canaan Smith

at 7 p.m. Tickets: $34.50-$59.25.

Summary: A chat with new country duo Maddie & Tae, who open for Dierks Bentley at the Xfinity Center Saturday.


06/29/2015 AT 10:35 PM EDT

Hey, residents of Earth, have you ever wished that June lasted just a little bit longer?

Good news! The last day of the month – Tuesday, June 30 – will last one second longer than most every other June 30 in history. The reason? Science!

(UTC) is the chronological standard regulating the world's official clocks as well as aviation- and weather-monitoring activities. It must sometimes be adjusted to account for the Earth's irregular rotation.

On Tuesday night, clocks around the world will click from 23:59:59 to 23:59:60 rather than immediately going to midnight on Wednesday.

While awaiting that extra second may be fun for some, it's causing headaches for others. The

the previous leap second, added on June 30, 2012, caused major technical hiccups for services such as Mozilla, Reddit, Foursquare, and others, while more than 400 flights had to be grounded in Australia as a result of a resulting problem with Qantas' check-in system.

"There are consequences of tinkering with time," Peter Whibberly, a scientist at Britain's National Physical Laboratory, told the paper. "Because leap seconds are only introduced sporadically, it is difficult to implement them in computers, and mistakes can cause systems to fail temporarily."

, the factors that can affect the Earth's rotation, necessitating a leap second, include earthquakes and temperature changes.

This NASA video explains in more detail how Earth's rotation is measured.

Leap seconds are usually inserted at the midpoints of the year, on June 30 and December 31, according

Summary: June 30, 2015, may feel slightly longer than it should – and for good reason


07/31/2015 AT 11:25 PM EDT

told Diane Sawyer in her

that she was a Republican and "more on the conservative side," but in a new clip from

the former Olympian's views appear to be worrying to her new transgender friends.

Jenner, 65, who is using her recognition to help the trans community, is shown discussing some of the challenges trans people face.

"What's the big issue," Jenner asks her new girlfriends as they take a road trip.

"They're homeless and unemployed, so it's just going to take a lot more," says one.

Another woman suggests focusing on entry-level jobs "so that these girls have some alternative if they wanted," comments another.

And that's when Jenner's conservative views lead to some raised eyebrows.

"Don't a lot of times they can make more not working with social programs than they actually can with an entry-level job," she says. "You don't want people to get totally dependent on it. That's when they get in trouble – 'Why should I work? I got a few bucks, I got my room paid for.' "

Another woman says to camera that she's worried that Jenner's life "in the bubble" is an impediment to understanding other people's problems.

"Caitlyn has every right to be just as conservative as she choses, but many transgender men and women need social programs to survive, and that's nothing to be ashamed of," she says. "If Cait's going to be a spokesperson for the community. This is something she's going to have to understand."

airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on E!

Summary: Jenner's questioning of social programs to help unemployed men and women surprises her new friends


Sydney radio station Triple M was forced to cut off an interview with Nick Kyrgios’ brother Christos this morning after he made a lewd comment while trying to defend his brother over an on-court sex slur.

Christos was defending the tennis star after on-court microphones recorded him walking to the net yesterday at the Rogers Cup in Canada and saying to opponent Stan Wawrinka, "Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend. Sorry to tell you that mate".

The comment was an apparent reference to Australian Davis Cup teammate Thanasi Kokkinakis and 19-year-old Croatian tennis player Donna Vekic.

Speaking with the Grill Team, Christos claimed Wawrinka had slandered Kyrgios previously and that he should have expected some retaliatory sledging.

Host Matty Johns was in the process of responding when the interview was suddenly cut short with the hosts apologising that Christos had said “something pretty crook”.

Christos later wrote on his Facebook page that he “said Donna obviously loved the “kokk”.

“They cut my interview and said it’s the worst thing they have ever heard on air. All cheers,” he wrote.

The ATP has fined Kyrgios the maximum on-site amount of US$10,000 (A$13,580) and he was booed as he walked onto the court in Montreal today.

More footage has since emerged from the match that captures Kyrgios saying “he’s banging a 19-year-old”.

The comments have been widely labelled a disgrace; said to be more damaging to Vekic than to Wawrinka, and contributing to a culture of women being shamed for their sexual behaviour.

IN PICTURES: The rising Croatian tennis star targeted in Kyrgios’s sexual slur against Wawrinka

Vekic and Kokkinakis played mixed doubles at the 2014 Australian Open and are understood to be friends.

A rising tennis star, Vekic has been romantically linked to Wawrinka who separated from his wife Ilham Vuilloud earlier this year. The pair have not publicly confirmed they are dating.

Speaking on court after the match, Kyrgios claimed he had been provoked, saying: "He was getting a bit lippy with me. Kind of in the heat of the moment, I don't know. I just said it."

He later apologised on Facebook writing, "I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for the comments I made during the match last night vs Stan Wawrinka.

My comments were made in the heat of the moment and were unacceptable on many levels. In addition to the private apology I’ve made, I would like to make a public apology as well. I take full responsibility for my actions and regret what happened."

WATCH: Sport's best and worst sledging efforts

On Twitter, Wawrinka said it was "So disappointing to see a fellow athlete and colleague be so disrespectful in a way I could never even imagine.

"What was said I wouldn't say to my worst enemy. To stoop so low is not only unacceptable but also beyond belief.

"There is no need for this kind of behaviour on or off the court and I hope the governing body of this sport does not stand for this and stands up for the integrity of this sport that we have worked so hard to build."

Do you have any news photos or videos?

Summary: Nick Kyrgios has been fined for an insulting remark made to Stanislas Wawrinka during a tennis match in Canada.


Crude oil have plumbed fresh six-year lows, touching down to $42.18 on a report from the American Petroleum Institute calling a build in supplies. That's a long way from $107, where oil traded just nine months ago. But experts don't think the bottom is in just yet. In fact, they have no idea when the slick slide will finally stop.

"When oil broke $110 a barrel, it broke economic reality. Consumers simply can't afford the gasoline that you net out from that price" said Stephen Schork, editor of the Schork Report. "This is the same thing in reverse. We've diverged from reality and reason."

Schork says that in the short-term, $42.20 and $40 will serve as important levels but added that "all I can do is follow the momentum."

"I can't tell you when oil has reached a bottom—and by the way, no one is going to be able to tell you," the analyst said.

Read MoreUS crude settles at $43.46 a barrel, lowest since March 2009

Summary: Crude oil has diverged from reality and reason, analysts say.


Three weeks ago, S. Prestley Blake, the cofounder of

was at his Connecticut home, digging a pond with a backhoe. By himself. At 100 years old.

The machine, with Blake at the controls, rolled 17 feet down into an open-pit rock mine that he is remaking into the pond, scraping much of his skin. He screamed for help, but no one heard.

“I’m going to stay here and die, or crawl myself out,” Blake said, recalling the accident.

He managed to grab hold of the rock and got to the top, with the motor still running.

Not two weeks later, he pronounced himself fully recovered.

“Well, he’s the fastest-healing person I’ve ever seen,” said his wife, Helen Blake.

About the time the bandages came off, Blake’s grandson Adam Blake, cofounder of ThriveHive, asked his grandfather to introduce the marketing company at Techstars Boston demo day on Tuesday, a showcase for startups.

“Starting a business today is so different than in his time because you didn’t have to worry about online marketing,” said Adam Blake, who received his MBA from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. “We thought bringing a 100-year-old dressed in a tie and jacket to a tech event would be a great way to emphasize that point of how different things are now.”

The T-shirt-, jeans-, and sneaker-wearing Techstars crowd could learn a thing or two about presentation dress. Or not. Times are definitely different than in 1935, when Prestley and his brother Curtis opened the first Friendly’s Ice Cream shop, in Springfield.

“I especially wanted to have my grandson proud of his grandfather,” Prestley Blake said. “The whole event was well done and very well received. Of course, I’m deaf so I couldn’t understand anything anyone was saying, but I saw the visuals.”

Techstars is a three-month accelerator program for startups that offers mentoring and up to $118,000 in seed funding and convertible notes. The summer session included 12 teams from the United States, Spain, Canada, Ukraine, and Portugal.

Since Prestley Blake lives in Connecticut and the event was in Boston, he needed a little bribing to make the drive, in the form of his son chauffeuring his parents.

But before Prestley Blake could share how he turned $547 into 650 stores, he got himself into trouble, again. He was stung by a swarm of bees on Tuesday morning in the woods. But, he took a Benadryl and was fine, Adam Blake said.

Good thing he was OK, as the 950 investors, entrepreneurs, and community members greeted Prestley, who stood on stage with only a cane, to a warm welcome.

“I encourage them to pick someone who gives them extra credibility, somebody who is credible themselves, and makes people listen a little closer,” said Techstars Boston managing director Semyon Dukach. Prestley Blake’s “great tenacity is very inspirational.”

The Blake brothers sold Friendly’s in 1979 to Hershey Foods Corp. for $162 million. In 1988, Donald Smith and a group of investors bought the ice cream company from Hershey. Then in 2007, Prestley Blake became the company’s single largest shareholder in order to force then-chief executive Donald Smith out of the chain. Friendly’s was bought by the private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, and John Maguire is now the CEO.

Helen and Prestley Blake show no signs of stopping any time soon. Helen Blake has a Facebook account to see her children’s and grandchildren’s photos, but is too busy to check.

“I can’t keep up with everything. I have enough trouble trying to finish my e-mail. I’m behind by 1,000,” said Helen Blake, 83, who prefers text messaging because she can respond quickly.

She doesn’t even play golf anymore. “It takes too much time,” she said seriously.

Considering Prestley Blake describes their home as a “hot bed joint,” because the sheets are still hot when the next person comes to stay with them, the Blakes could give entrepreneurs a run for their money with the pace at which they live.

But even though Prestley Blake started his business at a time when it took five years to own a second store, his advice still stands true:

Treat employees fairly, be frugal with your cash, and build a stable business. On Tuesday, Prestley Blake said Friendly’s could have used ThriveHive’s technology 80 years ago to help them open storefronts faster.

“What caught me by surprise was how touched people were” by seeing Prestley on stage, Adam Blake said. “It helped cap off a really unbelievable experience for us and all the other companies, and I’m glad he was able to be a part of a new generation of entrepreneurs.”

Summary: The 100-year-old co-founder of Friendly’s was injured when he rolled into a quarry about three weeks ago, but has pronounced himself healed.


* IMF may cut Japan GDP f'casts in next report - Kochhar

* China's yuan band has scope to widen further

* BOJ should focus on inflation expectations, not growth

* Does not see China yuan devaluation triggering currency war

(Adds quotes, details) TOKYO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan does not need to expand monetary policy in October even if it cuts its growth and price forecasts, as long as inflation expectations are well anchored, the IMF's mission chief for Japan said on Friday. Kalpana Kochhar, who is also deputy director of the International Monetary Fund's Asia and Pacific Department, said there was scope for China to expand the yuan's trading band further. "What Chinese authorities are doing is what the IMF has recommended for a long time, which is to allow markets to determine the exchange rate," she said on Beijing's decision last month to devalue its currency. "One benefit is that loosening the (yuan's) link to the dollar gives Chinese authorities some independence to conduct their own monetary policy," she told Reuters. Kochhar said there was a good chance the IMF would cut Japan's economic growth forecasts for 2015 and 2016 in its next World Economic Outlook report as China's slowdown and sluggish Asian demand weigh on exports. "So far the recovery in Japan this year has been frankly disappointing and bumpy," she said, adding that wage gains have been particularly weak despite a tightening labor market.

NO 'CURRENCY WAR' Japan's economy contracted in April-June due to weak consumption and exports and analysts expect only a modest rebound in the current quarter, keeping the BOJ under pressure to further ease monetary policy. Some investors are betting the BOJ will ease at the end of October, when it is expected to lower its upbeat economic and price forecasts in a semi-annual review of its long-term projections. But Kochhar said the BOJ does not need to respond to temporary weakness in the economy and instead should focus on inflation expectations - which have risen moderately - in deciding whether to deploy additional stimulus. "The BOJ basically looks at inflation expectations and the output gap. Even if we were to lower our forecast, we see the output gap closing," she said. "As long as there's not a very sharp decline in either, one could say (the BOJ is) on the right path." Kochhar stressed that the BOJ's monetary efforts must be accompanied by government efforts to raise wages and deregulate the economy, in order for a sustained recovery. She shrugged off the view China's devaluation could unleash a rush among central banks to depreciate their currencies with monetary easing, including by the BOJ. "So far, the BOJ has responded appropriately (to market volatility). When there is market volatility ... the best response is to let the exchange rate move," she said. "Exchange rate is not a target and has not been a target for the BOJ."

(Additional reporting by Takashi Umekawa and Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chris Gallagher and Jacqueline Wong)

Summary: TOKYO, Sept 4- The Bank of Japan does not need to expand monetary policy in October even if it cuts its growth and price forecasts, as long as inflation expectations are well anchored, the IMF's mission chief for Japan said on Friday. Kalpana Kochhar, who is also deputy director of the International Monetary Fund's Asia and Pacific Department, said there was scope...


After years of controversy, a pill to help women with low libido will finally become available in a few weeks. But there’s a catch: The prescription drug, Addyi, shouldn’t be taken with alcohol. And because the pill must be taken each day on an ongoing basis, this means no more drinking for those who take it — ever.

There’s a sobering reason for this. But whether anyone will follow the instructions is another matter.

If nothing else, the uncertainty will probably extend the ruckus surrounding the medicine, which already inspired a contentious lobbying campaign that accused the FDA of being biased against treatments to help women overcome a loss of sexual desire.

Here’s the problem: A small study of 25 people found a few experienced a severe drop in blood pressure when mixing the drug and a few drinks in a short amount of time. All but two of those in the study, by the way, were men, which isn’t the best way to gauge an effect in women. The FDA is concerned women might have an even more pronounced reaction.

To get the word out, the agency has slapped a warning on the Addyi product label and insisted that the manufacturer, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, devise a so-called risk management program. Such programs are designed to restrict availability and lower the chance that a patient develops a serious side effect. Some might say fainting isn’t all that serious. Then again, you can crack your head open when you faint.

So the program requires doctors to become certified before prescribing the drug, which means they must review material about side effects and convey these to their patients. And only a select number of pharmacies will be allowed to stock the drug. Women, meanwhile, will have to sign a form stating they are aware of the risks before receiving a prescription, which might also be a way to limit legal liability.

But will women, who should expect only a very modest benefit from the drug, really refrain from drinking?

After all, women will have to take an Addyi every day because the drug works by manipulating the central nervous system. By comparison, erectile dysfunction drugs such as Viagra and Cialis work by increasing blood flow to the penis and so can be taken “on demand.” Given that many people drink to lower their inhibitions, how practical is it to expect that some women will never drink while taking the drug?

“We see people all the time who we tell not to drink because they’re on certain medications. But the longer you’re on a med, the more likely you are to eventually think it’s OK to drink,” said Jen Gunter, an obstetrician and gynecologist in San Francisco. “When women first start taking a drug under such circumstances, they’re more careful. But later some start to wonder whether just one drink can hurt.”

Sprout’s chief executive, Cindy Whitehead, said she is confident that the risk program will work. “We’re going to use it as an opportunity” to educate physicians and women about the possibilities for combating a loss of sexual desire, she said.

And she noted that Sprout, which sold itself to Valeant Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion two days after Addyi was approved, is committed to conducting three post-marketing studies in women that the FDA required to better gauge the effects of mixing Addyi with alcohol. The first must be done by end of 2016 and the others by the end of 2018.

As for the FDA, a spokeswoman reiterated the risk program is essential but acknowledged that avoiding alcohol will really be up to patients. Meanwhile, Addyi becomes widely available next month. And though Sprout has voluntarily agreed to refrain from running consumer ads for the next 18 months, recent media coverage of the drug has already generated tremendous buzz. In fact, even before the FDA approved the drug late last month, a recent survey found that 80 percent of 554 women would be willing to take Addyi. The survey, however, did not collect detailed information about the respondents.

Moreover, a spokeswoman for Treato, a social media research firm that conducted the survey, said women were not asked questions about their willingness to avoid alcohol or whether they had concerns about the risk of drinking while taking the drug.

“There’s really nothing they can do to prevent women from drinking,” said Ira Loss, a senior health care analyst at Washington Analysis, a consulting firm. “If women are determined to take that medication and drink, they’re going to do it. Maybe the one thing that will serve as a reminder not to drink is taking the pill each day. But for some, a drink may still be tempting.”

Twice before, the FDA rejected Addyi because of such risks, as well as limited effectiveness. But at the time, the drug was owned by another company that was not part of the campaign accusing the FDA of bias. Michael McCaughan of Prevision Policy, a health care consulting firm, points to another factor. “At this moment in history,” he said, “the FDA is working to find a way to say yes” to drug approvals.

Perhaps the concerns about drinking will become moot. After all, if enough women find that Addyi isn’t particularly effective, the buzz will wear off and prescriptions won’t be refilled.

And alcohol sales might rise instead.

Summary: A pill to help women with low libido will finally become available in a few weeks. But the drug, Addyi, shouldn’t be taken with alcohol.


What the question tells him is that it's becoming more important to investors to know what will happen to their assets if their financial advisor unexpectedly dies or is disabled. And, thus, a succession plan can serve as an appealing aspect of a firm.

And yet, study after study shows that roughly two-thirds of advisory businesses have no succession plan at all. Carson, who also does consulting work with advisors through another business he created, Peak Advisor Alliance, estimates that just 5 percent actually have a well-thought-out, detailed plan.

Read MoreGood advisors have marketing plans

Among other things, succession planning "has to be addressed from an income-tax, transfer-tax and estate-planning standpoint. There has to be a mechanism to keep [the firm's] stakeholders in place, and there has to be communication with existing clients," Carson said.

He considers a succession plan different from a continuity plan, which only addresses an advisor's tidy, planned retirement. It's the unexpected events that advisors need to prepare for, he said.

Summary: Studies show two-thirds of advisors have no succession plan, but crafting one is key to ensuring peace of mind for clients and employees.


The New Yorker reported that between 2010 and 2012, more than $20 million of Zuckerberg's gift and matching donations went to "consulting firms with various specialties: public relations, human resources, communications, data analysis, teacher evaluation." Consultants were paid $1,000 a day.

"Everybody's getting paid, but Raheem still can't read," Vivian Cox Fraser, president of the Urban League of Essex County in New Jersey, told the magazine.

Read MoreMystery $13 billion philanthropists revealed

The Foundation for Newark's Future, tasked with distributing Zuckerberg's donation and matching gifts, said it has invested more than $82 million in initiatives.

"We have dramatically increased access to school options for Newark families, provided grants directly to teachers at 37 schools, given 300,000 books to Newark students through the My Very Own Library program, and just recently, we committed to a $1 million initiative to improve early childhood education in Newark," the foundation said in a statement to CNBC.

It said it also provided "critical funding" for a new teacher contract.

Read More Learning to give away money the Buffett way

Weingarten, who worked on the teacher contract in Newark, said there were some good legacy things that came out of the donation. However, the philanthropic agenda didn't match other things that were going on in the city, like the state cutting $56 million in school aid, she said.

"We want business to be involved in schools," she said. "The lesson here is we need the engagement of the whole community."

—By CNBC's Michelle Fox and Kerima Greene.

Summary: Despite Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million gift to Newark, critics say the city has not turned into a "symbol of educational excellence."


SANTIAGO, May 13 (Reuters) - Chilean bank CorpBanca said a deal with Brazil's Itau Unibanco last year now considerably undervalues it, casting fresh doubt on the troubled merger between the two Latin American lenders.

In a letter to the local regulator on Wednesday evening, CorpBanca said that solid results over the last year, plus a weak performance at the local arm of Itau, meant there was a shortfall of some $1 billion between the price agreed in January 2014 and its current value.

The deal, which if completed would be Latin America's largest banking combination since 2008, was set to create a new venture worth some $8 billion, executives said at the time.

But it has faced stiff opposition from minority shareholder Cartica, who argued among other complaints that it undervalued CorpBanca, controlled by Chilean billionaire Alvaro Saieh.

Last week, Itau sweetened a dividend payout proposal for the minority shareholders in a bid to speed up completion.

"Although this (proposal) is a step in the right direction on the part of Itau, it doesn't correct the difference in valuation...which continues being significant," said CorpBanca.

The bank said it had hired Citibank to carry out a new fairness opinion over the course of May.

(Reporting by Rosalba O'Brien and Antonio de la Jara; Editing by Ken Wills)

Summary: SANTIAGO, May 13- Chilean bank CorpBanca said a deal with Brazil's Itau Unibanco last year now considerably undervalues it, casting fresh doubt on the troubled merger between the two Latin American lenders. In a letter to the local regulator on Wednesday evening, CorpBanca said that solid results over the last year, plus a weak performance at the local arm of Itau,...


The 26-story tower being proposed by John Hancock Life Insurance Co. in the Back Bay could include a second-floor skyway or pedestrian bridge connecting it to the insurer’s two-building complex across Stuart Street.

That’s one of several details included in a new filing the company submitted to the Boston Redevelopment Authority this week, which will kick off public review for the project. The tower at 380 Stuart Street would be Hancock’s first new building in its home neighborhood in decades.

The $350 million curved-glass tower would include 625,000 square feet of office space — enough for an estimated 3,000 workers — most of it occupied by John Hancock, and a 175-car underground garage and retail stores at street level.

The Hancock skyway, for now, is just in the planning stages. The insurer included it as a “potential future addition” and said it would seek separate approval from the BRA and city design review should it choose to go forward.

The tower is the latest of several big buildings proposed or under construction along the Back Bay’s “high spine” and is in a stretch of Stuart Street where city officials this fall are adopting new zoning guidelines that were first issued in 2010. Architects at CBT designed the building to minimize impacts of shadow and wind, according to the filing with the BRA.

The BRA will be accepting public comments on the project through Nov. 5.

Summary: Proposed tower on Stuart Street would house 3,000 workers at the life insurer


Europe's embryonic shale gas industry is anxiously waiting for a small local council in the north of the U.K. to decide whether it will allow the first onshore hydraulic fracturing – or "fracking" -- for shale gas in Western Europe since 2011.

Lancashire County Council met Wednesday to vote on allowing U.K. exploration company Cuadrilla Resources, formerly chaired by ex-BP head John Browne, to frack at the Little Plumpton site, after planning officers earlier approved the site.

The run-up to the decision has been marked by protests by environmental groups. Cuadrilla has been blamed for causing two small earthquakes in the north England town of Blackpool in 2011 – which led to a moratorium on the controversial method of energy extraction.

The vote to allow fracking was tied 7-7, with the chair (who has the casting vote), voting against turning down Cuadrilla's application. A final decision is now expected Monday.

If given the go-ahead, the company has pledged as much as £100,000 to local community groups for every well it fracks.

Fracking: On its way to the UK?

While the European Parliament has voted for a moratorium on fracking, the U.K. has ignored it.

There are currently 95 applications for licenses to explore onshore oil-and-gas in the U.K., suggesting a potentially substantial industry which could both boost jobs and make the country less dependent on external energy sources. The U.K. has up to 26 trillion cubic feet of shale-gas deposits – or eight times its current annual gas consumption – according to U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates.

Much as in the U.S., the debate centered on the tension between commercial gain and potential future environmental pain.

Councillors in Lancashire heard from a series of objections to the plans – including one which quoted from the William Blake poem Jerusalem, asking councillors to preserve the "green and pleasant land".

Protests by hundreds of people outside the council offices during the hearings included Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Lancashire Nanas.

There may now be a debate over whether decisions on fracking should be taken at central government level rather than locally. Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to go "all out for shale" and may want to speed up the approval process for future sites.

Summary: Europe's embryonic shale gas industry is anxiously waiting for a small local council to decide whether it will allow "fracking" for shale gas.


Australia's central bank held interest rates at record lows on Tuesday as sliding commodity prices, a still-high currency and mounting economic uncertainty in China argue for continued stimulus, and even the chance of more cuts.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) underlined the need for a lower currency after its monthly policy meeting, even though it had only just hit a six-year trough on the U.S. dollar.

"Further depreciation seems both likely and necessary, particularly given the significant declines in key commodity prices," said RBA Governor Glenn Stevens.

On the outlook for policy, a typically guarded Stevens repeated that coming data would "inform" the bank's assessment of whether the current level of rates was most effective.

Read MoreAustralia Q1 GDP up 2.3% on-year, beating expectations

He also declined to go into detail on the implications of economic ructions in Greece and China, saying only that they had not yet had much impact on sovereign borrowing costs.

The decision was well flagged as a Reuters poll of 22 analysts had found all expected rates to remain at 2 percent, though six looked for another easing by Christmas.

Interbank futures imply a 50 percent probability of a move by October, rising to 80 percent in December.

The central bank has already eased twice this year as the unwinding of a once-in-a-century mining boom carves a gaping hole out of business spending and national income.

Lately, data have suggested mining spending is falling even faster than first thought, while industry confidence has been sapped by a sharp retreat in prices for key resource exports, notably iron ore.

Summary: The RBA held rates at record lows on Tuesday as sliding commodity prices, a still-high currency and uncertainty in China argue for continued stimulus.


In addition, fresh concerns about a potential Greek exit from the euro zone are pressuring the euro and helping the U.S. dollar, he pointed out.

"A weak euro, i.e., a strong dollar, is very bearish for crude oil. So this appears to be the smoking gun for the overall weakness."

So how is the big money betting on oil now?

"There's an active, actual market in the 30-puts — that's bets that oil will go below $30 a barrel," he said. Additionally, the 40-strike puts and 45-strike puts on February crude oil have also been heavily traded.

For Schork, the next level of support is at $42.20. "If we can't hold that support, then $32.40, which is the low from that 2009 price implosion, would be your best target."

Summary: All of a sudden, traders appear to think that sub-$30 is becoming a real-life possibility.


(Adds comments, details from decision)

Aug 27 (Reuters) - The billionaire chief executive of Dole Food Co and his top lieutenant must pay $148.2 million of damages to shareholders they shortchanged when the produce company went private in 2013, a Delaware judge ruled on Thursday.

In a decision that may cast a pall on management-led buyouts, Vice Chancellor Travis Laster said Dole Chief Executive David Murdock, 92, and former Chief Operating Officer C. Michael Carter were liable for depressing the stock so that Murdock, who owned 40 percent of Dole, could buy the rest at a lowball price.

The judge said the $1.2 billion buyout undervalued Dole by 17 percent, letting Murdock pay $13.50 per share rather than the $16.24 that Dole was worth.

Deutsche Bank AG, which advised Murdock on the buyout, was cleared of liability because it did not knowingly participate in wrongdoing. Murdock is worth $3.4 billion, Forbes magazine said.

Thursday's award is among the largest in a class action lawsuit alleging that a company sold itself for too low a price, and highlights conflicts that managers wanting to buy their own companies may face in wanting to keep costs down.

"It will make it harder to do management buyouts, and it should be," said Charles Elson, a governance specialist at the University of Delaware. "The inherent conflicts are almost impossible to resolve. The ruling sends a signal that Delaware courts will be suspicious of these sorts of transactions."

More than half of U.S. publicly-traded companies are incorporated in Delaware, whose courts hear many valuation-based challenges to takeover bids.

Shareholders accused Murdock and Carter of driving down Dole's share price by downplaying the Westlake Village, California-based company's ability to boost profit by cutting costs and buying farms, and canceling a stock buyback.

In his 106-page decision, Laster saw Carter as the main engineer of the scheme, calling him Murdock's "right-hand man" and saying Carter "actually engaged" in fraud.

"Although facially large, the award is conservative to what the evidence could support," Laster wrote.

A nine-day trial was held in February. Several hedge funds had asked Laster to appraise Dole's value, but the judge said that issue may be moot.

Dole declined immediate comment on behalf of the itself, Murdock and Carter. Deutsche Bank spokeswoman Renee Calabro declined to comment.

Objecting shareholders had sought higher damages, but their lawyer Stuart Grant called the decision a "decisive" victory.

"It wakes insiders and investment banks on their proper roles in a management-led buyout, and shows that management can't dictate the terms and the flow of information," Grant said in an interview. "It shouldn't be a Wild West."

NOT A "CONFUSED OLD MAN"

A high school dropout who made much of his fortune in real estate, Murdock was Dole's chief executive from 1985 to 2007, and again starting in 2013.

He had taken Dole private in 2003 and sold 60 percent in a 2009 initial public offering, in part to pay down debt as the U.S. economy struggled.

Murdock said he hoped through the latest buyout to combine Dole with his North Carolina research center, which seeks to unlock secrets of health and longevity.

But shareholders called the move a power play. Laster appeared to agree, calling Murdock "an old-school, my-way-or-the-highway controller, fixated on his authority and the power and privileges that came with it."

The judge said Murdock hurt himself during trial testimony, where defense counsel portrayed him as both a "confused old man" and a disengaged CEO.

"By dint of his prodigious wealth and power, he has grown accustomed to deference and fallen into the habit of characterizing events however he wants," Laster wrote.

"That habit serves a witness poorly when he faces a skilled cross-examiner who has contrary documents and testimony," he added.

The cases are In re: Dole Food Co Inc Stockholder Litigation and In re: Appraisal of Dole Food Co Inc, Delaware Chancery Court, Nos. 8703, 9079.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Alden Bentley and Christian Plumb)

Summary: Aug 27- The billionaire chief executive of Dole Food Co and his top lieutenant must pay $148.2 million of damages to shareholders they shortchanged when the produce company went private in 2013, a Delaware judge ruled on Thursday. In a decision that may cast a pall on management-led buyouts, Vice Chancellor Travis Laster said Dole Chief Executive David...


12/13/2015 AT 10:15 AM EST

An important question in 2015 is, with all of the big-budget franchises and the hunks who star in them, does anyone still find

That's just the question that Hemsworth (PEOPLE's

) himself set out to answer in a brunch-themed skit on this weekend's

In a dress and wig as "Claire," he kept steering the conversation back to

and Thor's "big hard hammer."

"And that sexy red cape of his, always brushing against his big butt – oh to be that cape. Am I right, bitches?"

His brunch mates figured him out soon enough, when castmember Cecily Strong asked the table, "Hey guys, crazy question: Is our friend Claire actually Chris Hemsworth?"

Yes, yes it was. But only so he could hear that he was still considered hunky.

Aidy Bryant, however, had a different take: "No, this was bad, and you're weird now."

For what's worth, we still think you're hunky, Hemsworth.

Summary: In a dress and wig as "Claire," he kept steering a brunch conversation back to Thor and Thor's "big hard hammer"


01/02/2016 AT 03:40 PM EST

Four people are dead after a New Year's Eve argument about a washing machine,

At about 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, Rowland Heights, California, authorities responded to a 911 call from a gunshot victim, the local TV station reports.

Upon arrival, police discovered four people suffering from gunshot wounds: 27-year-old Earnie Calzadilla, a 48-year-old unnamed woman, a 54-year-old unnamed man and a 54-year-old unnamed woman.

Shortly after arriving on the scene, paramedics pronounced the four victims dead.

The victims' names have been withheld pending family notification. The circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation.

"It looks like it was a dispute between the dad and the son's girlfriend, probably over using the washing machine," Sheriff's Lt. John Corina said, according to the

. "For some reason, this set the dad off."

reports the family had allegedly been drinking prior to the shooting and that the homeowner "was a heavy drinker with a large gun collection."

The son, 33, who has been identified by police as Christopher Morey, survived and allegedly wrestled the gun out of his fathers hand and shot him once, killing him.

Morey is currently under arrest for the murder of his father, CBS LA reports.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Department was unavailable to comment.

Summary: Police are currently investigating the strange circumstances of a late-night home shooting


Renault's offices in France were raided. (AAP)

Shares in Renault have suffered a meltdown on the Paris stock exchange after anti-fraud detectives raided sites of the carmaker in an apparent emissions probe.

Union leaders, who first reported the raids, said the searches may be linked to suspicions of emissions foul play, raising fears that an ongoing Volkswagen pollution scandal was spreading to neighbouring France.

But Renault, while confirming there had been searches, said that no cheating devices had been found in diesel engine tests which had earlier been commissioned by Environment Minister Segolene Royal.

"The news triggered a massive selling movement, it's a disaster that's pulling everybody down," said one Paris-based analyst, referring to plunging auto stocks across Europe.

At around 2AM AEST, Renault shares were trading nine percent lower at 78.86 euros, having earlier slumped as low as 67 euros, a drop of over 20 percent -- at that point wiping over 4 billion euros ($4.4 billion) off the company's value "which is colossal", the analyst said.

On Thursday unions reported that French anti-fraud detectives had last week raided several production sites of Renault, possibly to search for any indication of software meant to help cars cheat when undergoing tests for pollution emissions, as Volkswagen has admitting 11 million diesel vehicles.

"Agents from the (anti-fraud unit) DGCCRF intervened in various Renault sites last Thursday," the CGT Renault union said in a tract.

The probe targeted the sites' engine control units which suggests, the union said, that the raids "are linked to the consequences of the Volkswagen rigged-engines affair".

Detectives took several personal computers belonging to Renault managers, the unions said.

But Renault played down the raids, saying they were part of a probe by the DGCCRF aimed "to confirm definitively the initial analysis conducted" at the behest of Royal and which had "not shown evidence of illegal cheating software on Renault vehicles."

At the time of the stock exchange debacle, the Royal commission was presenting its conclusions after tests on 100 car models to the minister, and a news conference was scheduled later Thursday.

French rival Peugeot, France's biggest car maker whose shares also plunged, quickly released a statement saying it had not been the target of any anti-fraud raids, adding that similar government tests had resulted in the "absence of any anomaly" in car emissions.

Peugeot shares subsequently came off their lows, trading 3.3 percent down at 14.26 euros, off an earlier 13.33 low.

The Renault news weighed on auto stocks across Europe, with BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen all falling more than five percent at one point.

Volkswagen is facing possible fines that could reach into the tens of billions of dollars in the United States alone over the scandal, and faces probes in other countries as well.

Fiat Chrysler stock, meanwhile, crashed after a report saying the company has been accused of conspiring to inflate its US sales figures. The company said the claims were unfounded.

Summary: Shares in Renault suffered a meltdown on the Paris stock exchange on Thursday after anti-fraud detectives raided sites of the carmaker in an apparent emissions probe.


A sushi bar that shares the same building and owners as the Japanese restaurant Cocolo, where you can enjoy one of Berlin's best bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen....

A sushi bar that shares the same building and owners as the Japanese restaurant Cocolo, where you can enjoy one of Berlin's best bowls of Tonkotsu Ramen. Gipsstrasse 3, +49 30 28386622

The oldest private art collection in Berlin Mitte, Sammlung Hoffman opens two floors to the public on Saturdays for guided tours of contemporary art hung in an erstwhile sewing-machine factory turned private residence. *Sophienstrasse 21, +49 30 28499120

The storefront of the publisher Gestalten is a one-stop shop for both the newest Picasso monograph and the latest Aēsop face masque. You'll probably stumble upon an art opening or a book launch, too. *Sophienstrasse 21, +49 30 20215821

A coffee roaster, bakery and deli popular among the lingering brunch set and, later in the day, flocks of moms and daughters who fly to the capital from Munich and Düsseldorf for the galleries but get weighed down with shopping bags along the way. *Sophienstrasse 21, +49 30 28598363

A warm, candle-lit bistro serving authentic German fare that's always filled with the neighborhood's hip denizens yet manages to feel welcoming at the same time. Gipsstrasse 11, +49 30 28093840

Imagine the children from the Waldorf school down the street skipping into this store to stock up on substantial-feeling, environmentally friendly pens, pencils and school supplies. Gipsstrasse 23b, +49 30 22435555

In a city where the right Nikes are appropriate for any occasion, this streetwear style and sneaker store in a landmarked building from 1845 is a true monument. Gipsstrasse 23, +49 30 20215445

*Sophienstrasse 21 is in a double courtyard between buildings on Sophienstrasse and Gipsstrasse, with entrances on both streets.

Summary: Named for the gypsum distillery that stood there three centuries ago, the busy thoroughfare of Gipsstrasse today runs through the heart of Berlin Mitte, a onetime section of East Germany that has become the capital's downtown gallery district, showcasing the relaxed cool that Berlin does best.


02/26/2016 AT 04:05 PM EST

Love is (back) in the air on

Though they went through a

look like they may be on the road to reconciliation.

In a preview clip from Tuesday's season finale, Kermit is seen driving and singing along to Jim Henson's version of "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" before pulling up next to

, who is singing a Stevie Wonder song.

"I've been trying to figure out what to do about me and Piggy and here you are singing 'You Are the Sunshine of My Life,' which is our song," Kermit tells White.

One thing leads to another and the two end up in Kermit's car together singing The White Stripe's "Fell in Love with a Girl."

airs Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Summary: Kermit the Frog and Jack White duet on the March 1 episode of The Muppets


"If you're a slacker with low expectations, those low expectations are likely to be met," he said. "I don't think optimism always works. There is a form of pessimism, such as in China where people work really hard because they are scared that they will be old while they are still poor.

"Pessimism in China motivates hard work. Pessimism in Europe has a more demotivating effect. When you're pessimistic and unmotivated, it has as self-fulfilling character."

Mr Thiel has a reputation for forthright views. In Zero to One, a new book, he writes that tech start-ups should aspire to become monopolies because the rapidly shifting nature of the sector ensures they "don't typically last for ever" and that "disruption", a Silicon Valley obsession, is a "self-congratulatory buzzword".

Private equity-backed IPOs hit 7-year highStrong demand for Rocket Internet's IPOTech chiefs in plea over privacy damage

Mr Thiel, a libertarian, also attacked EU regulators and policy makers, which have sought to rein in the likes of Google, Uber and Facebook, where he is a board member, with regulatory probes related to antitrust and privacy.

"Google obviously has a monopoly in search," he said. "There are all sorts of questions about whether it is abusing that monopoly or not. But I distrust the power of the EU regulators to make things better. I think the [technology industry] is dynamic enough that the Google monopoly will not last for ever. In practice, anything [the EU does] to micromanage the Google product will produce a cure that's worse than the disease."

He does have encouraging words to say about London, which he said straddles continental Europe and the US in attitude and has overtaken Berlin as the best and "most logical place" to build technology businesses. "People just work harder here ," he said. "They just work less hard in Berlin."

Mr Thiel, who has rarely invested outside of the US, has invested in two start-ups based in the UK capital: TransferWise, a money transfer business, and Deepmind, an artificial intelligence group bought by Google for £400 million last year.

The city's strength is in start-ups that combine financial services and technology. "London is a financial hub, and unlike New York, it's not a financial hub where people hate finance," he said.

"There's much more of a self-hating character to New York than there is to London. This matters, because if you start a tech company in New York, you will do something very far from finance. Whereas in London, it would be perfectly respectable to do something with finance and technology."

But he is critical of Rocket Internet, the German ecommerce venture capitalist, which announced the pricing for an initial public offering, targeting a midpoint market capitalisation of €6.2bn, last week. The €1.5bn IPO was fully subscribed within hours of orders being taken, leading the group to bring forward the flotation.

"I would not invest in Rocket . . . I would not take a venture capital firm public, because so much of the value comes from the people who have started the companies, and its hard to separate the human capital from the operational component," he said.

He added that Rocket's companies, which often involve imitating successful business models from the US and exporting them to new markets, are "much more plays on globalisation than on technology . . . and I believe technology is more important than globalisation".

Summary: Europe is a "slacker with low expectations", run by politicians that strangle technological progress, Peter Thiel says. The FT reports.


President Barack Obama is pledging that the US will "do whatever is necessary" to help Belgium bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks that killed more than two dozen people at the airport and a metro station.

He said on a visit to Cuba on Tuesday that the US stands "in solidarity" with Belgium in condemning "these outrageous attacks against innocent people."

Obama said the attacks were another reminder that "the world must unite" against the "scourge of terrorism."

"We can and we will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world."

Summary: President Barack Obama says the US stands "in solidarity" with Belgium following twin terror attacks that killed more than two dozen people.


Greek festival: Enjoy Greek food, music and dancing. 11 am–1 am. Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral [64 Schermerhorn St. between Court Street and Boerum Place in Downtown, (718) 624-0595], http://www.stconstantineandhelen.org.

Music, Brooklyn Folk Festival: Get your fill of folk, blues and roots music. $20. 6 pm. Jalopy [315 Columbia St. between Hamilton Avenue and Woodhull Street in Columbia Street Waterfront, (718) 395-3214], http://www.jalopy.biz.

Wine and cheese social: Enjoy a special tour of the Rose Gardens with a meet and greet to follow. RSVP. $25. 6:30–8:30 pm. Narrows Botanical Gardens [Bay Ridge Ave. at Shore Road in Bay Ridge, (718) 748-4810].

Music, Theophilus London: $10 (suggested). 7 pm. Brooklyn Museum [200 Eastern Pkwy. at Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights, (718) 638-5000], http://www.brooklynmuseum.org.

Reading, Emma Straub: Author of “Other People We Married.” Free. 7 pm. WORD [126 Franklin St. in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], http://www.wordbrooklyn.com.

Music, Classical Concert: Selections from Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn. $35 ($30 seniors, $15 students). 8 pm. Bargemusic [Fulton Ferry Landing, Old Fulton Street and Furman Street in DUMBO, (718) 624-2083], http://www.bargemusic.org.

Music, Andrew Bird: The musician kicks off Celebrate Brooklyn. Free. 8 pm. Prospect Park Band Shell [Enter Park at Prospect Park West and Ninth St. in Prospect Park, (718) 965-8900], http://www.bricartsmedia.org/cb.

Greek festival: 1 pm–1 am. See Friday, June 10.

Tour, “Written in Stone — Tales of Green-Wood”: Hear interesting stories about those buried there. $15. 1–3:30 pm. Green-Wood Cemetery [Fifth Avenue and 25th Street in Sunset Park, (718) 768-7300], http://www.green-wood.com.

Theater, “Anthropomorphic”: This musical featuring puppets is suited for those 16 years of age and older. Free. noon. United Artists Court Street Stadium [108 Court St. between State and Schermerhorn streets in Downtown, (718) 768-3703], http://www.puppetryarts.org.

Music, Brooklyn Folk Festival: Get your fill of folk, blues and roots music. $20. 2:30 pm. Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition [499 Van Brunt St., near Reed Street in Red Hook, (917) 655-2980], http://www.bwac.org.

Music, Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”: Performed by the Regina Opera Company. $23, $18 for students and seniors, $5 for teens, free for children. 3 pm. Regina Hall [1210 65th St. at 12th Avenue in Dyker Heights, (718) 259-2772], http://www.reginaopera.org.

Music, Classical Concert: 8 pm. See Friday, June 10.

Artists and Fleas: 8 am–4 pm. [70 N. Seventh St. between Wythe and Kent avenues in Williamsburg, (917) 301-5765], artistsandfleas.com.

Smorgasburg: A gastro-centric marketplace from the people behind Brooklyn Flea. 9 am–5 pm. (East River between N. Sixth and N. Seventh streets in Williamsburg), http://www.smorgasburg.com.

Brooklyn Flea: More than 100 vendors. 10 am–5 pm. (176 Lafayette Ave between Clermont and Vanderbilt avenues in Fort Greene), http://www.brooklynflea.com.

“Native New Yorkers”: A trail featuring native plants and specimens. Free. Brooklyn Botanic Garden [1000 Washington Ave., at Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, (718) 623-7220], http://www.bbg.org.

Film, “The History of New York”: Free. 2, 5 and 8 pm. Engine 212 Firehouse (134 Wythe Ave. between N. Eighth and N. Ninth streets in Williamsburg), http://www.northsidetownhall.org.

Cake Contest: Best Birthday Cake in Brooklyn Contest to take place on the IKEA waterfront sponsored by Fairway Market. Free. 5–6:30 pm. IKEA Brooklyn/IKEA waterfront [1 Beard Street in Red Hook, (718) 789-1746 or (718) 622-2492], http://www.relayforlife.org/ikearedhookny.

Film, “Tommy”: As part of the Coney Island Film Society’s summer film series. $6. 8:30 pm. Coney Island Museum [1208 Surf Ave. between Stillwell Avenue and W. 12th Street in Coney Island, (718) 907-3409], http://www.coneyisland.com/films.

Comedy Night: Free. 9:30 pm. Brooklyn Academy of Music [30 Lafayette Ave. near St. Felix Street in Fort Greene, (718) 636-4100], http://www.bam.org.

Greek festival: 1–4 pm. See Friday, June 10.

Tour, Victorian Flatbush House Tour: Get a sneak peek at 10 homes in this Brooklyn “suburb.” $25. 1–6 pm. Temple Beth Emeth [83 Marlborough Rd. at Church Avenue in Ditmas Park, (718) 859-3800 ext. 301], http://www.fdconline.org.

Tour, Historic Fort Greene: A guided walk exploring one of Brooklyn’s most diverse neighborhoods. $15, $12 seniors and students. 2 pm. [Southeast corner of Lafayette and Flatbush avenues in Fort Greene, (888) 606-9255], http://www.bigonion.com.

Theater, “Anthropomorphic”: noon. See Saturday, June 11.

Music, Brooklyn Folk Festival: 2 pm. See Saturday, June 11.

Music, Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”: 3 pm. See Saturday, June 11.

Music, Opera Grows in Brooklyn: It’s opera in a bar! $20. 7 pm. Galapagos Art Space [16 Main St. at Water Street in DUMBO, (718) 222-8500], http://www.galapagosartspace.com.

Talk, “Baseball, Nationalism and the Civil War”: Professor George Kirsch discusses this period in our history. $6, $4 for students and seniors. 2 pm. Brooklyn Historical Society [128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 222-4111], http://www.brooklynhistory.org.

Talk, Roberto Bolaño’s “Between Parenthesis”: Writers discuss the author’s collected nonfiction. Free. 7 pm. Galapagos Art Space [16 Main St. at Water Street in DUMBO, (718) 222-8500], http://www.galapagosartspace.com.

Film, “True Grit”: John Wayne remake starring Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges. Free. 2 and 6 pm. St. Francis College [180 Remsen St., between Court and Clinton streets in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 489-5200].

Honoring Jennifer Egan: It’s a party for the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. RSVP required. After party to follow at Greenlight Bookstore. Free. 5:30 pm. MoCADA [80 Hanson Pl. at South Portland Avenue in Fort Greene, (718) 230-0952], http://www.mocada.org.

Reading, Kate Christensen: Author of “The Astral.” Free. 7 pm. WORD [126 Franklin St. in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], http://www.wordbrooklyn.com.

Reading, J. Courtney Sullivan: Author of “Maine.” Free. 7 pm. BookCourt [163 Court St. between Pacific and Dean streets in Cobble Hill, (718) 875-3677], http://www.bookcourt.org.

Reading, Hal Hartley: Author of “The Heart is a Muscle.” Free. 7 pm. PowerHouse Arena [37 Main St. at Water Street in DUMBO, (718) 666-3049], http://www.powerhousearena.com.

Reading, Travis Nichols: Author of “The Monster Doodle Book.” Free. 7 pm. WORD [126 Franklin St. in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], http://www.wordbrooklyn.com.

Film, Brooklyn Short Film Festival: 8 pm. See Tuesday, June 14.

Reading, Kristen Balouch: Author of “The Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice.” Free. 7 pm. WORD [126 Franklin St. in Greenpoint, (718) 383-0096], http://www.wordbrooklyn.com.

Music, Hal Willner’s “Freedom Rides Project”: Rosanne Cash, Lou Reed and more commemorate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights event. Part of Celebrate Brooklyn. Free. 7 pm. Prospect Park Band Shell [Enter Park at Prospect Park West and Ninth St. in Prospect Park, (718) 965-8900], http://www.bricartsmedia.org/cb.

Talk, Opening reading: Summer Writers Lab featuring authors Gabriel Cohen, Jennifer Egan, Marlon James and Jessica Hegedorn. $5. 7:30 pm. Long Island University [DeKalb and Flatbush avenues in Downtown, (718) 488-1050], http://www.liu.edu/swl.

Reading, Bloomsday: Celebrate James Joyces’s “Ulysses.” Free. 8 pm. Brooklyn Lyceum [227 Fourth Ave. at President Street in Park Slope, (718) 857-4816], http://www.brooklynlyceum.com.

The Shat Ball 3: Trekkies, unite for this tribute to Captain Kirk and the legend who played him. $8. 8 pm. The Bell House [149 Seventh St. at Third Avenue in Gowanus, (718) 643-6510], http://www.thebellhouseny.com.

Reading, Aimee Bender: Author of “The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.” Free. 7 pm. BookCourt [163 Court St. between Pacific and Dean streets in Cobble Hill, (718) 875-3677], http://www.bookcourt.org.

Reading, Rick Moody and Wesley Stace: Part of the Summer Writers Lab held at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. $5. 7:30 pm. Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University [1 University Plaza at Dekalb and Flatbush Avenues in Fort Greene, (718) 488-1050], http://www.liu.edu.

Artists and Fleas: 8 am–4 pm. See Saturday, June 11.

Smorgasburg: 9 am–5 pm. See Saturday, June 11.

Brooklyn Flea: 10 am–5 pm. See Saturday, June 11.

3rd Annual Epic Dumbo Stoop Sale: Buy and sale whatever you want. DJs from Halcyon the Shop will be spinning throughout the day for entertainment and a dance party is also planned. Limited number of table reservations remain, get yours now! Free. 11 am–4 pm. The Archway under the Manhattan Bridge [Water St. between Adams Street and Anchorage Place in Dumbo, (718) 237-8700], http://www.dumbonyc.org.

Summary: Fri, June 10Greek festival: Enjoy Greek food, music and dancing. 11 am–1 am. Saints Constantine and Helen Cathedral [64 Schermerhorn St. between Court Street and Boerum Place in Downtown, (718) 624…


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 17 - Laura Shortill had a 3.6 grade point average at her Buxton, Me., high school and her SAT's were "fairly average," she said. "Nothing astronomical."

So when she applied to Harvard, Ms. Shortill knew it was a stretch. And she had a backup: Harvard.

Although Ms. Shortill was accepted elsewhere, including Johns Hopkins, when she was rejected by Harvard College, she moved to Cambridge anyway. She enrolled in a bachelor's degree program at Harvard University Extension School -- for a fraction of the admissions requirements and a fraction of the cost.

"I had Harvard as my reach school," said Ms. Shortill, 20, "and I had Harvard as my safety school."

Students Ms. Shortill's age make up a small but growing percentage of Harvard Extension School these days, said Michael Shinagel, the dean. While the school does not keep count, he said, the number of bachelor's degrees it gives out (118 last year) is double that of 10 years ago, largely because of younger students, at least some of them drawn by the chance to experience Harvard at bargain-basement prices.

"I can tell by the physiognomy, by the color of the hair, by the body types that we're getting leaner and younger," Dr. Shinagel said. "Clearly the trend is to a younger student population."

Extension and continuing-education schools have long served midcareer adults and people with some previous college credit. They still account for most extension students, and many do not accept students under 25 or without college experience.

But schools that accept younger students say interest is increasing, driven largely by economic considerations, although at Harvard it is also fueled by the fact that it is Harvard.

"There is a group of what you might call traditional college-age students who are with us now," said Robert E. Wiltenburg, dean of University College, the extension school of Washington University in St. Louis.

Dean Wiltenburg said that the number of students in his undergraduate degree program tripled in the last five years, and that most students studying full-time were 25 or younger.

University of Phoenix, a continuing-education school with 176 campuses, last year dropped its rule that students be at least 22, and now 18-to-22-year-olds are nearly 10 percent of its 160,000 undergraduates.

At University of Maryland University College, a continuing-education school, students 25 and under seeking bachelor's degrees are the fastest-growing population, tripling to 4,200 in 2004 from 1,400 in 1997, said Mary Ellen Hrutka, dean of undergraduate studies.

"Faculty members are adjusting their pedagogy to reflect age diversity," Dean Hrutka said, including in her course on women in business, where all the students once had careers, but now several are too young.

The trend reflects the increasing number of students struggling to afford college, even as they realize it is increasingly necessary, experts say.

"The cost of college has risen, and the federal aid that is available has not kept up," said Kay J. Kohl, executive director of the University Continuing Education Association. "A large proportion of traditional-age college students come from low-income families or are basically debt averse."

The same impulse has more students attending community colleges for two years before switching to a four-year institution. The National Center for Education Statistics reported that in 2000 only 27 percent of students fit the traditional description of enrolling right after high school, attending full-time, being financially supported by parents and either not working or working part-time.

Extension schools, with evening and weekend classes, appeal especially to students who need jobs to afford college and whose income then disqualifies them for financial aid but is not enough for full tuition.

Harvard Extension School, with its mission of making a part of Harvard broadly accessible, is unusually inexpensive, charging about $550 per lecture course compared to about $4,000 per course at Harvard College.

Other recent high school graduates, as well as home-schooled students, are also pursuing bachelors degrees at Harvard extension. Jeanne Margaret Nurse, although largely an A student, did not even apply to Harvard's undergraduate program. One of 12 children, Ms. Nurse, 20, who went to high school in St. Louis, said her family's income was too high to qualify for financial aid but too low to afford a regular college.

And Chip Perro is thrilled with his extension school decision.

"I really wanted to go to a good school," said Mr. Perro, 21, from the Boston suburb of Natick, who failed to get into Harvard College or other top universities. "My degree will be a degree from Harvard University. Sounds pretty good to me."

Summary: Growing number of younger students are attending extension and continuing-education programs that have long served midcareer adults and those with some previous college credit; schools that accept younger students in such programs say interest is increasing, driven largely economic considerations; at Harvard University Extension School, interests is also fueled by fact that it is Harvard; experts say trend reflects increasing number of students struggling to afford college, even as they realize it is increasingly necessary; extension schools, with evening and weekend classes, appeal especially to students who need jobs to afford college and whose income then disqualifies them for financial aid but is not enough for full tuition; Harvard Extension School, with mission of making part of Harvard broadly accessible, is unusually inexpensive: $500 per lecture course compared to $4,000 per course at Harvard College; professors say some courses are virtually identical to those at Harvard College; say differences come mainly from students; some professors say real-world experiences of extension students make classes less academic and more practical; photos (M)


A Mad Max-style armoured IS truck reminiscent of designed to inflict catastrophic damage was captured in Syria before it had the chance to be detonated.

Footage of the claimed vehicle taken in 2015 was released on Wednesday providing a detailed look at the heavily armoured car.

The captured truck features four barrels on the back presumably for carrying explosive materials, as well as spiked wheels.

Bullet proof vehicles like the one seen in the video have become a popular form of kamikaze vehicle for the terrorist group.

The heavy armour protects the driver and vehicle from opposition forces allowing it reach its destination before it sets off its explosives.


It has to be hard pitching a new-media business when your name is Sean Parker. While helping to build Facebook in the early days is definitely a feather in your cap, many people also know you as a co-founder of Napster, and that doesn’t generate what you might call warm feelings. But there’s more than that behind the movie industry’s reluctance to embrace Parker’s Screening Room.

For one thing, Screening Room is about as far away from copyright-infringing downloads as you could possibly get. The new venture from Parker and co-founder Prem Akkaraju is designed to give movie studios an additional way to reach potential viewers in the early days of a movie’s release, while it’s still in theaters.

The Screening Room pitch is fairly straightforward. Consumers buy a $150 box that sits near their television set, and by using it they can buy first-run movies on the same day they appear in theaters, for $50 apiece. Through encryption and other digital protection mechanisms, users are given 48 hours to watch the movie, and copying or sharing of the content is (theoretically) impossible.

Parker and his partner have reportedly signed up some pretty high-profile supporters, including Hollywood names like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, J.J. Abrams and Ron Howard. In a statement they released recently, Howard and his partner Brian Grazer said:

When we met Sean and Prem last year it was clear Screening Room was the only solution that supports all stakeholders in the industry: exhibitors, studios and filmmakers. The SR model is fair, balanced and provides significant value for the entire industry that we love. We make movies for the big screen and for as many people to see it. Screening Room uniquely provides that solution.

One of the largest movie chains in the country, AMC Theatres, has also reportedly signed on in support of the Screening Room model. But plenty of others in the industry don’t like it at all.

The National Association of Theatre Owners, for example, says it emphatically isn’t in favor of Screening Room’s model. Although it doesn’t go into great detail about why, the organization said in a statement that solutions to the ongoing issues caused by the digital release of films should be developed “by distributors and exhibitors in company-to-company discussions, not by a third party.”

Cinemark, one of the nation’s largest theater owners, told Entertainment Weekly that it is skeptical about Parker’s plan, because the traditional theater exhibition window “has been the most stable window long-term, and the theatrical success of a film drives the value proposition for the studios’ downstream ancillary markets.”

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The chance that movies released through Screening Room’s proprietary box might be pirated is probably among the fears that theater owners have, but the real concern is much bigger than that. In a nutshell, theater chains are afraid that the lure of the movie theater is waning already, and that offering families the ability to watch first-run films in their own homes will eat even further into the grip that the country’s movie chains have on the “release window.”

It’s not just theater chains who don’t like Screening Room. Despite the support of Scorsese and Spielberg, other Hollywood directors aren’t crazy about the proposal, including Titanic director James Cameron and Inception director Christopher Nolan. Bill Mechanic, a filmmaker and former executive with 20th Century Fox, told Deadline:

Anything that tries to eliminate the theatrical window or shorten it where it doesn’t matter is completely short-sighted. And if you are in a business that no longer has theatrical, it becomes the land of the giants—then it is a question of only what can break through the clutter. It’s very myopic to think that it’s not ultimately destructive.

In essence, the control over what movies get seen and when—and the magical experience of seeing a film on the “big screen”—is about all the theater industry has going for it any more when it comes to competing with digital content from Netflix and others. So any attempt to shrink the release window brings chains out with guns blazing, including attempts by new content companies to release their films online at the same time as they appear in theaters.

Why Netflix is dumping The Hunger Games

In a statement about Screening Room, the Art House Convergence—which represents about 600 cinema owners—said the company’s model is “incongruous with the movie exhibition sector by devaluing the in-theater experience.” The group went on to say that the project would result in “a decline in overall film profitability through the cannibalization of theatrical revenue. The theatrical experience is unique and beneficial to maximizing profit for films. Cinema grosses must be protected.”

Parker and his partner have tried to mollify movie distributors and chains by promising a revenue share, with exhibitors getting a piece of the $50 per movie fee. It’s also offering users two tickets to see the same movie they just bought through Screening Room in an actual theater. But groups like the AHC aren’t convinced this is going to make up for the disruption they face. As the group said:

The proposed model suggests exhibitors will receive $20 for each film purchased. At first glance, an exhibitor may think it represents a small, but potentially steady, additional revenue stream. But how will this actually be divided among the number of theaters playing the purchased title; will exhibitors who open the title receive more than an exhibitor who does not get the title until several weeks later?

In their attempt to cozy up to the movie industry, meanwhile, Parker and Akkaraju may have also managed to structure their service so that few consumers will be interested in it. Are there that many movie lovers who want to buy a separate set-top box just so they can pay $50 for a first-run movie the same day it appears in theaters? Even if you assume multiple people are going to watch, $50 per movie isn’t exactly cheap. But even at that price, it still seems to be too much of a threat for theater chains to embrace.

Summary: The Napster co-founder's Screening Room proposal isn’t what the industry needs, say theater owners.


When the first Broadway revival of The Heidi Chronicles officially opens on Thursday night, starring Elizabeth Moss in the title role, the play — about a woman and her generation’s often-fraught relationship to feminism — will be more than 25 years old. But much of its subject matter is likely to resonate.

The original was a hit, spurring its move from off-Broadway to Broadway in 1989 (even though TIME’s first take on the show found that it was “like an unconscious cartoon of feminist dialectic” full of “mostly whiny and self-congratulatory cliches”). Once it was a sure thing that the Broadway version would be a hit too, the playwright explained to TIME that she had written it because she had “something to say”:

”I wrote this play because I had this image of a woman standing up at a women’s meeting saying, ‘I’ve never been so unhappy in my life,’ ” Wasserstein explains. ”Talking to friends, I knew there was this feeling around, in me and in others, and I thought it should be expressed theatrically. But it wasn’t. The more angry it made me that these feelings weren’t being expressed, the more anger I put into that play.”

But Wasserstein is far too deft a satirist, and far too gentle a person, to compose a screed. Instead, with subtlety and humor in The Heidi Chronicles, she has written a memorable elegy for her own lost generation. Heidi tells the story of a slightly introverted art historian, a fellow traveler in the women’s movement, who clings to her values long after her more committed friends switch allegiance from communes to consuming. At the pivotal moment in the play’s second act, Heidi (played by Joan Allen) stands behind a lectern on a bare stage, giving a luncheon speech to the alumnae of the prep school she once attended. Slowly the successful veneer of Heidi’s life is stripped away as she tries to ad-lib a free-form answer to the assigned topic, ”Women, Where Are We Going?” Heidi’s soliloquy ends with these words: ”I don’t blame any of us. We’re all concerned, intelligent, good women.” Pause. ”It’s just that I feel stranded. And I thought that the whole point was that we wouldn’t feel stranded. I thought the point was that we were all in this together.”

Read the full 1989 interview with Wasserstein, here in the TIME Vault: Chronicler of Frayed Feminism

Summary: The revival opens on Broadway on March 19, 2015


Updated Friday at 9:56 a.m.

President Barack Obama called for recognition of the allied forces who turned the tide of history during a stirring speech in Normandy, France, on Friday morning at a ceremony to honor the 70th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe.

“It was here on these shores that the tide was turned in the common struggle for freedom,” Obama said. “Whenever the world makes you cynical, stop and think of these men.”

The Commander-in-Chief cited the sacrifices of the fallen and the 70 years of democratic movement that spawned in the wake of World War II as aging veterans paid their respects to the tens of thousands of young soldiers who were killed during the opening days of Operation Overlord.

More than 150,000 troops participated in the invasion by land, sea and air in the early hours of June 6, 1944. Tens of thousands of British and North American troops stormed the beachheads of the German-occupied Norman coastline amid the largest amphibious assault in the history of warfare.

Allied forces suffered an estimated 10,000 casualties during the first 24 hours of the bloody 77-day campaign. The invasion succeeded in punching a massive hole into the Nazi war machine’s western defenses and marked the beginning of the end of Adolf Hitler’s reign.

“More than 20,000 Americans paid with their lives here in Normandy,” French President François Hollande said during the ceremony’s opening remarks. “They were your parents, your brothers, your friends. They were our liberators.”

After their speeches, Obama and Hollande placed a wreath at a memorial in the cemetery honoring those who died fighting to fascist’s forces in northern France.

Europe was primarily carved into two ideological camps in wake of the collapse of Nazi Germany, pitting Washington against Moscow. More than 20 years since the end of the Cold War, tensions between East and West have again burst to the surface.

Russia’s annexation of Crimea this past March upped hostilities in Europe to one of the highest levels in decades. Despite the tension, Obama attended a post-speech lunch hosted by Hollande at the American cemetery with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Obama and Putin had an informal conversation “on the margins” of the lunch for 10 to 15 minutes, according to pool reports.

Summary: Updated Friday at 9:56 a.m. President Barack Obama called for recognition of the allied forces who turned the tide of history during a stirring speech…